‘Who is the mistress here?’ asked Flora quietly. For this must be established, and now. Maria might have kept house for Ezekiel, but Flora was his son’s wife.

‘You are, of course.’

‘Thank you,’ said Flora. She added, ‘I will expect you to help train the girl.’

Maria went to see the girl then. Flora did not interrupt them. Maria too could have no idea of how well a native might be trained, specially if caught young enough. At last Maria went back to the kitchen to supervise the evening meal.

Flora left the girl alone until it was time to change for dinner. The girl sat in a different pose. Flora looked more closely. She had managed to get the rope around her legs undone, though her hands were still bound, and the rope that still tied her to the bed was in place also.

Flora hesitated. The girl seemed quiet, but would surely manage to get the other rope undone by dinnertime.

Clancy entered, smelling of sheep and sweat.

Flora pointed to the loose rope. ‘I am afraid she will manage to undo the others too. There are chains in the old dairy, aren’t there? The ones for the convict workers?’

‘Only ones who caused trouble.’ He stared at her. ‘Flora, you can’t chain a child!’

‘But Mrs Fairfield in Sydney told me that natives who will not work are often chained if there is no safe place to imprison them. Isn’t that correct?’

‘Yes,’ he said reluctantly.

‘The girls and women too.’

He nodded, still clearly unwilling.

‘Clancy, show some sense. Should we place her in the old gaol instead?’

‘No, of course not. But the convict chains are far too heavy for a child.’

‘She doesn’t need to walk in them, or even lift them,’ Flora coaxed. ‘Just one short chain around her ankle that she can’t undo, then we can leave all her other limbs free. She will even be able to lie down in comfort then.’

Clancy looked at her wordlessly, then at the girl. For once the child met his gaze. For the first time Flora saw her anger and defiance. Then the look was gone. The child looked down again.

‘I’ll get the manacle,’ said Clancy quietly.

The manacle did seem large and heavy on the child’s ankle, but at least she could not undo the lock that bound her to the leg of the bed. Flora realised there was another advantage to this new venture — Clancy would scarcely press his attentions on her when he might be observed by a child.