‘What does she want?’
‘To return to America — and a divorce.’
‘Tell her she may have both. I’ll pay for her ticket and give her a monthly stipend. Or should I speak to her myself?’
‘That won’t be possible. Kitty still refuses to talk to you, but I think your offer will be most welcome.’
Emma came in as he hung up the phone, eyes wide with concern. ‘Trouble?’
Tom picked her up and spun her around. ‘Quite the reverse.’
* * *
What a joyful gathering, the culmination of four-and-a-half years’ hard work. The ‘who’s who’ of Hobart’s Royal Society was there, along with the Premier, the press and many government members — all come to celebrate the gazetting of Binburra as Tasmania’s newest National Park.
‘A significant addition to the protection of our State’s unique flora and fauna,’ boomed Premier Cosgrove as a reporter took a photo.
‘If people only knew how significant the protection really is,’ whispered Emma.
She and Tom exchanged a swift kiss, feeling the full weight of both their achievement, and their responsibility.
Tom clinked his glass with Emma’s. ‘Here’s to a lifetime of making sure that nobody ever finds out.’
Acknowledgements
Thanks go to the team at Pilyara Press, especially Kathryn Ledson, Sydney Smith and Kate Belle. Thanks also to Desney King for her eagle-eyed proofreading and more.
I pay tribute to pioneering naturalist, David Fleay (1907 - 1993), whose interest in the natural world coincided with the awakening of scientific interest in endangered species, and the realisation by the public that Australian animals were worthy of attention.
Fleay was the last person to photograph a Thylacine, also known as a Tasmanian tiger. He was bitten by the tiger on the buttocks in the process, and carried the scar proudly throughout his life.
I also pay tribute to Crosbie Morrison, another early naturalist, educator, journalist, broadcaster and conservationist. Morrison was one of the first Australians to promote the protection of wildlife, and the need to create and properly manage national parks
Thanks to my lovely agent, Clare Forster of Curtis Brown Australia.
Thanks to my talented writing friends, the Varuna Darklings and the Little Lonsdale Group, for their friendship and encouragement.
Finally, I’d like to thank my family for their patience and support. You are all stars!
About the Author
Bestselling Aussie author Jennifer Scoullar writes page-turning fiction about the land, people and wildlife that she loves.
Scoullar is a lapsed lawyer who harbours a deep appreciation and respect for the natural world. She lives on a farm in Australia’s southern Victorian ranges, and has ridden and bred horses all her life. Her passion for animals and the bush is the catalyst for her best-selling books, which are all inspired by different landscapes.
Visit Jennifer’s website to enter the monthly prize draw! If you enjoyed this book and have a moment or two, please leave an online rating or review. Reviews are of great help to authors.
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www.jenniferscoullar.com
Copyright © 2018 by Jennifer Scoullar
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without prior written permission from both the author and publisher named below, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events, places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
The Lost Valley
ISBN: eBook 978-1-925827-01-9
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Pilyara Press
Melbourne
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Did you love The Lost Valley? Then you should read Currawong Creek by Jennifer Scoullar!
From the bestselling author of Brumby's Run comes a heart-warming story of hope, sacrifice and the ultimate triumph of love. Finalist in the RWA Romantic Book Of The Year Award.
Call it intuition, call it magic – call it love. Something is calling Clare home.
Brisbane lawyer Clare Mitchell leads a structured, orderly life. That is, until she finds herself the unlikely guardian of a small, troubled boy. In desperation, Clare takes Jack to stay at Currawong Creek, her grandfather's horse stud in the foothills of the beautiful Bunya Mountains.
Here life moves at a different pace, and for Clare it feels like coming home. Her granddad adores having them there, Jack loves the animals, and Clare finds herself falling hard for the handsome local vet.
But trouble is coming. The Pyramid Mining Company threatens to destroy the land Clare loves – and with it, her newfound happiness.
- Praise For Currawong Creek –
'Heartfelt and passionate.' SN Weekly
'A thought provoking, emotive read with a delightful warmth. I'm now going to hunt down everything this talented Australian author has ever written.' The Eclectic Reader
'A crisp, well-written tale … sings like a Bunya Mountain breeze.' Courier-Mail
Bestselling Aussie author Jennifer Scoullar writes page-turning fiction about the land, people and wildlife that she loves.
Currawong Creek is Book 2 in the standalone Wild Australia Stories. Buy it now to discover why Jennifer Scoullar is one of Australia's favourite story-tellers!
Also by Jennifer Scoullar
Tasmanian Tales Boxed Set
The Tasmanian Tales
The Tasmanian Tales
Fortune's Son
The Lost Valley
The Memory Tree
The Wild Australia Stories
Brumby's Run
Currawong Creek
Billabong Bend
Turtle Reef
Journey's End
Wasp Season
Wild Australia Stories Boxed Set
The Wild Australia Stories
The Lost Valley Page 32
