Mud and Gold (9 page)

‘Frank’ll turn up,’ Lizzie said, smiling
confidently.

‘I don’t know,’ Arthur said with a wicked
grin. ‘He might take fright and make a bolt for it!’

‘No, he won’t,’ Lizzie said in a voice full
of certainty.

*

Frank got up at his usual early hour that
morning. At the milking shed his mind was full of Lizzie, and Ben
was as taciturn as usual, so they worked in silence. They had just
turned the last cow out into the yard when Ben announced, ‘I’m not
coming to your wedding, boy.’

‘Eh? But you’re to be best man!’ Frank said
in dismay.

Ben gave a snort of derision. ‘It’s all a
lot of rot. I don’t want anything to do with it. You can put the
ball and chain around your ankle without me helping. I’m going away
for a bit—it’ll give that girl a chance to settle in and start
ordering you about.’ And with that he walked back to the house.

Frank hurried after him and asked just where
he was going, but Ben refused to answer. Frank persisted until it
was time for him to start getting ready, then shook his head and
went off to his bedroom where his suit was laid out on the bed.

By the time he had shaved, given himself a
stand-up wash and put on clean underwear the shock of Ben’s
announcement had worn off, and Frank was quietly grateful for his
brother’s strange decision; bringing Lizzie home for the first time
was going to be far easier without Ben scowling at her, or perhaps
even giving her his opinions on how women should behave, as soon as
she walked in the door.

He put on his suit and brushed it down.
Without thinking, he reached for his battered old felt hat. He
caught himself in time and left the hat on its shelf. Today of all
days Frank wished he could hide under the broad, floppy brim, but
he had to face the world looking his best, and that meant wearing a
good hat.

Ben watched as Frank saddled up Belle and
mounted. ‘Good luck,’ he said. ‘You’ll need it.’

‘Thanks, Ben.’ Frank turned in the saddle
and called back over his shoulder as he rode away. ‘Take care. I’ll
see you in a couple of days.’ There was no reply from Ben.

*

Lizzie was chased from the parlour and told
to stay out of sight when the first guests began to arrive. She and
Amy took refuge in Lizzie’s bedroom, from where they could peep
through the curtains as buggies pulled up.

‘Such a lot of people!’ Amy exclaimed.
‘Who’s Uncle Arthur invited?’

‘Everyone,’ Lizzie said with deep
satisfaction. ‘Fifty or sixty at least, not counting children. I
didn’t tell Frank there’d be so many people, or he really might
have been too frightened to turn up. There’ll be lots of presents,
eh?’

‘Oh, I’m sorry Lizzie, I meant to say
earlier—I haven’t got you anything.’

‘It doesn’t matter, we’ll get plenty.’

‘But I wanted to give you a present. I don’t
get into town, you see, and I didn’t like to ask Charlie. I would
have made something, except… well, I would have had to ask Charlie
to buy me some material or suchlike, and—’

‘It doesn’t matter, Amy,’ Lizzie
interrupted. ‘Presents are for people who don’t really care about
me and Frank, just so’s they can feel good. You don’t need to go
giving me things to show you want us to be happy.’

‘I do want that. I want you to be happy with
Frank—and you will be, I’m sure. You deserve to be.’

‘So do you,’ Lizzie said, a look of sadness
passing over her face.

‘I know what I deserve. Come on, Lizzie,
smile again! Brides are meant to look happy.’

Edie bustled into the room, with Bill close
at her heels. ‘Frank’s arrived,’ she announced. ‘He’s sitting in
the parlour with your pa, saying hello to everyone. But his brother
hasn’t come with him.’

‘What? Why not?’

‘Frank said he’s gone away for a day or
two.’

‘But Ben’s meant to be best man!’ Lizzie
said. ‘I don’t need a bridesmaid, I didn’t want anyone but Amy, but
Frank needs a best man. Who’s going to do that?’

‘Don’t worry, Lizzie,’ Bill said, smiling.
‘I’ve told Frank I’ll help him out. He might need someone to hold
him up in case he feels faint.’

‘What about the ring?’ Lizzie demanded.
‘Frank might have forgotten and left it with Ben.’

Bill patted his jacket pocket. ‘Frank’s not
that silly. I’ve got it right here.’

‘Bless me, I nearly forgot,’ Edie said.
‘Your husband’s here, Amy. You’d better go and see him, he’s asking
for you. I expect he misses you when you go out.’ She smiled, and
Amy wondered if her aunt had managed to forget that there had been
anything hasty or unsavoury about Amy’s marriage. She kissed Lizzie
and went outside to find Charlie.

Even with all their borrowed chairs the
Leiths could not possibly provide seating for all the guests. Amy
found Charlie standing behind the mass of chairs that had been
appropriated by the oldest people present.

‘You haven’t been waiting long, have you,
Charlie?’ she asked. ‘Aunt Edie forgot to tell me you were
here.’

‘Long enough,’ Charlie grunted, but he did
not look any grimmer than usual.

Amy smiled at her father when she caught his
eye. She noticed that Susannah looked somewhat embarrassed at
having been classified as needing a seat. But there were chairs
left over when all the older folk had been seated, and Susannah
recovered her composure when Marion Forster sat next to her. Jane
Neill slipped away from her sister’s side, and Amy was not
surprised to see her standing beside Harry a small distance from
the seated guests.

People chatted among themselves until there
was a small stir and the minister came out of the house onto the
verandah, followed by Frank and Bill. Amy was sure Frank’s step
faltered when he saw the sea of faces staring at him, but Bill gave
him a nudge forward. Mothers gathered up their wandering offspring,
and everyone waited expectantly for the bride to appear.

Lizzie took her time coming. Amy wished
Charlie had found a spot in the shade as the sun mounted and the
day grew warmer. The heat began to make her feel faint, and her
earlier nausea returned. But at last she heard murmurs of
appreciation, and Arthur emerged from the house with Lizzie on his
arm. He led her over to Frank’s side, and Amy was glad she could
see a little of Frank’s face when he turned and saw Lizzie in all
her glory. He stared open-mouthed, and gave her a look so full of
love that Amy felt tears pricking her eyes.

Reverend Hill waited for silence, then he
began to speak.

‘Dearly beloved, we are gathered together
here in the sight of God…’

Amy listened to the words, distracted from
her growing discomfort by their gravity.

‘…
Therefore is not by any to
be enterprized, nor taken in hand, unadvisedly, lightly, or
wantonly, to satisfy men’s carnal lusts and appetites, like brute
beasts that have no understanding…’

Carnal lusts and appetites. That’s what
Charlie wants me for
.

‘It was ordained for the procreation of
children…’

But I had my baby without being married.
I don’t want any more babies now. I only want Ann
.

‘It was ordained as a remedy against sin,
and to avoid fornication…’

That’s what I did. I sinned and
fornicated—I never knew what fornication meant. I was bad. That’s
why I wasn’t allowed to keep Ann. That’s why I had to make it right
by marrying Charlie
. Amy’s upbringing had been too firmly
Protestant for her to have even heard of penance, but she would
have recognised the concept had it been explained to her.

‘It was ordained for the mutual society,
help, and comfort, that the one ought to have of the other…’

Lizzie and Frank will be like that.
They’ll be happy together.
She cast a sidelong glance at
Charlie’s stern face.
I must try to make Charlie happy. It’s my
duty to
.

Arthur passed Lizzie’s hand to Reverend
Hill, and Amy watched Frank take the hand in his. He stared
intently at Lizzie as he repeated his vows, so quietly that Amy
could only just hear him.

‘I Frank take thee Elizabeth to my wedded
wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for
worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love
and to cherish, till death us do part, according to God’s holy
ordinance; and thereto I plight thee my troth.’

Lizzie took Frank’s hand in a firm grip and
spoke in a ringing voice.

‘I Elizabeth take thee Frank to my wedded
husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for
worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love,
cherish, and to obey, till death us do part, according to God’s
holy ordinance; and thereto I plight thee my troth.’

I’m glad I didn’t have a church
wedding
.
I couldn’t promise to love Charlie. I have to obey
him, of course, and show him proper respect, too. That’s only
right, he’s my husband. But I can’t love him. I can’t
.

‘I pronounce that they be man and wife
together, In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost. Amen.’

They’re married
. Amy saw a radiant
smile of triumph spread across Lizzie’s face. She slipped away to
go inside and help her aunt.

After the service the guests invaded
Arthur’s house and filled it to overflowing; they spilled out to
the broad verandah and even onto the lawn. The mountain of food
slowly disappeared, and Edie looked anxious for a while; but it
soon became clear that there was plenty for even the greediest of
guests and the family would be eating leftovers for days
afterwards.

Amy had snatched the chance of spending a
few moments talking with her father and giving Thomas and George a
cuddle, when Harry led Jane over to the family.

‘Pa, this is Jane,’ Harry said, shuffling
his feet and looking awkward.

‘Jane? You’re young Bob Forster’s
sister-in-law, aren’t you?’ Jack smiled at Jane but looked
puzzled.

‘That’s right, Mr Leith.’ Jane flashed a
smile. ‘I’ve been staying with Marion all summer, but I have to go
home soon.’ She glanced at Harry then looked meaningfully at
Susannah. When Harry failed to respond, Jane nudged him with her
elbow. ‘You haven’t introduced me to Mrs Leith, Harry.’

‘That’s all right, dear,’ Susannah said
sweetly. ‘Harry’s just forgotten his manners.’ She smiled at Harry;
he scowled back. ‘I’m so pleased to meet you.’ She extended her
hand, and Jane shook it.

‘Well, anyway, Pa, I wondered if Jane could
come around for lunch one day.’

‘Lunch? I suppose so—Susannah, do you mind
if the girl comes for lunch?’

‘Not by herself, Jack.’ Susannah looked a
little shocked. ‘You meant with Mr and Mrs Forster, didn’t you,
Harry? They’d be most welcome, of course. Perhaps next Sunday?’

Harry said nothing, but Jane came in
quickly. ‘That’s very kind of you, Mrs Leith. I’ll tell my sister
you invited us. I’m sure we’ll be able to come.’

Jack watched as Harry and Jane walked away.
‘Is something going on with those two? Do you know anything about
it, Amy?’

‘Well, I think they are a bit keen on each
other, Pa.’ Harry was obviously no longer trying to keep it a
secret. ‘They got to know each other last summer when Jane came to
stay.’
When I was falling in love with Jimmy. When I was
sinning
.

Jack glanced at John. ‘What are you smirking
about?’

‘You’ve never noticed, Pa.’ John grinned.
‘All summer Harry’s been taking the milk to the factory and taking
half the morning to get home again, and you’ve never even noticed.
He’s been visiting Jane!’

‘Has he?’ Jack looked thunderstruck.
‘Courting on the sly when he should have been working? The young
rascal!’ He laughed. ‘Well, I suppose we’d better get to know the
girl. Harry’s too young to think about getting wed for a few years
yet, of course, but there’s no harm in him getting friendly.’

‘He’s not as young as all that, Jack,’ said
Susannah. ‘And he is rather difficult, you know. He might be easier
to get along with if he had a wife to calm him down, and I could
certainly do with some help around the house.’

‘He’s only twenty, Susannah. Don’t talk
silly.’ Susannah raised her eyebrows, but said nothing.

The day wore on, getting hotter as the sun
passed the zenith. Lizzie and Frank, along with Lizzie’s family,
were photographed in the garden, the session taking hours as every
conceivable combination was assembled for portraits. The guests
stood around in small groups, the laughter getting more raucous as
the men emptied the large barrel of beer Arthur had supplied; the
women contented themselves with Edie’s fresh lemonade and ginger
beer. Amy was kept busy for much of the day helping her aunt,
carrying food out from the kitchen and clearing away plates as they
were emptied. The heat inside the house was almost unbearable, but
she forced herself to keep going, despite a growing feeling of
nausea. She caught a glimpse of Charlie from time to time, standing
in a corner of the verandah by himself. In the middle of the
afternoon Edie shooed her away.

‘You’ll want to go and talk to your
husband,’ she said cheerfully. ‘I know what you young brides are
like! Anyway, you look all in, dear,’ she added, looking at Amy in
some concern. ‘You’re white as a sheet. You go and sit on the
verandah, out of this crush.’ She took Amy by the hand and led her
outside. ‘Here you go, Charlie, you look after this girl. She wants
to get the weight off her feet.’

Amy was aware that Charlie had been drinking
all day in the heat, and that it had not improved his temper. She
avoided his eyes and sat beside him in silence, watching Frank and
Lizzie as they stood on the lawn under a large jacaranda tree. They
made a handsome couple, even though Frank was squirming
uncomfortably in his good suit by this time and looking as though
he didn’t know where to put his feet. Lizzie had slipped her arm
through his and he was holding it in a proprietorial way. Amy
smiled at the sight, distracted for the moment from the churning in
her stomach.