Page 40 of The Pearl Sister
Sitting here in this elegant, comfortable house, Kitty thought it extraordinary that such things could take place outside the boundaries of a town which, compared to the rough streets of Leith, was positively genteel.
‘You must find the conversation quite shocking,’ said Drummond, mirroring her thoughts.
‘I have read a book by Darw—’ Kitty stopped herself, not knowing if Drummond would approve ‘. . . an author who spent time on these shores and who made mention of it. Do the natives really spear people?’
‘Sadly, yes.’ Drummond lowered his voice. ‘In my opinion, only due to severe provocation from their unwanted invaders. The Aboriginal tribes have been on their land for many thousands of years – they are perhaps the oldest indigenous population in the world. Their land and their way of life was taken by force from right under their noses. But—’ Drummond checked himself. ‘Such a subject is perhaps for another time.’
‘Of course,’ said Kitty, warming to Drummond a little. Then she turned her attention back to Andrew. ‘Where do you live?’
‘Up on the northwest coast in a settlement called Broome. I have recently taken over the running of Father’s pearling business. It is an . . . interesting part of the country, with a long history. There is even a dinosaur footprint stamped into a rock, which can be seen at very low tide.’
‘Goodness! How I would love to see that. Is Broome far away? Perhaps I could take a trip there by train.’
‘Sadly not, Miss McBride.’ Andrew suppressed a smile. ‘By sea it would take you several days at least and by camel, many more than that.’
‘Of course,’ said Kitty, embarrassed by her geographical naivety. ‘Even though I know the dimensions of the country in theory, it’s difficult to believe that travelling across it could actually take so long. I hope I may have a chance to advance beyond the town here, even if just to touch a rock that has been there since the dawn of time. I hear there are interesting carvings and paintings adorning many of them.’
‘Indeed there are, although knowledge of the interior – especially the area surrounding Ayers Rock – is my brother’s province. It is close, in Australian terms at least, to where he runs our cattle station.’
‘One day I would love to visit the rock. I have read about it,’ Kitty enthused.
‘I gather that you are interested in ancient history and geology, Miss McBride?’
‘I am most interested in how we—’ Kitty checked herself for a second time, ‘. . . God came to put us here in the first place, Mr Mercer.’
‘Please, call me Andrew. And yes, it is all indeed fascinating. And perhaps, during their time here,’ Andrew said, raising his voice and directing his question to Mrs McCrombie, ‘Aunt Florence and Miss McBride would enjoy a cruise up the northwest coast? After the wet season has ended in March, of course.’
‘Florence dear, don’t even consider it,’ Edith interjected suddenly. ‘The last time I made the journey to Broome, there was a cyclone and the ship ran aground just beyond Albany. My eldest son lives in a completely uncivilised town full of blacks, yellows and the Lord only knows what other nationalities – thieves and vagabonds the lot! I have sworn that I shall never set foot in the place again.’
‘Now, now, my dear.’ Stefan Mercer laid a hand on his wife’s forearm. ‘We must not be un-Christian, especially at this time of year. Broome is certainly unusual, Miss McBride, a melting pot of all creeds and colours. I personally find it fascinating, and lived there for ten years when I was setting up my pearling business.’
‘It is a godforsaken morally corrupt town, dominated by the pursuit of wealth and full of greedy men wishing to pursue their lust for it!’ Edith interrupted again.
‘Yet is that not what Australia is all about, Mother?’ Drummond drawled loudly. ‘And’ – he indicated the enormous dining room and the contents of the table – ‘we too?’
‘At least we behave in a civilised manner and have good Christian values,’ Edith countered. ‘Go there if you must, sister dear, but I shall not accompany you. Now, shall we ladies retire to the drawing room and leave the men to their smokes and talk of the unsavoury side of life in Australia?’
‘If you would forgive me,’ Kitty said a few seconds later as she stood with Edith and Florence in the entrance hall, ‘I am still not feeling quite myself, and I wish to be well for Christmas Eve tomorrow.’
‘Of course. Goodnight, Miss McBride,’ said Edith curtly, looking somewhat relieved.
‘Sleep well, dear Kitty,’ called Mrs McCrombie, following her sister across the hall to the drawing room.
Upstairs, Kitty walked out onto the terrace, looked up to the stars and searched for the special Star of Bethlehem that she and her sisters had always watched for in the skies on Christmas Eve. She couldn’t see it here in the night sky, perhaps because they were so far ahead of the British clock in Adelaide.
Walking back inside, she left the doors leading to the terrace ajar, as the bedroom still smelt of her earlier illness. Daringly, as the night was so very hot, Kitty ignored her nightgown and crept beneath the sheets in her chemise.
* * *
A glaring sun woke her the following morning. Sitting up and realising that today was Christmas Eve, she was about to step out of bed when something enormous and brown dropped from the ceiling onto the bed sheet covering her thighs. The thing immediately started crawling at pace towards her stomach, and Kitty let out a piercing shriek as she realised it was a giant hairy spider. Rooted to the spot as it made its way towards her breasts, she screamed again, not caring who heard her.
‘What the hell is it?!’ said Drummond as he appeared in the room, looked at her, then immediately saw the problem. With a practised swipe of his hand, the offending spider was lifted from her by one of its many legs, wriggling as Drummond walked outside with it onto the terrace. She watched as he tossed the creature over the balustrade, then returned inside, shutting the doors firmly behind him.
‘That’s what comes of leaving them open,’ he admonished her with a wag of his finger, which had so recently held a predator between it and his thumb.
‘It was you who told me to open them!’ Kitty retaliated, her voice coming out as a high-pitched squeak.
‘I meant for a short while, not the entire night. Well, that’s rich.’ He glared at her. ‘I’m roused from my slumber at the crack of dawn on Christmas Eve to aid a lady in distress, and rather than a thank you, I get an earful for my troubles.’
