He tossed another pebble and watched the diamonds of water sparkle in the sunlight. The whole situation was ridiculous. Harriet was the sort of woman who, in different circumstances, wouldn’t have given him the time of day. She was beautiful as well as being a lawyer, and had obviously benefited from an exclusive education and wealthy background. The signs were there, if only he hadn’t been so blinded. Her voice, the way she moved, even the casual clothes she wore with such panache were the tell-tale signs of a woman at total ease with who she was and where she’d come from.
‘Bugger,’ he muttered as he got to his feet and rammed his hands into his pockets. For, despite all the evidence to the contrary, he still felt there could be something between them. He needed to find out more about her. She had brought something inside him back to life, made him feel good about himself, and he knew, without a trace of doubt that she was worth pursuing.
*
‘That copper fancies you,’ giggled Rosa as she and Harriet prepared tea.
‘Don’t be daft,’ retorted Harriet. ‘He thinks that by flirting with me, it’ll make it easier for him to get to Catriona.’ She found some cake and put it on a plate in the centre of the kitchen table.
‘Fair go, Hat. Have you ever considered he might be flirting because he genuinely likes you?’ Her dark eyes were glittering with fun as she looked Harriet up and down. ‘You aren’t bad looking, you know.’
Harriet flicked at her with a tea-towel. ‘Jealousy will get you nowhere,’ she giggled. ‘We can’t all have skin that never tans and peels at the first sight of the sun. As for the hair. Just remember, Rosa, natural blondes never go grey, they just fade gracefully.’
‘Bugger gracefully,’ retorted Rosa. ‘Grey is not a colour I intend ever getting familiar with. Give me hair-dye any day.’ She took a breath. ‘Anyway, you’ve dodged the issue, Hattie. The man fancies you, and I get the feeling you quite like the look of him too. So what are you going to do about it?’
‘Absolutely nothing,’ retorted Harriet.
‘What are you two girls whispering about?’ Catriona came back into the room and started clattering dishes about. ‘Anyone would think you were a pair of teenagers the way you’re carrying on.’
‘We were just discussing the lengths to which some people will go to get their own way,’ said Harriet.
Rosa explained as she finished setting out the tea things on the table. ‘Romance has flown in on a helicopter,’ she said with relish. ‘And Harriet has an admirer. Can’t wait to find out what happens.’ She rolled her eyes and waved her hands dramatically. ‘Will she succumb, fainting into his strong arms? Or will she shun him, leaving him to traipse back to Brizzy with his tail between his legs?’ She gave an impish grin. ‘Watch this space.’
‘Hmph,’ snorted Catriona. ‘I’m glad you can both find something funny to giggle about in the circumstances. This isn’t a bloody game, Rosa.’
Chastened, both girls rushed to her and gave her a hug. ‘We didn’t mean to make fun of the situation,’ babbled Harriet. ‘But our nerves are on end because you won’t tell us what it’s all about. And I think Belinda’s got a real cheek turning up here like this.’
Catriona shook her head. ‘Belinda and I had a long talk over the phone,’ she said. ‘The girl’s only doing her job, so don’t blame her for all this.’ She smiled, but it was weary and didn’t quite reach her eyes. ‘It’s my mess, and I’ll clear it up, no worries.’
*
Catriona kept busy by moving around the kitchen and preparing supper. It would probably have been easier to have Cookie send something over, but she didn’t want any more complications. The men had seen the police officers arrive and no doubt gossip was rife. It would take one careless word to fuel that gossip and she had enough to deal with without a riot on her hands.
‘How y’going?’ Belinda emerged from one of the spare bedrooms and strode across the room to give Catriona a hug. ‘Jeez, it’s good to be back. I’m just so sorry it had to be under such circumstances.’
Catriona’s smile was warm as she emerged from the embrace and took stock of the young woman in front of her. The dark hair was a halo around her pretty face, tumbling down her back in a riot of ebony curls. Her eyes were the deepest brown, and her figure, although generous, was perfectly in proportion. ‘Have you told your Mum and Dad you’re here? I know Pat would love to see you.’
Belinda dug her hands into the pockets of her tight jeans. ‘I’m going to try and get to see them before I go back,’ she replied. ‘Might even stay on for a while and catch up with my brothers.’
Catriona turned as Connor came into the kitchen, glowered at Tom and sat down at the table. She noticed he couldn’t quite help glancing across at Belinda; at least he noticed her now, she thought with a smile. It would be hard not to.
‘Would someone please tell me what this is all about,’ snapped Connor.
‘All in good time,’ replied Catriona. ‘Let’s just enjoy our supper first.’ She ignored his protests, settled into a chair at the head of the table, and turned to Tom. ‘Belinda’s the daughter of friends of mine who run a station a bit further down the track. The first time we met she was a plump little schoolgirl with pigtails. She was a real tomboy, forever racing about the place and getting into mischief with Rosa.’ She smiled at Belinda. ‘You’ve certainly changed since those days. In fact,’ she added as she looked around the table, ‘you all have.’
Belinda shook the tumble of hair from her eyes and laughed. ‘Thank goodness,’ she said. ‘I’d hardly look the part with pigtails and acne.’
Catriona’s pleasure in seeing her again was dowsed in the reality of why she was here. ‘I never did understand why you chose to go into the police force,’ she said.
‘It’s a challenge, and one that I’m enjoying for the most part,’ replied Belinda. ‘But I do miss home and the wide open spaces out here.’ She looked across at Tom, who so far, hadn’t said a word, but was sitting at the table making sheep’s eyes at Harriet. ‘But it’s a man’s world, no doubt about it, and it’s lucky I grew up surrounded by older brothers and stockmen. It made me tough, and being thick-skinned from the start helped me stand my ground against the chauvinistic attitudes of my male colleagues.’
‘I’m not a chauvinist,’ Tom blustered. ‘That’s not fair, Belinda, and you know it.’
She smiled back at him, her dark eyes bright with mirth. ‘Did I accuse you personally?’ She looked across at Rosa who’d come to sit at the table. ‘Aren’t they all the same?’ she asked. ‘Egos as fragile as an egg. The slightest hint of criticism and they throw all their toys out of the pram.’
‘Too right,’ murmured Rosa. ‘But if you think cops are bad, you should try working with us. Solicitors are the worst.’ She dug Connor in the ribs with her elbow. ‘Brothers aren’t much better,’ she teased.
Connor reddened and he and Tom shared a glance of sympathy. ‘Reckon sisters can be a pain in the backside,’ he drawled. ‘And if you put a woman in charge of anything, she breaks a nail and has to lie down for a week to get over the trauma.’
A chorus of voices rose in disagreement, and Rosa slapped his arm hard enough to make him wince.
Catriona was enjoying herself despite the reason behind this gathering. It had been years since she’d had a group of young people around her table, and it reminded her of the old days when Rosa and Connor would bring their school-friends home. She sat and watched them, delighted that such exuberant life had been brought into the old house again.
As the noise rose above the clatter of knives and forks, she realised how lonely she had become despite all her involvements in the outside world. Her life had stagnated, and for the first time in many years she yearned for the old days when she had travelled the world, met new people and experienced the excitement of a different city, a different opera. They had been heady days, she remembered, but had never brought her the deep satisfaction of life on Belvedere.
The voices rose and faces reddened as the d
ebate flew back and forth across the table. She decided reluctantly that things were getting out of hand, and to bring some order to the proceedings she rattled the spoon against the china. ‘Shut up,’ she shouted. She shook her head in mock disapproval. ‘I don’t know. You young people think you’re the first generation to strike out on your own.’
‘The glass ceiling is disappearing,’ said Harriet as she passed around the pudding. ‘And we have equal pay and equal rights. No generation of women has had that before.’
Catriona looked at the three of them, so young and naïve despite all their education, and decided she would break her own rules and further the argument. ‘My mother’s generation was liberated, probably far more than you ever will be.’ She held up her hand to silence the chorus of disagreement this statement elicited. ‘She left home at seventeen, was married and sailing to the other side of the world before her eighteenth birthday. She had a sense of adventure, a thirst to see things that very few men had seen. She was a mainstay of our travelling troupe, taking on any task that needed doing. She drove the wagon, chopped wood, went fishing and laid traps. Her home was a wagon, her bed a pile of blankets in the back, but that didn’t stop her from raising me, it didn’t stop her pursuing her ambitions as a singer. If that’s not liberated, then I don’t know what you’d call it.’
Catriona caught her breath and eyed them triumphantly. They would find no argument to that.
‘It was a different kind of freedom, Mum,’ said Rosa. ‘If she’d tried to get work, proper work, she’d have soon found her pay was less than a man’s and that she wouldn’t have been given the chance for advancement. Women couldn’t be lawyers and doctors, the professions were closed to them. You’re talking about the dark ages, when women were very definitely supposed to stay at home and breed. Your mother was unique.’
Catriona had to bite the inside of her lip to stop herself from laughing. Trust Rosa to find a plausible argument.
‘Tell us about those days, Catriona,’ said Belinda in the ensuing silence.
‘Why?’ Catriona was immediately on guard. This was neither the time, nor the place to talk about Kane’s murder.
Belinda grinned. ‘Because I’m interested, and because it’s been years since you told us one of your stories.’
Catriona looked at the faces around the table. Rosa and Harriet were leaning forward, their expressions wary. Poor Connor just looked bemused. Tom Bradley had managed to tear his gaze from Harriet and was sitting back in his chair, arms folded. Despite the relaxed pose, Catriona could see the alertness in him and realised that Detective Inspector Tom Bradley would never be off duty.
She looked back at Belinda and saw no guile in that sweet face. ‘Why not, but it’s a tale I’ve told many times, so I hope you won’t be bored.’
Chapter Twenty-Four
Connor was as enthralled as the others, but he could see Ma was getting tired. He glanced out of the window and checked his watch. ‘You’ve been talking for over an hour, Ma,’ he said. ‘It’s dark outside and you need to rest,’ he said purposefully.
‘Oh, dear,’ she said with a smile. ‘Must I?’ Her question was plaintive – she was clearly reluctant for the storytelling to come to an end.
‘It’s late, Ma,’ he said firmly, glaring at Tom. ‘And I’m sure our visitors won’t want to keep you up any longer. Whatever they’ve come for will have to wait until morning.’
The tension in the room was almost palpable, the pleasant atmosphere swept away with the reminder of why they were here. ‘Belinda knows where her room is,’ said Catriona in an effort to alleviate the tension. ‘But as the girls probably have a lot of catching up to do, I suspect she’d prefer to be in with them.’
Harriet bestowed a frosty smile on Belinda. ‘Maybe Belinda would prefer not to talk over old times, considering the circumstances?’
Connor wondered what she was up to. He considered whether or not to try and diffuse the situation, then thought better of it. Belinda was more than capable of coping with anything Harriet might throw at her; they’d been sparring for years.
‘Too right I would,’ said Belinda cheerfully. ‘It’s been years since we had the chance of a girly chat. I’m looking forward to it,’ she said sweetly, a clear challenge in her eyes to Harriet. ‘So I’m game if you are.’
Harriet’s jaw tightened as she began to clear the remains of the tea things. ‘This isn’t a contest,’ she muttered. ‘I was simply giving you the chance to redeem yourself’
‘For which I’m very grateful,’ Belinda replied with a tight smile.
Connor frowned. Women were a mystery, their thought processes inexplicable. Why all the frostiness, when it would have been so much easier to just say what they meant, and clear the air?
Catriona gave a chuckle. ‘I do love putting cats and pigeons together,’ she spluttered. ‘Makes life so much more interesting.’
‘Depends on which one’s the cat,’ muttered Harriet as she clattered the plates together and dumped them on the drainer.
Connor tried not to laugh. Belinda had always been able to wind up Harriet, and she, as usual, had risen swiftly to the bait. Yet the friction between the two girls worried him. They should have grown out of their childish animosity.
‘Leave all that,’ Catriona ordered with a dismissive wave of her hand. ‘A few dirty plates won’t hurt, and I’m sure you’d rather find some clean linen for Belinda, and help her settle in.’ She gave Harriet a beguiling smile before she turned to Tom. ‘Please don’t go building camp-fires down by the Coolibah,’ she said. ‘It’s my favourite spot and I don’t want it spoiled.’ She sighed. ‘I used to love sleeping out under the stars. I envy you.’
‘That reminds me,’ said Connor. ‘I had a word with Billy Bird-song and he’s willing to take us all out tonight.’
‘Sounds mysterious,’ muttered Tom.
‘It is,’ said Harriet, her surly mood swept away in a wide, genuine smile. ‘It’s one of the most amazing experiences you’ll ever have. Trust me.’
Connor grinned and looked back at Tom. ‘Up for an adventure?’ he challenged.
He nodded warily.
‘We’ll be going quite a way from the homestead, and our stock horses are tough to handle.’ He turned to Belinda. ‘I presume you still ride?’
‘Is a duck’s arse waterproof?’ scoffed Belinda as she threw back the challenge. ‘Bet I could out-ride you any day.’
Connor looked her straight in the eye. ‘I have no doubt of it,’ he said quietly, the admiration for this young woman growing despite her reasons for being here. ‘What about you, Bradley?’
Tom reddened and looked at his boots. ‘Never found the need, mate. The city’s not really the place for horses.’ He looked up and found five pairs of eyes looking at him in horrified amazement. ‘What?’ he blustered. ‘Anyone would think I’d committed a terrible crime. I can’t ride, so what?’
‘So you won’t be coming with us. Sorry mate.’
Tom’s jaw clenched and he could feel the tiny muscle jump in his cheek. ‘I could borrow a ute and follow you,’ he said.
Connor shook his head. ‘We’ll be on sacred land, mate. No machinery allowed.’
Tom knew when he was beaten. He swiftly glanced at Harriet, who at least had the decency to look embarrassed by the short exchange, and was cheered by the thought she didn’t find him completely worthless. He decided to make plans of his own. ‘How’s the night fishing here?’ he asked. ‘Any chance of borrowing a rod or is that forbidden as well?’
Connor had the grace to look away. ‘Not at all,’ he muttered. ‘Cookie’s got enough fishing gear to kit out a store. I’m sure he won’t mind lending you some.’
‘Right, that’s all sorted then,’ said Catriona as she shoved the cat off her lap and stood up. ‘I won’t be coming this time. It’s been a long day and I need to be fresh and ready for tomorrow’s interrogation,’ she said cheerfully.
Tom noticed how tenderly Harriet, Rosa and Connor said goodnight
to her, and felt a keen sense of being an outsider, despite Belinda’s presence. It had been a long time since he’d had anyone to kiss goodnight and after spending the evening with Catriona, he’d been reminded of how he’d loved his own mother, and how much he still missed her.
They walked out into the moonlight, and he slowed his pace until he and Belinda were left behind as the others headed for the corrals. ‘What exactly is everyone going to be doing out there tonight?’ he asked.
Belinda told him about Billy’s magical journey up into the Milky Way. ‘I’ve done it loads of times,’ she said finally. ‘It really is a wonderful experience. Such a shame you can’t ride, Tom. You’re missing a treat.’
‘Watch yourself out there,’ he muttered. ‘Harriet’s claws are out, and even Connor is on the defensive.’
Belinda grinned and swatted her hair out of her eyes. ‘I’m going because Harriet doesn’t want me there,’ she replied cheerfully. ‘And because it’s a chance to be with the man I’ve adored since I was a kid. Enjoy your fishing.’
*
Catriona was weary, but her mind was too active to allow her to sleep. She slipped the old fur coat over her nightdress, and padded, barefoot out to the verandah. Standing in the drift of moonlight that pooled on the floor, she looked up at the sky. The moon floated against a cloudless backdrop which was encrusted with millions of jewelled stars, and as she studied them, she was able to determine those which shone blue, rather than red, and those that glittered coldly white. It was something she’d learned to do as a child, and at one time, she’d known the reason why they shone in different colours but over the years the lesson had been forgotten and now it didn’t seem to matter.
She sighed. The Aborigines had their own folklore about creation and the stars, and she envied the experience the youngsters would be having right now, and wished she’d joined them. It had been quite a while since she’d accompanied Billy Birdsong out to the sacred hills and drifted along the Milky Way to touch the moon.
Dreamscapes Page 42
