It was enough to begin with. Flora handed her the cup first, and was surprised that the girl knew what a cup was and how to drink from it. She even managed to hold it with both hands, despite her bound wrists. She handed her the plate.

The girl grabbed at the food like the savage she was, but she ate it all. As soon as she had eaten the last sandwich, she bent to work at the knots again. Flora smiled. Yes, this girl could be trained.

A small roar erupted from the room next door. Clementine needed feeding and changing. Flora waited for Mrs Logan or Maria to see to her. But Maria must be on one of her strange long walks in the bush, and Mrs Logan seemed not to see so much of the work a proper servant would automatically do. Flora stood to tend to her daughter herself.

Maria arrived back mid-afternoon, her arms full of some strange weed — it wasn’t even blooming — just as Clementine finished her goat’s milk. Maria put the plants down and took the baby, burping her expertly.

‘We have a new servant!’ said Flora brightly.

Maria looked puzzled. ‘But the other stockmen have no wives . . .’

Flora laughed. ‘No, a native girl. She was nearly trampled by your father’s stallion. I had her rescued. I’ve fed her, and she is tied up in our bedroom.’

‘Tied up?’ echoed Maria, startled.

‘Only till she is used to our ways and won’t run back to the wild. Don’t worry, I have worked with natives a lot, in Sydney. There is such good work being done by the missions now, placing them in reservations where they can do no harm. Margaret Drinkwater said their attacks on the stock — even on the stockmen — used to be dreadful.’

Maria said nothing. Flora realised she had been tactless. Maria probably had never met Margaret Drinkwater, would have camped on her single visit to Sydney rather than have to appear veiled at Drinkwater, or worse, glimpsed with her veil off. ‘We will tame her together,’ Flora said kindly.

‘I . . . I do not know what Father will say.’

‘Don’t worry. I will tell him that Rose will cost nothing to feed and will need no wages even when we have trained her.’

‘Flora, I don’t think it is right to take the girl from her people,’ said Maria softly. ‘I know Father says they are savages, but I have met native women out on my walks . . .’

Flora stared at her. Maria had never contradicted her before. ‘I have had far more experience of natives back in Sydney, I assure you. The girl is trainable. It is the only charitable thing to do.’

‘I’m sorry, but I think we should . . .’ Maria stopped at the sight of Flora’s face.