Читать книгу From Orchards to Outback - Tracey Friday - Страница 14

“Now, Maggie,” started Mrs McKinnley, “the kitchen. It’s the heart of the homestead and the largest room by far. As well as meals, it is often used for staff meetings and the like. And this…” she said indicating the immense kitchen table, “can seat thirty people at a push, and it has on many occasions. The kitchen door is a constant thoroughfare during the day plus we have shearers, visiting stockmen and many other hands during the seasons.”

Maggie tried to imagine catering for thirty people in one go. To her, any more than four was a huge crowd. The kitchen was clean and big, painted white, and well looked after with a very homely feel. Along the far wall were two large range cookers, quite like what Mrs Sutton had at the Manor. There were many cupboards and shelves with all kinds of pots and pans and it looked like a hard-working and orderly kitchen.

“Mrs Heppler, Elsa and I do the cooking and it often seems like when one meal ends, we are moving on directly to the next. It is hard work, particularly with the heat, but I hope that you can help out from time to time to get the experience of the whole Station. On occasions we have extra kitchen help but mostly it is just the three of us. The staff quarters do have their own facilities, but we like a family environment here and all are welcome to join us for meals. Staff can opt in or out, it is up to them, but if they choose to dine with us then all we ask is a modest housekeeping fee that is deducted from their weekly wage…”

“Yes, please count me in as well, Mrs McKinnley and I’d be more than happy to take my turn in the kitchen, although my cooking skills aren’t much. I haven’t ever cooked for more than four people,” Maggie said with a worried look on her face as she eyed the vast table.

“Four or forty, it doesn’t matter, Maggie. Just double, triple and quadruple the ingredients. You’ll be catering for a whole army single-handedly before you know it.” Mrs McKinnley laughed but Maggie wasn’t convinced as they sat at the table with another cup of tea.

“During the day it’s rare that no one is in here, but there is always someone close by, remember that. In an emergency all you need to do is ring the bell outside the kitchen door and someone will come running. You’d be surprised how far the sound of that bell will reach.

“It’s also important that you know where rifles and medical supplies are kept as someone’s life may depend on your immediate action. We’ll go over that in a moment. No need to ask about your driving skills, you have proved that one already.” They laughed again. Maggie felt very comfortable with Mrs McKinnley and hoped she would earn her keep and prove her worth as part of the team.

After they finished their tea, Mrs McKinnley showed Maggie where the loaded rifle and the ammunition was kept. She went through the medical box thoroughly and also stated that there were identical boxes kept in the barn, staff quarters, shearing shed, and stables and that one was always taken when the team went out mustering. They then walked through the far kitchen door that led to a long corridor that ran the full length of the homestead. The corridor was the main walkway to all the other rooms in the homestead. It reminded Maggie of the ship’s corridor outside her cabin.

“It may take a little time to remember what room is where,” said Mrs McKinnley. “The only thing I can think of to help you is that there are eight bedrooms here, four at one end of the corridor, and four the other. As you know, yours is down the far left side with Emily currently in the room opposite to you. Next to yours is Sylvia and across the hall is Jack’s room. Mine and Mr McKinnley’s are at the other far end, we have a room apiece opposite each other and the other two are currently empty.”

“Where are Mrs Heppler and Elsa?” asked Maggie.

“On the other side of the yard. It’s a separate building but adjoins the men’s staff quarters. Goodness, that sounds horrible doesn’t it? But it isn’t, truly. You’ll see for yourself later what I mean. Also, from time to time, Elsa prefers to live in a small shack over the next paddock, but she knows there is always room here if she wishes.”

Mrs McKinnley seemed to open door after door and like the kitchen, the whole homestead was dominantly painted white. There was a beautiful dining room with an antique polished table that could sit twelve people in comfort. The room was tastefully decorated and wouldn’t have looked out of place in the Squire’s Manor house. The floor was solid oak and the walls were painted dark bottle green. Heavy cream drapes framed two sets of large windows from where the view over the lush lawn and beds of native plants and gum trees was breathtaking. Then the two women walked through adjoining interior double doors through to the lounge area. This room was decorated in creams and whites and looked open and fresh and again had amazing views of the garden and paddock beyond. There was an enormous sandstone fireplace and plenty of inviting settees and one seater chairs with ample scatter cushions.

“I love these rooms!” said Maggie admiringly, “you have decorated beautifully.”

“Thank you, Maggie,” said Mrs McKinnley, pleased with the compliment. “I am currently working on new cushion covers in readiness for the winter season. I try to mix up the colours a bit. The whole room more or less stays the same, I just add a splash of colour with the covers. It’s surprising how it changes a room for minimal cost.”

“What’s your winter colour scheme?”

“I have three yards of deep apricot which should go very well against the white and cream. What do you think?”

“That’s a lovely combination, it will look splendid, Mrs McKinnley.”

They walked back to the corridor and continued passed the bathroom then onto the library. It was a relatively smaller room but again, tastefully decorated and had a relaxing feel to it with floor to ceiling bookcases. Everyone was welcome to come and choose a book to read there or to take away on the understanding that it would be returned. Next to the library was Mrs McKinnley’s sewing room.

“I love it in here, Maggie,” she said with pride. “I could easily spend hours and hours as I find sewing relaxing and it gives me time to think. Do you like to sew?”

“To be honest Mrs McKinnley, I haven’t sewed for years. I used to sew and make little woodland critters with my grandma and Sally. I also enjoyed cross stitch and that was about it. But looking in here, I have the urge to start up again right now.”

“You are a breath of fresh air, Maggie,” smiled Mrs McKinnley. “I love to cross stitch too, perhaps we’ll do some in the evenings and get Mrs Heppler, Emily and Elsa involved as well? It will be fun. I had high expectations that Sylvia would take up sewing one day, but it doesn’t seem to interest her in the slightest. After I’ve finished the cushion covers I hope to make a wedding dress for Jack’s fiancée.”

Maggie felt her heart catapult into her throat. Dreamy Jack was engaged? “That’s a lovely gesture,” she responded, keeping her voice steady even though her heart was pounding in her chest. Why was she reacting this way? “I didn’t realise Jack was engaged, I should’ve congratulated him when I arrived,” she said.

“Sorry Maggie, I’ve jumped the gun. Jack and Kara aren’t engaged yet, but it’s only a matter of time, you’ll see,” she said gleefully. “You will love Kara and her mother. Between us we have more or less arranged everything already. We all think Jack will propose in front of everyone at the rodeo in March. Kara, Mrs Sampson and I are hoping for a very short engagement with the wedding by the end of the year. It’s so very exciting.”

Maggie smiled, as she felt her heart sink.

Next, Mrs McKinnley opened the doors to two offices where Maggie peered in for a quick look. Mr McKinnley senior had the main office where the radio stood on a sturdy antique mahogany desk. There were a number of bookshelves and a couple of filing cabinets, a safe and a gun cabinet that was affixed to the wall. This room also had a spectacular view of the garden.

Both Jack and Mr Price shared the adjoining office where there were two modest desks with stacks of paperwork and two filing cabinets. Mrs McKinnley said that she would also teach Maggie how to operate the radio, as it was a rule that everyone on the Station knew how to do so.

They then made their way back to the kitchen.

“If you’ll excuse me now Maggie, I need to help Elsa with lunch but I’ll get Ted to continue the tour and take you to the immediate outbuildings so you can get a feel for the place.” Mrs McKinnley handed Maggie an Akubra hat. “You are welcome to keep it as it’s a spare and it looks like it might be about your size.”

With the hat on, Maggie felt as if she belonged to the Station now. She followed Ted outside to walk over to the staff quarters.

“How are you settling in, Maggie?” Ted asked, with a cheeky grin. He looked to be in his late twenties and was quite tall and slim.

“Very well Ted, thank you. The whole place is huge compared to what I am used to.”

The yard was extremely generous in size and walking at a leisurely pace it took them a couple of minutes to walk the distance over to the long wooden building with a corrugated roof. The staff quarters were where the men bunked down in two large rooms that could be stretched to accommodate thirty with basic kitchen facilities. Outside there were three outhouses and a shower block. Ted explained that Mrs Heppler’s and Elsa’s accommodation was much smaller in size, but they had everything they needed, including a tin bath and overall the area looked comfortable. And, as Mrs Heppler was sleeping, they decided not to go in as they didn’t want to disturb her.

“The quarters here are none too exciting,” Ted said. “But it’s a roof over our heads and at the end of the day we’re all so dog tired that we just crash on our bunks. I’ve been around, and this is quite good compared to most on offer.”

“How long have you been here?”

“Five years now and I have no plans of moving on just yet.” As they walked in and out and around the various outbuildings Ted continued to chat about the Station. “It’s a good place to work and we all get on reasonably well. Dusty and Mellow have been here much longer and I don’t think they will ever move on.”

“Nicknames? I didn’t like to ask before.”

“You got it,” he laughed, “Dusty’s real name is Phil but no matter how much he tries not to, he always comes back from a muster covered in more dust than anyone else – and that includes the sheep!”

Maggie laughed. “Makes sense, I noticed he wiped the dust off his hand before we shook hands earlier. That’s funny.”

“It is. And Mellow’s real name is Jim but we call him Mellow because you don’t expect such a big fella to be called Mellow, although he can have a somewhat fiery nature.”

“Thanks for the warning,” she smiled, “no nickname for you?”

“No, none for me or Sid. Our names are quick and easy, so why change them?”

Maggie nodded. “And what of Mr Price?”

“Ah, well, that’s a different kettle of frogs altogether. See, we tend to keep nicknames to us young ones, the older folk aren’t really into all that.”

“Ah, understand.”

They began to walk down to the shearing shed where five kelpies caught up with them and ran around excitedly as Maggie tried to pat them all.

“I wonder if I will get a nickname?” she said jokingly.

“You already have,” exclaimed Ted, as if it was the best news for ages.

“Surely not. I haven’t been here a day yet.” She looked at him in surprise.

“Bullet.”

“You’re pulling my leg.”

“No, seriously. From the way you drove in here yesterday. Mellow said that you drove like you’d been fired from a gun – so a new nickname was born,” he laughed.

“Blimey, Ted. You take no prisoners here do you?” she said in jest. Bullet, she didn’t mind it at all.

“All the outbuildings are quite a way from the homestead and the shearing shed further still. I know you have all this space out here, but why are they spread so far apart?”

“Fire prevention mainly. With the buildings being a reasonable distance apart, the fire shouldn’t spread if we hose down properly to prevent embers from travelling in the wind. Also, the shearing shed is quite near to the sheep pens and the drainage is good down there, very important for keeping the sheep dry just prior to shearing. You’ll see why when the season starts in July.”

It was stifling hot by the time they reached the shearing shed and Maggie had built up quite a sweat.

“You’ll get used to the heat,” said Ted, as Maggie took off her hat and fanned herself.

“Do you know that at this precise moment in England it’s probably minus five and snowing?”

“No kidding? I’ve never seen snow.”

“Believe me, you haven’t missed much. It gets so cold that your fingers and toes go numb.”

“Can’t imagine being that cold at all.”

The shearing shed was a massive timber framed building covered in corrugated iron sheets and before even going inside, Maggie knew that it would be like a furnace.

“Mind your step Maggie,” said Ted more seriously, as they climbed up inside, “this building isn’t used too much out of season so there may be the odd snake or five, but you will get used to that.”

“Ted,” she said as she put her hat back on, “in all honesty, I’d prefer rabbits.”