‘No, don’t. Burns sort of apologised for last time, and he left when Connor told him to. Really, Sophie, I’d rather just forget about it all. I don’t think they’ll be back. He wasn’t asking about Gerry this time, but other men I’d never set eyes on, except for one – and I’ve no idea who he was, so there doesn’t seem much point.’

‘Well, if you’re sure.’ The militant light faded from Sophie’s eyes. ‘What are those drums out front?’

‘Oh, they’re planters. Matt cut a forty-four in half for me. Remember those flower seeds I got with the ration order? Well, the seedlings are finally up in their trays and that’s where I’ll be planting them out. Just to add a bit of colour to the place.’

Sophie shook her head. ‘The wallabies will eat them, you know.’

‘I’ll put some netting round them.’

‘Whatever. I suppose it might work. Luke’s doing a slideshow tonight so I’ll run his dinner down to him. Give me a shout when it’s ready.’

‘Is he coming home after?’ Tilly asked.

‘No, he took his swag this morning, and some baked beans for breakfast. He’ll be right. There’ve been a few takers for the river walk tomorrow morning. He’ll do that at first light, then come back.’

‘Okay.’ Tilly glanced at the sun; the days were shortening but she calculated that she still had time to barrow a load of dirt into the drums before the start of the evening chores. Tomorrow she would transplant the seedlings, and then it would only be a few weeks before the blooms appeared – supposing she could find and rig up some netting to protect them. Sophie was right: the wallabies were drawn to anything green and there was no fence to stop them. Still, she was optimistic as to her chances. It was truly amazing what could be found in the old station sheds.

The following day, having found some rusting wire mesh, she was obliged to pause in her work of erecting it when a vehicle pulled up behind her. Sucking a pierced finger, she went across to see them, only to find them rolling away from her approach.

‘’S’okay,’ the driver called breezily. ‘Between the sheds, right?’ A patterned shirt sleeve showed in the window and she glimpsed a cadaverous face with pale eyes and acne-pitted cheeks. He waved airily and sped off.

She had time only to register the vehicle’s colour and catch the briefest glimpse of its passenger’s profile before it accelerated away. She called, ‘Stop! Wait!’, running a few steps after it, but the engine drowned out her words and she came to a stand, staring after it as its speed picked up, her heartbeat gradually returning to normal as the dust of its going subsided.