‘I see. In that case I hope I never see a K2.’
‘Couldn’t agree more. Come on. You’ll need a coat. Dusk is the perfect time.’
*
The joy of watching K1 go back where she belonged with such energetic abandon was exactly what Cait had needed. The little girl took a moment to stop at the base of the tree and look back as if saying thank you, then scampered up forty feet of trunk, propping herself on a limb where Alex assured Cait she would eat all night and sleep all day.
‘Sounds like the life. You once asked me what I wanted to come back as in my next life. A koala sounds pretty good.’
‘That would mean coming back to the country.’ Alex collapsed the portable carry-cage and they made their way to the ute.
‘What an amazing feeling. I’m loving this,’ Cait said, giving her arms a brisk rub. ‘You know, if I had my way, I’d make the Dandelion House a sanctuary for animals. A place for them to recuperate or live out their days. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?’
‘Your friends would need to agree and you’d almost need a full-time vet.’
‘I’d have the vet thing covered.’ She winked.
‘Don’t look at me. I have enough on my plate already.’
‘I meant me.’
‘You?’
‘My life as it is isn’t my own. I got it all so wrong. If not for this experience, I’d be spending the rest of my life doing what’s expected rather than what I enjoy. I want what we gave K1 just now. I want to be set free.’
‘You want to scramble up a tree and perch that little behind of yours on a branch?’ Alex joked. ‘Cute. I wanna see that!’
‘I want to live my life my way.’
‘So it’s Wynter’s way or the highway, eh?’
‘I like the sound of that.’
‘Are you planning on coming back to Calingarry Crossing for a while?’
Cait shrugged, looked around and smiled. ‘Maybe the rest of my life.’
‘And what about the house? Did you guys agree on what to do with it? You must have; I didn’t see those predicted fireworks.’
‘We didn’t talk about the house in detail. We’re meeting again. Now wasn’t the time for any big decisions. There’s so much to take on board. We’ll talk between now and the next time. Gypsy wanted us all to meet together on the anniversary of Willow’s death. We’ll be back come November.
‘Funny thing too, of all the people I thought would be difficult, Amber maybe has the best solution of all.’
THE DANDELION HOUSE
‘We shape our dwellings, and afterwards our dwellings shape us’
~ Winston Churchill
49
In the morning, the four women had fulfilled their promise to Gypsy, standing arm in arm at the cemetery and remembering Willow. But today’s reunion was about more than the past. Today was about the future, about the Dandelion House.
‘Let’s clear up, the others will be here soon,’ Sara said, slipping her engagement and wedding rings off her finger and tucking them into her pocket before filling the sink with water.
‘I brought plenty of champagne,’ Poppy said.
Sara checked her watch. ‘Shouldn’t we wait?’
‘No more waiting, remember?’
Sara smiled. ‘You’re right. Pour me one too.’
The four women clinked glasses.
‘To the first of many celebrations, from this day forward,’ Poppy toasted.
‘Speaking of from this day forward, when do we see the photos, Sara? Has Will’s mother started speaking to you again after getting over the pair of you slipping away and eloping?’
‘She’s coming around.’
‘Hey, do I leave these on the table?’ Amber held up the tissue box, hurling it to one side without waiting for a response. ‘Or do you think we can get through this next part without tears?’
‘I bags no more tears today.’ Caitlin laughed and grabbed the box. ‘But I’ll be needing them when Poppy’s Rainbow Warrior doco airs next week.’
‘Good grief, Caitlin! You’re going to be a vet. You’ll need to toughen up.’ Sara laughed. ‘And I think Poppy is amazing. Why choose Greenpeace, though?’
‘Because it’s a war I really believe in and because the truth needs to be told,’ Poppy replied. ‘Truth is good. Truth is absolution. No more spin and no more fiction for this reporter. The truth is always a better story than anything you can make up.’
‘I’ll drink to that.’ Cait clinked glasses again. ‘And while we’re at it … Here’s to Amber.’
‘And to Phillip,’ Amber added. ‘We mustn’t forget his contribution to all this.’
‘So, will you and your husband ever get things between you back on track?’
Amber sighed, shrugged. ‘It took twenty years to make Amber Bailey-Blair. Shedding artificial Amber is going to take some time. I have a daughter to make up with first. Phillip understands that. He also knows how important it is to me that I establish the Gypsy Foundation with you all. He understands and thankfully he’s a patient man. He’ll need to be.’
‘Well, I’m growing more impatient by the minute,’ Poppy piped up. ‘Where’s Maggie? She’s supposed to be here by now.’
Maggie Lindeman from the pub would witness the signing, the beginning of the Gypsy Foundation. Amber’s idea—the philosophy simple and selfless and surprising them all—was accepted unanimously, with Caitlin adding the only proviso; that the animals stayed too.
‘Poppy,’ Caitlin said, ‘how about you read your press release while we’re waiting. I’ll finish setting the table.’
‘Well, it’s not finished yet.’ She tapped a few commands on her iPad. ‘Basically it will be along the lines of this …
‘So many people need a little magic in their lives. the Gypsy Foundation will provide children on isolated cattle stations and in outback communities across Australia with opportunities to visit different places and meet other children. Those who have never seen falling rain, a snow-capped mountain, or rolling surf—and can only wish for a friend to play with—will get to experience the sense of community that only small towns provide. The Dandelion House will be the first of many facilities and just the beginning … blah … blah …’
‘And the rest …?’ Caitlin grinned. ‘Like we talked about earlier.’
Poppy laughed. ‘Oh yes, and the Dandelion House will also be a sanctuary for animals, so that children can share their knowledge and help care for the animals alongside resident vet and co-founder Caitlin Wynter.’
‘Perfect,’ Sara said. ‘Amber, have you got all the legal papers ready to sign as soon as Maggie gets here?’
‘Of course, and while we’re waiting, we have something else to sign.’
Amber took four pairs of compasses from a box—the type they had used in maths at school.
Sara toyed with the contraption. ‘You want us to draw circles?’
Caitlin grimaced. ‘Tell me this isn’t some weird blood-friend’s ritual where we have to prick our fingers. We’ve come a long way, but I draw the line at sharing bodily fluids. Sorry, girls.’
‘Excuse me, Caitlin,’ Sara giggled. ‘You’re a doctor.’
‘No need to go that far, ladies. Sit down. We have a corner of the table each. Watch and learn,’ Amber said. ‘And don’t tell me detention didn’t teach me anything useful.’
Amber gouged the letter ‘A’ into Gypsy’s old tabletop. One after the other, each woman followed suit, carving their names in a corner.
When she’d finished, Amber removed the salad bowl at the centre of the table to reveal an earlier bit of her handiwork—the name Willow carved under a drawing of five stick figures.
The heart of the house was now full, Gypsy’s old kitchen echoing with the sound of laughter, the table no longer barren but laden with a feast, prepared by family, seasoned with friendship.
‘To Willow and Gypsy,’ Poppy said. ‘Everyone can do with a little magic in their lives. Thank you, Gypsy, for helping us see we can
make our own.’
Jenn J McLeod ~ Come home to the country …
Small town stories. Discover them. Love them.
Quitting Sydney’s corporate chaos to buy a little café in a small town was like coming home for Jenn J McLeod.
No stranger to embracing a second chance or trying something different, Jenn took her first tentative steps towards her tree change in 2004, escaping the hectic world of corporate communications. She now spends her days running a unique, dog-friendly B&B on her NSW property and writing contemporary Australian fiction—small town stories about living, loving, laughing and reconnecting with country life.
Author photograph by Marie Miller
BOOK CLUB QUESTIONS
Jenn J McLeod’s debut novel, House for All Season, tells the story of four estranged school friends summoned to return to the country town of their youth. Each must spend a season in the crumbling Dandelion House and there Sara, Poppy, Amber and Caitlin uncover the real story of the tragedy which haunts all their lives—and the ways in which they are forever linked.
The novel is a potpourri of warmth, humour, sadness and survival—a deeply moving novel about learning to love yourself and how going home can be just the magic you need.
Reading groups can use these book club discussion questions on House For All Seasons to explore the various themes.
1. How has Amber’s past and her relationship with her mother shaped her and her relationships?
2. Will’s mother, Caroline, sees Sara as a threat. Can you relate to her anxiety? Is it justified?
3. Poppy’s story has strong views of press/media ethics. Do you feel the author handled this subject responsibly/prudently/perceptively? Was it a balanced view?
4. Once Caitlin discovers the secret, she has to decide who and what to tell. Do you think she makes the right decision? What might you have done differently?
5. By the end of the novel, which character do you think has grown the most?
6. Each woman’s growth is in a way ‘guided’ by a secondary (and influential) character (eg Sara & Elliot, Poppy & Eli, Amber & Christopher, Caitlin & Alex). How did the secondary characters influence each woman’s journey?
7. Do the characters seem real and believable? Can you relate to their predicaments? To what extent do they remind you of yourself or someone you know?
8. The story deals with redemption, recovery, renewal, and release. Can you marry these four themes with each woman/part of the story: Tall Poppy, Surviving Summer (Sara), Amber Leaves and Wynter’s Way (Caitlin)?
9. Was the ending satisfying? If not, what would you have done differently as the author?
10. By the end of the novel who do you see as the linchpin (or central) character who ties the story together?
If you have a burning question you’d like the author to answer, let her know at www.jennjmcleod.com
If you enjoyed House for all Seasons, you’ll love Jenn J McLeod’s new book, The Simmering Season, coming to a bookstore near you in 2014
ABOUT THE SIMMERING SEASON
A sweltering small town, a school reunion that brings home more than memories, and an unexpected house-guest, who’ll blow the lid off a lifetime of secrets.
Devoted mother and sole breadwinner, Maggie Lindeman is back in Calingarry Crossing with her teenage son to sell the family pub, hoping to turn their lives and finances around. Trouble is, the bright girl that people once called Magpie is so busy protecting everyone else she has no idea the perfect storm is heading her way until her past and present converge with the unexpected.
Maggie’s past includes a schoolgirl crush on Dan Ireland, once the town bad boy. Now twenty years older, the work-weary police crash investigator is still hell-bent on punishing himself for his misspent youth. Dan has ample reason for not going home for the school reunion, but one very good reason why he should—Maggie Lindeman.
Maggie’s present is a restless seventeen-year-old son, a father with dementia, an absent, fame-obsessed musician husband, a dwindling bank account and a country pub that just won’t sell.
An unexpected arrival is a houseguest for the summer—Fiona Bailey-Blair, the daughter of an old friend. Spoilt her whole life with everything but the truth, Fiona blows into town hoping to find her father—and it seems the upcoming school reunion is a good place to start looking.
Meanwhile, Maggie is falling in love for the first time in years—in love with life, her dad’s old pub, and the idea of a second chance in Calingarry Crossing. But something’s simmering and, as she soon discovers, there’s no keeping a lid on some secrets.
HOUSE FOR ALL SEASONS
First published in Australia in 2013 by
Simon & Schuster (Australia) Pty Limited
Suite 19A, Level 1, 450 Miller Street, Cammeray, NSW 2062
www.SimonandSchuster.com
This edition published in 2013
A CBS Company
Sydney New York London Toronto New Delhi
Visit our website at www.simonandschuster.com.au
© Jenn J McLeod 2013
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry
Author: McLeod, Jenn J.
Title: House for all seasons/Jenn J McLeod.
ISBN: 9781922052063 (pbk.)
Subjects: Administration of estates – Fiction.
Benefactors – Fiction.
Dewey Number: A823.4
Cover design: Christabella Designs
Internal design and typesetting: Midland Typesetters, Australia
Printed and bound in Australia by Griffin Press
The paper used to produce this book is a natural, recyclable product made from wood grown in sustainable plantation forests. The manufacturing processes conform to the environmental regulations in the country of origin.
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