Shadows Over Taralon Read online

  Jenny suddenly felt uneasy. She couldn’t hear the whoops and yells of the boys anymore, or the voices of the others who must be nearly across from her on the other bank. Ahead of her, the high stony cliffs of the ravine started. She stood on the bank and waited. This was as far upstream as the others could go. After the steep ravine was the beginning of Millalong.

  Behind her a twig snapped. Jenny swung around, but there was nothing to see. She moved closer to the bank. The silence pressed down on her. Where were the others? She looked downstream and hesitated. It was a long swim back even with the current, but the thought of returning along the bank again sent a prickle of unease through her.

  She looked again at the water and took a deep breath. She would swim down! Suddenly pain exploded at the back of her head, and she fell headlong off the bank in a clumsy travesty of a dive.

  The colder current under the sunlight-sparkling surface tumbled her like a rag doll. She bobbed weakly to the surface and sobbed air into the burning ache of her lungs. Her arms and legs thrashed aimlessly as she tried to swim towards the other bank. The current whirled her back. The water was chillingly cold, and she doubled up with cramp. She went under again. She rose for a brief second and sank again.

  A strong arm caught her, and a powerful body kicked upwards beside her. Her head was lifted high out of the water.

  “Stop struggling,” Wayne’s voice snapped.

  Her breath came in gasps. She was towed across to the bank and lifted out. She caught a glimpse of the wary hazel eyes of Marise and the shocked ones of Tony before she rolled over to be sick at their feet.

  “What on earth were you doing swimming so far upstream?” Wayne demanded as he thumped her on the back.

  She shivered with cold and apprehension. If Wayne hadn’t rescued her she would have drowned. Someone had tried to murder her. Who was the unknown who hated her enough to try to kill her and why? Would anyone believe her if she made that accusation?

  “I think I fell in,” Jenny choked as she disgorged more water.

  “Fell in!” Marise echoed.

  “I must have stumbled,” Jenny tried again. Was it someone among the present company who hated her that much? Who could she trust?

  “The river isn’t safe this far upstream,” Tony explained. There was a worried look on his face. “It was only luck that Wayne spotted you just then.”

  Jenny sat up and held her pounding head. Tears of shock and humiliation were filling her eyes. “I just walked upstream to watch you swim down,” she sobbed.

  “It’s not really safe for swimming around that bend,” Marise drawled.

  Jenny stood up and promptly crumpled again. Her knees were rubbery. Her head pounded and she felt sick and giddy. Wayne sighed and picked her up.

  “I can walk,” Jenny muttered.

  To her horror she realized the tears had started again. She squeezed her eyes tight shut to stop them. Keeping them shut blocked out Marise's furious watchful face and Tony’s pre-occupied frown. She hadn’t been courageous enough to meet Wayne’s eyes since she had been pulled out of the water.

  She suddenly stopped struggling and relaxed. Her ear was against Wayne’s bare chest and she heard the strong thud of his heart beating. His body was so warm and his arms held her securely, so securely she had dropped into a state of relaxed drowsiness by the time they had reached Panniken Bend. Wayne was very efficient and settled her by the fire with a rug around her. Soon she was drinking a hot mug of sweetened tea.

  “I think we should take you home,” Bill Williams suggested.

  “Don’t be silly,” Jenny scoffed. “It’s Merry’s birthday. I’ll be all right in a little while.”

  Gradually her shivering stopped. Lunch was cooked and Marise and Tony produced an elegant cold chicken and shared a bottle of white wine with Wayne and Bill. Jenny steadfastly refused anything to eat. However, later in the afternoon, after Merry’s cake was produced and the candles lit and blown out to the lusty accompaniment of everyone singing “Happy Birthday,” she felt almost normal, and was relieved she hadn’t ruined everyone’s enjoyment by going home.

  Wayne roared off on his bike, to return driving the Land Rover. His suggestion that the children come with him and Jenny and leave their father to bring back the horses was howled down as a tame way to end a picnic. John offered to ride Jenny’s horse, so Jenny ended up the only passenger in the Land Rover.

  “See you at the race meeting,” Marise promised, as she and Tony pushed their boat back into the water.

  Everyone waved a cheerful farewell. Marise and Tony rowed the boat rapidly upstream where it slid around the first bend and vanished from sight. Wayne drove Jenny back to Taralon in a silence neither of them seemed inclined to break.

  Mrs. Harris had hot scones and a pot of tea ready, and was shocked to hear of Jenny’s accident.

  “You do look white-faced,” she exclaimed. “Why don’t you go straight to bed?”

  “I’m all right,” Jenny protested. “I just got a fright.”

  They sat in the kitchen and drank tea, and waited for the others to arrive back. The sun had begun to set and there was a faint chill in the air. The light gradually faded. The strained look was back on Wayne’s face and several times he sneaked a look at his watch.

  Jenny kept her eyes on the riders coming over the hill. The horses were moving fast to reach the comfort of their stables. She wondered if Wayne kept watch on his property too after dark, but his face was aloof and reserved, and she didn’t dare ask.

  The riders cantered closer and Merry swerved her pony across to the veranda. “I raced everybody home,” she squealed. “Are you having a birthday dinner with us, Uncle Wayne?’

  “Not tonight,” Wayne said. He stared down at Jenny, an intent considering stare, and his eyebrows came together in a scowl. Jenny flushed at the way she had curled so comfortably in his arms when he had carried her, and avoided his gaze. “Take it easy for a few days, Jenny Wren.”

  He stood up and put on his helmet. A few seconds later he was a fast-vanishing figure on the bike, roaring off into the darkness. Jenny and Merry headed towards the bathroom. Merry was silent and sleepy as Jenny bathed and changed her. Jenny was silent as well. She had a lump swelling at the back of her head as proof she hadn’t lost her footing and fallen into the river.

  She had a lot to think about. She had been hit on the head and pushed into the water. If it hadn’t been for Wayne, the mysterious attack could have caused her death. The question was, why?

  Chapter Eight

  Jenny stretched cramped legs as the station wagon braked. The weight of the horse float on the back meant they had traveled slowly and the drive into Warrnambool seemed interminable.

  It was the weekend of the big race meeting, but only Jenny, Wayne, Bill Williams and Ben the strapper, whose job was to groom and attend Pretty Boy, were in the station wagon. Wayne was driving. It was the first time Jenny had seen him since the day of the picnic, but he had only given her a casual nod as she got into the back seat, and confined his conversation to Bill Williams and the strapper.

  The children watched them leave in a state of mutiny. Allan had brought mumps home from school, and gave them to John and Merry. Except for John, who was really ill, the others were over the worst of their illness, but Mrs. Harris flatly refused to allow them to go to Warrambool for the weekend.

  “No point in infecting everyone in the district with mumps,” she had scolded as she herded them back to their rooms. “And leave Jenny alone. She is entitled to a break after nursing you mob all the week.”

  Jenny was a bit dismayed that Mrs. Harris and the children weren’t accompanying her for the weekend, but her decision to stay at the property with Mrs. Harris and the children was greeted by disbelief.

  “Most of Taralon is booked into the usual pub,” Bill Williams said blankly. “It’s the one event of the year the whole district attends! Of course you’re expected to come! You don’t want to miss out watching Pretty Boy win?”
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  “Well, if you put it like that,” Jenny conceded.

  She was in a cheerful frame of mind as she packed her yellow chiffon dress for the dinner dance, two cotton dresses and a hat for the race meeting, and her new blue jersey halter-neck gown for the ball. It seemed so long since she had gone anywhere, or had any excuse to dress up, that she was looking forward to the social weekend.

  Her temporary job had now dragged out to eight weeks and, apart from the occasional horse ride, she had not been off the property at all. The last week of nursing the children had been very tiring. They had been fretful and demanding, and there was still no sign of Marise returning, although she seemed completely recovered from the accident.

  When the ramp of the horse float was lowered, Pretty Boy was nervous and distrustful. It took the three men and careful handling to back him out of the float. The grinning little jockey, who was to ride him the following afternoon, arrived to inspect him.

  “Looking good,” he remarked.

  Pretty Boy swung his head around at the voice, and his ears went back. The little man spoke again in a soft voice. Pretty Boy, recognizing the voice, moved forward to allow himself to be coaxed into his stable by the jockey.

  “Is Ben sleeping with Pretty Boy?” Jenny asked, as the strapper grabbed a bedding roll out of the back of the station wagon.

  “He and every other strapper in Warrnambool,” Wayne explained. “They all worry someone might have designs on their precious horses.”

  “Stealing?” Jenny asked.

  With the strapper gone, Bill motioned her to move into the front seat with them. He slid behind the wheel. Wayne moved beside Jenny and she was aware of his casual arm behind her resting on the back of the seat. Without the horse float, the station wagon moved with unaccustomed smoothness.

  Wayne smiled at the surprised expression on Jenny’s face. She felt herself smile back. She guessed that Wayne was looking forward to the weekend relaxation as well. He seemed more cheerful and his face looked carefree and untroubled.

  “Now who could dispose of a glut of stolen racehorses? They all worry someone might dope the horses before the big race.”

  “Is there really any danger of that?” Jenny asked.

  “Mainly imagination,” Bill Williams said drily.

  He turned the station wagon into the crowded car park beside the old-fashioned hotel with its wide veranda and wrought iron edging. Bill Williams was actually whistling to himself. Wayne winked at Jenny as he got out and collected all the cases. Jenny grinned. Bill Williams sounded so happy. Today the habitual strain on his face had faded. She guessed he was also looking forward to the weekend.

  Later Jenny unpacked in the room the motherly proprietor had escorted her to. Mrs. Macka was actually a sister of Mrs. Harris and knew about the mumps. Like everyone else, she took Jenny’s presence at the meeting for granted.

  “I changed the rooms around as Adelaide and the children aren’t coming up, but you’ll be quiet enough here,” she said with her comfortable smile. “We’ve put all the hands in the other wing where they won’t disturb us.”

  The weekend was going to be fun, Jenny decided. They had arrived in time for the race meeting this afternoon. Tonight there was the dinner dance and tomorrow, after the main race meeting, everyone was going to the ball. She went over to the window and looked out. Her room faced on to a cobbled courtyard, with the garages around it. Further over she could see the roof of the stable complex with the fenced yards surrounding it.

  Cars moved in a steady stream along the road that led to the racetrack. Jenny glanced at her watch. She had promised to be changed within the half hour. It took her a bit longer, but she surveyed her reflection in the mirror with satisfaction.

  The dress she wore was one of her favorites. The blue deepened the color of her eyes and the fitted bodice and full skirt showed off her small waist. She brushed her hair and tied it back with a blue ribbon. Remembering about the amount of walking everyone did at the races; she slipped on her flat-heeled white sandals.

  The rap on her door sounded imperative. She grabbed her wide-brimmed white hat and rushed out. It was Wayne. She had become used to seeing him dressed more casually. For some inexplicable reason there was a rueful look in his eyes as he inspected her.

  “Didn’t mean to keep you waiting,” she apologized.

  “No problems,” he drawled. He tucked her hand into his arm. “Let’s go. Bill’s got the car out the front.”

  She sat between the two men in the front seat and they set off. As they drove along, the men kept waving and calling greetings.

  “There can’t be any of your neighbors left home,” Jenny remarked. “Look! There are the Sellmans! They must have their entire six kids crowded in the van.”

  “Every single hotel and boarding house is packed full for the racing carnival. Of course everyone is here,” Bill Williams said cheerfully.

  “Have Marise and Tony brought Black Prince up yet?” Jenny asked.

  “They would have come up at the beginning of the week to settle Black Prince in,” Bill said. “They like to be here for the full racing week.”

  “I’m sure you’ll see them both at the race course,” Wayne said. “They never miss any of the races.”

  He had spoken so drily that Jenny had flushed and felt the familiar antagonism rise again. There was a silent rebuke in his remark, but she again decided that Tony’s friendship was certainly no business of his.

  Once they arrived at the crowded racetrack, their progress was slow. Jenny had met some of the neighbors during her stay, but a lot more had stopped to greet them and had to be introduced.

  Wayne sounded resigned as he introduced Jenny to the light-hearted group who gathered around her. More and more neighbors and friends gathered, and Jenny was slowly edged away from Wayne and Bill Williams.

  A firm hand clamped around her waist. There was a chorus of indignant protests from the boys around her. Jenny turned. It was Tony, blond hair ruffled in the wind, and his hazel eyes snapping in temper. His words, however, were light enough.

  “I have come to rescue you from these uncouth types. I might have known they would home in on you.”

  Jenny tried not to show her annoyance at his possessive attitude. “Exactly like a knight in armor,” she said sweetly.

  The tall red-headed boy with freckles who had been introduced as their neighbor on the property to the west of the gorge was indignant.

  “Fair go, Bickerton,” he stammered. “Like you to try and monopolize our new arrival. We’re going to show her some proper country hospitality.”

  Tony waved them away with an aloof expression. “She doesn’t need your chicken sandwiches and flat champagne. She’s dining with me.”

  “I’m supposed to be lunching with Bill Williams and Wayne,” Jenny apologized to the circle of disappointed faces.

  “And they are waiting,” Tony reminded her as he swept her away from the group with more haste than courtesy.

  Jenny promised to meet them all again at the dinner dance and looked at Tony in exasperation. He pulled her fast through the crowded course. Bill and Wayne had vanished completely from her sight. Tony caught her glance and slowed down. The brooding expression vanished and he grinned. Without the tense irritability on his reckless changeable face, he suddenly looked younger and very carefree. She grinned back.

  “That’s better, Jenny Wren,” Tony said. “You don’t want to waste time with that mob—very boring.”

  Jenny laughed outright. There was no point in taking Tony seriously. Sometimes he seemed as young as Allan, sulks and tantrums included. She was still laughing as they entered the dining room. Bill Williams waved from across the room and motioned to the two empty chairs at the table. Wayne and Marise were sitting together, and didn’t look up until Tony pulled the chair out for Jenny to sit down.

  Wayne nodded an unsmiling acknowledgement. Jenny felt her smile fade as she nodded back. Marise gave Jenny and her brother a measuring stare and turne
d back to continue her low-voiced conversation with Wayne.

  Jenny sat down. So Wayne didn’t like Tony! It was really time he improved his manners and kept his dislike under control in a more civilized manner. Jenny turned her back on him and concentrated her attention on Tony, who murmured outrageous compliments into her ear.

  Marise, immaculate in a green linen suit, suddenly became gracious and talkative. There were no barbed comments to Jenny, or derogatory remarks at her brother. The conversation started to flow more easily. An outsider would have said it was a very pleasant luncheon party. Jenny was still wary. Marise in a good mood seemed insultingly patronizing, and as difficult to take as Marise in a bad mood. After lunch, Marise was the first to rise.

  “I want to get some bets on,” she explained.

  Wayne murmured something to Bill and followed her out, and they were quickly swallowed up in the crowd. Tony and Bill Williams resumed their discussion of training methods.

  Jenny sneaked a look after Wayne’s retreating back. He hadn’t even bothered to glance in her direction as he left. Her cotton dress that she had put on with such pleasure now seemed childish and unsophisticated beside the sleekly tailored green linen suit of Marise. Jenny pushed back her hair. The heat had caused it to straggle from its ribbon and curl around her neck. Marise’s hair was twisted up in a sleek roll with not a silky golden hair out of place!

  “Marise is getting him well trained,” Tony jeered. “Wayne hates chasing around the betting ring and he went off without a murmur.”

  An unpredictable mood swing had darkened his face as he stared after them. Bill Williams glanced across at him, his light colored eyes suddenly intent. Tony became aware of his gaze and gave a forced laugh.

  “Just joking,” he muttered. “Are we going to watch the first race?”

  Bill Williams shook his head, and gestured for a refill of his coffee. He obviously was going to stay where he was for a while.

  “You were going to show me the saddling enclosure, before I risk my hard-earned wages on a bet,” Jenny reminded Tony.