Chapter Five

“William, I cannot understand why you want to stay in Australia now. I know your sister Anne is here, and seems to enjoy the life, but you’ve never shown any interest in farming. What is it you want?” Alexander Barron regarded his son with a puzzled look.

William felt the old resentment return. “Well, there’s really nothing for me in England, is there? I mean, Rupert will inherit the estates and Hector will stay and help him, what is there for me?”

“There are other options. There’s always the army, for instance.”

William had no desire for a regimented life. “That’s not what I want, and life out here rather appeals. Anne likes it, don’t you?” He turned to his sister.

“Yes, but we like farming, don’t we, George?” Anne looked at her husband, who nodded his agreement. “You don’t know the first thing about sheep.”

Her reply annoyed him; they all seemed to think he was good for nothing. “I could learn. But perhaps I wouldn’t go into farming. It seems like there’s plenty of opportunities out here for an enterprising person.”

“I don’t know that I’d call you enterprising…” his father began, but Anne interrupted.

“You’re not thinking of going into trade, I hope.”

Before William could reply, his mother added her voice. “It’s that girl, isn’t it?” Her eyes narrowed.

William swallowed in an effort to quell the butterflies inside him; his mother always frightened him. “What girl?” he asked in a strangled voice.

“You know very well what girl. The one on the ship. The Morland girl.”

The blood rushed to his face as they all stared at him. “I am indeed very fond of Miss Morland. In fact,” he blurted out, “I hope she’ll consent to become my wife.”

“Marriage.” His mother’s ample bosom heaved. “So it’s gone this far.”

“Have you actually asked her?” his father interjected.

“Yes, I have.”

His father frowned. “I can’t believe you’d take such a step without discussing it with me first.”

“Never mind that,” his mother said. “I suppose she’s accepted? She’s not likely to pass up such an opportunity.”

Now it was out in the open, William felt better. “As a matter of fact, she hasn’t given me her answer yet. She hadn’t realized how I felt and needed time to think about it. She’s concerned to leave her mother in a new country without her. She’s such a kind and thoughtful person.” His mother sniffed. “You could have no objection to her. She’s from a good family.”

“Yes, the family would be acceptable enough, though there’s no money there, if it weren’t for the fact that the father took his own life a few years ago. Not something we would want to be associated with.”

William was shocked. “Poor Miss Morland. What a terrible thing for her. I didn’t know.”

“No. She’s not likely to make it known, is she?”

“You can’t hold it against her.”

“It rubs off. If she hasn’t accepted, you can back out. Withdraw your offer,” she ordered.

William stiffened. “I mean to marry her, if she’ll have me.”

“Then it would be all for the best if you do stay in Australia. I wouldn’t want the family to be associated with her back home.”

Alexander lifted his hand to his wife and addressed William. “That’s as may be, but it brings us back to the question of what you’re to do, either here or in England.”

“I’ve made up my mind I want to stay here.”

“Perhaps the clubs here won’t be gambling dens as they are back home,” his mother said, compressing her lips as she glared at her son.

William flushed. “I don’t…”

Alexander silenced them with a raised hand. “Let’s not go into past mistakes now, any of them. Now then, I’m prepared to finance you into a property. I’ll give you enough to set up and to cover the first year, but after that you’ll have to be self-sustaining if you wish to remain here. I don’t know if you’ll be a good enough farmer. You haven’t shown much aptitude for the land.”

“I don’t know. Maybe farming’s not what I really want.”

“I suggest you make up your mind.”

George spoke for the first time. “Look, there might be something else I could suggest. There’s good money in timber. A logging business might suit you, William. You can have a manager who knows the business and you only have to oversee it and manage the business side. How would that appeal?”

“A logging business?” William turned it over in his mind. “Where do you get the timber?”

“There are miles and miles of it in the forests. I happen to know of an established business that’s up for sale. In Bulahdelah. The owner’s returning to England. You’d just have to step in and take it over.”

“Where is Bulahdelah?”

“North of Sydney, on the Myall River. It’s beautiful country through there. Plenty of trees, just waiting to be cut down.”

“How far north?”

“Oh, about a hundred miles, maybe a little more.”

“Does it have a manager?”

“Yes, and he’s anxious to stay.”

“How do you know about it?” asked Alexander.

“I heard about it when I was looking at timber for a new shed. Here in Sydney, before you arrived. There’s such a building boom going on here that I thought at the time it sounded like a good opportunity, but I can’t take on any more. You’d need to be there to keep an eye on things.”

“Does that appeal to you more than farming?” Alexander asked William.

“Yes, it does rather.”

“Then we’ll make arrangements to go and view the place as soon as possible. If it seems like a good proposition, we’ll buy it.”

William was elated. Already he could visualize himself and Kitty sharing life together in a tranquil country setting, with himself riding around supervising the felling of giant trees and directing his employees while Kitty sat by the fire with her needlework.

As soon as he was alone, he sat down and wrote to her, explaining that he had to leave town before he could see her but that he hoped to have some exciting news for her when he returned.

****

“Goodness, just listen to this.” Kitty held a letter in her hand and read it aloud to Bella. “My dearest Kitty, in anticipation of your answer to my proposal being the one I am so desperate to hear, I am making some plans for our future. Knowing how much you wish to remain in Australia, to be near your mother and brother, I am leaving early in the morning with my father and my sister’s husband George Remington to inspect a timber logging business that is for sale at Bulahdelah, north of Sydney. I will be away for about two to three weeks and will tell you all the details on my return. I remain your faithful and devoted servant, William Barron.’ What do you think of that?”

Bella’s eyes widened. “That means he’s willing to remain in Australia to be with you. He’s a very determined young man, I must say.”

Kitty made a moue of distaste. “Pity he’s not a bit more interesting.”

“Really, Kitty, I don’t know what more you want.”

“I’ve told you, I don’t know that I want to marry anyone, not yet anyhow.”

“You could do a lot worse.”

“Mother, I don’t love him.”

“For a woman, that comes after marriage. If she’s lucky. The main thing is that he loves you, and William obviously does.”

“Let’s not worry about it just now. I’m more concerned about finding Robert.”

“As William will be away for a while, it gives you a breathing space. I wonder what this Bulahdelah is like.”

Kitty moved to answer a knock at the door, glad of the diversion.

Mary stood there. “Good afternoon, miss. I just came to see if everything’s all right. Is there anything I can do for you?”

“Why, no, thank you, Mary.”

“Just a moment, Mary,” Bella called out. “Come in. Do you know anything about a place called Bulahdelah, north of Sydney?”

“Not a lot, but I have heard a bit about it. My young man, Tom, has done some timber cutting up that way. It’s only a small place, on the Myall River, not far from Stroud, I believe. Very pretty up that way, so he says.”

“How would you go up there?”

“Well, you can go by steamer as far as Raymond Terrace, that’s in a bit from Newcastle, and it’s probably about a day or so’s ride from there. Are you thinking of going?”

“No, no. We just heard about the timber up there, and we were curious. Thank you, Mary.”

“You’re welcome, miss. Are you sure there’s nothing I can do for you?”

“No, thank you.”

“Then good afternoon, miss.”

“Such a pleasant young woman,” said Kitty after she had left the room.

Bella was not to be sidetracked. “So, this Bulahdelah sounds as if it could be an agreeable place to live.”

“Let’s forget about Bulahdelah for now, shall we? Although…” Kitty paused as she thought for a moment “…I wonder if Robert might be interested in timber logging?”

“Robert? I don’t know.” Bella sounded doubtful.

“We saw so much building around Sydney, I wonder if there’s much outside the city? If there is, then it would have to be a good business. We should go and have a look around the outskirts of town.” She noticed Bella’s hesitation. “We could look for a house to rent at the same time.”

“That would be a good idea. And it will tell us if the timber business will be good for William, too.”

Kitty rolled her eyes. “That’s settled then. We’ll go in the morning.”

****

Bella woke with a headache.

“You stay in bed for a while,” Kitty told her. “I’ll be quite all right to go alone.”

“But you don’t know where to go,” Bella objected.

“Neither do you. I’ll take a cab. I’ll be quite all right.”

Bella pressed her hand to her brow, obviously in no state to argue.

Kitty kissed her cheek before leaving. “Don’t worry. Go back to sleep.”

As she crossed the foyer she met Rufe. “I don’t suppose you’ve heard anything back from your agent yet?” Kitty asked him.

“I’ve had an acknowledgement of my cable and his assurance that he’ll do all he can to find your brother. It might take a while, but if anyone can find him, he will.”

“I’m most grateful to you for your trouble.”

“Not at all.” Rufe smiled at her. “And where are you off to this lovely morning?”

“We’ve decided to look for a house to rent. We were both going to have a look around, but my mother has a headache so I’m going alone.”

His brows rose. “On your own? Where do you plan on looking?”

“Oh, I thought I’d just take a cab and drive around a bit. The only area we’ve seen so far is the Surry Hills.”

“I’m about to go over to the North Shore, would you care to accompany me and have a look over there? I’m just about to have my trap brought around.”

Her hesitation was fleeting. Her fear of him recognizing her now had almost gone. “Thank you, I would indeed. It is difficult trying to find your way around in a strange place.”

As she settled into the trap, she realized this was the first time she had been alone with Rufe since the night of the ball. She was conscious of his closeness alongside her as they moved off. It was both pleasant and disturbing. He proved an entertaining companion as they drove through the city streets, pointing out places and people of interest as they passed. His comments on the local citizens were often amusing, if not always flattering.

Rufe pointed with his whip as they approached the quay. “That’s where we’re going.” He indicated the other side of the harbor, across a wide expanse of water, deep blue now under the sun shining down from a clear sky above. Scattered houses showed between the green trees covering the sides of the slopes on the opposite shore.

“Across the water? How do we get there?”

“We’ll cross on the ferry.”

“So, people live over on that side of the harbor, too, and come to the city by ferry?”

“Yes, there are some very nice houses over there, particularly at Mossman’s Bay and Neutral Bay.”

Rufe drove down and across a gangway onto the waiting ferry, joining the other wagons, carriages and horses waiting to cross, and in a few moments they were underway. Kitty looked around with interest. How different the harbor looked down at this level, so much closer to the water. She looked back at their wake streaming out behind them and at the small boats and yachts zigzagging nearby. A stiff breeze whipped up whitecaps on the water, causing Kitty to hold on to her hat with both hands. It was all so exciting.

They were nearly halfway across when the ferry started to roll and dip.

“Don’t worry, we’re quite safe,” Rufe said. “It’s often a bit rough on this stretch. It’s caused by the swell from the ocean coming in as we pass the Heads.”

But Kitty laughed with the exhilaration of it. “I love it. It makes me feel so alive.” Her cheeks flushed with excitement.

For her, the trip was all too short. It seemed only minutes until they were waiting to cross the gangway onto the shore.

****

“What a fun way to travel.” Kitty’s eyes sparkled, her cheeks were pink, her even white teeth showed as she laughed up at him, her face alive with the joy of the moment.

Rufe caught his breath as he looked down at her. God, she was lovely. He was disconcerted to find he had to resist an impulse to scoop her into his arms and crush her against him. He forced his attention at that moment to driving them across the gangway and up the incline on the other side, allowing time to regain his composure.

“You enjoyed that, did you?” he asked, when they were on level ground again.

“Yes. I wish I could come to town like that every day.”

“If you live on the North Shore, it’s what you’ll do. Mind you, in a storm, it can be a bit wild.”

She still laughed. “I guess you can’t have it all ways, you learn to take the rough with the smooth.”

“Like life?”

“Indeed. Like life.”

****

Kitty loved the look of the north side of Sydney Harbour. Here, almost every house was set in its own plot with a front garden that was a riot of color behind a picket fence. She noticed, too, that there seemed to be as many new houses being built here as on the other side of the harbor.

“Building is obviously big business in Sydney. It should be a good business to get into. And the timber industry, too.”

“Both very good with this building boom. Why, are you interested? Not still thinking of going into business, are you?”

“Oh, I’m thinking of it for my brother Robert, when he returns. And also, William Barron has gone to look at a timber logging business.”

Rufe turned and looked at her through narrowed eyes. “Barron? I thought he was returning to England shortly?”

Kitty shrugged. “It seems he’s considering staying here.”

“I see. I imagine that decision would have something to do with you. Are you going to marry him?”

“I haven’t decided. Not that it’s anything to do with you.”

“I’d hate to see you make a mistake, that’s all.” His voice hardened. “You’re too full of life to throw yourself away on a weakling like Barron. He could never make you happy.”

Kitty lifted her chin. “And what qualifies you as an expert on what would make me happy?”

“I’m a good judge of people. Barron will never be a success out here. I’ve seen too many come out, like him, thinking life will be the same as it was in the old country. He should go back to his father’s estates and his hunting, that’s what he’s cut out for. You’ve got more backbone than he’ll ever have. You need…” he hesitated “…you need someone stronger.”

Kitty tossed her head. “I think I can judge for myself what I need, thank you.”

“Suit yourself. I’m only thinking of your happiness.”

****

But Rufe knew that wasn’t true. He realized he was jealous of Barron. He didn’t want Kitty to marry him.