Chapter Ten

William and Kitty left the steamer at Raymond Terrace and breakfasted at the inn before commencing their journey.

“I’ve arranged a horse and carriage with a driver to take us as far as Stroud,” William told Kitty. “It is a distance of some thirty miles or so and although there is seating on the mail coach for those who would wish it, I don’t think it’s suitable transport for us.”

Kitty appreciated his concern for their comfort.

“Unfortunately,” he continued, “the rest of the trip tomorrow from Stroud to Bulahdelah will be by horseback, as the road is narrow in places.”

“Don’t worry,” Kitty replied. “I’ll enjoy riding.”

“Good. I expected you would.”

After a good night’s sleep at the inn in Stroud, Kitty rose the next morning eager to complete the journey to their new home. Emerging from the inn after breakfast, they found a man waiting outside for them. He was tall and rangy, his dark hair showed streaks of gray at the temples and his beard was neatly trimmed. He introduced himself to William as Jack Morgan, his manager, and told him he had brought horses for them.

“They’re round the back; do you want me to bring them round here?”

“Yes, I take it you’ve brought one for the luggage, as well?”

“Sure thing.” He turned to Kitty, his face splitting into a wide grin. “And you must be Mrs. Barron. Pleased to meet you.”

“And you, too, Mr. Morgan.” Kitty returned his smile.

“Jack will do, if you like. We’re not too formal up this way.” He nodded and left to get the horses.

William watched him go with a scowl on his face. “They’re all so familiar, the workers here. I don’t like their attitudes.”

Kitty laughed. “Oh, William, don’t be so stuffy. Things are different out here. I’ve noticed it everywhere. Staff are not subservient like they are in England, it seems to be a much more free and easy way of life.”

His lips set in a hard line. “I don’t like it. It shows a lack of respect.”

She shrugged, spreading her hands. “I think you’ll have to accept it. As long as they do their work well, you can’t complain.”

Glowering, he narrowed his eyes. “We shall see. And I do not expect you to encourage their familiarity.”

Kitty sought to divert his attention. “How far is it now to the house?”

“About twenty miles.”

“Are there any towns on the way?”

“No. I’ve ordered Morgan to bring food with him; we’ll have a meal on the way. We won’t reach the house until afternoon.”

Morgan returned with a string of horses. “Here you are, Mrs. Barron.” He helped her to mount before handing her the reins.

“Right-oh and this one’s for you.” He handed the reins to William. “And these two are pack horses.” He loaded their luggage.

A group of Stroudites turned out to watch their little procession wend its way through the town, which was not really more than a village. Kitty smiled at the children, but William kept his gaze fixed firmly ahead as they followed Jack Morgan.

He led them down the main street and a little way out of town before turning on to a narrow track.

“It’s just a bush track from here to Bulahdelah, but we go through some nice countryside,” he called back over his shoulder. “Just let me know if you need a spell, Mrs. Barron, just give us a yell and we’ll stop for a while.”

As she followed him, Kitty looked around. He was right about the countryside; it was beautiful. On one side of the track, dense forest came almost on top of them. Some of the trees were giants. These must be the types of trees that were logged for the timber trade. It seemed a shame to cut them down, they were so wonderful, but, after all, sentiment must play no part in business. Each one would certainly yield an enormous amount of timber.

She turned around to William. “Do we have trees like these on our property?”

“Yes. Hundreds of them. And each one worth a great deal of money.”

They were continuing along the track at a steady pace when a sudden screeching overhead caused Kitty to stop and look up. A flock of white and yellow birds swooped overhead, their raucous cries filling the air.

“My goodness, what are those?” she called out.

“They’re Sulphur-crested cockatoos,” Jack Morgan called back, slowing his horse and turning around.

“What noisy birds. And so many of them. There must have been about twenty.”

“Yes. There’re plenty of birds up here. You want to look out for some of the brightly colored ones, they’re real nice.”

“I’ll watch out for them.”

“I’m sure this is all very interesting, but could we move along??” came William’s peevish voice from the rear.

They rode on in silence until they came abreast a patch of smaller trees with spiky leaves. Kitty slowed her horse to watch as a pair of bright green and red parrots swooped across in front of them, chattering loudly. Fluttering their wings, they came to rest in one of the trees, their beaks pecking at its bright red flowers.

“What beautiful birds. What are they?”

“King parrots,” Morgan answered, slowing his horse and turning. “And these little fellows”—he pointed as several smaller birds, decked out in red, green, and yellow feathers, flew by, screeching as they went—“they’re lorikeets. If you like birds, there’re hundreds of ’em up this way. Plenty of other wildlife, too.”

He reined in his horse. “Look up there,” he pointed up into one of the tall trees at the edge of the forest. “See that gray furry animal? That’s a koala.”

Kitty looked up to see a small animal with a round head, a flat black nose, and large round ears. Its black button eyes stared down from where it clung high in a crook of the tree with its legs wrapped around the branch. “Oh, I see it. It looks like a little bear.”

“Sort of a bear. They can come down and walk on the ground, but they spend most of their time up there, even sleep up there, clinging on to a branch. The only thing they eat is the leaves of gum trees, special kinds of gum trees. And if you keep your eyes peeled, you’ll see kangaroos around, too.”

Kitty laughed. “Oh, kangaroos. They’re such odd creatures, I saw one down near Sydney.”

“Plenty of ’em up here.”

Setting off again they continued their ride, up rocky ridges and down into grassy vales, crossing several creeks along the way, the horses splashing through the water with no hesitation. And everywhere there were trees.

About midday they came to a level, grassy bank by a creek, with plenty of shade. Jack Morgan called a halt and they dismounted. While he busied himself producing a meal from a saddlebag, Kitty and William took a short walk along the track ahead, glad of the chance to stretch their legs. When they returned, Morgan had the food spread out on a cloth beneath a shady tree, and he had lit a small fire to make billy tea.

“Here you are,” he said when they returned, handing them each a pannikin. “Best tea you’ll ever taste.”

William nodded at Kitty as he took his mug. “It is surprisingly good, my dear,” he told her. “I tried it when I was here before. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”

Kitty sipped the hot tea. “You’re right. I must say I am surprised.” Sitting alongside William on a fallen tree trunk, she ate with relish, enjoying the simple meal of cold beef, pickles, and bread.

Kitty looked around the clearing, fringed with tall, gray-green trees. “It’s so quiet here, you can almost feel the silence, it’s so still.”

“Not a lot ’round here to make a noise, apart from the birds,” Morgan replied. “There’s sheep back near Stroud, but not here.”

“This is mainly timber country,” William told her, indicating the forest around them.

“So I see. There’s certainly plenty of that. Is it as thick on our place?”

“Yes, indeed, enough to make my fortune.”

Lunch finished, Morgan cleared up, then took a small spade from his saddlebag and scooped up some soil to throw over the fire, taking care to ensure it was completely extinguished before they set out again. The track became steeper as they climbed a range of hills. Around them were rocky peaks and deep gullies, with creeks gushing their way down to join the rivers below. At the summit, they stopped to rest the horses and stood for a few moments, admiring the view.

“Our new home, my dear,” William told her, waving an arm expansively.

Thickly timbered plains spread out below them. A silver river snaked its way through the trees and, far ahead, a tall mountain rose to one side. Further still, the river emptied itself into a large body of water that seemed to spread for miles.

They followed the track down, moving at a slower pace, until they reached gentle rolling countryside below. It was late in the afternoon when they finally reached the bank of a river.

“The Myall River,” Morgan told them. “We’re

nearly there.”

After crossing by punt, another ten minutes riding alongside the river brought them in sight of a house. Kitty reined in her horse and William urged his forward to stand beside her.

“There it is. Redwoods!” William pointed proudly.

“Oh, William, it looks beautiful.”

The house stood on a rise above the river. Behind it, the mountain loomed, a benign giant watching over its realm. Late afternoon sun slanted through the trees to dapple the shingle roof and highlight the posts on the wide verandah across the front.

“Redwoods is the finest house in the district,” William said with satisfaction.

As they came closer Kitty saw that the verandah at the front continued around both sides of the house. Vines twined up the verandah posts, dripping pendulous purple flowers. Roses bloomed in the garden at the front, their heady scent wafting out to meet them, while chrysanthemums and other flowers, for which she had no name as yet, formed a riot of color. A low fence surrounded it all.

Kitty smiled at William, feeling pleased. “It’s really charming, quite the prettiest house I’ve seen in Australia, and larger than I expected.”

“Wait until you see inside.”

When they reached the gate and dismounted, Morgan took charge of the horses and led them away. They walked up a path and mounted the front steps. On the verandah, Kitty turned and looked back down to the river.

“What a pleasant outlook. We must have chairs out here so we can sit and enjoy the view while we take tea. Now, let me see the rest.”

William preened. “It was so small before we did the additions that we couldn’t have lived here. The old house has been almost totally rebuilt and now you’ll find we have all the room we need, including a room for your mother.”

Kitty turned impulsively, placing her hand on his arm, delighted with it all. “That is important for me, William, and I want you to know I appreciate it.”

“I expect you to.”

Kitty felt her smile fade, and she removed her hand. “Well, now, let’s see the rest,” she said briskly as they went inside.

“We’ve more than doubled the size; it was only four rooms before, now we have nine, as well as the kitchen at the back, and rooms for the servants.”

A long central hallway met another, leading at right angles to the new wing. Kitty walked through quickly, inspecting each room and expressing her pleasure as she went. Each had a fireplace and French windows opening onto the verandah, which continued right around the house. All the rooms were of generous proportions with high ceilings. Carved mantelpieces of polished cedar topped the fireplaces. After the first inspection, she retraced her steps at a more leisurely pace, standing in the middle of each room and turning around slowly, visualizing how each one would look when furnished. She was well pleased. Yes, she had needed to choose furniture without seeing the house, but everything would suit very well.

“Well, my dear, are you happy with it all?” William asked a trifle impatiently.

“Oh, yes, it’s very handsome. When our own furniture arrives, it will look splendid. We might need to order some things from Sydney when we’re settled; I would like to choose extra silk for curtains. I’ve bought some, but we will need more. And perhaps papers for the walls.”

“Whatever you want, my dear. I have done the building, now I rely on you to make the rest just as impressive.”

“Certainly, William, if that’s what you want. And I must say you’ve done a good job with the building. It’s beautiful. You must have had many men working here to finish it on time.”

“Yes, and of course I was on hand to supervise, so I made sure they did everything properly, how I wanted it, with no time wasted.”

“You did a wonderful job.”

“Yes, I know how these things should be.”

“Of course. And now I must inspect the kitchen.”

“I’ll leave you to do that alone. I have things to attend to. I’ll go to my study.” He left her and made his way to his study, which was at the end of the new hallway.

When she opened the kitchen door, Kitty found a woman already there, chopping vegetables at the sink. Stopping her work she turned as Kitty entered. She was a big woman with a round face, flushed now from the heat of the stove.

“Good afternoon, you must be Mrs. Barron. I’m Mrs. Porter. My husband’s one of the punt men, and I help out in the house.”

Kitty smiled. “I’m pleased to meet you. Will you be helping permanently?”

“Yes. I’ve always worked in the house and I’m happy to stay if you want me. I don’t usually cook, but I agreed to do it until your own woman comes.”

“Thank you. My housekeeper, Mary, will be here next week, with my mother, but if you’ll cook until then I’d be grateful. What about supplies? Are we able to get fresh meat and vegetables, things like that?”

“Oh yes, there’s no trouble with that. We get beef or lamb from one of the settlers who kills every week or so, and we’ve got our own fowls and milking cows, and there’s a vegetable patch. We’ve got beef stew for dinner, with vegetables, and fruit pudding to follow. I hope that’s all right?”

“That sounds wonderful. I’m rather tired after our long trip, so we’ll have dinner early tonight.”

It seemed a promising start to her life at Redwoods.