by Margaret Way
Casey picked up one of the various ornaments. A ballerina with legs almost as long as hers. She turned it over. Royal Copenhagen. It was all incredibly luxurious to Casey who had never experienced anything remotely like luxury in her life. The broken down old bungalow she’d grown up in leaked every time there was rain. And it rained in the tropics. The Home with the ghastly grey paint on the walls trimmed with black. Just the place for heartsick kids. Next stop the streets or jail.
She’d had to fight for everything she wanted. She’d survived but she still had a lot of bad memories to clean out. Her mother hadn’t survived, but she couldn’t think of that now. She had to take a quick shower and go down for breakfast. Her half sisters weren’t fools. They would want to know a lot more. They’d want proof. A sample of her DNA. Deoxyribonucleic acid. What a mouthful! She’d read somewhere the chemical that exists in all living organisms could survive in remains for thousands of years after death. So didn’t that make the blueprint of life virtually indestructible? The name Jock McIvor hadn’t appeared anywhere on her birth certificate. It had said Father: Unknown. But she was certain her DNA would find him out at long last. There had to be some justice in this world.
When she walked into the kitchen she found Courtney and her mother sitting talking quietly together, obviously close.
I don’t belong here. I’m only passing through. Hang around a week or two. Settle on what’s owed to me. Maybe I’ll never belong anywhere.
Courtney saw her first, her small enchanting face lighting up in a smile. “Good morning, Casey. Sleep well?”
“Good morning, dear,” Marian murmured politely, not allowing her blue eyes to remain on Casey very long. Marian found her remarkable resemblance to Jock just too painful.
“Slept like a log,” Casey said. “Couldn’t think where I was when I woke up. I’ve never slept in such a beautiful bedroom in my whole life. Correction. I’ve never slept in a beautiful bedroom period. The bed linen smells so fresh and lovely. What’s it scented with?”
“Boronia,” Courtney looked pleased Casey had noticed. “Our native boronia. It grows wild.” She stood up with purpose, a petite figure in a pink tank top with white cotton jeans. “Now, what would you like for breakfast?”
Casey was so surprised she answered a little roughly, “You’re not going to wait on me.”
“No problem. Sit down. I’ve set a place. What do you usually have?”
Casey grimaced. “Cup of instant coffee. Couple of pieces of toast with honey. I’m usually on the run. I sing at night and do part-time jobs by day.”
“You have a very distinctive speaking voice,” Marian said, looking a bit strained. Marian found this tall young woman as intimidating in her way as McIvor had been in his.
“Don’t tell me. Like Jock’s?” Casey gave a brittle laugh, knowing the girls’ mother hadn’t really taken to her. Nor ever would.
“You might like some orange juice,” Courtney intervened smoothly, setting a small glass before her. “Maybe a mango. We had a carton of them flown in from Bowen.”
Casey shook her head, unsettling a couple of long curling locks. This morning she didn’t wear her hair loose. It was twisted into a high knot. “I’ve decided I could never eat another mango in my life,” she confessed. “We had a tree in the backyard when I was a kid. It was loaded with fruit every year. Hundreds and hundreds of mangoes.” She didn’t say sometimes the fruit had kept them from starving. The mangoes, the pawpaws and the thousands of purple passionfruit. One couldn’t really starve in the tropics. Then there was the Queensland nut tree, the macadamia and the thicket of avocados. She couldn’t eat them, either. “The taste reminds me of…yesterday.” The horrible years.
“Oh, Casey, that’s so sad.” Courtney had been watching Casey’s eyes. “I tell you what I’m going to do. I’m going to make you some scrambled egg to go on your toast. How’s that?”
“I don’t need you to, Courtney.” She spoke roughly again, trying to cover her embarrassment. The last thing she’d expected was to be welcomed and waited upon.
“Too bad because I want to.” Courtney set to work.
“Where’s Darcy?” Casey asked, realising little Courtney had a mind of her own.
“She’s out. Running a station like this is a full-time job. I take care of all the domestic duties and most of the paper work, but I mean to get outdoors a lot more. Curt and Adam flew away early. Curt has a chain of stations to run. Sunset Downs is the flagship and the Berenger ancestral home. Adam had to get back to work in Brisbane. Peter is out exploring.”
“I can’t wait to,” Casey said and laughed. “I’ve never been Outback in my life. It’s another world. The space and the freedom. I adore it!” Why wouldn’t she for that matter?
“Do you ride?” Marian asked, readily seeing this long legged young woman galloping off.
“You’re joking!” Casey leaned across the table. “There’s been no place for horse riding in my life. Back in the city it’s an elitist past time. It costs money to buy a horse, and have it agisted in outer suburb acreage.”
“You’ll have to learn,” Courtney said, sliding the pile of scrambled eggs onto a warmed dinner plate. “I couldn’t ride, either. Not that I’m crash hot now, but Darcy taught me as much as she could. Darcy is a wonderful horsewoman. While you’re here you have to have lessons.”
“While I’m here?” Casey brushed a Titian curl away from her mouth. “What if I want to stay?”
“Would you want to stay if everything was settled?” Courtney asked in some surprise. “You know, when we have proof you’re Dad’s daughter?”
“Don’t panic, Courtney.” Casey picked up a fork. “That came off the top of my head. I’ve never settled anywhere for long. I’m just blowin’ on the wind. But this is a great house. And so big! Who’s going to live in it when Darcy moves away? She’s getting married soon, isn’t she?”
Courtney nodded. “The date’s been set. May 24.”
“So life moves on.” Casey gave her a long considering look. “You and Darcy work like a team but half of the team will be gone. What about you? I read about your old job. Are you going to fly away?” Casey started to make inroads on the scrambled eggs. “Say, this is good!”
“I’m glad. I’ll have to watch my diet all my life, I’m so small but you’re like Darcy. You can eat.”
“Because there’s a lot more of us,” Casey said, accepting piping hot toast. “It must have broken your hearts leaving Darcy behind,” she said, lifting her eyes to study Marian’s gentle face.
“You can’t know, Casey,” Marian said, unlike Courtney not seeing the sensitivity in the back of Casey’s brilliant eyes.
“Oh, I think I can.” Casey shrugged. “Sometimes I think I’d like to open my mouth and let it all pour out. What Jock McIvor did to my mother. The misery that descended on me. I’ve never got round to consulting anyone but I know I’ve got problems.”
Marian tried to help. “A good counsellor trained in these matters could help you, Casey,” she said.
“I’m not bad at helping myself,” Casey said, fixing her eyes on Marian’s face. “You had no idea about my mother?”
Marian visibly paled.
“Of course she didn’t.” Courtney sprang to her mother’s defence.
“Almost from the beginning I suspected he had other women,” Marian spoke falteringly. “Jock was a very physical man. He couldn’t live without plenty of sex. I mustn’t have been very good at it.”
“Neither apparently was my mother,” Casey said grimly. “He tired of her quickly. But then he didn’t love women. He used them. Do you suppose, Marian—I’m asking you very seriously as a woman who might know—would my mother have contacted him about the pregnancy? Had you any inkling he was troubled?”
Marian sighed deeply. “Jock didn’t talk to me, Casey. I was just decoration. I was as lovely as Courtney when I was young.”
“Come on, you’re still a very attractive woman,” Casey replied. “Would you an
swer the question?”
“Jock was all sorts of things, Casey. He spent a lot of his life chasing women if they weren’t actively chasing him but I don’t believe he would have abandoned your mother. Or let her go it alone. After all, she might have borne him a son. A son would have been everything to Jock. I’m sure he’d have divorced me if your mother had given him a longed for male heir. Regardless of that, I’m certain had she contacted him he would have helped her, at the very least, financially.”
“Not pressed for an abortion? She could have blackmailed him?”
“Jock knew your mother. The sort of young woman she was. He knew he was safe. On balance, Casey, I’d say your mother never found the courage to let him know she was pregnant. Jock was ruthless, but he wasn’t entirely heartless.”
Casey wasn’t about to accept that. “If you’d seen my mother—she was petite like you and Courtney—you’d say he was pretty damned heartless. She cried oceans of tears. Then she started drinking. When cheap alcohol wasn’t enough, she went on to drugs. People used to make fun of her. The kids at school were cruel.”
“So you learned early to stand up for yourself?” Marian said.
“I’d like to tell you about the old battle-axe in The Home,” Casey said, “but it would put me off my breakfast. I’d love a cup of coffee.”
“Coffee coming up. You’ll have one, Mum?”
Marian pushed back her chair and stood up. “No thank you, darling. I’ll let you two talk. It’s been a marvellous visit but Peter and I have to think about getting home.”
“I trouble your mother, don’t I?” Casey asked after Marian had left.
“A bit,” Courtney was forced to admit. “Mum had to swallow a lot of humiliation in her time with Dad.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t meet up with him before he died,” Casey said, her expression grim.
Courtney gave a strangled laugh. “He’d probably have left you the lot. No one ever knew what Dad planned to do.”
“Sounds like he thought he was a king in his own kingdom.”
Courtney was silent for a moment. “In lots of ways he was. It’s different out here, Courtney. It’s a man’s world.”
“And look what they’ve done with it.” Casey grunted. “Where’s home for Marian?”
“Brisbane. They have an apartment in Sydney as well. They often stay there. Peter owns a successful engineering business. Mum has been very happy with him.”
“That’s good.” Casey nodded. “Sounds like she was unhappy for too long. Darcy seems to have landed herself the perfect man. Her fiancé is very impressive. What about the lawyer? Those black eyes of his don’t miss a trick. You can bet your life he’ll have me thoroughly checked out.”
“As we speak.” Courtney tried to keep the hostile note out of her voice.
“No love lost there?” Casey asked with sharp interest.
Courtney poured two cups of coffee, then sat down. “You must have researched our story thoroughly. When he was dying my father sent for me. I hadn’t seen him since I was ten. For some convoluted reasons of his own, McIvor took a great fancy to me. It got so bad he seemed to prefer having me around than Darcy who had shown him nothing but loyalty and endless devotion. I know she was deeply hurt.”
“Why the hell not!” Casey almost growled it. “You’re saying it wasn’t your fault?”
“Of course it wasn’t!” Courtney’s eyes flared. “I couldn’t refuse to sit with him if he wanted me. He was dying. I think he was trying to make restitution. Adam didn’t see it that way. He thought maybe I’d unduly influenced my father.”
“Did you?” Courtney asked bluntly.
“Have you noticed how suspicious he is of you?” Courtney demanded to know. “You say you’re on the level. So was I. I love Darcy. I couldn’t do anything to hurt her.”
“I can understand that,” Casey said. “She struck me as a really good woman. As for you—” Casey gave her brilliant smile “—You’re a darn good cook. Now there was something I was going to ask you. Do you remember a Troy Connellan? Maybe I should be asking Darcy, seeing you haven’t been back on Murraree long.”
“Of course I know of the family,” Courtney said. “Troy would be a couple of years older than Darcy. I actually don’t remember him, but Darcy would know. Why do you ask?”
“Oh I met up with him in the town,” Casey answered offhandedly. “Had dinner with him the night before I arrived. He invited himself. Big rugged guy. Full of himself like big rugged guys are. Now, what are we going to do today?” she asked. “Anything I can do to help? I’m good with machinery if something needs fixing.” She fixed her eyes on Courtney’s face. “You seem to have accepted me, Courtney. I could be an impostor.”
“Not much chance of that.” Courtney gave a brittle laugh. “You’re just too much like Dad.”
Casey wasn’t kidding when she said she could fix machinery. Two of the mustering motor bikes needed a service. Casey took care of that, earning long admiring looks from the stock-men who rode them. Plenty of curiosity, too. Especially from the men who had seen Jock McIvor in his prime. Everyone knew there was a story about to unfold. Nothing surprising there considering McIvor’s larger than life exploits. One of the best aboriginal horse whisperers whispered an aside to Courtney when she and Casey visited the yard. “I think Missy is who she thinks she is!”
“Don’t tell anyone, Charlie, okay? We don’t want it getting around.”
“Got around already,” Charlie said in a light ironic voice.
It was Curt who arranged for the DNA testing, bypassing the bush hospital at Koomera Crossing—there were far too many rumours flying—for the hospital at Alice Springs. There they learned it would be weeks before they would have the results. It didn’t seem to matter. Casey had fitted in remarkably well, fixing things no one else seemed to know were broken.
They were walking down the main street, returning to their motel when they were hailed by a tall, rangy young man who flashed them all a wide smile. “Well what d’ya know! Long time no see. How are you, Curt?” He shot out his hand and Curt grabbed it, each clapping an arm around the other’s shoulder.
“Just great, Troy! Have we missed you on the circuit! You’ve heard Darcy and I are engaged.”
“Now why isn’t that a surprise?” Troy Connellan turned to Darcy. “Hiya, Darcy. You’re looking more beautiful than ever. Congratulations you two. You’re meant for each other.” He leaned forwards to kiss Darcy’s uplifted cheek. “And this is? Don’t tell me… She looks familiar but I can’t place her.”
“I’m the woman you had dinner with the other night,” Casey flashed back.
“And you didn’t ring me up. Shame on you,” he said lazily. “We happened to meet up in Koomera Crossing,” he explained to the others.
Darcy smiled. “So Casey told us.”
“What did she say?” Troy asked with every appearance of eagerness.
“Nothing much,” Casey said. “Only that you’re full of yourself.”
“Ms McGuire, whatever do you mean?”
“Look, why don’t we all go some place and have lunch,” Curt suggested, as tourists to the Centre flowed around them. “We’re flying back this afternoon. Courtney stayed at home so Darcy wants to get back.”
“Ah, yes, Courtney. It must be great to have your sister back in your life, Darcy?” Troy gave her an understanding look.
“It is, Troy,” she said quietly. “It’s wonderful.”
“And this red-haired woman here?” Troy looked down from his superior height on Casey. “Pardon my asking, but would she be one of Jock’s?”
Knowing Troy for all of his life Curt wasn’t surprised by the audacity of the question. “That we have to find out,” he answered easily.
“Yeah, well, she’d sure pass for one.” Troy Connellan grinned. “Told me the other night she’d come Outback to find you, Darcy. Seems she has.”
“Which is why we’re anxious to find out if there is a relationship,” Darcy said. “We al
ready know one thing for certain, Casey is an asset around the place.”
“Excuse me? You’re telling me you can ride a horse, Casey?”
“Darcy means I’m pretty good at fixing things.”
“Really? Like what for instance?”
“Are you any good at anything else but heckling?” Casey asked.
“Break it up you two.” Curt looked from one to the other with interest.
“Just a bit of sparring,” Casey said, putting out a hand and giving Connellan a good hard thump on the back.
“So what are you doing at The Alice, Troy?” Curt asked when they were seated at a restaurant table. “Business?”
Troy Connellan leaned back, his smiling face abruptly sobering. “I’m taking a few days off trying to figure out what I’m going to do with the rest of my life.”
“Oh, Troy!” Darcy all but wailed.
“Hang in there,” Curt advised firmly. “Vulcan is your birth right. It will come to you.”
“Maybe.” Troy’s golden eyes narrowed. “Dad could pass it on to Leah. He’s threatened me that’s what he’s going to do.”
“He’s just cracking the whip,” Darcy said, reaching out to give Troy’s hand a pat. “Everyone knows how much your father depends on you whether he says so or not. Leah spends most of her time in Sydney living it up.”
“Only thing, Dad’s a whole lot fonder of her than of me,” Troy said dryly. “Anyway don’t let’s worry about it now. Let’s enjoy ourselves. I can’t tell you how glad I am you and Curt have finally got together. I think my Dad is pretty bad, but McIvor was a regular bastard!”
Amen, thought Casey. Even Darcy didn’t look defensive on her father’s account. Connellan, Casey figured was as out-spoken as she was. And what was with his father? Who was Leah? Casey found she actually wanted to know but the subject had been dropped.
Lunch consisted of a huge platter of Gulf crab, wok fired peppery squid, crisp fried prawns and baby barramundi in a beer batter served with fresh lemon wedges, accompanied by individual servings of a tangy Thai salad. The lot washed down with an ice cold beer. Outside the air-conditioned restaurant the pavements were scorching.
