The sisters stepped away from him instinctively.
‘You found a maid only a few months ago, Mr Searle,’ Matron said. ‘What happened to her?’
‘She’s gone and got herself married, the ungrateful bi— um, creature. You can’t keep female servants for more than a few months here.’ He stared at Pandora. ‘I’d not hire one as beautiful as you, though. The men would be round you like bees round a honey pot. You’d not last a week.’
‘I’d not work for you.’ She glared at him. ‘I don’t like the way you look at me.’
Matron gasped and choked back what sounded like a laugh.
Reece didn’t bother to hide a smile at the outrage on the man’s face. Pandora was right, though he’d never heard a young woman say it so bluntly. The way the fellow looked at women was an insult in itself. He despised men like that. He’d bet that the previous maid had left her job for more than one reason.
‘Nor would I work for you,’ Xanthe added, linking her arm in her twin’s.
‘I’d not hire uppity maids like you. In fact, these Lancashire females don’t know their place.’ The man walked off, muttering to himself.
Matron turned to the sisters, her smile fading. ‘I can understand you not wanting to work for Mr Searle, but be very careful in future how you reply to people offering you jobs. Remember, you’re here to find yourselves employment, not to be a burden on the government.’
‘We need to find jobs near to one another,’ Xanthe said.
‘You’ll have to take what’s offered, young woman,’ Matron said. ‘It’s not likely anyone will want to hire two of you. Now, I must—’
Livia stepped forward. ‘Excuse me, Matron, but Pandora said there was some problem about Cassandra and money.’
‘Yes. She claims that a certain lady gave her the money in question in England, but the employer who brought her out here thought she’d stolen it, so it was taken from her. The Captain was going to give the money to the Governor for safe keeping.’
‘I’m Mrs Southerham and
I
gave her the money. What must I do to prove that?’
Matron gave her an assessing look.
‘Never mind the money, where is she?’ Reece asked. ‘I need to see her urgently.’
‘We don’t allow men into the single women’s quarters,’ Matron told him frostily.
‘Then bring her out. I need to see her.’
‘Who are you?’
‘Reece Gregory.’ He was looking anxiously beyond her, desperate for a sight of Cassandra.
‘What is your interest in Mrs Lawson?’
‘What? I’m not interested in Mrs Lawson. It’s Cassandra Blake I want to see. She’s the woman I want to marry. I thought she was still in England. I’ve just written to her.’ He beamed at them all. ‘I’ve never heard such wonderful news in my life.’
Matron looked at him in puzzlement. ‘Is it a while since you saw her?’
He nodded. ‘A very long time.’ It seemed an eternity. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Xanthe nudge Maia, but didn’t look at their faces, too anxious to persuade this woman to take him to Cassandra. If she was here, he’d ask her to marry him immediately. Surely she’d say yes? She could share his room at Kevin’s and— He realised Matron was speaking again and tried to concentrate on what she was saying.
‘You can come as far as the rear of the garden, Mr Gregory. I’m sure Cassandra will explain the – um, circumstances. But first I must write a quick note to the Governor’s office. One of his clerks will no doubt come to speak to you, Mrs Southerham, to verify that the money does belong to Miss Blake. May I ask where you’re staying? Right.’ She turned back to Reece. ‘You must be patient for a few more moments. After I’ve written the note I’ll send Mrs Lawson out to speak to you.’
Pandora poked him in the side when he opened his mouth to protest again that it was Miss Blake he wanted to see.
Matron turned to add sharply, ‘As for you three, remember it’d be most unusual for two of you to find jobs close to one another, let alone three. This is the Swan River Colony, where settlements outside the capital city of Perth are small and widely scattered. We don’t have crowded towns like those in England.’
When Matron had left, taking Reece with her, Livia cleared her throat. ‘Actually, I’m looking for a maid to do general work, and would be happy to employ one of you, but I can’t afford to employ all three. Still, it’d mean one of you was living near your sister, who will no doubt accept Reece’s proposal of marriage.’
Their faces fell as they questioned her and discovered how isolated the place where she lived was, how far out of Perth.
Livia frowned. ‘What did Matron mean by calling your sister Mrs Lawson? Is Cassandra married?’
Pandora hesitated then whispered, ‘We can’t explain here.’
Before she could pursue the matter, others came up to make enquiries as to whether the sisters were seeking employment and it was impossible to talk about private matters.
Livia couldn’t understand why the three kept looking anxiously in the direction Reece had gone, or exchanging worried glances. It was as if they were expecting something to go wrong. Surely Cassandra’s feelings towards Reece hadn’t changed? He was a kind and good-looking man, would be an excellent provider, and he clearly still loved her. What more could any girl ask?
Cassandra sewed steadily, enjoying the warm air blowing through the window and the bright sunlight. She looked up as someone came in and saw Matron frowning at her again. ‘Is something wrong?’
‘Could you please describe the appearance of this Mrs Southerham who is supposed to have given you the money?’
She did so and saw Matron’s stern expression relax.
‘Then I’m happy to tell you she’s outside and has confirmed that she gave it to you. Don’t drop that sewing on the floor! Put it on the bed.’
Cassandra’s hands were shaking as she did this. She couldn’t believe it could be so easy to prove that the money was hers. Surely this was a sign that things would start to go better for her from now on?
Matron waited for a moment then continued, ‘Of course the Governor will have to approve the purse being given back to you, but I can’t see any great difficulty in that. Mrs Southerham is clearly a lady.’
Did that mean that only ladies could be trusted to tell the truth? Cassandra wondered. This was another world from the cotton mill and narrow streets where she’d grown up. She’d never had any close dealings with gentry like the Southerhams before, or been treated so openly as an inferior being – which wasn’t how she regarded herself. But she was in another world now in more senses than that, she reminded herself, and kept her mouth closed on the angry response that nearly escaped her.
‘There’s something else.’
‘Yes?’
‘She’s got her servant with her, a fellow called Reece Gregory, and—
Are you all right?
’
Cassandra dropped on to the bed, unable to speak for a moment, and sat there shaking, clasping her arms round herself in a vain attempt to stop the tremors. She’d known Reece was here in Australia, but to be confronted with him so soon ... She wasn’t ready for the encounter, hadn’t yet been able to work out what to say to him.
And would she ever be ready for the look of scorn on his face when she told him?
‘He seems very eager to see you, so I’ve said you could meet him outside in the rear of the garden. But do not go out of sight. I’ll take you to him. Hurry up. I’ve a thousand things needing my attention today.’
Cassandra stood up, feeling numb with panic and terror. How was she to tell Reece something so important with other people nearby, able to overhear them, able to see him walk away from her, as he surely would?
She couldn’t do it.
Only ... if he still wanted to marry her, she would have to tell him, to explain why she couldn’t do so. It would be wrong to try to deceive him.
Her thoughts in a tangle, she followed Matron outside and there he was, standing in the sunlight, his dark hair gleaming, his skin tanned, looking better than she’d ever seen him. His eyes raked her from head to foot and a smile blossomed on his face as he strode towards her. Before she’d realised what he intended, he’d pulled her into his arms.
‘Cassandra! Oh my darling, I can’t believe you’re here!’
For a moment she allowed herself to lean against his strength, then Matron’s voice cut through the haziness in her brain.
‘Mrs Lawson! Mr Gregory! Kindly behave yourselves.’
Cassandra tore herself out of Reece’s grasp and waited until Matron had walked away. ‘I didn’t expect to – see you so soon.’
He looked at her in puzzlement. ‘What’s wrong?’
She looked round desperately, but there were people on every side. ‘I can’t tell you here.’
‘And why did she call you Mrs Lawson? Have you married someone else?’
‘No. It’s not that. Shall we – move across to that far corner? What I have to say is not for others’ ears.’
In the corner was a bench and as they sat on it, she searched desperately for words and once again failed to find ones that would soften the blow.
‘What is it, love?’
The gentle way he spoke was her undoing. Tears began to trickle down her face. She pushed words out in spurts, not finding anything but the bald truth to offer him.
‘After you’d gone, Dad died.’
‘I knew he hadn’t got long to live. He’ll be sorely missed. Are you still grieving for him?’
‘No. It’s not that. Our aunt – uncle Joseph’s wife – no one realised, but she was quite mad. She had our uncle murdered and—’
‘Murdered!’
She rushed on. ‘And she had me kidnapped.’ Somehow he’d taken hold of her hand and she held his tightly, unable to pull away from him. He’d spurn her soon enough.
‘What happened? Did they – hurt you?’
‘Yes. They—’ She couldn’t force the words out, only cover her face with her hands and sob, heedless of who saw them.
He stood up and pulled her into his arms. ‘Did they – use you?’
She didn’t dare raise her eyes, couldn’t bear to see the disgust in his face, as she nodded.
‘Did you think that would make me scorn
you
?’
She risked a glance and saw grief and pain, but no disgust.
‘That won’t change my mind, Cassandra love. It’s over and done with now and I still want to marry you.’
She had to press her lips together for a moment or two or she’d have been wailing, because it wasn’t over, would never be over. ‘That’s not all. Because of what they did ... I’m with child.’
He didn’t speak, but horror was etched across his face. ‘Cassandra, no!’ His hands dropped from her arms and he took a step backwards.
Words failed her and she ran for her quarters, heedless of who saw her weeping.
She wept even more bitterly because he didn’t try to follow, because he
had
looked at her in disgust at the thought of her carrying a child.
R
eece walked blindly out of the Home, bumping into people, oblivious to the four women watching him. What had happened, Livia wondered, to drive a strong man to this state of anguish.
‘She’s told him and he’s walked out on her,’ Maia said in a low voice. ‘I thought better of him.’
Livia swung round. ‘Told him what?’
They looked at one another, then shook their heads.
‘It’s Cassandra’s secret.’
‘If I’m going to help you – and them – I need to know.’
That held them silent for a few moments, then she saw them look at one another and nod.
‘I’ll tell her. You wait here. Matron will be angry if we all vanish.’
Pandora took her outside and a little way down the street. There, standing at a distance from passers-by on a dusty plot of land, she explained what had happened to Cassandra and exactly why they’d all had to leave England.
Livia stared at her in horror. ‘Dear heaven! Your aunt was more than mad, she was wicked beyond belief.’
Pandora nodded. ‘After all that, Cassandra needs us, so we can’t accept jobs that take us away from her. She was like a mother to us, gave up her own life to bring us up. And once the baby’s born, she’ll need us even more.’
‘She can come to us with you,’ Livia offered. ‘It’s very primitive, I’m afraid. You’ll have to sleep in a tent, but two of you can be together, at least. I can’t take the others, though, and I can’t pay her wages, only her keep. My husband and I have less money than we’d hoped and no chance of making more for a while.’
‘It’s very kind of you. We’d hoped Reece would ... forgive her. No, not forgive. She’s done nothing wrong. But accept what happened. Accept the child. I don’t think
she
ever believed he would, though.’
‘It’s – difficult.’
Pandora sighed. ‘Yes. I think we’d better go back. I’ll tell Cassandra about your offer. Perhaps if the twins could find somewhere not too far away ... Oh, I just don’t know.’
Livia didn’t wait for Reece to return, but walked slowly back to the hotel on her own. There she told Francis what had happened and sent him out to look for Reece. But there was no sign of their servant.