Outback Heritage

by K'Anne Meinel

  OUTBACK HERITAGE

  A Novella by K’Anne Meinel

  Kindle Edition

  Published by:

  Shadoe Publishing for

  K’Anne Meinel on Kindle

  Copyright © K’Anne Meinel August 2019

  OUTBACK HERITAGE

  Kindle Edition License Notes:

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  Dedicated to anyone who thinks I’m writing about them.

  I am.

  K’Anne

  CHAPTER ONE

  “So, you see, Mrs. Pearson, your uncle has bequeathed you half the entire ranch,” the big city lawyer told her patiently and a bit condescendingly, almost as though she hadn’t understood him the first or second time.

  She nodded to show she was listening as she thought over everything he had told her.

  “I also have an offer from the cousins here,” he indicated a letter on his desk, “to purchase your half,” he continued. “I think it’s a fair offer and you should take it.” He pushed some papers across his desk as he looked at her. “If you’ll sign here, I can write them and arrange for payment.”

  “May I have some time to think about it?” she asked uncertainly.

  He was annoyed at the delay but tried to hide it. “What is there to think about, Mrs. Pearson? You’ve received a bona fide offer,” he stressed the words as though she were too country to understand them, “for your inheritance, which is half a world away. I advise you to take the offer before they withdraw it.”

  She nodded thoughtfully. “Well, this is a lot to think about. Uncle Jude wrote to me faithfully, and I’m shocked to learn that he died and all.”

  He nodded. He was sure she was shocked, although he didn’t know a lot about his client. He was handling it under the direction of one of the senior partners, who owed someone in Australia a favor. He wasn’t sure this country bumpkin understood exactly what she had inherited. “Why don’t you go back to your hotel and think it over? We can have another meeting tomorrow and discuss things while you sign the papers. I’m sure you will have your monies in a few months.”

  She was aggravated, but he would never have known it. His condescension had begun the moment she entered the office. She had worn her Sunday best for this meeting with the big city lawyer, but it was apparent that her Sunday best didn’t measure up to his idea of what women should wear. As she left the offices, she saw what other women in the city were wearing and realized she did look like a country girl dressed up to visit the city for the day. She shook her head. When had that happened?

  Carmen made her way to a taxi stand and had them drive her back to the Clairmont Hotel. On the way, she asked the driver if he knew a ready-made dressmaker, who might have some clothes she could purchase. He nodded and altered his direction just a few blocks from the Clairmont. She tipped him and thanked him as she made her way into the establishment.

  “Yes, may I help you?” a pleasant-faced woman greeted her.

  “Hello, I’m Mrs. Pearson. I’ve come into the city, and as you can see, I’m hopelessly out of date in my fashion.” She grinned ruefully as she indicated the dress she was wearing. She warmed when the lady smiled encouragingly, not in derision or condescension. “I’ve been told you have ready-made dresses?”

  “You’ve been told correctly.” She smiled again, pleased that someone had referred this woman to her shop. “I have a few things that will look marvelous on you with your coloring.” She began to show Carmen around the shop.

  In no time at all, and with only a few minor alterations, Carmen had two new dresses. She would donate her old dress to a charity later. On second thought, maybe she would keep it. One never knew when they might need an old dress. She felt elegant, sophisticated, and like a townie in her new outfit as she made her way back to the Clairmont Hotel. No one accosted her, and she was grateful that she didn’t need to use the pistol she kept in her bag. She looked confident and her stride showed that. She drew many admiring glances as she made her way back to her hotel. At the desk she asked for directions to the city’s public library, and she was pleased that it was within walking distance of the hotel. She spent her afternoon very productively.

  “Mrs. Pearson?” the lawyer gasped in astonishment at the change in her appearance in only one day.

  “Good morning,” she responded. She felt one hundred percent better now that she’d had a chance to think about the repercussions of what Uncle Jude had left her. She felt more confident after studying up on Australia and the Outback where her uncle’s ranch was located. She had located what little information was available at the library, although precious little had been written, just a few newspaper articles and books. She had learned they didn’t call them ranches though, they called them stations. She looked forward to re-reading her uncle’s letters to refresh her memory of everything he had ever told her about his lifestyle in Australia.

  “I have the papers right here, if you’d care to sign,” he pushed them across the desk towards her, holding out a quill pen for her to sign with, the ink bottle to her right.

  “I don’t think so, Mr. Wainwright. I’ve decided to keep my share of the station…” She saw his look of consternation before she added, “for now. In fact, I would like you to inquire as to the value of the station, its productivity level, and other such information on my behalf.”

  “As I stated yesterday, you have a bona fide offer from your cousins–” he began again, but she raised her hand to cut him off.

  “Yes, you told me that yesterday. Uncle Jude’s heirs…my cousins…I get that. We own the ranch, er, station together, and they wish to buy me out. I require more information before making such an important decision. You say their offer is fair but what exactly is fair? Values of land in Australia are as precarious as our western lands here in America. I want to be certain I have full knowledge of things before I make a decision.”

  “I’m sure you do, but I assure you–” he began in a superior tone, and again, she cut him off.

  “Are you working as attorney for my cousins, or are you working as my attorney and on my behalf?” she pinned him with her gaze. Yesterday, she had been stunned to learn Uncle Jude had left her his half of the station. Perhaps overwhelmed better described how she was feeling, hence the reason for her visit to San Francisco. Today, she was more confident, and she wasn’t going to be steamrolled into a decision based on this man’s advice.

  “Neither.” He shook his head angrily at her question. “I am working for one of the senior partners, who was contacted by an attorney in Sydney on your cousins’ behalf. As you know, half the ranch is owned outright by both cousins, who received their father’s share of the ranch. You, as your uncle’s heir, now own his half of the ranch.”

  “Since they are obviously running the ent
ire station at this time and intend to run it until this matter is settled, it shouldn’t be difficult to ask a few questions and get me some information,” she stated reasonably.

  He sighed. What had seemed like a simple inheritance matter was turning into a lot of work…work he didn’t want or need. “There is the matter of the time it takes for a letter to get across the Pacific and out to the ranch. I understand it is some distance from Sydney.”

  “You have a point, and my uncle died quite some time ago, well before I was informed. This matter will remain unsettled until my questions are answered to my satisfaction, and I make an informed decision,” she informed him forcefully.

  He swallowed his ire. The partners weren’t going to be happy with this delay. What had seemed simple had suddenly become complicated due to this country bumpkin. Although today, she seemed a totally different woman from the one who had timidly entered his office the previous day.

  Carmen gestured at the will and papers on his desk. “May I keep these copies?”

  He looked down at the papers, then up at her, surprised by the question. “These are my copies. The others are being kept in the office safe,” he informed her indignantly. “Another set should be arriving by mail.” Nowadays, it was standard practice to send several copies by mail since ships had been known to go down and mail could easily be lost.

  “Then, may I keep these copies?” she asked.

  He eyed her suspiciously. “You cannot inherit or sell the station until things are settled here,” he tried to inform her.

  “I’m not selling anything until I get the information I requested,” her eyebrow raised, “and apparently, I’ve already inherited it, and I just have to decide what to do with it.”

  He eyed her sharply. She was a lot smarter than he had given her credit for the day before. Perhaps, it had all been an act to throw him off. The thought that she might have somehow tricked him angered him. His abrupt retort was cut off when a knock sounded on his door. Without waiting for his answer, a head popped in. “You about done?” the man asked.

  The lawyer stood up from his chair immediately. “I’m finishing up here with Mrs. Pearson,” he said by way of excuse, gesturing at the woman sitting before his desk. He gulped self-consciously and straightened his suit.

  The man glanced at the woman sitting across the desk from the lawyer and smiled in delight. “Mrs. Pearson?” He came into the room, held out his hand, and she stood up. “I’m Patrick Larson. I knew your father before he passed away. I’m delighted to finally meet you. I am so sorry about your uncle. I never met him personally, but if your father’s brother was anything like him, I’m sure he was quite a man!”

  Carmen was momentarily overwhelmed by the greeting after the lukewarm attitude of the lawyer assigned to her. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Larson,” she murmured appreciatively.

  “Is Simon here taking care of you?” he boomed cordially as he released her hand.

  “Well, we were discussing the terms of my uncle’s will and whether I should sell the property or–”

  “Sell it?” he asked in astonishment. “Do you realize how large the station is?”

  She shook her head as she recovered her equilibrium. “That is what Mr. Wainwright and I were discussing. I need a lot more information before I make an informed decision about the property.”

  “Who has made an offer for the station?” he turned to Simon; his eyes fierce.

  Simon swallowed self-consciously. “The cousins…” he began weakly.

  Patrick nearly growled as he held out his hand. “Let me see the will and the offer,” he demanded.

  Simon handed over the papers reluctantly. He knew he was going to catch hell about this now. If she had just signed the paperwork the previous day, everything would be settled, his work would be done, and he would have already moved on to other more important matters.

  Carmen looked on in astonishment at the way things had suddenly changed. She waited patiently as Mr. Larson perused the paperwork, his eyes missing nothing as he rapidly scanned the documents. She could see from the corner of her eye that Mr. Wainwright was a little impatient to be standing there as he fidgeted.

  Finally, Patrick looked up. “I would advise against accepting this offer for now. I would recommend getting an assessor out there immediately and confirming the value of the property. I know your uncle and his cousin had grazing licenses, but your father mentioned that they were looking into acquiring the land legally. Twin Station is not a small endeavor, and I don’t believe this offer is adequate for what it would entail.”

  Carmen felt relieved. She had been worried about what her own stubbornness would cost her. Simon’s superior knowledge made her feel justified in asking for the same information.

  “It will take months to get a letter there and months for a reply–” Simon began but halted at the look from Patrick.

  “These things always take time. It might take years, especially with the heirs in different countries.” He indicated Carmen. Turning to her, he asked, “Do you have the time to wait, Mrs. Pearson?”

  She smiled and nodded. “Yes, but I have to get back to the valley. I only intended to be in the city for a few days, and those days are now up,” she said regretfully.

  “Ah, the next time you are in the city, you must allow me to buy you dinner. I would enjoy it.” He turned to Simon, “You’ll draft the necessary paperwork in quadruplicate?”

  “Quadruplicate, sir?” Simon asked, unsure.

  “Yes. Two copies will be mailed to Australia on separate ships to ensure that one reaches its destination, one for our files, and one copy for Mrs. Pearson, of course,” he said in a tone that implied Simon should have known better.

  “Of course, sir,” Simon hastily assured him. “I’ll do that immediately. You will have your copy this afternoon, Mrs. Pearson. I’ll have it messengered to your hotel.”

  Carmen smiled and gathered the papers Mr. Larson handed her; she had the desired copies now. “I’ll be leaving by stage first thing in the morning. See that you arrange that,” she answered Mr. Wainwright with a smile.

  “Allow me to escort you out, Mrs. Pearson,” Patrick offered gallantly.

  Simon heaved a sigh of relief when they both left and immediately began writing a draft of the letter that must be sent to Australia. He realized that he might have just angered a senior partner by pressuring Mrs. Pearson into settling the estate too quickly, but he had only wanted to clear the matter up promptly. He hoped his industriousness would impress Mr. Larson and he wouldn’t be angry, possibly costing Patrick his position with the firm. It was obvious Mr. Larson valued Mrs. Pearson’s patronage.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Carmen took the mid-morning stage the next day as she had planned. She was wearing the second of her new dresses, her bag on top of the stage containing the rest of her wardrobe. She had read over the paperwork many times; the terms of her uncle’s will clear to her now despite the legal wording of it all. The property known as Twin Station was left jointly to her and her two cousins. Originally, two brothers had owned it, and they each had children. One had a son, and the other had two sons. The one with two sons had sent the younger son out into the world with an education and enough money to start his own station, but instead, he had immigrated to America and met a local woman whose family had a ranch that he helped to develop. That man had been Carmen’s father, and that ranch was now Carmen’s. The other uncle/cousin with only one son had two heirs, the brother and sister, who had offered to purchase Carmen’s share in the station. The money was good, but Carmen suspected it might be less than the actual value of the station, and she wanted more information. The little she had learned about Australia from the city library had told of a wonderous new land, but apparently, not a lot was known about it yet. The interior was basically unexplored, and it amazed her that a huge bit of land like Australia was still relatively unknown.

  Originally a penal colony, Australia had slowly welcomed free settlers, who avail
ed themselves of the labors of those incarcerated for various crimes. Some of those convicts worked off their period of incarceration until they were free and, depending on their crimes, they returned to England. Some stayed and became members of the growing communities in Australia. At first, the Blue Mountains kept them away from the interior. The strange animals, the bugs, and the aboriginal people were all very different from what anyone had seen before. Expansion was slow as farming and ranching was different from what people had known in England, but people adapted as they learned. Selections or small farms were the norm, but as the land was vast and seemingly unlimited, larger ranches or stations began to develop. Sheep and cattle began to be bred in numbers that staggered the imagination. People from all over the world began to migrate to this new and diverse land.

  Carmen returned to her own ranch in the Central Valley with mixed emotions. She had watched her father build up the ranch after marrying a Spanish-Mexican’s daughter, who brought him respectability in the valley that was mostly controlled by Dons. The Dons were slowly losing their heritage to the Americans that arrived in droves to California and discovered the lush and fertile valley. She had grown up here, married here, and been widowed here. Among the vast fields of grain, the huge orchards of fruits, and the hillsides full of cattle, were a lot of drifting men who came to California to find their fortunes when gold was discovered in its mountains and streams, but they found it wasn’t as easy to thrive here as they had been led to believe. Thefts of food, cattle, and other things were common, and Carmen was grateful when her stage was met by some of her own men, many distant cousins of her mother’s.

  “Ola, Senora Carmen. How was your trip to the city?” A nattily dressed man with dark black hair, a huge sombrero, and black moustache grinned to her from his horse as he held another for her.

  “It was interesting, Paco.” She smiled at him as he jumped down, handing her the reins to the horse he was leading. She smiled up at the big, black horse, who immediately began nuzzling against her as she patted it affectionately.