“I can tell you it was a terrible shock to us all. I think we had believed she was immortal. We expected she would still be riding that old bone-shaker up and down the hill when most of us were no more. Oh, how I hate change!
“How are you getting on? We think of you all the time.
Pedrek has now arrived in New South Wales. His grandparents are sad without him. They say he will probably be away for two years.
“How I wish it could all have been different!”
I could scarcely read on. This terrible thing had ruined not only Pedrek’s life and mine but all those who loved us.
Leah had returned from Cornwall. It was difficult to tell what her true feelings were. She had always been such a secretive person. She had found her mother dead when she arrived. There had been a certain amount to clear up. She had to arrange the sale of the furniture and other matters. My grandparents had been helpful and had insisted that she stay at Cador while all that was done.
The children were delighted to have her back. Belinda had been a little sad because Oliver had left so abruptly. I wondered what her reaction would be when she realized she was not going to see him again. His visits had always been spasmodic so, for the time being, she had no notion that anything was wrong and I did not give her any intimation. I thought the longer the time lapsed the easier it would be.
Then Tom Marner arrived.
Benedict told me about him. Since that day when I had had a glimpse of a different aspect of him, there had begun a growing friendship between us. It was as though a high barrier had been removed; but there were still others.
We were at dinner. There were only three of us: Benedict, Celeste and myself.
He said: “By the way, Tom Marner will be coming. He’s now on his way over.”
I imagined Celeste, like myself, had no notion who Tom Marner was.
“He’s a good sort,” went on Benedict. “A bit of a rough diamond, but he’s a fellow one can trust. By the way, he’s the man who bought the goldmine from me.”
“And he is coming here?” asked Celeste in some alarm.
“If he’s a good sort we shall enjoy meeting him,” I said.
“I think you will be interested and amused. Honest … down-to-earth, no compromise.”
“I know,” I said. “The heart of gold under the rough exterior.”
“I think you have the idea.”
He looked faintly embarrassed as he did when he mentioned the mine. He guessed, rightly, that I should be thinking of the way he acquired it.
“I didn’t sell outright,” he went on. “I retained a small interest in it.”
“So it is really a business visit,” I said.
“You could say that. There are certain matters we want to discuss.”
“Will he be staying in Manorleigh or London?” asked Celeste.
“Manorleigh first, I should think. And we may go up to London. He’ll probably be here in a couple of weeks.”
“We will get ready for him,” said Celeste; and we went on to talk of other things.
I made use of the Australian’s coming when Belinda talked about Oliver Gerson.
“It’s funny,” she said. “He went away without seeing us. He didn’t say goodbye and it’s ages since he came.”
“Well, now we are going to have another visitor.”
“Who?”
“Someone from the Outback.”
“What’s the Outback?”
“The wilds of Australia.”
“Will he be painted red and blue with feathers in his hair?”
“That’s North American Indians,” said Lucie scornfully. “He’s Australian.”
“What do you know about it?”
“More than you do.”
“No quarrelling,” I said. “You will both have to be very polite to Mr. Marner.”
“What’s he like?”
“How should I know? I haven’t seen him. He owns a goldmine.”
“He must be very rich,” said Belinda in awe. “Gold is worth a lot of money.”
“Does he go down the mine?” asked Lucie.
“I don’t know.”
“Of course he does,” said Belinda scornfully. “You have to go down to get the gold. So who will be getting it when he’s not there?”
“He will have people managing it I daresay.”
“Oh,” said Belinda, impressed.
“Tell us about Australia,” wheedled Lucie.
“I don’t remember much. I was only a baby when I left.”
They loved to hear the story, although they had heard it many times before of how my parents went out to Australia and lived in a little shack in a mining township, and how I had been born in Belinda’s father’s house which was the only place suitable for babies to be born in.
The subject of Australia was constantly referred to after that and the coming of Tom Marner brought a certain expectancy into the house.
Benedict’s description of the rough diamond conjured up an image of a rather brash character who gave little attention to dress or manners; in fact the antithesis of Oliver Gerson. I wondered what Belinda’s reaction would be. I was hoping that she would be diverted by him because she was talking of Oliver Gerson very frequently now and expecting that he would shortly be with us.
She had been so overwhelmed by the Gerson charm that I was sure she would find the Australian’s manners a great contrast; and it seemed hardly likely that the rough diamond would go out of his way to win the approval of a child.
And then he arrived. He was very tall with a skin burned to bronze by the sun; and his bright blue eyes seemed to be screwed up as though he was still protecting himself from it even in our climate. His hair was bleached to a light blond—the sun again. I think the children were a little disappointed. They had expected him to look like a miner—at least their idea of one, basing it on the tin miners they had seen in Cornwall. He was quietly dressed in a navy blue suit, the darkness of which made the effects of his outdoor life almost startling.
“This is my wife,” said Benedict.
He gripped Celeste’s hand. “I’ve heard about you. Pleased to meet you.”
“And my stepdaughter.”
My hand was shaken.
“And the rest of the family …”
The children came forward and held out their hands to be shaken.
“How’s everything going?” asked Benedict.
Tom Marner winked and put his finger against his nose. The children who were watching closely were clearly intrigued.
“You don’t look like a miner,” Belinda said boldly.
“That’s ’cos I’m got up like a sixpenny doll … just to meet you folks. You should see me on the job.” He gave Belinda a wink which made her giggle.
I could see there was an instant liking and I rejoiced. He’ll take her mind off Oliver Gerson, I thought.
And so it proved. Tom Marner was a blessing.
He was the epitome of the rough diamond. Goodness shone out of him and one was immediately aware of his sterling honesty; he was good-tempered, easily amused and had a friendly easy-going attitude towards everyone.
Mrs. Emery secretly told me that she didn’t think he was quite the sort she expected in the house but there was no doubt that he appreciated what was done for him and he had a smile for everyone.
“He don’t seem to know the difference between Miss Belinda and the servants. He called that tweeny ‘Chickabidee’ the other day, and I heard him call Miss Belinda the same.”
“The children like him,” I said. “And what is nice he has time for them.”
“Yes, he seems fond of the little ones.”