the journey to Southampton.’
She gave a deep satisfied sigh. ‘It is so good to be almost home.’
‘Will your brother be there to meet you, Mrs Boyle?’ Ralph began. ‘If not we shall be glad – ’
‘Oh, I’m sure he will be. I wrote to tell him of the ship and when we would be likely to arrive.’ She was in a dither of excitement. ‘Will I know him, I wonder? Will he recognize me after so many years? And my mother, I expect she will have aged considerably! My poor father.’ She had a catch in her voice. ‘He died not long after I left England.’
Ralph and Jack said nothing, but let her talk on, of how she was looking forward to seeing her old home again. Of her brother who had taken over the estate after their father’s death, and of their mother who still lived with him and his wife.
‘Now, Mama. I’m sure that Ralph and Jack don’t want to be bored with our family history.’ Phoebe appeared behind her.
‘On the contrary,’ Ralph replied, thinking that Phoebe had often been sharp with her mother over the last few days, ‘I am intrigued by it. I am very pleased for you, Mrs Boyle, that you are seeing your family again.’
She smiled at him. ‘I hope that you too will find whom you are seeking, Mr Hawkins.’
He raised his eyebrows. So Ma had told her why he was here.
‘Your aunt will be glad to see you,’ her eyesheld his, ‘but you will not forget those at home, will you? Your mother and father will be anxious for news of you.’
‘I won’t forget, Mrs Boyle, and you will visit us in Yorkshire?’
‘Yes, indeed. After a month or so, when my family and I have exchanged all of our news and events, then Phoebe and I shall travel and visit old friends and hopefully make new ones.’
Phoebe turned to Jack. ‘And what about you, Jack? What do you hope to find in England that isn’t in Australia?’ Her voice was rather tight and irritable.
He gazed at her and said quietly, ‘I shan’t know until I find it, Miss Boyle. Perhaps nothing. Perhaps what I am seeking, I have already found.’
‘Huh,’ she muttered. ‘I hate riddles.’ She shivered. ‘It’s cold, I’m going back to the cabin.’
‘Allow me to walk with you?’ Jack said. ‘I must look for my gloves.’
Ralph and Mrs Boyle watched their progress back along the deck. ‘I’m worried about her,’ Mrs Boyle murmured. ‘I don’t think she will settle in England. There will be too many restrictions.’
‘Settle?’ he said in surprise and dismay. ‘But it is for a short time only, surely? Six, nine months? Will you stay longer than that?’
She turned away to look at the approaching harbour. ‘I don’t really know, Ralph. I don’t know if I can tear myself away a second time.’
Ralph and Jack watched as the carriage carrying Mrs Boyle and Phoebe moved off from the quayside. They had been introduced to Mrs Boyle’s brother and his wife, and Ralph had noted the look of anger on Phoebe’s face when her uncle had drawn back in astonishment from Jack’s presence and inclusion in the party.
‘Are we going to come across trouble, I wonder,’ he murmured, half to himself.
‘Of course,’ Jack replied, his eyes on the carriage vanishing into the distance. ‘At least I am. But it is what I am used to, so we won’t worry about it. If there is trouble you must try to disappear. I can look after myself.’
Their next destination was London, to visit the bank on behalf of Ralph’s father. Joe had arranged that Ralph could draw money from an account whilst he was in England, so they tried to negotiate for a hire carriage to take them there.
‘You’ll have to pay up front, sir,’ the cabby said, ‘and yon black fellow will have to travel outside.’
‘No,’ Ralph said firmly. ‘He travels inside or we take our business elsewhere.’
‘Sorry, sir. Can’t do that. My other passengers would object if they thought a blackie had been sitting on the seat.’
Ralph clenched his fists and made to answer,
She gave a deep satisfied sigh. ‘It is so good to be almost home.’
‘Will your brother be there to meet you, Mrs Boyle?’ Ralph began. ‘If not we shall be glad – ’
‘Oh, I’m sure he will be. I wrote to tell him of the ship and when we would be likely to arrive.’ She was in a dither of excitement. ‘Will I know him, I wonder? Will he recognize me after so many years? And my mother, I expect she will have aged considerably! My poor father.’ She had a catch in her voice. ‘He died not long after I left England.’
Ralph and Jack said nothing, but let her talk on, of how she was looking forward to seeing her old home again. Of her brother who had taken over the estate after their father’s death, and of their mother who still lived with him and his wife.
‘Now, Mama. I’m sure that Ralph and Jack don’t want to be bored with our family history.’ Phoebe appeared behind her.
‘On the contrary,’ Ralph replied, thinking that Phoebe had often been sharp with her mother over the last few days, ‘I am intrigued by it. I am very pleased for you, Mrs Boyle, that you are seeing your family again.’
She smiled at him. ‘I hope that you too will find whom you are seeking, Mr Hawkins.’
He raised his eyebrows. So Ma had told her why he was here.
‘Your aunt will be glad to see you,’ her eyesheld his, ‘but you will not forget those at home, will you? Your mother and father will be anxious for news of you.’
‘I won’t forget, Mrs Boyle, and you will visit us in Yorkshire?’
‘Yes, indeed. After a month or so, when my family and I have exchanged all of our news and events, then Phoebe and I shall travel and visit old friends and hopefully make new ones.’
Phoebe turned to Jack. ‘And what about you, Jack? What do you hope to find in England that isn’t in Australia?’ Her voice was rather tight and irritable.
He gazed at her and said quietly, ‘I shan’t know until I find it, Miss Boyle. Perhaps nothing. Perhaps what I am seeking, I have already found.’
‘Huh,’ she muttered. ‘I hate riddles.’ She shivered. ‘It’s cold, I’m going back to the cabin.’
‘Allow me to walk with you?’ Jack said. ‘I must look for my gloves.’
Ralph and Mrs Boyle watched their progress back along the deck. ‘I’m worried about her,’ Mrs Boyle murmured. ‘I don’t think she will settle in England. There will be too many restrictions.’
‘Settle?’ he said in surprise and dismay. ‘But it is for a short time only, surely? Six, nine months? Will you stay longer than that?’
She turned away to look at the approaching harbour. ‘I don’t really know, Ralph. I don’t know if I can tear myself away a second time.’
Ralph and Jack watched as the carriage carrying Mrs Boyle and Phoebe moved off from the quayside. They had been introduced to Mrs Boyle’s brother and his wife, and Ralph had noted the look of anger on Phoebe’s face when her uncle had drawn back in astonishment from Jack’s presence and inclusion in the party.
‘Are we going to come across trouble, I wonder,’ he murmured, half to himself.
‘Of course,’ Jack replied, his eyes on the carriage vanishing into the distance. ‘At least I am. But it is what I am used to, so we won’t worry about it. If there is trouble you must try to disappear. I can look after myself.’
Their next destination was London, to visit the bank on behalf of Ralph’s father. Joe had arranged that Ralph could draw money from an account whilst he was in England, so they tried to negotiate for a hire carriage to take them there.
‘You’ll have to pay up front, sir,’ the cabby said, ‘and yon black fellow will have to travel outside.’
‘No,’ Ralph said firmly. ‘He travels inside or we take our business elsewhere.’
‘Sorry, sir. Can’t do that. My other passengers would object if they thought a blackie had been sitting on the seat.’
Ralph clenched his fists and made to answer,
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