A Darker Music Read Online Free PDF

them. It wasn’t till later that they went into Merinos. That was Ellen’s idea. She’d always wanted to breed fine-wool sheep, and apparently you can’t in England because their pasture’s too rich in protein and coarsens the wool. Fine wool wasn’t fashionable then, but Ellen stuck to her guns. People thought she was misguided or eccentric. Or just plain batty.’
    Mary pulled one of the dining chairs over and sat down near Clio. Now that she was relaxed — her face animated and with a trace of colour warming her pallor — Clio was just as good-looking as her husband and son, with dramatic bone structure and a long neck that set off those wonderful dark eyes and wavy hair. The garment she was wearing over the cotton gown was hand-knitted in natural wool, thick and creamy white, and looked warm. The ugg boots were the colour of milky coffee, decorated with a line of coloured braid that ran up the back seam and disappeared under the folds of the gown.
    ‘That’s very interesting.’ Mary wanted to keep her talking. ‘I was hoping I’d learn something about the stud business while I’m here.’
    ‘Were you? Then you’d better have a word with Cec.’
    ‘Cec? I haven’t …’
    ‘No, of course not. You’ve hardly had time. Cec is our studmaster. He and his wife Janet live in the stone house. That was the Downe homestead before Ellen had this one built. It’s smaller, but Cec and Janet have no children so it’s quite big enough for them. Janet likes the old style.’
    ‘I haven’t seen anyone there.’
    ‘Janet’s a teacher.’
    ‘At Glen …’ Mary struggled to remember the name of the town Paul had mentioned, where there was a high school.
    ‘Glendenup? No, Janet’s Head at Eticup Primary.’
    ‘Eticup? Where’s that?’
    ‘About thirty kilometres. Just the school, pub, and a petrol station with a bit of a shop.’
    ‘Is that the nearest town?’
    ‘Milyup’s closer, but in the other direction.’
    ‘What’s at Milyup?’
    ‘Population forty-five. There’s a garage-stroke-motel with a bottle shop.’
    Mary was beginning to grasp Downe’s isolation. ‘I thought there’d be a town closer than that. A proper town, with shops, and maybe a cinema …’ ‘Sorry. Why?’
    ‘I had an idea I might be able to use one of the farm vehicles to go there for my days off.’
    ‘Albany’s the nearest proper town. It’s more than an hour away, even driving fast. It’d take you longer, not knowing the roads.’
    Mary was disappointed. She’d ask Paul about a vehicle, though; it might still be possible to get away for a change now and then.
    Clio went on. ‘There’s always the pistol club at Milyup and the rifle range, if you want to socialise. You don’t play golf, do you?’ ‘No. But a pistol club?’
    Something in Mary’s tone made Clio smile. ‘Don’t you like guns?’
    ‘Not a lot.’
    ‘On a farm they’re essential. Getting rid of vermin like foxes and rabbits. Putting down animals that are too sick to survive …’
    ‘But a pistol?’ To Mary, handguns had associations with gangsters and crime.
    ‘Handguns are easier to use when you’re putting an injured animal out of its misery. If you read Ellen’s diary, you’ll come to a part about a bush fire, when Ellen had to shoot the poor beasts that had been burnt.’
    Clio paused. When she spoke again, her thoughts had evidently gone off on a different tack. ‘You might run into Janet one weekend. Or you might not … they often go camping. Cec lives in the hope that he’ll discover a wildflower that’s new to science and can be named after him.’
    ‘I’ll be going to afternoon tea at Gloria’s on Sunday.’ Gayleen had come over earlier with the invitation. ‘Maybe I’ll meet them there.’
    Clio seemed taken aback by this piece of news.
    ‘Is that a problem?’ Mary was pleased that she’d brought the matter up now and not left it till Sunday. Saturday and Sunday should be her days off.
    Clio was looking down at her