The volunteers finally packed up and went home. Scott parked the bulldozer in the paddock and left with Juliet in his ute. They looked happy together.
‘Count your blessings,’ Maxine said as she arranged a picnic dinner in the orchard.
It was the sort of platitude that usually set Lisa’s teeth on edge. But as rugs and cushions were spread under the apple tree, she knew Maxine was right. The generosity of her Castlemaine friends and family had saved her. As her family and Ted’s friends toasted her birthday, Lisa gulped back emotion. This birthday had been a considerable improvement on the one ending with a zero.
Gordon’s hip was playing up again, so he went back to the car and produced a fold-out chair. Perched on it, he gazed over everyone’s heads like a Shakespearian monarch bereft of a kingdom. Stella and Heidi shook out another rug. Lisa was pleased when they’d asked Zack to join them. She worried about the boy. He seemed to use his camera as a shield against the world.
As they basked in shafts of late afternoon sun, James brought out trays of chicken pie and salad. ‘Those women left enough food to last a year,’ he said, pouring wine into glasses. ‘I won’t have to cook another thing for you.’
‘Tell me that’s not true,’ Lisa said, thinking of James’ chocolate mousse.
Ted interrupted. ‘Look who’s here!’
The cockatoo emerged from under a gorse bush and lumbered towards them. She stopped at the edge of Lisa’s blanket and ogled her plate. Lisa tore off a corner of pastry and held out her hand.
The bird extended her neck, opened the great weapon of her beak and swept the crust from Lisa’s grasp.
‘Strange pet,’ Maxine said. ‘What’s its name?’
‘She doesn’t have one.’
‘If she can’t fly we should call her Kiwi,’ Ted said. ‘In honour of our New Zealand friend.’
The bird cawed approval.
Ted raised his glass. ‘While we’re at it, I’d like to make an announcement.’
‘Watch out!’ Lisa pointed to a shadow slinking through the trees. It was Mojo doing a commando crawl. He hid behind the trunk of a pear tree and focused his telescopic vision on the parrot.
‘Those two are natural enemies,’ Heidi said under her breath.
Lisa was about to shoo Kiwi away when Mojo charged across the grass at the bird. Kiwi screeched, spread her wings and eyeballed her assailant. Mojo skidded to a halt in front of her.
The human audience watched open-mouthed as the two creatures circled each other, Mojo sliding close to the ground like a panther, Kiwi tall and haughty.
‘The cat doesn’t stand a chance,’ Heidi said, nudging her friends aside and quietly gathering up the blanket they’d been sitting on. ‘Have you seen the claws on that bird?’
Lisa’s odds were on Mojo. He was one tough cat. Either way, it was inevitable: if something wasn’t done about it, feathers or fur would fly.
Heidi crept towards the rivals and raised the rug. Her plan seemed to involve smothering the parrot and whisking her away to a safe haven—though exactly where that might be, Lisa had no idea. Besides which, a blanket of clawing, biting cockatoo could present its own problems.
Mojo and Kiwi continued their cautious dance around each other, their moves stately, almost formal. The atmosphere was charged. Any moment now . . .
Heidi prepared to dive.
The cockatoo suddenly stood still and faced the cat. Mojo froze and sank to his haunches. Kiwi lifted a terrifying claw and took a slow-motion step towards the cat.
Heidi wielded the blanket.
‘Not just yet!’ Lisa called.
Mojo shuffled on his belly towards the parrot. To everyone’s astonishment, Kiwi then dipped her head in a gracious arc and nestled it behind the cat’s ear. Mojo lifted his chin to let the parrot groom him gently with her beak. He raised a paw and rested it across her back.
Ted laughed. ‘They’re friends!’
The pair had probably known each other from their days in the wild. Both were loners with significant injuries. They must’ve helped each other out or, at the very least, enjoyed a companionship.
Lisa was relieved she wouldn’t have to act as policeman between her two pets. If anything, she was the newcomer in the relationship.
Heidi was now brandishing her phone instead of a blanket, taking photos of Mojo and Kiwi to show her vet-science friends.
As the light faded, the animals took turns chasing each other through the trees. The humans lay on their backs, watching midges perform aerial acrobatics.
When Maxine started making noises about going inside, Ted stood up and cleared his throat. He beckoned James to his side. ‘In case you haven’t all forgotten, I was about to make an announcement.’
Oh yes, thought Lisa. Ted always had an exaggerated sense of drama.
Glasses were thrust into hands. Sparkling wine from New Zealand’s South Island was poured.
‘As most of you are aware, James and I took a trip to New Zealand last week. While we were there we did some bungee jumping and saw some beautiful scenery . . .’
Lisa’s attention wandered. Ted must’ve had a few too many.
‘And we got married.’
Lisa sprang to her feet. ‘What?!’
‘James and I were legally married in a beautiful stone chapel on the shores of Lake Tekapo.’
Gordon turned purple and sputtered into his glass. Heidi and Stella performed an impromptu circle dance. Zack reached for his camera.
‘Good grief!’ Maxine cried. ‘Can people do that?’
‘It’s legal over there,’ James said.
‘Wonderful!’ Lisa quavered. Her sincerity was in doubt until she saw the faces of her son and . . . his husband. Who could argue with love? ‘Congratulations!’ she said, hugging them both. ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’
‘We are now. Anyway, that was a private ceremony. If it’s okay with you, Mom, we’d love to have a proper celebration here at the manor.’
‘With an exchange of gold rings,’ James added. ‘We were so excited we forgot to have them at our first wedding.’
‘Fine, but . . .’
A circle of faces looked up at her expectantly.
‘When were you thinking of having it?’ she asked.
‘We can tidy the place up by November,’ Ted said.
‘Next month?!’
‘Why wait? It’ll be great. We want everyone we love most to be here.’
Lisa’s inner Machiavelli kicked in. Though Portia might be able to wangle her way out of coming to Australia for Christmas, no way could she miss her brother’s wedding. The manor’s walls were already seeped with history. It would do no harm to add another generation’s layer of happiness before she had to pack up and put the place on the market.
‘Will there be bridesmaids?’ Maxine asked.
‘Flotillas of them,’ James replied.
‘Do you think Aunt Caroline will accept her invitation?’ Ted said.
Laughter echoed across the orchard. They drained their glasses and wandered back to the house. A great orange moon rose over the apple tree.