Writing in the Tropics- Lori T. Hurst

A Hint of Darkness  alludes to the darkness of betrayal. Emmaline and Ellie are born in different centuries, yet linked by kinship and the bonds of sisterhood. Destiny is no matter of chance. It is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for; it is a thing to be achieved.’ William Jennings Bryant 1 From the journals of Emmaline Gidley-King  Cooktown North Qld Australia  11 th February 1879 Mama: will I never be free of her malevolent presence? It has taken the most commonplace, yet startling of events, to prompt me to begin my writing. Last night, exhausted by Lilli’s constant demands, I fell into bed without performing my hair-braiding ritual. This morning confronted by a wild tangle of curls, and bemoaning my lack of discipline, I attempted to drag a brush through the knotted black mass. Through tear-starred eyes I surveyed my image in the mirror. My breath escaped in a hiss. Mama’s dark almond eyes stared back at me. That despised face. I recoiled in hor

An aura of expectancy hung over the open grave . Onlookers dressed in Sunday best, sweltered in the afternoon heat, watching the dark earth rain upon the coffin. They made no pretence of sorrow. In a gesture of courtesy the men stood, heads bowed, hats held to their hearts. The women eyed me covertly from beneath veiled hats, hopeful of some small snippet of gossip. I guessed the thoughts hidden behind the prying eyes. Surely in three years Josephine Langley must have let something slip to me, her young companion, perhaps towards the end; unburdened her conscience. The mystery surrounding my elderly employer and friend had not palled over the years and those who remembered the beautiful, young, effervescent Josephine talked knowingly of ‘the tragedy’ at Cherry Tree Bay. Others whispered of betrayal and murder in that house of secrets. I kept my back to the spectators, my jaw aching with the effort of holding back tears. No one offered condolences. I wasn’t family. I dropped a spray of