The Lace Balcony (77 page)

Mungo and Felix turned as the big-breasted brunette Sadie crossed to the gazebo carrying the babe wrapped in a blue shawl. Casting a confident smile at Vianna, she took her place alongside Mungo, who kissed her on both cheeks.

Kennedy continued. ‘As everyone in the Colony is sadly aware, scores of children are abandoned each week and in desperate need of care. It takes a brave man to take a nameless orphan under his wing.'

From the corner of his eye Mungo saw Vianna catch her breath.

‘Mungo Quayle is such a man. Thanks to the influence of Mrs L'Estrange, the legal papers have been exchanged with the Sydney Benevolent Society, and this six-months-old lad is now legally Gordon Quayle.'

Mungo took the babe in his arms and kissed his forehead.

Felix smiled. ‘This calls for champagne, brother. A triple celebration.'

Mungo turned to Vianna, ‘Could you hold Little Gordon for a minute?'

He did not wait for her answer. Vianna watched him disappear into the throng, having his back slapped and congratulated by every person he passed.

Vianna was left speechless, holding the bundle in her arms. Jane Quayle and Sandy joined her to admire the wide-eyed babe who had a strong grip on Vianna's finger. Sandy patted the babe's head. ‘A fine looking lad as befits a Gordon!'

Jane was more guarded. ‘Can't say as I didn't warn you about Mungo. He's been bringing home orphans from the time he could walk.'

Vianna found her voice. ‘Please don't misunderstand, Jane. Mungo has done an admirable thing. But these children have nothing to do with me. I only returned for Molly's wedding. Mungo knows full well I shall sail tomorrow as planned on the
Bussorah Merchant
– and I shall never return to the Colony.'

Sandy Gordon made no comment but his moustache bristled and his pale blue eyes were as sharp as glass. Jane was forthright. ‘You're a free woman, Vianna. I have no doubt Mungo will do what's right by his boys. He's a true Currency Lad. He'll stick to his kids like glue.'

Vianna could not stop herself. ‘I'm sure that young woman, Sadie, will be a great help to him.'

‘I admire Sadie's courage,' said Jane. ‘Her own babe was stillborn. She became a wet nurse to orphan babes like Gordon to give them a chance to survive.'

Vianna stumbled for words but could find none.

Jane took the doctor's arm and delivered her final shot. ‘I always liked you, Vianna. But I suspected that one day Mungo's mermaid would return to the ocean – and break his heart. I'm sorry to be proven right.'

As they turned away, Vianna heard the doctor's gentle reprimand. ‘Don't be so hard on the lass, Jane. Things are seldom quite what they seem.'

Vianna was left alone holding the babe in arms, watching the pair move towards the banquet where all voices were raised in merriment, breaking into song. Baby Gordon Quayle's eyes were fixed on her, unblinking.

‘It looks as if we've been left high and dry, Gordon.' She felt a warm sensation spreading down her skirt. ‘Well, perhaps, not
dry.
Your father's busy celebrating with Sadie. There's nothing for it but for me to take you inside and find a towel to change you.'

I haven't held a babe in my arms – since Daisy. Damn Mungo's hide. He's really rubbing salt in the wound.

The final sounds of revellers in the garden had died away to be followed by periodic ripples of laugher that came from inside Rockingham Hall.

Vianna shed the peach-coloured gown and petticoat, sponged the stain made by baby Gordon and hung the garments alongside her harbour-soaked dress on a cord strung across the Juliet balcony. As a matter of pride she intended to wear her own gown to board the
Bussorah Merchant
in the morning.

All her other clothing was already on board ship so she had no choice but to slip naked into one of Mungo's old shirts. Her emotions were buffeted between anger and sadness as she looked down at the babe sleeping soundly in the wicker clothes basket she had lined with a pillow to make an impromptu cot.

Poor little babe. Mungo's being treated as a hero but I bet he'll shoot off and leave you at the first invitation to some wild adventure. He'll never change.

Two hours later she stiffened at the sound of footsteps climbing the ladder. Mungo was far from drunk but he had clearly imbibed a few glasses of wine and was clearly feeling kindly towards the world.

‘It's been quite a night, one way and another,' he said cheerfully. ‘Felix got hitched. I got dumped at the altar. I gained two young Quayles. And my father finally publicly acknowledged his bastard son. I'd say that puts me ahead on points!'

‘Congratulations,' she said coolly. ‘But make no mistake. I'm sailing on the
Bussorah Merchant
tomorrow come hell or high water.'

‘No arguments on that score. I gave you my word, didn't I? I've got a teacher for Toby and Sadie's the babe's wet nurse, so you're no longer needed.'

Vianna felt a sudden twinge of an emotion she didn't want – envy. She had the sudden impulse to hurt him. ‘You realise you've made a terrible mistake, don't you?'

‘About you?'

‘No, about the babe! You're hopeless, Mungo. You can't even take delivery of a babe from the Benevolent Asylum without bungling the whole thing.'

Mungo looked suddenly sober. ‘Why? What's wrong with the kid?'

‘You took the wrong babe!'

‘You don't say.' He smothered a laugh. ‘Oh well, all babes look pretty much the same to me.'

Vianna lost control of the tight rein on her anger. ‘You idiot! You don't deserve to be any child's father. You'll have to return this poor little mite to the Asylum.'

‘Why?'

‘Gordon Quayle is a baby girl!'

Mungo crossed over to the basket, careful not to wake her. ‘Well, what do you know? But she looks quite sweet, doesn't she? No need to return her.'

Vianna was close to tears of rage. She grabbed his lapels and shook him. ‘Wake up, Mungo! She's a little girl – not an orphan joey. You can't even collect the right babe, so how are you going to cope with all the things a little girl needs growing up? You can't go through life dumping kids on your mother like you dumped Toby. Jane has her own life to lead – if she has enough sense to grab Sandy Gordon. You're a lost cause, Mungo Quayle!'

Mungo took hold of her hands to stop her pummelling his chest.

‘Hold your horses, girl. I'm not dumping my kids on anyone. I've got my fingers crossed Sandy will talk Mam around to marrying him. But whatever happens, I've got my own life mapped out. And it doesn't include you! It's all fixed with Father and Albruna. I'm taking my kids to
Mookaboola
to manage the farm for a year. There's a prize cow that gives great milk. When this babe's old enough, I'll travel with the kids down south to Port Phillip – and I'll make my fortune.'

‘Grow up, Mungo! It's not enough to have the gift of the gab and talk your way out of trouble. You can't raise children on pie in the sky. Look at that tiny girl. You have no right to mess around with her life. And what about the real baby boy you left behind at the Asylum? What will happen to him?'

Mungo gave a shrug. ‘Don't worry. Boys find homes much quicker than girls. Farmers want sons to work the land for them. He'll be fine.'

‘What? Don't you even care?'

Mungo switched tactics. ‘What the hell do you expect me to do, Vianna? There's scores of kids at the Asylum needing homes. I can't take them all! Albruna gave me a great reference. I went there to get a baby brother for Toby. When I saw them I tossed a coin. Gordon came up heads. But this one will do fine.'

‘You tossed a coin! Shame on you!'

They were both waving their arms and yelling so loudly that the baby woke in fright, crying.

‘You monster, Mungo. Look what you've done. You've frightened her!'

Vianna leapt across the bed and lifted the baby out of the clothes basket.

‘There, there, sweetheart, it's all right.' She looked scathingly at Mungo. ‘I can't call her Gordon, what's her name?'

‘She didn't have one. Her mother died of milk fever after she was born. I reckon I might call her Fanny.'

Fanny? This is all just a game to Mungo.

Helpless and angry, Vianna rocked the babe in her arms.

‘I don't know what to do. I can't bear her crying. She's dry so it can't be that.'

‘And Sadie only fed her a couple of hours ago, so she can't be hungry.'

Mungo was already halfway down the ladder. ‘I'll be right back. I remember Mam had a trick that worked with orphaned joeys. Worth a try.' He disappeared.

‘Kangaroos? Oh Fanny, you poor little thing. He hasn't a clue!'

•  •  •

Mungo rustled around in Jane's kitchen as quietly as he could, trying to find what he was searching for, worried by the sound of the baby's cries.

I'm not really ready to be a father yet. But I guess I'll learn on the job. Where is that damned jar?

He knew he was quite alone in the room so he stiffened at the sound – the rocking chair in motion behind him.

‘I enjoyed the wedding,' Will Eden said, placidly rocking the chair in front of the embers of the fire. ‘That's got Felix all neatly boxed up.
But I should warn you. I'm not going to disappear until some bloke makes an honest woman of Vianna.'

‘Gawd help me. That means I'm stuck with you for life. She won't have a bar of me. I've done everything under the sun to give her what she needs – the kids she can't have. But she's dead set on sailing back to England tomorrow. There are two blokes on board who want her. One's a villain. The other's a Frog. And you know what they say about them – world's greatest lovers.'

Will nodded sagely. ‘Yeah, women are funny like that.'

‘Damn you, Will. Can't you give me advice on how to play my final card?'

Will shook his head. ‘It's against the rules. Can't interfere in people's lives.'

‘No? What about all that glorious Melbourne stuff you predicted?'

‘That's different – geography, shares, business. Love is tricky – you can't force someone to love you, Mungo.'

‘Thanks a lot, you're a real mate,' Mungo said sarcastically then glanced up at the loft, unnerved by the sound of little Fanny's cries.

Will broke the rules. ‘What you're looking for is in the skillion, top shelf.'

Mungo returned with the jar in hand and paused in the doorway. ‘Thanks, Will. But keep your distance, right? The night's not over yet. The one thing I
don't
need is you giving me advice when I'm
in bed
.'

‘See you around,' Will promised and vanished.

Mungo remembered how his mother had dipped her little finger in honey to pacify a servant's fretful babe. Halfway up the ladder he was struck by her recent words, spoken in confidence. ‘
Vianna feels cheated she can never experience what it feels like to put a babe to the breast.
'

He approached the bed with a cautious tone. ‘Don't take this the wrong way, Vianna, but I'm asking you to open your shirt.'

Vianna was so exhausted and frightened by Fanny's pathetic little whimpers she did as he asked.

Very gently, Mungo dipped his finger in the honey and covered the nipple of Vianna's breast. Holding his hand under little Fanny's head he gently guided her tiny mouth to Vianna's breast. Within a
few seconds the babe was sucking the honey. Her tiny hand patted Vianna's breast in contentment.

Mungo was pleased with himself. ‘Y'see? She wasn't really hungry, she just wanted you to cuddle her.'

Vianna's eyes smarted with unshed tears. ‘I'll never forgive you for this, Mungo. It's cruel to make me feel – something I can never have.'

Mungo stretched out beside her on top of the quilt. He stroked the crown of Fanny's downy golden head.

‘How about I tell her a bedtime story, eh? Put her to sleep.'

In a hushed voice he began weaving images of the future. It was one of Mungo's magical stories, this time about the bush animals at
Mookaboola
. Despite her entrenched distrust, Vianna found herself drawn into the tale, hanging on his words.

‘. . . later, when you and Toby are a bit bigger, we'll all sail down south to a wonderful new city on a beautiful river called the Yarra Yarra. It isn't built yet, but it's going to be big, elegant and fashionable, like London and Paris, with grand mansions, wonderful theatres and parks and wide boulevards.

‘A bloke named John Batman wants to call it Batmania, but I reckon it'll be named Melbourne after that Pommie politician, Lord Melbourne. A few years from now Melbourne will be world famous in a new state called Victoria after the heir to the throne, Princess Vicky. And there's going to be a tremendous gold rush – so rich it will attract thousands of diggers from every corner of the globe – and make your Dadda a very, very rich man . . .

‘. . . and I'll build us a bluestone mansion in town and a country property in Australia Felix, where I'll rescue orphan joeys and 'possums for you to play with. And you and Toby will go to school and learn to dance and sing . . . and we'll travel the whole of Australia . . . cross the Nullarbor Plain to the West . . . grow vineyards in the Adelaide Hills . . . sail to Van Diemen's Land and New Zealand . . . untold exciting adventures wherever we go . . .'

Despite all common sense and logic, Vianna was entranced by the vivid story he wove, creating the future before her eyes.

‘. . . the Melbourne Cup, a horse race for thoroughbreds that will be the most famous race in the world . . . and Melbourne will have a fashionable store for ladies named Vianna's Boutique, where fallen
women are rescued from the streets and trained as seamstresses to make gowns for the gentry . . . Hey, look that did the trick.'