‘I left the ship shortly after Fremantle. I had some . . . business to attend to. I travelled overland, and it was not until I reached Port Hedland two days ago that I heard the news. I have not slept since . . .’ His voice broke then, and he hid his face from her.
‘It has all been a grave shock for you, my love,’ she said, trying to collect herself, ‘and you have not had time to process it. Let me fetch you something to eat. And you must take off your wet clothes. I shall lay out some dry ones for you.’ Her body was eager to have some occupation, as her mind could not be still. He caught her hand.
‘Did you not get my telegram? I told you I had a last-minute errand to attend to.’
‘Yes, I did. You said your father would tell me what you meant, but Andrew, he didn’t arrive . . .’ Kitty’s voice trailed off.
He winced. ‘Of course. How is my mother? She must be devastated.’
‘I . . . do not know. I did write to her straight after it happened, but . . .’ Guiltily, Kitty pointed to the pile of still unopened telegrams. ‘Noel Donovan came to see me only yesterday and said that he had not heard from her either.’
‘For God’s sake, Kitty!’ Andrew stood up, shaking with anger. ‘Noel Donovan is merely a member of my staff. At a time like this, she would hardly respond to such a man. You are her daughter-in-law! Did you not think that she might need to have a further response from you?’ He began to tear open the telegrams, read them briefly, then shook one in her face.
COME TO ADELAIDE AT ONCE STOP I CANNOT TRAVEL THERE FOR I AM UNDONE STOP MUST KNOW WHAT HAPPENED STOP REPLY BY RETURN STOP EDITH STOP
Andrew threw it on the floor. ‘So, while you have been comforted by the local townsfolk, attending memorial services and receiving letters of condolence, my mother has been alone in her grief, thousands of miles away.’
‘You are right, and I am so very sorry. Forgive me, Andrew.’
‘And forgive me for coming home in anticipation of seeing my wife, having discovered that my father and brother are dead. And yet you have sat here for these past weeks without even having the foresight to think of my poor mother.’
They didn’t speak much after that. As Andrew wolfed down the plate of bread and cold meats she brought him, Kitty watched his expressions carefully as a variety of emotions passed across his eyes, but he didn’t share them with her.
‘Andrew, will you come to bed?’ Kitty asked him eventually. ‘You must be exhausted.’ She reached a hand out but he snatched his away.
‘No. I will take a bath. Go and sleep.’
‘I will draw one for you.’
‘No! I will do it. Goodnight, Kitty. I will see you in the morning.’
‘Goodnight.’ Kitty left the room, and upon reaching her bedroom, closed the door behind her, biting her lip to stop the sobs that were building up inside her chest.
I can’t bear it . . .
After undressing, she lay down and buried her face in the pillow.
I called him Drummond . . . my God! How could I have done that?
‘Does he know?’ she whispered to herself. ‘Is that why he’s so angry? Lord, what have I done?’
Eventually, she sat up, and took some deep breaths. ‘Andrew is alive,’ she said out loud. ‘And it is wonderful news. Charlie, Edith . . . they will be so very happy. Everyone will tell me how lucky I am. Yes. I am lucky.’
Andrew did not come to her bed that night. She found him at breakfast the next morning, with Charlie sitting on the chair next to him.
‘Papa came back from heaven,’ her son smiled happily. ‘He’s an angel now, an’ flew back wiv wings.’
‘And I am glad to be home,’ said Andrew.
As Camira served them, Kitty saw the confused look in her eyes.
‘Isn’t it wonderful? Andrew is home!’
‘Yessum, Missus Kitty,’ she said with a hurried nod, then left the room.
‘Your little black doesn’t seem herself,’ Andrew commented as he munched his way through three slices of toast and bacon.
‘She is probably amazed and overwhelmed at your miraculous return, as we all are.’
‘I’d like you to accompany me into town, Kitty. I think it is important that people see us reunited.’
‘Yes, of course, Andrew.’
‘I shall then go to the office, as I can imagine there will be much to do there. I will send a telegram to Mother on the way and tell her we shall all go to Alicia Hall for a visit soon.’
Once Camira had taken Charlie off to the kitchen, Andrew stood up and studied Kitty.
‘I read the condolence letters from the townsfolk after my bath last night. They were very kind about Father and myself, and poor old Drummond. He in particular was obviously very popular here.’
‘He was, yes.’
‘The two of you seemed to do rather a lot of socialising together while I was gone.’
‘Invitations came and I felt I should accept them. You always tell me how important it is.’
‘And I remember how many times you came up with an excuse to turn them down in the past. With me, anyway.’
‘I . . . that is, the rains were worse than usual this year. I think we all suffered from cabin fever and needed to get out once they’d stopped,’ Kitty improvised.
‘Well, now that I am returned from the dead, we are able to celebrate. And I hope I will not disappoint our neighbours by being myself rather than my brother, God rest his soul.’
‘Andrew, please don’t talk like that.’
‘Even my own son says nothing but “Uncle Drum” this and “Uncle Drum” that. It seems he has endeared himself to everyone. Does that include you, my dear?’
‘Andrew, please, your brother is dead! He is gone forever! Surely you cannot resent the fact that he enjoyed the last few weeks of his life here with family and new friends?’
‘Of course not. What do you take me for? However, even though he is dead, it feels rather as if he walked into my house and my life and took both over while I was away.’
‘And thank God he was here, especially when I was sick.’
‘Yes, of course.’ Andrew nodded, chastened. ‘Forgive me, Kitty, it has all been rather overwhelming. Now, I would like to leave for town at ten o’clock. Can you be ready?’
‘Of course. Will we take Charlie?’
‘Best leave him here,’ Andrew decreed.
As they drove along Dampier Terrace, Kitty could only assume that Andrew wished as many residents as possible to see he had returned. She watched the reactions of the shopkeepers and passersby who crowded around him, desperate to know how he’d managed to escape from his watery grave. Andrew told the same story a number of times, and people hugged Kitty and told her how lucky she was.
I am, she reiterated silently as they set off for the office close to the harbour.
Again, Kitty witnessed astonishment then joy as an emotional Noel Donovan embraced his boss. A bottle of champagne was procured and an impromptu party ensued. It seemed that everyone in town wanted to celebrate the miracle of Andrew’s survival and Kitty fixed a tight smile on her face as people hugged her, crying with happiness at her husband’s return. Andrew too was constantly surrounded by people, all slapping him on the back, as if testing to see if he was real.