Later Jack goes for a walk with Jessica. It has become a habit for them to do so after dinner when they’ll stroll down to look at the cows or simply sit under a tree and chat. After what Jack’s told them Jessica’s mind is racing. She hasn’t, as Hester and Meg have done, seen the significance of Jack regaining his inheritance. Her thoughts are consumed by the idea that he will be going away to war and that he will be in danger.
‘Jack, can’t you wait to be called up? Joe says they’ll probably have to call the older blokes first. They won’t want the young blokes from the militia going straight away.’
‘Nah, Jessie, I’ve got to do my bit. Australians have always volunteered, it’s .. .’ he stops to think a moment then continues, ‘well, it’s the right thing to do, ain’t it?’
‘But Joe says the Brits haven’t done all that much for us. He doesn’t see it’s our war. It doesn’t make sense,’
Jessica says slowly, then she looks up at Jack, her eyes damp with tears. ‘Jack, I’m gunna miss you something terrible.’ A tear now runs down Jessica’s cheek and she tries to laugh, brushing it away impatiently with her fist. Jack reaches out and takes her hand. ‘Jessie, I dunno how to say it, mate.’
Jessica looks up at Jack, surprised. ‘Say what?’ ‘Well, nothing’s changed since Narrandera. But it’s my duty to fight for my country.’ He pulls Jessica’s hand against his chest. ‘I ain’t much good at saying things, Jessie, but if I come back will you marry me?’
Jessica bursts into tears, not sure she’s heard Jack correct. ‘What?’ she asks astonished, unable quite to grasp Jack’s words. ‘Marry? You and me?’
‘Yeah, I thought, you know after Narrandera and all that .. .’ his voice trails off. ‘You don’t have to, Jack.’
Jack reaches out and holds her against his chest and pats her clumsily on the back. ‘Jessica I can’t now, not until I come back, I just wanted to .. .’ He does not complete the sentence.
Jessica pulls away suddenly and looks at him. ‘Oh, Jack, I love you so, I want you, I want your children.’ ‘Hey, steady, girl,’ Jack laughs, then he is suddenly serious. ‘Jessie, that’s just it, ain’t it. I can’t marry you until I get back from the war. What if we had a child and I wasn’t there, and say I was killed — you’d be a widow and the child would have no father, I couldn’t ever do that to you, Jess.’ Jack stands awkwardly in front of Jessica. ‘Will you wait for me, Tea Leaf?’
Jessica smiles through her tears. ‘Only if you’ll kiss me now, Jack Thomas.’
Jack takes Jessica in his arms and kisses her and Jessica feels she must surely die if his lips should ever leave hers again.
Jack pushes her away gently. ‘Shall we go back and tell your parents we are betrothed?’
Jessica grows suddenly cold. In the excitement of Jack’s joining up she had quite forgotten Meg’s reaction to his announcement about Ada’s fortune and his inheritance of Riverview Station. She now realises she has won the prize and that Hester and Meg will never forgive her. Then as quickly her heart grows cold with fear. Jack might be killed — she might never have him as her own. Then she thinks again of Hester. Her mother will want to make’ the best of it, she will put pressure on Jack to marry her before he goes away. Hester will not want so rich a prize to slip through her fingers.
‘No, Jack, I can’t bear to have others think of you as mine until you are returned safely to me. If you will keep your promise, I will keep mine. It must be our secret, our .. .’ Jessica wants to say love but is too shy to use the unfamiliar word. ‘What began at Narrandera, we’ll have again when you get back. Already there are too many tongues wagging. I don’t want to live with people talking about me, about us ... I’ll wait and pray for your safety every day you’re away, I don’t need no ring to remind me of your promise.’
After Jack has departed all hell breaks loose in the Bergman household. Meg has taken to her bed, weeping, with Hester in attendance. The two of them spend all afternoon together while Jessica and Joe go about the usual Sunday chores. Jessica is just back from milking the cow and enters the kitchen carrying a pail of milk when Hester turns to her and takes the pail. ‘Sit down, Jessica, I want to talk to you.’ Meg is nowhere to be seen and Jessica supposes she is still in bed. How very glad she is that Jack has not made an announcement.
‘Jessica, I want you to listen to me now,’ Hester says again and indicates a stool. Jessica realises that her mother must have seen her coming up from the cow paddock and has already placed a mug of tea down on the table for her.
‘I ain’t done nothing,’ Jessica says defensively. Hester ignores her protest. ‘It’s about Jack.’ ‘Jack? What about Jack?’ Jessica immediately feels guilty, Hester can’t possibly know.
‘About him going away in a week. I don’t want you to see him again.’
‘Huh?’ Jessica frowns and looks up at her mother puzzled, ‘Why ever not, Mother?’ Her heart is beginning to beat faster.
Hester sighs and sits down on the stool beside Jessica. ‘You’re not a fool, Jessica, and you know there are people who think you and Jack, well, after what happened at the courthouse in Narrandera people think .. .’
/> ‘Think what?’ Jessica interrupts.
‘Think that you’ll soon be betrothed.’ Jessica looks down into her lap and bites her bottom lip. She hesitates a moment as she fights back her tears. ‘He’s going to the war, he may be killed,’ she chokes, then looks up tearfully at Hester. ‘But why can’t I see him, he’s my friend?’
Hester takes Jessica’s small hand and absently examines her broken nails. ‘Because he’s not yours — he’s Meg’s.’
‘Meg’s? But I thought ... ?’ Jessica is deeply shocked.
‘Well you were wrong, my girl. We were just allowing things to quieten down a bit. Meg was being kind to you. I expect Jack was, too.’
‘Kind? What do you mean, kind? What things?’
‘Well, after you took Billy Simple in to Narrandera, the doctor at the hospital there said you might have a nervous breakdown, what with everything that happened. He said we should be careful not to upset you.’ ‘What’s a nervous breakdown?’
‘It’s something that sometimes happens when you’ve had a bad shock, like the business with Billy Simple.’ ‘What’s it got to do with Jack?’
‘Well, he told Jack too,’ Hester lies. ‘Meg and Jack, they were just being kind to you.’