‘I could do it along with running the bar until the Hogans get back,’ James pointed out to Kathleen when he found her in the dining room laying the tables. ‘During the week the bar is never busy through the day. Maybe you and Nancy’s son could cope. And with two incomes we’d be able to look around for a house to rent.’
‘But those long hours will kill you,’ Kathleen said, placing a knife and fork down.
‘Nothing else might come up.’
‘I’m sure the offer will still be there in the morning.’ Kathleen picked up a serviette and folded it in two. ‘Maybe we should talk about it overnight.’
James nodded. ‘Yes, that’s not a bad idea. I told him I’d ring first thing.’
Kathleen smiled. ‘It’s great that he’s offered it to you, James. I’m very proud of you.’
As he walked back to the bar James did feel a bit chuffed. He’d never really applied for a job before as he’d always worked at Rathgarven. And even though this job wasn’t offering much in the way of pay, it was a start. Back at the bar he saw a blue car pull up out the front of the hotel. A man wearing a dark suit and carrying a brown leather briefcase got out and came into the bar.
‘Mr O’Sullivan?’ the man asked as he approached. ‘I was told I would find you here.’
‘Yes, that’s me,’ James said.
‘Could I have a moment of your time?’ The man held out a hand. ‘Colin Towers is the name.’
‘How do you do,’ James said, taking his hand. ‘How can I help you?’
‘Does your wife happen to be around? It’d be good if I could see you both together.’
‘She’s in the dining room laying the tables.’
‘Are there other staff here?’
James looked at his watch. ‘They won’t be in for an hour or so. But what’s this about?’
‘It’d be best if I could talk to you together.’
James looked confused. ‘About what?’
‘Finn Malone.’
‘Finn? What about him?’
‘I was his lawyer. As I said, it might be better to talk to you and your wife together.’
It was obvious that he wasn’t going to say anything more without Kathleen being present so James beckoned for him to sit down while he went to find Kathleen, who slipped off her apron and smoothed down her hair. ‘I wonder what on earth he wants. You’d best show him in.’
‘You see,’ Colin Towers said a few minutes later, pulling some papers out of his briefcase and putting them on the table where the three of them sat, ‘Mr Malone came to see me a while back. He asked me to draw up a will.’
‘Oh!’ James said. ‘Didn’t he already have a will?’
‘No, and it’d been worrying him.’ The lawyer fiddled with his papers. ‘He said if he’d dragged you and your family all the way out to Australia and something happened to him, he wanted to make sure you were looked after.’ He paused and gave an awkward cough. ‘You were aware he had a drinking problem?’
James and Kathleen glanced at each other. ‘Yes, we were,’ James said. ‘But what’s that got to do with things?’
‘Mr Malone was an honest man. He told me that much as he tried not to give in to the drink, sometimes he went on a bender and didn’t know where he’d been or what he’d done. He was nervous something might happen to him when he was — well, how would you put it? — without his faculties. And you’d be left stranded, so to speak.’
He picked up a couple of pieces of paper and handed them to James, pointing to a passage on the front page. ‘Perhaps if you read this it’ll explain matters.’
Both Kathleen and James looked to where his finger pointed.
In the event of my death I bequeath the property Eureka Park and all its stock, buildings, outbuildings and machinery, to my good friend James O’Sullivan. I also bequeath to James twenty thousand pounds so that he can continue with my efforts to make Eureka Park into a top stud. To my ex-wife, Dawn, I bequeath two thousand pounds. Any residue of my estate I also bequeath to the O’Sullivans.
James was too stunned to say anything. His heart beat hard against his chest and for a second he thought his head might explode. Beside him Kathleen took a huge breath and let it out again. She lifted her head and stared at the lawyer, her eyes wide in astonishment.
‘I don’t believe it,’ she spluttered. ‘When did he write this?’
‘When you told him you were coming to Eureka Park. Perhaps when you’ve had a chance to digest it we can talk it through.’
James held the piece of paper in his hand, reading it over and over. Like Kathleen, he found it difficult to fathom what he was reading. Surely Finn would have left his assets to a member of his family? He may have fallen out with his father and have no siblings, but what about his mother? Had he totally disregarded her? Or did he think his parents had enough money of their own? Was this his way of getting back at them for more or less disowning him when he wouldn’t study law and join his father’s business? Was it some sort of joke?
‘What about Finn’s parents?’ he finally asked when he felt he was in some sort of control of his emotions. ‘I would’ve thought he’d leave his estate to them.’
‘He told me they are well looked after. You may already know that Mr Malone’s grandfather was a wealthy man.’
James nodded. ‘I knew he was well off.’
‘When he died he left Mr Malone’s parents a large sum of money, as well as the house they live in at Cork. Mr Malone got none of that. Whatever he’s made has been entirely of his own doing.’
Colin Towers played with his Parker pen, taking the top off and putting it back on again. He cleared his throat. ‘A while back Mr Malone took himself to a clinic for alcoholics in Brisbane run by the Catholic Church. He was determined to try and cure himself before you arrived. He told me that before he went he’d sent his horses to a good horse stud belonging to a mate of his north of Scone. He said he’d get them back when you came.’
‘Oh. So that explains why there were no horses,’ Kathleen said.
‘Yes,’ the lawyer said. ‘He reckoned he gave the manager notice before he went to Brisbane. Said there wasn’t much point in having him around if there were no horses and you were arriving shortly.’
James nodded. ‘I see.’ He placed his hand on Kathleen’s knee and looked at the lawyer. ‘Did he appear to be drinking when he came back from Ireland?’
‘Yes he did.’
‘Oh!’
‘Before he went he reckoned he’d given up for good. Had it beat. Even so, he told me he’d gone to see an old acquaintance in London on his way back here who enticed him to have one drink. And I wouldn’t have to tell you what happens when an alcoholic succumbs to one drink.’
James felt the breath disappear from his lungs and a cold shiver ran down his spine. Was it Jessica who had enticed Finn to have a drink? Jessica, who loved to drink nearly as much as Finn. Often when she came to stay at Rathgarven, she would retire to bed quite tipsy, having helped herself continually to the drinks trolley. She has so much to answer for, he thought. Then again, so did he — allowing Finn to go to her in London to do his dirty work, instead of doing it himself.
‘Jessica said he’d popped in to see her,’ Kathleen said. ‘But surely it wouldn’t have been her who gave him a drink. She knew he was an alcoholic. It must’ve been at a club or something.’
‘Yes,’ James said, trying to hide his anger, despite his fears. ‘You’re probably right.’
‘One of the reasons he chose the place in Brisbane,’ Colin Towers said, ‘was because he was allowed to take his dog, Dingo, with him.’
There was a long pause before James put the piece of paper back down on the table and picked up his pipe. He filled it and took a long draw. ‘He must have been up in Brisbane for quite a while for Eureka Park to get so run-down. It sounds as though he was in a bad way.’
‘He was there for a month after he came back from Ireland. I must admit, once his wife, Dawn, left Eureka Park, he seemed
to lose interest in the upkeep of the place. Batching on his own, he let the house and grounds go. I went out there a couple of times and could see it deteriorating. Doesn’t take long in this part of the world for things to go downhill. Mind you, he was meticulous with his horses.’ A pause. ‘He wrote me a letter from Brisbane, saying he was progressing well and would be home soon, and he’d come into the office to sign some documents to do with his tax. I’d been after him to do that. I imagine he hadn’t been back at Eureka Park long before —’ He stopped talking and fiddled with the lid of his briefcase. ‘Before he did himself in. He never did come to see me.’
‘Didn’t the police try to contact you when he died?’ Kathleen asked.
The lawyer nodded. ‘I’ve been away bushwalking in the southwest of Tasmania. I run a one-man show. When I got back, I soon realised what had happened. I’ve had a few interviews with the police since then.’
‘Do they know about this?’ James asked, eyeing the document on the table and putting his pipe down in the ashtray. He had a dreadful thought: would he be accused of Finn’s murder? Of making it look like suicide so he could inherit?
‘Indeed they do. They suggested it was up to me to tell you. They didn’t feel it was any of their business.’ He smiled. ‘I presume they didn’t think you’d done your friend in for the money. It appears he was well and truly dead before you arrived at Gullumbindy.’
James stood up and went to the window. Dingo, who always followed him to the hotel, was lying in the sun fast asleep. Not far from where he lay a cockatoo pecked at a fallen apple. James took out a handkerchief and wiped his eyes. He felt an agonising sadness for his old friend. Then an incredible anger rose up within him, threatening to choke him. He wanted to literally wring Jessica’s neck. After what she had told him at their meeting at the Shelbourne about what she had done in India, he was surer than ever that she could have enticed Finn off the wagon. Even going to Brisbane to dry out in time for the family to arrive hadn’t worked. In the end the demon drink had got its own shocking way.
It was nearly forty years since James and Finn had first met on that train on their way to school. And never once had there been a cross word between them. The many times when Finn was at his worst, he never abused James, even when James sometimes tried to take his car keys away from him when he thought he had had too much to drink.
‘Should we not be downing another wee drop before we hit the road?’ Finn would chuckle, patting James on the back and beckoning to the barman.
When James would tell him he’d had enough to drink and finally coax him home in his own car, the next day Finn would thank him for looking after him. ‘Ah, you’re a good man, James O’Sullivan. Why you put up with a drunken sod like me would be anyone’s guess. But make no mistake, I be looking out for you. The same as you be looking out for me.’
And in the end that is exactly what Finn had done, leaving James his most treasured possession.
James took a deep breath and returned to the table where Kathleen and Colin Towers sat watching him. He picked up his pipe and fiddled with it. Sad as James was for what had happened to Finn, he couldn’t help feeling relieved that now there was a way out of their situation. Feeling guilty for those thoughts, he turned to Kathleen and put an arm around her. He rested his lips on the top of her head and let his tears fall onto her lovely hair.
‘Finn …’ he began, but could go no further.
‘I’m sure all of this takes a bit of getting used to,’ Colin Towers said. ‘Particularly under such sad circumstances. What’s say I head back into town and you come and see me in the morning.’ He took out a black diary. ‘Shall we say ten?’
James looked at Kathleen. ‘Ten sounds fine,’ she said.
The lawyer stood up and James saw him to the door.
When he came back into the room, Kathleen was still sitting with the will in her hand.
‘I can’t believe what’s happened,’ she said, handing him the will. ‘It’s too much to take in.’ She sighed. ‘You stay here … I’ll go to the kitchen and make us a cup of tea.’
‘A cup of tea sounds like a good idea.’
When she returned with the teapot, Kathleen said, ‘We could use the money to buy something else in Ireland. It wouldn’t be as good as Rathgarven, but I’m sure we could find something suitable.’
James was in a quandary. If they did sell up and return to Ireland they would be closer to his mother. Then again, wouldn’t that be letting Finn down? After all, he had specifically mentioned that the twenty thousand pounds was to be used on Eureka Park. And would it not be better to put that disaster with Donoghue behind them? Start afresh? What better way to do that than in another country, away from the memories of what had been lost? Should there be any chance of getting Rathgarven back he might feel differently, but that was such a remote possibility he put it right out of his mind. If they took over Eureka Park and made it into a thriving business, that would allow the family to return to Ireland to visit from time to time. And his mother would understand his decision.
He looked at Kathleen. ‘I think we owe it to Finn to at least give it a go at Eureka.’
‘But you know nothing about running a horse stud.’
‘I can always learn. Maybe the fellow who’s looking after the horses at his stud can teach me a thing or two.’
Kathleen smiled. ‘You’d really like to give it a go, wouldn’t you?’
James nodded. ‘Yes. I think I would. Still, if you feel strongly against it, I’m prepared to bow to your wishes.’
Kathleen picked up the teapot, poured a cup and handed it to James. ‘We’re here now in Australia. To go back would be sort of giving in, wouldn’t it? So why don’t we have a shot at it? See how we go. If it turns out to be too much we can always relook at it then.’
James smiled at her. ‘The homestead’s in a great spot by the river, isn’t it?’
‘Yes it is,’ Kathleen said. ‘And with lots of work I’m sure we can make a lovely home for the family.’
‘It’ll all be a huge challenge. But I think we’re up to it.’
Kathleen nodded. ‘I wonder what the children will make of it.’
‘Let’s mull it over. Tell them tomorrow when Ronan’s home from school.’
‘That’s probably a good idea,’ Kathleen said. ‘We might have second thoughts during the night. In the meantime you’d better let that man know you can’t take the job he’s offered you.’
‘Yes,’ James said. ‘I’d best do that.’
* * *
Sitting with her brothers in the kitchen after dinner the next night, having been dragged from the telephone where she was talking to Deb, Lillie gasped when her parents told her what had happened. ‘You’ve got to be joking. We own Eureka Park? All of it?’
‘Yes,’ her father said. ‘It would appear so.’
Lillie wasn’t sure what she thought of that. Over the last few weeks she had held onto the hope that if things were really bad here and Dad couldn’t get a job and there was no house to live in when the Hogans came back, they would have to go back to Ireland. Now they owned Eureka Park they would definitely be staying in Australia.
‘So we don’t have to live in someone else’s house forever,’ Freddie exclaimed in excitement. ‘We’ve got a home of our own.’
‘We do,’ Ma said, casting a glance at Ronan, who sat quietly at the end of the table. In fact he was so quiet Lillie wondered if he’d heard what Dad had said. Or was he thinking the same thing as Lillie? There goes any chance of going home to Ireland.
‘What’s the place like?’ Marcus asked, as if he was trying to play it cool.
‘It’s on a river with lots of trout and other fish,’ Ma said. ‘And although there were no horses when we went out there, we believe they’re away being looked after at the stud of a friend of Uncle Finn’s. We can get them back.’
Again Ma looked at Ronan, who was playing with the salt and pepper shakers.
‘I can’t believe Uncle Finn l
eft it all to us,’ he said, lifting his head. ‘I mean, no matter what the lawyer told you, it seems as though he’d planned it all, knowing he was going to die.’
‘But he didn’t know he was going to die,’ Freddie pointed out.
Lillie was about to say, ‘Yes he did,’ when she remembered her younger brothers didn’t know that Uncle Finn had killed himself.
‘Maybe he had a premonition,’ Ronan said.
‘What’s a prem..on..iten?’ Freddie asked.
‘A feeling that something was going to happen to him,’ Ronan said. He glanced at his father. ‘Sad as it is that Uncle Finn has died, it sorta gets us out of a sticky situation, doesn’t it? I hope one day I’ve got a friend like that.’ He paused. ‘So when can we move in?’
‘When the Hogans get back,’ Dad said, standing up and putting his hand on Ronan’s shoulder. ‘As I said to Ma, it’ll be a challenge. Nevertheless, if we all put our minds to it I’m sure we can make it work.’
Half an hour later Lillie found Ronan sitting on the edge of the back verandah with Dingo lying beside him.
‘So what do you think?’ she asked, plonking down beside Dingo. ‘I asked Ma why they wouldn’t sell Eureka Park and go back to Ireland. She said they want to have a go here.’
‘It sounds as though the decision’s been made, doesn’t it? At any rate I’m going back to Ireland by the time I’m twenty-one. So it doesn’t really matter to me what they do.’
‘Don’t you like it here? You said you’d made some friends at school and played rugby.’
‘I know. That’s not the point. I promised Grandma I’d come home by the time I’m twenty-one. I’ll finish school and go to uni or whatever. Then I’ll get a job to save up my fare.’
‘You’ll need a good job to earn that sort of money.’
‘I’ll make darn sure it happens. You wait and see. In any case … what do you make of it all?’
Lillie picked up a stone and played with it in her hand. She then threw it over into a bed of scraggly lavender where she heard it plop onto the ground. ‘I’d rather go back to Ireland. But that’s not going to happen. So I guess I’m looking forward to living at Eureka Park. I know it’s run-down and all that. But as Ma says it does have a nice river in front of the house. There’s even a sort of beach where you can swim. Ma also said we can tie a rope to a tree to jump into the water.’
The Homestead on the River Page 17