Time Will Tell Read online

  When the reminder of the expense seeped in, she picked up her book. She’d found reading fiction the best antidote to the pressures that regularly threatened to overwhelm her.

  Especially the thought that she wouldn’t be in this mess if she’d listened to her mother and continued to lie in the bed she’d made – her marriage to John Stratten.

  For a moment she wondered what her husband was doing for Christmas. Had John arranged to see his parents, or would he be spending the Christmas weekend alone on the farm? She cut off the thought before letting herself feel any sympathy for him – he deserved everything he got.

  Chapter Two

  Emily woke up Christmas morning feeling energised and full of purpose. She leapt out of bed and went down to the kitchen.

  ‘Merry Christmas Gracie,’ she said to the dog, who was looking at her and flapping her tail.

  She put water in the kettle and stared out the window while she waited for it to boil. It was a lovely cool morning and the forecast was for a perfect twenty-eight degrees with a slight easterly breeze. After her coffee she would take a walk up the gully. Then she’d start getting the roast organised.

  With coffee in hand, she sat at the table and went through her to do list, making sure she hadn’t missed anything. Jake would be arriving in a few hours.

  Everything was ready: the house and bathroom were clean, and the spare room was made up and felt inviting. She’d bought the groceries the day before and there was plenty to make do with in the freezer: a leg of lamb and some chops; mince; some chicken pieces. Enough for the weekend.

  Suddenly she wondered if Jake would rather eat at the pub. She really didn’t want to waste her precious financial resources by eating out. She’d already blown next week’s budget on Christmas lunch.

  No, she’d prepare for meals at home – sandwiches for when he arrived, roast lamb and all the trimmings for Christmas lunch, and leftovers and perhaps spaghetti bolognaise for tomorrow. She’d worry about beyond that later.

  Pausing for a moment, she noticed the creased pages outlining Trevor and Donald’s proposal at the end of the table. She’d been carrying it from kitchen to bedroom and back for the last two days.

  The Bakers’ offer was very generous. Emily knew she’d be a fool not to do her best to take them up on it, providing the house was worth renovating.

  So the question was really whether it was a sound proposition. She was glad her father would be here to discuss it with Jake, but she really didn’t want Enid’s negativity dragging everything down.

  Enid had described the place as ‘disgusting’ and a ‘knockdown job’. She had no idea why her mother was so opposed to her living there.

  Emily’s shoulders slumped slightly. It wasn’t as though she could ask Jake and Barbara and David to not mention the house business – something was bound to slip out. She’d spend the whole day being a nervous wreck. Not to mention that Jake would think her weird and pathetic for hiding something like this from her mother.

  Emily practically snorted. Just grow up. It does not matter what your mother thinks. It has nothing to do with her.

  She got up to make another cup of coffee, and had just sat back down again when her phone started vibrating on the table in front of her. Speak of the devils, she thought at seeing her parents’ home number on the display.

  ‘Hello, Emily speaking.’

  ‘Hi Em, it’s Dad. Merry Christmas!’

  ‘Hi Dad. Yeah, merry Christmas,’ she said, relaxing significantly. ‘How are you?’

  ‘Good thanks, but your mum’s not feeling so well and won’t be joining us. She’s woken up with one of her “heads”.’

  ‘Oh, is she okay?’ Emily asked automatically. Enid’s ‘heads’ usually meant her parents had had a fight and her mother was staying at home to sulk and prove a point of some sort. Strangely, she only ever had one when there was a social engagement they were attending.

  ‘Fine. You know how it is – just needs a quiet day at home.’

  Emily thought it had more to do with having people asking after her in her absence and then phoning later to check she was okay than punishing Des. Emily could just picture him now rolling his eyes.

  ‘So I just wanted to check if there’s anything you need brought out before I leave,’ he added brightly.

  ‘Actually, could I borrow a ladder?’

  ‘Okay. Of course. That wasn’t quite what I had in mind,’ he said with a little chuckle. ‘Nothing’s happened, has it? You haven’t lost the roof or anything?’

  ‘No, the roof is fine as far as I know. But something has happened – the Bakers have offered to sell me the house and about twenty acres around it. At a very good price and on a very generous purchase plan. I’ll tell you all about it later.’

  ‘Oh. Okay. That’s brilliant news. When did this happen?’

  ‘They dropped by the other day after Doug Burton’s funeral. Somehow I don’t think Mum will see it as cause for celebration.’

  ‘Hmm, no, probably not,’ he said thoughtfully. ‘So why the ladder?’

  ‘Well, Jake is staying – you remember, Elizabeth’s friend you met the other week – and I want him to have a good look at it.’

  ‘Good idea. He seemed a very nice chap. I’m sure he’ll steer you right. I wouldn’t mind hearing what he thinks of the old place.’

  ‘Great. And as you’re always saying, two heads are better than one.’

  ‘Exactly. Your mother was talking to your aunt Peggy last night. She didn’t mention Elizabeth was coming back over this way so soon.’

  ‘She isn’t. Jake rang on Thursday from Whyalla – he’s doing some work there – and wanted to spend the weekend down here. All very last minute. Didn’t want to go back to Melbourne. Good timing for me, though.’

  ‘Indeed. So what are Donald and Trevor asking for the house?’

  ‘It’s not that clean-cut – I’ll show you their proposal.’

  ‘I didn’t think they’d ever sell. Wonder what changed their minds.’

  ‘Apparently they want to take an overseas trip and need some extra cash.’

  ‘I’m sufficiently intrigued. Okay, I’d better get going. I’ll go and put the ladder in before I forget. So nothing needed from the corner shop?’

  ‘No, that’s it, thanks very much. I’ll see you in a few hours.’

  ‘Very good. See you soon.’

  ‘Bye.’

  Emily consulted her list again. Almost everything was ticked off. Suddenly the mobile phone began to vibrate again. She picked it up.

  ‘Hi Barbara. Merry Christmas.’

  ‘And a merry Christmas to you too. How’s things?’

  ‘Great. And you?’

  ‘Good now all the rellies that were here for the funeral have left. I am so looking forward to a low-key day and not having to cook or entertain.’

  ‘We’re going to have ourselves a great day!’

  ‘You’re sounding especially gleeful this morning.’

  ‘Am I?’

  ‘You are. Come on, spill. What’s going on?’

  ‘Well, Mum’s not coming – got a headache or something…’

  ‘So I take it from your happy disposition that you’re not cancelling Christmas lunch to go off and spoon-feed her chicken soup?’

  ‘Er, no,’ Emily said with a laugh. ‘I know it’s terrible, but I’m actually relieved she’s not going to be here.’

  ‘Oh well, you can’t help how you feel. And I do know how tense Enid makes you, especially when you’re trying to cook.’

  ‘Hmm. It’s not just that.’

  ‘Oh?’

  ‘No, Jake Lonigan’s coming for lunch. He’s actually going to stay for the weekend.’

  ‘Ooh, the lovely Jake. Goodie! With or without Elizabeth?’

  ‘Without. But don’t you go getting any ideas. He’s in Whyalla for a while and wants to escape for the weekend – no doubt for more photography. It’s purely platonic.’

  ‘How do you know?’

/>   ‘He rang the other night.’

  ‘No, silly, how do you know it’s purely platonic? Especially now there’s no Elizabeth in tow.’

  Emily found herself wondering at her assumption and realised she had nothing to base it on.

  ‘Come on Barb, we both know I do not need a relationship at the moment. I thought you agreed with me on that.’

  ‘I know – just teasing. But, you know, that’s when they happen – when it’s the last thing you’re looking for.’ ‘So I’ve heard. But I’ve got too much else to deal with right now.’ ‘Brilliant timing on Jake’s part, though. He’ll be able to give you some advice on the house.’

  ‘That’s what I’m counting on – an objective opinion.’

  ‘Oh well, it might be good to keep it businesslike, then.’

  ‘Hmm.’

  ‘What about Nathan Lucas?’

  ‘What about him?’

  ‘I thought he was nice. Well, the little I saw when I met him at David’s dad’s funeral.’

  ‘He’s nice enough.’

  Nathan, an assistant bank manager, was the son of some family friends, and was fresh from his own marriage breakup. His mother and Enid had recently – and none-too-subtly – tried to match-make them. Emily found him friendly enough, and they’d got along well. But she wasn’t prepared to think anything of him beyond that.

  ‘Is he still single?’

  ‘Jesus, Barbara, you’re sounding like my bloody mother!’

  ‘Sorry, just curious. So are you going to ask his advice – from a financial perspective?’

  Emily had wondered if it was worth discussing with Nathan. He had, after all, offered to give her any financial advice she needed. But what could he say? It wasn’t like she could afford a loan.

  ‘No. I thought about it and decided there isn’t any point. Like you said, it’s a good deal. I need a lawyer more than a banker. He’d probably want to lend me money I can’t afford to pay back.’

  ‘I think the GFC put a stop to that, Em.’

  ‘I know, but you know what I mean. Anyway, for all I know, he’s probably back in Adelaide by now. So why are you calling, anyway?’

  ‘Oh, just to check there wasn’t anything extra that you needed.’

  ‘Why does everyone assume I’ve forgotten something? I’ve just had my father asking the same question.’

  ‘No need to get prickly. I was just checking.’

  ‘I know. Sorry. I’m a bit stressed.’

  ‘About Jake coming to stay?’

  ‘Yes and no. Actually, about telling my mother about the offer to buy the house.’

  ‘Well, you don’t have to worry about that now that she’s not coming. You just relax and enjoy the fine company,’ she added with a chuckle.

  ‘I’ve been so on edge I hadn’t quite processed that I’ve got a reprieve on that one. You’re right. I’ll worry about telling her another day. Thanks Barbara, you’re a darling.’

  ‘I know. So if there isn’t anything you need, I’ll get cracking.’

  ‘Thanks. And sorry about being snippy.’

  ‘Already forgotten.’

  Emily hung up, smiling. She was just so lucky to have Barbara in her life.

  She went through her mental checklist yet again and concluded that everything was definitely ready for Jake’s arrival, as it had been the time before, and the time before that.

  There was nothing more to do, but if she had another coffee she’d be squelching when she walked – not to mention looking like a rabbit caught in the headlights from all the caffeine. She got up, called Grace to her, and left the kitchen.

  She and Grace took their usual route up the gully, past the orchard to the disused well. But as she started to come back down, she took a moment to pause and study the house and its surrounds, trying to work out where the boundary of the proposed twenty acres would be if she went ahead with the subdivision.

  If she went ahead? She frowned. The only ‘if’ was around finance.

  It was a damn good deal – a no-brainer as Barbara and then David had pointed out. They’d even offered to loan her some money if she needed it. And they were soon to be quite flush thanks to David’s father’s recent death. It was very good of them to offer, but of course Emily could never accept money from her friends.

  The actual cost wasn’t really the problem – she could manage the first year’s payment and then had time to gather the next. The problem lay in what happened after that. The house would need extensive renovation. Most of it could probably be done over time, but some things like the roof needed replacing as soon as possible. That would be costly.

  One decent hail storm and she’d be well and truly stuffed. There were pinholes in the roof that let the sun shine through onto the verandah – who knew how bad the main roof sheets were? She stared down at the rusty iron and asked no one in particular to hold it all together.

  And what if two months down the track the electricity shat itself and the whole place needed to be re-wired?

  She’d have to find some way to make money in the absence of a job, which seemed to be as rare as hen’s teeth at the moment. She was pretty sure selling jam at a Melbourne market wouldn’t cut it, no matter how good the jam and how swanky the market. Anyway, the main fruiting season was almost over. She’d have to wait until April for the figs to be ripe. She could do orange marmalade, but oranges wouldn’t be ripe for ages yet either. There had to be some other way.

  She told herself it wasn’t just about proving her mother wrong; it was about proving herself right – that she’d made the right decision leaving John, and that she could be successful in her own right, without the tag of ‘John Stratten’s wife’ hanging around her neck. She didn’t want the label of ‘wife’ at all. Possibly forever.

  Emily sighed. If only she were more of a risk-taker. Plenty of people would just jump in and worry about all the boring details later. But Emily wasn’t like that, and she doubted she ever would be. Of course she’d signed John’s financial settlement without any thought, but that was different. She took a deep breath.

  Maybe Jake would have some ideas – he seemed pretty grounded and cautious. Emily found it odd that she was okay with the thought of discussing her poor financial situation with him, a relative stranger.

  She didn’t think she’d ever have such a conversation even with her cousin Liz, and they’d known each other for ever. But Liz tended to be a bit critical and blunt, and had hurt Emily quite badly a few times. And if Liz discussed it with Aunty Peggy, she’d tell Enid, and then there’d be a whole conference of people telling her what and what not to do.

  Emily took another deep breath and marched on. Grace ran on ahead with her nose to the ground, following the scents of the early-morning rabbits, foxes, and wild cats.

  Instead of following the creek bed straight back down to the house, she turned towards the outbuildings that were to be included in the subdivision.

  What would she do with a smelly old shearing shed, she wondered, peering through a window so grimy it was almost a mirror. Nothing for a long, long time, she concluded. There was no point going inside and beginning to dream of what it could be turned into.

  Next to the shearing shed was a smaller shed with a set of double wooden doors, their grain wide and grey in colour – signs of paint long gone. The door opened stiffly but easily enough, its hinges issuing a deep metallic protesting groan. A raised slab of concrete with large rusting bolts standing up out of it sat on a dirt floor stained dark by many years of oil and fuel spills.

  The old generator room, Emily surmised, from the days before the main power line crossed the paddock from the main road to the house. Now it seemed to be a storage room for empty chemical drums.

  The toxic smells filled Emily’s nostrils and she puckered up her nose in distaste. The first thing she’d do if she bought – when she bought – the place would be to get rid of them via the Council’s farm chemical drum disposal program.

  Though she couldn’t rea
lly complain. It was a small job compared to other farms she’d been to where rusting car bodies and junk of every sort was mixed with scrub, hidden behind sheds, and left for the next generation to deal with. Trevor and Donald Baker were quite tidy compared to many around.

  Emily’s stomach growled, reminding her she was yet to eat breakfast. She’d been too busy and too nervous earlier. She headed down the gentle slope to the back of the house and around to the side door into the kitchen.

  She made herself two pieces of toast with butter and vegemite and sat side-on to the glass-panelled door that led out onto the verandah.

  Strips of green and red light cut across the table in front of her. She nibbled her toast, taking small mouse-like bites to kill time. Occasionally she glanced at Grace – who was snoozing on her mat in the corner – and wished she too could so easily shift between being totally excited and totally relaxed.

  Emily was suddenly startled by a hefty three-barrelled knock on the front door, so loud that the echo bounced around in the emptiness of the hall. Grace leapt to attention and sat with her head cocked, waiting.

  Who could it be? It was too early for Jake – well, unless he’d left Whyalla really early, which he could have, she supposed.

  She got up, her heart pounding with the anticipation of seeing him again.

  ‘Coming!’ she called, and made her way quickly down the hall.

  Chapter Three

  With a shaking hand, Emily opened the door and was surprised to find Nathan Lucas on her doorstep. His face lit up with a big grin.

  ‘Hi. Merry Christmas. Thought I’d pop by to see your new digs.’

  On Christmas friggin’ morning?!

  Emily was momentarily speechless. She frowned slightly, then her upbringing kicked in.

  ‘Oh, Nathan. Hello. Right, well, it’s not very exciting I’m afraid. But it’s home,’ she said with a shrug.

  She felt rooted to the spot. The polite thing to do would be to invite him in, but knowing her luck, Jake would then turn up. And how would that look?