Free Skylarking by Kate Mildenhall Page B

noticed a quiet triumph behind her concerned face, that she would go to the point with McPhail – she would exclaim as the whales breached and showed their secret skins to the sky and hold her hand to her chest and sigh – without me.
    Of course I knew she would not be alone. She would have all the others with her, but they would be distracted and not notice the things that I might see.
    Listening to the comings and goings from the kitchen I could hear when they were ready to leave, and I pushed back the blankets and went to the window.
    Across the grass, I saw Harriet holding Sadie’s reins while Emmaline stood behind her with a basket, a loaf of bread wrapped in a red and white cloth protruding from its side. Albert and James had obviously not deigned to go for I did not see them, but Will and Harry were there, and Lucy sat up on the horse with her arms wrapped around little Edward.
    I drew the curtain across and sulked back to my bed.
    The day passed so slowly. I tossed and turned, not feverish as much as agitated. I desperately wanted them all to return so that I might know what had transpired. Mother brought me tea and toast but then grew weary with my constant calling out to ask whether or not they were home.
    â€˜Kate, you’ll never get better if you don’t rest. Lie down, for goodness sake, and sleep!’
    But I could not. And it was an endless few hours I spent picking up my book and throwing it aside again before I heard them coming back.
    Finally Emmaline rushed in through our bedroom door.
    â€˜Where’s Harriet?’ I asked, as she strode past me to fling herself down on her bed.
    â€˜She had to go straight home – her mother said.’
    Was that true? I thought about Harriet returning from the outing, then slipping away again down the track to meet McPhail where none of the younger ones could see.
    â€˜So, do you want to hear about it or not?’ Emmaline’s voice cut into my daydreaming.
    â€˜How many did you see?’ I asked, even though I could not have cared less about the whales. Surely Emmaline realised this, but she went into great detail about the size and the shape of the pod and did not mention McPhail once.
    â€˜And did you all behave for Mr McPhail?’ I asked.
    â€˜I did, if that’s what you’re asking,’ she said impertinently.
    â€˜And how was Mr McPhail?’ I was searching for some clue that I might stew over.
    â€˜I hardly saw him,’ she said.
    â€˜Whatever do you mean, Emmaline? You went with the man.’
    As much as she pretended that she wasn’t, Emmaline was flattered by my interest in what she had to say.
    â€˜Well,’ she said, stretching out the telling now that she had my attention. ‘McPhail took Harriet off around the point where she would be able to see better, and Harriet told me and Will and Harry to stay with the little ones because it was too dangerous.’
    So Harriet had made the most of my absence. I wondered if she had need of a hand to help her up the steep rocks, if she had stumbled a little and found herself falling into the strong arms of the man who accompanied her.
    â€˜And were they gone for long?’
    Emmaline sat up on her bed. ‘I can’t remember. Gosh, I’m famished. When’s dinner, do you think? I’m going to ask Mother.’
    And she was off. I would have no more news from Emmaline now that her stomach had her attention. Which left me with my imagination, and that was a far more dangerous thing.

FOURTEEN
    S OON ENOUGH I HAD OTHER THINGS TO OCCUPY MY mind, as September came around and the preparations for Christmas, a grand affair at the lighthouse, began in earnest. Mother always did the pudding, and I helped as I grew older. But this year was to be the first she would let me make the pudding on my own. I was excited, and nervous.
    The pudding was the centrepiece of Christmas dinner. Mother said it reminded her of her own mother, and her