Farr.’
Thea put her hand on Tiney’s forearm. ‘Mr Farr wouldn’t know anything about it. He only danced with her once. And Minna would have danced with every man at the party. You can’t go questioning all of them. They’ll get the wrong idea about her.’
‘Thea’s right,’ said Mama. ‘You must speak to no one about this. If anyone asks, we’ll tell them Minna’s gone to stay with relatives in the country. We must give her the chance to come back of her own volition, without a scandal.’
‘But someone might know where she is! I’m sure Tilda will know something.’
‘Minna is a sensible girl. She wouldn’t be swayed by someone like Tilda. I trust her to do the right thing,’ said Mama. ‘Your father and I are very upset, but we have decided the best course of action is to wait. We must all bide our time and give Minna the chance to come home without a fuss.’
Tiney felt her face grow hot, her mouth burn with all the secrets she was keeping from her mother. She thought of Minna kissing the soldier on Armistice Day, of the way men looked at her when they were out together, of Minna peeling off her black skirt and of her spinning across the Alstons’ dance floor. Minna was too dangerously beautiful. Couldn’t Mama and Thea understand that?
Tiney sat hunched over her morning tea, listening as Mama telephoned every one of Minna’s students to explain that Minna wouldn’t be taking classes for the next week or two. She felt a sick, hollow feeling in the pit of her stomach. What would they do without Minna’s wages? She had been counting on Minna’s help in saving up for the trip to Europe. She had been counting on Minna being at Larksrest forever.
By the beginning of June, there was still no word from Minna. At night, the quiet of their bedroom was almost unbearable. Tiney would wake in fright and then realise that it was the silence that woke her. To not hear Minna’s gentle breathing made Tiney feel as though she was sleeping in a tomb. A week after Minna had left, Tiney moved her things in with Thea.
Tiney couldn’t bear to go to the Cheer-Up Hut any more. She lost interest in the plans for their Victory Ball. Most evenings, after clearing up the kitchen, she would sit quietly in her room and write in her journal or lose herself in a book.
Then, on a bright, clear winter morning, four letters arrived from Nette. Nette wrote twice a week without fail but they’d never all received letters from her at exactly the same time. Papa came to the breakfast table and handed Thea, Tiney and Mama a letter each. As if Minna had only gone out for a walk, he put her letter on the mantelpiece for when she returned. They each took turns using the bone-handled letter-opener to slice open their envelopes.
Tiney read the opening sentence of her letter and clapped one hand over her mouth with surprise. ‘Does yours say the same thing as mine?’ she asked Thea.
Thea glanced at Mama and Papa, who were both smiling. ‘Of course it does. Congratulations, Auntie Tiney!’
Tiney scanned her letter again. ‘Does yours say when the baby is due?’
‘November,’ said Mama. ‘Our Nette will become a mother in November.’
‘She’ll have to come and have the baby in Adelaide,’ said Tiney. ‘We’ll be able to have her home again for months.’
‘That will be up to Ray,’ said Papa. ‘He may want Nette and his child to be with him.’
‘He can’t!’ said Tiney. ‘They’re still living in a tent!’
‘Perhaps this will give him the impetus to finish building the house,’ said Mama.
Tiney and Thea looked at each other sceptically but said nothing. Mama and Papa had enough grief and worry to deal with without adding criticism of Ray to their burden.
Tiney was humming cheerfully to herself as she polished the mirror on the hallstand when a courier arrived later in the day. She opened the front door and called for Papa to come and sign the delivery receipt. The parcel was from the Australian
Thea put her hand on Tiney’s forearm. ‘Mr Farr wouldn’t know anything about it. He only danced with her once. And Minna would have danced with every man at the party. You can’t go questioning all of them. They’ll get the wrong idea about her.’
‘Thea’s right,’ said Mama. ‘You must speak to no one about this. If anyone asks, we’ll tell them Minna’s gone to stay with relatives in the country. We must give her the chance to come back of her own volition, without a scandal.’
‘But someone might know where she is! I’m sure Tilda will know something.’
‘Minna is a sensible girl. She wouldn’t be swayed by someone like Tilda. I trust her to do the right thing,’ said Mama. ‘Your father and I are very upset, but we have decided the best course of action is to wait. We must all bide our time and give Minna the chance to come home without a fuss.’
Tiney felt her face grow hot, her mouth burn with all the secrets she was keeping from her mother. She thought of Minna kissing the soldier on Armistice Day, of the way men looked at her when they were out together, of Minna peeling off her black skirt and of her spinning across the Alstons’ dance floor. Minna was too dangerously beautiful. Couldn’t Mama and Thea understand that?
Tiney sat hunched over her morning tea, listening as Mama telephoned every one of Minna’s students to explain that Minna wouldn’t be taking classes for the next week or two. She felt a sick, hollow feeling in the pit of her stomach. What would they do without Minna’s wages? She had been counting on Minna’s help in saving up for the trip to Europe. She had been counting on Minna being at Larksrest forever.
By the beginning of June, there was still no word from Minna. At night, the quiet of their bedroom was almost unbearable. Tiney would wake in fright and then realise that it was the silence that woke her. To not hear Minna’s gentle breathing made Tiney feel as though she was sleeping in a tomb. A week after Minna had left, Tiney moved her things in with Thea.
Tiney couldn’t bear to go to the Cheer-Up Hut any more. She lost interest in the plans for their Victory Ball. Most evenings, after clearing up the kitchen, she would sit quietly in her room and write in her journal or lose herself in a book.
Then, on a bright, clear winter morning, four letters arrived from Nette. Nette wrote twice a week without fail but they’d never all received letters from her at exactly the same time. Papa came to the breakfast table and handed Thea, Tiney and Mama a letter each. As if Minna had only gone out for a walk, he put her letter on the mantelpiece for when she returned. They each took turns using the bone-handled letter-opener to slice open their envelopes.
Tiney read the opening sentence of her letter and clapped one hand over her mouth with surprise. ‘Does yours say the same thing as mine?’ she asked Thea.
Thea glanced at Mama and Papa, who were both smiling. ‘Of course it does. Congratulations, Auntie Tiney!’
Tiney scanned her letter again. ‘Does yours say when the baby is due?’
‘November,’ said Mama. ‘Our Nette will become a mother in November.’
‘She’ll have to come and have the baby in Adelaide,’ said Tiney. ‘We’ll be able to have her home again for months.’
‘That will be up to Ray,’ said Papa. ‘He may want Nette and his child to be with him.’
‘He can’t!’ said Tiney. ‘They’re still living in a tent!’
‘Perhaps this will give him the impetus to finish building the house,’ said Mama.
Tiney and Thea looked at each other sceptically but said nothing. Mama and Papa had enough grief and worry to deal with without adding criticism of Ray to their burden.
Tiney was humming cheerfully to herself as she polished the mirror on the hallstand when a courier arrived later in the day. She opened the front door and called for Papa to come and sign the delivery receipt. The parcel was from the Australian
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