Secrets: Journeys of The Fortune Seekers

By Annie Browne

Synopsis - Secrets

'Secrets' is the 4th book in the 'Journeys of the Fortune Seekers' Historical fiction series by Annie Browne.

In the late 1800s, Sarah discovers her husband's selfish behaviours wreak havoc on her growing family's circumstances. Living in England is no longer possible, as the only way forward is making a new start. Emigrating to New Zealand is the best option, but will the addictive habits of former generations continue? Is it possible to wipe the slate clean?

Her growing sons, conforming to her husband, Bill's selfish behaviour, begin behaving poorly. Humiliation and fear fill Sarah's days and nights.

Can Sarah influence the changes necessary to break the cycle of excesses? 

What is ahead for this post-World War One 20th-century family? In the twentieth century, the hiding of family secrets was no longer possible. The future for Sarah's children is bringing division and heartbreak.

Can Emily, one of Sarah's son's fiancé, understand the past of the man she is considering marrying? 

Tom discovers generations of hidden newspaper clippings, bringing answers. The secrets are exposed. Do the sins of the fathers pass through the following generations? 

What if Tom and Emily hid the family's seedy past? Is it their place to reveal the secrets to their children?

The characters' unique personalities come to life, exposing the reader to many post-war best-kept secrets concerning traits inherited in many families' histories. Possibly, even yours.

 

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Glennis Browne
• Release date: Oct 30, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223708018

Annie Browne

I write using the name of my pup and my second name. In real life I am a wife, mother and grandmother who lives in Australia. I write because I love historical novels. My family history has provided interesting storylines that I have written as fiction; to bring the characters alive.  My interests are kayaking, walking, reading and writing many of these interests I share with my husband.

Book preview

Journeys

of the

Fortune Seekers

Book 4

Secrets

By Annie Browne

About the Author

ANNIE BROWNE—LIVES in New Zealand with her husband and Shih Tzu puppy, Annie, and their latest pet, Arlo, a busy Maltese poodle pup. The family enjoy their daily walks along the Northland beaches, throwing balls to the water's edge for the dogs to retrieve, experiencing the freedom of the sand between their toes, and the movement of lapping water at their feet. It is a peaceful lifestyle.

Days are spent growing vegetables in veggie pods and greenhouse and also landscaping their sub-tropical garden, where three laying hens happily wander in their enclosure. Annie fills what hours are left, writing. For more about Annie Browne’s books, check out her website.

Synopsis

'S ecrets' is the 4th book in the 'Journeys of the Fortune Seekers' Historical fiction series.

In the late 1800s, Sarah, a recently emigrated woman, discovers her husband's traditional but flawed behaviours wreak havoc on her growing family’s circumstances.

Her sons are following in her husband Bill's selfish activities.

Can Sarah influence the changes necessary to break the cycle of excesses? What is ahead for this post-World War One 20th-century family?

The first three Historical novels; ‘Bitter-Sweet Lives' (original edition entitled- Dan and Charlotte), 'Power and Authority' and 'Temperance' have built up towards the conclusion of the story.

The characters' unique personalities come to life, exposing the reader to many post-war best-kept secrets concerning traits inherited in Tom’s family history.

Possible Sensitive Content

Reference is made in this book on the following sensitive topics: non-consenting sex, death, depression, epidemics, alcoholism, addiction, and family breakdowns, including desertion.

Copyright by Author

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

There will be resemblances to actual persons living in the 19th and 20th centuries as the author has based her story on her family history, using exact dates and places but fabricating the plot points, settings, and characters according to her imagination based on research of real-life events as the colony of New Zealand embraces modern social norms and adjusts its post-war attitudes.

No part of the book, neither narrative nor photographs, may be reproduced without permission from the author.

Check out her website to contact the author for more about Annie Browne’s books. www.glennisbrowne.wordpress.com

Copyright of Newspaper articles

Articles from the National Library, New Zealand, regarding the sailing ship, The Charlotte Gladstone. 1873

NO KNOWN COPYRIGHT (NEW ZEALAND)

TO THE BEST OF THE National Library of New Zealand’s knowledge, there is no copyright in the items produced in New Zealand under New Zealand law. Therefore, permission is given to copy, share, and post articles on a blog or website. It can be modified, remixed, and built upon. It can be used commercially.

Appreciation and thanks to:

Peter Mathias, second cousin, for sharing family history and contributing to the research while labouring during the editing marathon. Our research conversations were valuable, and what you found in the archives solidified the story. 

Owen Stanley Powell, second cousin, Thank you for contributing photographs and a verbal and written biography.

John Mathias, second cousin, Thank you for sharing your photographs and verbal history by clarifying what I had been questioning.

Carol Parker, first cousin, for your family tree knowledge and valued support.

Suzanne Mulligan, second cousin, willingly shared your memories and family tree research.

Andrew Griffith, a distant cousin, whose research skills uncovered the answers to the most essential questions, exposing the first secrets of the 1800s when the first book began in 2012. You pointed me in the right direction, forwarding shared family history.

Ingrid Gane, friend, Thank you for your creative cover designs and book videos for the series.

Diane Dawson, cousin, for your grand tour of Alexandra in 2022, showing me where the family lived and revealing snippets of the past. You once told me there was a lot in the hidden family history, which compelled me to begin the research of the secrets twenty years ago. I have uncovered some of what was kept hidden.

Aunties Mavis and Dulcie, Uncle Eric, my dear Mum, and, of course, my Nanna, Emily, Thank you for telling me stories of your pasts and allowing me to delve into your photograph albums, duplicating photos. Thank you all.

Dedication

To my dear Mum, Florence Amelia, who sadly passed away in 2023 before having the opportunity to complete reading the four-book series.

Some years ago, I asked my mother why the family knew nothing about Dad’s grandparents. Mum told me the family were tight-lipped, saying they never shared anything of their past.

My curiosity was peaked, and the journey began to discover what was hidden.

About the Author

Annie Browne—lives in New Zealand with her husband and Shih Tzu puppy, Annie, and their latest pet, Arlo, a busy Maltese poodle puppy. They enjoy their daily walks along the Northland beaches, throwing balls to the water’s edge for the dogs to retrieve, experiencing the freedom of the sand between their toes, and the movement of lapping water at their feet.

Days are spent growing vegetables in veggie pods and a greenhouse and landscaping their sub-tropical garden, where three laying hens happily wander in their enclosure. Annie fills what hours are left, writing. For more about Annie Browne’s books, check out her website.

www.glennisbrowne.wordpress.com.

Tom enjoyed smoking a pipe. Pictured is his pipe stand and pipes – now a family memento.

Part A

Tom and Emily’s Story

1917-1920

List of Chapters

1917 - The Expectations of a Single Woman.

Tom Opens up.

1919 More Revelations.

My Decision.

1920 Why Hide the Past?

Our Marriage.

Part B

Sarah Paull

Dunedin

1900 -1907

List of Chapters

1900 New Year’s Day

Memories of a Young Girl

How it is in England 1866

The Public Holiday 1867

The Bandstand

Significant Changes Are Ahead 1868

1868 Preparations

The Wedding Day

1871 How it All Began- Sarah’s Vision

The Road Ahead 1869

The Plan

1871 Leaving England

The Charlotte Gladstone 1872/73

Epidemic on board

Arrival in New Zealand

Memorandum for the Agent-General, London

The Ship’s Doctors Report

Death on Quarantine Island 1873

An Official Report

A New Beginning

Family 1873 Onward

Bringing up the family Sarah

Part C 

Tom and Emily

Tom Reveals the Secrets 1910 - 1930

Emily concludes the Journey 1923 - 1970.

Conclusion by a granddaughter 2023

Let’s Begin.

Part A

Introduction

The year is 1917, during the years of the First World War. Emily Mathews is travelling by train to begin her new job as a cook at a large sheep and cattle station in Central Otago, on the South Island of New Zealand.

The country's indigenous people, the Māori, named the country Aotearoa.

Setting the scene

Emily’s family, living in Alexandra, in Otago, on the South Island of New Zealand, have farewelled their nineteen-year-old daughter at the train station after teasing her about the farm worker travelling with her to Otematata. This man is very much part of the story as it unfolds.

New Zealand was first settled around 1400 AD by the Moriori, who arrived on the islands from Eastern Polynesia. The subsequent settlers to settle in the country were the Māori from Polynesia.

Aotearoa, although recent in origin, meaning Land of the long white cloud, has recently become the favoured name of the country by the Māori people.

New Zealand is the Anglicised name after Dutch explorers and cartographers renamed the country after a region in the Netherlands called Zeeland - (Nieuw Zeeland).

Able Tasman is officially recognised as the first European to discover NZ in 1642.

1769 James Cook circumnavigated the islands, mapping and naming places using Māori and English names. French explorers arrived simultaneously, but Captain Cook raised the British flag first, claiming British sovereignty. Settlers, known as Pakeha by the Māori, first arrived from England in 1840. The story of the family within this story settled in 1873.

Map

Chapter One

The Expectations of a Single Woman

1917

Emily Mathews

It is a strange feeling to embark on this journey, as I am finally beginning a new direction in my life. The steam train departed from Dunedin earlier this morning and puffed its way towards the Otematata rural settlement on the South Island; this is a big move for a single woman who has never left her family home.

My employer is Mrs Farrar, the manager's wife of the Otematata sheep station, situated high in the heart of the high country, where Merino sheep and Hereford cattle have been bred since the arrival of the original owners. These farmers emigrated from the British Isles.

Thomas, the ploughman, and I have met and are sitting alongside each other on the powerful steam train puffing its way towards Otematata. The station is remote, but the remoteness and lack of people won't bother me.

It is interesting how easily Thomas and I chatted away the hours as the daylight faded, and the night sky lit up with the Otago southern lights as we headed northwest.

Thomas, an excellent listener, quietly nodded as I unfolded my life story, telling of my father's working career of mining gold and obtaining mining rights for coal mines in Australia and New Zealand.

'My Grandad also worked on my great grandparents' dairy farm in a hidden valley in Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. He discovered black coal and obtained mining rights, which provided my family with income over the years of the financial downturn of the last century.

Thomas, staring out the window, encourages me to go on.

'Dad moved the family to New Zealand at the turn of the century. I was two years old at the time. He set up a partnership with his brother and brother-in-law. They were The Mathews' Mining Company, based in Alexandra. He still runs it but is considering selling up now that his brother has returned to Sydney and his brother-in-law has given up mining.'

'Fresh opportunities bring changes,' Tom says.

'That's for sure. Dad enjoys farming his orchard; it's producing fruit now. He runs it with my uncle and aunt, as the families live almost next door.'

'Does that arrangement work? I mean — do the families work well together?'

'Oh yes. We are a close family.'

'That's good to hear. Only sometimes happens in families.'

'The orchard has been a happy stage in our lives. Central Otago is perfect for growing fruit–having high summer temperatures and heavy frosts during winter. Autumn brings brilliant colours before the trees lose their leaves.'

'Why have you left?' Tom asks, turning to face me.

'It's time I began my life, you know, doing what suits me now that I'm not needed at home. Mother tells me it's time to see what the world offers, as I am of marriageable age.'

'How old are you?' Thomas asks.

'A woman never reveals her age,' I laugh. 'You may guess, though.'

'Nineteen?'

I blush.

'I am correct, am I not?'

'You are correct. So, it is time for me to broaden my horizons, don't you think?'

Tom laughs. 'Broaden your horizons? You are on your way towards the outback. There aren't many eligible bachelors where you are going,'

I laugh and blush, aware of the silliness of my statement.

'That came out wrong, I feel. The truth is I am not in a hurry to marry. Having some alone time will be good for me after many years of working at home and assisting my mom with my siblings. I believe I enjoy my own company.'

'You will enjoy the tranquillity of outback living — where there are hardly any people but thousands of sheep and cattle. Instead, you will hear the sounds of bleating animals and young calves calling for their mothers. Also, the chattering of the bird life.'

'Sounds heavenly.'

Thomas smiled, continuing, 'If you wake early enough, you will see beautiful sunrises each day and amazing sunsets. Plus, you can ride or walk amongst thousands of acres of hills and valleys where you can lose oneself.'

'That will be wonderful.'

We lapse into silence, lost in our thoughts.

Seeing Thomas shifting in his seat, I ask, 'Are you uncomfortable? Would you like to stand in the aisle and stretch your legs?'

'No, I'm fine.' He says and turns to face me. 'You are fortunate to have a close family. My family is estranged.'

'Estranged?' I ask.

'We don't see much of each other.'

'Oh, dear. Did something awful happen?'

Thomas sighs, taking a moment before continuing. 'Are you easily shocked?'

'No, I don't believe I am,' I say, wondering what he may tell me.

'I have a strange background.'

'Strange?'

'Perhaps call it a disruptive upbringing. There are many secrets hidden in my family. Situations my poor Mother was embarrassed about.'

'You don't have to tell me your secrets,' I say, 'after all, we are strangers.'

'Maybe that's why I am tempted to do so. Sometimes stories need telling so they can be understood by those whose lives have been affected.'

'So that what happened can be properly processed?'

'Yes, something like that. To hide one's experiences from others doesn't seem like a healthy way to live is what I have realised,' Tom says.

'I agree with you. But a person must trust the person with whom they share.'

Tom studied my eyes for some time before laying his head on the back of the seat, and as the train rocked and swayed its way to our destination, he began his story.

'I am a Dunedin boy. My father and older brothers are bricklayers working contracts throughout Canterbury, Otago and down in Southland, working as far south as Bluff. As a child, they were away often, and Mum ran the household, influencing me and my younger siblings quietly. She was the opposite of my father in personality.' Tom sighed.

'Some of my brothers live in Dunedin, and others have moved north to Timaru, Wellington, Hastings and Auckland.

'No sisters ', I ask.

'Yes, two, but only one is still with us.'

Fearing death in the family, I pause, waiting for Tom to continue. Tom turns towards the window and stares at the moving countryside beside us. Perhaps he has sad memories. I give him room when he opens the newspaper. It appears our conversation has ended.

I recall how my parents dealt with their hardships — especially the repeated grief through the loss of children under circumstances beyond their control.

The late nineteenth century was not easy for women. Women needed to remain strong after having repeated babies and cope with husbands who maintained all power and authority, leaving them without personal rights or status. Victorian attitudes, economic oppression and sexual inequality meant babies were born within and outside marriages, creating families of over a dozen children. Babies born out of wedlock were taken on by other families or put in orphanages.

My Mother was constantly tired after having baby after baby. Daughters learned their role: to stay home and help their Mother, with many girls forgoing formal education.

But times have changed since the twentieth century began, with movements fighting for women's rights and changing the thinking in families regarding gender roles. Attempts at birth control are being explored but are still discouraged in the churches.

I glance at Thomas Paull, who has refolded the newspaper and appears to be reading with difficulty in the confined space. He glances at me, folding it again, presumably doing so not to disturb me.

I smile at him, saying, 'It's not a bother; you may open it further.'

'Thank you, Miss Mathews. I only need to see the weather report. It will affect when we can ride up the mountain to the station.'

Thomas resumes reading while I return to my thoughts. I hope the weather remains fine as I want to be on time in an unfamiliar place. Perhaps I feel vulnerable alone, realising I'm not as capable as I thought. This experience away from home will contain challenges that I must face head-on. At least I have my travelling companion to lean on.

According to my parents, life in New Zealand has changed considerably since 1898, when I was born. Creative thinking brings a surge of inventions into the communities, affecting how homes and towns develop, including electricity and the telephone that is now wired into some homes and most factories and shops.

My Mother, a follower of women's rights, was ecstatic when, in 1893, the new Women's Rights Act was achieved in New Zealand, and our country became the first self-governing one in the world in which women had the right to vote in parliamentary elections. Mother lived in Australia then and spoke of nothing else when she met my father. Mother admired Kate Sheppard, who began her suffrage journey in 1885. Only married women could vote then; I understand their husbands influenced their vote. But Mum accepted that, saying women were making progress.

Other things have changed as well. Now, faster transportation is more accessible than the horse and cart of the last century. We travel on fast steam trains and ride two-wheeled bicycles. In the previous decade, inventions have included the radio, aeroplane, disposable razor, air conditioner, the fantastic vacuum cleaner and washing machine. Interesting gadgets are appearing in the shops, such as plastics, Pyrex, tea bags, plastic items and windscreen wipers for the motor cars that are now driven along the roads.

Broadcasting on the new valve radio began in 1912. My Australian grandfather bought us a radio during his last visit. How this works is as unbelievable as the telephone. At home, we have a party line for making calls, and overseas calls can be made at a significant cost using the toll call system. To be able to speak to my Australian relatives over the telephone that first time was unbelievable. Mother was lost for words and cried. To hear her parents' voices was a miracle. Now I understand the ache in her heart, having to live so far away from them. My Mother never shed a tear until that day.

Beside me, Tom refolds the Otago Daily Times newspaper. He has finished reading. As he folds the paper, the word quiz catches my eye.

'Do you fill in the crosswords?' I ask.

'What, this thing?'

I nod.

'No, never bothered with them. These puzzles are something new, aren't they?'

'Yes, someone invented these word questions a couple of years ago. I attempt them as they challenge my brain. I don't know as much as I used to think I did.'

Tom leans forward to fully unfold the paper, saying, 'Would you like to have this page? The content doesn't interest me — the social pages are not my thing.'

'No, no. There isn't any need to pull the paper apart. Difficult to refold on your knees. I may read it when you have finished reading it.

'Most certainly.'

'Have you found any articles that interest you?' I ask.

'Not today in this edition. I like to read about inventions, particularly anything of practical use.'

'Really? I've been thinking about the amazing inventions we now take for granted in our homes.'

Tom looks up, giving me an interested look. I like his friendly smile.

'I receive monthly magazines about the latest inventions.'

'Really? Are you a handy sort of person?' I ask.

'I like to think I am, Emily. I enjoy tinkering in the shed, finding ways to fix broken machinery or making something new so it has other uses than originally intended. I spend many hours in the workshop tinkering.' He laughs.

'I can imagine you doing that— every handyman enjoys his shed.'

'You will see the huge workshop I tinker in on the station.'

'I look forward to checking it out.' I say. 'Useful for a farmer.'

'True. I am also a qualified bootmaker. That is a handy skill to have on a sheep station.'

'Liquor!' I exclaim, unable to hide my disappointment.

'No, not a bootlegger, you funny girl,' he laughs, apparently amused. 'I make and repair boots and shoes. Also, horse saddles.'

I exhale, relieved, saying, 'That is useful.'

Tom smiles slightly, then fingers his stubbly moustache. 'We all have abilities. Tell me, what are you good at, Emily?'

'I enjoy playing the piano. When I was at school and, later, when I left to help Mum with the household chores, I saved my pocket money for lessons. I spent many happy hours tickling the ivories.

'Nice.'

'Also, I wrote a few short stories — once I won an award at school. My embroidery attempts have earned ribbons at the local district summer shows — no big deal as most girls sew.'

'On the contrary, creative abilities are an asset. If I can imagine something, I attempt to make it, working on the project until I solve it.'

'How interesting— I do that as well. When my family moved to Alexandra and Dad became an orchardist, there was much we all learned about horticulture. Now, gardening is another skill members of the family possess.'

'I can see you will be an asset on the station.'

'I hope so. Is there a piano available I can play?'

'The owner's wife has a beauty. Keeping it tuned is the problem, as it's not easy to get a piano tuner up there.'

'As long as it isn't moved, it should remain in tune,' I suggest.

'What else do you do well?' Tom asks. 'Write music?'

'No, I've never written music, but I can keep a tune and have sung in the church choir at Alexandra. My family were competitive about winning awards at the Alexandra Show. My upbringing encouraged creativity.'

'And you bake? Tell me about your baking.'

'I am told I am a good baker, as I enjoy turning leftovers into tasty meals.'

'Not cakes?'

'Definitely cakes; the family say I make a doozy Christmas cake.'

'No wonder you got the position on the station. An exceptional cook is hard to find on the remote farms.'

'I didn't say I was exceptional,' I say, embarrassed, thinking I may be disappointed.

'I won't say anything to the staff and will let you prove yourself, Miss Trumpet-blower.' Thomas chuckled, looking pleased by his name-calling.

I cringe; me and my big mouth. I sincerely hope Tom doesn't tell the managers what I have said. I should choose my words carefully in future. Otherwise, I will have much to live up to — so much for a peaceful, stress-free lifestyle.

'Now, tell me about your siblings and your parents. When did they emigrate?' I ask.

'Early 1800s. During the time of work and food shortages, plagues and deportations. 'Tom gives me a sheepish look.

'What are you not telling me? Were they deported to Tasmania? 'I ask, with a cheeky chuckle, knowing I'm pushing him.

'No, how they didn't get shipped out with the convicts to Australia remains a mystery. One of the family secrets.'

'More secrets?'

'Yes, there are more —those things kept hidden in families. Surely your family have theirs?'

'I wasn't aware of having any until recently. There have been situations covered up when I look back.'

'I would never have thought ...' Tom laughs.

'Thought what? That I have secrets? I'm pretty open, probably too open, and intrigued when talking with secretive people — it makes me curious to learn more about them.'

'Like a detective?' Tom smiles a cheeky smirk. 'I better shut up then.'

'As I said, I like to write — although I haven't written anything lately. My curiosity gave me ideas for stories.'

'Then I had better watch what I say, as you might put it in your diary.'

'My diary? That is an idea. Truthfully, because society has social rules and expectations, people struggle with shame and pride, preventing complete honesty within families and the community.

'Pride and shame. Sounds like my family,' Tom says.

'I'm sorry, I meant in my situation — not yours. I think I've said the wrong thing.'

'No, Miss Emily, your conclusions are probably correct regarding my family. I am as guilty as anyone of keeping unsavoury situations quiet. I also have been known to distance myself from certain people because I don't appreciate their attitudes and behaviour.'

'Surely that is sensible?'

'I suppose so. I hadn't thought of it that way.'

I face him with folded arms and a severe face, saying, 'So, what are we talking about? If you tell me your secrets, I'll tell you mine.' I add with a grin.

Tom laughs, reaches for my hand to shake it, saying, 'Deal.'

And that was when Tom and I knew we had something worthwhile going on between us. And we still needed to arrive at the sheep and cattle station.

Chapter Two

Tom Opens up

Emily

After our arrival, I settled into work, spending leisure hours together. Tom takes me around the station, explaining the shearing sheds, cattle yards, and what various buildings are used for. The workshop is incredible – huge, as he had said.

I get to sit on the traction engine, feeling small as these incredible machines are potent workhorses. I watch the men with their dogs, moving the cattle from paddock to paddock, separating the lambs from their mothers, the calves from the cows. It breaks my heart to hear the babies crying.

'It is as it is,' Tom explains. 'This is a working farm. Animals are bred for a purpose. For their meat, wool and as an export commodity.'

The kitchen is well-equipped. My employer is a confident and approachable woman who spends her days alongside me when we are cooking for shearers or contractors. Most of the time, she runs the household, educating her children and gardening. The vegetable garden is a food heaven, growing every edible vegetable available each season.

Between us, the farmer's wife and I sorted out the menu for the month, ordering supplies and arranging delivery according to the river crossings. I bake a variety of foods, feeding the men, such as Tom, who live in the worker's huts, as well as the owner's family.

My accommodation is in the homestead. Warmth and comfort through the chilly winter months make my work life agreeable. I play the piano in the sitting room and attempt to teach the children to play. Only the girls are interested. The boys prefer being out on the farm. In the summer, I swim in the river to cool down and sit in the fantastic evening under the shady trees, swinging on the swing seat. Sometimes, I read or did the mending and other times. I wait for Tom to join me after he returns from his long work day since we have become friends.

Over the past few months, Tom has begun opening up, passing on snippets about his life. As the swing seat sways in the evening when the sun sets behind the mountain peaks, I listen, my head resting against his chest.

'I am the second youngest son of a large family, most aged at least ten years older than me. I had two sisters, but one drowned well before I was born. One of my brothers died as well. He was only eighteen. He was a larrikin who played and drank hard.

All rowdy extroverts, my brothers grew into manhood pursuing bricklaying careers, as did my father and grandfather back in England. The family lived at Stanwell, near London. Most of the men in the Paull family trained as bricklayers, but not all.

'My Father acted up, becoming a scoundrel from a young age. His devilish personality meant he got away with most things, even in the circumstances when he met my mother. It was on Guy Fawkes's night, and Mum once told us a story, but I don't know if it is true. Dad was a scoundrel.'

'Really? Are you going to tell me more?'

'No, definitely, no!'

'Why not?

'It's not the story I would tell a young woman. They were proud men. They are proud of the Paull name, the bloodline, and the ability to turn their hands to anything. All were members of the Workingmen's Lodge. My grandfathers all rose to high ranks and influenced the blue-collar workers in England. But, they all had one main weakness. Drink. And also ruthlessness.

As a lad living in Dunedin, I learned from my brothers, following their activities as they matured from childhood to manhood. As I said before, they were an uncouth lot.'

'You sound as if you admired their uncouth ways?'

'No, not at all. I didn't like my brothers' manner of using the English language, as they swore and cursed in front of holy men and delicate women. They were a law unto themselves.

'Which means what?'

Tom gives me a questioning look. 'They behave independently by ignoring laws, rules or conventional ways of behaviour. As I said, they came from