The Bay (32 page)

‘I don't get it. How come your dad stayed around and mine didn't?' Alice shook her head. ‘There must be something wrong with Mum and me.'

‘Don't be stupid! You said yourself that you were just a baby. He'd have his reasons.' Matty tried to think of some good reasons. ‘He probably feels uncomfortable round your mum, or he could just hate Australia.'

‘Maybe one day I'll ask him,' said Alice slowly, then she frowned. ‘What would happen if I liked him more than my mum, more than Eddie?' This conversation was making her think of possibilities that hadn't occurred to her before.

‘You'd like them all in different ways. You'd like your mum because you love her, you'd like Eddie because he's great fun and you'd like your real dad 'cause you could stay with him in Belgium!' Matty grinned at her. ‘I'm so jealous, I'd love to go to Europe!'

‘Not India?'

‘No. It's hard to explain. India is such a special place for Dad, I sort of feel like I'd get overlooked, like I'd be competing for his attention.'

They stared out at the rolling paddocks wrapped in their own thoughts.

‘You know what I think about sometimes,' ventured Alice. ‘Who I'm going to marry. It'd have to be somebody special. I mean, I don't want to end up like Mum . . .' she stopped, embarrassed that she was being so disloyal. ‘I don't know why my parents split up. I always thought that Dad would be the best guy to marry. He was always the prince in the fairy tales, being a hero when all the others were just being dopey. I reckon Eddie's the same.'

Matty jumped to her feet, picking up the reins of the horses. ‘Let's go tell him, it'll make him laugh!'

But as the girls trotted back towards the farm both were thinking of their absent fathers with a pang in their hearts.

For the first few minutes of the journey as Eddie and Kimberley headed back both were quiet, thinking over what they'd just seen and heard. Eventually Kimberley broke the silence. ‘They're really into the spiritual search, aren't they?'

‘Anything particularly wrong with that?' asked Eddie.

‘I worry about these way-out movements. They're like religious fanatics and I'm uncomfortable with religion. Gave up the church-going bit years ago.'

‘Lots did that, Kim, but you can't live by bread alone, as the saying goes. They've found something that gives their lives an extra dimension.'

‘I suppose that's what Ashok, my husband, is doing in India, much as he says it's research. Are you looking for something?'

Eddie didn't rush into a reply. ‘Well, I guess I am, and I suspect you are too.'

‘Oh? And what makes you think I'm searching for something spiritual? I was certainly unaware of it.'

‘Because you're bright, and you've been lost for a long time. Now you're discovering a way ahead with work, and with Matty. Like me. And sooner or later we all find we need to believe in something other than the material world, and subconsciously we start searching.'

‘Funny you should say that. There are corporate consultants in the cities who are trying to give the new generation of fast livers and high achievers something to believe in, or at least respect. Other than money,' said Kimberley.

Eddie gave her a big smile. ‘You know, Kim, your little talk at the funeral was a sign that you're well and truly on the journey.'

‘To where?'

‘Good question. I don't have the answer, but when you find it, let me know.'

‘And you'll tell me what you find?'

‘It's a deal.'

They met the girls in the barn brushing down the horses and chatting happily.

‘How was it?' asked Kimberley.

‘Fantastic. I was a bit nervous at first but Alice helped me and we cantered across the ridge and then took them down along the creek and through the forest.' Matty's face was glowing and it was obvious she'd enjoyed herself immensely.

‘Sounds like it's time for a treat. Any of that orange cake you made left, Alice?'

‘Yep. We'll be up when we're finished here, Dad, won't be long.' Alice stroked the horse Matty had ridden. ‘Matty will have to do this again, eh?' she said to Sampson.

‘I'd love to, Alice. Is that okay, Mum?'

‘Fine by me.'

‘Terrific. Love to see you here again, Matty. We'll work out the transport,' said Eddie, pleased for the two girls.

Holly watched Andrew and the two children packing his car for the trip back to Sydney. Despite the bouts of tension she had experienced during their visit, it had been good to be with them all again. Yet, she had to admit to herself, the prospect of being left alone wasn't upsetting her at all.

Andrew came into the kitchen and glanced around. ‘That seems to be everything. I'll be back up fairly soon. I'll let you know. Got a few things on the boil all over the place.' He kissed her and gave a quick smile and shouted, ‘C'mon, kids, blast-off time.'

Holly followed him out to the car. ‘See you then. By the way, Mac rang me wanting to know if you'd heard of any big project planned for up here.'

Andrew froze with his hand on the door handle. Holly always did this to him, dropped some bombshell right as he was leaving the house. ‘What sort of project? Why would I know anything?'

‘Because you move in those circles. I thought some of your builder–developer friends in Sydney might have mentioned it once they heard you have an interest up here.'

‘What do you mean, interest?'

Holly sighed at his defensive attitude. ‘Well, my interest. Richmond House of course.'

‘Oh, of course. No, I haven't heard anything. Should I be looking into it? I mean Hong Kong, Shanghai and Bali do tend to keep me occupied.'

‘Don't worry about it, Andrew. I just told Mac I'd ask you. I didn't think you'd know anything.'

‘I'll make a few inquiries. We're late.' He got behind the wheel.

Melanie rushed up and kissed her and jumped in the car. ‘See ya, Mum. Thanks for everything.'

Marcus hugged Holly. ‘It's been really great, Mum. Thanks for you know what. I'll call you and we'll have a yarn, okay?'

‘I'd like that, I really would.' She was close to tears. Before she could say any more Andrew was reversing the car and they were gone.

In the silence the currawongs' cry sounded mournful.

Two days later, Holly decided to act on her promise to back Marcus in his business project. She rang the family solicitor.

‘I see.' Her cup rattled in its saucer as she put it down with a shaking hand. ‘But, Thomas, that can't be right. Andrew and I agreed when Marcus was born that everything was in our joint names. The house, the shares, everything.'

She listened for a moment, then in a strained voice asked, ‘What do you mean, I signed them over to Andrew? When?'

Her heart began to race as memories came back to her of Andrew handing her documents to sign. She didn't read them or know what they were. He was vague, she was a director of his company and had to sign a lot of papers. It never occurred to her to ask about them. She trusted Andrew.

‘I had no idea what I was signing. Yes, yes, I realise I'll have to speak to Andrew. Tell me, what about Richmond House in The Bay? He handled the purchase of that property. Do I own it? Is it joint or do Andrew and the company own it?'

Suddenly this question was vitally important to her. She waited for the solicitor to rifle through contracts and documents.

‘I see,' she said as she listened to his answer. ‘So I've put all my personal money into Richmond House, and I'm taking all the risk. But it's all mine. Not only don't I have any assets to draw on to loan my son money, but if Richmond House falls over I haven't got a penny to my name. And everything else is in Andrew's name or the company. Well at least I'm still part of the company –'

Disbelief stopped her as the solicitor cut in. She felt like laughing, it was all too ludicrous. ‘And just when did I resign as a director?' She shook her head as she listened to the reply. ‘I signed papers in November.' She rubbed her forehead then added, ‘I thought they were papers to do with buying Richmond House. Yes, I'm sure there's not a problem. It's a temporary arrangement for this new project Andrew's got under way. I'll sort it out with him . . . Yes, thank you for your help.'

Holly hung up the phone, climbed up the stairs and went out on the roof and looked down at Tiny Bay. Waves lapped on the smooth sand, magpies chortled in the front garden, the sun glittered on Brierly Rocks in the distance. How could this nightmare be happening when everything around her looked so peaceful? The solicitor's soothing voice sounded hollow as she replayed the conversation in her head. An awful niggling fear chewed at her. Of course she must speak to Andrew immediately, but something held her back. Normally she would have rushed to the phone, upset and confused by this shocking news, and Andrew would explain everything. She could hear him repeating the solicitor's words, that it was all temporary, his deals were more important, that she simply wouldn't understand these complicated business matters. Then it came to her, why hadn't the solicitor advised her about any of this? He acted for the family, the company had a different solicitor. A thousand questions began to whirr through her mind.

Leaning on the railing of the widow's walk, a slow anger replaced the shock. And a voice at her shoulder seemed to whisper in her ear.

She walked back to the room off the kitchen that was her temporary office and rang a number she knew by heart now.

‘Mitch, it's Holly. Look, I have a bit of a problem, can you recommend a good solicitor in the area?'

She kept the conversation brief, then looked at the two names she'd written down. One was Letitia Sweetman. Instinctively Holly drew a line through her name. The other was Paul Maynard. She drew a little frill around the words, doodling as she thought about what she would say, then rang to make an appointment.

‘Can I tell him what it's about?' said the secretary.

‘Just tell him it's about a problem with a jointly owned property. I want to know where I stand, and what I can do about it before I confront the other party.'

A time was set. Holly hung up, took a deep breath, and turned her attention to meeting Mac and Kimberley down at the sushi bar for lunch as planned.

Eddie watched Tina put water, fruit, some barley sugars and binoculars into a small backpack. She was fulfilling her promise to show him a special secret place in the bush for his documentary. ‘Looks to me like you're packing survival rations. We are only going thirty minutes out of town.'

Tina smiled. ‘Keep that up and I won't share.'

‘Oops. Sorry.'

‘What are you taking?'

‘Two Cs: camera and coldies. The two essentials.'

‘We might be able to do a trade later,' said Tina, hoisting the pack over her shoulders. ‘Now remember the ground rules, no blabbing all over town about the location of this place. As far as I'm concerned it's on my list of sacred sites. We've all got to have some secrets.'

‘What about your own secrets?' Eddie asked. ‘Any buried skeletons?'

‘If I had I wouldn't tell. It wouldn't be a secret then anyway.'

‘Did you share secrets with your best friend at school? Alice seems to have a new secret every week but with different girlfriends. I don't know how she keeps track of what she's told whom,' laughed Eddie. ‘It must be a girl thing.'

‘I once told a girlfriend something very special and swore her to secrecy and she tattled to other girls, and so I never told anyone a secret again.'

‘I'd never tell. Would you trust me with a secret?' Eddie's tone was light but he was keen to know her response.

Tina gave him a steady gaze, thinking for a moment, then flashed a huge smile. ‘You know, I think you would keep a secret. But I'm not telling you any.'

A short time later as they hiked through a rain forest gorge, Eddie paused and said quietly, ‘I can see now why you want to keep this place secret. Let me get some shots in here.' He set up the camera to capture the beams of sunlight that filtered through the canopy of tangled treetops and vines. Huge bird's-nest and tree ferns were spotlighted and among them tiny orchids and lichens clung to mossy trunks and fallen logs. The air was moist and warm. He wiped his brow. ‘Wow, it's steamy, but so beautiful. How can people rip through country like this with saws and bulldozers?'

‘Easy. For money. Always the cause of madness. Come on, there's a magical pool a bit further on.'

Eddie was speechless at the beauty around them as Tina led him along a small creek. Clambering over the mossy rocks and crossing the stream on a fallen log, they came to what appeared to be a rock wall.

‘End of the trail?' asked Eddie. ‘I hope you don't think I can climb up that!'

‘Follow me,' she said and started to inch her way over the tumbled rocks to a split in the cliff face, just wide enough for someone to fit through sideways. ‘Take your backpack off or you'll get stuck.'

Eddie edged his way between the rocks, then stepped into an opening and looked onto a scene that took his breath away. Before them was a small basin ringed by curving rock walls; a silver shimmer of water slid down the far rock face into a deep crystal pool.

‘Pretty special, huh?' said Tina, pleased at his reaction.

‘How did you find this place?'

‘Old records in the archives, and the help of a very good map. The local Aboriginal people showed some of the early settlers how to get here.'

Eddie gazed around at the towering stand of old trees and the lushness of the unspoiled setting. By the time he had clambered all over the area to get the shots he wanted, he was sweating. ‘Looks inviting, doesn't it?'

‘So? Shall we?' Tina answered for both of them by pulling off her boots. Eddie put the camera away and turned to see her taking off her heavy shirt, revealing a cotton camisole stretched over pert breasts. He suddenly felt hotter than a few moments before. Tina slithered over the rocks into the pool with a flash of a long slim back.