‘You don’t mind, do you?’ he asked as he heaved the case from one hand to the other, his expression at once concerned.
‘How could I mind?’ she murmured, her eyes bright with a teasing light. ‘Anything to save on the phone bills.’
He took her hand and tucked it in the crook of his arm. ‘That’s all right then,’ he said with a smile. ‘Now, come on, Catriona’s been waiting for you all morning and she’s getting impatient.’
*
Catriona left the house with Archie and sought sanctuary from the noise and bustle indoors for a few minutes peace on the back verandah. The house was too small for so many people and it was a relief to escape. She sat down in the old cane chair, and with Archie purring on her lap, she closed her eyes and said a silent prayer of thanks for all the blessings she’d been showered with over the past few months.
Tom’s discovery of Demetri’s will at the solicitor’s office in Darwin had come as a double-edged sword for Catriona. The surprise and delight at his legacy was tempered with a deep sadness that she had doubted him and thought he’d abandoned her. Yet, as the months had passed she saw his gift as a way of benefiting not only the next generation, but of keeping his memory alive in other ways.
Demetri’s house had been demolished, the land sold to a developer for a king’s ransom – it was ridiculous the way the property market had swung out of control all the way up the east coast, but at least the dark ghosts of the past could finally be dismissed and they could all look to the future. Connor and Rosa would of course be more than comfortably off once Catriona died and passed on her own legacy, but Demetri’s money would ensure they were secure until then. Harriet’s share had been instrumental in setting up the Demetri Yvchenkov Scholarship for gifted, but impecunious law students so they could attain their degrees.
With an overwhelming sadness she looked out from the verandah and wished Demetri and Poppy could be here today. She would have liked to thank him for his kindness and Poppy for the gift of her grandchildren. Yet, as she sat there in the shadows she thought she could feel their presence at her shoulder, watching over them all, delighting in this happiest of days, and was comforted.
She sighed as she looked at Belvedere in the winter sunshine. Here were Harriet’s dreamscapes, shimmering in the heat, humming with life and the promise of even better things to come. The homestead had been spruced up for this very special occasion with a fresh coat of white paint on the clapboard and green on the shutters and doors. The verandah had been decorated with flowers and ribbons, and potted palms and spring flowers lined the stretch of scarlet carpet that ran from the steps at the front to the lawn at the back of the house. A bower of flowers had been erected on the lawn, and lines of gilt chairs had been placed on either side of the scarlet carpet that would serve as the aisle for the ceremony. It was a perfect day, with the Jacarandas dripping amethyst, the flowering gums bursting with scarlet blossom and the wattle’s citrus yellow buds fairly bursting with exuberance.
‘Are you all right, Grandma?’
The soft voice stirred her from her pleasant thoughts and she smiled. ‘I’m good,’ she said. ‘What about you?’
Harriet sat down beside her and smiled. ‘Very happy,’ she said on a sigh. ‘It’s always good to come home, but today seems to have a magical quality I wouldn’t have missed for the world.’
Catriona gave her a hug and a kiss. ‘You’re very late,’ she grumbled. ‘What kept you?’
‘A ton of work at the office, and a long chat with Tom.’ Harriet smiled at her, her face alight with happiness. ‘You should have warned me he was coming.’
Catriona laughed, delighted her plans were coming to fruition. ‘I always think surprises are such lovely things,’ she replied. ‘Why spoil the moment with forewarning?’
Harriet grinned. ‘You’re naughty, you know that, don’t you?’
Catriona nodded. ‘And why not? At my age I’ve earned the right to meddle a little, and I thought it was about time you two came to your senses.’ She regarded Harriet for a long moment. ‘Has he told you about his move to Sydney?’
Harriet laughed. ‘Nothing much passes you by, does it?’
‘Not much,’ she agreed contentedly. ‘How do you feel about having him in your home town?’
‘Oh, I think I’ll like it just fine,’ she replied, the happiness radiating from her like the sun.
Catriona looked over her shoulder. ‘What have you done with him, then?’
‘He’s over at Connor’s.’ Harriet giggled. ‘It’s some sort of last-minute bachelor thing the best man’s organised.’
‘They’d better not be drinking too much,’ muttered Catriona as she dumped Archie from her lap and brushed his hairs from her expensive silk dress. ‘The guests are practically legless already and the men had quite enough the other night,’ she said fiercely as she glared out at the milling crowd pouring from the beer tent.
‘Where’s Rosa?’ asked Harriet after a moment. ‘I haven’t seen her for weeks, and I wanted to catch up with the gossip.’
‘Off somewhere with her young man,’ replied Catriona. ‘I must say, he was quite a surprise. Rosa’s men are usually highly suspect.’
‘Not nearly as much of a surprise as it was to me,’ laughed Harriet. ‘I still find it hard to believe Rosa and Jeremy Prentiss are an item. They must have crossed paths many a time, though I know they never actually met. But one look at each other at my firm’s summer party and bam, it was the whole nine yards including the earthquake. I don’t think they’ve spent a night apart since.’
‘Life is full of surprises, my darling,’ replied Catriona. ‘Who would have thought you’d end up with Tom Bradley? I seem to remember you didn’t like the look of him at all when you first met.’ She winked to take the sting out of her words, for she actually liked Tom very much.
‘True,’ Harriet conceded as she watched Tom walk across the yard. ‘But you know how it is, Gran. He sort of grew on me.’
Catriona noticed the way Tom’s face lit up as they smiled at one another. What a lovely day this was turning out to be, and how glad she was to be alive and a part of it. They sat in companionable silence for a while, watching the passing cavalcade of guests until a signal from the house told them it was time for the ceremony. Harriet took her arm. ‘Come on,’ she said softly. ‘The bride’s ready to make her entrance, and I can see the groom is on his way. We’d better go and sit down.’
‘Let me escort you,’ said Tom as he met them at the bottom of the steps. ‘It’s not often I get the chance of showing off with two lovely ladies.’
From anyone else Catriona and Harriet would have considered his remarks verging on the obsequious. Yet they saw the teasing light in his eyes and accepted his offer with good grace. ‘You’re a rascal,’ teased Catriona as she took his arm and accepted his kiss on her cheek.
‘So are you,’ he murmured.
Catriona watched as he and Harriet smiled at one another. She wouldn’t be at all surprised if there wasn’t another wedding on Belvedere very soon, and maybe even a third if things continued in the same vein with Rosa and Jeremy. Her heart swelled with love and happiness as she let Tom lead her down the red carpet to the front row of seats. It was proving to be an emotional day and she hoped she didn’t make a fool of herself by bursting into tears and making her mascara run.
With a nod and a few words to Pat and John Sullivan and their friends, she sat down next to Rosa and Jeremy. Rosa looked very well, she thought as she took in the scarlet dress, the cap of dark glossy hair that curved to her elfin chin and the gypsy earrings which sparked gold in the sun. The very handsome Jeremy Prentiss was obviously having a remarkably good effect not only on Rosa’s penchant for rainbow hair, but on her dress-sense. She turned from Rosa and smiled at the groom. Tears were already threatening; goodness only knows what state she’d be in at the end of all this, she thought happily.
The vicar had let them borrow the portable organ from the church in Drum Creek, and th
e organist began to play the first rousing chords of the bridal march. As Catriona stood, she thought of Poppy and her presence seemed so real she thought she could see the bright peroxide hair and hear the laughter of her dearest friend. How proud she would be to see their handsome Connor on his wedding day. How overjoyed to know that Rosa had at last found someone who loved her. She turned with the others and watched as the bride was escorted by her father up the red carpet to the bower of flowers.
Belinda looked radiant. Her hair framed her face in a cloud of dark curls beneath the coronet of yellow roses, and the diamond earrings flashed in the sunlight as she walked slowly down the aisle. Her dress was a sheath of ivory silk which clung to her hourglass figure, and the yellow roses in her bouquet were still dewy from when they’d been picked from her garden that morning. The tomboy had become a beautiful young woman, Catriona realised.
She looked across at Connor, so handsome in his dark suit and white shirt, the yellow rosebud in his button hole matching his tie to perfection. His face was as radiant as Belinda’s, his eyes bright with emotion as he watched his bride approach. Catriona felt the tears run down her face and dabbed them away. How proud Poppy must be as she watched from above. Her precious boy had put the terrors of his childhood away and was willing to begin again with the girl he loved.
She sniffed and blew her nose as Belinda arrived by Connor’s side. She was being a sentimental old fool, she realised. But Connor was the boy whom she’d loved and cherished from the day he and his sister had come to live with her. He was her son and she had a right to be proud of him, a right to feel this great heart-swell of emotion as she watched him marry the girl who’d brought a new sense of light and life to Belvedere. They would be happy, she knew that, and soon, if fate was kind, there would be another generation to love this place.
All too soon the ceremony was over and the happy couple were posing with their guests for the photographs that would grace many a special album. Leaning on Tom’s arm, Catriona slowly made her royal progress through the happy, chattering group and took her place for the family photo.
‘I reckon we could be having another wedding soon,’ muttered Harriet as they shifted around to the orchestrations of the photographer and tried not to step on Archie who seemed determined to take centre stage in front of the bride and groom. ‘Rosa and Jeremy seem to be joined at the hip and I’ve never seen her so calm and happy.’
Catriona grinned up at her before winking at Tom. ‘You never know,’ she said. ‘But this is certainly a perfect setting for a wedding should anyone want to have one.’
Harriet blushed and Tom put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close so he could drop a soft kiss on the top of her blonde head.
Catriona smiled. There was something about weddings that brought out the romantic in the most hardened cynic. Dear Harriet, she’d been so determined not to marry, so convinced her career was all that mattered, yet here she was aglow with a love she probably hadn’t had time to realise she possessed. She ducked her chin and hid her smile in her handkerchief. Love had a way of creeping into your heart when you least expected it.
‘What a happy day. I’m so glad to be a part of it all.’
Catriona turned to the elegant woman next to her and put her arm around her narrow waist in a swift hug. ‘So am I, my darling, darling girl,’ she said fervently.
Jeanette Wilson dabbed her eyes. ‘Thanks for everything, Mum,’ she whispered as they gripped one another’s hands and turned to face the photographer.
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1920. Having disobeyed the wishes of her aristocratic family, Lulu Pearson, a young and talented Tasmanian sculptress, finds herself alone in London in the wake of the Great War. The future is looking bright until, on the eve of her first exhibition, Lulu learns she has inherited a racing colt called Ocean Child from a mysterious benefactor, and she must return to her homeland to claim him.
Baffled by the news, Lulu boards a ship to Tasmania to uncover the truth behind the strange bequest, but it seems a welcome return is more than she can hope for. Unbeknownst to Lulu, more than a few fortunes ride on Ocean Child's success - it seems everyone from her estranged mother to the stable hands has a part to play, and an interest in keeping the family secrets buried.
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