After the applicable documents had been signed and dated, the man escorted Jacob outside.
“Well, Jacob. I’m Jasper Livingstone, and that’s my buggy over there.”
He pointed to a magnificent chestnut horse standing patiently in front of a simple black buggy.
Jacob bowed his head politely. “Pleased to meet you, sir.”
“I suppose you must be tired after your long journey.”
“A bit,” he said. “Didn’t sleep much last night either.”
Jasper helped Jacob up into the buggy.
“Have you ever been in a buggy before?” he asked as Jacob settled himself on the seat.
“No, sir. I haven’t. This’ll be the first time.”
Jasper walked around the back of the buggy and climbed up on the other side, accomplishing the task with more grace than Jacob had managed.
“Make sure you’re comfortable, boy. We have quite a ride in front of us.”
The seat was wooden, covered with black leather, and lacked adequate padding. Jacob couldn’t think how he could be any more uncomfortable. Nevertheless, as soon as Jasper was ready, he clicked the reins and the horse trotted forward.
They drove along a road which took them through the centre of town, past the few outlying houses and into the bush, which was thick around the township. Strange bird calls filled the air and the trees were unlike any trees he’d seen before. Their leaves were a darker, duller green; not at all like the trees in England. Beneath them, growing in great profusion, were large ferns which spread their feathery fronds wide and hid the base of almost every tree Jacob cared to look at. Where they could, bizarre wild flowers bloomed.
He barely noticed the jostling of the buggy with so much else surrounding him to capture his attention.
“I expect you’re finding the scenery a bit different to what you’re used to,” said Jasper.
Jacob took a moment to switch focus from the countryside to Jasper’s comment.
“Yes, sir,” he replied, before adding, “Quite a bit different.”
Jasper smiled. “I think you’ll enjoy my property. It’s quite isolated and literally surrounded by this wonderfully odd greenery.”
Jacob made a small noise of acknowledgement, but said no more. He hadn’t any idea what was expected of him. He didn’t know how familiar he could be with Jasper, his new master. He certainly didn’t want to create a bad impression by speaking out of turn, nor did he know what he could possibly talk about even if he wanted to keep the conversation going.
Every now and again Jasper would tell him the name of the bird making a particular call. His favourite was ‘kookaburra’.
“It’s an Aboriginal word,” Jasper explained. “From the kingfisher family.”
Jacob smiled. “Sounds like you know a lot about birds, sir.”
“I like to be able to put a name to a creature. And I find the whole subject of ornithology fascinating. I paint them whenever I can. I can show you some examples if you’re at all interested.”
Jacob had no real interest in seeing paintings of birds, but if the master wanted him to, he supposed he’d better.
At times the track became more bush than road. Even with Jasper’s intermittent commentary on the flora and fauna, it seemed an eternity had passed since they’d left Sydney Town. Several times he found himself on the verge of asking Jasper, “How much longer?” but thought better of it and endured his boredom in silence. To occupy his mind, his thoughts turned to Peter. He wondered where his beloved was now, and what he was doing. One thing was certain, Peter would arrive at his destination a good deal faster than it was taking him and Jasper to reach theirs.
They stopped only once.
“Nature calls,” Jasper explained. “You might take the opportunity to do the same.”
It amused Jacob to see a gentleman, such as Jasper Livingstone obviously was, fishing his cock out on the side of the road and pissing into the bushes.
After they’d both done their business and climbed back into the buggy, Jacob studied his new master from the corner of his eye, at first taking in the contours of his face. Jasper had a strong jawline, high cheekbones, and a slight ridge in his nose. It was a very aristocratic face. He’d been extremely handsome when viewed front on, but looked a different person from the side. Not any less handsome, just different. His hair was light brown with a touch of grey at the temples. His eyes were hazel. If Jacob had to put an age to the man, he’d have said a number in the mid-forties. Unlike Peter, who was solid and stocky, Jasper had a leaner body, though there was strength in his hands, which promised a toned, muscular physique beneath his clothing.
At long last, Jasper said the words Jacob had been longing to hear. “We’re almost there.”
Jacob felt tiny explosions of happiness going off inside him. Like an excited puppy, his eyes were scouring the way ahead, searching for any sign of their final destination.
“Just around this bend,” said Jasper.
The horse was moving at quite a pace, yet it wasn’t fast enough for Jacob. As they arrived at the elbow of the bend, Jacob sat up in his seat, eager to lay eyes on his new home.
“There,” said Jasper pointing.
At first Jacob couldn’t see anything. There was a gate and a fence almost hidden by greenery, and beyond that more bushland.
“If you’d like to hop down and open the gate,” said Jasper.
Jasper brought the horse to a standstill and Jacob climbed out of the buggy, his legs buckling beneath him as his feet touched solid ground for the first time in what must have been two or three hours.
“Lord! Are you all right?” asked Jasper.
Jacob steadied himself and proceeded to walk, albeit with great care, to the gate, which he opened so Jasper could drive the buggy through.
“Shall I close it again?” he called.
Jasper twisted around in his seat and laughed. “Of course, you should close it, boy.”
Jacob felt his cheeks flush with embarrassment as he closed the gate and secured it.
“Sorry, sir,” he said settling into the buggy once again. “I grew up near enough to farms to know gates are to be closed. Don’t know why I asked.”
Jasper patted Jacob’s thigh. “It’s all right, boy. No harm done.”
Jasper flicked the reins and the horse took them down a track bordered on either side by great ferns. There was still no sign of a building, be it a house, stable, or barn.
As if reading Jacob’s mind, Jasper said, “We should see it any moment now.”
There was a column of smoke over some low growing trees, which, as they approached, Jacob could see were citrus trees, some with lemons growing on them and some with oranges. Then the house came into view—long, white, and thatched like the buildings in Sydney Town. There was another building of equal length opposite, with a pair of large, wooden doors in the front half and two stable doors further along the same wall, near the rear. As they arrived at the gravelled area between the two buildings, a man wearing a dark, well-worn jacket and cap appeared through one of the stable doors.
“Good afternoon, sir,” said the man, doffing his cap.
“Good afternoon, Samuel,” replied Jasper, bringing the horse around so the buggy was parallel to the building. “This is Jacob. He’s to be my new manservant.”
Samuel doffed his cap at Jacob, though there was no accompanying smile.
“Good afternoon,” said Jacob. “Pleased to meet you.”
Jasper wrapped the reins loosely around the brake and jumped down from the buggy, his feet crunching on the crushed gravel as he landed. “Right then, boy, climb down and let Samuel get about his business.”
Jacob scrambled down from the buggy and joined Jasper on the gravel.
“You must be famished,” said Jasper, wrapping an arm around Jacob’s shoulders. Together, they walked towards the house. “Did they feed you at that place?”
“A little,” said Jacob. Then, when he thought about what delicious morsels might be on offer in Jasper’s kitchen, he added. “Not much.”
“Let’s go around and see Polly. She’s probably made us something delicious to eat.”
Jasper led Jacob around the side of the house to a wooden door. Immediately behind it was a small mud room and beyond it a kitchen, where a rather well-built woman with a mop of frizzy hair sticking out from beneath her white cap was kneading dough.
“Good day, Polly.”
Polly turned around, her chubby, rubicund cheeks like two oversized cherries on her smiling face.
“Good day, sir,” she said with a thick Irish accent.
“I’d like you to meet Jacob. He’s to be my manservant so you’ll be seeing quite a bit of each other.”
Polly bowed her head slightly. “Good day.”
“Good day,” said Jacob, returning the bow.
“What have you got for us to eat, Polly? The poor boy’s starving.”
Polly wiped her hands on her apron. Her smile grew larger.
“I’ve baked you a nice game pie with mashed potatoes.”
Jacob’s mouth began to water. It sounded like a meal fit for a king compared to the watery stew and stale bread he’d been eating for the past few months.
Polly served up generous portions of pie and potato. She handed Jacob his plate then turned to Jasper.
“Will you be having yours…?”
“Here, Polly,” he replied. “Just this once.”
There was little opportunity for conversation with Jacob tucking so heartily into his lunch. He’d barely swallowed one mouthful before he put another one in.
Polly chuckled. “No need to ask if he’s enjoying it.”
When they’d cleaned their plates, Jasper stood up and walked across the flagstone floor to a door on his right. “Come on, Jacob. I’ll show you around.” He held the door open for Jacob. “We’ll leave Polly to her pies and pastry.”
Jasper began the tour of his modest home in the drawing room.
“This is where I receive visitors,” he explained. “When they arrive, you take their hats and coats and show them into this room. Offer them a seat and then come and find me.”
Jacob nodded.
“Upon alerting me to my guests, you go into the kitchen and inform Polly she is to make tea and cake for however many guests I have. And include me in that number. Obviously.”
They stepped into the foyer.
“Hang the hats and coats up here.” He gestured to a row of hooks on the wall.
They walked across the foyer into the dining room.
“This room is to be kept clean and dusted at all times so should I have unexpected guests for dinner it is in a fit state to receive them. You must also set the table. Do you know how to set a table correctly?”
Jacob stared blankly at Jasper, unable to say he didn’t know, and unwilling to appear stupid.
“No need to feel ashamed, boy,” said Jasper, placing a hand on Jacob’s shoulder. “I didn’t think you would. I shall teach you at a later time.” He removed his hand. “You’ll also be responsible for serving the meal, which I shall also teach you to do.”
They left the dining room and returned down the short hallway to the kitchen, except instead of turning right, they turned left down a longer hallway. The first room they came to was small and contained a writing desk and an entire wall of shelves, each filled with books.
“This is my study,” said Jasper. “You’ll have no cause to go in there except to come and get me should I have guests.”
Further along the corridor were three more doors.
“All of these are bedrooms. These first two doors are guest bedrooms and mine is at the end.”
He opened the door to his bedroom and entered.
“This is where I usually like to take my breakfast,” said Jasper. “Slovenly, I know, but there you have it. Knock first and then bring me in my breakfast tray. Open the curtains before you leave. Half an hour later you’ll return, help me to dress if I’m going out for the day, and then take the breakfast tray back to the kitchen.”
Jasper clapped his hands together. “I think that brings us to the end. I’m certain I’ve forgotten something, but I can always tell you later if I have. In short, your duty here is to take care of me and keep the household clean, tidy, and presentable. Any maintenance you can’t perform, you may go across to the stable and ask Samuel to take care of.” He looked up at the ceiling, thinking, then returned his attention to Jacob. “Do you have any questions?”
Jacob nodded. “Where do I sleep?”
Jasper laughed. “There you are. I told you I’d forgotten something. Come with me.”
He marched from the room and together they returned down the hallway, through the kitchen, and out through the back door. Partly hidden by the leafy branches of a sprawling tree was another building Jacob hadn’t noticed before.
“These are the servants’ quarters and laundry, which also doubles as the servants’ bathroom. One has to make do in this new land.”
He chuckled as though he’d said something amusing, although Jacob could find no humour in his statement. It all seemed very straightforward and logical.
“That’s Polly’s room,” he said, indicating the door to the right. “No male visitors allowed. It’s closest to the laundry, which you can see…” He pushed the wooden door open and walked inside. “…is very basic. There’s a well just behind the building. You can fill your own tubs. The water is then put on Samuel’s vegetable garden, which goes a long way to producing all the vegetables we need.”
The laundry contained two large copper tubs, a scrubbing board hanging on the wall, a table with a tin bowl, and a shelf containing various urns, jars, and pots. There was a small fireplace at the far end.
“For hot water,” Jasper explained.
The room was damp and unadorned, and Jacob didn’t relish the thought of having to bathe there.
“And now to your room,” said Jasper, leading Jacob from the laundry.
He walked to the room on the other side of Polly’s and opened the door. “This is where you sleep,” he explained.
The room was tiny, only space enough for the single bed, the narrow wardrobe, and a small table with a bowl and ewer on top. Still, it was clean and dry. The bed looked comfortable and there were enough blankets to keep the cold from his bones.
“There are to be no females in your room,” said Jasper, holding a finger of caution up.
“You don’t have to worry about that, sir,” replied Jacob.
Jasper looked at him and a small smile played upon his lips. “Is that a fact?”
Jasper opened the wardrobe door and took out a hangar with a black jacket, a white shirt, and a pair of black trousers.
“These are the clothes you are to wear when working inside. There is a duplicate set hanging in the wardrobe. As for what you wear when you aren’t working, the clothes you’ve got on now will do, and when we next go into Parramatta, I’ll purchase some more for you.”
Jacob wasn’t sure he’d heard correctly. “When I’m not working?”
Jasper looked at him as though he’d just spoken Russian. “Naturally. You have the nights off, when I’m not entertaining, and you have the Sabbath free.”
“And Parramatta?”
Jasper looked at him with wonder. “You really do have a lot to learn. Parramatta, my boy, is the other major settlement here. Farming, mostly. Closer to us by an hour than Sydney Town.”
Jasper turned to leave then stopped. “Are you able to read and write?”
“Yes,” replied Jacob. “Why?”
Jasper shrugged. “Just enquiring. I like to know about the people who work for me.” He closed the door but didn’t leave. “I think it might be an idea to change now and then you can start work immediately. I understand you must be tired, but I think you have a few hours in you yet.”
Jacob began removing his clothes and noticed Jasper didn’t turn away, or even pretend he wasn’t watching. It didn’t bother Jacob. He was used to undressing with an audience. Although it did strike him as being a little strange, given the circumstances.
He was naked but for his socks when Jasper spoke.
“It’s pleasing to see you are in such good health. No visible signs of disease or illness. A little too thin, perhaps.”
Jacob frowned. “I was examined by the ship’s medical officer and the doctor in Sydney Town,” he explained. “Nothing wrong with me!”
Jasper laughed. “I meant no offence. I was thinking out loud. No. Carry on. I don’t want you catching a cold.”
Jacob noticed a slight protrusion at the front of Jasper’s trousers. So tight were the man’s pants and so obvious was the fact he wasn’t wearing any undergarments, he could even make out the outline of the man’s cockhead. To his horror he felt himself growing hard, and unlike Jasper, whose erection was contained within his trousers, there was no way he could hide his own.
When he realised he’d been staring, he became flustered. He glanced up at Jasper and noticed the man was grinning. He fumbled with his new black trousers, doing his best to hide his excited state, but failing miserably.
“Don’t think twice about it,” said Jasper, nodding at Jacob’s erection. “Are we not both men?”
Jacob pulled his trousers on and then fumbled with his shirt.
“There are some shoes at the bottom of the wardrobe. I asked the cobbler to make them fit the average male foot. However, I suspect they might be a little too large for you.” He paused. “The socks should be with them.”
Jacob soon found the shoes with the socks tucked into them, and after pulling the socks on, he slipped his feet into the shoes.
“How do they fit? We can have them adjusted next time we’re in Parramatta.”
Jacob walked a small circle; all he was able to walk in the cramped space.
“They fit well enough,” he said. “Truthfully, a bit snug, but leather has some give in it. Thank you.”
He slipped on his jacket, which was a little large, but still a better article of clothing than he’d ever worn before. When he did the buttons up he found it sat rather well on his shoulders.
“There you go,” said Jasper, brushing a strand of cotton from the breast of the jacket. “A very fine figure of a man.” He stood back and looked Jacob up and down. “Very nice. Now let’s go back to the house and get to work.”
Once again, they entered through the kitchen.
“Well, look at you,” said Polly, arms akimbo. “Dashing young thing.”
Jacob blushed. He knew already he and Polly were going to be great friends. He wasn’t so sure about Samuel, who fortunately lived and worked in the stable.
“Careful, Polly,” said Jasper. “We don’t want to inflate the boy’s head.”
Jasper ushered Jacob into the hallway.
“We’ll go through to the dining room where I’ll show you how to set a table.”
Jasper entered the dining room and went straight over to the elaborate sideboard, which dwarfed every other item of furniture in the room. He opened one of the top drawers.
“This is the cutlery drawer. For each setting you’ll take two knives, one for the entrée, the other for the main meal. You’ll take two forks for the same reason. You’ll take a soup spoon.” He picked one up. “These round ones are for soup. These longer ones are for dessert. If we’re having fish, you’ll replace one of the knives with this fish knife. And if we’re having sorbet, these smaller spoons with the long handles should also be present on the dining table.”
Jacob nodded at everything Jasper told him, though he had little faith he’d remember everything. He’d done quite nicely his entire life with just one knife, one fork, and one spoon.
From there, Jasper proceeded to show Jacob where to place the cutlery on the table, and where the various glasses went, along with additional instructions on condiment sets, floral arrangements, candles, and napkins.
“Now,” Jasper began to remove everything he’d put on the table and replace it in the sideboard. “I have a letter I must write. I’d like to you to reset the table for two. I’ll inspect it when I’ve finished my correspondence.”
Jacob set to work, doing his best to remember every instruction, and when Jasper returned, he was beaming.
“Excellent,” he said. “You’re a fast learner. I like that. Nevertheless, I’d like to inspect the table the first few times you set it just to ensure you haven’t forgotten anything. No matter how small.” He looked at the second setting and pointed. “The knives must be exactly parallel. See what you’ve done here. It looks sloppy. Everything on a gentleman’s table must be neat and uniform.”
“Sorry, sir.”
“Don’t upset yourself, boy. You’re still learning and have done a better job of it than I imagined you would. You are to be commended. Now,” he said, starting for the door, “let’s turn your hand to some cleaning.”
Jacob followed Jasper back to the kitchen where he discovered it was Polly who’d be instructing him on house cleaning.
“I’ll leave you in Polly’s capable hands,” said Jasper before promptly turning on his heels and leaving.
Polly wiped her hands on her apron. “First things first. I’d best show where everything’s kept.”
The afternoon was an exhausting exercise in how to clean carpets, wash floors, polish furniture, and polish silverware. There was a potion for this job and a potion for that, and Jacob found his concentration lapsing at times. Polly, on the other hand, seemed to have boundless energy. And she was older!
“I can help you out if need be,” she offered. “The master takes great pride in his house and his possessions. Best to ask me if you’re not sure about something. We don’t want you ruining something because you’ve used the wrong bottle.”
Jacob nodded, though his attention was beginning to wane. Evening was falling and the rooms were filling with shadows. There was a chill in the air and Jacob couldn’t stop yawning.
“The master likes his dinner at six,” Polly explained. “So you can go and light the dining room fire, light the candles, and set the table. By the time you’ve done that the master should be ready for his soup.”
Jacob yawned again and nodded wearily.
“Your day’s almost at its end,” said Polly, smiling compassionately.
Jacob wanted to smile back, but he didn’t have the energy.
After the master had been served his dinner, and Jacob had managed a few bites of his own evening meal, he dragged himself across the grass to his room. He struggled out of his clothes, leaving them in a pile on the floor, and was asleep before his head hit the pillow. The moon could have crashed to earth and it still wouldn’t have woken him. He didn’t dream for a long time, and when he did, he dreamed of Peter.