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Chapters (68)
  1. Dedication
  2. Clancy of The Overflow
  3. Chapter 1
  4. Chapter 2
  5. Chapter 3
  6. Chapter 4
  7. Chapter 5
  8. Chapter 6
  9. Chapter 7
  10. Chapter 8
  11. Chapter 9
  12. Chapter 10
  13. Chapter 11
  14. Chapter 12
  15. Chapter 13
  16. Chapter 14
  17. Chapter 15
  18. Chapter 16
  19. Chapter 17
  20. Chapter 18
  21. Chapter 19
  22. Chapter 20
  23. Chapter 21
  24. Chapter 22
  25. Chapter 23
  26. Chapter 24
  27. Chapter 25
  28. Chapter 26
  29. Chapter 27
  30. Chapter 28
  31. Chapter 29
  32. Chapter 30
  33. Chapter 31
  34. Chapter 32
  35. Chapter 33
  36. Chapter 34
  37. Chapter 35
  38. Chapter 36
  39. Chapter 37
  40. Chapter 38
  41. Chapter 39
  42. Chapter 40
  43. Chapter 41
  44. Chapter 42
  45. Chapter 43
  46. Chapter 44
  47. Chapter 45
  48. Chapter 46
  49. Chapter 47
  50. Chapter 48
  51. Chapter 49
  52. Chapter 50
  53. Chapter 51
  54. Chapter 52
  55. Chapter 53
  56. Chapter 54
  57. Chapter 55
  58. Chapter 56
  59. Chapter 57
  60. Chapter 58
  61. Chapter 59
  62. Chapter 60
  63. Chapter 61
  64. Chapter 62
  65. Chapter 63
  66. Chapter 64
  67. Author’s Note
  68. About the Author

‘I’ve got an idea,’ he said slowly. ‘I’m not sure it’ll work, I mean I’m sure the idea will work, but not if it can be made into a business. I need to go back to Gibber’s Creek and talk to Sam. But that’s where I really want to be. It’s home,’ he added simply. ‘I want to know the faces in the street again. I want everyone asking how much rain we had last night and is it going to hail on Thursday, and telling me what the Friday cattle prices were. I want to go home.’

And home is not with me, she thought.

‘I will be back,’ he said quietly. ‘Often. I don’t want to lose you, Scarlett. But there’s no point my wasting my life in a city or a uni course that’s going to take me nowhere for years until you graduate.’

‘I see,’ she said blankly.

‘Truly, I love you.’

‘I love you too,’ she said automatically as he came around the table to embrace her. Nor did she doubt his love.

But it was not enough to keep him there, with her.

Chapter 27

Chapter 27

How to find water

The zebra finch is never far from water. When you see a flock, you will know there is a pool nearby. Follow their flight at dusk . . .

OVERFLOW, 1881

ROSE

Rose scrambled down the gully, her shoes hampering her, but she did not dare cast them off, for she might need them, as well as the sack, which did not just contain johnny cakes. She had one chance. If she lost this, there would be no second one. She would be chained again.

She had almost taken Miss Clementine with her. Mistress Flora was far away, her mind eaten, not by the town, but by living too much in rooms, so she had not learned to see or hear; nor could Rose heal her. The aunties could have, but the aunties were not there. If Rose had been sure she would find her own people, she would have taken the little girl, for she was clever. Learned fast, saw the land in the way these pale-skinned people did not know how to do.

But Rose was all too aware how precarious this escape would be. She might die. She might be captured, beaten, chained or worse. Probably far worse.

Yet she had stayed a prisoner too long, even if she had worn no chains. Mistress Flora would come back from the pool soon. She would find Mr Clancy, demand to know why Rose had left her. Once the people there knew she had tried to leave once, she would never get a chance again.

Once they knew she had left, they’d hunt her, not just as an escaped maid, but as a native.