men with big knives. On their system, most of the trees will grow again … but not with yours. Do you see the difficulty?’ He smiled and looked more sinister than ever. ‘That is the extreme view, of course. It’s probably shared by the kangaroos and wallabies, I am bound to say. I’m afraid that the threat of rape was real. They think it’s the best way to discourage settlers, y’know.’
Rose swallowed. ‘Well, they could have had the leaves from all our trees until we clear the land if they’d been civil. But surely if people are going to live here, we need farmers?’ There should be room for everyone here. And if people were going to keep on coming – Rose knew that ship after ship was bringing folks in from England – they would need food.
Lordy leaned towards her and Rose flinched. ‘Do allow me, Mrs Teesdale, to remove this spider from your hair.’ It was a huntsman spider, nearly as big as a saucer, with eight thick legs, just like the ones she was battling at home. It must have dropped on her from above as she walked through the bush.
Rose shuddered but managed not to scream. ‘Thank you again, Mr Barrington.’
They watched it scurry away and Lordy said, ‘How very composed you are for a young woman. The bite of the huntsman spider is only mildly toxic, of course.’ He paused. ‘I don’t wish toalarm you, but the redback spider bite is potentially fatal, especially to children or old people. If you see a spider with a red spot on its back, avoid it at all costs. And the white tail spider can cause you pain – watch out for them in the house.’
Rose stood up. ‘It’s time I went home, Mr Barrington. Are there any other dangers in the bush that I need to know about?’
Lordy got up from the log, appearing to think deeply. ‘I am trying to remember my first impressions … but I came here from a war in Africa, so the Tangil valley was a haven of peace to me.’ He looked at Rose and added, ‘They say the Australian bush is the safest jungle in the world. Remember that, if ever you feel afraid.’
FIVE
‘P LEASE, ARE YOU Mrs … Maeve?’ Rose looked up at the tall, stately woman behind the bar before glancing round nervously . Her nerves had suffered after the encounters with the wild men and she longed for Luke to come back, to give her some peace of mind. But Luke was still away from home.
The big room was dark and the smoke-blackened beams and battered chairs and tables looked as though they had been there for centuries. It was the first time Rose had been into a public house and it was hard to know what to expect, what would lurk in those shadowy corners. A morning visit had seemed the safest, when most people should be sober and she hoped the eucalyptus oil men would be working.
The owner of the grandly named All Nations hotel nodded and smiled, revealing two gold teeth. ‘Myself it is. You’ll be new round here, then. What can we be doing for you?’ She was handsome in an Irish way, with dark hair and blue eyes.
‘Well …’ Rose breathed in the fumes of stale beer and tobacco, overlaid with the smell of cooking. What did she want? Lordy had told her she would get good advice, but about what? Rose stood looking down at her dusty dress and boots. She was hot and tired from the long walk down the side of Haunted Creek and far from her usual more confident self. ‘Do you happen to have seen Luke Teesdale? A young man with curly brown hair?’
Maeve’s expression altered and the soft voice seemed to harden a little. ‘You’ll be Luke’s woman then, and just arrived in the colony.Tell me, are you married properly, church and all – or just living together?’ She put her head on one side.
This was impertinence and Rose stood up straight with indignation . “Of course we are married! I’m not a loose woman! We were married before Luke came out. And what is it to do with you, anyway?’ She was about to sweep out, but stopped herself. Three dusty figures were eating
Rose swallowed. ‘Well, they could have had the leaves from all our trees until we clear the land if they’d been civil. But surely if people are going to live here, we need farmers?’ There should be room for everyone here. And if people were going to keep on coming – Rose knew that ship after ship was bringing folks in from England – they would need food.
Lordy leaned towards her and Rose flinched. ‘Do allow me, Mrs Teesdale, to remove this spider from your hair.’ It was a huntsman spider, nearly as big as a saucer, with eight thick legs, just like the ones she was battling at home. It must have dropped on her from above as she walked through the bush.
Rose shuddered but managed not to scream. ‘Thank you again, Mr Barrington.’
They watched it scurry away and Lordy said, ‘How very composed you are for a young woman. The bite of the huntsman spider is only mildly toxic, of course.’ He paused. ‘I don’t wish toalarm you, but the redback spider bite is potentially fatal, especially to children or old people. If you see a spider with a red spot on its back, avoid it at all costs. And the white tail spider can cause you pain – watch out for them in the house.’
Rose stood up. ‘It’s time I went home, Mr Barrington. Are there any other dangers in the bush that I need to know about?’
Lordy got up from the log, appearing to think deeply. ‘I am trying to remember my first impressions … but I came here from a war in Africa, so the Tangil valley was a haven of peace to me.’ He looked at Rose and added, ‘They say the Australian bush is the safest jungle in the world. Remember that, if ever you feel afraid.’
FIVE
‘P LEASE, ARE YOU Mrs … Maeve?’ Rose looked up at the tall, stately woman behind the bar before glancing round nervously . Her nerves had suffered after the encounters with the wild men and she longed for Luke to come back, to give her some peace of mind. But Luke was still away from home.
The big room was dark and the smoke-blackened beams and battered chairs and tables looked as though they had been there for centuries. It was the first time Rose had been into a public house and it was hard to know what to expect, what would lurk in those shadowy corners. A morning visit had seemed the safest, when most people should be sober and she hoped the eucalyptus oil men would be working.
The owner of the grandly named All Nations hotel nodded and smiled, revealing two gold teeth. ‘Myself it is. You’ll be new round here, then. What can we be doing for you?’ She was handsome in an Irish way, with dark hair and blue eyes.
‘Well …’ Rose breathed in the fumes of stale beer and tobacco, overlaid with the smell of cooking. What did she want? Lordy had told her she would get good advice, but about what? Rose stood looking down at her dusty dress and boots. She was hot and tired from the long walk down the side of Haunted Creek and far from her usual more confident self. ‘Do you happen to have seen Luke Teesdale? A young man with curly brown hair?’
Maeve’s expression altered and the soft voice seemed to harden a little. ‘You’ll be Luke’s woman then, and just arrived in the colony.Tell me, are you married properly, church and all – or just living together?’ She put her head on one side.
This was impertinence and Rose stood up straight with indignation . “Of course we are married! I’m not a loose woman! We were married before Luke came out. And what is it to do with you, anyway?’ She was about to sweep out, but stopped herself. Three dusty figures were eating
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