by Tony Parsons
As much as Sarah had steeled herself for this encounter, tears trickled down her cheeks. ‘I can’t, Mr Mac,’ she sobbed.
‘You can if I say so, Sarah,’ he said firmly. ‘What is it? Is there something I should know about?’
‘I’m going to have to leave, Mr Mac,’ Sarah choked out through her tears.
‘Leave? Why do you want to leave? Aren’t you happy here?’ he asked.
‘The happiest I could possibly be,’ Sarah answered. ‘I have to leave because I’ve fallen in love with you, Mr Mac. I’m in love with you and it’s torturing me,’ Sarah said.
This wasn’t something David had expected. ‘I see,’ he said, deep in thought, ‘but let’s not do anything too hasty. You’re almost one of the family.’
‘I know, I know. Your mother said the same thing. But she agreed that I must leave.’
‘You’ve discussed this with my mother?’ he asked, and raised his eyebrows.
Sarah nodded, wiping the tears from her cheeks. ‘She found me lying on my bed crying and she got it out of me,’ Sarah said.
‘Funny. Mum didn’t say anything to me.’
‘We agreed that the only thing I could do was tell you the truth. I didn’t want to lie to you,’ she said.
He looked at her and shook his head. ‘Why me, Sarah? You’re a young, very attractive girl with your whole life ahead of you. I’m middle-aged and I’m married. You could take your pick of a host of younger admirers.’
‘The age is nothing. It’s the fact that you’re married that is the real barrier. That, plus the fact that you and your wife have been so good to Mum, Dianne and me. I could tell from that first day that Catriona had reservations about me working for you. What wife wants her husband running around with a young woman? If anything happened, it would destroy all that you’ve built up together over the years,’ Sarah said.
‘Nothing is going to happen. I’ve never put a hand on you, have I?’ he asked.
‘Don’t you understand? If I stayed here, I would want something to happen,’ Sarah almost shouted.
‘Oh, Sarah, must it come to this? Quite apart from the fact that I like you a lot, I’ve built you into my plans for the future. I couldn’t replace you.’
‘You’ll have to, Mr Mac,’ she said quietly.
He held out his arms and she fell into them and cried against his shoulder. He bent and kissed her lustrous dark hair. ‘You must understand that Cat is very dear to me. Cat has been the love of my life – I would never do anything to cause her distress. You must try to forget me, Sarah,’ David said.
‘I’ll never forget you, Mr Mac,’ she said.
‘Nor I, you. When do you want to leave?’ he asked as he stepped away from her.
‘I don’t want to leave – I have to leave,’ she said. ‘I need to go soon, but I don’t want to leave you in the lurch,’ she said.
‘Now or in a month, what difference will it make? I can’t replace you, Sarah – not a person with your skills and your attitude,’ David said.
‘I know I’m letting you down but please understand that I can’t stay,’ she said.
‘I’ve accepted that. Go back to the cottage and pack your things. I’ll send your money over with Cat. Do you want to keep Charlie?’
‘Oh, I couldn’t, Mr Mac. I don’t know what I’ll do next. Thanks awfully, but I think Charlie would be happier with you. He’ll have sheep to work and he loves that,’ Sarah said.
David watched the girl get into her utility and then drive away. He knew he was going to miss her.
When he went back to Catriona for lunch she saw that he was looking rather grim. ‘Something up, darling?’ After nearly thirty years she still called him darling.
‘Are you doing anything this afternoon?’ he asked, without answering her question.
‘Not especially. Want me to go to town?’
‘No, I want you to take a cheque over to Emily’s. It’s for Sarah. She resigned from High Peaks Pastoral Company this morning,’ he said.
‘She what?’
‘She left this morning,’ he repeated.
‘Why, for goodness’ sake. Did you have a row with her?’
‘You couldn’t have a row with Sarah, Cat. The girl told me she was in love with me and couldn’t stay. Evidently Mum found her crying her eyes out in her room one night about a week ago. Sarah was in despair not only about that but about what excuse she could use to tell me she had to leave,’ he said.
‘Good heavens. This is something out of the blue,’ Catriona said.
‘Not exactly. Apparently Sarah has felt that way for some time. She said she had to go because she felt she had let us all down. I called in on Mum and told her that Sarah had gone. She told me that Sarah was distraught when she found her that night.’
‘Funny. I sensed from the first day when Sarah came here and asked for the job that something like this might happen,’ Catriona said.
‘Ha. You probably thought I’d make a play for her, Sarah being young and rather good-looking.’
‘David, how could you think such a thing?’ Catriona asked sharply. ‘If you must know I was worried Sarah would find you attractive.’
‘I’m middle-aged and I’m happily married. Why would a young girl want me?’ he asked.
‘You’re still a gorgeous, wonderful man in my eyes, and Susan says so too. I’ve watched the way Sarah looked at you. I’d say she’s never met anyone like you. But Sarah’s resignation will leave a big gap in the day-to-day running of things. Do you think we’ll be able to manage?’
‘I dare say we can. You and I and Moira can do the mustering. You and Moy can take sheep away while I look after things around the shed. We’ll manage.’
After lunch Catriona drove over to Glengarry to deliver Sarah’s cheque. Emily Matheson walked out to the gate to greet her and the two women embraced.
‘Emily,’ Catriona said.
‘Catriona, I’m so sorry,’ Emily apologised.
‘Don’t be, Em. These things happen. Girls will be girls. Sarah wouldn’t be the only girl who’s fancied David,’ Catriona said.
‘Sarah swears nothing happened between her and David,’ Emily said, as they walked down the path.
‘I know it didn’t, Em. David would never cheat on me. I do know that he liked Sarah a great deal, both as a person and as an employee. We are all going to miss Sarah an awful lot. Is she here?’
‘Yes, she is, Cariona. And very upset,’ Emily said.
‘I’d like to talk to her,’ Catriona said.
Emily looked doubtful. ‘Sarah may be too ashamed to face you, Catriona.’
‘We’ve been friends, Emily. I don’t want her avoiding me because of this business. I can understand her not coming to see me when she left and I want to tell Sarah that I bear no hard feelings towards her or anything like that,’ Catriona said.
‘That is very sweet of you, Catriona. I’m sure other women placed in your situation might not be so benevolent,’ Emily said.
‘Come now, Em. A young girl with no previous romantic interests has daily contact for two years with a lovely man like David. It was on the cards, Em. I give Sarah a lot of credit for leaving. Some girls would have stayed and—’
‘I understand, Catriona. The pity of it is that Sarah loved being at High Peaks and she so much enjoyed looking after the stud business. Sarah loves thoroughbreds. It’s a family failing,’ Emily said with a brief smile.
‘Hardly a failing, Emily. I have her cheque. Will you get her? Don’t tell her it’s me.’
When Sarah saw Catriona she stopped abruptly in her tracks. Her eyes were puffy and red from crying, and wide with shock.
‘Sarah,’ Catriona said gently.
‘Mrs Mac,’ Sarah whispered.
‘Come here, love,’ Catriona said.
Sarah walked closer and Catriona put her arms around the girl’s shoulders. Watching closely, Emily Matheson had never been prouder of Catriona than at this moment for had Catriona flown off the handle at her
daughter, Emily would have understood and forgiven her.
‘Oh, Mrs Mac, I’m so sorry,’ Sarah sobbed. ‘I was too ashamed to come and say goodbye.’
‘Sssh, Sarah. I don’t blame you for falling in love with David. I fell in love with him a long time ago and I was frustrated because I thought he didn’t love me. We can’t help our feelings. You did the right thing in leaving. Some girls would have stayed and made things worse. I foresaw something like this might happen when you came to us and asked for a job,’ Catriona said.
‘That’s what makes me feel so awful,’ Sarah said. ‘You were all so good to me and made me feel at home and … well, wanted. I didn’t want this to happen but it has. David is so much above every other man I ever met. His age didn’t seem to make any difference to the way I felt. I’d live for him arriving at Strath Fillan …’
‘Been there and done that, Sarah,’ Catriona said. ‘And I still feel the same way about the fellow. David is still the biggest thing in my life. I think, I hope, he feels the same way about me. Now, I’ve brought your cheque, Sarah. It’s probably a little bit larger than you expected.’
Sarah looked at the cheque and her eyes widened. ‘It’s a lot larger than I expected,’ she said.
‘David said he added some for the holiday he told you to have before you told him you had to leave us,’ Catriona said with a smile.
Sarah looked from the cheque to Catriona and then to her mother and her face crumpled. ‘You see what he’s like,’ she said and turned and ran from the room.
Emily went to follow her and stopped. ‘I’m afraid she does love him, Catriona. And rather a lot.’
Catriona nodded. ‘Our hearts have a lot to answer for, Emily. Sarah needs to be kept busy in a change of scene. She’s only young and she’ll get over this. A nice young man would help but not just yet.’
‘Can you manage without her? I mean, who will look after Strath Fillan? And haven’t you a shearing coming up?’
‘Moira and I will help David. We can do the mustering and transporting shorn sheep. David and the two of us can do a lot of the mustering at weekends. That’s from the roughest places. Dooley Jacobs and his team go home every night. His wife looks after the lunches and smokos.’
‘Will you need to put on someone to replace Sarah?’ Emily asked.
‘Now that, Emily dear, is the sixty-four-million-dollar question. It all depends on what our younger son decides to do with his life. We anticipate that Angus will come back to High Peaks after he finishes at Longreach at the end of the year. David will be extremely disappointed if he doesn’t. He had such hopes for Dougal and Angus. Moira is a wonderful help and makes up for the lack of interest her brothers have shown, but we know we can’t count on her being there forever.’
‘I suppose only time will tell, Catriona,’ Emily responded sympathetically.
‘If Angus comes home then we will manage. He is very good with horses and dogs. And while he’s been known to be a bit wild and irresponsible, maybe he’s got over that by now. Sarah really showed Angus up – she was always so conscientious and dependable – it upset David enormously that an outsider should be so much more reliable than his own flesh and blood.’
‘And what about Dougal, Catriona? Has the tension eased between David and Dougal?’ Emily asked.
‘Even though he doesn’t admit it, David is very proud of Dougal. He’d prefer to have him with us, but having a son a vet is the next best thing. And an honours vet into the bargain. He says that his father would have liked that,’ Catriona said, and smiled. ‘Look, I must be going, Em. Come and see us when you can. And do keep me in touch with how Sarah is coping. Say goodbye to her for me.’
Later, as he came in to shower before dinner, David wrapped his arms around his wife and looked at her. ‘How did it go?’ he asked.
‘I talked to Sarah,’ Catriona said.
‘And?’
‘I told her that I didn’t blame her for falling in love with you,’ she said.
‘I doubted she’d talk to you,’ he said.
‘She didn’t know I was there until she came into the room. Sarah is in quite a state over you, David.’
‘Hmmm. That’s why I suggested she leave. Better a clean break for a quick heal. I want you to know that I did absolutely nothing to encourage her, Cat.’
‘Only by being you, David,’ she said, and kissed him. ‘Oh, and she was rather overwhelmed by the extra money.’
‘She earnt it,’ he said.
That brought to a conclusion Sarah Matheson’s employment by the High Peaks Pastoral Company. But it wasn’t the last they heard of Sarah.
The next two months were so busy that David and Catriona had very little time to think of anything but work. Eleven thousand sheep were shorn from Strath Fillan, Poitrel and High Peaks. While they were in the yards all sheep were drenched and, after shearing, treated for lice. They were now using a backliner spray to treat lice rather than the old plunge dips, which made the process much easier.
During shearing the manager of the company that handled most of the High Peaks Pastoral Company wool, Graham Bradley, called to see David. He stayed at High Peaks for one night and brought with him some interesting information. Graham was one of the most respected men in the Australian wool trade and David always listened very carefully to what he had to say.
‘I’ve got a great mate who is the top buyer for one of the big buying firms, David. We went to school together. He tells me, very confidentially, that they’re certain fine wool is going to jump pretty soon. My advice, for what it’s worth, is that if you’re still keen to buy a place in New England, you hop to it before fine wool goes up. If that happens, property prices there will jump too.’
David had confided to Graham that he had a notion to purchase a place that would produce superfine wool that he could use as a promotion for his sheep stud.
‘That’s interesting,’ David said. ‘Have you got any idea when this lift in prices is likely to happen?’
‘Probably from January on, when the good clips come onto the market,’ Graham Bradley said. ‘Of course, we’ve heard these rumours before and nothing has come of them but my mate seems fairly certain, and says they’ve got the orders now and price doesn’t matter.’
David felt a stirring inside him. This was what he had always hoped for – what he had planned for. He reckoned that fine wool was the way to go and it looked as if he had been right.
‘Three months,’ he said, ticking off the time on his fingers. ‘Not long, but maybe long enough.’
The following morning he rang Elders’ property manager, Joe Morton, and told him what he wanted. He told Joe that he had a week to find him a New England property and if he couldn’t find one in that time, he would seek advice elsewhere. Joe was to fax him details of properties as soon as these became available. The first details came in the following afternoon. Joe knew David’s mettle. He understood very clearly that he had a week to find a property to be assured of MacLeod business.
The decision to purchase a New England property was a bold decision but David had done his sums. Western Star’s first foals had begun racing, and several had been extremely successful. One even looked like being a serious Melbourne Cup contender next year. David was going to be able to increase Western Star’s stud fee considerably. Already there were many more enquiries from mares’ owners than Western Star could possibly service. Over the next fifteen years David calculated that Western Star could earn at least four million dollars in stud fees. What the horse could earn per annum would pay off the New England property. And that was not taking into account the extra revenue they would have if wool prices lifted. On top of the eleven thousand sheep they were running on the three hill-country properties, there were another eight thousand or so sheep at Molonga and Wirrewarra. A year of good wool prices and he would have the latter properties paid off. This calculation didn’t take into account any increase in cattle prices, which were still on the nose. As it happened, cattle prices increase
d greatly at about the same time as wool prices lifted.
This was the state of play as the year drew to a close. It had been a relatively tough time yet, thanks to careful management and the contributions of Davana and Western Star, David and Catriona had increased their property interests substantially. They were now poised to take advantage of the anticipated lift in wool prices.
Chapter Fourteen
The idea of acquiring a New England property consumed David. Wisely, Joe Morton was quick to act. After hanging up the phone in the office David burst into the kitchen where Catriona and Moira were washing up. ‘We have to be at Tamworth at seven-thirty. Joe will pick us up at the Elders office. That all right?’ he asked.
Moira did a quick calculation. ‘We’d have to leave before four in the morning,’ she said.
‘That’s right,’ David agreed. ‘We’ll have a cuppa and a bit of toast before we leave. Maybe you could make up a thermos or two and something to eat and we’ll stop just outside Tamworth.’
David didn’t ask if they wanted to go; he naturally assumed they would want to, which pleased Moira, particularly, very much. The extent to which she had fitted into her father’s plans sometimes amazed her and this had helped to cushion his disappointment at losing Sarah Matheson.
‘Joe has two places for us to look at tomorrow. One I have got the details of and don’t fancy much. The other place only came on the market yesterday and they don’t have any printed material for it. It’s owned by a woman whose husband died of cancer. Her two daughters have married and their husbands have good jobs in Sydney. The girls want her down there near them, so she’s letting the family property go. It sounds like it could be promising.’
Anne thought David had taken leave of his senses to want to purchase yet another property. What he had put together was so remarkable that she could hardly believe it was her boy David who had done it. The boy who had worried the life out of her with the way he rode his ponies was now a millionaire, and still expanding. When would he be satisfied? Anne wondered if her son was taking on too much to handle. If Dougal hadn’t left High Peaks it might be a different matter. As for Angus – well, nobody knew what he would do.