She stares down at me. I can feel her gaze drilling into my head.

‘You’ve been talkin to a Miller? Ya got in a car with Toni Miller’s son?!’ Her voice rises in volume and pitch with each question.

‘It was my fault, Aunty, I got a crush on im.’

The horror on my face is only outdone by Mum’s as we both stare at my cousin, our jaws flapping.

‘I … I like him. He’s nice. And he protected us yesterday.’ She stops talking, a blush running over her cheeks.

‘You kids. Ya want to send me mad.’ Mum is talking to herself. ‘Every taboo we have, almost every single one, ya violated. I don’t even know if there’s a punishment strong enough.’ She dropped back into her chair and puts her head in her hands. ‘I suppose we could get out the nullah nullahs, do it the old way, but ya’ve already been hit around pretty good. Mum woulda known what to do.’

I’m not sure how I feel about Rhi’s sudden declaration, but I can’t help feeling amused at Mum’s reaction. Rhi has well and truly taken the wind out of her sails. A grin twitches at my lips just as Mum’s hands open and she gets a good look at my face.

‘Think this is funny, ay? You leadin your cousin to Potters’, to danger, getting flogged up and all with a Miller boy in tow. One your cousin is after!’ It’s not entirely clear which of those things is worse to her.

‘No, Mum, it’s not funny, I’m sorry.’ Her glare doesn’t let up and I can feel the wheels turning.

‘Sam Miller … That’s the one lookin after May all the time. This is to do with what your grandfather told ya, isn’t it?’

All the funny walks out of the room and I go back to fidgeting. Laney would’ve cursed me for being such a bad liar. There’s a long pause while Mum thinks it through some more. She isn’t silly, dammit.

‘I’m still furious with both of you. I will be talkin to your mother, Rhiannon Louise. She’s got a better imagination than me anyway, and we’ll be workin out a punishment to fit the monumental stupidity of what you done. Something worthy of just how much you’ve betrayed our trust.’ I wince and am sure Rhi does too. Decree made, Mum sits back in her chair and sighs. ‘I can see ya won’t let this go, Tace, and now you’ve gone and drug your cousin into it.’

‘Mum please. What would you do if Aunty Mel went missing? Or Uncle Joe, Aunty Fern, any of them?’ Tears in my eyes, I beg her to understand. Her lips twist.

‘And that’s the problem, isn’t it. Cos I’d be out lookin for my sister too.’