Chapter Twenty-Two

Kitty drummed her fingers on the desk as she wondered how she could pay William’s gambling debts. There was only one thing to do, she finally decided, she would have to go down to Sydney and retrieve the diamonds. Then she could sell some and pay Sampson and Trenoweth. Having made the decision she felt better, although the prospect of a trip to Sydney filled her with foreboding. She set her jaw grimly. Rising from her chair, she made her way to the sitting room.

As expected, Bella was sitting there with her needlework. She paused in her stitching and looked up as Kitty entered. “I heard men’s voices earlier, did you have visitors?” she asked.

“Yes. I’m afraid we have a problem.” Kitty then gave her the details of her visitors’ and William’s gambling activities.

Bella dropped her sewing into her lap and listened without interruption. “Oh, dear. So that’s why he was so concerned about the cedar in the storm.”

“Of course. His words make sense now. He really was frightened he would lose the timber, and he knew he needed the money for his gambling debts.”

Bella shook her head. “How foolish of him. I’ve known other men to lose their money through gambling, but I never would have suspected William of such folly.”

“It also accounts for the changes in his moods. If he had a winning day he was happy, but if he lost he was ill tempered. Yes, it explains several things. However, it’s left us in an awkward situation.”

Bella’s fingers flew to her beads, twisting them. “Oh dear, do you mean that you have to pay them the money William lost? After all, it’s not your debt.”

“Perhaps not, but you know how the law works, think back to when Father died. However, even if it weren’t so, I’d feel bound to pay them. It’s a matter of pride.” She set her lips. “William had no right to gamble and incur such debts, but he did, and now I must bear the brunt of his weakness. We’re going to stay here and take our place in the community, as we should have done from the beginning, and I won’t have it thought that I wouldn’t honor his debts.”

“Kitty, I know I leave the money side of things to you, because you’re very capable in such matters, but you said there’s little left in the bank. Will the timber payment cover the debts and leave enough to carry on?”

“Unfortunately, no.” Kitty licked her lips. “I’ll have to go to Sydney and retrieve the diamonds, then sell enough to pay them.”

The color drained from Bella’s face. “Go to Sydney. But you can’t possibly. In your condition, it would be far too much for you. Besides,”—she clasped her hands together—“that dreadful man Craddock might still be there. What if he were to see you again?”

“I’ve thought it all through. You’ll come with me. We won’t stay at Adams again; we’ll go somewhere else, somewhere small and inconspicuous. Craddock might not still be in Sydney, but if he is, and we should see him, he won’t recognize me. I’m still in mourning, and I’ve been observing the proprieties by wearing black, and while in Sydney I’ll wear a heavy veil to my hat as well, so he wouldn’t be able to see my face. With my thickening figure and a loose dress, I’ll look quite different to the slim person I was before.”

Bella looked unhappy. “You seem to have thought it all through, and if you’re definite about this foolishness, I’ll ask Jack to accompany us.”

Kitty shook her head. “No, Mother. Definitely not. He’d have to know what we were about, and it wouldn’t be fair to him. It would be making him part of what was, after all, a crime.”

Bella took a deep breath. “I suppose you’re right, but perhaps we could put it off until after the baby is born. It wouldn’t be so hard for you to travel then.”

“No, then I wouldn’t have the extra weight to help disguise me. Besides, I want to pay them and be done with it. We’ll leave within the next few days.”

****

Kitty opened the safety deposit box and untied the handkerchief that contained the diamonds. As they spilled into the bottom of the box they gleamed brightly, even the low light in the room could not disguise their brilliance. Unsure of how many she would need, and remembering the small amount of money she’d received in Sydney from the previous sale, she left one large, particularly brilliant, diamond, and placed the rest in the small pouch she’d brought with her, then retied the remaining one in the handkerchief and locked it in the box again.

“Have you thought about where you’re going to sell them?” Bella asked.

“I think we just have to try a few different pawnshops until we find who offers the best price for one, then sell them all there. I know we won’t receive what they’re really worth, but we don’t have much choice.”

“I think I have a better idea. Why not see if Mr. Cavanagh is in Sydney. I’m sure he would know where to take them for the best price.”

Kitty’s heart leapt as she thought of Rufe. She remembered their encounter by the river, the morning before he left Redwoods, and the look of horror on his face when she told him of the baby. No, she didn’t want to see Rufe again, certainly not at this time.

She shook her head. “No, I don’t want to bother him. Besides, he might well ask awkward questions. And don’t forget, he knows Jan van Mayen.”

“Yes, that’s true. But when he left us at Redwoods he said he would always be happy to help if we ever needed it.”

Kitty shook her head; she didn’t want to talk about him. “No, Mother.” Her voice invited no argument. “Come along,” she took Bella’s arm. “Let’s start looking.”

****

After trying four pawnshops with poor results, Kitty was feeling tired and dispirited.

“Let’s find somewhere to sit for a while and have a cup of tea,” Bella suggested.

“Yes, I could do with a break,” Kitty agreed.

After walking two blocks without finding tearooms they turned a corner and found themselves outside Petty’s Hotel.

“Oh, Petty’s,” said Bella with relief. “We can go in here. My feet are aching. I need to sit down.”

Kitty hesitated. Rufe had rooms here; she didn’t want to run into him. But Bella was already mounting the steps, so she followed. Once inside, they both sank gratefully into the comfortable chairs in the lounge and Kitty raised her veil. They were the only customers, and after the waiter took their order, Kitty looked around. It was all as she remembered it. She had enjoyed staying here, but it brought back sad memories of their search for Robert, and of how helpful Rufe had been. Well, that was all in the past. How much had happened since then!

Their tea arrived and as they drank it, Kitty found herself reviewing her life since she had arrived in Australia. She had made a mistake in marrying William, of course; she had been far too hasty. If she had waited, how different her life might be. But it was no use to think of that, no use to look back; now she must think of the future. She needed to sell the diamonds, pay William’s debts, and return to Bulahdelah, where she would devote herself to the business and making a good life for her coming child.

Refreshed by the tea and the respite, she rose from her chair. Smiling at her mother, Kitty held out a hand. “It’s time we moved along. Are you rested enough?”

“Yes, I’m fine now.”

They walked toward the door. They were halfway there when a couple entered from the street. They walked close together, the woman with her hand tucked into his arm and the man with his head bent to catch what she was saying, an attentive smile on his face.

Kitty stopped. The man was Rufe, and the woman, young and attractive with dark hair and creamy skin, was stylishly dressed.

Kitty felt the blood rush to her face and started to turn away, but at that moment Rufe looked up and saw her. He stopped abruptly and the smile disappeared, replaced by a look of shock as the color left his face.

The woman stopped talking and swiveled quickly to look first at him, then to see what had caused his dismay. Within seconds, Rufe had regained his composure and moved toward them, his companion with him.

“Why, Mrs. Morland, and Mrs. Barron, what a surprise. I had no idea you were in town. Allow me to introduce my friend, Miss Irene Donovan.”

Irene removed her hand from his arm and smiled as she greeted them, but the smile stopped short of her eyes, which regarded them warily.

Bella replied immediately, her voice warm. “How do you do, Miss Donovan. And so wonderful to see you again, Mr. Cavanagh.”

Kitty’s heart raced, but she controlled her emotion as she inclined her head in greeting, not trusting her voice to speak.

Rufe took up the conversation, his voice smooth. “It’s always a pleasure to see you, Mrs. Morland. And you, too, of course, Mrs. Barron. And what brings you to Sydney at this time? Does Mr. Barron have business here?”

“Oh dear, you don’t know?” Bella fluttered her hands in dismay.

For the first time, Rufe seemed to notice Kitty’s black dress. He frowned as he shook his head. “I’ve just returned to Sydney, I’ve been up-country for some time. What’s happened?” he asked sharply, looking directly at Kitty.

She bit her lower lip. “My husband was drowned during a bad storm a short time ago.”

“Kitty, I am so sorry.” Rufe reached his hand out to her impulsively, but then let it fall back to his side. “Please allow me to offer my condolences. Is there anything I can do for you? Are you here on a matter of urgency?”

Kitty took a deep breath, desperate to accept his offer of help, but uncertain whether she should. She was conscious also of his companion, who stood regarding her coldly. It seemed as if he had found consolation fast enough.

Bella shot a glance at Kitty and seeing her hesitation, stepped into the breach. “Mr. Cavanagh, there is something we need help with. It is a matter of urgency,” she added, gesturing Kitty to silence as she saw her about to protest.

Rufe turned to Irene. “Irene, I’m sorry, but would you mind terribly going upstairs without me. I’ll be up shortly.”

Kitty noticed a pulse beating at Irene’s throat as she replied. “Of course not, Rufe. But try not to be too long, won’t you?” She was smiling but her eyes were hard. Kitty felt them boring into her. Irene was not happy.

“I won’t be longer than necessary,” he assured her.

Irene turned on her heel and walked away, her back straight and stiff.

“Now, let’s sit down where we can talk comfortably.” He guided them toward a group of overstuffed armchairs. When they were seated, he looked enquiringly at Kitty. “Now, tell me what happened. How did Barron come to be drowned?”

He listened attentively as Kitty related the events of the storm, ending with the recovery of William’s body the next day.

“I am sorry,” he repeated. “But surely it was foolhardy of him to attempt to pull the punt in, it would have safely ridden out the storm, more than likely, and the timber would still be there after the storm.”

“Yes, Kitty tried to tell him, but he wouldn’t listen,” Bella said. “We tried to hold on to him and stop him going further into the water, but he pulled away from us and next thing he disappeared. He just went straight down, and that’s the last we saw of him. Some of the men came and dived down into the river but they couldn’t find him.” Bella shivered. “It was horrible.”

“It was a dreadful experience, for both of you.” His gaze flicked back to Kitty. “And how are you coping now?” he asked, his eyes full of compassion.

Kitty swallowed, his solicitude weakening her resolve to remain strong and self-reliant. Then she thought of Irene upstairs, it was obvious they were together; he had found someone else now and was treating Kitty as he would any woman recently widowed. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to sound composed.

“It was, of course, a terrible shock. But, after all, I now have someone else to think of. Redwoods is my child’s inheritance, and I’m doing my best to run it capably. I’m fortunate to have Jack Morgan to oversee the men for me.”

Rufe smiled slightly. “Well, I remember you talked of wanting a business of your own when you first arrived in Sydney. It seems you now have your wish.”

“I wouldn’t have had it happen this way. I won’t try to pretend it was the happiest of marriages, but I never wished William any harm. However, now I have the business, I intend to make a success of it.”

“And I’m sure you will.” He frowned. “But I can’t see how you need my help. I’m sure you’re managing quite well on your own. What I can’t understand is what you’re doing here in Sydney, at this time. Traveling can’t be easy for you.”

“I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t urgent. We do have a problem. You see, William left gambling debts behind that we had no idea of. He owed nearly a thousand pounds. I had a visit from two of his gambling companions and they brought his promissory notes to me.”

“They’re his debts. Do you want to pay them?”

Kitty lifted her chin. “Yes. I won’t have it thought that I won’t honor our commitments.”

“And you don’t have enough money to pay them. Is that the problem?”

“Yes. William left no money in the bank. Apparently he’d been gambling and losing heavily for some time. However, I have…” she hesitated. How far could she trust him, considering his involvement with Jan van Mayen? Well, she would let him think they were from her family. “I have some diamonds that I can sell to cover the debt. I had to come to Sydney to obtain them.”

“Ah.” A wry smile twisted his lips. “Which obviously Barron knew nothing about.”

“Well, no. I hadn’t mentioned them to him.”

“Very wise, as it turned out. So what’s the problem?”

“Well, you see,” the words tumbled out, “I’ve taken them to several pawnshops, and they’ve offered me practically nothing for them. Less than half of what I received in London.”

“To pawnshops? Kitty, that’s no place to sell them. Take them to a reputable diamond merchant. Or even to a jeweler. Those places are for dubious deals. They probably think they’re stolen.”

Kitty felt her cheeks burn.

Rufe looked at her curiously. “Do you have them with you?”

Kitty nodded.

“Can I see them?”

She opened her purse and handed him the pouch. He shook the diamonds into his hand and examined them carefully, holding each one up to the light and viewing it from all angles.

He regarded her through half narrowed eyes. “These are very fine stones. Where did you get them?”

Kitty felt a tremor run through her. “I…I…you see,” she faltered then took a deep breath. Suddenly she had an overwhelming desire to confide in him, to tell him the whole story. “It’s a long story, and it started several years ago.”

“Kitty.” Bella reached out quickly and put a hand on her arm. “Careful what you say.”

“Mrs. Morland, whatever Kitty tells me will go no further, I promise you. I would never do anything to harm either of you, believe me.” He replaced the diamonds in their pouch and handed them back to Kitty, who slipped it into her purse again.

“Oh, dear. Kitty, you’re not going to…” Bella’s voice faded away as she fingered her beads.

Kitty took a deep breath. “Yes. Perhaps you should leave us for a while.”

Bella looked from one to the other, then rose and walked away.

“This is a long story,” Kitty said. “Are you sure you want to hear it right now?”

“Yes. Take as long as you need.”

“Then I’ll go right back to the beginning. It started back in 1875, when Mother and Robert and I lived in Hampstead with Father, before he died.”

Rufe listened intently as she told him the story. When she told him of going to work for George Arnold he sat bolt upright in his chair. “The girl at the ball. I knew I’d seen you before, why didn’t you tell me?”

“You remember?”

“Of course I remember. Why didn’t you tell me?”

Kitty shook her head. “I couldn’t. You’ll see why in a minute.”

****

As she continued, Rufe listened intently, yet one part of his mind was recalling how he felt when he saw her as he walked through the door earlier. Her sudden appearance had shocked him and caused the blood to pound through his veins. Then he had noticed her obvious pregnancy and the dark smudges under her eyes, and he’d been overcome by a deep tenderness. Gone was the passion he’d felt for her; he just wanted to cradle her in his arms and soothe her gently. The same protective sensation toward her was still with him.

When she related Mrs. Arnold’s false accusations, he saw her tremble and he felt deep anger against the woman. When her words painted a vivid picture of George Arnold, flushed with wine, snoring in his chair, with the pouch of diamonds on the table beside him, he felt as if he was in the room with her, an unseen bystander. He could see her, mesmerized as the stones spilled out on to the table, then picking one up and turning it around to catch the light. He felt her loathing for the man who had brought ruin to her family and been the cause of her father’s death. He saw how she fought against the impulse to pocket a handful of the glittering gems, aware they represented the difference between poverty and comfort, and how, suddenly, guiltily, she succumbed to the temptation, and fled from the room. He saw her run up the stairs to her tiny room, placing a chair beneath the handle of the door to prevent intrusion, and her indecision as she wondered how to smuggle the diamonds safely out of the house.

After she revealed how she had swallowed them, the spell was broken. He became aware of the agitation dredging up the past had caused her. The stricken look on her face caused him to move alongside her and take her hands in his own. He chafed them gently, trying to instill some warmth into the cold flesh. Her body shook, her face was ashen as she lived it all again.

“Kitty, Kitty,” he spoke urgently, “it’s all over now. You’re quite safe here. No one knows. It’s all in the past. You’re safe now.”

Kitty’s eyes focused again as she came back to the present. She heaved a deep sigh. “I wish I could be certain of that, but I’m not so sure.” She told him of her meeting with Craddock and his threat to find her. “For all I know, he might be still here in Sydney. I would never have taken the risk to come again if it hadn’t been essential to sell the diamonds.”

Rufe realized he could at least set her mind at rest regarding the sale of the diamonds. “One part of my business is dealing in gold and diamonds,” he told her. “I’ll buy your diamonds.”

“You don’t need to do that,” Kitty protested. “Just tell me where to go for a fair price.”

So she still had her independent streak. But at least the color had come back into her face. “I’ll pay market price, no more, no less. Does that satisfy you?” he asked, allowing himself a flicker of a smile.

“Yes. Thank you.” He was rewarded with a look of relief on her face.

“Can I see the diamonds again please?”

She removed the pouch from her purse and handed it to him. Taking the diamonds out, he selected the two finest. “These two are enough to cover William’s debts, but I’m happy to buy them all if you want the extra money.”

She looked hesitant. “I don’t want to take advantage of your kindness.”

“I’m not being kind; I’m simply offering you market value.”

Her face brightened. “In that case, I’ll sell them all. The extra money will mean I can meet all my commitments, and have some left over.”

“Good. Now if you tell me where you’re staying I’ll call tomorrow morning with the money.”

A smile rewarded his words. “Thank you,” she said. “This is such a relief to me. And now I must leave you to go up to your friend Irene. She’ll be wondering what’s happened to you.”

With a shock, Rufe realized he had completely forgotten about Irene.