‘WHY HAVE YOU COME to see me, Lorna?’ They all knew that the purpose of this visit was to do more than just rehash old times.
‘I sometimes forget things nowadays but there are some things I cannot forget. Before it’s too late, I want to put things right. Well, at least let the truth be told.’
‘Settling accounts before Judgement Day?’ said Sally. ‘Why? Surely there is no point now. It’s not going to alter anything.’ She now wished Lorna hadn’t found her. There was more pain than joy in the memories Lorna was dragging up.
‘It concerns two people, first my son Ian. He became a difficult man. I’ve often wondered why he was spared when the good and the sweet were not. We grew apart; he’s not easy to love. After John died I bought my house in Sydney and started a new life. Too late perhaps, but I enjoyed going to the theatre and concerts. I travelled, I saw Tommy and his little family. But I kept to myself most of the time.’
‘Did you go back to Barra Creek?’ asked Kate.
‘Never. I saw Ian when he came to Sydney on occasions. He married a girl from Brisbane. I didn’t care for her, although I went to the wedding. They never had children.’
Sally leaned forward. ‘Why didn’t you contact me, Lorna? You never answered my cards. I gave up in the end.’
Lorna’s hands twisted. ‘I couldn’t face you, not after what I did.’
Kate and Sally exchanged a swift look, neither woman knew what she was talking about.
Kate took Lorna’s hand. ‘You told me there was something you had to tell Sally. Was it about Ian?’
‘Did I tell you that, dear?’ Lorna looked suddenly fearful. ‘Did I say anything else about Ian?’
‘You don’t want him to sell your house. You said the trouble he was in was all his own doing,’ Kate reminded her gently.
‘What exactly is the trouble?’ asked Sally.
Kate looked at Lorna, who nodded, so Kate explained. ‘As I understand it, and from the inquiries I’ve made on Lorna’s behalf, Barra Creek is unable to meet its financial obligations and the bank that holds the second mortgage is going to foreclose. Ian hoped that the money he’d get from selling his mother’s house would help pay the debts.’
‘He was irresponsible with money, kept spending to try to make things better. It just dug a deeper hole,’ said Lorna.
‘So let him face the consequences. Can’t Lorna hang onto her house? How come Lorna has no rights?’ Sally asked Kate.
‘These cases are difficult. Her son had a solicitor give him power of attorney, she was medically assessed . . . on a bad day,’ Kate smiled reassuringly at Lorna, ‘and was put into what she believed was respite for some tests.’
‘I was tricked. That place is a prison.’
‘Now, Lorna, it’s not so bad. You’re in one of the best facilities . . .’
Kate looked at Sally who said, ‘But not where you or I want to end up, eh Kate?’
‘No, but undoing it all will be difficult. The first thing is to persuade Ian not to sell Lorna’s home so she could stay there with community and home care, maybe later a paid carer.’
‘Then Ian will lose the property. He’s not going to let that happen,’ said Sally. ‘Again, I don’t see how I can help you, Lorna. Ian certainly isn’t going to listen to me after all these years.’
Lorna bit her lip. Kate reached over and said softly, ‘You said you were going to tell Sally something –’
‘I have to tell you, Sally. I want you to know what happened to John.’
‘We know what happened to John.’ She didn’t want to remember this horror. ‘No one could have saved him.’
‘Yes, they could. Ian could’ve saved him.’
Sally leaned forward. ‘Lorna, what are you saying?’
‘It’s been dreadful to know this all these years, but I couldn’t say anything. He’s my son.’
Sally felt a cold knot begin to twist inside her belly. ‘What happened, Lorna?’
‘Ian found his father first, when he was still alive, but he walked away, turned his back and left him. He could have saved him.’
Kate and Sally caught their breath at the same moment. ‘How do you know this?’ asked Sally.
‘You’re sure you’re remembering this correctly, Lorna? Is it clear in your mind? It didn’t happen yesterday . . .’ said Kate.
Lorna swung on her. ‘It seems like yesterday! It has every day of my life. It’s not something a mother can forget. But he was my son, I kept quiet. It wouldn’t bring John back.’
‘Are you sure, Lorna?’ insisted Sally.
‘Fitzi told me. He went there right after Snowy had found John. He went before the police arrived. He’s a tracker, he could read it all, clear as day. He was upset at knowing too.’
‘He was a brilliant tracker,’ Sally said to Kate. ‘I’d take whatever he said as gospel.’
‘He said Ian was there on his horse. Tied it up to the ute and went up close, waited, then he walked away. It was the day before. John must have been alive.’ Tears began to stream down Lorna’s face. ‘My son let his father die. What sort of mother am I?’
Kate made sympathetic noises as Sally sat there in shock. ‘He hated his father, but that much?’ she said.
‘Sometimes people do things on impulse that seem like an instant solution, but regret it later,’ said Kate. ‘Once he’d walked away, for him there was no turning back. He’s had to live with it.’
‘So have I,’ said Lorna sadly.
‘You’ve never confronted him?’ asked Sally, knowing as she said it that Lorna never would.
‘Who’d believe me? I was ashamed, I didn’t want anyone to know.’
‘So why are you telling me now? Surely you don’t expect me to confront him?’
‘No, no, of course not. But someone should know,’ she said. ‘If I’m going to be incoherent later on . . . no one will take any notice of anything I say.’
‘Now, come on, Lorna, one minute you want your house back and to lead your own life, the next minute you tell me you’re going to lose your grip.’ Sally wanted to tell her it was grossly unfair to dump this information on her.
‘You do believe Lorna, don’t you?’ asked Kate in a worried tone. She’d broken a few rules to bring her here but had no idea of the shocking information Lorna wanted to share.
‘Unfortunately I do,’ sighed Sally. It was a burden she didn’t want. Yet, in one sense she was strangely flattered. After all these years, Lorna had turned to her. The time they’d shared had meant a lot to her as well.
‘That’s not all,’ muttered Lorna, and Kate and Sally stared at her, wondering what else she could possibly tell them. When Lorna looked up there were tears in her eyes. ‘I’ve never forgiven myself, Sally, but I want you to know that at the time, it was for you. I didn’t want you to be trapped as I was. You deserved much better. I was going to tell you when you visited us after your divorce, but with John dying –’
‘Tell me what, Lorna?’ Sally’s voice was tight.
Kate was still holding the old woman’s hand. She pressed it gently.
‘It’s about Rob, I know you and he were very attracted to each other. I didn’t want you to do anything silly like marry him . . .’
Sally struggled to keep quiet, but in her head she was shouting, We loved each other, I wanted to marry him!
‘So when I told you about Rob and Betsy, about the baby, it wasn’t true. Daisy is not his baby. It came to me suddenly that it might make you stop and think.’ She turned to Kate, speaking in a rush, ‘Most of the men did that, you know, slept with the gins . . .’
Sally lost it. ‘Except Rob! I was shattered at the idea that he’d do something like that! How dare you interfere!’ she shouted, rising out of her seat. ‘I believed you. I left and never gave him a chance to tell me the truth.’
‘Would you have believed him? Would it have made your life better?’ said Lorna with some spirit.
‘Why didn’t you find him and ask if it was true?’ Kate asked Sally.
‘Because it was a different era. You didn’t challenge what someone older told you. I came from a sheltered home, I trusted you, Lorna. I loved you!’ Sally’s fury had a tearful edge to it. ‘Of course it would have made a difference. He was the love of my life. Hal came along and it was all very expedient. I was hurt. I’ve never got over Rob, after all these years. Now, you calmly want to set your mind at rest and you have just told me I’ve wasted, lost, years and years of my life. How could you?’ Her voice was loud, tearful, and echoed around the silent house. There were no sounds from Julian, who undoubtedly was wondering if he should intervene.
Lorna wrung her hands. ‘I couldn’t stand it any longer. I had to tell you.’
‘So you’d feel better,’ shouted Sally. ‘How do you think I feel?’
‘I’m sorry, so sorry.’ Lorna was weeping.
Kate was shaking. She rose and put her hand on Lorna’s shoulder and looked at Sally with great sympathy. ‘I had no idea about this, what she was going to tell you.’
Sally turned away from them, her arms folded, her shoulders stooped. ‘I think you’d better leave.’
Kate took a card from her pocket and put it on the coffee table. ‘There’s my card, if you want to reach me.’
‘I don’t think so. You’ve done enough,’ said Sally stiffly.
Julian, looking concerned, hovered in the doorway, ‘Can I do anything, Sally?’
‘Yes, show these ladies out, please.’ Sally strode from the room and Julian heard her bedroom door shut.
Lorna leaned against the car window, her usual straight-backed demeanour gone. Now she hunched into her coat, her face pale.
Kate turned on the windscreen wipers. ‘Are you all right?’
‘No,’ she answered in a small voice. ‘I shouldn’t have come.’
Kate drove to the end of the road then stopped the car. ‘Look, Lorna, I didn’t know what you were going to tell your ex-governess. I can understand your need to get it off your chest. But you must understand while you’ve been living with it for decades, this is a big shock for Sally.’
‘I loved her like a little sister, a daughter. It’s a terrible thing to have regrets. I kept away from her all these years, I couldn’t face her. Especially knowing her marriage had broken up. I didn’t have an overwhelming passionate love in my life. John got me pregnant and did the decent thing. I like to think I was a good wife. But what Sally and Rob had, I think, was the real thing. And I destroyed it.’
‘Maybe in time Sally will feel less bitter. At least now she knows he never did the wrong thing by her. Where is Rob? What happened to him?’
‘It’s all too late. He married a country girl, they went to Dog Leg Station in the Territory. It belonged to his father. He was one of the first to get in Brahman cattle up there, though his big love was horses. Sally’s too.’
‘She seems happy enough. I can see why she didn’t like the social scene in Sydney. She’s a very down-to-earth woman.’
Lorna almost smiled. ‘Strong minded and determined. Sally’s never been a pushover, that’s for sure.’ She sighed. ‘Well, what’s done is done. What’s going to happen to me, Kate?’
Kate looked at her watch. ‘It’s getting late and it’s miserable weather. I don’t want to drive back to Sydney in this. Let’s find a nice B&B and stay the night.’ And I’m hanging out for a strong drink, thought Kate. ‘I’m sure things will look different in the morning.’
Lorna merely nodded, she was exhausted. She’d done what she came to do.
As Kate drove towards the main street of town, so many questions, emotions and scenes ran through her mind, but there was one question she had to ask. ‘Lorna, if it wasn’t Rob, who is Daisy’s father? Do you know?’
‘Yes, I know. She was fathered by my husband, John. He didn’t have to tell me, I knew. I suspect he knew I knew. When I was packing up to move to Sydney I found his diaries. He didn’t write many personal things, but he did write a note that Betsy gave birth to his daughter . . . “a rather delicious little creature” was how he described her.’
Kate drove slowly, her head reeling. What a tangled family. No wonder Lorna hated Daisy. She’d lost a daughter and her husband was attached to his illegitimate child. ‘Does Daisy know? Does anyone know? Ian?’
‘Absolutely not. John gave Daisy a lot of attention but I told Betsy that if she ever told anyone that Daisy belonged to the boss, I’d put a curse on her. That scared her. I’m sure she didn’t sleep only with John. Anyway, I think she believed babies came from spirits in the billabong, or some such.’ Lorna turned away, her mouth set in an expression Kate recognised. She was retreating and she’d get no more information from her. She might not be very aware of much tomorrow. Today had been a strain. Just as well, Kate didn’t think she wanted to know any more about Barra Creek.
Sally lay on her bed, bitter tears burning her cheeks. At first she’d hugged her pillow, feeling again Rob’s arms around her, his kisses, his gentle slow voice as if they had been together only the night before. Then she’d cursed Lorna for breaking the smooth shell of her life and scrambling her emotions. How easily she’d fallen apart at the thought of Rob and the knowledge that she’d wrongly judged him and thrown away years of happiness. The most hurtful thing was that he had no idea why she’d run from him. She’d never contacted him, and he had abided by her wish not to write or call her. How naive and stupid she’d been. How cruel of Lorna, no matter how good her intentions were at the time. Had he been hurt? Did he care about losing her? From all accounts he was happily married and living on the family station. At least he must have made his peace with his father and brothers.
‘Damn you, Lorna,’ she said aloud and sat up.
The rain had eased, but the sunset was smothered by the heavy grey sky. There was a tap at her door.
‘Sally, I’m going now, do you want anything?’ Julian sounded worried.
‘Come in, Julian.’ Sally wiped her face and smoothed her hair as the young assistant opened the door.
‘Bad news?’ he asked.
‘Catching up on old news. It was a bit traumatic.’ She smiled weakly.
‘Would you like me to do anything? I’ve locked up the gallery. Jeremy called, he said not to worry, he’d do the horses tonight.’
‘Good on him. Thanks.’ Jeremy and his two children were staying in the old farmhouse on her property for a week’s holiday. He had established a thriving practice as a solicitor in Sydney, but he enjoyed getting out of town with his family.
‘I’m fine now. I’ll go and open a bottle of good red. I think I need a drink.’
He smiled with relief to see Sally sounding more like herself. ‘Okay, see you tomorrow. G’night.’
She washed her face, taking deep slow breaths, then went to the kitchen. She poured herself a glass of shiraz then turned on the CD and sat in front of the fire. Andrea Bocelli’s romantic tenor filled the room. She turned it off and sat in silent contemplation of the fire, sipping her wine.
She was always swift to react, flaring like a rocket, exploding and then petering out, she knew that. Now the shower of sparks Lorna had ignited was fading. She felt less angry at the poor woman. God, what a burden she’d carried around all these years. She had protected her son and he had tossed her into an old people’s home to be cared for by others. Lorna, with her standards and proprieties – it was sad that she should be reduced to this. My God, could it happen to her, thought Sally. No husband, children busy with their own lives. Trisha was trekking overseas and virtually unreachable. Surely not. Lorna had really rocked her boat. But bugger you, Lorna, I’m not lifting a finger to help you. There’s nothing I can do, it’s all too late. It doesn’t do me any good to dwell on what might have been. Sally put her empty glass down and turned on the TV news.
Kate poured Lorna a small sherry and helped herself to a gin and tonic from the drinks tray in the lounge room of the quaint B&B they’d checked into.
‘I’m glad we’re stopping overnight,’ said Kate.
‘I’m sorry I’ve been so much trouble.’
‘I said I’d help you, but I have to take you back to the nursing home, at least for the moment, until something is decided about your house.’
‘I’ll never get out of there. Sally won’t do anything and I don’t blame her.’
‘We could approach the Guardianship Tribunal to appoint someone to look into your affairs, hire a solicitor,’ began Kate.
‘No, no, I don’t want to make a fuss. I don’t want people poking their nose into my business. No one else must know about Ian.’
‘I understand but, Lorna, even though he is your son, he hasn’t done the right thing by you.’
Lorna leaned back and closed her eyes. ‘I’m tired. I’m not going to battle any more.’
Kate didn’t like the look of resignation on the old woman’s face. She’d seen it before, when people simply gave up and willed themselves to die. She’d heard about it happening in indigenous cultures around the world too – an old man paddling his boat into the sunset, a woman lying under a tree to die. If one could choose the time, place and condition of one’s passing how much easier it would be. Kate had got into this profession to improve the quality of the final stage of a fully lived life. Lorna had touched her heart and her professional sensibilities. If she could make things better for someone like Lorna, it was another small step in changing the attitudes to, and treatment of, the elderly.
The owner of the B&B came and made small talk until she served dinner.
Lorna retired early and Kate watched TV for a while but when their hostess came in with a cup of coffee looking ready to start up a conversation again, Kate decided to go for a walk.
‘Rug up. The wind is coming off the ocean, it’s nippy.’
‘Thank you, I will.’
She enjoyed the salty sea air that whipped through her hair, stung her cheeks and forced her to walk briskly. The faster she walked the quicker her mind worked, and by the time she got back to the guesthouse, she had a plan.
But Sally made the first move.
‘Hello, Kate, this is Sally Lee, Lorna’s governess.’
‘Hi, of course, how are you?’ Kate was surprised to hear from her. Two weeks had passed since their visit. ‘I was going to call you. Do you want to know how Lorna is?’
‘Partly. I’m sorry if I exploded at you both. It was all a bit of a shock.’
‘I can imagine. Lorna is all right, a little withdrawn, but functioning okay. I was going to ring you but, please, if you’d rather not . . . be involved,’ Kate said hesitantly.
‘The reason I’m calling you is because I’ve done a lot of thinking. While I’ll never get over her busting up Rob and me, I’m trying to live in the present and I don’t like the idea of Lorna being ripped off by Ian, especially after what he did. I have no doubts that he did walk away from his father.’
‘I’m glad you feel like that.’
‘I want to help Lorna, but I thought I’d discuss it with you first. You’re a very dedicated young woman. Are you this hands-on with all your cases?’
‘Unfortunately no,’ she said. ‘But Lorna has a strong personality, and I like her. She got my attention.’
‘Yes, she’s good at that. Well, I had a couple of ideas. What about you?’
‘I hope you don’t think I’ve overstepped the mark here,’ said Kate, ‘but once I got involved I couldn’t just abandon Lorna. She gave me her son’s details in England and I rang him.’
‘You called Tommy?’
‘Yes, I filled him in as much as needed.’
‘Did you tell him about Ian?’
‘No! I couldn’t break Lorna’s confidence. But I did tell him about her financial difficulties.’
‘Was he pissed off at Ian?’
‘Yes, you might say that. He’s not prepared to come back because he’s busy with his work, but he’s being helpful. It appears the bank is going ahead with the foreclosure.’
‘Kate, I’m coming up to Sydney. Let’s meet and talk further.’ Sally sounded efficient and businesslike.
Ten days later Sally had to pinch herself. I can’t believe I’m doing this, again. Going back to Barra Creek, she thought.
Huge white floating prawn factories dotted the milky waters of the Gulf of Carpentaria. From the port of Karumba the tentacles of the Norman River coiled inland beneath the small plane as it banked and soon began its descent into Normanton.
Sally stepped into the familiar heat and noticed the breezy casualness of the locals. As she picked up her small bag a man asked, ‘Want a ride into town, love?’
‘Thanks, to the train station would be good. I’ve got the right day I hope.’
‘For the Gulflander?’ He looked at his watch. ‘Yep, it’s Thursday, leaves in half an hour.’ He gave her a second glance. ‘Are you a train buff?’
‘I’m heading into Croydon.’
He had her tagged as another railway aficionado come to ride the unique ‘Tin hare’ as they called the grand old railmotor. She thanked him as he dropped her at the railway station where tourists were standing on the lawns, being photographed in front of the beautifully restored Victorian building. Others were collecting fat ripe mangoes that had fallen from the trees nearby.
The train arrived in the deserted gold-mining town of Croydon after lunch and, while the tourists wandered around the historic buildings, Sally waited at the small hotel picking at a sandwich and drinking a cold light beer. A Land Cruiser pulled up outside the pub and a young man in a white shirt with sleeves rolled up neatly, dark trousers and a tie got out and, glancing around, came towards the attractive woman sitting at the table facing the dusty street. ‘Mrs Lee? I’m James Hynes, from the bank.’
‘You’re right on the dot. Have you had lunch?’
‘No, I’ll get a hamburger. I’ve been out looking at a property. We’ve got a bit of a drive ahead of us if we want to get there before five. The road’s good, though. Bit different from your day, I guess.’
‘Yes. I used to fly into Barra Creek, this is a novelty but it’s the only way I could get here at short notice. Where’s Mr Langton?’
‘Meeting us there. He’s flying in from Cloncurry to the Barra strip, then going back to head office in Brisbane. He said you could go back with him, unless you want to stay on, of course.’
‘I’ll see. Do you do much of this?’ she asked the well-presented young man whose cheerful demeanour didn’t sit well with the task he had to do.
‘Yeah, it’s been bad. The drought and all, but it’s got to be done. This is just a formality, the people fight as long as they can but if they can’t come up with the cash, well, business is business, right?’ He wasn’t expecting her to show him any sympathy. Mr Langton had filled him in on why he had to bring this lady out to Barra Creek.
They talked little on the drive. Sally was feeling nostalgic and there was a tight pain in her chest as memories washed over her together with the knowledge of what she had to do. She wished it hadn’t come to this but, as Lorna and Kate agreed, it was the right thing.
Even after all these years, the land was familiar to her. The shadows of the tall trees at the gate were lengthening as they drove onto the dirt road leading to the homestead. It used to be her favourite time of day, when she turned her horse for home. A knot of people were standing in the front garden, near a ute and a heavily laden truck covered with a roped-down tarpaulin. James pulled up and Sally stared at the group, her heart in her mouth. She didn’t recognise the white stockmen leaning against the fence, but to one side among the handful of Aboriginal people she saw the unmistakable figure of Fitzi. Stooped and white-haired he was leaning heavily on a tall, strong-looking woman aged about forty in moleskin pants, a blue shirt and her hat hanging down her back. Her hair was brown and as Sally walked towards them they turned. After peering intently at her, Fitzi recognised her. He nudged the woman and spoke.
‘Miss Sally?’
‘Fitzi, how are you? I can’t believe it’s you!’ Sally was choked up and saw the old man’s rheumy eyes also water.
‘He’s doing good for an old fella in his eighties,’ said the woman. ‘I’m Daisy. Been a while since you bin back here at Barra, eh?’
‘Nineteen seventy-six.’
The woman looked down. ‘Yeah, that was a bad time. Poor Boss . . .’
‘Why you come back? Dis bad day, no good.’ Fitzi began to shake his head. ‘Wot goin ’appen poor pella me, now all dis ’appen?’
‘Don’t you worry, old man, Daisy mob gonna look after you, no matta what, eh.’ But she gave Sally a hard look. ‘You helpin’ the boss?’ She inclined her head towards the homestead with some disdain.
Sally looked away from them and for the first time looked at the house. It was almost smothered in creepers that had died back leaving twisted brown vines covering the verandah posts. The old house had never been grand but in its simplicity and tidiness it had always had a welcoming, comfortable air. Now it looked rundown and forlorn. She turned back to Daisy. ‘No, I’m here for another reason. What plans do you have, Daisy?’
‘I want to stay, we got good workers round here. We kin make dis a good place.’ She shook her head. ‘We jist wait, eh?’
‘Daisy bin running ever ‘ting. She good cattle boss,’ said Fitzi. ‘You tell big boss Daisy good.’
James Hynes touched Sally’s arm. ‘Best you wait out here. Mr Langton will talk to you later.’
The sun was sinking as Ian came outside. He was alone, as Sally expected. She had found out that his wife had moved back to Brisbane several years ago. He walked with a straight back, holding himself stiffly and Sally was reminded of Lorna. He looked ahead and held a folder of documents in one hand, a small overnight bag in the other. He was followed by Langton, an older man in a navy jacket, grey trousers, shirt and tie.
Ian saw her and he stopped, quite shocked. ‘Sally? What are you doing here?’ He glanced around, his face closing, a barrier going up. ‘Did my mother send you?’
‘No. She doesn’t know I’m here. Ian, I’m very sorry it’s come to this . . .’ Sally faltered.
‘Why would you care? Who told you to come? Are you making sure I’m really going so you can tell them all?’ he said bitterly.
‘I am not here to gloat. Tommy asked me to come.’
‘What’s he care? He never wanted this place. He never offered to help me.’
‘Did you ever ask?’
Ian didn’t answer, then he shrugged. ‘No point. I knew he wouldn’t lift a finger. You can tell my mother I’m not walking out of here with nothing. She doesn’t need that house in Sydney.’
‘She might not need it, but that’s her decision. I suggest you make a fresh start and leave her in peace.’
‘What’s it to you? You were only here for a little while. You were the governess, for God’s sake.’
‘I had hoped we’d stay friends. Your mother is my friend. She’s suffered all these years knowing something that has been painful. She has protected you, Ian.’
Sally thought she saw a faint flush under his tanned face. ‘What’re you talking about?’
‘About your father. Fitzi told her you left your father to die.’
He swung around and glared at the old man. ‘Who’s going to believe anything he says? It was years ago, you’re all full of bullshit.’ He brushed past her and wrenched open the door of the truck.
Sally had seen the flash of fear in his eyes. He knew exactly what she was referring to. She watched silently as the two white stockmen stepped forward and awkwardly shook Ian’s hand, mumbling good luck.
James Hynes looped a chain over the gate with a shiny new padlock and snapped it shut. Langton, his supervisor, unfolded a sheet of paper and read aloud a short formal statement that the lands and buildings of the holding known as Barra Creek had been foreclosed upon and that Ian Monroe had forfeited all rights in ownership of said property, which was now vested in the bank as mortgagee in possession.
Daisy, Fitzi and the small group of Aborigines stood huddled together, looking worried. Ian avoided looking at them, got behind the wheel and for a moment Sally thought he was going to say something to her. But as she stepped forward, he turned on the engine and gunned the truck, spraying them with dirt and small stones. Silently they watched him drive away from his childhood home for the last time.
One of the stockmen shook his head. ‘As easy as that. Drive off and leave everything you’ve ever known, that you’ve worked for. Bloody banks.’
‘He was running the place down for years, borrowed too much. The drought did him in. Still, it must be tough,’ said another.
‘What’s he going to do?’
‘Heading for Yowah, going opal mining. He’s going to a place where no one asks any questions.’
Mr Langton looked at Sally and stepped forward. ‘I am instructed by the bank that the property is now officially on the market and available for purchase.’
‘And I am instructed to ask you to take this with you. It is an offer in writing to purchase this place by Thomas Monroe. I’m acting on his behalf. Here is the proxy authorising me to sign any papers.’
‘I have to take this back and put it through all the right channels. I can’t agree to anything here, you know that.’
‘I was led to believe there wouldn’t be any problems.’ Sally was feeling shaky.
‘That’s probably right, but I can’t let you onto the premises, Mrs Lee.’
‘I understand. I’ll drive back to Normanton with Mr Hynes. I’m booked into the hotel in Croydon for tonight.’
‘I can give you a ride to Brisbane, if you like. Take your pick.’
‘Thank you, I’d appreciate the ride back to Normanton.’ Sally didn’t want to spend any time with the officious bank agent. Also she wanted time to come to terms with all this.
When they had spoken on the phone Tommy had said to her, ‘There’s no way Ian is getting his hands on Mum’s house. Please do what you think is best, Sally. I have so many regrets at not following up on what was going on in my mother’s life.’
*
It took several weeks of meetings between Lorna, Sally and the new solicitor Sally had found for her, but now everything was finalised. Sally returned to Barra Creek.
There was no one living in the homestead; the phone went unanswered. She sent a letter to Daisy to tell her that she’d be arriving with good news, wondering if mail would get to them now that it was common knowledge that the place was unoccupied.
As she drove up to the old house, it looked very deserted. She walked onto the verandah, calling, ‘Anyone home?’
There was no answer. She got in her hired four-wheel drive and headed towards the camp. The gundis looked tidy, some chairs were outside in the sun, a few old dogs scratched idly. In the distance a couple of Aboriginal stockmen were working on a fence. In one of the gundis Betsy, now frail, was sleeping. Before Sally was out of the car, Fitzi and Daisy came to meet her.
Their delight in seeing her was tempered by the worry she’d come to ‘move us mob on’.
‘You didn’t get my letter?’
‘No mail since Ian left,’ said Daisy. ‘No one has visited either, no one from the bank.’
‘Wot gonna ’appen?’ asked Fitzi, taking Sally’s hand. ‘Dis place be my country. Old Pitzi gonna end up in dat old-age place there in Normanton, bloody jail place, one room. How dis old man gonna lib on him own in one room, eh?’
‘Don’t worry, Fitzi. It’s all been fixed up. But first I’ve got to talk with Daisy.’
Fitzi read something in Sally’s smile and in her eyes and was reassured. ‘I boil ’em up billy.’ He headed into his gundi to make a pot of tea.
Daisy led Sally to two of the sagging chairs. ‘What you fix up now, eh? Me and the boys and my old mother got no place to go.’
‘You don’t have to go anywhere, Daisy. You were born here under that tree over there. I saw you born, me and Mrs Monroe.’
Daisy looked at her. ‘That’s right, you told me you were there.’
‘Did your mother ever talk to you about your father, your true father?’
Daisy shrugged. ‘I got plenty father, Fitzi, uncles, lot of family. Not too many round now but.’
‘Daisy, your father was John Monroe. Barra Creek belongs to you because you were born on its land and your father owned it. That means you have as much claim to being here as Ian does.’
Daisy struggled with this knowledge, her face a mixture of emotions as the full impact hit her. ‘Dat true? Daisy belong t’ the big old boss?’ Tears began to run down her face as a mature woman cried for her father like a little girl.
‘You talk to Betsy, your mum. It’s all right for her to tell you the true story now,’ said Sally gently.
Daisy nodded but then looked worried. ‘I got no money, how me and Fitzi and my mother all stay here?’
‘Do you remember Tommy? Ian’s brother? Well, he has paid the money for Barra Creek, and he wants you all to share it, run it and look after it for him.’
‘Stay here all time? No move away?’
‘Tommy suggested that we could advertise in the Queensland Country Life for a manager, to help you all run the place if you like. But you and Tommy, you both own it.’
Fitzi came back out and looked fearful as he saw Daisy weeping but as they explained things to him, a huge smile of relief lit up his face. He patted Daisy’s hand. ‘Dis place be home, longa time fer Barra Crik people. Good, good.’
Sally was starting to cry. ‘It is good, Fitzi. Now come on, what about that cuppa?’
Sally still felt emotional when she related the events to Kate. ‘I couldn’t believe the look on Fitzi’s and Daisy’s faces. It was beautiful, just beautiful.’
‘So Ian just drove away. Are you sure he won’t make any trouble?’
‘He’s got no more fight in him. You know, in a strange way when I told him that his mother knew what he’d done to his father all those years ago, there was almost a look of relief in his eyes.’
‘I wonder if he’ll ever ask forgiveness.’
‘I don’t think he’ll ask it from his mother,’ said Sally, pushing her coffee cup away and glancing round the crowded cafe. ‘How are things going with Lorna’s case?’
‘It’s looking good. This whole thing has perked her up. She was all right at the last medical assessment. Tommy wants her to stay in her home as long as she can. He’s offered to pay for the care she needs and he’s going to visit her next month. She’s looking forward to that. He sounds very nice.’
‘You’re looking very pleased with yourself, Kate. And so you should. Thanks should go to you for getting this ball rolling. I’d better make a move, I’m heading back down the coast tonight.’
She went to push back her chair but Kate leaned over and put her hand on hers. ‘Sally, there’s one last loose end. I’ve become so involved with the family since hearing all this, I decided I’d make a couple more phone calls.’
‘What about? There isn’t a problem is there? What could possibly be left to sort out?’
‘You and Rob.’
‘What! That’s ancient history now, I’m afraid. He’s been out of the picture for years,’ said Sally, but seeing Kate’s face she felt her heart constrict. ‘What do you mean exactly?’
‘I tracked him down. Lorna wanted to tell him what she did, what happened.’
‘No! The poor man. No, he doesn’t need to know any of this, Lorna is causing more pain, disrupting more lives. Don’t let her, Kate.’
‘It’s too late. She talked to him on the phone. Sally, he’s coming down, he wants to see you. And her. He reacted like you did, but now he’s just grateful she’s told him the truth, at last.’
Sally couldn’t speak for a minute. ‘You mean, he also wondered about what had happened . . . he cared?’
‘Of course! He said he never got over you. He couldn’t understand why you didn’t give him a chance. Then he figured that he and Barra Creek had just been an interlude in your life.’
Sally closed her eyes, feeling the hurt all over again. She took a deep breath. ‘And what about his family, what do they say?’
‘No idea,’ said Kate briskly. ‘He’s been divorced for ten years. He’s breeding horses, he also said something about Jasper, that you’d understand. Anyway, he can tell you about it.’
‘I can’t see him. Oh no! This is too much.’
‘What do you mean you can’t see him? He sounds gorgeous. When he asked if you were still a beautiful redhead, I said you were a knockout.’
Sally didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. ‘Kate, I’m sixty years old! I can’t start acting like a giddy teenager.’
‘Then just feel like it, and enjoy it.’
‘Oh my God, I don’t know whether to hit you and Lorna or hug you.’ She dropped her head on her arms on the table.
‘You’ve got a week. He’s going to phone you. He said he’s very shy and nervous.’ Kate patted Sally’s head. ‘Are you going to be okay driving?’
Sally sat up and grinned. ‘Well, you’ve given me a hell of a lot to think about on the way home. I’ll be there before this has sunk in.’
Outside the coffee shop, Sally hugged Kate. ‘I’ll call you. I don’t know how to thank you for all this.’
Kate looked at the beautiful, vivacious woman in front of her. ‘You know, Sally, there’s one thing I’d really like, to go and see Barra Creek one day.’
Sally grinned and gave her a thumbs up. ‘Done.’