Dan didn’t move from his position by the post on the veranda. ‘What do you want, Knight?’
‘I want Sheva. I mean—I want to see Sheva. I need to speak to her. She is here.’ He made it a statement.
‘And why would we allow you to see her? Given the way you treated her? How you upset her?’ Dan growled.
Shiro swatted her fingers at Dan. ‘Daniel, don’t be so rude. Royston has travelled here from Jindabyne. Let’s at least hear him out.’ She turned to Roy and Mike. ‘You don’t mind us calling you Royston, do you? Come in and have a cup of tea with us, and explain why you want to see Annie, or Sheva as you call her, so urgently.’
Accepting their hospitality would make it harder to say what he needed to. Better get it over with right here. ‘Thank you, Mrs Ashley Cooper. I’d rather say what I came for right now.’
Anthony stepped off the veranda to stand by his wife. ‘You are obviously distressed, Royston. Come into the house, out of the sun.’
Dan didn’t move from his position on the veranda.
Roy took a deep breath. ‘Sir, Mr Ashley Cooper,’ he looked into the sparkling ebony eyes of Dan’s mother. ‘Mrs Ashley Cooper, I am sorry if this sounds rude, but I cannot stand by and allow Sheva to marry your son. I know he brought her here to meet you both. Having seen you, and a little of your lovely home and vineyard, I can understand why. Dan, and you, his family, can offer Sheva all the things she deserves. I cannot do that. I should bow out and let her marry him. But, God knows, I can’t stand by and let it happen. I love her too much.’
Dan’s parents looked at each other. Roy expected anger, annoyance at the intrusion, but he read bemused puzzlement in their eyes. They both turned to Dan, still lounging against the veranda post. He rolled his shoulders, like a boxer preparing for a fight.
‘Daniel.’ Eyes fixed on Dan, his mother climbed the steps onto the veranda.
Roy faced Anthony. ‘I need to speak with her.’ He looked over to where Shiro stood by Dan, murmuring and gesturing. ‘Once I have, I will leave, if Sheva sends me away.’ He took a deep breath. ‘I will do nothing further to stand in the way of Dan and Sheva. I give you my word, Sir.’
Anthony’s eyes softened. A smile creased the tanned face.
‘Please, Mr Ashley Cooper, I would do anything to speak with her just once, to make her understand how I feel.’
Anthony glanced at the veranda, where his wife Shiro was still talking to Dan. ‘Royston, believe me, I understand exactly how you feel.’
Dan peeled himself away from the post. He waved a hand to a gravel path leading away from the house towards an octagonal red cedar roofed structure. ‘She’s in the Gazebo.’
Roy turned to the path.
‘Come in and have a cup of tea. Or a glass of Serendipity wine,’ Anthony addressed Mike behind him. ‘Your friend may be a while.’
Chapter 44
‘Mum, Roy thinks all women get married for selfish reasons. He can’t trust me enough to expect me to stay with him if he gets sick with HD.’
‘Or, maybe, Kunju—’ her mother reached over to stroke her cheek— ‘he loves you too much to want to put you through the suffering of taking care of him. Maybe he wanted you to be free for something bigger and better. To be with someone who can care for you, rather than you having to take care of him.’
Sheva was quiet for a few seconds. Maybe, mum was right and he was thinking of her, just as she was of him. She blinked the tears away and fixed her eyes on a distant hill where the first grape pickers of the season were working their way between the trellised vines.
Her mother shaded her eyes. ‘Sheva, there’s someone coming down the path. He’s running. It’s not Dan. I hope nothing has happened in the house. Or maybe—’
Sheva turned around just as Roy, ignoring the three wooden steps leading up to the platform, leapt up into the gazebo. ‘Roy,’ she cried, ‘what are you doing here?’
‘Roy?’ her mother stepped towards them.
Roy grasped Sheva’s arms. He looked over her shoulder at her mother. ‘Madam, I don’t know who you are. Could you please give me a few minutes with Sheva?’ Without waiting for an answer, he turned back to her. ‘Sheva, you can’t marry him. I know you deserve a man like Dan. He can give you family: in-laws who are healthy and happy, and the children you deserve. I know he brought you here to show you all of this, and meet his family.’ The words tumbled out of him. ‘He loves you, and I know you care deeply for him.’ his voice broke on a sob. ‘You don’t love him, Sheva. You love me. You may not know it. But, I know in my heart you do. And, Sheva, no-one in the world will love you like I do. Surely, you know that. Please. Will you hear me out?’
‘Kunju, what is he—’ her mother stepped towards them.
Roy held out his hand in an authoritative gesture that made Sheva want to laugh. She bit her lip to keep from breaking out in giggles.
‘No Madam, please don’t interrupt.’
He kept his eyes locked on Sheva’s. The slate grey eyes clouded with anxiety and exhaustion. Knowing him the way she did, she read fear—even terror—in their depths.
‘Roy,’ she breathed, ‘why are you here?’
‘Sheva, I have never felt such fear as when you sent me away, when I realised I will never—never have you as my wife. I could survive with the hope there was a fifty percent chance of a future for us.’ His voice dropped. ‘But I cannot live with the knowledge that I will never hold you—kiss you—love you.’
He pulled her close, dropped his forehead to her hair. ‘Sheva, I am here to beg you to take a chance on me and marry me, as I am. You know I may end up like my father.’ His voice broke on a soft sob. ‘Please—please, my darling, marry this broken man, lost in his insecurities and fears. I can find peace only with you.’
She stood in the circle of his arms. His hands trembled. His tears wet her forehead.
‘If you send me away, I will never trouble you again. I will leave you knowing you will find happiness with Dan.’ His clasp around her tightened. ‘Dear God, I pray you don’t ask me to go.’
Sheva moved back. She raised her hands to cradle his face. ‘Roy, are you asking me to marry you? Before you get the pre-diagnostic genetic test?’
He caught her hands and bowed his head to place his lips on her knuckles. ‘Yes.’
‘And you came here today to stop me from accepting Dan’s marriage proposal?’
‘Yes.’
Sheva chuckled.
Roy raised his head and stared at her. The total confusion and incomprehension on his face made her want to laugh.
‘Roy, I want you to meet someone.’ She turned and took her mother’s hand. ‘This is my mother. She has been with Dan’s parents since the day after I left Sri Lanka. I didn’t know until after the bushfire debacle. She is the reason I am here.’
‘You mean Dan didn’t—hasn’t—’
‘No, Roy, Dan has not asked me to marry him. Oh, I know he cares for me.’ She placed her hand over Roy’s heart. ‘He also knows where my heart is.’ She feathered her fingers over his chest. ‘Although, if I had any idea how you would react, I would have passed the word around Jindabyne that I was planning to marry Dan a lot earlier.’
Roy turned to her mother. ‘Mrs Singh, Madam, I am—am—very sorry.’
Sheva’s mother laughed and batted away his apology. ‘Call me Aunty. Or, if my daughter gets around to accepting your proposal, Mum.’ She reached out and took Sheva’s hand and Roy’s, and led them to a red gum bench. ‘Come, sit down and talk about this properly. I will go back to the house. And by the way—’ she smiled at Roy— ‘my name is Priyanthi Samarasinghe.’ She stopped and smiled, her eyes misty with memories. ‘I think Sheva’s father would have approved of you.’
‘Mum, stay—’
‘No, Kunju, come to the house when you—’ she glanced at Roy— ‘when you are both ready.
’
They sat side by side on the bench, watching her mother walk down the path to the house.
Sheva turned to Roy. ‘So, tell me again, you flew down this morning to stop me from throwing away my life by marrying a man who loves me and can give me a good life?’
‘Sheva,’ Roy cupped her face in his hands. ‘Please, give our love a chance. No one. No one can, or will ever love you like me.’
‘You came here to stop me marrying a man who loves me and can give me a good life but can’t love me like you do.’
‘Sheva, I have done so much to hurt you. I wouldn’t be surprised if you hate me. And yet, I am asking you, begging you to give our love a chance.’
‘You have suffered too.’ Sheva ran a finger over the bruise on his cheek. ‘Roy, what made you change your mind?
‘I talked to my father. He made me understand that I was protecting myself and not you when I asked you to wait till after I was tested for HD. He wants to go back to Sydney and allow people to see the truth. He no longer wants to hide away. Whatever you said to him that day in your house made him change his mind.’
Sheva nodded. ‘I am glad. It is a brave move. But, it will be good for him.’ She paused as the meaning of what he had said sank in. ‘It means you can return to your life in Sydney.’
Roy shook his head. ‘No. The life I led in Sydney before is a closed book. I have no life, no future if you aren’t by my side, Sheva.’ He took her hands and kissed her fingertips. ‘Come with me to Sydney. Be my wife.’
‘And, you are willing to make this commitment before being testing for HD?’
Roy nodded. ‘With you by my side, I will have the courage to face whatever the result of the test.’
‘I’ll be returning to work in a week. You can be tested at Queens.’ Sheva wound her arms around his neck. She smiled up at him. ‘Yes, Roy. We can face it together.’
She watched as his grey eyes lit up with a soul flame of joy. ‘You will marry me?’
Chapter 45
December 2010, Watakälé, Sri Lanka
The tea bushes were an undulating carpet of brilliant green over the mountains. The tea pluckers, multicoloured chains moving through the bushes. Wisps of late morning mist clung to the mountains.
It was the tea plantation as Annie loved it.
‘That place,’ she pointed to where water tumbled over rocks into a stream. ‘Sunil and I used to love coming here. And there,’ the pink Sapphire on her engagement ring blinked in the morning sun as she waved her fingers at the four story warehouse-like building, ‘is the tea factory.’
Annie and Roy sat in the back of the hire car. Her mother had insisted on sitting in the front seat with the driver on their way up the mountains from Colombo, so that the newly engaged couple could sit in the back.
The car turned into the drive leading up to the plantation bungalow where Sunil’s parents lived. She could see them standing side by side on the front verandah.
‘Aunty,’ Roy addressed her mother, ‘Do you know why Sunil’s parents were so keen we drive up for the weekend?’
‘I don’t know, Roy,’ she responded. ‘But I guess we will find out soon.’
Sunil’s parents came down the steps to the car.
Aunty Sirima went straight up to Roy. ‘Thank you for saving my son from the fire,’ she grasped Roy’s right hand in both of hers. ‘I know he passed away,’ her voice caught on a sob. ‘But – but at least he got to speak with Annie before he died. For that we will always be grateful to you.’ She dropped his hand to wipe her eyes with the corner of her white sari.
‘Mrs Dantanarayane,’ Roy spoke slowly, taking care with the complex syllables of the surname, ‘My very deepest sympathies on the loss of your son, Sunil. He was a brave man.’ He turned to Sunil’s father and held out his hand. ‘And to you too, sir. You should be proud of his actions.’
‘Thank you. Thank you. Yes, Sunil was a good son. He looked after us very well.’ Raja stepped forward to take Roy’s hand. ‘You must call me Uncle Raja, just like Annie does. There is no need for this “sir” and “Mrs” with us.’ He gestured to his wife, now sobbing quietly in Annie’s mother Priyanthi’s arms. ‘Call my wife Aunty Sirima.’
Aunty Sirima peeled herself away from Annie's mother's arms. She sniffed and wiped her face again. ‘Come, come, you must all be tired after that long drive. Why are we keeping you standing on the front verandah? Our cook-appu has made lunch ready for you.’ She ushered Annie, Roy and Priyanthi into the house.
She held Annie’s mother’s hand and drew her away, ‘Come and wash in our room, Priyanthi. You can tell me about your holiday in Australia.’ She shooed Annie and Roy towards the corridor leading to the bedrooms. ‘Annie, your room is ready for you as usual. Take the young man and wash your hands there.’
‘Thank you, Aunty Sirima.’ Annie kissed her cheek and turned to smile at Roy. ‘Come on. I’ll show you my childhood bedroom.’
Once in the bedroom, Roy shut the door and took Annie in his arms. ‘Sunil’s parents are such genuine people.’ He smiled and kissed her forehead. ‘How are you holding up, Shev - Annie?’
‘It breaks my heart’ she sighed. ‘They believe that Sunil and I fought over his friendship with Palitha and his goons and that I went to Australia to get away.’ The faces of the young girls in the pictures swam across Annie’s mind. ‘I don’t know how much they know of his so called educational tourism.’
‘True,’ Roy turned her face up to him with a finger under her chin. ‘But, you haven’t answered my question, Annie. Coming back here? How are you coping?’
Annie took his hand and drew him to the window. ‘Look,’ she said, ‘breathe and smell the beauty. Can you smell the fresh picked tea leaves and the fragrance of fermenting tea from the factory? Can you feel the crispness of the air? Hear the birds? See the green tea fields and blue sky? Being back here is the catharsis I need.’
She leant over the window and pointed to a bed of luscious purple orchids flowering under it. ‘I stepped on these plants and totally crushed them when I jumped out of the window to escape. See how beautiful they are today? Like the flowers, I’ve recovered too.’
Roy pointed to a black jeep coming up the drive to the bungalow. ‘Looks like we aren’t the only guests today.’
Annie gasped. ‘That’s uncle HJ’s car.’ She leant further out of the widow and waved. ‘Aunty Malini is with him.’
‘HJ. That’s the police officer who headed the Sri Lankan operations isn’t it? The one you went to with the pictures?’
Annie nodded. ‘Uncle HJ, my dad and Uncle Raja were in school together. They stayed friends. I wonder how much Uncle Raja knows of HJ’s involvement in the case.’
They heard the sound of car doors shut and greetings.
‘Annie, Duwe, Putha, lunch is ready. Come and eat while it is still hot,’ Uncle Raja called.
‘What did he call us?’ Roy questioned.
‘It’s Sinhalese. He called us daughter and son. Do you mind?’
Roy shook his head. ‘No,’ he responded. ‘I am honoured he would think of me as a son.’ He picked up her hand and kissed the ring on her finger. ‘You love them. I can learn to love them too.’
***
‘Aunty Sirima,’ Roy sat back and looked at the remains of the Stringhopper, chicken curry and assorted vegetables, ‘thank you. That was delicious.’
Aunty Sirima stood up. ‘Appu,’ she called out, ‘come and take the plates.’ She looked at Roy, ‘I have made biscuit pudding for dessert. You will like that. It is Annie’s grandmother’s recipe.’
Roy’s eyes met Annie’s, both remembering the last time they had shared biscuit pudding. Jindabyne seemed a lifetime away.
The Appu bustled in and carried away the used plates and dishes. Uncle Raja signalled his wife to sit down. ‘The dessert can wait, Sirima. We need to tell these childre
n why we have asked them to Watakälé this weekend.’ Aunty Sirima nodded and sat down.
Uncle Raja sat back and rested his arms on his ample stomach. He looked like a politician about to make a speech. His eyes roved over HJ, Malini and Priyanthi and came to rest on Annie and Roy.
‘Annie, Roy, there is something I want to tell you. Please listen.’ He waited till they both nodded assent.
‘Annie, Duwe, you are a kind and loving girl. You have always been like a daughter to us. We watched you and Sunil grow up together and we hoped – no prayed that you two would be married and he would settle down. But,’ he stopped, swallowing as tears threatened. ‘It was not to be.’
‘Uncle,’ Annie reached across the table to cover his hand with hers. ‘You don’t have to say anything.’
‘No. No. I have to tell you this, Annie. I knew of the plans you and Sunil had for the Rehabilitation Centre. He shared it with us. We were so proud that he was finally doing something important. And, that it was with you. But, it was not to be. Not to be.’ He stopped and wiped his eyes.
Roy’s fingers closed over Annie’s. She bit her lip to hold the tears back.
‘This is what I brought you here for, children.’ He looked across the table at HJ. ‘I have spoken to HJ and Malini. And this morning, we have talked to Priyanthi also.’ Tears banished, he smiled across the table at Roy and Annie. ‘Annie, Duwe, we want to donate this bungalow and the land and gardens around it to you for the Rehabilitation Centre.’
‘Uncle,’ Annie gasped.
‘No, Duwe. Don’t say anything. HJ told us everything.’
‘Everything?’ Annie whispered, her fingers trembling in Roy’s grasp. Roy leant toward Annie, encouraging her with a look to hear Uncle Raja out.
‘Yes, Annie, Roy. We know everything. How he treated you, Annie, the last time you were here. The truth of the education tourism racket. Everything.’
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