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
‘I am fortunate the investors are patient men. We’ve dug out enough to indicate that there is more to find and we are confident we will hit the main seam soon, aren’t we, William?’
‘It’s good of you to give your men a day off,’ Adelaide said.
‘I have a team working in the mine, Mrs Greaves. Save for the Sabbath, there are no days off in this business.’ He raised his hat. ‘If you’ll excuse me, I—’
His gaze flew to the mine, where the frantic tolling of a bell cut across the noise of the jovial day. The last note of the tuba died away as the clanging continued. The crowd froze and every face turned to the mine, where a man could be seen running down the hill, hat in his hand.
As he reached the Mechanics’ Institute, the crowd parted, allowing him to reach Cowper.
‘What is it?’ Cowper’s lips had compressed into a thin line.
‘Accident. Geordie’s had his hand crushed.’ The words came out in a breathy rush as the panting man doubled over, his chest heaving.
Cowper looked around. ‘Where’s that bloody doctor? Has anyone seen Bowen today?’
‘I’ll fetch him,’ a man volunteered.
Cowper strode off in the direction of the mine. ‘Penrose!’ he yelled over his shoulder.
Penrose shot Caleb and Adelaide an apologetic glance and scampered after his uncle.
The crowd dissolved into knots of people talking together in hushed voices.
Fully ten minutes passed before the man who had gone for Bowen returned, hot and breathless. He slapped at his trousers with his hat as his colleagues gathered around him.
‘The old sod is two sheets to the wind,’ he said. ‘He’s no good for anything.’
The men looked up at the mine. One shook his head. ‘Geordie’s done for,’ he said in a sombre tone.
‘I …’ Caleb’s breathing grew ragged and uneven.
Adelaide glanced at him. All the colour had drained from his face. She gripped his arm. ‘What is it?’
‘I’m a doctor,’ he said so quietly even Adelaide struggled to hear him.
‘Caleb?’
‘I don’t have time to explain, Adelaide.’ He took the key from around his neck and handed it to her. ‘At the bottom of my chest is a wooden box—bring it to me at the mine. Amos,’ he addressed the coachman who had joined them, ‘Go up to Bowen’s and bring me his bag. Make sure it contains morphine and chloroform.’
He took a deep breath. ‘I’m a doctor,’ he said in a loud voice. ‘Let me through.’
Thirteen
Thirteen