Frontier Wife Read Online Free Page B

He looked like he hated us. His eyes turned cold as ice floes.”
    “Well, he does have a commanding presence.” David’s observation shocked her.
    “I didn't think much of him.” Liar, her conscience protested. Women would fall all over him, and the arrogant devil knew it, too. She gnawed her bottom lip, wondering how he would make good his threat to bankrupt them. Hysterical laughter bubbled up in her throat. If only he knew it, they were almost penniless, this property and Warrior being the only tangible assets they owned.
    ****
    They had been at the farm for over a fortnight, yet not one person came to inquire about Warrior.
    “I'm going into town,” David announced. “I want to find out why no one has come to inspect the stallion.”
    “I might come with you. We could do with some flour and one or two other items. Let's all go, we deserve a day out,” Tommy suggested.
    “Why not? Give you a chance to look the place over. There's not much more than a general store, blacksmith and bank, though. Get yourself all prettied up while I see to the horse.”
    Tommy dressed in a pale blue moiré gown. Her straw bonnet was trimmed with matching ribbon. On impulse she put her jewelry in her bag, in case they might need it. David wore dark trousers tucked into black knee boots. His cambric shirt was one of the few good quality items she had brought out from England for him. Wearing a brown, wide brimmed hat they found at the homestead, he looked boyishly handsome.
    His face contained more color now, and the lines of strain previously etched on his features had disappeared. His leg still gave him trouble, although he didn’t drag it so much. As for Jamie, he thrived in the heat of the Australian sun. His skin took on a honey hue; his hair bleached a couple of shades lighter.
    He roamed around with the faithful Touser never far from his side. She gave him some basic school lessons. Once they settled in she would make inquiries about sending him to school. Surely there would be some decent schools nearby, even if he had to board away later on.
    David, bringing the buggy out front, broke into her musings. “Ready?”
    “Yes.”
    He did not climb down to help her board, just gave her his hand. Jamie clambered up and sat between the two of them. A flick of the reins and they set off at a respectable pace, the wheels of the buggy leaving a ribbon of dust unfurling behind them.
    It would take almost an hour to drive into town. She did not mind, it gave her a chance to survey their surroundings. The tinder dry grass waved in the breeze, the only greenness coming from the native trees and scrub. A kookaburra laughed somewhere close by, and Jamie imitated his call. They were familiar with the native birds and animals now, thanks to a book of Uncle Henry's.
    The town sat in a clearing as if tossed out of the bush by some omnipotent hand. The main street contained a wheelwright's shop, a barber, blacksmith, bank and a large general store. A dozen or so houses made up the rest of the town, most of them small slab affairs, although one or two appeared to be built of brick or stone.
    The street dozed in the shimmering afternoon sun, with just a few people leisurely going about their business. David climbed from the buggy outside the general store and helped her alight, leaving Jamie to jump down unassisted.
    Several women stood around gossiping in the store, three men also. Tommy felt their interested if somewhat hesitant stares. The storekeeper, a dumpy little man with gray, bushy side-whiskers, nodded to them both, but his demeanor screamed agitation.
    “My notice has gone from your window.” David spoke straight away. Every eye in the store turned towards them now. A strange tension twanged through the air.
    “I'm sorry, Mr. Lindsay.” The storekeeper fidgeted. “I’ve been instructed to take it down.”
    “Instructed to take it down? Who by?” Tommy broke in on the conversation.
    “By me, Miss Lindsay.” Adam Munro stepped