said, his voice deep and surprisingly mellifluous. ‘Where is the minita?’
‘Reverend Kelleher is attending meetings today,’ Sarah said, her voice only slightly betraying her trepidation. ‘Were you hoping to meet him?’
‘Ae,’ Tupehu said, the feathers in his topknot bobbing as he nodded.
‘Perhaps you could come back later this evening? I’m sure he will be home by then.’
Another pause. ‘Perhaps.’
A silence descended.
Finally, Rebecca said, ‘Your daughter is with you?’
‘Ae.’ Tupehu turned and snapped, ‘Haere mai korua.’
There was much shuffling and jostling as the group parted and two girls moved up. The taller of the pair stepped forward.
‘This is Amiria, my iramutu,’ Tupehu said.
Sarah glanced uncertainly at Rebecca, who whispered, ‘Niece.’
Amiria was a big girl, full-figured and sturdy. Her dark wiry hair fell free, its heaviness matched by brows arched over shrewd, slanted eyes, giving her a distinctly impish look. She wore a blue and brown striped skirt and a cream bodice, straining across her considerable bust. Her feet were bare.
‘Good afternoon,’ Amiria said, and smiled, revealing very good, white teeth.
‘Good afternoon, Amee-di…’ Sarah struggled with the pro-nunciation.
Amiria said her name slowly. ‘A-mi-ri-a.’
‘Amee-di…’
‘No,’ Amiria said, ‘A- mi -ri-a.’
Rebecca, anxious that no offence should be taken over the mispronunciation of Amiria’s name, said hastily, ‘Would you mind if Mrs Kelleher called you Amy? Just until she becomes accustomed to your native tongue?’
Amiria put her head on one side and thought about it, then smiled again. ‘Amy. I like it.’
Tupehu nodded his approval. ‘This is my daughter, Wai.’
The other girl came forward. She was smaller than her cousin, by several inches and at least a stone in weight. Her skin was the colour of caramel, her black hair tumbled to her neat waist, and she looked nothing like her father. Kitty thought she was rather lovely, in fact, with huge dark eyes, a wide but short nose, and full, beautifully defined lips.
‘Good afternoon, Mrs Kereha.’
‘Good afternoon, Wai,’ Sarah said, managing to get this name right and not minding that Wai hadn’t quite done the same with hers. ‘Wai andAmy, I would like you to meet my niece, Miss Kitty Carlisle. Kitty will be helping me at home and teaching the children at the mission school. Kitty, why don’t you show the girls their rooms?’
Kitty turned to lead Wai and Amy into the house, but before she could, Tupehu caused her to jump almost out of her skin by barking, ‘Stop! Listen!’
He then proceeded to rattle off in Maori what sounded like a barrage of instructions, commands and warnings to the two girls, who stood with heads bowed and their hair falling across their faces. Then, when he had finally finished, he turned to go, gesturing grandly at his entourage to follow. As he departed through the garden gate, someone gave a very muffled giggle; Kitty thought it might have been Amy.
The girls collected their kits and followed her inside.
‘I’m afraid we can’t offer you tea,’ Sarah said, ‘as we don’t yet have any firewood for the hearth.’
Wai shrugged and Amy didn’t appear to be listening anyway, too busy gazing at herself in the framed mirror Sarah had only just hung on the hall wall.
‘Shall I send Albert home to bring back some wood on the handcart?’ Rebecca suggested to Sarah. ‘Then perhaps Win can organise a supply for you later this evening. You really can’t do without tea.’
Kitty led the girls out through the back door and around to the bedrooms at the rear of the house. Unlike the skillion rooms in the Purcell home, neither of these could be accessed from inside. She opened the door to the nearest and asked cheerfully, ‘Who would like this one?’
Wai and Amy regarded the narrow bed, the single chest of drawers and the bare floor in silence.
Amy said, ‘What is the other room
‘Reverend Kelleher is attending meetings today,’ Sarah said, her voice only slightly betraying her trepidation. ‘Were you hoping to meet him?’
‘Ae,’ Tupehu said, the feathers in his topknot bobbing as he nodded.
‘Perhaps you could come back later this evening? I’m sure he will be home by then.’
Another pause. ‘Perhaps.’
A silence descended.
Finally, Rebecca said, ‘Your daughter is with you?’
‘Ae.’ Tupehu turned and snapped, ‘Haere mai korua.’
There was much shuffling and jostling as the group parted and two girls moved up. The taller of the pair stepped forward.
‘This is Amiria, my iramutu,’ Tupehu said.
Sarah glanced uncertainly at Rebecca, who whispered, ‘Niece.’
Amiria was a big girl, full-figured and sturdy. Her dark wiry hair fell free, its heaviness matched by brows arched over shrewd, slanted eyes, giving her a distinctly impish look. She wore a blue and brown striped skirt and a cream bodice, straining across her considerable bust. Her feet were bare.
‘Good afternoon,’ Amiria said, and smiled, revealing very good, white teeth.
‘Good afternoon, Amee-di…’ Sarah struggled with the pro-nunciation.
Amiria said her name slowly. ‘A-mi-ri-a.’
‘Amee-di…’
‘No,’ Amiria said, ‘A- mi -ri-a.’
Rebecca, anxious that no offence should be taken over the mispronunciation of Amiria’s name, said hastily, ‘Would you mind if Mrs Kelleher called you Amy? Just until she becomes accustomed to your native tongue?’
Amiria put her head on one side and thought about it, then smiled again. ‘Amy. I like it.’
Tupehu nodded his approval. ‘This is my daughter, Wai.’
The other girl came forward. She was smaller than her cousin, by several inches and at least a stone in weight. Her skin was the colour of caramel, her black hair tumbled to her neat waist, and she looked nothing like her father. Kitty thought she was rather lovely, in fact, with huge dark eyes, a wide but short nose, and full, beautifully defined lips.
‘Good afternoon, Mrs Kereha.’
‘Good afternoon, Wai,’ Sarah said, managing to get this name right and not minding that Wai hadn’t quite done the same with hers. ‘Wai andAmy, I would like you to meet my niece, Miss Kitty Carlisle. Kitty will be helping me at home and teaching the children at the mission school. Kitty, why don’t you show the girls their rooms?’
Kitty turned to lead Wai and Amy into the house, but before she could, Tupehu caused her to jump almost out of her skin by barking, ‘Stop! Listen!’
He then proceeded to rattle off in Maori what sounded like a barrage of instructions, commands and warnings to the two girls, who stood with heads bowed and their hair falling across their faces. Then, when he had finally finished, he turned to go, gesturing grandly at his entourage to follow. As he departed through the garden gate, someone gave a very muffled giggle; Kitty thought it might have been Amy.
The girls collected their kits and followed her inside.
‘I’m afraid we can’t offer you tea,’ Sarah said, ‘as we don’t yet have any firewood for the hearth.’
Wai shrugged and Amy didn’t appear to be listening anyway, too busy gazing at herself in the framed mirror Sarah had only just hung on the hall wall.
‘Shall I send Albert home to bring back some wood on the handcart?’ Rebecca suggested to Sarah. ‘Then perhaps Win can organise a supply for you later this evening. You really can’t do without tea.’
Kitty led the girls out through the back door and around to the bedrooms at the rear of the house. Unlike the skillion rooms in the Purcell home, neither of these could be accessed from inside. She opened the door to the nearest and asked cheerfully, ‘Who would like this one?’
Wai and Amy regarded the narrow bed, the single chest of drawers and the bare floor in silence.
Amy said, ‘What is the other room
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