by Di Morrissey
‘They sound intriguing,’ said Susan. ‘How do you know about them?’
‘Jazzy puts them on Facebook. Do you want me to show you?’
Megan raced to her bedroom, returning with her laptop. ‘I’ve brought them up on the screen. Come and look.’
Chris and Susan peered over Megan’s shoulder at Jazzy’s quaint pictures.
‘Megan, these are wonderful!’ said Susan.
‘They are,’ said Chris, genuinely impressed by what he saw. ‘Whimsical, charming, funny, clever. I thought Jazzy would be into dark gothic art.’
‘Oh, she does that too.’
‘How do you propose to get one of these masterpieces?’ Chris asked.
‘Weeeell, I thought that maybe when you do a delivery on the plateau in the next few days, you could go to Jazzy’s place and pick it up for me and I could give you the money?’ Megan looked beseechingly at her father.
Chris smiled at her. ‘I think I could manage that.’
*
When the Saturday of the party came around, Susan, along with David, who had arrived late the previous evening, went outside to wave Chris and Megan off. After hugging Susan tightly, Megan jumped into the car and immediately plugged in her iPod earphones.
‘Enjoy Sydney, and good luck with the agent. Are you feeling confident?’ David said to Chris.
Chris put the last bag in the boot. ‘Not sure yet. I have a few ideas. Alan is a big missing piece in the puzzle, though. Cooperated for the article but now I can’t get any kind of a response. I doubt he would’ve spoken to me at all if it hadn’t been for Mum.’
‘I think you should persevere. Once he’s found out that Evan, Mark and I have agreed to help with the book, he might come around.’ David scratched his chin. ‘But I have to admit that Alan was always his own man. He had his own ideas and really didn’t care what others thought.’
‘In what way?’
David hesitated. ‘I’ve always had the impression that Alan sometimes sails close to the wind in his business dealings.’
Chris looked surprised. ‘Do you know that for sure?’ he asked.
‘It’s only an idea, but Alan’s clever and I think he finds opportunities others might have missed or he looks for loopholes in the law that no one else has thought of going through. I wouldn’t like to suggest that what he does is illegal, but I’ve watched his career for years and some of the things he’s pulled off have surprised me.’
‘That’s really interesting. I’ll keep trying to make contact with him. Enjoy the weekend, both of you.’ Chris slammed the boot closed and went around to the driver’s side door.
‘We will. I’m planning a bit of a dinner party for tonight,’ said Susan cheerfully.
‘Oh, the Landcare group. Sounds like you two have done a good job with the creek,’ said Chris.
‘Drive carefully,’ said Susan. ‘And give Mark my best wishes when you see him.’ Then, as Chris climbed into the driver’s seat and turned the key in the ignition, she and David went back into the house.
*
Shrieking and squealing, Megan and Ruby hugged as if they hadn’t seen each other for years.
After he’d had coffee with Ruby’s parents, Chris farewelled Megan and headed over the Harbour Bridge to Elizabeth Bay, where he checked in to a small and inexpensive hotel for the night.
Time melted away like the froth on top of their coffees as he and Georgia finished up their dinner later that evening. Chris had gone through his book proposal and Georgia had made several suggestions about the various ways of approaching it. She had talked about other recent non-fiction books and what had made them work, tossing around ideas that could be useful for Chris. Chris had made rapid notes as the meal progressed and then they’d begun to talk about other things: their jobs, working overseas and why they were drawn to their professions.
‘With Dad being in newspapers, I always seemed to have a toe in the media world,’ said Georgia. ‘Our house was full of writers, journalists, even playwrights. So many of them had tales of woe about missing out on a deal or being cheated or no one understanding their work.’ She gave a smile. ‘I think that’s where it started for me. I hated to see talented people not being treated with respect or not making good business decisions because they weren’t savvy enough. I have a good analytical mind, and while I can easily see the big picture, I also love the detail.’
‘I suppose you have to look at both when you’re working with authors.’
‘I do indeed.’ Georgia smiled and nibbled at a chocolate mint.
‘And what do you do with yourself when you’re not looking after authors?’ asked Chris.
‘I love photography. I like to view the world through my lens. It’s my hobby. Well, my passion, to be honest.’
‘Have you produced any photographic books?’ Chris asked.
‘Oh no. My work keeps me way too busy. Besides, I’d need some sort of theme, something really interesting. Here I keep seeing the same things over and over. I’m not seeing anything new.’
‘You do sound like someone who’s working in the city,’ laughed Chris. ‘I can tell you that moving to the country certainly slows things down. I find that I’m observing things I might not have noticed before.’
‘Smelling the roses, eh?’
‘More time to sit and look at things properly. It’s good in some ways, but I’d be less than honest if I didn’t confess that I miss the adrenalin rush of being on a deadline unless you count my weekly column for the Coastal Star.’
Georgia laughed. ‘Well, if we get a publisher interested in this book, you’ll be on a deadline. Having a journalist’s background, I know you’ll deliver. But equally, you have to think of this not just as a news article. You need to get below the surface, explore their motivations, cause and effect. The choices they made and why, and where those choices led them. Readers are interested in what makes famous people tick.’ Georgia’s eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. ‘I think you should talk to as many people as you can who have been associated with these four men: entrepreneurs, top financial people, other professionals in the same field. See what they think of them. Find a new angle that will make the world sit up and take notice.’
‘Good grief, that’s a big blank canvas,’ said Chris, his eyebrows raised. ‘A can of worms, as your dad would say! Challenging, but I can’t wait to get my teeth into it. I just wish I had the funds to drop everything and start seriously researching right away.’
‘Let’s see if we can get an advance first so that you can start to manage your time. I reckon if you can come up with something that is not already in the public arena then I’ll be able to sell your book.’ Georgia raised her glass. ‘Here’s to you. But don’t give up the day job just yet!’
They touched glasses.
‘I haven’t felt this good since I arrived home from the USA expecting to head off to Bangkok,’ said Chris. ‘I can’t thank you enough, Georgia.’
‘I’m glad I could help.’ Georgia smiled and sipped her wine.
‘Actually, Georgia, David said something to me this morning which was very interesting.’ Chris explained what David had said about Alan’s business dealings.
‘Really? See if you can find out if there is anything to David’s suspicions. Did he say anything else?’ Georgia asked.
‘Not really. He’s staying at my mother’s for the weekend. He’s been to visit Mum a couple of times since they met up again.’
‘That’s nice. Does David live near Neverend?’
‘Not exactly. He drives down from Brisbane.’
‘Well, that’s a bit of a hike. He must be keen,’ said Georgia with a grin.
Chris said nothing as he emptied his wineglass.
‘What’s he like?’ prompted Georgia.
‘Well, he’s nice. Decent. Good company,’ admitted Chris.
Georgia leaned back in her chair, noticing Chris’s reticence. ‘But you’re not happy about him?’
‘It’s silly, I know, but I feel he’s invading our family. I’ve never imagined my mother relating to a man other than my father, and I don’t feel entirely comfortable with the idea. I know I’m being childish,’ said Chris sheepishly.
Georgia shrugged. ‘Maybe you’re just being protective. Wait till your daughter has serious boyfriends.’
‘Oh, no thank you! Thank goodness she’s into horses for the moment.’
‘Your daughter’s a lucky girl. I think it’s every teenage girl’s dream to have a horse. I know I loved pony stories when I was a kid, but when I said I wanted to have riding lessons, Dad just gave me a funny look. So I gave that idea away.’
Chris chuckled. ‘I can imagine Mac doing that.’
Georgia insisted on paying for dinner and, as they walked out into the evening, cool gusts of wind lifted the tendrils of her hair.
‘That breeze certainly holds the promise of winter to come,’ she said. ‘Where are you headed now, Chris?’
‘Nowhere special. Back to the hotel, I guess. Mark has agreed to see me tomorrow morning, but until then my time is a blank canvas.’
‘Feel like walking off our dinner?’
‘Sure, where do you want to go?’
‘I’m not fussed. It’s a lovely evening, so why don’t we walk through the Botanic Gardens?’
So they walked to Macquarie Street and through the gardens to the Art Gallery of New South Wales, then down to Woolloomooloo, past the Finger Wharf, and on to Kings Cross, where Georgia caught a taxi home and Chris continued on to Elizabeth Bay.
Later Chris couldn’t recall in detail what they’d talked about, but Georgia was easy company.
The next morning Chris called Georgia from his hotel.
‘I wanted to call and thank you for dinner,’ he said.
‘It was my pleasure. I was very pleased with our conversation and I was particularly interested in what David told you about Alan. Maybe there’s nothing in it, but I think you could do a bit of exploring. Have a look at some of Alan’s developments and see if there might have been some corners cut. If you can find anything, it would really help sell your book.’
‘I’ll do my best. Also, I’ve been thinking about what you said about your photography, Georgia,’ Chris took a breath. ‘And I’m sure that if you came to Neverend you would find plenty to photograph. The area is absolutely full of photogenic places. Maybe you should consider making the journey.’
‘That’s a nice idea. I don’t know when I’d have the time, but I’ll keep it in mind. Let’s talk again soon. Goodbye, Chris.’
Shortly afterwards, Chris checked out of the hotel and headed to Sydney’s North Shore to meet Mark. He drove through the leafy streets of one of the area’s most prestigious suburbs until he found Mark’s large house, set well back from the road and hidden behind a big hedge. Chris turned down the gravel driveway beside banks of flowering camellia bushes just past their prime, until he reached a parking area beside a beautifully restored Federation house. When he got out of the car, he could see a carefully maintained lawn tennis court as well as a delightfully large swimming pool.
‘Crikey,’ said Chris to himself, looking up at the massive facade of the house.
He rang the front doorbell and Mark opened the door almost at once.
‘Hello,’ he said. ‘So you must be Chris. It’s nice to meet you face to face. I hope you didn’t have any trouble finding the place.’
Chris shook Mark’s hand. Mark was as Susan had described him, still very good looking, with a lot of thick silvery hair. Chris knew that he had to be at least seventy, but Mark looked years younger. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a casual polo shirt.
‘I think we might sit in the family room at the back of the house,’ said Mark. ‘It gets the sun at this time of day when the lounge room can be rather dark.’
As Mark guided Chris through the beautiful house, it was hard not to stare. The entrance hall, flanked by tall mirrors, was dominated by a large chandelier. As they crossed the lounge room to get to the back of the house, Chris was charmed by what he saw. The enormous room was dominated by a large fireplace and its walls were lined with Australian landscape paintings. Chris was sure they were originals. The moulded ceiling, its decorations etched in gold, was magnificent, and through the open French doors on the other side of the room, Chris could see a billiard room. Everything, Chris thought, was decorated to perfection. The room was elegant and restrained. There was nothing flashy about Mark, but Chris knew everything he could see was very, very expensive.
‘Would you like some coffee?’ asked Mark as they made their way into the biggest kitchen Chris had ever seen. One end of it comprised the cooking area, featuring a full-sized Aga cooker and a large island complete with high bar stools, while in the middle area was a casual dining table that could seat ten, and at the far end of the room were two very comfortable sofas. When Chris nodded, Mark made his way to an elaborate Italian coffee machine.
‘Please, take a seat on the lounge. So much more comfortable than perching on those kitchen stools. So, how is Susan?’ he asked, switching on the machine and fetching milk from the enormous steel refrigerator. ‘It was lovely to see her at the lunch and I don’t think she’s changed at all. Well, that’s silly. Like the rest of us, she’s older, but I think that her personality is just the same as it was forty-five years ago. A charming woman. I read your article in the Sunday Scene and I thank you for the kind comments you made about me. Very flattering.’
‘I believe I only told the truth,’ replied Chris.
Mark smiled. ‘I don’t think I’m quite as wonderful as you made me out to be, but you are right about the fact that I like to work to help people who have not had all my advantages.’
‘This is certainly a lovely house,’ said Chris.
‘My wife and I bought it not long after we married and we’ve added bits to it, like the pool and these extensions, but we’ve never wanted to move. This place has always felt like home. Lorraine is out at present, but I’m sure she’ll be back soon. She wants to meet you.’
Chris felt quite touched by Mark’s genuine ability to make him feel so welcome.
‘I’m looking forward to meeting her.’
‘Ever since you let me know that you might do a book about the four of us, I’ve been going through my personal papers, wondering if they could be of any use to you.’
‘Mark, that is very generous of you. Of course they will be useful. They will certainly save me a lot of time running around. Thank you.’
‘Not a problem,’ said Mark, and then cocked his head as they heard the distant sound of the front door opening and closing. ‘Here’s Lorraine now. Hello, darling, glad you got back in time to meet Chris.’
Chris stood up to meet the tall, willowy woman who entered the room. She moved gracefully, like a model, her hair still a pale blonde and her clothes, like the house, expensive and tasteful. She held out her hand.
‘Thank you for saying all those kind things about my husband in your article, Chris. I think you were very generous in your praise. And now Mark tells me you want to expand that article into a book? Such a good idea. I’m sure you’ll want to talk to Mark about it. Why don’t you stay for lunch? Nothing grand. The staff don’t work on Sundays, but we’ll manage.’
Reluctantly, Chris explained that he wouldn’t have time as he had to pick up his daughter from where she had been staying at Newport and then drive the six hours home.
‘A pity,’ said Lorraine. ‘Perhaps next time.’
‘I’ll go and get the boxes of notes I’ve set aside for you,’ said Mark. ‘There is quite a lot about the Indonesian programme in there that could be useful.’
After coffee and a chat, Mark walked Chris to his car. ‘Lorraine is right. P
lease drop us a line next time you come to Sydney. We’d like to know you better. Maybe you would consider staying with us.’
Chris looked across the manicured grounds to a cottage which stood at the end of a long bed of roses.
‘You have a guest cottage, I see,’ he said.
‘Actually, that’s the staff quarters. No, if you stay with us, we have plenty of room in the house,’ said Mark with a smile.
As Chris drove away, he tried to remember if he had ever met such a charming couple, so generous and thoughtful and as kind in person as they were in their public actions.
*
Megan slept most of the drive home. Three other friends of Ruby’s had stayed over after the party, and they’d been awake nearly all night talking and sharing photos from the party on their social media sites. Chris knew Susan would be happy to know the Javanese outfit had been a huge hit.
Just before the Port Macquarie turn-off, Megan stirred.
‘Want to stop for a break?’ Chris asked.
‘I guess,’ yawned Megan.
Chris pulled over to a servo and ordered himself a coffee, while Megan had a milkshake.
‘So you had a great time?’
‘I did. It was great to catch up with everyone. Lots of fun. Ruby just loved the picture I bought from Jazzy for her. Said it was really clever.’
