pasture, the land leading towards the mountains was mainly rough scrub, scanty cottonwood trees clustering more thickly as they climbed the rocky hillside and bleating goats and chickens roaming unheeded.
Across the front of Nellie’s rooming house was a sign proclaiming, in large white lettering, Nellie’s Place. Best lodgings in town . Outside the door sat an old man wearing a wide hat and smoking a pipe.
Rising to his feet as the two girls came up the steps, he tipped his hat, revealing very little hair, and took his pipe out of his mouth. ‘How de do, ladies? You looking for h’accommodation? We’re pretty full up, but ah reckon we can find a room.’
‘We’re not looking for a room, Isaac. It is Isaac, isn’t it?’ Jewel said. It could be no one else, she thought. Though it was over ten years since she had last seen him, she would have known him anywhere.
He rubbed his chin and looked from one to the other. ‘Well, I’m danged,’ he said. ‘Do I know you young ladies? Am I so old that I don’t remember?’
‘Sure you remember, you old dawg.’ A strident female voice came from the open doorway. ‘If it ain’t Miss Jewel herself.’ Nellie, resplendent in purple, came to meet them with her arms outstretched. ‘Why, honey,’ she said. ‘If you ain’t the prettiest gel I’ve seen in a long time.’
She gave Jewel a smacking kiss on her cheek and held her at arms’ length. ‘Ain’t she just beautiful, Isaac?’
She turned to Clara, standing shyly to one side. ‘And here, jest look at your friend.’ She put out her hand to Clara, who gave her hers. ‘My, my! Here’s a true English rose. Pardon me, ma’am, but how d’ya get that skin? Is that because of the rain in England?’
Before Clara could answer, Isaac broke in. ‘That ain’t that little gel I took fishing?’ he said, looking at Jewel. ‘Why, you were only this high.’ He put his hand level with his waist.
Jewel laughed and leaned to kiss his leathery cheek. ‘I’vegrown a bit since then, Isaac. This is my cousin Clara,’ she said, hooking her arm into hers. ‘She was just dying to meet you both.’
‘I was.’ Clara smiled. ‘I’ve heard so much about you that I feel as if I know you both already.’
‘Come along in.’ Nellie turned towards the door, but Clara glanced at Jewel.
‘Could we sit outside? Here on the bench? I’d love to do that, and watch people go by, and the creek, and . . . everything,’ she said. ‘It seems such a nice thing to do.’
‘Sure we can,’ Nellie said. ‘Isaac, you go along and ask Clemmie to bring out some tea. Proper English tea, mind,’ she added. ‘With my best china.’
They sat for about an hour whilst Jewel gave the old pair all the details they wanted to hear about Wilhelm and Georgiana.
‘I sure do miss them folk,’ Isaac said gruffly. ‘Bill Dreumel just about saved my life, and as fer Miz Gianna and Kitty, well, they were the best thing to happen to us in Dreumel’s Creek, until Nellie came along.’ He grinned, and Nellie gave him a little shove with her elbow.
Clara sat half listening to the conversation. She felt the warmth of the sun now high in the blue sky as she watched the activities of the small town. Waggons piled with timber trundled by and women driving dog carts looked up and gave a wave as they passed and either Isaac or Nellie lifted a hand in response. Women with baskets over their arms and small children by their side walked along the dusty road, and Clara guessed that they were going to the general store which she and Jewel had passed on their way here. It had appeared to sell everything anyone would ever need, from butter and cheese to wheelbarrows and sweeping brushes.
They were offered another drink, this time of cold lemonade, and then Jewel said they must be getting back to the hotel, for they were expected for lunch and then they were going to see Kitty and Caitlin.
‘You give those gels a great kiss from me,’ Isaac said. ‘I
Across the front of Nellie’s rooming house was a sign proclaiming, in large white lettering, Nellie’s Place. Best lodgings in town . Outside the door sat an old man wearing a wide hat and smoking a pipe.
Rising to his feet as the two girls came up the steps, he tipped his hat, revealing very little hair, and took his pipe out of his mouth. ‘How de do, ladies? You looking for h’accommodation? We’re pretty full up, but ah reckon we can find a room.’
‘We’re not looking for a room, Isaac. It is Isaac, isn’t it?’ Jewel said. It could be no one else, she thought. Though it was over ten years since she had last seen him, she would have known him anywhere.
He rubbed his chin and looked from one to the other. ‘Well, I’m danged,’ he said. ‘Do I know you young ladies? Am I so old that I don’t remember?’
‘Sure you remember, you old dawg.’ A strident female voice came from the open doorway. ‘If it ain’t Miss Jewel herself.’ Nellie, resplendent in purple, came to meet them with her arms outstretched. ‘Why, honey,’ she said. ‘If you ain’t the prettiest gel I’ve seen in a long time.’
She gave Jewel a smacking kiss on her cheek and held her at arms’ length. ‘Ain’t she just beautiful, Isaac?’
She turned to Clara, standing shyly to one side. ‘And here, jest look at your friend.’ She put out her hand to Clara, who gave her hers. ‘My, my! Here’s a true English rose. Pardon me, ma’am, but how d’ya get that skin? Is that because of the rain in England?’
Before Clara could answer, Isaac broke in. ‘That ain’t that little gel I took fishing?’ he said, looking at Jewel. ‘Why, you were only this high.’ He put his hand level with his waist.
Jewel laughed and leaned to kiss his leathery cheek. ‘I’vegrown a bit since then, Isaac. This is my cousin Clara,’ she said, hooking her arm into hers. ‘She was just dying to meet you both.’
‘I was.’ Clara smiled. ‘I’ve heard so much about you that I feel as if I know you both already.’
‘Come along in.’ Nellie turned towards the door, but Clara glanced at Jewel.
‘Could we sit outside? Here on the bench? I’d love to do that, and watch people go by, and the creek, and . . . everything,’ she said. ‘It seems such a nice thing to do.’
‘Sure we can,’ Nellie said. ‘Isaac, you go along and ask Clemmie to bring out some tea. Proper English tea, mind,’ she added. ‘With my best china.’
They sat for about an hour whilst Jewel gave the old pair all the details they wanted to hear about Wilhelm and Georgiana.
‘I sure do miss them folk,’ Isaac said gruffly. ‘Bill Dreumel just about saved my life, and as fer Miz Gianna and Kitty, well, they were the best thing to happen to us in Dreumel’s Creek, until Nellie came along.’ He grinned, and Nellie gave him a little shove with her elbow.
Clara sat half listening to the conversation. She felt the warmth of the sun now high in the blue sky as she watched the activities of the small town. Waggons piled with timber trundled by and women driving dog carts looked up and gave a wave as they passed and either Isaac or Nellie lifted a hand in response. Women with baskets over their arms and small children by their side walked along the dusty road, and Clara guessed that they were going to the general store which she and Jewel had passed on their way here. It had appeared to sell everything anyone would ever need, from butter and cheese to wheelbarrows and sweeping brushes.
They were offered another drink, this time of cold lemonade, and then Jewel said they must be getting back to the hotel, for they were expected for lunch and then they were going to see Kitty and Caitlin.
‘You give those gels a great kiss from me,’ Isaac said. ‘I
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