Chapters (53)
- Cover
- About Alison Stuart
- Also by Alison Stuart
- Title Page
- Dedication
- Prologue
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- Forty
- Forty-One
- Forty-Two
- Forty-Three
- Forty-Four
- Author’s Note
- Acknowledgements
- Preview of The Goldminer's Sister
She pulled up a stool to the table and tucked into the simple meal with such enthusiasm, Caleb believed her story of not having eaten for a day or two.
Only when she had finished did he ask about her employer.
Posy’s eyes brimmed with tears. ‘The master said he couldn’t afford to keep me so he let me go without even the fare back to Melbourne. I lost everything when they burned the house down.’ She held out her drab skirts. ‘Some kind soul gave me this but it’s all I’ve got. They even burned my mother’s silk shawl.’ A tear dribbled down her cheek. ‘It was all I had of hers.’
An anger at Murray’s heartless disregard for the girl rose in Caleb. ‘Where’s Murray gone?’
Posy could not disguise her bitterness as she said, ‘Back to Melbourne, taking little Robbie with him. Dare say he’ll leave the child with mistress’s sister, if the pox didn’t take ’em too.’ Her lip trembled again and she looked up at Caleb. ‘But he wouldn’t take me. Just left me here.’ She swallowed. ‘I’m a hard worker, Dr Hunt. If you know of anyone what wants a maid of all work?’ Her gaze travelled meaningfully around the dusty, cluttered surfaces of the doctor’s parlour.
The girl had proved herself a competent nurse, Caleb reminded himself, and she could be useful.
‘What did Murray pay you?’ he asked.
‘Ten pound,’ she said, ‘but I don’t want nothing more.’
Caleb cleared his throat. ‘To be honest with you, Posy, I’ve no money to pay a servant.’
She shook her head. ‘That doesn’t matter,’ she said. ‘Bed and board, and I’ll keep this place clean and cook and wash for you.’
‘Do you have somewhere to lodge?’
Posy’s thin face brightened as she recognised capitulation. ‘I’ll find somewhere and I’ll come every day and look after you real well.’
Caleb sighed. ‘I’m sure you will, Posy. Very well, let’s see how we go for a few weeks, shall we? Once I get a few patients willing to pay, we can talk about some proper wages.’
She grinned at him. ‘I knew you had a kind heart, doctor. You might pretend to be all hard and know-it-all—’
He raised a finger. ‘Enough, Posy. You will start tomorrow by cleaning this cottage from ceiling to floor.’
‘May I sleep on your verandah tonight?’ she asked.
Apart from mosquitos, the night was warm and the verandah sheltered from the elements and prying eyes. Caleb carried out the cot from the spare bedroom while he took Bowen’s bed.