When they’d told Frank about Barb leaving, he’d insisted that they needed to go to the top fields to see something before she went. The day after he’d cremated Marinda, he had collapsed and spent a week delirious with fever. With Barb panicking whenever she saw Mary, it had been obvious how they should split the nursing. He was weak but back on his feet and determined they should make the walk.
Max and Barb made it to the top of the track first, both hot and carrying the warm clothing they’d set off in. The old, overgrown road was a longer route but less steep than the path straight up the hill. Max knew the old farmhouse was around this last bend, but wanted to wait for Frank and Mary to join them so they could approach together.
They sat on a large stone to catch their breath, comfortable with their silence. Max moved around to sit behind Barb, and she leaned back against his chest. He kissed the side of her neck and wrapped his arms around her body. She tilted her head back, and they both soaked up the rays of the sun on their faces.
Even with their eyes closed, they could tell that Frank and Mary were near from the pants and moans. It was unclear who was helping who. Mary had never experienced such a lengthy amount of exercise and was almost crying with exhaustion.
‘Sit down for a minute and catch your breath.’
Frank waved Max away. ‘I’ve been sat down long enough. Just let me stand a minute.’
Mary lay down dramatically on the ground, groaning. ‘My legs are going to drop off.’
The others ignored her.
‘Right, let’s go.’ Frank set off again.
Max offered Mary his hand and pulled her up, and they fell in behind Frank, allowing him first sight of the house. As it came into view, they all stopped.
‘It’s huge.’ Barb had imagined another house like Frank’s, but it was more like a small country manor.
Frank shrugged. ‘Thea’s family were very well off, and they had a lot of staff. For all the good it did them in the end.’ He turned and looked out down the next valley. ‘This is their land too, though it will need a lot of work to get it producing again.’
He pointed to some small cottages down the hill. ‘Those are some of the farm workers’ houses. Again, it will take some work, but they could be used as well.’
Barb looked at him. ‘Sounds like you have plans.’
He smiled. ‘You need to bring the children here. They can all live in this house to start with if they share rooms, and then, as they get bigger, we’ll renovate the cottages. I can teach them about the farm and pass that on. It’ll all be wasted if I go and die without training others to follow.’
‘What about me?’ Max asked indignantly. ‘I know about the farm, and I’m assuming this will all be mine when you do go.’
‘Of course, but it’s too much for one person, Max. We got by, but maybe getting by wasn’t the best way to do it.’
Frank patted his son’s back.
‘Don’t make the mistakes I made. If you settle the children up here, you can bring the place back to life again. And you’ll be together. Barb doesn’t need to go away, and you can raise your own children here.’
Barb blushed and turned away as Frank looked at her.
Max couldn’t help grinning. He held out his hand to her. ‘What do you think?’
She nodded. ‘I think it’s a great idea.’
‘Is this our new house?’ Mary asked.
Frank nodded.
Mary let out an enormous scream that made them all jump, and ran towards the door.
‘Oh, Lord.’ Frank hobbled after her. ‘She’ll go through the floor or do herself some damage. Come back, Cissy!’
Max hugged Barb. ‘It’ll need a lot of work. Looks like some of the windows need fixing, but we can do it together.’ He squeezed her tight, making her wince. ‘We can be together and safe.’
Barb watched Mary wiping a clean circle on the inside of one of the upstairs windows and pressing her face to it.
‘Your dad keeps calling Mary “Cissy”.’
‘He slips. She reminds him of her. Makes him think of happy times. It’s harmless.’
They walked towards the house hand in hand.
‘This is perfect.’ Max pulled her along, and she tried to look excited, but she wondered if she was the only one who questioned if they would be safe with Mary living in their midst.
Max thought she’d been asleep or too drunk to remember all those nights he’d confessed his anger at his father for shooting the outsiders, but she had heard and she remembered. He assumed she would be upset and angry at the story. He assumed she would think Frank had been wrong to go to such extremes to keep his family safe, but it was his assumption that was wrong.