‘Oh, I ain’t denying that, gal. But they say Paradise is beautiful too, don’t they? And I ain’t ready to go there neither!’ Nelly’s face was deadly serious and to Emma, who understood her friend’s horror of what she had endured, it was obvious that she would rather die than ever again leave the shores of her motherland. ‘But go on, go on, darlin’,’ Nelly urged now, ‘what about this here business between Silas and Rita Hughes… her that manages the trading post?… Y’say they fancy each other, eh? And that the sour-faced Martha walked right in on it, eh? Oho!… I’ll bet that shook the bugger up, what!’ Nelly was positively beside herself with excitement at the thought.

Emma couldn’t help but laugh. ‘Really, Nelly, you are incorrigible!’ she chastized. ‘That was not how I told the tale… well, not exactly,’ she had to admit. ‘What I said was soon after our arrival in Fremantle, both Marlow and I noticed how dependent Rita Hughes was on Silas… and how he seemed always unusually attentive to her. It was very clear to me that the two of them had grown close, enjoying each other’s company.’

‘Right! That’s what I said… They were sweet on each other. Then what? Martha caught them at it?’

‘Oh, Nelly, you do have a blunt way with words, and you mustn’t let your imagination run riot,’ Emma told her firmly. ‘It was all very unfortunate. Silas planned a lovely farewell evening in Marlow’s and my honour… a dinner dance for about a dozen people or so. Now, I’m not quite sure what actually took place, but it seems Martha had not informed Silas she was on her way to Australia. No one knew that she had arrived that very evening. It was quite a shock, I can tell you, when she appeared… then disappeared in search of Silas. Apparently, she found him out on the back porch… with Rita.’

‘Kissing and cuddling, eh?’

‘Yes, Nelly… “kissing and cuddling”.’

‘Oho! Then all hell was let loose, eh?’ Nelly sat, wide-eyed and thrilled, while Emma described how there had been a shrill cry and the sound of an argument coming from the porch. Then, after a few seconds, Martha had flounced into the room and out of the front door, her face a bright red study in rage and embarrassment. Soon after, Silas had followed her, and Rita Hughes made her excuses to leave. Before she and Marlow had boarded their ship the next day, Silas had confided that he had been deeply attracted to Rita, and now he was caught in the dilemma of having divided affections. He was genuinely very fond of Rita – a hardworking and unusually loyal woman who had been lonely most of her adult life – but now that Martha had answered his more fervent plea, to join him in Australia, he was a man torn in two.

‘Poor sod!’ Nelly exclaimed, but with a cheeky twinkle in her brown eyes.