the bedroom as Lily was changing into her going away outfift. ‘I don’t know how you can do it! Our poor Albert and those poor children! Your Daisy won’t do her duty by them for long and what will happen to them then? It wouldn’t be so bad if you weren’t going to the other end of the earth but—’
Lily whirled round the from mirror. ‘How did you find out about Australia?’
‘From that woman!’ Her black silk-clad bosom swelled.
‘What woman?’ said Lily, frowning.
‘That aunt of that husband of yours.’ Dora’s eyes glinted. ‘How was it she knew and we didn’t? It’s a disgrace, Lily! She thinks it’s wonderful. Two young people in love sailing off into the blue to a new life in a new country. What’s wrong with the old one? That’s what I say.’
‘Plenty where some are concerned,’ said Lily, her heart beating heavily. ‘But that’s not the reason why we’re leaving.’ She slipped on her snuff-coloured jacket and put the blame on God for her actions. ‘I don’t suppose you remember but Matt told you the first day you met him that he has to go when and where God calls him. It’s His will that matters.’
‘I can’t believe it’s God’s will that you’re deserting your family,’ she snapped. ‘As for not telling us – I think it’s a disgrace!’
Lily’s temper rose. ‘It is my life! If you’re so concerned, you could volunteer to look after them.’
‘Me!’ Her outrage was plain to see. ‘Young people need young folk and I’m no spring chicken.’
‘Neither am I,’ said Lily, her expression mutinous as she took her new hat from a box. ‘I’m twenty-five and I’ve reared May from a baby. I’ve well done my duty! You could be a bit more understanding. It’s going to be painful parting from her and Ronnie.’
‘Not painful enough it seems,’ sniffed Dora, watching her set the hat at a flattering angle.
Lily turned on her. ‘What do you want me to do? Cry blood?’
‘Don’t be silly,’ said Dora, bristling. ‘I’ve said my piece. I’ll be going.’ She marched to the door, only to pause as she opened it. ‘I just hope you don’t live to regret this day.’
Lily’s eyes sparkled. ‘Goodbye, Aunt Dora. Watch you don’t fall down the stairs.’
‘You’d like me to do that, wouldn’t you?’ said her aunt and slammed the door.
Lily was trembling and several minutes passed before she was composed enough to pick up her suitcase.
She met Matt on the stairs. ‘Your Aunt Dora’s left.’
‘Uncle William as well?’ Her voice was dismayed.
‘Him too.’ His eyes were hard as he took the suitcase from her. ‘I’m the world’s worst for taking you away. I’m selfish and utterly unchristian, according to your aunt. William didn’t say a word.’
‘Damn!’ She squeezed his hand. ‘Sorry. But why did you have to tell your Aunt Jane?’
‘Because she asked me. I couldn’t lie! I feel bad enough leaving when we’re only just getting to know each other.’
She could understand that. ‘You could have not told her the truth!’
‘Lily, we should have told them all earlier,’ he said with a touch of impatience. ‘But you didn’t want any upset.’
‘I wasn’t thinking of myself,’ she countered swiftly.
‘Did I say you were?’
‘No, but—’ A hand went to her head. ‘I’d better go and see Dad.’
‘He knows.’
‘Aunt Dora told him?’
‘Who else?’
Lily’s spirits plummeted further and she said through dry lips, ‘How did he take it?’
‘She told me he was going to get the horse ready to take the carriage back to the farm. Shall we see him together before we go?’
Lily hesitated then shook her head. ‘I’ll go on my own, if you don’t mind?’
He raised his eyebrows. ‘Why should I mind? I don’t doubt it’ll be less difficult for you both without me there.’
She nodded and left him.
Lily found Albert still in the backyard, unplaiting the horses’s tail. There was a handful of ribbons on the
Lily whirled round the from mirror. ‘How did you find out about Australia?’
‘From that woman!’ Her black silk-clad bosom swelled.
‘What woman?’ said Lily, frowning.
‘That aunt of that husband of yours.’ Dora’s eyes glinted. ‘How was it she knew and we didn’t? It’s a disgrace, Lily! She thinks it’s wonderful. Two young people in love sailing off into the blue to a new life in a new country. What’s wrong with the old one? That’s what I say.’
‘Plenty where some are concerned,’ said Lily, her heart beating heavily. ‘But that’s not the reason why we’re leaving.’ She slipped on her snuff-coloured jacket and put the blame on God for her actions. ‘I don’t suppose you remember but Matt told you the first day you met him that he has to go when and where God calls him. It’s His will that matters.’
‘I can’t believe it’s God’s will that you’re deserting your family,’ she snapped. ‘As for not telling us – I think it’s a disgrace!’
Lily’s temper rose. ‘It is my life! If you’re so concerned, you could volunteer to look after them.’
‘Me!’ Her outrage was plain to see. ‘Young people need young folk and I’m no spring chicken.’
‘Neither am I,’ said Lily, her expression mutinous as she took her new hat from a box. ‘I’m twenty-five and I’ve reared May from a baby. I’ve well done my duty! You could be a bit more understanding. It’s going to be painful parting from her and Ronnie.’
‘Not painful enough it seems,’ sniffed Dora, watching her set the hat at a flattering angle.
Lily turned on her. ‘What do you want me to do? Cry blood?’
‘Don’t be silly,’ said Dora, bristling. ‘I’ve said my piece. I’ll be going.’ She marched to the door, only to pause as she opened it. ‘I just hope you don’t live to regret this day.’
Lily’s eyes sparkled. ‘Goodbye, Aunt Dora. Watch you don’t fall down the stairs.’
‘You’d like me to do that, wouldn’t you?’ said her aunt and slammed the door.
Lily was trembling and several minutes passed before she was composed enough to pick up her suitcase.
She met Matt on the stairs. ‘Your Aunt Dora’s left.’
‘Uncle William as well?’ Her voice was dismayed.
‘Him too.’ His eyes were hard as he took the suitcase from her. ‘I’m the world’s worst for taking you away. I’m selfish and utterly unchristian, according to your aunt. William didn’t say a word.’
‘Damn!’ She squeezed his hand. ‘Sorry. But why did you have to tell your Aunt Jane?’
‘Because she asked me. I couldn’t lie! I feel bad enough leaving when we’re only just getting to know each other.’
She could understand that. ‘You could have not told her the truth!’
‘Lily, we should have told them all earlier,’ he said with a touch of impatience. ‘But you didn’t want any upset.’
‘I wasn’t thinking of myself,’ she countered swiftly.
‘Did I say you were?’
‘No, but—’ A hand went to her head. ‘I’d better go and see Dad.’
‘He knows.’
‘Aunt Dora told him?’
‘Who else?’
Lily’s spirits plummeted further and she said through dry lips, ‘How did he take it?’
‘She told me he was going to get the horse ready to take the carriage back to the farm. Shall we see him together before we go?’
Lily hesitated then shook her head. ‘I’ll go on my own, if you don’t mind?’
He raised his eyebrows. ‘Why should I mind? I don’t doubt it’ll be less difficult for you both without me there.’
She nodded and left him.
Lily found Albert still in the backyard, unplaiting the horses’s tail. There was a handful of ribbons on the
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