gold mining going?” he finally asked. “Have you come any closer to riches?”
This was his opportunity. William assumed a distressed mien. “I’m afraid that was a mistake,” he remarked. “Which is not to say that others did not warn me. Even your charming daughter brought it to my attention at our first meeting that panning for gold was really more for dreamers than for serious settlers.” He smiled at Elaine.
Ruben looked astonished. “Last week you couldn’t have sounded more different! Didn’t you just buy all that equipment, including that camping tent?”
William made an apologetic gesture. “One’s follies can grow costly,” he said regretfully. “But a few days on my claim sobered me up quickly. The rewards simply don’t measure up to the work.”
“That depends,” Georgie interjected excitedly. “My friends and I were gold panning last week, and Eddie—the blacksmith’s son—pulled out a piece of gold that he got thirty-eight dollars for!”
“And you panned all day and didn’t even make a dollar,” Elaine reminded him.
Georgie shrugged. “That was just bad luck.”
Ruben nodded. “That would sum up the problem of the gold rush. It’s a game of chance, and only rarely does a real prize come along. Generally, it goes up and down. The men manage to hold their heads above water with the yields from their claims, but everyone’s hoping for a lucky break.”
“I believe my luck is waiting somewhere else,” William explained as he glanced quickly over at Elaine. The girl’s face brightened—all of her senses were concentrated on the young man next to her, afterall. But their eye contact did not remain concealed from Ruben and Fleurette either.
Fleurette did not know exactly what bothered her, but she had an uncomfortable feeling. Ruben, however, did not seem to share it. He smiled.
“And what do you have planned instead, young man?” he asked in a friendly tone.
“Well…” William trailed off meaningfully, as though he had hardly asked himself this question before. “The evening I arrived, one of the local bankers told me I should concentrate on the things I can really do. Well, those things naturally have most to do with running a sheep farm.”
“So you want to leave here?” Elaine sounded scared and disappointed, though she tried to act disinterested.
William shrugged. “Unwillingly, Miss O’Keefe, most unwillingly. But the center of the sheep breeding business is naturally in the Canterbury Plains.”
Fleurette smiled at him. She felt strangely relieved.
“Perhaps I could give you a recommendation. My parents have a large farm near Haldon and excellent contacts.”
“But it’s so far away.” Elaine attempted to control her voice, but William’s announcement had struck her like a knife in the heart. If he was to go away now, probably never to see her again… Elaine felt the blood leaving her face. Did it have to be now? Did it have to be him?
Ruben O’Keefe registered his wife’s relief as well as his daughter’s disappointment. Fleurette wanted to shoo this young man from Elaine’s side sooner rather than later, though the reason for that was not clear to him. Up until that moment, William Martyn had been making a good impression. Giving him an opportunity in Queenstown did not mean an engagement, after all.
“Well… perhaps Mr. Martyn’s abilities are not limited to counting sheep,” he said. “How are you with bookkeeping, William? I could use someone in the store to take all that exasperating scribbling offmy hands. But of course if you’re looking to start in a management position…”
Ruben’s expression made clear that he considered that to be illusory. Neither Gwyneira McKenzie nor any of the other sheep barons in the east were waiting for an inexperienced young upstart from Ireland to tell them how to run their farms. Ruben himself was not terribly interested in sheep, but he had grown up in the business. He knew that animal
This was his opportunity. William assumed a distressed mien. “I’m afraid that was a mistake,” he remarked. “Which is not to say that others did not warn me. Even your charming daughter brought it to my attention at our first meeting that panning for gold was really more for dreamers than for serious settlers.” He smiled at Elaine.
Ruben looked astonished. “Last week you couldn’t have sounded more different! Didn’t you just buy all that equipment, including that camping tent?”
William made an apologetic gesture. “One’s follies can grow costly,” he said regretfully. “But a few days on my claim sobered me up quickly. The rewards simply don’t measure up to the work.”
“That depends,” Georgie interjected excitedly. “My friends and I were gold panning last week, and Eddie—the blacksmith’s son—pulled out a piece of gold that he got thirty-eight dollars for!”
“And you panned all day and didn’t even make a dollar,” Elaine reminded him.
Georgie shrugged. “That was just bad luck.”
Ruben nodded. “That would sum up the problem of the gold rush. It’s a game of chance, and only rarely does a real prize come along. Generally, it goes up and down. The men manage to hold their heads above water with the yields from their claims, but everyone’s hoping for a lucky break.”
“I believe my luck is waiting somewhere else,” William explained as he glanced quickly over at Elaine. The girl’s face brightened—all of her senses were concentrated on the young man next to her, afterall. But their eye contact did not remain concealed from Ruben and Fleurette either.
Fleurette did not know exactly what bothered her, but she had an uncomfortable feeling. Ruben, however, did not seem to share it. He smiled.
“And what do you have planned instead, young man?” he asked in a friendly tone.
“Well…” William trailed off meaningfully, as though he had hardly asked himself this question before. “The evening I arrived, one of the local bankers told me I should concentrate on the things I can really do. Well, those things naturally have most to do with running a sheep farm.”
“So you want to leave here?” Elaine sounded scared and disappointed, though she tried to act disinterested.
William shrugged. “Unwillingly, Miss O’Keefe, most unwillingly. But the center of the sheep breeding business is naturally in the Canterbury Plains.”
Fleurette smiled at him. She felt strangely relieved.
“Perhaps I could give you a recommendation. My parents have a large farm near Haldon and excellent contacts.”
“But it’s so far away.” Elaine attempted to control her voice, but William’s announcement had struck her like a knife in the heart. If he was to go away now, probably never to see her again… Elaine felt the blood leaving her face. Did it have to be now? Did it have to be him?
Ruben O’Keefe registered his wife’s relief as well as his daughter’s disappointment. Fleurette wanted to shoo this young man from Elaine’s side sooner rather than later, though the reason for that was not clear to him. Up until that moment, William Martyn had been making a good impression. Giving him an opportunity in Queenstown did not mean an engagement, after all.
“Well… perhaps Mr. Martyn’s abilities are not limited to counting sheep,” he said. “How are you with bookkeeping, William? I could use someone in the store to take all that exasperating scribbling offmy hands. But of course if you’re looking to start in a management position…”
Ruben’s expression made clear that he considered that to be illusory. Neither Gwyneira McKenzie nor any of the other sheep barons in the east were waiting for an inexperienced young upstart from Ireland to tell them how to run their farms. Ruben himself was not terribly interested in sheep, but he had grown up in the business. He knew that animal
Similar Books
