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With effort Karl controlled his natural inclinations and took great care not to strike either of them, nor did he make sexual demands. His lust increased but he wasn’t prepared to repeat the mistakes made in Queensland. However, he did not let on to Katherine that he was limited in his actions by his dependency upon Benjamin. If he was patient, all things would come to him. He smiled to himself. Life was looking up for Karl Brudos.
When Benjamin suggested again that she be a proper wife to him now that Karl had taught her, she demurred. She would try to remain as unobtrusive as possible. She was friendly but aloof; polite but remote. Now her objective was safety, not escape.
Karl watched the changes in the woman. With the right pressure he could make the stresses between the three increasingly obvious.
* * *
Some days after Benjamin’s return from Perth, Katherine was clearing the dishes from the evening meal. Karl and Benjamin remained at the table. Each had their preferred after dinner drinks and Karl was smoking his unusual, sweet smelling cigarette in which he’d sprinkled more of the white powder.
Benjamin asked him, ‘What’s that stuff ya put in ya smokes?’
‘Called ‘busy bee’ an’ makes ya feel good. Try some, since ya’s a beekeeper?’
‘No. Smokin’s agin the word a God. Ya should treat ya body as God’s temple, the temple of the Lord.’
Karl turned to Katherine. ‘Ya wanna try some of me smokes? Some blokes call it ‘angel dust’ an’ youse thinks youse an angel, don’t ya? Too good fa the likes a us, eh?’
‘No, I don’t smoke at all, especially stuff I’m not familiar with.’
Karl noticed Katherine moving around her child, doing her best to avoid falling over Carolyn as she tidied away the meal things.
‘Ya kid’s getting’ in ya way,’ observed Karl.
‘No, she’s fine. I j
ust needed some space. See, she’s so good. She’s gone to sit in the corner and is playing with her doll.’
‘Ya know, Benjamin, I reckons ya woman spends all ‘er time lookin’ after ‘er kid.’ He blew a cloud of smoke in Katherine’s direction. ‘That’s why she ain’t time ta be a proper wife ta ya.’
Katherine responded as she took the last dishes from the table. ‘I work like a wife here. No, more like a slave. I spend most of my time cleaning, mending, washing, working —’
‘Yeah, but Benjamin says ya still ain’t a proper wife. Ya don’ sleep with ‘im, do ya? An’ ‘e give ya that machine.’
‘I do everything he expects of me, except that. I do all the work —’
Karl turned to Benjamin. ‘Like I says, p’raps I could take the kid with me next time I go bush, shootin’ ferals.’ He looked at Katherine meaningfully. ‘With the kid out of the way gives ya and ya woman bitta time together without her hangin’ round. She hangs ‘round her mum like a bad smell. Wadda ya think, eh, Benjamin?’
Benjamin thought for a while. The suggestion appealed. He listened more and more to advice from Karl. Perhaps the child was a distraction. Maybe the reason Katherine was so remote was that she was pre-occupied with her child. ‘Yeah, mebbe ya right, eh Karl?’
‘Sure I am. She’s a bit young, but I could mebbe teach the kid to shoot, eh,’ he looked at Katherine and, unseen by Benjamin, winked at her.
‘No, she can’t go with you. She’s only little, just under three. She can’t go out with you, God alone knows where. Shooting. And how will you —’
Karl silenced her saying, ‘Ain’t ya decision, woman. If Benjamin reckons ya need time by ya selves, I’ll look after the kid.’
Before she could protest further Benjamin repeated his comment, ‘Yeah, mebbe ya right, Karl. Next time ya go eh? When’s that?’
‘T’morra, or day after.’
That night, after settling Carolyn off to sleep, Katherine had decided what to do.
When she arrived at the main bedroom Benjamin was already in the double bed and wide awake. The flickering gas lamp cast low shadows. He looked up as she entered.
‘I knew ya’d come. Tonight I ‘ad me God’s vision. Blinded by a great light I was an’ God told me ya’d come ta me as me wife. Come closer, woman.’
Hesitantly she approached the bed. She recalled her first thoughts when she arrived, ‘not with this bastard. I’ll die first.’
As she drew near his arm flashed out and grabbed her wrist. ‘I’se bin waitin’ fa ya, woman. Too long, bin waitin’. He effortlessly pulled her on to the bed, fumbled with her shift pulling it up to her waist and then rolled on top of her. He forced her legs apart with his knee and without hesitation thrust into her.
