A Crooked Rib (21 page)

‘New Zealand is very far off, and she has many demands on her time.’

‘I am sure that is so, and Sir William’s speech was most gracious and profound. All the chiefs feel great happiness for the Governor’s success.’

There was a silence. I searched for something to say. ‘The 58th look very colourful.’

‘It is true they are very pretty in their red and white uniforms, but these they wear also in battle. I fear they do not understand the benefits of concealment. When they are fighting, it is very easy for our warriors to see them, even from great distances. This is a grave error in warfare.’

We stood uneasily for a moment. In the distance, I saw Lucy waving to me. ‘Please excuse me,’ I said. ‘My sister wants me to join her.’

He nodded, and I walked away.

‘Your sister said I should find you on the veranda, Miss Thompson. May I join you?'

‘Certainly.'

Lieutenant Cowan settled himself in a chair. ‘I saw you at the investiture but only from a distance. Such a magnificent ceremony. I felt it embodied all the finest elements of Empire. It makes one realise one's great fortune in being born British.'

‘I—'

‘And the gracious way in which the Governor permitted the Maoris to participate underlines the importance of British colonisation in bringing civilisation to the disadvantaged native races.'

He spoke with such complete self-assurance I felt annoyance rising in me. ‘Perhaps they are even more disadvantaged by those unscrupulous British colonists who illegally seize their lands.'

The Lieutenant looked at me in surprise. ‘I … well, as to that, I'm sure they may look to the British rule of law for restitution.'

We were silent for a few moments, then he said, ‘I confess I'm surprised, Miss Thompson. I had not formed the opinion that you were quite so … frank in your views.'

‘I lay no claim to having views,' I said, ‘but I am on the side of justice and honour.'

‘I applaud your sentiments but we must remember that the Maoris, like all inferior native races, are savages at heart and in the greatest need of our wisdom and guidance. Perhaps we should turn our talk to lighter subjects. I understand from Lady Grey that Mr Thomas proposes a picnic tomorrow.'

‘Yes. We intend to ride to the seashore, spread a cloth on the sands and, afterwards, have a gallop.'

‘Lady Grey says Sir George is too occupied with his Polynesian
researches to accompany you, but she suggested I might join your party. Would my presence be acceptable to you?'

‘Certainly,' I said, though I knew now that, however agreeable he might be, on important issues the Lieutenant and I would never be in accord.

We picnicked under a pohutukawa. ‘The New Zealand Christmas tree,' said Mr Godfrey. ‘I hope you've catalogued it, Eliza.'

She shook her head.

‘Well, you must begin work again on your plant studies. You're much too talented to neglect them.'

‘I should like to see your drawings, Lady Grey,' said Lieutenant Cowan.

‘I fear you'll be disappointed. Godfrey flatters me.'

‘Not a bit,' said Mr Godfrey. ‘Come, we'll pick some of the lower flowers and you may take them home, draw them and press them.'

‘Perhaps you'd like a walk on the sands, Miss Thompson?' said the Lieutenant. ‘I promised to collect some New Zealand shells and send them to my sister in Bath.'

‘Thank you, but no,' I said. ‘I'm content to stay here and enjoy watching you all.'

The Lieutenant set off to the shoreline, and Lucy and Mr Godfrey moved away to a larger tree in search of more pohutukawa flowers. From where I sat I could see them clearly and noted with unease that he had lain a hand about her shoulders and she had leaned her head against his chest. You're being foolish, I admonished myself. Lucy is his sister-in-law. It's only natural that they should show affection towards each other. And then I saw him place a hand tenderly on her head and twist one of her curls around his finger. She looked up at him. To my horror, I saw him pull her even closer and quickly kiss her.

‘Lieutenant Cowan has begged leave from my husband to speak to you, Fanny.'

‘It's kind of the Lieutenant, but I have nothing to say to him.'

‘Fanny, I'm certain he means to propose to you, and Sir George believes he has excellent prospects.'

‘I have entirely no wish to marry him.'

‘But why not? He's handsome, gallant, and much admiring of you. He told my husband you were the finest specimen of womanhood he had ever met.'

I groaned.

‘Then is it because you're tired of Auckland? That you don't want to marry him and be trapped here forever? But he'll be certain to be posted Home before too long, Sir George says.'

‘It is not that at all. Auckland suits me exceedingly well. I've never been happier.'

Lucy clutched my arm. ‘Then promise me, Fanny dearest, that you'll never leave me. Say you'll stay here forever. If I were to lose you or Godfrey, I … I don't know what I would do. I simply couldn't bear it.'

Escaping the progressing summer's heat in the stables, I had just rested my head against Tsarina's comforting flank when I heard whispers. It took me some moments to recognise the voices of Lucy … and Mr Godfrey. Some instinct made me decide not to reveal myself, and I moved away to press into the dark corner by the hay bales, sparing them any embarrassment at my unexpected presence.

My eyes growing accustomed to the gloom, I saw that they were standing very close together at the farther end of the stables. As I watched, I quite distinctly saw Mr Godfrey clasp Lucy to him and kiss her fervently, then saw her return his kiss with equal ardour. So what I had witnessed on the picnic had not been merely a foolish moment of indiscretion. She is in grave danger, I thought. If Sir George should discover their dalliance, it is
she
who will be blamed, not his brother.

I was greatly relieved when, several weeks later, Lucy sought me out with news that clearly delighted her.

‘My husband has said you and I may travel with him to New
Plymouth. We leave shortly on the government brig. There! What do you think of that?'

‘Will Mr Godfrey be travelling with us?'

‘No, alas. He has business in Wellington.'

I thought quickly. ‘I'm afraid,' I said, ‘that I've promised to help Lady Martin at the hospital. I can't disappoint her.'

Lucy looked downcast. ‘But I'm sure she'll understand.'

‘No,' I said. ‘I'll wait until the next voyage. You won't be away for long, and it will be good for the Governor to have your society to himself.'

They had barely been gone when I received a letter. It was evening before it was delivered so I took it with me to my bedroom.

I put aside the letter and drifted off to sleep in the close February heat. I dreamed not of the ocean and shipwrecks but of the Minang, clutching their wooden spears, their naked bodies decorated with white clay and ochre, dancing about their crackling bonfire with shrieks and yells. So vivid was my dream that the smell of suffocating smoke and heat woke me. Still half-asleep, I realised that the odour
of burning was not an illusion but a reality.

Flinging apart the shutters, I saw a great orange light in the night sky. Panicked, I stepped outside onto the veranda, where I saw that shafts of flame engulfed the western end of Government House. I raced into my room, snatched up the brooch of Mama's likeness, then seized from Lucy's bedroom a lock of Baby Georgie's hair and a keepsake of her papa, all of which I threw as far as I might from the veranda onto the lawn.

The servants, I thought suddenly, and began shouting, ‘Fire! Fire!' From far off, I heard the constant tolling of a bell. Someone in the settlement had seen the conflagration; help must surely be on its way. Of Johnson, Ingrams or the stable lad, I could see no sign. Calling their names, I beat upon Johnson's door. She stumbled forth.

‘Flee into the garden,' I cried. ‘The house is ablaze.'

Ingrams now appeared, clad in his nightshirt.

‘The stable lad?'

‘'E be wi' his brother at Barracks.'

‘Then we must release the horses at once.'

The fire had taken hold of the entire western part of the house, and Johnson was already occupied in tossing chairs and small objects of furniture into the gardens.

‘Stables be too near to blaze, Ma'am,' said Ingrams, panting at my elbow, his voice almost inaudible above the roar of the flames.

‘But the horses—'

‘Ma'am, they be lost.'

Throwing aside my shawl, clad only in my shift, I sped to the stables, the heat almost forcing me back as I approached. The fire had not caught hold of the building, but it could not be long before the dry wood was aflame. Within, the terrified horses crashed and stamped. Fumbling, my fingers numb, I managed to unbolt one of the stable doors. Lucy's horse, Blaze, came stampeding out, knocking me down in his desperation. I rolled to one side, just in time to avoid being trampled by my own Tsarina, Sir George's stallion, Nelson, Mr Godfrey's gelding, Wager, and the tiny pony, Midget. But as I scrambled to my feet, a shard of burning wood fell from the roof onto the straw; I felt a scorching pain in my shoulder, the sear of a flame at my back. And, as I screamed for help, I saw swirling towards
me through the smoke the phantom of my nightmares, the demon figure from long ago in Rio.

I awoke I knew not where, my left shoulder and my feet burning and throbbing, and looked into the face of Te Toa.

‘Government House is entirely destroyed,' he said.

For some minutes, I could not understand him.

‘There was a fire,' he said, ‘but now all is well.'

‘The house, you say, is—'

‘Ruined. But what is a house compared with the lives of people and horses?'

‘I can't quite … my feet … my shoulder …'

‘They have put leaves and healing herbs on your wounds.'

‘Am I at Lady Martin's hospital?'

‘No, I have brought you to Waimate, to the Mission House.'