Crossing the bridge, p.14
Crossing the Bridge, page 14
‘Mum, is that JB?’ Glenn pointed across the room to a table in the far corner. He waved frantically and bolted towards it.
‘Glenn—’ Poppy tried to stop him, but he was already at the table and pointing back towards her. Her heart thumped hard. After the incident at the Steeles’ she’d seen JB only once, at church. The briefest of conversations involved him asking after Glenn. But he hadn’t returned to Guilford Farm, and the Waratah lay in the machine shed untouched. Perhaps she’d scared him off with her tears.
JB walked back over with Glenn at his side. ‘Poppy, what a surprise.’
‘What are the chances?’ She swallowed, unable to forget his words before and after Glenn’s accident. Her legs wobbled as if she might collapse on the spot. He looked so handsome in his white dress shirt and a tie loosened at the collar. She had to look like a sodden mess, with flat, sand-encrusted hair.
He nodded towards the table. ‘Why don’t you join us?’
‘I wouldn’t want to intrude.’
‘There’s room for two more at our table.’
‘Oh please, Mum! Please?’
Poppy hadn’t wanted to go home early and her belly did a little flip, either from hunger or from catching a scent of wood smoke and JB’s aftershave. ‘As long as we’re not impinging on your family time.’
‘No. Not at all.’ He placed his hand on Glenn’s head. ‘Glad to see you’ve improved, mate. Come and meet the Beaton clan.’ He escorted them to the table. ‘Poppy, this is my sister, Maggie.’
JB’s sister had a pleasant face, smooth skin, and brown wavy hair subdued by hair pins. She looked like JB, albeit with a softness that JB’s jaw lacked. Poppy held out her hand. ‘Pleased to meet you, Maggie.’
Maggie flashed a smile. ‘Nice to meet you, Poppy.’
‘This is Cece and Julia,’ Maggie said. The two girls’ faces matched and Poppy thought they might be twins.
‘I’m Lee,’ a small voice said. The youngest child in the group, a boy no more than five, had a sweet little face. He almost looked like Glenn, if it weren’t for his striking blue eyes. All the Beaton family had that trait.
‘Hello, everyone. This is Glenn.’
JB pulled out a seat for her and one for Glenn, placing his hand on her shoulder, the warmth of his palm shooting through her.
‘It’s good to see you, JB.’
‘It’s been less than a fortnight. Did you miss me?’
‘The Waratah is looking a little forlorn.’ Poppy ignored the heat in her cheeks and focused on Maggie. ‘Are you looking forward to moving to Goyders Creek?’
‘Yes. I can’t say that our current accommodation is particularly comfortable.’ She placed a hand on JB’s arm. ‘I don’t mean to sound ungrateful to Jimmy for all he’s done, but ...’
‘Thank you for that.’ JB let out a sarcastic hum.
‘But it will be nice to be settled again, maybe in somewhat less crowded accommodation.’
JB sucked in a breath through closed teeth. ‘Yeah, about that. Maybe we can sort something out when you arrive ...’
Maggie laughed and shook her head. ‘Oh, my darling brother.’
A genuine fondness dripped from their voices, lyrical laughter, a lightness in their family banter. Poppy sensed the love. ‘Did you have a nice Christmas, Maggie? What about Mal—he said he’d like to have been home by now?’
Maggie blinked and appeared slightly confused. ‘You know Mal?’
‘Poppy met him briefly when he passed through a few months back.’
She liked the way he said her name. His tone so gentle, as if her name was a delicate teacup. It pulled on some invisible string between them. Even in a crowded room, he made her feel … important.
‘We miss him.’ Maggie’s eyes became glassy and her chin trembled a fraction. ‘But we had a nice Christmas, thank you.’
‘We had a telegram. Mal’s not one for letter writing.’ JB reached for Maggie’s hand and squeezed it. ‘Had a great day, he said.’
A waitress approached with tea and milkshakes for the girls and Lee. Poppy ordered tea, a milkshake for Glenn and a round of sandwiches. When the waitress left, JB’s unwavering blue gaze sought hers. ‘So, how was your Christmas?’
‘Lovely, thank you. Although I would have liked to have stayed on in Goyders Creek. So much to do.’ And neither she nor Glenn having to deal with Violet.
‘Time to think, though? Relax after the drama of the Steeles’ Christmas?’
‘I suppose I could look at it that way.’ When not worrying about the farm, she’d thought a great deal about him. About what he had said to her and how he had made her feel. As if she had value, as if she would be missed. She couldn’t recall the last time she felt that way.
‘You’re one to talk of relaxing, Jimmy.’ Maggie poked him. ‘He’s always moving.’
‘I noticed.’ Although JB was quiet, there was a restlessness to him, as if the ground beneath him were constantly shifting and he had to keep up. ‘What was JB like when he was younger?’
‘A curious devil,’ Maggie said. ‘I don’t think there was anything he wouldn’t put his hand to.’
‘That’s me, jack of all, master of none.’
‘You make it sound less than a compliment.’ Poppy’s gaze rested on his face. ‘But it is very much praiseworthy.’
He laughed. ‘Maybe I’m not the only one who can’t take compliments well.’
Poppy looked down and fidgeted in her seat like a schoolgirl. Perhaps she had not taken his past flattery with the grace of its delivery.
Arrival of more tea halted their banter and stalled further embarrassment on her part. Poppy took a sip from her cup and discarded the fleeting anxiety that she’d called into question his modesty and that she’d overstepped some invisible line of decorum. ‘And your New Year’s. How was that?’
‘I was asleep by ten.’ Maggie gave a low chuckle, so similar to JB’s laugh it startled her. ‘Jimmy went to a party.’
‘Charlie Steele came to town.’
‘You and Charlie have become great friends.’ Poppy had contemplated the benefits of a friendship between both men. Neither of Charlie’s brothers had returned from service yet and although he and Joseph appeared to be good friends, there was another layer present watching JB and Charlie interact.
JB placed an elbow on the table and leaned his jaw on his fist. ‘I don’t think people realise that war gives us a lot of shared experience. It changes us. But we do have a great rapport.’
Maggie reached out again and squeezed his arm. He patted her hand and glanced towards the children who were in deep discussion among themselves.
‘Charlie’s a good man. Cheeky, but keeps us in good spirits,’ JB said in a faltering tone.
How different had JB been before the war? She wanted to ask how it changed him but thought it too intimate a question for public discussion.
‘Charlie has this friend with a Greek background. They sure know how to party. There was dancing and wine. Ever tasted a drink called ouzo?’
‘That’s the one that tastes of liquorice, isn’t it?’
‘Liquorice and fire.’
‘I suppose that prevents kissing someone at midnight?’ She dropped her gaze and took a bite of her sandwich. Her thoughts turned to her own quiet New Year. Her aunt and uncle turned in early and she’d been alone as the second hand moved past twelve.
‘Quite mistaken there. Kissed a dozen at least. And that was just the men.’
Poppy put her hand over her mouth and choked back laughter. He’d caught her right as she swallowed. The girls joined her in a giggle.
‘What are you laughing at?’ Lee asked.
‘Nothing, sweetie, just a grownup joke.’ Maggie slammed the back of her hand against JB’s arm. ‘You’re incorrigible!’
‘I did kiss a lot of women at the party too.’ Maggie hit him again and he threw his hands in the air. ‘I’m young and came without a partner. It’s a rule.’ His gaze bore into Poppy. ‘Did you kiss anyone at midnight?’
‘Jimmy!’
Poppy shook her head. ‘Only if forehead kisses on someone who is asleep counts. A silent night for me. I carried Glenn to bed at eleven and sat up listening to the radio until midnight, had a glass of sherry, and went to bed.’
‘You could have joined Charlie and me at the Greek party.’ There was a mischievous glint in his eye. ‘We would have had a good time. And you’d have had someone to kiss at midnight.’
Poppy’s heart thumped at the thought of him kissing her when the clock struck twelve. Her face tingled with the memory of his hand on her cheek. She let out an awkward laugh.
Maggie looked between her and JB. ‘It’s getting on and I promised the girls I’d take them to the shore.’
‘Can we come?’ Glenn asked.
‘I’ll take the children.’ JB dove into his pocket and gave Maggie some notes. ‘You finish your cuppa and I’ll meet you at the jetty.’
JB gathered the children about him. They pawed at him and Lee grabbed his arm and hung from it like a monkey. They walked through the door, laughing.
A warmth tugged at Poppy’s chest. ‘He’s good with children.’
‘He’s a natural. He doesn’t think so. But the girls adore him.’
‘And your son? He must miss his father, and I suppose having Uncle Jimmy around must be good for him.’
Maggie’s brow furrowed, and she laughed. ‘You’re mistaken. Lee’s not my son, he’s Jimmy’s son.’
Son? Poppy swallowed. ‘Oh, I didn’t realise.’
Poppy had heard so much about Maggie and the children she assumed … why had JB never mentioned Lee was his son and not Maggie’s? He’d been in the district for over six months and not a word. Neither had he mentioned having a wife. Her breathing quickened as if she couldn’t take in air fast enough. She shook. Dan had left a child behind, too. Her vision clouded and all she could think about was Dan’s lies. Dan’s betrayal.
‘Are you alright, Poppy?’ Maggie tilted her head and put a hand on her upper arm.
She jolted from the touch and stood. ‘Excuse me for a minute. I’ll meet you at the door. I need to powder my nose first.’
Maggie rubbed her chin. ‘Yes, of course.’
The hotel bathroom, in contrast to the simplicity of the hotel’s dining area, was more a boudoir than a restroom. Poppy steadied herself against the wall before walking to the washbasin. Leaning forward and staring into the mirror, she didn’t recognise the face staring back. Her hands grabbed at her lips, their texture like sandpaper. She bolted to a stall and locked the door. The bathroom door opened and a cacophony of other women’s voices echoed.
‘I saw him on the way out. Bit of a dish,’ one woman said.
‘He is,’ another added. ‘Although what he was doing with her, I don’t know. She looked so washed out I hardly recognised her.’
Poppy leaned her head against the door and took in shallow, quiet breaths. She didn’t know these women, but they could have easily been talking about her. About JB. She put a hand over her mouth to stifle a sob.
‘What was the husband like?’
‘Oh, you never heard it from me, but Dan was hard to forget. A real ladies’ man, he even flirted with me one time.’
Dan? Did she say Dan? Or was she hearing things? She closed her eyes and rocked back and forth.
The door to the bathroom opened and the women left, their laughter carrying with them until it faded and all that remained was the hum of an overhead light.
The walls closed in around her and she gritted her teeth, trying to hold back the volume of tears and panic reverberating through her. ‘I’m here, I’m here. I’m still here.’ She continued to rock back and forth until the messages of panic stilled. ‘I am in the saddle. I have the reins. I am in control.’
The door to the bathroom opened again. ‘Poppy? Poppy, are you there? It’s Maggie, is everything alright?’
Poppy sniffed and called out. ‘Yes, Maggie. Everything is fine. It’s fine.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Yes. Just my lady’s days, you know.’ She waited until she could hear the door close again before exiting the stall. She stood at the basin and looked in the mirror. It was her again. ‘You’re Poppy Guilford. You’re fine. Everything is fine.’ She wiped under her eyes, smoothed her hair and dress and stared at her hand and the wedding ring she still wore everywhere. She removed it and placed it on the washbasin stand. A dent on her finger remained. ‘You’re fine.’
She left the bathroom and her wedding ring behind.
Maggie was waiting by the door and Poppy reached for her purse. Maggie put up a hand. ‘Already paid.’
‘Oh, no, no, Maggie, please—I can’t ask you to pay for Glenn and I.’
‘Well, a good thing I didn’t. It was Jimmy.’
Maggie linked her arm in Poppy’s, the over-familiarity momentarily disconcerting. Poppy brushed off her nerves and mild discomfort and walked with her along the promenade. JB and the children joined them, and they walked to the end of the jetty. Maggie and the children stopped to interrogate a fisherman, but Poppy and JB continued to the end.
Poppy, unable to look JB in the face, leaned against the salt-affected wood and stared out to the horizon. The green-blue ocean had a haze of dull yellow in the sky above it, as if the soil had blown from inland to coat the blue. Calm anchored itself inside her again, the moments of panic disappearing with the tide.
‘I’m sorry I haven’t come to Guilford Farm. I thought after Glenn’s injury you might need some time alone with him.’
Poppy paused, her head turned towards Maggie and the children. ‘You didn’t tell me you had a son.’
‘What?’
She stared directly at him. ‘You never told me.’
‘I’m sure I did.’
‘No. You never. Are you still married?’
‘I’m not married.’ His tone was harsh, and he broke eye contact. When his gaze returned to hers, his blue eyes turned flinty.
She braced her hands on the jetty rail. ‘This isn’t the time for such …’
‘I said I would wait. But it’s not going to be easy if I’m to stay in Goyders Creek and we can’t talk through this. And if you want to know …’ He reached out and touched her hand.
She pulled it away. ‘JB, I ...’
Maggie came between them. ‘Jimmy, we should head back to town. The girls are looking a little too crimson for my liking and I think Lee is flagging.’
Poppy bit the inside of her cheek and smiled at Maggie. A heaviness descended over her. ‘Let’s walk to the tram.’
On the way into the city, the banter was light but indirect. JB wouldn’t look at her. Instead, he stared out the window or answered an occasional question from the children. As they disembarked at Victoria Square, he took her hand to help her down the steps and whispered in her ear. ‘Please, don’t leave us hanging like this. It’s killing me.’
The warmth of his breath and the touch of his fingertips made her breath catch. But she couldn’t dismiss the utter panic that had come over her at the hotel. She was scared and unsure—and if she told him, would JB understand it wasn’t about him? She tugged her hand back and turned towards Maggie. ‘I look forward to seeing you when you finally come to Goyders Creek. Come for tea.’ She smiled at JB but he didn’t return it. He cleared his throat and looked away.
Poppy and Glenn waited for the tram to her aunt and uncle’s house. It could have been a perfect afternoon.
Chapter Sixteen
January 1945, Adelaide
JB crashed onto the couch of Maggie’s small digs, and the children disappeared out into the garden. The two rooms of the temporary address had barely space for her and the three children, never mind a guest. A musty scent didn’t help either. Even though the cottage back at Goyders Creek wouldn’t be much bigger, it had two bedrooms and he could easily set a space aside for himself in the garage office.
Maggie opened the windows to let in what breeze she could. ‘It’s only been a couple of weeks and I feel hemmed in.’
‘Bringing the kitchen sink all the way from Darwin doesn’t help.’
‘Pffft. I wanted to grab all those mementos before someone threw them out.’ Maggie had demanded to see the state of the Beaton farm before heading to Adelaide. The army even flew her into Darwin and out. It would have cost Mal a great many favours.
He stood and joined her at the table. ‘Anything of mine?’
‘Lots.’ Maggie elbowed him. ‘I like Poppy, she’s nice.’
JB chewed his lip. Declaring his intentions towards Poppy at the Steeles’ was maybe a little too public for her, but he was impatient to make whatever they could together happen quickly. But then her demeanour yesterday … Perhaps that was his fault. They had all the time in the world, and being in Goyders Creek would be a fresh start for the entire Beaton family. ‘Yes, she’s real nice.’
Maggie looked up at him and raised her brow. ‘Just nice?’
He scratched the makings of a beard on his cheeks and ignored her question. He nodded to a box on the table. ‘What we got here?’
‘I emptied almost every cupboard, swept every corner and scrubbed and washed from floor to the ceiling. So much spider wrangling, clearing cobwebs and removing ten years of dust. Uncle Sid had done nothing to the place since we left.’
‘How’s the rest of the farm?’
‘The army has made it productive.’ She passed him a photo of swathes of vegetables in ordered rows. He laughed. He’d like to show this to Poppy and tell her that Guilford Farm put even the army to shame.
‘Is the old barn still standing?’ The building had been one of the last things he saw when Uncle Sid lived there. After leaving hospital and before heading to Brisbane, he and Uncle Sid had shared a drink. The old man had stared at the scars poking up from JB’s shirt collar, the pity in his gaze laughably cruel, given those scars were his fault. He remembered feeling as bent as the barn’s walls, barely able to keep upright yet somehow still standing. An unresolved tension coiled in his gut. He laid a hand on Maggie’s arm. ‘I know I promised you an answer about why I left you and Lee in Brisbane. I should have said something ages ago.’
