Tears of the Moon - Di Morrissey [56]
He hauled on one of the mooring lines to get the boat closer to the jetty, then extended his hand to help her on board. ‘We did well enough. Conrad will be able to write up another tidy profit in those immaculate records of his.’
Not wanting to accept any implied slight on her husband, Olivia leapt to his defence. ‘Immaculate they should be. That’s the only way to run a business. Efficiently.’
Tyndall threw up both hands in mock defence. ‘I’m sorry. No slight intended. You are right of course. It’s just that I’ve never been that keen on bookkeeping. Come have a look in the hold.’
The two Koepangers had already unlashed the canvas over the hold and on a word from Tyndall quickly removed the thick planks that made up the hatch. The hold was packed with bagged shell but the smell made Olivia put a hand to her nose.
‘We found a good patch of shell but I think we’re on to the last of it. One more trip should clean it out.’
They moved aft and went below into the cabin.
‘My goodness,’ exclaimed Olivia in surprise, ‘It’s remarkably tidy.’
‘The only way to run a ship, I reckon.’ He grinned, then added mockingly, ‘Efficiently.’
Olivia stiffened slightly and turned to find him smiling at her. ‘Point taken,’ she said graciously and sat on one of the two bunks. ‘I rather think I would like to come on the next voyage.’
Tyndall was stunned. ‘Whatever for? It’s … ’ He was momentarily lost for the right word. ‘Well, it’s boring … uncomfortable … not the done thing.’
‘Not the done thing,’ she echoed. ‘My goodness, you sound like Conrad in one of his conservative moods. But I have heard of pearling masters’ wives going to sea at times and in any case I don’t think it would be boring and I can quite easily cope with discomfort … as you well know, Captain Tyndall.’
Tyndall changed tack to what he confidently believed was a safe course. ‘All right, if Conrad agrees, then you can come. Now, let’s get ashore and let the crew get on with the unloading. I want to get back to sea in a few days.’
Conrad was bemused at Olivia’s suggestion that she sail on the next trip of the Bulan and was taken aback when he realised she was serious. ‘Out of the question. Dangerous, uncomfortable and not the done thing. Not the done thing at all.’
Olivia had to fight to suppress a smile. She quietly reminded him that it was not that uncommon for wives to take the occasional trip with their pearling husbands. Some had even lived on board for the entire season.
‘Ah, but you won’t be going with your husband,’ he observed with a note of triumph.
‘Does it matter?’ she asked.
‘Does it matter? Does it matter?’ exclaimed Conrad in a rising voice. ‘Have you taken leave of your senses, Olivia? People will think you have a touch of the sun.’
‘Don’t be insulting, Conrad,’ said Olivia angrily.
‘I’m sorry. But what will people think?’
‘I am sure Captain Tyndall can be trusted, Conrad. And since everyone knows that I’m an active partner in this enterprise I believe it a perfectly reasonable request. It will be a great adventure for me. I’m going, and that’s it.’
‘You get seasick.’
‘I got sick on the trip from Fremantle because I was pregnant and it was a long trip in rough conditions,’ Olivia countered, then hesitated before going on with a look of sadness and a voice trembling with emotion. ‘There’s another reason I need to go, Conrad.’ She collapsed into a cane chair and rested her forehead in the palm of her hand. ‘We can call into Cossack on the way down. No matter how hard I try to get on with life here in Broome, part of me is buried in Cossack. I really need to go back. I need to visit his grave. Can you understand that, Conrad? He’s our son.’
Conrad went to her and knelt down, taking her other hand in his. ‘I understand now, but this is not a decision to be taken lightly.’ Then he suddenly smiled, confident he had found the solution to the dilemma. ‘Well,