Absolution Creek (46 page)

Cora poured four shots of rum and clinked glasses with Sam as Meg sat the plates down. ‘Here’s to you, Sam. You got Harold out of the vehicle and walked back here in record time without getting lost.’ She left the rum bottle sitting on the table.

‘I’m sure Kendal thinks he would have done a better job.’ Sam took a sip of the rum.

‘He was only riled because he didn’t come with us when we went to fetch Harold,’ Cora answered.

James sculled his own drink and topped up everyone’s glasses. ‘Anyway, a darkened room and a noiseless environment is the only way Harold will lose the headache.’ He smiled at Meg who had taken up residence at the head of the table. ‘I’m looking forward to this. It’s a long time since I ate a meal whipped up by such a pretty chef.’

Meg felt her cheeks warm. ‘Well, that’s what I seem to do here. It’s four meals a day and –’

‘And a bottle at night?’ James looked directly at Sam. ‘It’s an old bush saying, Sam. Four meals a day and a bottle at night. Cheers.’

‘Word gets around,’ Sam answered soberly. If it killed him he wasn’t having another drink in front of Campbell.

They chewed their way through the brine-flavoured meat and vegetables and then started on the bread. By the time the meal was over the new loaf was relegated to crumbs, the jam tin was nearly empty and the rum bottle remained enticingly centre stage. Meg watched her husband’s eyes stray to the dark liquid throughout the evening.

‘When I was at the Jeffersons’ barbecue on the weekend everyone was talking about the next weather change coming through.’

Cora twirled the dregs of rum left in her glass. ‘Really?’

‘Yep.’ James dabbed a finger at some crumbs on the table. ‘Marjorie Williams says it will be a beauty.’

Meg did her best to join in the conversation, however she and Sam were relegated to the periphery of bush life. They knew none of the locals James talked about and were surprised to hear of the whole other life that existed beyond the boundary gate. There were barbecues by the river, tennis and cricket competitions, local picnic race meetings and the odd amateur theatrical group that travelled through the area from time to time. Although their time on Absolution was only just passing the two-month point, it seemed to Meg that their new life was being constrained by Cora’s almost reclusive existence.

‘The tennis comp starts again in late August. You should come up, join in a bit.’

James’s invitation, Meg noticed, was directed at her.

‘Sure,’ Cora intoned. ‘I meant to mention it to you, Meg. No doubt you could find a babysitter somewhere.’

‘I don’t mind a bit of tennis.’ Sam licked jam from his fingers, his upper lip a smear of red.

‘Really?’ Meg wished she didn’t sound quite so surprised.

James put the kettle on the Aga and rummaged for the tea caddy in the cupboard. ‘Your aunt is a bit of a home body, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a life. I’ll let you know when there’s something on and you can jump in the utility and drive yourself to Stringybark.’

‘Meg can’t drive,’ Sam replied. ‘She relies on me.’

How to make a woman feel useless,
Meg decided, as she watched James negotiate his way around the kitchen. He had the build of a swimmer, with a tapered waist and a well-developed chest and shoulders. She quickly drew her eyes away as he located teaspoons, sugar and her baking tin of biscuits.

‘Jackpot.’ He promptly devoured two biscuits and sat the tin on the table.

Sam opened four wall cupboards. ‘Okay, I give up. Where are the cups?’

James, Meg and Cora all pointed to the same cupboard. Sam raised an eyebrow. ‘I see you’ve been here before, James.’

The kettle boiled and finally they were all sipping their tea.

‘You haven’t met our little ones,’ Sam said over the rim of his cup, ‘Penny and Jill.’

‘Kids too?’ James nodded approvingly at Meg. ‘You’d never tell.’

Sam clanged his cup on the saucer.

‘That’s enough.’ Cora lit her second cigarette in as many minutes. ‘You’ve made your point.’ She flicked the silver lighter shut. ‘You’ll have to excuse James, Sam, he doesn’t get out much either and he’s a bachelor since his dear mother died.’ Cora couldn’t believe it. James actually thought he could try to make her jealous by showering attention on Meg?

‘Mummy’s boy, eh?’ Sam taunted.

James drained his tea cup, thanked Meg for dinner and excused himself. The kitchen was silent as his footsteps sounded in the hallway.

‘Did I say something?’ Sam gave a yawn.

‘Turn the outside lights on for him, Meg.’ Cora slumped back in her chair.

Attempting to ignore the tiny flutter in her stomach, Meg followed James outside. He was at the end of the path near the laundry, his hands busy with a cigarette. Meg flicked the light on the external laundry wall, a pool of white haloing James.

‘You’ll be right then?’ It was freezing and her breath appeared as puffs of steam.

James was wearing a large jacket, the collar of which revealed a lining of tawny wool. Meg could almost feel the heat radiating from him.

He took a puff of his cigarette. ‘I’m sorry, I’ve got something on my mind. I shouldn’t have behaved like that. In my defence you are as pretty as a picture.’

For a moment she couldn’t answer. Meg almost expected to see another woman standing behind her.

‘Not used to compliments, eh?’ Another drag on his cigarette. ‘If you don’t mind me saying it, there are plenty of fish in the sea for a woman like you.’

Having met the man all but an hour or so ago, Meg couldn’t decide if she should be flattered or concerned. ‘I do mind actually,’ Meg replied.

‘Sorry, it’s just that I’ve had a bit of experience with messy relationships. Anyway, Cora told me you don’t have the best of marriages, so I figured –’

‘Well, you figured wrong and I don’t appreciate my personal life being discussed!’

He cocked his head to one side. Despite his wide-brimmed hat Meg sensed he was faintly amused. ‘Sorry. I may be a little rusty when it comes to helping a person.’ He dropped his cigarette on the cement path, ground it dead and said loudly, ‘
Particularly pretty ones
.’

‘I’m married, with children,’ she replied stiffly, looking over her shoulder towards the house. James’s last comment was loud enough for Cora and Sam to hear. Was that what he wanted?

‘So why are you whispering?’

She stamped her feet against the cold. ‘You’re impossible.’

James scratched his cheek. In the stillness Meg heard the faint rasp of nail on stubble. ‘There’ll be a full moon in a couple of days. Cora’s right, there will be rain.’

Meg’s cheeks were numb, her fingers icy. ‘It’s too chilly for rain,’ she snapped. ‘I don’t know how Cora thinks that could happen.’

‘This is Absolution Creek.’ He merged with the darkness. ‘Anything can happen.’

A day later Meg was gathering kindling with the twins, the lambs sucking on the girls’ skirts and butting them in their bottoms whenever they leant over. It had been an early start to the morning with a large truck carrying building material trundling in just after dawn. Cora had slammed doors from one end of the house to the other and Sam had been quiet and withdrawn. The late night had left Meg with a dull ache in her head, although remembering poor Harold stopped her feeling sorry for herself.

‘Stop it.’ Jill gave the lamb a gentle shove.

‘He’s only playing, sweetie.’

‘Daddy has a sore leg like me.’

‘Yes, he has, Jill.’ As the girls continued to pick up twigs and pieces of bark, Meg thought of the thick bandage around her husband’s thigh. The wound needed more than disinfectant and the salve concocted by Cora, but there was no way Sam was having his leg stitched up by a vet, and he refused any attempts to get him to an actual doctor. Meg could only hope it didn’t get infected. At the thought of their local vet, Meg’s cheeks warmed. Ridiculous, she berated herself. Hadn’t she just turned her family’s life inside out hoping for a fresh start? She was married with two gorgeous girls, and it angered her knowing Cora told a complete stranger that her marriage wasn’t great. It reeked of her own mother’s attitude towards Sam, but it also reminded Meg of their problems.

‘Mummy, what’s the matter?’

Meg ruffled Penny’s hair. ‘Nothing, just thinking. Why don’t you girls go inside and get your woollen beanies and we’ll go for a walk.’ As the girls ran towards the house, Meg pushed the wheelbarrow over the uneven ground to the homestead fence. There were two rather long pieces of wood, partially split, lying in the grass and these she added to the barrow. How life changed. Only a few months ago her world revolved around stacking grocery shelves, caring for the twins and hoping World War III didn’t break out between herself and Sam, or Sam and her mother, or all three of them. And then there was the question of money – the constant working to get it, her concern for her children, and Sam’s unemployment and drinking problem. Everything had changed, was changing . . . She threw a bundle of twigs into the wheelbarrow. This move had been for everyone’s benefit – at least that was what she had told herself. Was it time to admit that a change in geography hadn’t altered her most basic problem? And now there was more clutter to fill her brain. Her mother’s strongly worded letter and the revelation Cora and Jane were not blood sisters.

‘How’s Mrs Bell this morning?’

Meg turned to find James Campbell standing before her with Horse and a long-haired black and white border collie at his feet.

‘I didn’t hear you.’ Meg thought of her unwashed face, glanced at her grubby woollen jumper. ‘What are you doing here?’

‘And here I was thinking you’d be offering me coffee and cake.’

There was ten feet between them. It felt like a mile and an inch. Realising she was biting her bottom lip, Meg busied herself with the barrow. ‘The twins will be out soon.’ The collie’s enthusiastic scratching with his hind leg only amplified the awkward silence.

‘Can you just let Cora know that Horse is fine.’ He patted the animal’s neck. ‘I’ve checked the abscess that I syringed recently and given him a shot of penicillin. Okay?’

‘Cora will be home soon if you need to see her.’

James handed Meg Horse’s lead. ‘If you can just pass the message on.’

Meg looked at the lead, at Horse, at James.

‘There’s just one thing, Meg, and you can tell me to butt out if you want –’ he paused ‘– but you might want to learn how to drive. Out here if there’s an accident or something, well, it’s a pretty important skill to have.’

‘Okay.’

He gave her a wink. ‘And there’s nothing more attractive to a bush man than a capable woman.’

Meg tugged on the lead, unwittingly forcing Horse to follow as James walked down the track towards the avenue of trees. What on earth was she meant to do now? She didn’t know the first thing about horses. In the distance she saw Sam standing at the corner of the work shed, hands on hips, watching her, watching James.

Horse whinnied. Penny and Jill arrived in a flurry of hair-pulling to stop bewildered at the back gate.

‘Mummy, you have Horse,’ Jill announced.

Horse tugged his head sideways, lowering it to eye the twins. His nostrils twitched and flared in interest. Jill reached her hand out and was allowed a small pat before Penny’s squeals and Meg’s cautionary words caused the animal to smell her inexperience. Horse shifted the weight on his four legs, the leather lead jerking Meg’s arm as he backed away, head lowered, his hoofs digging into the dirt. Meg held her ground and dug her own heels in. ‘Just behave.’ Horse blinked and walked forward to snuffle at her fingers. They were a few minutes into their battle of wills when James drove past the house. ‘Great,’ Meg muttered. She could just imagine the grin beneath that big hat. As she pondered how to rid herself of Cora’s unwieldy animal, Horse reared backwards, yanked free of Meg’s grasp and trotted away.

‘Bye, Horse.’ Penny and Jill waved enthusiastically.

In the middle of the house paddock Horse ran around in circles, kicking up his hind legs in delight.

Meg was outside playing hopscotch with the girls in the dirt, using an old bone as a marker, when Cora arrived back late morning in the ute. She parked the vehicle with a screech of brakes and slammed the door. She had been out to check on the truck that had arrived earlier and she wasn’t impressed by what she had discovered. Meg cringed.