be worth anything if I lose my eldest grand child. Please, run upstairs and start on my bag, there’s a good girl.’
Keely noted the fierce determination in her mother’s eyes — a clear indication that she was in no mood to be argued with — and without another word hurried off.
Tamar suddenly reached out and touched Owen’s hand. ‘Will you come with us? Duncan respects you a great deal so he might listen to you.’
The unspoken implication in her words was that Duncan did not respect his father, and the look of resignation on James’s face demonstrated that he knew it only too well.
Tamar said, ‘Is that all right with you, James, if Owen comes?’
James nodded. ‘I don’t care who comes, as long as we keep him off that ship. I’d appreciate it, Owen, if you don’t mind.’
‘Not at all. Joseph can hold the fort for a couple of days.’
So within half an hour, the car had been packed and Tamar, James and Owen had set off down the long tree-lined driveway out to the road that would take them in towards Napier then on to the main road to Wellington.
They drove throughout the night, stopping only briefly at Woodville for a toilet break, and whenever the car needed refuelling from the petrol tins stowed in the trunk, and once to change a tyre. Tamar slept for much of the trip, slouched uncomfortably in the passenger seat with a heavy woollen rug tucked over her for warmth, while James and Owen took turns driving. They said little, both staring out into the darkness and trying not to think about what might befall Duncan if they did not reach Wellington in time to stop him.
Tamar woke to a barely rising sun as they went through Masterton, but nodded off again almost immediately. Then, some hours later as James drove along the Wellington streets towards the docks, the car bumping heavily over tram lines, she woke again. She was stiff and sore, her leg ached abominably and she was desperate for a cup of tea.
‘What time is it?’ she asked, pushing herself upright and untangling the rug from her feet.
‘Just after one o’clock,’ James replied from the back seat. His eyes were red from lack of sleep and his chin and cheeks frosted with stubble. ‘We’re going straight to the docks to find out what time the ship leaves.’
‘What’s the name of it?’
‘The ship? I don’t know, but there can’t be too many shipsheading for Spain, surely, although he’d probably go to England first.’
After a frustrating amount of time mucking about locating an office with a person in it who could tell them which ships were leaving that day and whose names appeared on the manifests, they were finally informed that only one was bound for the UK — the Northern Sun , departing for Southampton at five o’clock that afternoon. And yes, Mr Duncan Murdoch was listed as a passenger.
James breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Well, at least we know what time he’s expected at the dock. That gives us an hour or so to freshen up.’
‘And then what?’ Owen asked.
‘Then we come back here and wait for him to board. We can at least talk to him about whatever the hell it is he thinks he’s doing. And if the worst comes to the worst, I’ll …’ He faltered, not sure at all of what he might do.
Owen thought for a moment. ‘James, I don’t mean to be presumptuous, but is that the right attitude to take with him, do you think? Throwing your weight around?’
‘No, it isn’t,’ Tamar said. ‘James, I know you’re worried sick, but bullying the boy isn’t going to get you anywhere, is it? It never has in the past. Just talk to him, don’t argue. Tell him how worried you are. Tell him you don’t want him to go.’
James rolled his eyes. ‘That’s not going to make any difference, is it? He’s never listened to me before.’
‘But things have changed. You’ve changed.’
‘Yes, but he doesn’t know that, does he? Or if he does he won’t acknowledge it. I’ve barely seen him since we moved back out
Keely noted the fierce determination in her mother’s eyes — a clear indication that she was in no mood to be argued with — and without another word hurried off.
Tamar suddenly reached out and touched Owen’s hand. ‘Will you come with us? Duncan respects you a great deal so he might listen to you.’
The unspoken implication in her words was that Duncan did not respect his father, and the look of resignation on James’s face demonstrated that he knew it only too well.
Tamar said, ‘Is that all right with you, James, if Owen comes?’
James nodded. ‘I don’t care who comes, as long as we keep him off that ship. I’d appreciate it, Owen, if you don’t mind.’
‘Not at all. Joseph can hold the fort for a couple of days.’
So within half an hour, the car had been packed and Tamar, James and Owen had set off down the long tree-lined driveway out to the road that would take them in towards Napier then on to the main road to Wellington.
They drove throughout the night, stopping only briefly at Woodville for a toilet break, and whenever the car needed refuelling from the petrol tins stowed in the trunk, and once to change a tyre. Tamar slept for much of the trip, slouched uncomfortably in the passenger seat with a heavy woollen rug tucked over her for warmth, while James and Owen took turns driving. They said little, both staring out into the darkness and trying not to think about what might befall Duncan if they did not reach Wellington in time to stop him.
Tamar woke to a barely rising sun as they went through Masterton, but nodded off again almost immediately. Then, some hours later as James drove along the Wellington streets towards the docks, the car bumping heavily over tram lines, she woke again. She was stiff and sore, her leg ached abominably and she was desperate for a cup of tea.
‘What time is it?’ she asked, pushing herself upright and untangling the rug from her feet.
‘Just after one o’clock,’ James replied from the back seat. His eyes were red from lack of sleep and his chin and cheeks frosted with stubble. ‘We’re going straight to the docks to find out what time the ship leaves.’
‘What’s the name of it?’
‘The ship? I don’t know, but there can’t be too many shipsheading for Spain, surely, although he’d probably go to England first.’
After a frustrating amount of time mucking about locating an office with a person in it who could tell them which ships were leaving that day and whose names appeared on the manifests, they were finally informed that only one was bound for the UK — the Northern Sun , departing for Southampton at five o’clock that afternoon. And yes, Mr Duncan Murdoch was listed as a passenger.
James breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Well, at least we know what time he’s expected at the dock. That gives us an hour or so to freshen up.’
‘And then what?’ Owen asked.
‘Then we come back here and wait for him to board. We can at least talk to him about whatever the hell it is he thinks he’s doing. And if the worst comes to the worst, I’ll …’ He faltered, not sure at all of what he might do.
Owen thought for a moment. ‘James, I don’t mean to be presumptuous, but is that the right attitude to take with him, do you think? Throwing your weight around?’
‘No, it isn’t,’ Tamar said. ‘James, I know you’re worried sick, but bullying the boy isn’t going to get you anywhere, is it? It never has in the past. Just talk to him, don’t argue. Tell him how worried you are. Tell him you don’t want him to go.’
James rolled his eyes. ‘That’s not going to make any difference, is it? He’s never listened to me before.’
‘But things have changed. You’ve changed.’
‘Yes, but he doesn’t know that, does he? Or if he does he won’t acknowledge it. I’ve barely seen him since we moved back out