she put them on. As she sloshed water on her face, she chanced a glance at Ross and Jack who slept sprawled out by the fire. Moving carefully, so as not to disturb them, she started setting things up for breakfast.
"What the hell are you doing creeping around?" She jumped at Ross' voice.
"I'm going to start breakfast."
"You don't have to. Jack and I can do it."
"No, I feel better if I'm doing something." She ran a trembling hand through her hair. "Gil's at peace now." She blinked back the threatening tears. "It's the only way I can bear to think about what happened."
"No one could do anything about it. Your brother was doomed the moment he landed on that Turkish beach," Ross said gently.
"I wonder why God let him come back."
"To say goodbye to his sister maybe. He adored you. Remember the good times. He wouldn't want you to mourn him."
"His mates meant a lot to him."
"I know. When you're in the trenches your mates are everything, you rely on them. They're your brothers, your lovers, your God even. There's no one else." He spoke with such passion it moved her, even though she was bowed down with her own grief.
"Oh, Ross." She reached up on tiptoe, and ran a gentle finger along the scar. His nostrils flared slightly. A transient warmth softened his eyes, but was quickly extinguished when his cold mask settled back into place.
At breakfast the men did not know what to say to her. She did not even bother with the waistcoat now; everyone knew she was Harriet not Harry.
"Sorry about your brother," Archie said. "He was a fine young man."
"Hear, hear," the others agreed.
"Thank you. I'm sorry for deceiving everyone." She scrubbed the tears off her cheeks with her fingers. There would be plenty of time left for crying later. She had a job to do and would do it no matter what it cost her. Gritting her teeth, she started dishing up. Eggs, beans and fried bread washed down with black tea. Not very exciting but there was plenty of it.
After the men left to attend the cattle, only she, Ross and Jack remained. She watched silently as Ross doused the campfire.
"I'll leave you in charge, Jack. You'll have to drive the wagon, too, but the men know what to do. Keep the cattle moving."
"What about me?" Harry queried.
"You're coming into town with me. We'll have to see the authorities, then I'll put you on the first train to Benalla."
"Don't be so cold-blooded," Jack protested.
"Well, she can't stay here."
"I know."
"Why can't I?" She hoped she didn't sound too plaintive.
"Because you're a woman, and you can't stay out here with a bunch of men," Ross ground the words out.
"You could keep an eye on me, Jack."
"I wish I could, girlie, but it's impossible." He glanced at Ross. "He's the boss."
"Oh yes, and he can't wait to get rid of me." Harry didn't try to disguise her bitterness as she faced Ross. "You've had it in for me ever since I arrived here."
"I gave you a job," he growled.
"You employed Gil, and let me tag along."
"What if I did?"
"My brother is dead." She clenched her hands into fists, nails biting into her palms. "Don't you feel any pity for me?"
"I do sympathize with you. I'm sorry about Gilbert, but I need to get these cattle to the army representative at the railhead."
"Money," she sneered. "It always comes down to money with rich people like you."
"That's not true, my dear," Jack said.
"Of course it is. You're a nice man, but your nephew is a heartless money grabber."
"Watch your mouth." Ross advanced towards her threateningly. "The fact you're female won't stop me from putting you over my knee and giving you the spanking you deserve."
Jack protested. "Remember what she's been through."
"He doesn't give a damn about me." Angry tears pooled in her eyes. "He's callous."
Ross stalked off but she ran after him. "I hate you." She pummeled her fists into his back.
He swung around. "The feeling is mutual."
Tears cascaded down her cheeks. Great sobs racked her body as she sank to the ground.
"Oh,
"What the hell are you doing creeping around?" She jumped at Ross' voice.
"I'm going to start breakfast."
"You don't have to. Jack and I can do it."
"No, I feel better if I'm doing something." She ran a trembling hand through her hair. "Gil's at peace now." She blinked back the threatening tears. "It's the only way I can bear to think about what happened."
"No one could do anything about it. Your brother was doomed the moment he landed on that Turkish beach," Ross said gently.
"I wonder why God let him come back."
"To say goodbye to his sister maybe. He adored you. Remember the good times. He wouldn't want you to mourn him."
"His mates meant a lot to him."
"I know. When you're in the trenches your mates are everything, you rely on them. They're your brothers, your lovers, your God even. There's no one else." He spoke with such passion it moved her, even though she was bowed down with her own grief.
"Oh, Ross." She reached up on tiptoe, and ran a gentle finger along the scar. His nostrils flared slightly. A transient warmth softened his eyes, but was quickly extinguished when his cold mask settled back into place.
At breakfast the men did not know what to say to her. She did not even bother with the waistcoat now; everyone knew she was Harriet not Harry.
"Sorry about your brother," Archie said. "He was a fine young man."
"Hear, hear," the others agreed.
"Thank you. I'm sorry for deceiving everyone." She scrubbed the tears off her cheeks with her fingers. There would be plenty of time left for crying later. She had a job to do and would do it no matter what it cost her. Gritting her teeth, she started dishing up. Eggs, beans and fried bread washed down with black tea. Not very exciting but there was plenty of it.
After the men left to attend the cattle, only she, Ross and Jack remained. She watched silently as Ross doused the campfire.
"I'll leave you in charge, Jack. You'll have to drive the wagon, too, but the men know what to do. Keep the cattle moving."
"What about me?" Harry queried.
"You're coming into town with me. We'll have to see the authorities, then I'll put you on the first train to Benalla."
"Don't be so cold-blooded," Jack protested.
"Well, she can't stay here."
"I know."
"Why can't I?" She hoped she didn't sound too plaintive.
"Because you're a woman, and you can't stay out here with a bunch of men," Ross ground the words out.
"You could keep an eye on me, Jack."
"I wish I could, girlie, but it's impossible." He glanced at Ross. "He's the boss."
"Oh yes, and he can't wait to get rid of me." Harry didn't try to disguise her bitterness as she faced Ross. "You've had it in for me ever since I arrived here."
"I gave you a job," he growled.
"You employed Gil, and let me tag along."
"What if I did?"
"My brother is dead." She clenched her hands into fists, nails biting into her palms. "Don't you feel any pity for me?"
"I do sympathize with you. I'm sorry about Gilbert, but I need to get these cattle to the army representative at the railhead."
"Money," she sneered. "It always comes down to money with rich people like you."
"That's not true, my dear," Jack said.
"Of course it is. You're a nice man, but your nephew is a heartless money grabber."
"Watch your mouth." Ross advanced towards her threateningly. "The fact you're female won't stop me from putting you over my knee and giving you the spanking you deserve."
Jack protested. "Remember what she's been through."
"He doesn't give a damn about me." Angry tears pooled in her eyes. "He's callous."
Ross stalked off but she ran after him. "I hate you." She pummeled her fists into his back.
He swung around. "The feeling is mutual."
Tears cascaded down her cheeks. Great sobs racked her body as she sank to the ground.
"Oh,
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