The Model Wife

by Tricia Stringer

  “You don’t sound sure.”

  “I’m not. That’s what’s so hard. I’ve built up a rapport with my class and there’re a couple of young teachers who I’ve enjoyed supporting this year but there’s a new principal and I can tell he thinks I’m old-fashioned.”

  “But you obviously care about the kids. Could you use your talents somewhere else?”

  Natalie shrugged. “Like you do with your lost boys? I don’t know if I can deal with teenagers.”

  Rosie laughed, a rich warm sound that echoed in the night air. “But you’ll find something that makes use of your gifts and perhaps it will be the thing that helps you find the purpose you feel you’ve lost.”

  Natalie thought about that. Teaching had been something she’d felt enabled her to make a difference. Travelling and gardening would keep her busy, but if she stopped teaching what could she do that made her life meaningful and of benefit to others? And what was she to do about her marriage? Once more she looked up at the starry night and found no answer forthcoming.

  Twenty-Eight

  Kate pulled on an extra jumper. Sometime in the night the rain had stopped but the air in her bedroom was cold and damp. There’d been no chance the previous evening to tell her dad about the bank transfers. Laura’s dinner had been a huge success and even though Kate hadn’t eaten a lot, she’d enjoyed a small serve of pork, and the golden syrup dumplings had been melt-in-your-mouth delicious. This morning her stomach was rebelling again. She’d loved to have waited for the cup of tea and toast Laura had been bringing her the last few mornings but Kate had forced herself to get up early in the hope of catching her dad in the kitchen alone.

  In the passage she was met by even colder air. At the other end of the long hall the back door was half open and Bree was standing just inside the screen door looking out.

  “What’s going on?” Kate asked, coming up behind her sister.

  “Dad’s out in the garden.” Bree turned to look at her, her voice low. “He’s weeding. I’ve never seen him do that before.”

  Kate peered over Bree’s shoulder. “That’s Mum’s gerbera patch, isn’t it?”

  “Yep.”

  They watched as their dad added another weed to the bucket beside him and rested back on his heels. He studied his handiwork a moment then lurched to his feet.

  Bree pushed Kate back and gently closed the door. They both strode into the kitchen where the door was still off its hinges and busied themselves getting breakfast. Out in the passage the back door opened.

  “We should tell him about the accounts,” Kate whispered. “Before Granny gets up.”

  Bree nodded. There were sounds of water running from the laundry and then their dad joined them.

  “Good morning.” His tone was cheerful.

  “Hi, Dad.” Kate faltered at his bright smile. She didn’t want to spoil his good mood.

  “Coffee?” Bree asked as she removed her own cup from the machine.

  “Thanks.” Milt sat in his usual spot at the head of the table.

  Kate brought a plate of toast and her cup of tea and sat beside him. “We need to tell you something.” She kept her voice low. Granny was in the spare room in the quarters but with the kitchen door off they might not get any warning of her arrival.

  Milt looked from one to the other as Bree put a cup of coffee in front of him then slid into the chair on his other side.

  “Fire away,” he said.

  Kate glanced at Bree who gave her a brief nod.

  “It’s about Granny.”

  He frowned. “What’s she been up to this time?”

  “We’re not sure that she’s actually been up to anything,” Bree said. “It might be Aunty Connie.”

  “Hell’s teeth.”

  “Don’t get cross, Dad.” Kate shot him a pleading look. “Just listen.”

  Between them they started to fill him in on the financial discrepancies they’d found the day before. They paused when they heard a sound in the passage but it turned out to be Laura. Kate beckoned her in and she listened to the end of the story.

  “Hell.” Milt flung out his arms and sat back in his chair as they finished. “That original payment was for your pa and granny together. Your mum must have forgotten about it in the process of setting up a new account for Granny. I just assumed she’d stopped it.” He looked from Bree to Kate again. “And now you reckon the money’s going to Connie’s account?”

  Kate pursed her lips in a sad smile and nodded.

  Milt surged forward and thumped the table with his fist, making the liquid in their untouched cups wobble. “Well, that stops now. My sister’s not getting another free cent from our hard work.” He scratched his head. “Can one of you stop the payments?”

  “Easily,” Kate said.

  “Good.”

  “Dad, what’s going on with Aunty Connie?” Bree asked.

  “Nothing.”

  “We heard you and Granny discussing her last weekend.”

  “Did you.” Milt scratched his head again. “I should have been following up but I’ve…well, I’ve had other things on my mind. You’re all part of the family business so you should know.”

  “Know what?” Laura’s expression was puzzled. “What’s been going on? What did I miss?”

  “This is to do with your Aunty Constance.” Olive strode into the room. She was dressed smartly as always, today in purple jumper and beige slacks, with her usual light application of make-up and a purple clip keeping her hair neatly in place. No-one had heard her coming.

  “Is she trying to steal our property?” Laura asked.

  “Not steal. We just want to even things up a bit.” Olive sat at the table. “Has the kettle boiled? I’d love a cup of tea.” She brushed at the clean wooden surface in front of her then looked up.

  For a moment no-one moved, then Kate reluctantly rose to make it. All her life she’d believed her grandmother to be a selfless, kind woman with the best interests of her family at heart – her whole family. Now Kate wondered what else had happened over the years to even things up, as Granny had put it.

  “We have to sort this out.” Milt turned to his mother, his voice firm. “And I want the girls to be part of it.”

  “Last week you said you wanted to wait until Natalie got back.”

  “I’m sure she’ll approve any decision the girls and I make.”

  Kate put a cup of tea in front of Olive and went back to her seat. Olive lifted the lid from the sugar bowl and put a teaspoonful into her cup, stirring it slowly. “I don’t like being ganged up on.”

  “What would you call what you and Connie are doing?”

  Olive looked at her son, put her teaspoon on the saucer, clasped her hands and pursed her lips.

  “We’ve been over this, Mum. Connie has been compensated and she’ll inherit your nest egg one day. She can’t keep dipping her hand in.”

  “She’s not.”

  Bree leaned in, spoke softly. “We’ve discovered you’re getting two allowances from the property. And that one of them, the bigger one that used to be for you and Pa, is going to an account in Connie’s name.”

  Olive lowered the cup she’d been raising to her mouth. It rattled on the saucer.

  “Was that your idea or Connie’s?” Milt asked, his tone soft like Bree’s.

  Olive’s face paled. Kate didn’t like to see her being harassed but they had to have answers. “Take your time, Granny.”

  Olive gave her a weak smile then turned her gaze back to her son. “When Natalie set up the new account for me I was so busy trying to get my head around that, and deal with…deal with being on my own and moving house, I assumed the old account had been closed. A couple of months ago I was visiting Constance and I was looking for some card or other. I pulled everything out of my purse and she noticed the card for the old account. I said there’d be not much in it, that you’d opened a new account in my name.” She sighed. “Constance checked.”

  “And you decided to help yourself,
” Milt said.

  “I didn’t, I wouldn’t…” Olive’s chin went up. “You obviously weren’t missing it.”

  “That’s not the point, Mum. I don’t know how we overlooked it but with the volume of accounts Natalie deals with…I’m sure she would have noticed eventually.”

  “I don’t understand why Aunty Connie is stealing from us.” Laura shook her head.

  “She’s not stealing.”

  “What would you call it then, Mum?”

  Olive glared at her son. “A balancing up, she called it.”

  “Now we’re getting to the bottom of things,” Milt said. “Was it your idea or Connie’s to siphon the money off into her account?”

  Olive glanced at Kate who reached out a hand to her.

  “Connie set it up, didn’t she?” Kate said.

  Olive’s shoulders slumped and she suddenly looked like a frail old lady. “I wanted to talk to Milton about it but Constance convinced me you wouldn’t miss it and—”

  Milt blew out a sharp breath.

  Olive sniffed and went on. “They’ve been struggling with this last loan they took out for more land for the boys. She said she was using it to put food on the table.”

  “She can damn well pay it back,” Milt said.

  “She can’t.”

  “Well, she can earn it then.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous, Milton. You and Natalie are well off. You can afford to be generous.”

  “We’re well off, as you put it, because we’ve all worked hard, Natalie and the girls as well as me. And out of those earnings we also support you.”

  “Constance does what she can for me.”

  “Perhaps she could take over your cleaning, Granny,” Laura said. “Give Mum a break and pay the money back that way.”

  “What cleaning?” Milt said.

  Olive shifted in her chair. “It was kind of you to vacuum when you called in the other day, Laura, but I think it would be too much to expect Constance to come up to do that.” She looked at Milt. “Natalie offered when I moved in to the unit. She’s in town regularly. I’m sure she’ll help me out again when she comes back.”

  “Natalie’s doing your cleaning?” Milt gaped at his mother.

  Kate was surprised. She hadn’t known about that either and, by the look on Bree’s face, neither had she.

  “It’s just a light go-over,” Olive said. “I can manage most of it myself.”

  “It’s a bit more than that, Granny,” Laura said with a hint of reproach in her voice. “Mum’s been doing the vacuuming, mopping the floors and cleaning the bathroom every fortnight.” She ticked the items off on her fingers.

  “Poor Mum,” Kate said. “She’s got her work cut out with this place.”

  “It’s been very good of her to help me,” Olive said.

  “Something your own daughter won’t do.” Milt stood up and began to pace.

  “I wasn’t going to bring this up but Constance reminded me the other day how much I looked after the girls when they were young.”

  Milt stopped pacing and glared at his mother. Kate felt a surge of nausea. She pressed her fingers to her mouth. She felt bad enough first thing in the morning but this fighting made her stomach churn harder.

  “You helped with her boys too. How dare Connie play that card? This property puts a roof over your head, pays all your bills, pays you an allowance. You’ve been well compensated for a bit of babysitting.”

  He spat the last words out and they splashed across the room like lemon juice souring milk. Kate held her stomach with one hand and pressed her finger harder to her lips with the other. This was all too terrible.

  “I’m sorry to be such a burden.” Olive’s eyes watered as she looked at each of the girls, her gaze stopping at Kate. “I didn’t look after you to be compensated.” Her words wobbled from her mouth, sad and almost inaudible. “I did it because I love you.”

  Kate swallowed the bitter taste in her mouth and wrapped her arms around her grandmother. “I know you do,” she soothed. Olive’s small shoulders shook inside her embrace. Kate looked imploringly at her dad, who’d stopped his pacing and now looked dismayed. Bree and Laura were both out of their chairs hovering beside Olive.

  “Don’t get upset, Mum. You’re not a burden.” He reached out, put a hand on her shoulder. “This is all my fault. I should have sorted it out, made everything clear.” He shook his head. “Damn it! It is clear. Connie’s inheritance was all arranged. Dad’s will set everything out. After he died I focused on the girls and how to manage their future.”

  “I don’t know what to do,” Olive whispered. “Constance keeps on at me to help her.”

  “She’s had so much already, Mum.” Milt squatted down beside Olive and took her little hands in his big ones. Kate sat back, fighting her own tears.

  “Connie can’t keep asking for more, Mum. It’s not fair to you or me or my family. Dad was clear Connie had been well and truly compensated. She’s not getting any more from my hard work.” He looked up at his daughters. “While you girls are home we’re going to the lawyer again and get this sorted out. With any luck we can get an appointment tomorrow or Tuesday.”

  “What about seeding?” Bree said.

  “It’ll cost us a half day but it needs to be done.”

  “What about Mum?” Kate asked.

  “She’s not here and this has to be dealt with once and for all.”

  Laura offered tissues. Kate took one, noticing tears rolling down Laura’s cheeks as well. Bree remained stony-faced. Olive took a hanky from her pocket and dabbed at her eyes. “Thank you, Milton.”

  “I’ll make some fresh tea,” Laura said.

  “Thank you, dear.” Olive gave a little shiver. “And, Milton, do you think you could put the door back on. There’s such a draught in here.”

  Milt opened his mouth.

  “I’ll give you a hand, Dad,” Bree said quickly. “Won’t take us long.”

  Kate reached for the toast. It was cold now but she buttered it anyway, smeared on some Vegemite and took a bite. Olive reached out and put a soft hand to her cheek. “I’m glad to see you eating, dear. You only picked at last night’s meal.”

  The toast congealed in Kate’s throat.

  Laura put a fresh cup of tea in front of Olive. “Here you go, Granny.”

  Kate struggled to her feet. “Back in a moment.” She wove past her dad and Bree and shut herself in the bathroom where she took deep calming breaths, willing the toast to stay down. Granny had looked at her so knowingly Kate was sure she’d guessed.

  There was a tap on the door. “Come in.” Kate splashed water on her face and when she wiped herself dry it was her dad standing there, not one of her sisters as she’d expected.

  “Are you all right, love?”

  She nodded. Tears brimmed again. He reached out and wrapped her in his arms.

  “I know I’m being a sook,” she mumbled into his shoulder. “But I wish Mum was here.”

  “Why don’t we ring her?”

  “No.” Kate took a deep breath, stepped back and wiped her face again. “I’m all right. I just don’t want Granny to know before Mum.”

  Milt held her at arm’s length. “You know what, I’ve been thinking I might go and meet her while you girls are here. Spend a few days in the sun and we can come home together.”

  “Really? What about seeding?”

  “I won’t go until it’s underway and Bree can manage with a bit of help, and I want to get this money stuff sorted with the lawyer but then…” His eyes lit up as if he’d just had a wonderful idea. “I’m going to surprise your mother.”

  “She might have left before you get there.”

  His smile wavered. “I don’t think so.”

  “So Mum might be home in a week?”

  “Or so.”

  Kate felt that was such a long time.

  There was another tap on the door. It was Laura who put her head around this time. “Granny’s going.”

  M
ilt pulled the door open. Olive, Bree and Laura were in the passage, all studying them with a questioning look.

  “I’ll talk to you soon, Mum. We’ll sort out this business with Connie.”

  “Diplomatically,” Olive said.

  “I’ll do my best.”

  Olive glanced around the bathroom. “You know if you’re all going to spend so much time in here it could do with some tidying up. A few extra hooks and some shelves wouldn’t go astray, Milton.”

  She flicked her gaze to Kate and her eye twitched. “Bye, dear.”

  Milt followed his mother out and Kate lowered herself to the edge of the bath. Had Granny just winked at her?

  Bree stood next to her dad, waving Granny off. “I’ll go and let the dogs out.”

  “Wait a minute.”

  She turned back. Milt was fidgeting with his hat.

  “Can we talk a moment?”

  “What about?”

  “I wondered if you’ve made a decision about heading off to be with Owen?”

  She folded her arms. He’d pressed her last week for a date and she’d put him off. Owen had been asking too. She felt torn between the two of them.

  Milt held up a hand. “I was hoping you could stay here a bit longer, that’s all. With all that’s going on, we’ve got a few things to sort out, and the seeding of course. And then…I might need to go…well, I could be away a few days. Could you stay, keep things going here until I get back?”

  He looked so worried the resentment left her. “What sort of time are you thinking?”

  “I’m not sure yet. I needed to see how you were situated first. Owen must be keen for you to join him.”

  Bree nodded.

  “I’m sorry, Bree. Once I’ve sorted things you can do whatever you like. All this stuff with Connie has made me think. No-one asked us what we wanted to do when we were your age. It was assumed I would work the property and she would go to university.”

  Bree had never thought about her dad wanting to do something else.