Chapter Twenty-seven

Echuca

‘Help ye, miss?’ A constable doffed his cap. He was an older man with leathery and lined skin, sporting a big moustache, the long whiskers falling into the creases around his mouth. He peered over the top of her to stare down the laneway.

‘Oh, thank you, just a direction. I need to buy a fare on a steamer. Where’s the ticket office?’

He raised an arm and pointed to his right. ‘Cross the road, and a bit further up. Can’t miss it.’

She smiled, nodded her thanks.

‘Which way you headed?’

Evie didn’t hesitate. ‘Cobram.’ She had nothing to hide and the police certainly weren’t looking for her.

‘Only a couple of boats in this morning are goin’ upriver. You might be lucky. Try the Sweet Georgie, miss. She takes a bit of freight, but mostly passengers these days. She has some real fine cabins.’

She nodded her thanks and kept moving, intent on finding the ticket office.

Then, ‘Miss, are you on your own?’ one of them called, suspicion in his voice.

Evie turned to see him pointing at Raff, leading Bluey, making his way back towards them. His face was like thunder. Blast you, Rafferty Dolan.

‘Oh, that’s my brother, Constable,’ she said loudly. ‘Come along, Stanley,’ she added gaily, then lowered her voice for the constable’s benefit. ‘He’s a bit slow, you see.’ Evie kept walking, the smile plastered in place until she could hear Bluey’s hooves clip-clopping over the sound of her pulse banging in her ears.

Stanley came alongside, his gaze on her cool, not amused. ‘I’m a bit slow, am I?’

‘You were clearly following me, looking like a warrior about to rampage, so no wonder the constable asked who you were. If you want to ride poor Bluey to Cobram, out of town is that way by the look of it.’ She pointed. ‘The police are headed in the opposite direction.’ She hefted the bag into her other hand. ‘I’m going to the ticket office.’

Raff set his jaw. ‘The warrior was going to say a few words if they’d tried to detain you.’

‘Excellent. That would have drawn attention to you whether they’re crooked or not.’ Evie stepped under the veranda at the ticket window. ‘Good afternoon,’ she said as a man fronted, his face pleasant, sweat popping on his forehead. ‘I believe there’s a boat by the name of the Sweet Georgie going upriver and it has cabins for passengers,’ Evie said. ‘I’d like to buy passage, if I may, to Cobram.’

‘Ah yes, just a moment. I reckon the captain is on the wharf now. I’ll see if he can help ye.’ The man peered around her at Raff and the horse. ‘All of ye?’

Evie took a breath to say—

‘Yes. My sister and I, and my horse, thanks,’ Raff said.

‘Right y’are.’ The man disappeared.

Raff wasn’t looking at Evie, but said, ‘Better the ticket man thinks we’re siblings too in case he’s asked anything by McCosker’s men.’

‘And don’t we look like siblings,’ Evie said, exasperated, and took out a handkerchief and mopped her neck and face. So hot. ‘You changed your mind,’ she said quietly.

‘Stanley believes he will be safe with you. Don’t disappoint him.’ He was intent on the street, and on those who were coming and going. His hat, with her feather, was firmly on his head and tugged low.

The ticket fellow came back to the window. ‘Cap’n MacHenry is coming up to see ye.’

He told Evie the price and she swallowed, handing over the pound notes. Must be a luxury boat.

Rounding the office outside, a tall, strong-looking man, dark hair, dark eyes, perhaps in his early forties, nodded at her. He tipped his hat and scrutinised Raff. ‘I’m Dane MacHenry. You for Cobram?’ he asked him.

‘Me, Miss Emerson, and the horse.’

‘I’ve only got one cabin available, so that’ll do for Miss Emerson if you’re happy to spend the few nights on the deck, Mister …?’

‘Raff Dolan,’ he said. ‘I’ll be fine on the deck with Bluey.’

‘Right. Board when you’re ready. Go to the gate and follow the wharf. Neat little white boat. I’ll let my wife know we have passengers. Hope you like kids.’ He grinned. ‘We depart in an hour. Three nights, three and a half days to Cobram if we don’t strike trouble. Excuse me.’ He nodded and strode off.

‘Why did you tell the captain your name?’ Evie asked.

‘I’m not spending half the week on a boat lying to him, bad enough the ticket fella. And who’s the captain going to tell? When the conversation gets around to it, I’m a friend escorting you to your sister, which is the truth. Let’s go,’ Raff said and took Evie’s bag once again. ‘Sooner I’m out of sight, the better.’

Evie stood for a moment and watched as Raff and Bluey headed through the gate. She roused herself and following him down the boardwalk, hot and thirsty, she spotted the neat boat tied up to the wharf on what would have been the second level landing for the current water level. Sweet Georgie was emblazoned over the wheelhouse.

Captain MacHenry mentioned a wife and kids on board. So she and Raff wouldn’t be on their own.

Her heart thudded a moment. Oh, that would have been too much.