The Quilt (20 page)

The sound of Jess pa
nting dragged Paul back from the cliff edge.  She was skulking around the edges of the clearing her ears flat and tail drooping submissively. 

Paul sat down heavily on the remainder of the large trunk felled all those years ago by the brothers as they struggled to tame Twin Pines.  The massive pine was slowly decomposing. A heavy musky damp smell mingled with the sharp tang of the needles. 

The snow had been falling on the night of the accident.  Layer
s of soft white powder had cloaked the earth. He kicked at the damp soil around the trunk.  Jess whimpered and circled him.

“Cut it out
.”

H
e reprimanded the old dog. She never settled when they came up to the ridge and, although Paul normally ignored her restlessness, today he found it irritating.

As far as he knew
, Sean had never come up to this remote, lonely place.  Perhaps it reminded him of Allan’s drunken violent outbursts, the tragic accident that claimed James’ life or perhaps even Anne’s disappearance.  Maybe it disturbed the memories he kept behind a door no one dared attempt to open. 

Jess was keen to jump back on to the quad.  They left the isolated clearing and made
their way into the paddocks running down the opposite side of the roadway.  Paul took the opportunity to check the few head of cattle that still ran on Twin Pines and rotated with the flocks of sheep.  The herd moved nervously at the sound of the bike and filed up the hill in a mass of black muscle.  He stopped to tension a fence and check the water levels in the troughs.

They followed the top ridge of the hills that undulated in front of them before dropping down and picking up a narrow
path along the disturbed stream that lazily wound through the lower parts of the pasture.  Paul spent a few minutes checking for possums in the catchment areas that had been planted for autumn colour.  The huge trees were a mass of green at this time of the year.  It would be a few months before they showed off their red and gold foliage. 

The final landscaped pond
was much the same as it had been years before when Paul had sat next to Leslie staring at the distant trees.   There was now an additional moss-covered, rustic seat made out of railway sleepers and placed at the edge of the water, otherwise time had stood still.  If he had gone to university Twin Pines may already have been in someone else’s hands.  He would have graduated by now and would have been practicing as a veterinarian. 

Paul watched the t
uis flitting in and out of the kowhai trees.   In the distance they looked black with their white chest tuft standing out in stark contrast.  It wasn’t until they were close that you could see their vibrant blues and greens.

It was mid-afternoon when Paul pushed open the door of Shearers Cottage. The paint had started to flake off the veranda like dandruff and a mass of cobwebs clung to the outside walls.  A rank, stale odour hung in the air and suspended dust particles reflected in the sunlight. The sickly smell of Leslie’s perfume had long since faded.

The piles unde
rneath the structure had begun to collapse and the floor fell away at an alarming angle.  The interior of the building felt cold and soulless; there was an atmosphere of sickness and it seemed to permeate from the walls.  Paul shuddered and turned away from the building.  The garden was overgrown with dock and nightshade, the grounds felt neglected and abandoned. 

Jess stood with her face
upturned. 

“What do you think
, girl?”

Without hesitating
she walked away from the Cottage and back towards the Shearers Quarters.

Sean was at the kitchen table reading the paper.  He looked up and scanned Pauls face.

“There is a document on the sideboard that needs your signature.  It gives authorisation for the purchasers accountants to uplift the financial records
.”

Sean pushed a pen over the table. 

“They have asked if it would be possible to meet with me tomorrow and have a look over the property.  It doesn’t seem necessary for us both to be here.  Perhaps you would like to go into town and pick up the gates we ordered?  By the middle of the afternoon we should know if they are really interested and if there are any conditions attached to the sale.”

Paul signed the document and left without saying a word.

“You didn’t even ask what he had decided
to do!”

“There was no need to ask
, Jean.  He made his decision years ago.  Today was just a chance for Paul to remind himself why.”

“You don’t even seem disappointed.  I really think this is happening too quickly
.”

“Of course
, I am disappointed, but for myself, not for Paul.”

Debbie was sitting at the reception desk clicking her pen with her right hand and chewing at the nails on her left.  She looked up from the appointment book, and standing a head above the faceless crowd was Paul Clarke. He was walking briskly down the pavement and made no effort to glance at the surgery doors. 

It took Debbie a few minutes
to organize someone to step into the reception area and to catch up to the fast retreating back.

“Paul
.”

He t
urned and smiled.  His startling blue eyes were emphasized by the short sleeved shirt and tight, faded blue jeans he was wearing. 

“
Debbie.  How are you?”

It took her a moment to pull herself together. 

“Tell me it isn’t true.”

“I really don’t know what you are talking about.  What isn’t true?”

“That Twin Pines is being sold.”

There was a small hesitation and Debbie felt her stomach contract and her eyes prickl
e with moisture. 

“Would you like a coffee?”

Paul pulled out a chair for her and ordered for them both.

“
The rumour mill seems to be working efficiently.  How on earth did you hear that someone is looking at Twin Pines?”

“A patient saw
Amanda Quinn turning into your property this morning.  That woman doesn’t go anywhere unless there is the possibility of a commission.  I thought the Clarke family were a permanent part of this community.”

“There is nothing definite.  Someone is looking at the farm as we speak.  If it did sell both Sean and Jean
are looking at retirement and there isn’t anything here for me.” 

Debbie flinched.

Paul reached over and gently took her hand.

“I’m sorry.  You will find someone special and they will be incredibly lucky to have you.” 

Debbie pulled her hand away.

“I had found somebody special but they weren’t looking to find me.  I’ve got to get back to work.”

She got up
abruptly and made an effort to smile.

“No doubt the
beating drums will let me know if you leave.”

Paul sat and watched Debbie walk away. 

How many more people were going to be hurt by the decisions he made?

Paul inhaled.  The Agreement for Sale and Purchase fell to the table.

“Is that what the farm is worth?
”

“
Their offer is very generous.  They had to take into consideration that Twin Pines was not actually for sale.”

Amanda Quinn smiled but
there was no warmth in her pale grey eyes.  She was thin and angular with a business like mannerism.

“
It is conditional on a small amount of finance being left in.”

S
he pointed an elegant finger to the clause titled terms and conditions.

“A
nd, of course, it is subject to various searches and disclosures from your accountants.  I believe the books have already been uplifted?” 

“The purchasers want to buy the property as a going concern.  Is there anything you do not want included?”

Sean looked up from the agreement and took off his glasses
.

“The plant, vehicles and equipment are all standard for a farm of this size
.  Blake suggested we obtain an independent valuation of the stock.  The only other consideration is the working dogs.  The purchasers have expressed an interest in retaining them.” 

He glanced
at Paul.

“
They wouldn’t be any use to you unless you were going to purchase another farm.”

The land agent smiled and turned her attention to Paul
.

“I would be happy to show you the properties I currently have listed
.”

“No
, thank you. I would hardly be selling a property like Twin Pines to purchase another farm.”

Sean picked up the irritation in his son’s voice
.

“
We will discuss that tonight and another suggestion that does not affect the agreement.”

“I assume you are prepared to sign as it is tonight?” 

Sean stiffened.

“If you
leave us a copy the family will discuss it.  You can call back tomorrow morning and witness our signatures unless...”

Amanda interrupted
.   Her voice had taking on a demanding tone.  

“The offer is very generous. 
I would like to put an under contract sticker over the next door sign on my way out.  It would be a pleasure to ring Dorothy and let her know that her property has sold.” 

Amanda glanced at
Jean.  Their eyes met briefly before Jean looked down and began to fiddle nervously with the edge of a handkerchief.   Amanda sensed she had little to do with the decision.  

Perhaps she could persuade Sean to commit. 

“The purchasers do have another property in mind.  I am sure you would be disappointed if they reconsidered their offer on Twin Pines and the Kean’s farm.”

“Ms Quinn
.”

Jean, Sean and Amanda turned towards Paul.  His voice had dropped to a low
, even tone and his blue eyes seemed to have become hard slits of gun metal grey.

“My f
ather has indicated we will sign tomorrow morning, assuming we are all in agreement.  This farm represents four generations of our family’s life and we will not be pressured, by the likes of you, into a hurried decision.  If you want to put your under contract sticker on the Kean’s for sale sign, please feel welcome.  Otherwise, may I suggest you put the sticker up your…”

“Paul!!”

Jean yelled, snapping up like a puppet jerked by a string.

The real estate agent reluctantly left without obtaining a signature on the agreement.

“I spent most of the day with the Shaw’s.  They are a very nice and very knowledgeable couple, Paul.  I think you will be more than happy for them to take over the dogs, but I do understand you want to meet them before deciding.”

“I want to make sure the dogs will be well cared for.  I won’t let Jess go to another home
.  She will stay with me.”

“Jess would be of no use to the Shaw’s at her age
.”

“W
as there something else we needed to discuss?”

“Blake has asked if you would consider staying on as a manag
er for both properties.  He would discuss a respectable wage and offer the Kean’s house as part of the package.”

“I can’t think of anything less appealing than managing
the property you have just sold.”

“I thought that would be how you felt.  He asked if you would
, at least, consider staying on for say a month.  You’re familiar with both farms and it would give him a chance to settle in and organize staff.”

“
I would be more than happy to do that.  It would also mean the dogs can be settled and into a routine before I leave.”

“I am sure the purchase price
is realistic but we have lost touch with land values. I think we should get an unbiased professional opinion before signing the agreement.”

“I was th
inking the same.  John Rendell owes me a few favours, I’ll give him a call and see what he advises.”

Sean returned a few minutes later
.

“
John said he would call in first thing tomorrow morning.  To do an official written valuation would take a few days.  But he said he could at least give us an opinion and it would be pretty accurate.  He did the valuation on Kean’s farm prior to it being placed on the market and that would be a guideline.”

As promised, John pulled into the driveway at six thirty the following morning.  He was a good-humoured man with a ruddy complexion and generous middle-aged spread. 

“I never thought I would see the day the Clarkes
considered selling Twin Pines.”