She idly watched the stewardess come down the aisle with the drinks trolley and, when asked, she opted for a vodka and orange juice.
‘A little early for it, isn’t it?’ Simon commented as he declined a drink.
‘Kind of a celebration to be free of that place,’ she pointed back to the island which was rapidly receding into the distance.
‘But you don’t need a drink, do you?’ he persisted, even though he knew it was a waste of breath.
She gulped a mouthful and raised her glass to him. ‘No, lover, I just want one, that’s all.’
‘Sure.’ One! She could never stop at one. Annoyed, Simon rattled the pages of his magazine and tried to rekindle some interest in what he’d been reading, but his concentration was shot. He shifted uneasily in the airplane’s seat unable to rid himself of a sense of deja vu. Christ, was Sue going to be the same as Jessica? Was the nightmare of having a wife—in this case, a future wife—who couldn’t control herself going to start all over again…?
Yep. He sure could pick them.
After the priest left, Jessica and Marcus lingered near the stones, hoping for a last glimpse of the entity who’d brought them together and influenced their present and future life together. When Sarah didn’t come, they went back to Cassell’s Cottage to review the day’s events.
‘She’s gone,’ Marcus said finally, a touch of regret in his voice.
‘I’m going to’—Jessica’s laugh was strained, for she was trying to keep her emotions in check, ‘it sounds ridiculous, but I’m going to miss her.’
‘That’s understandable. She cannonballed into your life, frightening five years’ growth out of you but, in the process of learning about her, you got to know and empathise with what she went through.’
They gravitated to the back verandah, where the painting of the four faces sat on the easel.
‘I’m going to donate this to one of the museums, after I write Sarah’s story,’ Jessica suddenly decided.
‘Hmm, good idea. It’s not the kind of painting you’d want to hang in your living room, is it?’
She laughed. ‘Definitely not!’ After that, her features took on a certain seriousness. ‘Horrible, horrible men, they each got what they deserved.’
He nodded, in total agreement with her.
Jessica heard the fax-phone ringing and went to take out what had come through. She’d had an extra phone line put in so that she and Max could communicate with each other, but her next piece of furniture for the cottage would be a computer. After today, she had a yen to get down to writing Sarah’s story while it was fresh in her mind. She read the fax and handed it to Marcus to peruse.
‘So, Simon’s taking the money and running,’ was Marcus’ comment. He read the date on the fax. ‘He and Sue fly out today, according to this.’
‘You know,’ she said, as she came over to him and slid her arms around his waist, ‘I wish them well.’ She winked broadly. ‘After all, if Sue hadn’t propositioned Simon, which forced me to face up to our failing marriage, he might still be living here, and we…might not have become a couple and, in due course,’—she gave him a happily expectant smile,—‘a married couple.’
‘To which I’m looking forward.’ His own grip on her tightened. ‘With growing impatience.’ He kissed her forehead, her cheeks, and teased her lips with a feather-light kiss until she groaned with frustration and forced his head down to hers. After a satisfactory interlude, they came up for much-needed air. He freed his arm and raised his hand in an imaginary toast.
‘Good old Sue!’ And then he threw back his head and laughed heartily until, seeing her puzzlement, he let her in on the source of his amusement. ‘If she knew she’d done us a good turn, instead of otherwise, Miz Levinski would be furious, don’t you think?’
‘Indeed. Should we let her know?’
Marcus’ lips twitched. He gazed at her thoughtfully for several moments before smiling. There were times, even now, when he couldn’t believe his good fortune. He’d been lucky enough to find love again. His kids liked her, and he’d make sure they came over to Norfolk as often as possible. He and Jessica could have a good life here, on the island, contributing, loving each other as they did. It was a bloody miracle. He stopped for a moment and said a silent thank you to Sarah, who’d brought them together. And then, ‘Somehow, I think she already knows.’
EPILOGUE
‘Don’t they make a lovely couple?’ Alison whispered to Nan Duncan.
They stood with several other wedding guests, in a semi-circle around the big pine in the clearing at Slaughter Bay, because the place had special significance to Marcus and Jessica.
Dressed in an ankle-length cream skirt and with Sarah’s brooch pinning a spray of baby breath and a single orchid to her matching jacket, Jessica looked radiant. Marcus in his grey pinstripe—he’d shouted himself the suit after he’d become a Minister in the legislative assembly—was equally magnificent.
Nan sniffed a touch indignantly. ‘Of course! What’d you expect?’
Alison sighed. ‘I’m old-fashioned, I guess. I thought Simon and Jessica would be together forever. But I see how happy she is with Marcus and, when I thought about it, I knew she hadn’t been happy with Simon, not for a long time.’
Nan’s voice lowered to a whisper. ‘Did she tell you?’
Alison’s eyes widened. She nodded affirmatively. ‘About the baby?’
‘She’s just over four months. And they’re both so pleased with themselves.’ Nan smiled. ‘You’d think no one had ever managed to get pregnant before. I think Marcus did some fancy talking to get Jessica to agree to try for another baby though.’
Alison chuckled. ‘I’m glad she has. After Damian, well, she was so unhappy. She’s not even showing yet, is she?’ She verbalised the thought. ‘And the ultrasound showed she’s having a girl, which is probably for the best.’
‘She’ll be fine with this one, I just know it. And I reckon they’ve already chosen the name, too,’ Nan said, with the air of one who knows.
They both smiled and said in unison, ‘Sarah’.
Acknowledgements
Friend and literary agent extraordinaire, Selwa Anthony.
My editors, Deonie Fiford and Catherine Hammond.
Darian Causby for his cover design.
Dr Kathryn Guy. Helena Cornelius.
Hell and Paradise by Peter Clarke.
For the Term of His Natural Life by Marcus Clarke.
Elizabeth Robertson’s diary, Norfolk Island, 1845—edited by Merval Hoare.
And many Norfolkers including Colleen McCullough, Gaye Evans, Nadia Cuthbertson, John Christian and Arthur Evans who gave of their time and their knowledge.
About the Author
Lynne Wilding published eight previous novels with HarperCollins: King of Cane Valley, Heart of the Outback, Whispers Through the Pines, Turn Left at Bindi Creek, This Time Forever, 52 Waratah Avenue, Outback Sunset and Sundown Crossing.
Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.
Books by Lynne Wilding
Heart of the Outback
Whispers through the Pines
Turn Left at Bindi Creek
This Time Forever
52 Warratah Avenue
King of Cane Valley
Copyright
HarperCollinsPublishers
First published in Australia in 1999
Reprinted in 1999, 2001 (twice), 2003
This edition published in 2010
by HarperCollinsPublishers Pty Limited
ABN 36 009 913 517
A member of the HarperCollinsPublishers (Australia) Pty Limited Group
www.harpercollins.com.au
Copyright © Lynne Wilding 1999
The right of Lynne Wilding to be identified as the moral rights author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright Amendment (Moral Rights) Act 2000 (Cth).
This book is copyright. Apart from any
fair dealing for the purposes of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission. Inquiries should be addressed to the publishers.
HarperCollinsPublishers
25 Ryde Road, Pymble, Sydney, NSW 2073, Australia
31 View Road, Glenfield, Auckland 0627, New Zealand
A 53, Sector 57, Noida, UP, India
77–85 Fulham Palace Road, London, W6 8JB, United Kingdom
2 Bloor Street East, 20th floor, Toronto, Ontario M4W 1A8, Canada
10 East 53rd Street, New York NY 10022, USA
National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication data:
Wilding, Lynne.
Whispers through the pines.
ISBN 0 7322 6476 6.
ISBN: 978-0-730-45084-9 (ePub)
I. Title.
A823.3
About the Publisher
Australia
HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty. Ltd.
25 Ryde Road (PO Box 321)
Pymble, NSW 2073, Australia
http://www.harpercollinsebooks.com.au
Canada
HarperCollins Canada
2 Bloor Street East – 20th Floor
Toronto, ON, M4W 1A8, Canada
http://www.harpercollinsebooks.ca
New Zealand
HarperCollinsPublishers (New Zealand) Limited
P.O. Box 1
Auckland, New Zealand
http://www.harpercollinsebooks.co.nz
United Kingdom
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
77-85 Fulham Palace Road
London, W6 8JB, UK
http://www.harpercollinsebooks.co.uk
United States
HarperCollins Publishers Inc.
10 East 53rd Street
New York, NY 10022
http://www.harpercollinsebooks.com
Whispers Through the Pines Page 36