Of the list of answers that came up, one caught her attention. The course was called Juris Doctor and the short paragraph about it told her it was designed for students who already had an undergraduate degree that wasn’t Law. Perfect. She put Juris Doctor online Australia into the search engine.
It seemed most universities ran the course. Going through the options, Alice decided she liked the sound of the one that was offered completely online and also on-campus. The university ran a summer semester, which she could take to accelerate her progress through the three-year course. But, eek, the fees! No, she wasn’t going to think about them – she’d find a way. I’m doing this! Thank goodness for government student loans. Maybe she could get a scholarship to help, too.
Alice trawled through page after page of information, including articles related to the questions she’d typed in: Is a career in Law for me? and What students and graduates wish they’d been told before they’d embarked. Instead of being put off, the more she read, the more she felt she’d be very well suited to the course and later a career in Law. Applications had just opened, so Alice went ahead and filled out the online form. There was no point in holding off.
So, where would she live? Would she stay in Ballarat? Why not? There was no reason not to. It was a lovely city and the surrounding area was beautiful. Returning to Melbourne would almost feel like a backwards step. Starting completely fresh appealed to her much more. She’d miss Lauren and Brett, but they’d surely visit regularly.
Perhaps Jared and Pip would visit sometime too. The three of them had kept in touch via Facebook Messenger and swapped the occasional text – mainly about office goings-on. The latest was that Carmel Gold now had two PAs catering to her every whim.
Alice would miss her occasional shopping day with Liz, Sarah and Claire, too. She hadn’t heard from them and doubted she would again. She knew all too well the way friends stayed with one person or another when a couple split. The close friendship group she and Rick had shared comprised mainly of couples who were also farmers. Alice had been devastated to discover they’d all chosen to side with Rick – but not entirely shocked. The division between townies and those who worked the land was well known. She had tried to reach out to her old friends, but had been unsuccessful. This time she wouldn’t make the same humiliating mistake. She’d leave it up to Liz, Sarah and Claire to decide if they wanted to stay friends with her. If so, great, and she’d welcome it, but Alice understood that their loyalties most likely remained firmly with David. After all, they were the wives of his colleagues.
Alice had never lived alone before. Now she wanted to. No, she needed to. The force of the realisation was intense. And then she started to feel really excited about it. Accommodation should be more affordable in Ballarat than in Melbourne, too.
She fired up one of the main real estate sites. There was a fully furnished one-bedroom unit within the budget she’d quickly done in her head. Just the one, but she refused to feel dejected. One was all she needed. And while the decor looked a little dated in the photos, it also looked clean and tidy inside and out. Again, that was all she needed. Nothing flashy. And, it had a note that pets would be considered upon request. The unit was available for signing now, and for all she knew it had been on the market for rent for ages. If she didn’t get it, there would be other options – like decking out an unfurnished apartment. There’s always more than one way to skin a rabbit, she thought, her father’s well-used phrase coming to her as she clicked the link to book an appointment to view the unit. Thank goodness she still had a couple of thousand dollars tucked away, which meant she could easily pay the bond – thanks to Ruth.
Just before Alice’s marriage to Rick, Ruth had made Alice promise she would always keep a small stash of money in a separate, secret, account in case she ever needed to leave in a hurry. Alice had initially been quite taken aback by her friend’s negative attitude, but Ruth had hastened to add that far too many women got trapped in abusive marriages because they didn’t have their own funds to provide an escape route. Having always valued Ruth’s wisdom, Alice had complied. Over the years it had been hard not to give in and dip into it. But what had stopped her was the thought that to do so would be a huge betrayal to her dear friend. Feeling so secure with David, she’d almost weakened and added it to their house deposit. Oh, Ruth, bless you …
While nothing was set in concrete yet, Alice believed that all the pieces of the puzzle were falling into place, and everything felt right.
Next she needed a job. Full-time would be good but part-time would give her more time to study. Okay, part-time it is. Oh, here we go, Alice thought and almost laughed out loud at seeing a listing for an admin job in a real estate office. David was right, though, she shouldn’t judge the whole industry based on one experience. Anyway, it was different now – she was only looking for a job, not a career, she thought as she filled in the details and clicked Send. Alice’s heart slowed again and almost stopped when she scrolled further down the employment site and an admin role at a law firm came up. It was almost too perfect. No, there’s no such thing. It’s my time. Everything is going to work in my favour.
She was exhausted but felt a great sense of achievement a few hours later when she closed the laptop, pushed the chair away from the desk and leant back into it. She’d applied for the university course, a place to live, and two jobs. Now she had to wait and somehow quell the excitement raging within her. It was so strong she could barely sit still. She’d been planning a long walk, though now she felt the need to run. Hard. Thank goodness the sun had finally come out.
Chapter Thirty-seven
Alice was stunned at just how quickly and well everything had come together for her. She’d borrowed Mrs Finmore’s Audi sedan, which was a little smaller than Mr Finmore’s Mercedes, and had driven into Ballarat and interviewed for the real estate and law firm admin jobs, and been offered both on the spot. It had reminded her of the experience with Gold, Taylor and Murphy when she was offered the job at the end of the interview, but instead of letting it worry her, Alice had chosen to see it as a further sign that she was definitely on the right path. Obviously she’d chosen the law firm.
Her new employers were thrilled she’d applied to study Law and planned to eventually join the profession, and assured her they would be as accommodating as they possibly could when her course began. Being a small family firm, she’d met everyone at the interview – Lyn and Peter, the senior partners, their daughter Ashley, who hadn’t been long out of university herself, though she was younger than Alice, and Kylie, who was the other admin assistant and also the receptionist. They all seemed down-to-earth, which Alice liked, and she felt an instant rapport with them. Ashley had even offered to mentor her. Knowing it would be a big help to have the partners’ support and wisdom, and access to the office library, Alice had immediately accepted the job. She was genuinely excited about starting with them.
Even the furnished flat had turned out to be perfect – small but cosy and filled with light, and it was in a quiet street. She discovered it was a comfortable ten-minute walk from the office of Baker and Associates, and the agent agreed that because Bill was so small Alice could bring him with her. Her guess had been right; the apartment had been listed for a while. She’d snapped it up and could collect the keys and move in on Tuesday.
Alice and Frank had had a few short text conversations, but her mother and sister hadn’t contacted her. They probably thought they were punishing her with their silent treatment, Alice decided. But in fact, not having to listen to their criticisms or be quizzed by them was blissful for her.
The only frustrating thing for Alice at the moment was waiting to hear if she’d been accepted into her course. It would probably be another month or so before the university sent out its offers. She wasn’t really concerned – her high distinction average surely put her in good standing and everything felt too right for her not to get in. There was nothing she could do about it but wait. Thankfully she could put it out
of her mind and focus on planning the welcome home dinner for Lauren’s parents instead.
The day had dawned bright and sunny and Alice had jumped out of bed ready to get to work. She’d been to the farmers market the day before and bought everything she needed, and then dusted, vacuumed and cleaned the house. So, all she had to do today was cook and set the table. They would be eating at eight o’clock, which gave them plenty of time to drive to Ballarat from the airport. There would be six people for dinner. Lauren had texted a few days ago to ask if it was okay if she invited Blair, the farm manager, as well. It was fine with Alice and she liked that there would now be an even number of people around the table. She still hadn’t met Blair, or even seen any sign of him around the place. Far from bothering her, she’d found she’d really enjoyed being there just with Bill. As each day had passed she’d felt more and more ready and eager to live on her own.
It was early afternoon and Alice, way ahead of schedule, was cutting up the vegetables for roasting when she thought she heard car tyres on gravel. Perhaps she’d finally meet the apparently lovely Blair before dinner after all. When she heard the front door knocker, she wiped her hands on a tea towel and went out to answer it.
‘Stay,’ she told Bill.
‘Oh! David,’ she said.
He had his hands thrust deep into the pockets of his heavy black woollen coat and seemed to be hunched against the cold wind, which hit Alice in the face.
‘Alice.’
She hadn’t had any contact with him since she’d left, and was both a little relieved and surprised that seeing him didn’t fill her with a wave of anxiety. She felt no regret, no surge of love, no anger – strangely, no emotion whatsoever.
She walked out and pulled the door closed behind her. ‘What can I do for you?’
‘Wow, this is nice,’ he said, giving the house an approving glance.
‘It is. What do you want, David?’
‘Come home, Alice,’ he said. ‘Enough is enough. You’ve made your point.’
‘No, David. I wasn’t making a point, as you put it. I left you. I thought I made that clear.’
‘Alice, I’ve learnt my lesson. I’ll appreciate you more, show my appreciation more. Come on, get your things.’
Alice remained silent, standing on the step above him with her arms folded. As she looked at him she realised how unsettled he seemed. David did not like not being in control. Alice liked seeing him that way.
‘Look, I’ve found you a plum role at the office,’ he said, reaching into his coat and bringing out a folded business-sized envelope, which he held out to her.
Alice remained motionless.
‘I pulled a lot of strings to get this on the table.’
‘Well, that’s on you, David, because I didn’t ask you to.’
‘I’m not sure what else you want me to do,’ he said.
‘Nothing, David. I don’t want you to do anything. I don’t regret my decision. I know you’re trying to help and you think you’re doing the right thing, but we’re just too different. I’m sorry.’ Alice cursed the apology slipping out. Damn that habit – it was something she was determined to stop. She had nothing to apologise for.
‘So you’ve made your decision? You’re not coming back?’
‘No. I’m staying right here, David.’
‘Okay. Well, sign this, then. He tucked the envelope back inside his coat and pulled out another, identical, one. He pushed the unsealed flap up and extracted some printed A4 pages. He then produced his flashy stainless-steel pen and held it and the pages out to Alice.
‘What’s this?’ she asked, nodding at the document, but otherwise remaining still. Her hands were now tucked under her armpits against the cold.
‘The financial settlement – to dissolve our relationship, since you say you’ve made your decision.’
Alice was aghast. ‘So you came here with an each-way bet? Wow, David, you really are too much. And you wonder why I left. I hope you don’t, because there it is right there, in your actions today. You always want to be in control.’
‘Come on, Alice,’ David said. ‘I’ve driven a long way. And it’s cold. Are you at least going to ask me in? We can go through the figures.’
‘No. It’s not my home to invite you into. Leave the papers and I’ll look at them in due course and get back to you,’ she said, stretching out her hand.
He was clearly deflated as he gave them to her.
‘Goodbye, David. I take it that is all. Now I really must go. I’ve got a lot to do.’
*
‘Hi, honey, we’re home,’ Lauren cried, coming through the back door into the kitchen and racing over to hug Alice. ‘Charles and Melissa Finmore, this is Alice,’ she announced.
‘Alice, it’s wonderful to finally meet you,’ Melissa said and Alice was surprised and pleased to be pulled into a warm hug.
‘It’s lovely to meet you too.’
‘Hello,’ Charles Finmore said, also hugging Alice. ‘And this must be the handsome Bill we’ve heard so much about,’ he said, patting the dog, who wiggled from head to wagging tail. ‘Hello, there.’
‘What a sweetheart,’ Melissa said. ‘Lauren told us how well behaved he is.’
‘Yes, he’s such a darling. How was the trip? I’m dying to hear all about it and see the photos,’ Alice said.
‘Wonderful,’ Charles and Melissa said at once.
‘But it’s always so good to come home,’ Melissa said.
‘Yes, it certainly is,’ said Charles. ‘And you have no idea how good it is to return to a lovely home-cooked meal. Yum, roast pork. My favourite. Thank you so much, Alice. And for taking care of the house.’
‘My pleasure. Thank you both so much.’
Alice waved to Brett, who was standing out of the way. He might have felt a bit on edge as it was his first time meeting Lauren’s parents and visiting their home, but since he was smiling broadly she figured he was okay. The huge kitchen was suddenly starting to feel a little claustrophobic.
‘Dinner is almost ready if you’d like to go through to the dining room,’ Alice said.
‘Is that code for get out of my way?’ Lauren said. Alice smiled; Lauren was clearly enjoying having her parents back. Introducing them to Brett and the drive from the airport must have gone well because she was bursting with energy and her eyes were sparkling.
‘Um, well …’ Alice said. She felt a little uneasy being in charge of someone else’s house now that the owners were here.
‘We’ll get out of your way, Alice. Come on, Brett, let’s go and sort out the wine,’ Charles said.
‘Good idea. Yes, poor Alice. All this sudden commotion,’ Melissa Finmore said. ‘Is there anything I can do?’
‘No, thank you. I’m all organised. We’re just waiting on Blair.’ She checked her watch. It was seven-forty.
‘I told him a quarter to eight, as we agreed,’ Lauren said. ‘Don’t worry, he’s usually on time. See,’ she said, as they heard the sound of the door knocker. Alice relaxed a little.
‘I’ll get it,’ Lauren said to her mother, ‘you go through and look after Brett and Dad.’
‘You know, I still haven’t met Blair,’ Alice said. ‘I was beginning to wonder if he actually exists,’ she said with a laugh. She was feeling a little nervous and under pressure from the scrutiny and the bustle going on around her.
‘Oh, he exists all right,’ Lauren said, and practically bounced out of the room.
Alice was pleased to be on her own again, and she quickly got to grips with where she was up to. The roast pork needed to come out of the oven and rest before she brought it in to be carved at the table. She had to put the roast vegetables and steamed greens into the bowls that were warming in hot water in the sink, tip any liquid from the pork into the gravy, pour it into the jug, and she was good to go.
‘Alice, this is Blair,’ Lauren announced.
Alice looked up from having just finished tipping the steamed green beans into a white serving bowl
. She forced her gaping mouth closed. Blair was hot! The clichéd tall, dark and handsome description didn’t do him justice at all.
‘Hi, Alice. Thanks so much for the invitation,’ he said, stretching his hand across the bench for her to shake. Hmm, smooth, firm grip, not too tight, she thought, trying not to blush. ‘These are for you,’ he said a little shyly, holding out a small box. Alice recognised it at once – it contained handmade chocolates that she’d tasted at the Ballarat market the other day. She’d longed to buy some but had resisted. ‘I brought a bigger box for everyone to share, so these are all yours,’ he added, as if reading her mind. Oh god, and that deep, slightly raspy voice.
‘Yes, yum. Thanks, Blair,’ Lauren said, holding up another, larger box.
‘That is so lovely of you. Thank you,’ Alice said while thinking, Wow, you’re so lovely. Her knees had gone weak and she was struggling to take her eyes off the dimple in his cheek. But then she reminded herself that he was most likely married. Oh well, but he was nice to look at …
‘Can I help with anything?’ Blair asked, looking around.
‘Um. No. I’m almost done. Oh, actually, you could take this bowl in. That would be good,’ Alice said, desperate to get him away from her so she could concentrate. Everything had gone too well today for her to drop the ball now.
Around an hour later the dessert dishes had been stacked in the dishwasher and they were adjourning to the formal lounge room for coffee and sherry. They all gave Alice yet more compliments on the delicious meal, which made her glow with pleasure. She was thrilled with how well everything had gone. Not only was the meal great but the whole evening was amazing.
‘Well, you can stay, Alice,’ Lauren said, throwing herself onto the couch beside Brett. ‘Can we keep her? Please, Mum and Dad,’ she said, putting on a little-girl voice. ‘You know I’ve always wanted a sister. And, like Brett, Alice needs a new family. Her own doesn’t deserve her,’ she added.
A Life of Her Own Page 33