In the Land of the Long White Cloud

into the house in the middle of dinner. On the other hand, she could hardly leave Ruben alone with the fence. Then the rams would waste no time heading right back up to the highlands again the next day.
    To Fleurette’s relief, Ruben’s mother now approached them—with her mild-mannered mule, which she had laden with tools and fencing materials.
    Helen waved at her. “Go on home, Fleur, we’ll take care of this,” she said kindly. “It was very nice of you to help Ruben bring the sheep back. There’s no reason you should be punished for your good deed with trouble at home. And that’s what will happen if you’re late getting home.”
    Fleurette nodded gratefully. “Then I’ll see you at school tomorrow, Miss O’Keefe!” she exclaimed. As it was, she had more or less finished school, but it was an excuse to spend time with Ruben every day. She was good at math, could read and write, and had read many of the classics, or at least the first few pages of them, though not in their original language as Ruben had. Fleur thought that knowing Greek and Latin was unnecessary, so there was hardly anything left that Helen could teach her. However, after Lucas’s death, Gwyneira had donated many of his botany and zoology books to Helen’s school. Fleur browsed them with interest while Ruben dedicated himself to his books. He would have to go to Dunedin the following year if he wanted to continue his studies. Helen still had no idea how she was going to make that idea palatable to Howard. Moreover, there was no money left over for his studies; Ruben would have to rely on George Greenwood’s generous help—at least until he could distinguish himself enough to earn a scholarship. But studying in Dunedin would separate Ruben and Fleurette for a time. Just as Marama had, Helen recognized that the two were obviously in love and had already spoken with Gwyneira about it. In principle, the mothers had nothing against the union, but naturally, they fearedGerald’s and Howard’s reactions. They agreed that the young couple should wait a couple of years before entering into any permanent commitment. Ruben had just turned seventeen; Fleur was still not quite sixteen. Helen and Gwyneira both felt that they were still too young to tie themselves down.
    Ruben helped Fleur put the saddle they had taken off to be able to ride together back on her mare. He stole a kiss before she mounted.
    “I love you, until tomorrow!” he said quietly.
    “Only until tomorrow?” she returned, laughing.
    “No, for forever. And a few days beyond that!” Ruben’s hand stroked hers softly, and Fleurette beamed at him as she rode out of the yard. Ruben watched her go until the last shimmer of her red-gold hair and her sorrel’s equally luminous tail had melted into the evening light. Helen’s voice shook him out of his reverie.
    “Come on, Ruben, the fence isn’t going to fix itself. We’d better be finished by the time your father comes home.”

    Fleurette spurred her horse on at a brisk pace and would almost have been punctual for dinner at Kiward Station. But there was no one in the stables to whom she could give Minette, so had to take care of her horse herself. By the time the mare had been brushed, watered, and provided with food, the first course was no doubt already on the table. Fleurette sighed. She could steal into the house and skip dinner entirely. However, she was afraid that Paul had seen her ride into the yard; she had detected movement from behind his window, and he would tell on her without question. So Fleur gave in to the inevitable. At least she would get something to eat. She was starving after her day in the highlands. She decided to approach the situation optimistically and put a beaming smile on her face when she entered the dining room.
    “Good evening, Grandfather, good evening, Mummy! I’m an itty bit late today because I was an itty bit wrong about how much time it would take to…uh, to…”
    Stupid that she couldn’t think of an excuse off the top of her head. She could not possibly say she had spent the day herding Howard O’Keefe’s sheep.
    “To help your beau hunt down his sheep?” Paul asked with a sardonic expression on his face.
    Gwyneira blew up. “Paul, what is that supposed to mean? Do you always have to tease your sister?”
    “Did you or didn’t you?” Paul asked insolently.
    Fleurette blushed. “I…”
    “With whom were you hunting down sheep?” Gerald inquired. He was pretty