EstherThe change to her body had come quickly and unexpectedly and, despite Esther’s calmness when speaking to Isobel about the imminent birth, she had been frightened. The days leading to their arrival in Picton had been long and horribly tedious. It had been impossible to read in the Cobbs that took them south to Wellington, for the rickety carriages lurched and shook with every dent in the road. So, instead, Esther kept her eyes closed and held on to the straps hanging from the Cobb roof, feeling the press of her sister beside her and the spike of mattress springs cutting through the thin cushions. The baby, though, seemed soothed by the rocking motion and stayed quiet throughout the journey. At night, when they lay down to rest in coaching houses or small hotels or, at Hastings, in a d
