“You think there is a possibility of his doing so?” I couldn’t stop myself asking coolly. I was a little tired of her thrusting her superior attractions under my nose.
“As if I ever could!” said Ezra fondly.
“Isa’s a jackdaw,” he went on, again to me as though, since I had come here to learn about opals and the country, I must also learn about the delectable Isa.
“When she hears of the best stone of the year she wants it for her collection ” Oh, how I should love to add this beautiful stone to it,” said Isa.
“If I had it I would stop these commercially minded men treating this beautiful object as though it represents nothing but a certain amount of money. You do understand that, don’t you, Mrs. Madden?”
“Of course,” I answered.
“A stone like that will eventually go into a private collection, I imagine,” said Joss.
“And you want to add it to yours, I suppose?” Isa asked Joss pertly.
A look I did not understand passed between them and he said quietly:
“I’m considering.”
Isa turned to me.
“Ifs true that over the years I have got together some really fine stones. I should so much enjoy showing them to you some time.”
“I should very much like to see them. ” Please come over to us. We’re only five miles from here. Wattle will bring you over. She’ll be delighted to come and visit Ezra while you come and see me and my collection. “
Thank you. “
Isa reluctantly laid the Harlequin on its velvet background and David rolled up the case.
After that everything else seemed an anticlimax.
The Bannocks left soon afterwards and Joss went out to see them off.
I went up to my room and brooded on the evening. I kept thinking of Isa leaning forward holding the Harlequin Opal in her hands. I felt there was something significant about the scene . all those people sitting round a table, their attention concentrated on that stone, the intenseness of their gaze, the manner in which they handled the opals and the way in which they spoke of them; it was as though they admitted to a certain supernatural power which flashed in those colours. It was like a Greek play, I thought, with the Lauds as the Chorus and I could not rid myself of the conviction that everything was not as it outwardly seemed. There was some thing uncanny hanging about the atmosphere of my new home.
Dominating my thoughts was the memory of Isa’s attitude towards Joss and his towards her. She was flirtatious by nature, but she betrayed something deeper in her manner towards him. There had not been one of the men present who had not been attracted by her . even Jimson Laud in a retiring sort of way.
“A femme fatale.” Lilias had said.
I felt angry. How dared she behave in that way towards my husband in my very presence!
It was the first time that I had referred to him to myself as ‘my husband’.
I shrugged that aside. Women like Isa irritated me and what ever her relationship with Joss might be, I did not care.
I was ready for bed when I heard a sound in the corridor which startled me. I went to the door and listened. The foot steps were slow and stealthy. At my door they paused. I found myself trembling.
Someone was standing close to my door listening. Cautiously I lowered my hand and found the key; I turned it quickly in the lock. The sound it made would be heard from outside.
For some seconds there was silence, then I heard the sound of retreating footsteps.
The incident had shaken me considerably.
When I went down to breakfast next morning Ezra Bannock was mere. I was surprised to see him so soon after last night. He and Joss were at the breakfast table and Ezra laughed heartily when he saw me.
“Ah, you’re surprised,” he said.
“Well, I thought you and Wattle ought to get together right away. I’ve told her all about it and she’s agreeable. A bit put out at first about leaving me, but she knows ifs what I want so she’ll play. As soon as you’ve had a bite to eat we’ll go to the stables and I’ll make a formal handover I’d like to be there just to see how you get along.”
Then we’ll go into the town together,” said Joss, ‘and I’ll show Jessica round.”
I took to Wattle immediately as she did to me. I was rather amused by the way Ezra patted her ‘and talked to her.
“Now, old girl, we’ll see each other often. I’ll be over there and you’ll be over here. I want you to look after this young lady. It’s a bit rough going out here for her, so you’ll look after her, now won’t you ?”
Wattle nuzzled against him.
That’s the idea. She’s just come out here, you see, and we want to give her a good impression. There! That’s my girl. ” From his pocket he took a lump of sugar and gave it to Wattle. She took it and crunched gratefully.
When I mounted her she seemed docile enough but I sensed the fire in her. I leaned forward and chatted to her, trying to give a good account of myself for she seemed to be assessing me.
As we rode out, Ezra on one side of me. Joss on the other, I felt confident and grateful to the big, rather clumsy man and I wondered why Isa had married him and what he thought of her behaviour.
Very soon the town came into sight. It was not beautiful by any stretch of imagination. There in the heart of the arid land was a crudely constructed town bordered by a fringe of calico tents. Outside these were trestle-tables and benches and on the tables were rather primitive cooking utensils.
“You’ll have a few surprises,” said Joss.
“Remember this is a town which sprang up overnight. The people living in the tents haven’t been here long enough to acquire a more solid dwelling so they temporarily pitch their tents. Some have wives and families which is easier for them in a way. The wives cook and mend and there are jobs the children can do.”
Some of the children came out of the tents to stare at us as we passed into the centre of the town and the dwellings on either side were like little cottages. There was a store where all kinds of goods were sold. I noticed how respectful everyone was to Joss and what curiosity was directed towards me.
We passed a blacksmith busy at his anvil shoeing a chestnut horse.
Joss called out: “Good morning, Joe.”
“Good morning, master.”
This is Mrs. Madden, my wife. You’ll be seeing a good deal of her in the future, Joe. “
The blacksmith came forward rubbing his hands together.
“Welcome to the Fancy, M’am,” he said.
Thank you, Joe. “
“And happy congratulations if you’ll accept ‘em. ” I will, and thanks again. “
“Tis good to see the master wed at last,” commented Joe.
Joss gave his sudden burst of laughter.
“So that’s your opinion, is it?”
“Tis well for gentlemen to settle down, master, when they’re no longer boys.”
“Yes. You see Joe doesn’t mince his words. He’s a wizard with horses, though. In fact he believes they’re more important than anyone else. That’s so, eh, Joe ?”
“Well, master, we’d be hard put to it to do without ‘em True. Tether the horses here, Joe,” said Joss. Ezra alighted and I noticed how he spoke to his horse and didn’t forget Wattle, asking her how she was and if she didn’t think me light as a fairy on her back.
“A bit different from old Ezra, eh?”
I noticed Wattle nuzzling against him lovingly and being rewarded by yet another piece of sugar. He left, us and said he would go on to the office and see us later, and Joss took my arm and we sauntered along what he called The Street.
He stopped and introduced me to several people. It was hot ;, and the flies were beginning to pester. Joss grinned as I tried to brush them aside.
“It’s nothing to what it will be later on in the day,” he said with a certain satisfaction.