A Wicked Deception (12 page)

“I only came
home to get food, clothing and things. I have to get back to Creswick. I got Robbie to an old army doctor who dug the bullet out. The doctor said he’d hide him for a day or so, but I can’t risk leaving him there for too long. ”

“You did well
. Leave it to me now. Gather up what we need. I’ll saddle the horses; Robbie will have to ride yours.”

What a relief letting him take charge. James was strong, brave and resourceful, everything she wasn’t.
While he dealt with the horses, she folded up two blankets, before grabbing up some of James’ clothes for Robbie.

The
y had no bread, but plenty of flour and sugar. By the time she filled a calico bag with supplies James had returned. He glanced at her efforts with approval.

“Good girl
. I’ll have to get rid of this army horse. I’ll let it loose well away from here.”

“Where will you go?
Do you have a plan?”

“Yes, thought of it while I was saddling up.” He
frowned, brow furrowing. “I don’t like leaving you on your own, though, but it can’t be helped. Keep the doors and windows bolted tonight. Get Sam to ride over and get Alex. I want him to stay here with you until I get back. After he finds out what’s happened to Robbie, I don’t think he’ll have the stomach for mining anymore. I might be gone a couple of weeks.”

“So long?”
shock raised her voice.

“You probably don’t remember Arthur Chadwick
. You’d only have been a baby when we last saw him.”

“Who is he?”

“A distant cousin to Alex.” As he spoke James kept moving, adding a bottle of brandy and cartridges to their supplies. Finally he took his rifle from where it hung on the wall.

“
Sheer coincidence, but I met up with Arthur on the drive and he asked about Robbie. Wanted to know if he’d be interested in helping run his cattle station. It’s thirty or so miles north of Bendigo right out in the scrub.” A smile touched his mouth. “The place sounds isolated. I never thought Robbie would be taking up his offer so soon. A perfect hideout for our young rebel.”

“Do you think he can
ride eighty miles? He’s lost so much blood.”

“He’ll make it, even if I have to tie him to the saddle. We’ll travel at night and lie low in daylight until we’re well clear of here
. I’ll take him through Daylesford and Castlemaine, easier for us to mingle with other miners going to the diggings.”

His eyes skimmed over what she had packed. “I think
I’ve got everything. My cooking utensils are outside.”

“Be careful, James.” She reached up to kiss him, and he engulfed her in a bear hug.

“Stay away from town and the diggings in case that soldier you threatened is still hanging around. You’re lucky I killed a sheep as soon as I got home, it’s hanging out back. You’ll have to cut it up yourself, though. If you have any problems, contact Alf Johnson, he’ll help.”

“Don’t worry about me, go to Robbie
. He needs you, I can look after myself.” Trying to be brave, she forced her lips not to tremble and let him know how scared she felt.

They went out on to the verandah together. James strode to where the three horses were tethered. She watched as he
loaded the supplies on her horse, before mounting his own.

“Goodbye, be careful, my dear.” Taking up the reins
, he led the other two horses. Too soon, the darkness swallowed him up.

Going back inside the homestead, she bolted the door and checked the windows to make sure they were securely fastened. Stripping off her torn gown, she tossed it in the fire, watching the hungry flames devour it. In her bedroom she
removed the rest of her clothes and rubbed the blood and grime away with water from the jug. Tomorrow I’ll take a long hot bath, she decided, slipping into a fresh nightgown. Barefooted, she walked back to the kitchen for a cup of tea and something to eat, before trudging off to bed.

She lay awake for ages, too many thoughts churn
ed through her mind. To take her mind off Robbie she concentrated on what chores needed to be done tomorrow. Milk the cow, collect eggs, bake, do the cleaning and wash…. She drifted off to sleep.

***

Robbie woke up with a raging thirst, his head ached and the pain in his shoulder felt excruciating, but this was nothing compared to the desolation ripping his heart to shreds. Melanie, the only girl he would ever love, was now lost to him. Even if James could get him away from here, he would have a price on his head. Could be hunted down and shot like a crazed dog.

I won’t let Melanie live a life on the run
, he vowed,
always glancing over her shoulder, wondering and worrying if someone might turn me in for the reward.
He loved her too much to put her through that.

The pain of what might have been caused tears to burn his eyes
. He couldn‘t let them fall, it wasn’t manly to weep, but he wanted to. Oh God, he wanted to cry and scream at the injustice of it all.

He wasn’t sorry about participating in the rebellion
. A man who wouldn’t stick up for his mates and fight for what he believed in was a despicable coward, but he had paid a higher price than even death itself for his principles. He had lost Melanie.

The future stretch
ed out bleakly. Glancing around for the gun, he couldn’t decide whether to be glad or sorry he no longer had it.

“Here, boy, drink this
brandy. I’m the doctor. Your friend should be back soon.”

Melanie’s face floated into view
. Her soft sweet lips were curved into a smile just for him like always. Her laughing hazel eyes would be flecked with green, her chestnut curls, cascading around her shoulders, would be begging him to bury his face in their sweet smelling tangles.

“Robbie, Robbie, for God’s sake, wake up.”

Someone slapped
his cheek, and his eyes creaked opened. He blinked several times until he could focus on James’ bearded face. “James!”

“Here, have a slug of the doctor’s brandy,
” James insisted, “then we have to get you out of here.”

The liquid burned his throat, but with James and the doctor helping him he got to his feet. “Melanie,” he croaked.

“She’s safe and sound at home. Your father will stay with her until I get back. What the hell possessed you, letting her get involved in this mess?”

“I know I shouldn’t have, but I panicked.”
Leaning on James, Robbie staggered out to the horses. He fainted, and James, with the doctor’s help, put him in the saddle and tied him to the horse.

“Bloody young fool,” James muttered.

“He’s got guts,” the doctor growled. “So has the girl, only reason I helped them.”

“Thanks for everything, doctor
. We owe you a debt. Don’t worry I’ll make sure it’s paid.” The men shook hands, then, leading Robbie’s horse, James rode off into the darkness.

Chapter
Six

For three days Melanie
fretted about James and Robbie. They hadn’t been caught or someone would have told her. It could be weeks before she knew for certain if they made it to safety. The uncertainty was killing. Would Robbie be able to endure such a long journey? Even if they escaped the troopers, there might still be bushrangers to contend with.

Uncle Alex sent a message back with
Sam, their shepherd, saying he would come over and stay once he thought it safe to do so. He didn’t want anyone knowing James had gone off again, in case they suspected him of helping Robbie.

***

On the afternoon of the 7th December 1854, the sounds of horses in the front yard interrupted Melanie’s ironing. Going to the door, propped open because of the heat, she saw three mounted redcoats led by Tom Ogilvy. Fear churned up her stomach as Tom dismounted and marched towards the homestead. Had they caught James and Robbie?

“Good afternoon, Miss O’Dea.” He touched his cap. “Pleasant day, isn’t it?” His booted feet sounded overloud on the verandah.

“Good afternoon.” She forced herself to be civil, better not to antagonize him. This was certainly no social call.

“I want you to accompany me into town for questioning.” His smile didn’t reach his pebble hard eyes.

“I don’t have to go anywhere with you.” She tossed her head back in defiance.

“Yes you do
. You have vital information we need.” His harsh laugh grated on her nerves. “Sir Charles Hotham declared martial law here yesterday at noon.”

“
Liar!”

“Am I? Do you come voluntarily or do we need to persuade you?” He glanced toward
s the redcoats.

“I’ll come.” What option did she have?
Fear and trepidation almost overwhelmed her, but she’d never let a low-down, slave owning skunk like him know this. “How do I get into town? Someone stole my horse.”

“I could make you walk.”
He enjoyed the idea for a moment. “Of course, if you acted nicer towards me….”

“Nice to you?” She
glared at him. “I’d rather walk a hundred miles barefoot over broken glass.”

The redcoats snickered, causing Tom to flush angrily
. His mouth twisted into ugly lines. “You’ll pay for this, you mining town whore.”

She turned her back on him and spoke over one shoulder. “
I have to get my bonnet.”

In two strides he reached her. His hand shot out and caught her arm, his cruel fingers gouging deep into her flesh. “You’ll come
now
.”

She wanted to defy him, but dared not. He had a look of
pure hatred in his eyes. Was he insane?

He dragged her across the verandah, pushing her so hard on the steps she
nearly lost her footing and fell. “Please, Tom, I have to see to the fire.”

A
hard shove almost sent her sprawling under the horses’ hooves. A quick glance around showed the young redcoats enjoying her struggles. With as much dignity as possible under the circumstances, she faced them, holding her head proudly. She’d die before letting them see her fear.

“Which horse do I ride?”

“You can ride up with me.”

Before she could protest,
Tom swung her up in the saddle and mounted behind her. His arms tightened around her waist, dragging her against him, and she was horrified to feel the hard burgeoning of his manhood pressing into her back. Had they been alone he would have raped her. The thought of such violation made her bilious.

He spurred his horse into a gallop and the redcoats followed. His breath, fanning her cheek,
reeked of whisky, even though it was early in the afternoon. Drunken beast.

Melanie
tried to stiffen away from him. It infuriated him and his grip tightened even more. She wanted to cry out, but her pride would not let him know how much he hurt. He obviously wanted her to plead with him, beg even. She had humiliated him and he wanted revenge.

As they proceeded down the main street of town, people stopped to stare. She held her head at a proud angle. No one would ever know how petrified she felt. Her thoughts kept turning to what they would want with her. If James and Robbie had been captured, Tom would have taken great pleasure in saying so. It
must be something else, but what? Had the redcoat been able to give a description of her? Asked around the diggings until he found out her identity?

They came to the
commissioner’s office, a building with slab walls and a canvas roof. She hated the feel of Tom’s hands on her waist when he lifted her down, and she would have given anything to be able to slap the gloating leer off his face.

Inside the room sat two redcoats, a sergeant and an officer. They both rose to their feet as she entered.

“Miss O’Dea, I believe.” The officer spoke with a clipped English accent.

“Yes. I would like to know the meaning of this outrage. How dare you send a creature like him to
drag me in here like a common criminal?”

“You can leave now, Ogilvy.” The officer dismissed a scowling Tom.

“A seat for Miss O’Dea,” the officer ordered the sergeant who pulled out a chair. “Now.” He clasped perfectly manicured hands together. “You’re a sensible young lady, so I know I can rely on you to help us in every possible way.”

“I will if I can.”

“You know Robert Pritchard?”

“Yes.”

“You realize he was one of the insurgents involved in that disgraceful display at the Eureka Stockade. I lost a number of good men there.” His grey eyes turned to flint.

“Sorry to hear about your men
. How can I help you?” She forced herself to sound polite when really she wanted to physically attack him, claw his cold mean eyes out of his head.

His lips snapped together. “Where is he?”

“I don’t know.”

“I think you do, my dear,” he said softly
, his voice laden with menace. “We know you helped him escape. Aiding and abetting a known rebel is a serious offence, not to mention assaulting a member of Her Majesty’s forces.”

“I don’t know where he is, I swear it.”

“Come now, you do want to help us, I know. Such a pretty face, it would be a pity if it got carved up.” He leaned forward until he got so close she could see the wrinkles at the sides of his eyes.

“I want to go home.”

“It is not possible yet, my dear. I shall leave you to contemplate how foolish it would be to continue with this stubbornness. There are ways and means of extracting information.” Without another word he stood up and strode out of the room.

“Tell him what you know, Miss.” The young sergeant spoke urgently as soon as they were alone. “Major Douglas is a harsh man. It would be a shame if you got hurt.”

“You’re trying to frighten me. What information could I have that would be of interest to the army?”

“Pritchard’s whereabouts, Miss. The whereabouts of Lalor and some of the other leaders.”

“I don’t know Mr. Lalor or the others. You must make the major believe me. I swear it’s the truth.”

“Pritchard?”

“I don’t know where he is either.”

He gave her a hard, disbelieving stare.

What was wrong with her? Why snivel and plead with this redcoat sergeant? He wanted to frighten her. They would not dare harm her. Surely her throat felt dry and scratchy only because she was thirsty.

The minutes
ticked by. The sergeant, although glancing at his pocket watch several times, made no further comment. Major Douglas came back smiling in an almost benign manner. When she glanced into his eyes her earlier feeling of dread returned a hundred fold. His eyes were the coldest she had ever seen. At first glance they appeared pale grey, yet they were really almost colorless.

“Now, did you think over what I asked you?” He sat down, splaying his hands on the table.

“I told your sergeant I don’t even know Mr. Lalor or the others, so how could I know their hiding place?”

“Pritchard does. He’s a close confidant of theirs. Now, Miss O’Dea, where is he?”

“I don’t know.”

“Come, my dear, you can’t expect me to believe that. You were seen helping him escape by one of my men. You threatened him with a pistol, remember.” He smiled, a smile so chilling she shivered. “Attempted murder is a serious offence. There’s a reward of two hundred pounds for Lalor and some of the other ringleaders.”

“I don’t know where Robbie is. I did help him, because he got shot.” She clapped a hand over her mouth, suddenly realizing what she was confessing to.

“Yes, go on
. You helped him to where?”

Melanie gulped. It had been idiotic to say anything
. She was damning herself from her own mouth, but she could not retract now. “I took him to my place.”

“You’re lying.”

“I fixed his arm, gave him food and a horse then he left.”

“You’re lying.” He thumped the table with a clenched fist.

“It’s true.”

He laughed harshly. “No, my dear, you wouldn’t let a badly wounded man ride off alone
. My informant tells me you were close to each other, extremely close indeed. Where is he?”

“I don’t know.” Already she regretted having told him so much. The informant of course would be Tom Ogilvy. Her previous foolish words were a confession of guilt.

“I don’t know anything else, honestly.” She bit her lip in a futile attempt to stop it trembling.

His cold fury filled her with dread, as he rose from his chair to come around and stand in front of her. He rocked backwards and forwards on his heels with his hands clasped behind his back. “For the last time, Miss O’Dea, where is Robert Pritchard?”

It was a waste of time repeating the denial. He didn’t believe her anyway, so she remained silent.

“Take her to one of the cells, sergeant
. In the morning she might be more cooperative.”

The thought of spending the night in prison terrified her. She could be raped or murdered
. Oh, God. Every vestige of moisture dried up in her mouth. With as much dignity as possible, she rose to her feet, and with her head held high, followed the sergeant out of the room.

“You shouldn’t antagonize him, Miss,” he warned, as they made their way down a corridor leading outside to the log prison.

Shouting and yelling came from one section. “Some of your rebel friends waiting to be transferred to Melbourne,” he said.

The heavy wooden door banged shut behind them, and they
faced a long corridor. On either side were barred cells, crammed with battered and bloodied miners. Some of them recognizing her called out a greeting and she lifted her hand in response. Surely they would not put her in with all these men?

At the end of the corridor they came to another heavy wooden door, and here they stopped. “This is a punishment cell
. The major keeps it for special cases.”

Her eyes widened with fear as she watched a police
man step out from a sentry box. He produced a ring of keys, selected the appropriate one and unlocked the door with a loud click.

“In you go, Miss.”

A hearty shove almost sent her sprawling into the cell. The door banged shut, leaving her in semi darkness. A sliver of light came from a small slit window high up in the wall. The floor was dirt, dampness and decay oozed from every corner. Melanie shivered in her light summer gown. An iron bed, covered by a tattered mattress, stretched along one wall. Except for a bucket toilet, the cell was devoid of anything.

She paced restlessly for a time
, her shoes making no sound on the sodden ground. How would she survive a whole night alone in here? Having never considered herself brave, in fact, she would have thought the reverse, her silence ensured James and Robbie’s safety. Surely they could not keep her prisoner indefinitely? Would they torture her?

As time dragged by the silent loneliness press
ed more heavily on her. Even one person to talk to would have made things bearable. She kept time by watching the sky and the height of the sun through the gap between the logs. At sunset she finally heard a key being turned in the lock.

“Have you come to let me out?” She could not disguise the note of pleading in her voice.

“No. Here’s some food.”

The jailer dumped a plate and mug on the floor, the door banged shut, leaving her alone again.
No knives or forks were provided, only a spoon. The greasy congealed stew made her feel ill, although she greedily drank the mug of tepid black tea.

The authorities were deliberately making things unpleasant; this firmed her resolve. She could be freed at the expense of Robbie and James
.
Never. They can incarcerate me for twenty years and still learn nothing.

Throughout the long, terrifying night she dozed fitfully. Eerie scratching on the ground made her think of rats and she pushed a fist in her mouth to stop from screaming. One thing she detested above all else
was rats.