something more than a joke in bad taste? Was bartering-ofbrides the inthing amongst the Ashendens of today?
Jane Baker looked at Jeckie, anxious to catch her eyes.
'May I pass you something?' Jeckie asked. She was embarrassed because she felt her colour rising.
'No, Jeckie dear, I've quite finished, thank you. I just
wondered if you would like to come to the kitchen and meet Cassie and the other girls. They're all dying to meet you. We don't often have visitors so far across the outback as this. Sheila was our last visitor and that was some time ago — '
Jeckie knew instinctively that nice Jane Baker was again changing the mood and the subject at the breakfast table. No wonder Aunt Isobel always addressed her as 'Jane dear'.
Jeckie nodded. 'Yes, please. That is, if Aunt Isobel will excuse me.'
`Of course, my dear. But don't be too long. You must get ready to go with Barton. Andrew, could I have a few words with you in the office when you're ready? There's the order for the homestead stores to go through.'
`Certainly. I will be with you in ten minutes.'
Andrew was speaking to Aunt Isobel, but Jeckie had the uneasy feeling his eyes followed her as she moved along the veranda with Jane.
What — she wondered — did those intelligent, discerning eyes really discover about her anyway?
CHAPTER FIVE
Jeckie followed Jane down the passage towards the kitchen regions. Half of her noticed how wide and roomy the side passage was. Very comfortable and civilized was Mallibee's homestead. The other half was thinking—
`Funny, but it was the mention of that mysterious person Joe Blow that made me really want to go with Barton. Otherwise — well, there's no purpose in making Andrew angry. Perhaps he's not really angry, and doesn't even care. He's thinking of the cattle camp where Barton would be needed and the water bore that has to be shut down sooner than later.'
Jeckie met Cassie — a very large, benign cook with a wide
smile, white flashing teeth in an ebony face. She too,
like Jane Baker, had descended from families that had begun their life on Mallibee at the time when the first Andrew Ashenden had taken up this million-acre run. He had been given this acreage by the Government in recognition of his pioneering work in the days when the outback regions had not yet been explored. Some parts, such as back of the ranges, weren't explored even to this day. Cassie's people had lived along the creek-bed then, and had soon made friends with the first of the Ashendens. Mallibee had remained their home ever since.
Two young girls ran giggling from the kitchen, their dark eyes flashing, as Jeckie and Jane appeared in the doorway.
`Don't you take notice of those fellas,' Cassie warned, but in rich, comfortable tones. `They'm showin' off. They gotta go down the school about now anyway — '
`The school?' Jeckie asked in surprise. 'Has Mallibee enough people on it to run a school?'
Jane Baker pretended to be busy poking about in the pantry, but Jeckie guessed she was really letting Cassie do the talking. The kitchen was Cassie's realm.
`That's right,' Cassie said. 'Andrew Boss sent Minna — the big one — down to college in Perth to be a teacher. Now she's come back alla-time here, and teaches the other children proper. What you think, eh, Jane?'
Jane reappeared from the cavernous pantry.
'Yes, that's right, Jeckie. Minna is Cassie's daughter and she is a very clever girl. She did very well at college. She wanted to come back here to her own country. For that we were all thankful. She runs the school beautifully.'
'I want to know everything about the homestead all at once,' Jeckie said. 'There's so much to see — but I've said I would go with Barton — '
'Don't you worry, Miss Jeckie,' Cassie went on, busily pounding and turning dough on a large board. 'There's plenty time. You see everything tomorra. Or maybe nex' week. How long you stayin', eh? Miss Sheila now, she stayed two months. That's why those two
Jane Baker looked at Jeckie, anxious to catch her eyes.
'May I pass you something?' Jeckie asked. She was embarrassed because she felt her colour rising.
'No, Jeckie dear, I've quite finished, thank you. I just
wondered if you would like to come to the kitchen and meet Cassie and the other girls. They're all dying to meet you. We don't often have visitors so far across the outback as this. Sheila was our last visitor and that was some time ago — '
Jeckie knew instinctively that nice Jane Baker was again changing the mood and the subject at the breakfast table. No wonder Aunt Isobel always addressed her as 'Jane dear'.
Jeckie nodded. 'Yes, please. That is, if Aunt Isobel will excuse me.'
`Of course, my dear. But don't be too long. You must get ready to go with Barton. Andrew, could I have a few words with you in the office when you're ready? There's the order for the homestead stores to go through.'
`Certainly. I will be with you in ten minutes.'
Andrew was speaking to Aunt Isobel, but Jeckie had the uneasy feeling his eyes followed her as she moved along the veranda with Jane.
What — she wondered — did those intelligent, discerning eyes really discover about her anyway?
CHAPTER FIVE
Jeckie followed Jane down the passage towards the kitchen regions. Half of her noticed how wide and roomy the side passage was. Very comfortable and civilized was Mallibee's homestead. The other half was thinking—
`Funny, but it was the mention of that mysterious person Joe Blow that made me really want to go with Barton. Otherwise — well, there's no purpose in making Andrew angry. Perhaps he's not really angry, and doesn't even care. He's thinking of the cattle camp where Barton would be needed and the water bore that has to be shut down sooner than later.'
Jeckie met Cassie — a very large, benign cook with a wide
smile, white flashing teeth in an ebony face. She too,
like Jane Baker, had descended from families that had begun their life on Mallibee at the time when the first Andrew Ashenden had taken up this million-acre run. He had been given this acreage by the Government in recognition of his pioneering work in the days when the outback regions had not yet been explored. Some parts, such as back of the ranges, weren't explored even to this day. Cassie's people had lived along the creek-bed then, and had soon made friends with the first of the Ashendens. Mallibee had remained their home ever since.
Two young girls ran giggling from the kitchen, their dark eyes flashing, as Jeckie and Jane appeared in the doorway.
`Don't you take notice of those fellas,' Cassie warned, but in rich, comfortable tones. `They'm showin' off. They gotta go down the school about now anyway — '
`The school?' Jeckie asked in surprise. 'Has Mallibee enough people on it to run a school?'
Jane Baker pretended to be busy poking about in the pantry, but Jeckie guessed she was really letting Cassie do the talking. The kitchen was Cassie's realm.
`That's right,' Cassie said. 'Andrew Boss sent Minna — the big one — down to college in Perth to be a teacher. Now she's come back alla-time here, and teaches the other children proper. What you think, eh, Jane?'
Jane reappeared from the cavernous pantry.
'Yes, that's right, Jeckie. Minna is Cassie's daughter and she is a very clever girl. She did very well at college. She wanted to come back here to her own country. For that we were all thankful. She runs the school beautifully.'
'I want to know everything about the homestead all at once,' Jeckie said. 'There's so much to see — but I've said I would go with Barton — '
'Don't you worry, Miss Jeckie,' Cassie went on, busily pounding and turning dough on a large board. 'There's plenty time. You see everything tomorra. Or maybe nex' week. How long you stayin', eh? Miss Sheila now, she stayed two months. That's why those two
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