“What era?”
“Willock’s time.”
Using the mouse, Anna clicked into a file, into another and finally a third before relinquishing the seat. “There you go. If you want to print out copies, bring them to the desk to pay.”
“Thanks.”
With a last distasteful glance at the plastic bag, Anna walked off.
Rubbing her hands gleefully, Miki opened the first file. Time to start digging into the scandalous past of the town.
It didn’t take long to find out that there wasn’t much scandal, or if there was, it was covered up. Probably money spoke volumes no matter where or when you lived. There were crimes of the day - several murders, a woman disappeared, a couple of robberies by dubious looking men with handlebar moustaches who rode horses and wore trilbies, reports of floating lights seen in the church yard by the local drunk, articles on the evils of drink, and some bushrangers who terrorized the main road and robbed travellers blind. There was no indication they ever caught the bush rangers. Probably, Mikki surmised, they’d left the area or found more legitimate work before their identities were discovered.
There were articles on the paries held out at the mansion, with people coming to stay for the weekend and extended time, enjoying the lavishness offered by the Willock owners to their well-to-do friends. It had definitely been a jumping estate, full of people and life - parties, picnics, horse riding, crochet, all the larks of the day.
There were articles on the First World War, followed by the Second World War. Wilford Willcock featured in several photos, looking dashing in his uniform from both World Wars. Reading further, she discovered that he’d entered the Army at eighteen in the last year of the First World War but had never left Australia. Wealthy father who pulled strings, maybe? Or just lucky to miss out on all the horror and murder that wars were, regardless of the time they occurred.
The Second World War saw him see action in New Guinea, and she wondered how a wealthy man from a small country town coped with the stress of wondering if the next shot would be his ticket to Heaven.
With an inward shudder she moved on, but there didn’t seem to be any woman who stood out as the one with whom he had an affair.
Rather than the local legend of running away with the butler, Wilford’s sister had been a nurse in the Army, dying on a ship carrying wounded soldiers when an enemy plane had bombed the ship. It went down with few survivors. The black and white photo showed her sitting, looking stern, though laughter played in her eyes. His mother had died soon after, people said of a broken heart, she’d just ‘faded away’.
Wilford left the Army when he was forty nine to care for his father, who was crippled with arthritis. Not long after, his father had indeed fallen down the stairs and broken his neck. So much for the stories of being shot.
Wilford seemed to do well for awhile, then slowly withdrew from society, gradually letting the servants go until he alone lived in a mansion that slowly crumbled around him. There was a brief article on him being found by a care-aid worker, dead at the bottom of the stairs. He clutched nothing in his hands.
Leaning back in the chair, Mikki rubbed her eyes. Man, that was kind of sad. All those things happening to him only to die alone. She looked down at the plastic bag sitting on the floor. Rather than viewing it as smelly old journal, she now saw it as the writings of a man who had known loss and suffering, and slowly declined. Who’d lived life, seen it all, and died alone.
That really got to her.
Maybe she should read the journal some more, she’d only gotten partially through it before the smell had become a little unbearable. She was pretty sure rat or mice piddle might have been part of it, it was pretty ghastly.
Pushing away from the computer, she got to her feet and retrieved the bag, deciding to go outside and read it in the fresh air. Maybe she’d go back to the mansion and sit on the veranda and read.
As she passed the desk, Anna barely glanced at her. Mikki tossed her a friendly ‘goodbye and thanks’ anyway, Wilford’s story making her feel a little more tolerant of the frosty librarian.
Once outside, she took a breath of fresh air and stretched a little, rolling her neck around, feeling some stiffness from spending so much time hunched over the computer. She certainly lacked the stiff-backed posture of the Victorian ladies. Man, she’d have died back then, sitting upright like she had a board strapped to her back and stuffed into a corset. Corsets just had to suck on a hot summer day. Or any day, for that matter.
“Good morning.”
Mikki looked around to see Mark approaching. His gold hair glinted in the sunlight, his short-sleeved white coat with the buttons on the left side giving him a clinical appearance. His grey slacks looked to be pressed to within an inch of their life, not one crease in the material. Not even his shoes had a speck of dirt on them. Impressive.
“Hi,” she replied.
“Doing more research?”
“Oh, you mean the library?” She held up the plastic bag. “Found an old journal, was just trying to track down some people.”
“You found it at the mansion?” he asked interestedly.
“Under a bed.”
“Huh.” He looked again at the plastic bag. “And did you find the people?”
“Afraid not.” She smiled. “But I don’t give up easily.”
“Maybe you should.”
“Nah. Why would I do that?”
“History is best left alone, I always say.”
Struck by a sudden thought, Mikki eyed him anew. Was he, perhaps, trying to hide something? Did he suspect or know something? Wait, was his grandmother the married woman who’d had an affair with Wilford Willock? Did he not want it known?
Mark looked oddly at her. “What’s wrong?”
“Oh…nothing.” Damn it, she had to do a little fishing. “Did you ever hear a scandal attached to Wilford?”
“Wilford?”
“Wilford Willock.”
He scratched his jaw line thoughtfully. “Well, no, not really. They do say he pushed his father down the stairs so he could inherit the mansion.”
“Sorry to blow that legend. His dad fell down the stairs all right, but it was witnessed by the local judge, doctor and several servants, with Wilford standing right bedside them discussing business.”
“Oh.” He shrugged. “Ah well. Like I said, history is better left alone. Sometimes legends are more entertaining than reality.”
“Did you hear the one about him having an affair?”
He stared at her for several seconds before stating, “To be truthful, I find history a little boring.”
Hmmm. Mikki regarded him thoughtfully.
Glancing away, his mouth tightened. Adjusting the short upstanding collar of the jacket, he gave her a nod. “Best get back to work. Have a good day.”
Watching him walk away, she wondered how she could possibly have annoyed him, unless she’d touched a raw nerve.
“You already cheating on me with the pharmacist, Red?”
Okay, that answered that. Now she knew exactly who had ruffled Mark’s feathers. Turning around, she donned a mournful expression as Luke approached. “Damn. Busted.”
Stopping right in front of her, he leaned down to kiss her on the lips. “What was he sniffing around for?”
That kiss sent a warm tingle through her, making her smile as Luke slung an arm around her shoulders and started steering her across the street. “He wasn’t sniffing.”
“Shouldn’t he be working? He was in his work duds. Why did he have to be on this side of the road when he should be working?”
“Maybe he had to get something.”
“Maybe he was sniffing around-”
“With dollar signs in his eyes?”
Luke gave her an affectionate squeeze. “See? We’re even thinking alike now.”
“I don’t even presume to think like you. That’s downright disturbing.”
He laughed.
“Where are we going?” she asked
.
Taking the plastic bag from her hand, he tossed it into the back of his ute as they passed it. “Lunch.”
Ah, that explained why he was parked in front of the café.
Holding the door open for her, he followed her inside. Giving the waitress a friendly wave, which she returned with a big smile and interested eyes, he took Mikki’s elbow and steered her over to the nearest table at the window. Sitting down, she was pleased to see his ute in plain sight. She’d hate some light-fingered thief to steal the plastic bag containing the journal, now she could see anyone passing.
Looking back at Luke as he picked up the menu, she noticed something else. “Where’s Aunt Elspeth?”
“Back at the mansion doing business with Yorick, talking on the phone to Dad, and on her computer following up some business deal.” Luke gazed curiously at Mikki over top of the long menu. “Just exactly what does your aunt do?”
Mikki flipped her menu open. “She has stocks, bonds, a finger in several restaurants and hotels, and is part owner of a large amusement park.” At the silence greeting this, she smirked. “I bet you thought she lived on Uncle’s money and swanned around, didn’t you?”
“Well…yeah.”
“You thought this mansion idea was just some scheme from an eccentric woman.”
Luke looked a trifle guilty. “I knew it would work, though, handled correctly.”
“But you didn’t think Aunt Elspeth was so business canny, did you?”
“No,” he replied honestly.
“There you go,” she said. “Don’t judge a book by its cover.”
“I misjudged you,” he stated bluntly.
“Aw, sweet.”
“I misjudged me.”
Not sure where he was going with this, Mikki shifted her attention from trying to decide between the steak sandwich and the fisherman’s basket to Luke. From his tone, she’d expected him be serious, instead he was grinning wickedly.
“I misjudged us.”
She waited, one eyebrow raised.
“I thought we’d kill each other spending time together this week.”
“And instead…?”
His eyelids lowered, giving him a darkly mischievous air. “Meet me in the tower tonight.”
“Geez.” Heat crawled through her at the memory of what had occurred there the previous day.
“I can’t exactly go to your stretcher with Elspeth sleeping in the same room, and you won’t come to mine.”
“Not with Aunt Elspeth around and maybe hearing or, God forbid, accidentally seeing us, no.”
“We’re both adults.” He stopped talking as the waitress suddenly appeared at the table.
“I’m Sandy.” The waitress flashed ultra white teeth at Luke. “What can I get for you and your sister?”
“Not my sister,” he replied. “And I’ll have the-”
“Your cousin.”
“No. I’ll try the-”
Fascinated, Mikki watched the waitress and Luke. He was oblivious to Sandy trying to pick him up. Attention on the menu, he was trying to order food while the waitress was, well, getting a little desperate.
Sandy shot Mikki a glance. “Employee?”
Try again. Mikki smiled widely.
“Girlfriend,” Luke murmured.
Sandy visibly wilted. “Really?”
That had him glancing up, his gaze going from Sandy to Mikki. She saw the minute it hit him what Sandy was doing. He smiled warmly at Mikki, reaching out to take her hand, looking deeply into her eyes. “Fiancée, actually. We’re getting married soon, aren’t we, baby?”
“Oh baby,” she cooed back. “Are you proposing?”
His hand tightened on hers. “I know you’ve been wanting me to since the night I picked you up at that bar.”
“Oh honey. I thought the amount I paid you would be enough.” She batted her eyelashes at him.
Expression lovingly serious, his eyes sparkled with laughter. “I know I knocked you up, but now that we know that out of the three of us you were with at the same time that night, I’m the father-”
Sandy sucked in her breath sharply, her mouth going slack.
“I was drunk,” Mikki assured her. “I’d never have slept with three men at once without protection if I’d been sober.”
“My little hot pepper.” Luke smiled fondly at her.
“So have you chosen?” Sandy’s grip tightened on the pad.
“Is that a yes, then?” Luke asked Mikki.
“The father of my child? How could I say no?”
“I’ll be right back.” Sandy hurried away.
Luke chortled as soon as she was out of ear shot.
“Maybe out of the three men I bedded at once, I should check out the credentials of the other two before I commit to anything,” Mikki mused.
“Man’s got to have a little fun.” Pushing upright, he leaned across the table to kiss her slow and deep.
It was all she could do not to rip the menu in half. As it was, she crushed the corners in her hand, thick cardboard, plastic and all. God, the man could kiss. His tongue swept in, his lips moulded to hers, and he had fire licking through her with a slow marauding of her mouth.
Pulling back, he grinned lazily at her. “So how about it, Red? Tower tonight?”
“Sure,” she answered breathlessly.
He winked and sat back in the booth. “You won’t regret it.”
“You better deliver on that promise.” Feeling decidedly hot and bothered, she picked up the menu.
Plucking up his own menu with a satisfied air, Luke perused it. “We could always ditch lunch and do it in the back of the ute.”
“My God, you are a suave man.” He could tickle her funny bone even in the midst of a lusty flush. “The back of the ute, huh?”
“The tray does have ridges in it, but as you’ll be mindless with passion beneath me, you won’t feel it and I’ll be fine on top.”
“Won’t be your arse bearing the impressions afterwards, will it?”
Eyes on the menu, his grin flashed fast and sinful. “I’ll kiss it better.”
Taking a deep breath, she scrutinised the menu. “As tempting as getting ridge arse is, I think we should eat first.”
“If you say so.” Luke sighed. “Never thought I’d take second place to a basket of chips.”
“Welcome to the real world.”
His gaze lifted, meshed with hers. “As long as you’re in the real world with me, Red, I’m content to walk it.”
He was suddenly so serious that she was taken aback. She blinked, but before she could even fully comprehend what he’d said Luke waved the waitress over.
“I’ll have the beef burger with a side order of chips, and a Coke, thanks.” He looked at Mikki questioningly.
“Oh…um…” She dragged her thoughts back to the menu. “Fisherman’s basket and a Diet Coke, please.”
“Won’t be long.” Picking up their menus, Sandy returned to the kitchen.
Feeling unaccountably a little nervous with Luke watching her so intensely, Mikki glanced out the window.
“So how did your trip to the library go?” he asked unexpectedly.
Glad for the diversion, she recounted what she’d found out, relaxing as he nodded thoughtfully. Sandy arrived with their drinks and he took a mouthful of the icy Coke, plucking a napkin from the holder in the middle of the table and setting it under the glass to catch the condensation running down the outside of it.
Mikki did the same as she continued talking. He just listened, nodding now and again, appearing genuinely interested.
When she finally stopped, he commented, “Wow, that’s a little sad.” The surprise must have shown on her face because he added, “Going through the wars, his parents and sister dying. Couldn’t have been easy.”
“But he had an affair, too,” she pointed out. “So he did love someone.”
“There can be a big difference between love and having an affair.”
“You mean he might not have lo
ved this unknown woman?”
Luke shrugged. “You’re presuming he loved her. He might not have.”
“He had a fling.”
“Could be. Could be the woman was bored with her husband, craved something more. Maybe she loved Wilford. Maybe she was in love with the returned town hero.”
“Maybe he wasn’t serious.” Mikki took a sip of Diet Coke, the icy liquid fizzing deliciously down her throat. “Maybe he was just lonely, and she was too. Maybe her husband didn’t pay enough attention to her.” She looked at Luke. “Maybe she married without love and felt like she was missing something.”
“That’s a lot of maybes.”
“Yeah. And a little frustrating.”
“You’re really into this that much?” He regarded her curiously.
She raised her hands palms up. “It’s fascinating. Don’t you find it fascinating? Here’s a man who came from a wealthy family, went to two wars, came back, had tragedy in his life, had an affair, and died a lonely old hermit with no family, in a huge house that he let fall to pieces.” She tapped the table with one finger. “And he cared enough about his lover to mention her in his journal. How about that?”
“He also mentioned the sheep his father bought, his latest acquisition of a car, and some estate business.”
“Yeah, but he mentioned her a lot, too.”
Luke’s eyes crinkled at the corners in amusement. “Have it your way, Red. He was besotted with her.”
“Now you’re just humouring me.” Primly, she flipped a paper napkin onto her lap, wishing it was linen to make more of an impression, especially when it stuck up and she had to smooth it down with her hand and tore it. “Bugger.” Taking another, she repeated the action, doing it right this time.
Luke’s lips twitched. “A man’s got to do what a man’s got to do.”
Sandy arrived bearing their food. After she’d placed it before them and left, Mikki picked up the fork and inhaled in appreciation. Piercing a hot chip, she waved it slowly at him. “You’re paying, right?”
“Is this a date?”
“You asked me to lunch.”
“Then I guess I’m paying.”
“A man’s got to do what a man’s got to do,” she repeated smugly.
The Wells Brothers: Luke Page 18
