dreams full of shooting stars and town matriarchs hot in the pursuit of a laughing Catriona, who remained tantalisingly out of their gnarled grasps.
KATHERINE'S DOOR CLOSED and Catriona headed for the sanctuary of her own room. She sat on her bed and undressed. "Damn that was close," She muttered. She knew she needed to be more careful with what she said to Katherine, particularly when she sat so near. Such comments, if interpreted correctly by Katherine, could force her into the town, where those old matriarchs wanted her.
They'd established such a good friendship which wasn't likely to continue if Catriona scared her away with either words or actions that could never be reciprocated. Catriona shed the remainder of her clothes and got into bed, relieved that Katherine hadn't pushed her about any wishes she would have made on the shooting stars. After all, how could she explain that her wish involved wanting to get closer to her?
KATHERINE AWOKE THE next day to a knock on her door and the sound of footsteps continuing down the hallway. In the muted grey of dawn she lit her lamp, read her morning passage, then quickly dressed and headed for the kitchen. She looked at the clock above the stove.
"I know you said early, but I didn't expect it to be this early."
"Good morning." Catriona placed a plate of bacon and eggs and a cup of hot tea on the table and motioned Katherine to take a seat. "It's better if we travel now, that way we can make best use of the daylight hours."
In short time their breakfast was finished and the dishes washed.
Catriona checked the stove and then straightened. "Do you need anything else from your room?"
"I don't think so."
Catriona tossed a water bladder over her shoulder and picked up her hat from the table. "We better get going then." She looked down at a ladies' broad-brimmed hat which sat at the end of the table. "Are you sure you don't need anything else?"
Katherine rolled her eyes. "I've said it once, but I'll say it again, in case the sun has addled your brain. I'm not wearing a hat over my wimple and veil."
"Suit yourself, but don't come crying to me when, in a few years time, your beauty is all but gone."
Without waiting for an answer, Catriona walked out the door.
Katherine self-consciously brought her hand to her face. Did she say I was beautiful? Her eyes narrowed and she shook a finger at the back door. "You can't fool me. That was no more than another one of your tricks to get me to wear that hat. I won't be fooled that easily." Walking past the headgear, she headed toward the barn.
KATHERINE ONCE AGAIN shifted in her seat.
Catriona looked sideways at her. "I told you in the barn that the journey would take two hours."
"Yes, you did," Katherine grumbled. "And next time I'll accept your offer of a cushion. By the way, when I was in town the other day, I overheard the constable discussing the local bushrangers." Despite the danger, Katherine couldn't control her excitement at the thought of such desperados.
"They're ranging around the district again. The constable's upset because they're too smart for him to catch them. I've no doubt it's because they're being protected by the poorer families of the district. The bushrangers never rob from these families. They only target the richer graziers. With tactics like that I doubt they'll ever be caught."
"Have they robbed you?"
"No, but that doesn't mean they're not dangerous. For the immediate future it might be best, when you have to leave the house, for you to leave me a note, so I know who you're visiting."
"Of course." As they topped the rise of a hill, Katherine saw, in the very far distance, a group of trees which couldn't readily be called a copse, yet were a strange presence in such a landscape. Katherine pointed. "What's over there? Is it still part of the property?"
Catriona stared straight ahead. "It's still part of the property, but it's nothing now but a dried, weed-choked spring. I don't think it's properly
KATHERINE'S DOOR CLOSED and Catriona headed for the sanctuary of her own room. She sat on her bed and undressed. "Damn that was close," She muttered. She knew she needed to be more careful with what she said to Katherine, particularly when she sat so near. Such comments, if interpreted correctly by Katherine, could force her into the town, where those old matriarchs wanted her.
They'd established such a good friendship which wasn't likely to continue if Catriona scared her away with either words or actions that could never be reciprocated. Catriona shed the remainder of her clothes and got into bed, relieved that Katherine hadn't pushed her about any wishes she would have made on the shooting stars. After all, how could she explain that her wish involved wanting to get closer to her?
KATHERINE AWOKE THE next day to a knock on her door and the sound of footsteps continuing down the hallway. In the muted grey of dawn she lit her lamp, read her morning passage, then quickly dressed and headed for the kitchen. She looked at the clock above the stove.
"I know you said early, but I didn't expect it to be this early."
"Good morning." Catriona placed a plate of bacon and eggs and a cup of hot tea on the table and motioned Katherine to take a seat. "It's better if we travel now, that way we can make best use of the daylight hours."
In short time their breakfast was finished and the dishes washed.
Catriona checked the stove and then straightened. "Do you need anything else from your room?"
"I don't think so."
Catriona tossed a water bladder over her shoulder and picked up her hat from the table. "We better get going then." She looked down at a ladies' broad-brimmed hat which sat at the end of the table. "Are you sure you don't need anything else?"
Katherine rolled her eyes. "I've said it once, but I'll say it again, in case the sun has addled your brain. I'm not wearing a hat over my wimple and veil."
"Suit yourself, but don't come crying to me when, in a few years time, your beauty is all but gone."
Without waiting for an answer, Catriona walked out the door.
Katherine self-consciously brought her hand to her face. Did she say I was beautiful? Her eyes narrowed and she shook a finger at the back door. "You can't fool me. That was no more than another one of your tricks to get me to wear that hat. I won't be fooled that easily." Walking past the headgear, she headed toward the barn.
KATHERINE ONCE AGAIN shifted in her seat.
Catriona looked sideways at her. "I told you in the barn that the journey would take two hours."
"Yes, you did," Katherine grumbled. "And next time I'll accept your offer of a cushion. By the way, when I was in town the other day, I overheard the constable discussing the local bushrangers." Despite the danger, Katherine couldn't control her excitement at the thought of such desperados.
"They're ranging around the district again. The constable's upset because they're too smart for him to catch them. I've no doubt it's because they're being protected by the poorer families of the district. The bushrangers never rob from these families. They only target the richer graziers. With tactics like that I doubt they'll ever be caught."
"Have they robbed you?"
"No, but that doesn't mean they're not dangerous. For the immediate future it might be best, when you have to leave the house, for you to leave me a note, so I know who you're visiting."
"Of course." As they topped the rise of a hill, Katherine saw, in the very far distance, a group of trees which couldn't readily be called a copse, yet were a strange presence in such a landscape. Katherine pointed. "What's over there? Is it still part of the property?"
Catriona stared straight ahead. "It's still part of the property, but it's nothing now but a dried, weed-choked spring. I don't think it's properly
Similar Books
