The other men remounted. Amos touched his fingers to his hat and kicked his horse forward. Caleb watched them until they were out of sight, then turned the horse’s head towards Maiden’s Creek.

Adelaide shivered and drew Danny closer into her, hoping to instil some warmth in him. She had lived in this country long enough now not to be surprised by the ferocity with which the weather could change. Yesterday the temperature had soared well over a century with the hot, dry northerly fanning the furious flames of fire. Today it had plummeted, bringing with it scudding rain and a wind that came from the South Pole.

No birds sang, there were no leaves to rustle in the breeze. The fire’s destruction had been absolute and the silence that hung in the air, punctuated only by falling timber, was unearthly.

‘Cooee!’ the bushman’s cry reverberated around the silent valley, the first sound of life she had heard since Caleb left. She started, causing Danny to stir.

‘Mama?’ he murmured.

‘I do believe that may be help,’ she said. ‘You’ve done so well, Danny. We’ll be home soon.’

She crawled out of the mine and ran down the river bank to the place where the track crossed the river, waving and almost jumping up and down in her excitement at seeing the two familiar figures riding towards her.

Penrose and Amos sloshed across the river. Then they were off their horses and, all propriety forgotten, she flung her arms around them and kissed them in turn.

‘We met Hunt on the track. He’s taken Mick’s horse and gone on into town. Mick’s following him back on foot. Now where’s the lad?’ Penrose said.

Adelaide led them to the mine and Amos carried Danny out. ‘I’ll take the boy,’ he said. ‘Mrs Greaves, do you mind riding up behind Mr Penrose?’

They helped Amos to settle Danny in front of him on his big horse. He cradled the lad in his right arm, leaving his left free to hold the reins and guide the horse. Penrose pulled Adelaide up behind him, a manoeuvre she would never have accomplished in skirts.

‘Is the town all right?’ she asked as they set out.

‘It is. Came close though,’ Amos said. He glanced at her. ‘I think you should look away, Mrs Greaves.’

‘Why? Oh—’ Adelaide peered around Penrose and caught a glimpse of a large blackened object on the track ahead of them. ‘Is that …?’

‘That’s a horse,’ Penrose said. ‘The body’s just ahead. Look away, it’s not a pretty sight.’

Adelaide turned her head and pressed her cheek into Penrose’s reassuringly warm and solid back as tears pricked the back of her eyes. Richard had been venal and self-interested but he did not deserve to die such a hideous death.