After Midnight

I wrapped my shawl tighter around me, the night was chilly and I had been waiting a while but I had no intention of giving up. Joe had said he would come and I knew he would keep his word. The darkness did not worry me, the stars gave enough light for me to see by and the mossy rock I was sitting on was not too uncomfortable. The whole of the Woolshed Valley opened up in front of me; I was familiar enough with it to be able to picture the different houses even though the only thing I could see were tiny dots of light scattered here and there down below. Even at night the view from the top of the Gorge was impressive, the sky with its endless expanse of stars almost close enough to touch.

I heard an owl call and I knew Joe was nearby; expectantly I turned to look toward the dark bush and saw him emerge from the shadows.

“Kate, it’s so good to see you!  I am sorry to have kept you waiting, lass. ”

He pulled me into his arms and it would not have mattered to me if I had been there for days, just waiting for that moment. He was there and that was all that I cared about. It was much too rarely that I saw him these days and every time was a gift. His kiss was gentle and I lost myself in it, wrapping my arms around him as tight as I could. He was leaner than I remembered but his strength was the same as he lifted me up and held me to him.

“You will have heard the news lass, I am worth two thousand pounds now. Not that it matters, the traps will be disappointed if they think anyone will sell the Kelly Gang to them. No amount of money they are offering for us is going to make people forget the blacklists and throwing farmers  into gaol in the middle of a harvest without a shred of evidence .”

“They are talking about nothing else at The Commercial. And your latest ballad is quite popular, even Old O’Brien is singing it and they are especially loud if Constable Kennedy happens to wander in.”

“Constable Kennedy? He’s still got his eye on you then?”

There was something in Joe’s eyes and his tone of voice, not suspicion exactly but a kind of sneer.

“And you think I’ve got him waiting in the bushes to pounce on you, is that it?”

He was instantly contrite and tightened his arms around me, resting his face against my hair so that his voice was slightly muffled.

“I’m sorry.  Please forgive me Kate. Of course I don’t think that, I trust you. It’s just that… There’s too much time to think, up in the hills with nothing to do but wait. I’m not much good to you no matter which way you look at it, I should leave you be…”

Joe always seemed in such perfect control of himself and his surroundings that to hear him talk like that made me feel a cold that had nothing to do with the weather. I pulled away slightly, caught his face in my hands and forced him to look at me.

“Joe, listen to me. I am here because I want to be. Of course I’d like for things to be different… Oh, if only you would leave Victoria, go somewhere where no one knows you and you’d be safe… I would go with you if you asked, you know I would. This very moment I would leave everything behind and ride off with you!”

That seemed to help Joe find his strength and purpose again. He sat down and pulled me onto his lap.

“I know you would lass and I wish it were that simple… but you know I can’t leave, whatever happens I have to see it through. We are committed to it now, it’s too late to turn back even if we wanted to.”

And of course I knew he wouldn’t leave, I knew him well enough by now to understand that. Joe hadn’t told me about the plans he and Ned had but I had heard enough conversations at The Commercial. Things were gathering momentum and there were whispers of a rebellion to come. I looked into Joe’s eyes and decided that if he could be strong then so could I. After all, he was here now, holding me in his arms and I didn’t want to waste precious time. We didn’t know what the future would bring, all we had was the present moment. With a conscious effort, I pulled myself together and smiled.

“I missed you Joe. Thank you for coming here tonight.”

“I missed you too Kate. How about a proper kiss then?”

He didn’t wait for my response and this time the kiss was full of passion. We let ourselves be swept away with it and for a moment nothing else existed but our need for each other. After a while Joe pulled away.

“It’s too cold out here in the open lass. I know of an empty hut nearby – will you come with me there?”

“Anywhere, Joe.”

He took me into the trees where his horse was waiting, easily lifted me up onto her back and then swung himself into the saddle to sit behind me. One arm holding the reins and the other holding me close, he clicked his tongue and off we rode through the bush. I lost track of time, content to just be there with Joe, not really caring where we were going as long as we were together. I closed my eyes and leant back into him, concentrating on the feel of his body against me, committing it to memory.

“Here we are then.”

Joe jumped down and held out his arms for me, easily catching me and holding me close for a moment before setting me down. He tied his horse to a fence post and took my hand and led me to the door of a little hut.

“Your castle awaits, fair lady!”

He flashed me a smile and I could feel it right down into my boots.  Joe had the most beautiful smile; it was as if his face was lit from within and it made you want to do anything just to see it again. I resolved there and then to do my best to give him reason to smile a lot that night.

 

I wondered fleetingly whose hut it was, it looked clean enough and there was firewood stacked next to the stove which Joe set about to light. I got the impression he knew the place well. It was just one room, with a bed along one wall and a small table under the window. I lit the candle that was on the table and sat on the bed to remove my boots.

“Here – let me keep you warm while the stove gets going…”

Joe’s fingers were already unbuttoning my dress as he gently pushed me down on the bed. With a sigh I threaded my fingers in his hair and shivered at the feel of his mouth on my neck. Time stopped and the world was outside and it was just me and Joe inside that little hut. We undressed each other slowly and then Joe pulled out all the pins from my hair, pulling it loose and combing his fingers through it.

“Kate, would you let me cut a lock of yer hair?”

The look in his eyes had me swallowing and just nodding wordlessly. He got a knife and very carefully wound a strand of my hair around his fingers before cutting the end. Then he got a handkerchief and almost reverentially placed the lock of hair on it and carefully folded it up and put it in the inside pocket of his jacket.

“Now I will always have you next to my heart.”

For a moment he stood there in front of me, smiling tenderly, completely comfortable in his nakedness. I really loved that about Joe, how he was not ashamed and helped me to not be ashamed either. I stood up and put my hands against his chest, letting them slowly slide down, following with my eyes, relishing the smoothness of Joe’s skin.

“See what you’re doing to me Kate?” Joe’s voice was low as he looked down to where my hands were on his hips.

I knelt down, my hands still on his hips, gently rubbing my cheek against his warm and silky smooth cock.  I took it into my mouth and Joe groaned. His fingers tangled in my hair.

“Jesus Kate… You better be careful, you’ll finish me off in no time like that..”

I could feel him trembling under my hands and relished the power I held over his pleasure. I drew it out for him as long as I could and then held him steady while he shuddered against me. He let out a long sigh when I finally let go of him and he pulled me up and into his arms.

“Oh Kate.  How I missed you. It’s so good to be with you again. You’re so calm, you soothe my soul and give me peace. Thank you.”

I pulled back to look into his face and there was that beautiful smile again. Then he lay me down on the bed and loved me, over and over again. And I saw the smile many times that night.