spent carrying rocks to build fences, shovelling cow manure from their dirt-floored hut during the winter and burying his small sisters, brothers and finally his mother. No wonder he had left his homeland.
‘Come, Angus.’ Hamish got to his feet. Angus followed his father without glancing back.
Left alone on the verandah, Claire fluffed her skirts. Her husband and son shared a bond Claire could never be a part of. There was a knowing within them both, an understanding of each other’s role within their respective lives. As a mother she knew how fortunate they were to have such a relationship. As a woman it was almost as if she had been abandoned on a barren island, even though she knew their behaviour was not meant to cause pain.
Sarah and Shelley were chopping down jade near the back gate. The plant was overgrown and it was taking quite a lot of muscle to saw through the thick woody stems. Bullet sat nearby, occasionally looking up as if to join in on the conversation.
‘So it’s that serious then?’ Sarah asked, wiping perspiration from her forehead. It was a mild 20 degrees yet by midafternoon a southerly change would be upon them with the temperature due to drop to six degrees overnight.
‘Serious enough to be talking marriage.’ Shelley was almost coy.
‘Marriage,’ Sarah squealed. Extricating a wrist-thick trunk of jade she threw it on top of the pile in the wheel barrow and gave Shelley a hug. ‘And it took the whole weekend for you to tell me?’
Shelley removed her black sweater and retied her recently dyed hair. This year blonde was her colour of choice and considering she was finally in a great relationship and had been promoted to senior consultant at the recruitment firm where she worked, clearly it was the pick of the five different shades she had road-tested over the last three years. ‘Two reasons. Firstly I figured it was bad luck to say anything before I was officially engaged.’
‘Couldn’t help yourself?’ Sarah teased.
‘Secondly, well, I don’t want a long engagement.’ Shelley hesitated, ‘I don’t think it’s necessary, not if you really love someone.’ She looked pointedly at Sarah as her friend began sawing through another fibrous branch.
Sarah passed her the saw. ‘Here, you have a go.’
‘Please don’t get angry, Sarah, but are you happy? Really happy?’ Shelley stared at her, the saw dangling from her hands.
‘Of course, silly. I just don’t see the rush. We’re not exactly over the hill. I’m not quite twenty-five.’ Retrieving the saw Sarah attacked another section of the jade. Shelley always managed to push her buttons. ‘Besides, there’s been a fair bit for me to come to terms with and I just haven’t been in the right place to go forward.’
‘But I heard you arguing this morning and you rarely come down to Sydney anymore and what happened to your photography? It was your profession and you were damn good at it. I don’t want you staying here for a bunch of ghosts,’ Shelley said sullenly. Her closest friend was like a frog in a sock and she didn’t even realise it.
‘I’m not an employee, Shelley.’ Sarah snapped. ‘Look, Wangallon is a big business and I’m in charge.’ Taking a breath, she calmed. ‘Actually I’ve just started taking a few shots again.’
‘Well good, but what about the visits to Sydney? Why can’t you leave Anthony to mind the fort? He’s been running the place for long enough and he’s as obsessed with this pile of history as you are.’ If Sarah didn’t stop sawing there was only going to be a stump left. She touched her arm. ‘Well?’
‘I’m not going anywhere, Shelley. There are only a couple of months to go before we know the property is safe. Believe me, I’ve done my best not to think about Grandfather’s will since his death but with spring only a matter of months away I feel like I’m one of those bomb disposal experts who suddenly doesn’t know whether they should be cutting the red wire or the blue.’
‘I’m sorry. With all the time that’s elapsed I forgot about the inheritance debacle. What does Anthony say?’
‘Nothing. At least nothing helpful since we argued about it eighteen months ago. The morally correct thing is his standard answer. We haven’t talked about it since. Frankly it’s been easier for me to bury it and I’m still hopeful it will go away.’
Bullet rushed out the back gate. Matt and Anthony were trotting up the road on horseback. Sarah looked up,