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He was pleased with himself for doing this on his own. He’d done it countless times with his father, but this was now him—Albie’s business, Albie’s responsibility—and he felt a true sense of accomplishment. Pride, even, that he’d managed his first drove to market.
He knew his father would be proud.
“All done?” Robert asked.
Albie couldn’t help but grin. “Until tomorrow. Let’s go find some grub.”
They rode to the hotel, minus the yapping dog this time, thankfully. Percy held Ox’s reins while Albie went inside to make arrangements. He found Elsie behind the bar, serving beer, and she smiled when she saw him. “Didn’t think you’d be back so soon.”
“Come down to the saleyards,” he explained. “Gonna need three rooms if you have them.”
She made a face. “Best I can do is one room, two beds. We’re full with the meat market on. You’re lucky you got in when you did.”
One room, two beds would have to do. Sure beat sleeping in the stable.
“I’ll take it.”
He paid, and seeing she was too busy for any conversation, he told her he’d catch up later and went back out the front. Percy was all grin, but Robert seemed a little tense. “We all good?” Percy asked.
“One room is all they had, but it’s ours. Two beds. I’ll take the floor,” he said.
“Nah, I can take it,” Percy said. “As long as there’s a roof, I’ve slept in worse.”
Albie wasn’t sure what to make of that, but Robert was already taking his horse around to the stables, so they followed. They got the horses and dogs settled in a stall, and Albie caught Robert looking back at the hotel a time or two.
Then he remembered...
The drink. He remembered how his father had once explained Robert’s urge to drink was like an illness. Like a devil that called his name in the dark when no one else could hear it, only him.
“You good there?” Albie asked him quietly. “If you’d rather we went somewhere else...”
“No, I’m good. I just won’t... I just won’t be downstairs. It’s not good for me.”
Albie gave a nod. “We can eat up in the room, and tonight we’ll play cards. Maybe teach Percy a thing or two about euchre, huh?”
Robert met his gaze. Grateful, a little embarrassed, and he nodded. “Sounds good. Sorry to be a?—”
Albie clipped him on the shoulder with a hard knock. “No apologies. Now let’s go find this room so we can eat.”
The room was small, but there were two beds, and it was warm and dry. They’d make do. They freshened up, washed their hands and faces in the laundry room, then Albie and Percy went downstairs in search of food.
True to his word, he took their plates of stew and bread up to their room, the three of them sitting on the beds and scarfing it down. They were too hungry for pleasantries or manners.
“Kinda glad my father isn’t here to see me eat like this,” Albie said with his mouth already half full, shovelling in some bread and butter.
Robert laughed, which was the reaction he’d hoped for. “He’d have tanned your backside.”
“I’d have had trouble sitting for a week.” He smiled, briefly wondering if the happy memories of his father would always be accompanied by a pang of sadness.
“He’d have tanned mine too,” Robert added, and that made Albie laugh.
Percy kept his head down, not even acknowledging their conversation, and Albie had to wonder what his real story was.
He caught Robert’s gaze, and Robert shrugged. He didn’t know either.
They finished their meal in silence then, and when their plates were empty, Albie stood up, holding his plate out. “Stack them and I’ll take them down to the kitchen.”
“I can help,” Percy said, taking the empty jug and cups and not really asking.
