breeding and husbandry in New Zealand had little to do with agriculture in Britain and Ireland—Gwyneira, his mother-in-law, had always alluded to that. In Wales, Gwyneira’s father had not even had a thousand sheep and was considered one of the largest breeders in the region. But here, even his father’s farm, with three thousand sheep, had been too small to make a profit. Moreover, Ruben hardly believed that William would be able to control the roughnecks who worked as shepherds and for the shearing companies.
William smiled incredulously. “Are you offering me a job, Mr. O’Keefe?”
Ruben nodded. “If you’re interested. You won’t get as rich as my bookkeeper, but you’ll gain experience all the same. And if my son really makes good on his plans for branch offices in other towns”—he nodded at Georgie—“there will be room for advancement.”
William had no intention of making a career as the manager of a branch office in some little town. He had in mind a chain of stores of his own or a marriage into this one, if things should continue developing so happily. Still, Ruben’s offer was a start.
He gave Elaine another radiant look, this one a fraction of a second longer than the last, which she returned as one blessed, turning alternately red and pale. Then William stood up and offered Ruben O’Keefe his hand.
“I’m your man!” he declared with assurance.
Ruben clasped his hand. “To a good partnership. We should pour another whiskey to that. This time something local. Since you plan to set yourself up in this country for a while after all.”
Elaine walked William outside when he finally made a move to leave. The area around Queenstown was showing its best side that night. The immense mountains were illuminated by the moonlight, and myriad stars sparkled in the sky. The river looked like flowing silver, and the forest was filled with the calls of nocturnal birds.
“It’s strange that they sing in the moonlight,” William mused. “As if we were in an enchanted forest.”
“Well, I wouldn’t exactly call that noise singing.” Elaine had a limited understanding of romance, but she was doing her best. She nudged herself up next to him inconspicuously.
“To their females, that noise must be the loveliest of songs,” William remarked. “The question isn’t how well someone does something, but for whom.”
Elaine’s heart overflowed. Of course, he had done it for her! It was for her that he had ignored a well-paid job managing a sheep farm in order to help out her father. She turned to him.
“You would have… I mean, you didn’t have to do that,” she said vaguely.
William looked into her open, moonlit face, which held an expression between innocence and expectation.
“Sometimes you don’t have a choice,” he whispered. Then he kissed her.
For Elaine, the night exploded in that kiss.
Fleurette observed her daughter from the window.
“They’re kissing!” she remarked and sloshed the rest of the wine into her glass, as though wishing she could empty the memory of what she had just seen along with the bottle.
Ruben laughed. “What else did you expect? They’re young and in love.”
Fleurette bit her lip and emptied her glass in one gulp. “I just hope we don’t regret this,” she murmured.
4
A long with Kura, Gwyneira McKenzie intended to accompany a goods transport for Ruben O’Keefe and to travel to Queenstown in its protection. She would be able to load their baggage on the freight wagon and they themselves could travel in a light chaise. Gwyneira thought that would be the most comfortable way to travel; her granddaughter did not express herself on the point. Kura faced the trip to Queenstown as ever with an almost unsettling apathy.
The ship with Ruben’s delivery was taking its time, however, so their departure kept being pushed back. Apparently, the first autumn storms were making the crossing difficult. So the sheep had already been herded down from the
William smiled incredulously. “Are you offering me a job, Mr. O’Keefe?”
Ruben nodded. “If you’re interested. You won’t get as rich as my bookkeeper, but you’ll gain experience all the same. And if my son really makes good on his plans for branch offices in other towns”—he nodded at Georgie—“there will be room for advancement.”
William had no intention of making a career as the manager of a branch office in some little town. He had in mind a chain of stores of his own or a marriage into this one, if things should continue developing so happily. Still, Ruben’s offer was a start.
He gave Elaine another radiant look, this one a fraction of a second longer than the last, which she returned as one blessed, turning alternately red and pale. Then William stood up and offered Ruben O’Keefe his hand.
“I’m your man!” he declared with assurance.
Ruben clasped his hand. “To a good partnership. We should pour another whiskey to that. This time something local. Since you plan to set yourself up in this country for a while after all.”
Elaine walked William outside when he finally made a move to leave. The area around Queenstown was showing its best side that night. The immense mountains were illuminated by the moonlight, and myriad stars sparkled in the sky. The river looked like flowing silver, and the forest was filled with the calls of nocturnal birds.
“It’s strange that they sing in the moonlight,” William mused. “As if we were in an enchanted forest.”
“Well, I wouldn’t exactly call that noise singing.” Elaine had a limited understanding of romance, but she was doing her best. She nudged herself up next to him inconspicuously.
“To their females, that noise must be the loveliest of songs,” William remarked. “The question isn’t how well someone does something, but for whom.”
Elaine’s heart overflowed. Of course, he had done it for her! It was for her that he had ignored a well-paid job managing a sheep farm in order to help out her father. She turned to him.
“You would have… I mean, you didn’t have to do that,” she said vaguely.
William looked into her open, moonlit face, which held an expression between innocence and expectation.
“Sometimes you don’t have a choice,” he whispered. Then he kissed her.
For Elaine, the night exploded in that kiss.
Fleurette observed her daughter from the window.
“They’re kissing!” she remarked and sloshed the rest of the wine into her glass, as though wishing she could empty the memory of what she had just seen along with the bottle.
Ruben laughed. “What else did you expect? They’re young and in love.”
Fleurette bit her lip and emptied her glass in one gulp. “I just hope we don’t regret this,” she murmured.
4
A long with Kura, Gwyneira McKenzie intended to accompany a goods transport for Ruben O’Keefe and to travel to Queenstown in its protection. She would be able to load their baggage on the freight wagon and they themselves could travel in a light chaise. Gwyneira thought that would be the most comfortable way to travel; her granddaughter did not express herself on the point. Kura faced the trip to Queenstown as ever with an almost unsettling apathy.
The ship with Ruben’s delivery was taking its time, however, so their departure kept being pushed back. Apparently, the first autumn storms were making the crossing difficult. So the sheep had already been herded down from the
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