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
‘Where are the western goldfields?’ Caleb asked.
Mrs Greaves considered his question. ‘Anywhere west of Melbourne,’ she said. ‘Ballarat is the big one. One of the first places they found gold, I believe. Why do you ask?’
‘I entrusted a man called Hannigan with the equipment I needed for my mine. Apparently he’s absconded with it.’
‘Ah. If you’re going after Hannigan, you’ll have a hard job finding him.’
‘Not sure I have much choice,’ Caleb said.
She set her darning down and looked at him. ‘You wouldn’t really kill him, would you?’
Caleb did not feel in the mood to make any such undertakings. If Hannigan had walked through the door that second, he would gladly have drawn his Colt—if it hadn’t been secured in his chest. ‘I don’t care about Hannigan. I just want my equipment back,’ he said.
‘Then report it to the police. It’s theft.’
‘Are you always this sensible?’
‘I’ll send Danny for Sergeant Maidment. You can make a police report,’ she said.
‘For what it’s worth,’ Caleb said with a sigh.
She cocked her head and considered him for a long moment. ‘Actually, Maidment is a good police officer,’ she said. ‘Takes his job seriously. I think you’ll like him.’
She rose and picked up the book from the table beside Caleb.
‘Are you sure you want to turn your hand to this, Mr Hunt? It’s hard and mostly unrewarding.’
‘Not much else I can do, Mrs Greaves. As you might say, the good Lord in his wisdom has set my foot on this path.’
She set the book back on the table. ‘You told Reverend Johnson that you and God had parted ways.’
‘That we have, but he is a useful scapegoat when needed.’
Her lips curved into a smile, and her brown eyes sparkled. It occurred to him for the first time in their acquaintance that, in different clothes and a softer hairstyle, Adelaide Greaves would be quite a beauty. Whoever her seafaring husband had been, surely ten years was long enough to mourn him?
But Caleb knew from long experience that it didn’t do to offend God-fearing folk such as Adelaide Greaves and he’d said enough. He carefully swung his feet to the floor and reached for his stick. ‘I’ve been meaning to talk with you, Mrs Greaves. I feel I have imposed on you long enough. As I’m now relatively ambulatory, it is time I found some alternative accommodation.’