Free Lillipilly Hill by Eleanor Spence Page A

School, store, and post office were all blank-faced and silent, and no horses were tied beneath the peppercorn tree on the little patch of grass below the church—that patch being the meeting-place of the township. In the hushed grey and green landscape, the only brightness was in the Rectory poplars, already turning gold.
    â€˜I wonder what Charles is like,’ said Harriet, as they opened the Rectory gate. Aidan, who had been thinking exactly the same thing, said nothing—more discreet than Harriet, he realized that they were within earshot of the wide-open windows. The Rectory was a grey timber house, with steep gables decorated with what looked like white wooden frills.
    Harriet intensely disliked the kind of visit where she had to sit very still and straight in a high-backed chair, and speak only when she was addressed directly. Worse still was the afternoon tea-party at which she might be suddenly called upon to recite, or sing, or play the piano. So she was greatly relieved to find that the Farmers were kind, informal people, and that the children were allowed to stay out of doors while the grown-ups talked in the sitting-room.
    â€˜Let’s go in the summer-house,’ said Charles, leading the way up the sloping back garden to the little wooden shelter at the top. From here one could gaze down past the house to the township, and beyond to the creek and the encircling hills.
    â€˜Watch for spiders,’ said Charles solemnly to Rose-Ann. ‘I think you might be sitting on one.’
    Rose-Ann at once jumped up in great alarm, and Charles burst into hearty laughter. He was a plump, good-natured, cheerful boy, a born tease, and always ready to bubble over with amusement.
    â€˜Rose-Ann doesn’t think spiders are funny,’ Aidan explained. ‘She hasn’t been here long enough for that. Sit down, Rose-Ann—it was only a joke.’
    â€˜Haven’t you any sisters I could play with?’ asked Rose-Ann hopefully.
    â€˜No sisters, or brothers either,’ said Charles. ‘And I must say I’m pleased you’ve come here to live. It’s been so dull at school lately, with only Paddy and Bill to talk to. They’re hopeless at cricket, too. Do you bowl or bat?’ he demanded eagerly of Aidan.
    â€˜I’ve not played much,’ admitted Aidan.
    â€˜You’ll soon learn,’ Charles assured him. ‘If you’re good enough, you might be allowed to join the Barley Creek side next summer. The season’s nearly over now. Our last match is with Deacon’s Flat, on Saturday.’
    â€˜Do you mean you play for Barley Creek?’ asked Harriet in surprise. Her knowledge of cricket was even less than Aidan’s, and she envisaged an eleven as being made up of tall, serious gentlemen with beards.
    â€˜Of course I do,’ said Charles airily. ‘I’m one of the opening bats, usually. Joe O’Brien’s the other, when he’s home. Why don’t you come and watch next Saturday?’
    â€˜We shall, if Father will take us,’ said Harriet with enthusiasm.
    Charles turned again to Aidan.
    â€˜How do you like the school? I’ve been there four years, and I’m used to it. But I suppose it must look rather odd to you, after being at school in London.’
    â€˜It’s all right,’ said Aidan. ‘I wish I could go to the Grammar School sooner, though.’
    â€˜Whatever for?’ demanded Charles. ‘You’ll have to work much harder there. And you won’t be able to go fishing or exploring or hunting rabbits after school. I shot four rabbits yesterday.’
    â€˜Aidan doesn’t do any of those things, anyway,’ explained Harriet, adding wistfully: ‘But I would like to.’
    â€˜Girls make too much noise when you’re after rabbits or fish,’ said Charles. ‘I could take you exploring, though. I know where a platypus lives, and there’s a whole family of bush