‘It’s been good to get away,’ Flora said. ‘To come home to all of you. It’s given me some perspective. Things are clearer now.’
There was a knock at the door. Then Hugh’s voice. ‘Flora, have you seen your mother? Our guests have started to arrive.’
Flora stiffened. ‘Mum, you’ve got to go. I’ll be okay.’
From outside the house came the sound of cars arriving down the drive, of doors slamming.
‘Are you sure, love?’
Her daughter produced a reassuring smile. ‘Yes, after I’ve given my face a good wash and redone my make-up.’
‘We haven’t finished with this. We have to talk again. Work something out.’
‘Yeah, sure. Thanks.’ Raising her voice, Flora called, ‘Mum’s in here, Dad. She’s coming now.’
They hugged.
‘Is my make-up okay?’ Jackie asked, turning to the mirror to check.
Flora took a tissue and dabbed at the corner of Jackie’s left eye. ‘It is now. Just remember to smile and you’ll look perfect.’
‘Right.’ Jackie stood, blinked twice, took a deep breath, then crossed the room and opened the door carefully.
Hugh was in the hallway, looking worried.
‘Flora and I were just having a mother–daughter moment,’ she told him.
‘Is everything all right?’
‘Yes.’ Jackie had promised herself there would be no more secrets, but this was hardly a moment for total honesty. She would fill Hugh in later. Now she smiled at her husband. He was wearing a new pale lemon shirt with crisp cream chinos, his favourite crocodile leather belt and well-polished R M Williams boots. ‘You look scrumptious.’
He chuckled. ‘So do you.’ He took her hand, kissed her cheek. ‘Come and greet our guests.’
Together, holding hands, they went down the hallway to the open front door.
__________
When Alice arrived at Ruthven Downs, quite a few cars were already parked in rows on the lawn and people were gathered in groups along the verandahs, their happy voices rippling into the night. Somewhere among those groups Seth would be mingling.
Alice’s pulse quickened. Tonight, she and Seth were supposed to be carrying on as if they were still a couple.
The idea had seemed so simple when she’d first hatched it, and her motives had been well-intentioned. She’d wanted to save Jackie any more stress. Now she felt distinctly uncomfortable about playing this role and deceiving the Drummonds. They’d all been so sympathetic and kind to her last night, almost treating her like a family member, when in truth, she was a total outsider.
Alice had always been an outsider. It was the role she’d deliberately chosen.
Even last night, when the Drummonds had been so welcoming and inclusive, she’d made a quick exit. She’d taken Charlie back to the cottage and read him three more storybooks before he’d finally settled to sleep. When Seth got back quite late, full of apologies, he’d told her that the meeting went well, but he’d given no details, which was to be expected – it wasn’t any of her business – and she’d left quite soon after that.
She still had no idea whether the family’s tensions had been resolved, or whether Seth was still tense or worried about the future. But, hey, she was simply a fill-in, playing the part of his girlfriend for one more night. After this evening, she would never pull up at the Ruthven Downs homestead again.
The problem was – and to Alice, it was starting to feel like a painfully major problem – she’d spent far too much time today thinking about Seth, dwelling on the precious moment of closeness last night when he’d been so understanding and sweet to her. With that fleeting act of kindness he’d made her forget, momentarily, that they had no future. And somehow, some-crazy-how, despite her best efforts to resist, she knew she’d foolishly fallen in love with him.
By the end of this party, she’d be a mess, with her heart in shreds, but it was too late to back out. Her goose was cooked. She had no choice but to straighten her shoulders and get on with it.
Collecting the small gift she’d brought for Seth’s father, Alice climbed out of her ute and crossed the lawn. It was a warm summer’s night and she was wearing a dress of soft white cotton, with shoestring straps and a border of flowers and leaves along the knee-length hemline. She’d scooped her hair up into a loose knot and her accessories were simple – gold hoop earrings and strappy, high-heeled green sandals.
As she reached the front steps, Jackie Drummond broke away from a group and hurried to greet her. ‘Alice, there you are. How lovely you look.’ Seth’s mother kissed her warmly.
Seth’s father was standing a few feet away, looking very relaxed and happy as he chatted with Brad and Kate Woods. If he was in any way upset about the meeting’s outcome, he was hiding it well.
He turned and waved to her. ‘Alice, good to see you again. Welcome.’ He too came forward and kissed her cheek.
‘Happy birthday, Mr Drummond.’
‘Oh, please, you must call me Hugh.’
Alice offered him the gift and he responded with a reproachful smile. ‘There weren’t supposed to be presents, but thanks very much.’
‘It’s only a little thing from my shop.’
‘Well, that’s very kind of you, Alice. I’ll look forward to opening it.’ Setting the gift on a table, he gestured to an ice bucket where the neck of an opened champagne bottle stuck out invitingly. ‘You’ll have a glass of champers?’
‘Thanks. That would be lovely.’
Hugh poured her a fizzing glassful. ‘Here’s to your good health.’
‘And to yours. Cheers.’ They touched glasses and she took a sip. The wine was icy and tickled her nose, and it tasted of Christmas and parties and fun. Both Seth’s parents were beaming at her as if she’d pleased them hugely.
She wondered how their son would react.
Jackie introduced her to a group of their guests. There was an architect from Cairns and his elegant wife, another smiling couple who lived on the neighbouring property, a pale, serious doctor from Mareeba. Seth’s aunt was also in the group, looking rather splendid in a purple and gold sari, with her long hair plaited and wound around her head like a crown.
‘Alice is so clever,’ Jackie told them. ‘She restores old furniture and she re-silvered our sideboard mirror so it’s as good as new. She has a lovely little shop in Burralea.’
The others responded with enthusiasm, asking questions. How did she learn her trade? Was she settling happily into Burralea?
It was all very pleasant, but after a bit, Jackie touched her on the elbow and leaned in to speak discreetly. ‘I think you’ll find Seth around the corner. The young people seem to have gravitated down there.’ She nodded towards a side verandah.
‘Right, thanks.’ Of course she was expected to join Seth.
Jackie winked at her as she left.
Alice felt ridiculously nervous as she wove past the groups scattered along the verandah. As soon as she rounded the corner, she saw Seth. Dressed in a pale blue shirt, with long sleeves rolled to the elbows and his trademark jeans, he was leaning against the railing, beer in hand. His cousin Xavier was there too and his sister Flora, and other young people Alice hadn’t met.
Two pretty blonde girls, who seemed to be identical twins, were gazing adoringly at Seth, totally awestruck.
Alice tried to ignore the pang this caused. Of course Seth would be hugely attractive to other women. Even if they knew nothing of his deeper qualities, Seth Drummond was a prize catch. Distractingly attractive, with that untidy dark hair and those stunning blue eyes, he was fun to be with, and he stood to inherit this place, or at least a worthwhile share of it. And he came with a cute little boy to fuss over.
Seth Drummond was probably one of the most sought-after bachelors in the district.
And I let him go.
Alice felt pretty damn wretched as she continued towards the group. Then Seth, who’d been laughing at someone’s joke, turned and saw her. He went complet
ely still. He didn’t take his eyes from her.
Their little group fell quiet. Everyone else turned to see what had caught his attention.
Alice’s heart thudded in her chest and for a dreadful moment she feared her knees would give way. Then Seth flashed her a grin, set his beer on a nearby table, and came towards her. ‘I was beginning to worry that you might have changed your mind,’ he said.
‘I’ve been talking to your parents and their friends.’
‘Right. Great.’ He took her free hand and held her away from him, letting his gaze run appreciatively over her.
‘You look beautiful. I mean, you always look beautiful, but tonight . . .’ His throat worked and his eyes were a little too shiny.
‘How’s Charlie?’ she asked him quickly.
Seth gave a slightly bewildered smile as if her question had caught him out. ‘He’s fine,’ he said. ‘Absolutely. What about you? You’re not still worrying about him, are you?’
‘No.’ She was pleased she could say this honestly.
He leaned in to kiss her. On the mouth. A lovely, lingering greeting in front of all these people.
Help.
‘Seth,’ she whispered shakily. ‘You don’t need to overdo it.’
He frowned. ‘Overdo what?’
‘I know we agreed about putting on a good show in front of your family. About still being a couple. But don’t you think this feels – dishonest?’
His eyes held hers and he still looked puzzled.
She swallowed. ‘We’ve broken up, right?’
For a brief moment she thought she read dismay in his expression, but then he smiled so convincingly she knew she must have imagined it.
‘Sure,’ he said. ‘Let’s keep this honest.’
But he took her hand in his and kept a firm hold as he introduced her to the others.
__________
Flora was in the kitchen refilling water jugs when Kate Woods found her.
‘Flora, there you are. I was hoping to catch you. I haven’t had a proper chance to hear all your news.’
Flora smiled carefully. In recent years, Kate had become a favourite among her parents’ friends, and Flora almost looked on her as an aunt. But she couldn’t help feeling tense about being cornered like this. Kate was a lawyer, after all, and she worked mostly on divorce and family issues.
Flora knew she was probably being paranoid, but she wondered if her mum had spoken to Kate about Oliver.
Was this some kind of well-meant intervention?
‘How’s your family?’ she asked Kate, as enthusiastically as she could.
‘Oh, they’re great, thanks. Always doing something incredibly exciting. Adam’s in Antarctica, would you believe? What about you, Flora? Are you enjoying Melbourne? You know we’re all so proud of you, and we’re desperate for news.’
‘Melbourne’s great,’ Flora said. ‘And I’m loving the orchestra.’
‘That’s wonderful. It must be so good to be working with people who are just like you, all mad about classical music and extraordinarily talented.’
Flora laughed as she pushed the lever on the freezer door and collected ice to add to the jugs. ‘I must admit, it’s cool to work with people who don’t think I’m a nerd.’
Kate nodded. ‘But you must be disappointed you couldn’t bring your boyfriend home. We were all looking forward to meeting him.’
‘Yes.’ This time Flora couldn’t manage to laugh or even to smile. The very mention of Oliver caused an uncomfortable tightening in her chest. ‘It – it was a pity.’ She began to slice a lime.
‘How clever of you to snag a tenor,’ Kate continued. ‘Your very own Pavarotti.’
‘Except that he’s not Italian or fat or famous.’
‘But loaded with charm nonetheless, I should imagine.’
‘Oh, yes, he’s a lot of fun.’ It was true. Meeting Oliver had been such a thrill. Tall and dashing, he’d swept Flora off her feet with a charm offensive more flattering than anything she’d ever experienced.
‘Flora,’ Kate said gently.
The jugs were ready to be taken back to the tables, and Flora was keen to finish the conversation.
‘Is everything okay?’ Kate asked.
Hearing the concern underlying this question, Flora winced. ‘Has Mum been speaking to you?’
Kate’s smile was a tad guilty, but her eyes were warm with sympathy as she nodded. ‘Sorry if I’ve come across as devious. Jackie’s worried, of course. She’s your mother.’
‘But I told her I’m dealing with it. I’m not going to stay with him.’
‘Well, that’s certainly very good news.’ Settling back against a kitchen cupboard, Kate folded her arms over her chest. ‘I know you’re not asking for my advice, Flora, but I’m going to give it to you anyway.’ Her expression was deadly serious now. ‘It’s really, really important that you get out of this relationship as fast as you can.’
Flora nodded, but when she pictured herself actually walking out on Oliver, a shiver ran through her, a shiver of fear. She knew he was going to be angry. Really angry. He’d gone ballistic when she’d told him her excuse for keeping him from this party. She’d claimed there were limits on the numbers – not daring to tell him the truth, that she’d changed her mind and didn’t want him to meet her parents.
If she was leaving him, there wouldn’t be any point in trying to talk to him, he wouldn’t listen. He wouldn’t give her a chance. She would have to leave when he wasn’t home. Sneak off to a friend’s house and beg a bed, and hope that Oliver didn’t come after her.
‘It might not be easy,’ Kate said, watching her. ‘But the longer you stay, the harder it will be to leave. You know I’m a divorce lawyer. I’ve worked with a lot of women in unhappy relationships, but the women who actually file for divorce are rarely victims of violence. Too often, those poor women just don’t get out.’
‘Really?’
Kate gave a solemn shake of her head. ‘They’re miserable and they’re hurt, but they stay. They’re trapped. Trapped by the stories they tell themselves – that they’re important to their man, that they can help him to face his demons. They tell themselves the guy will change. Or that he’ll be nicer to them if they change their own behaviour.’
‘Okay.’ Flora held up a trembling hand to stop Kate. She was fighting tears. She couldn’t bear this. It was all too painfully familiar. Too scarily close to her own thought processes.
Shit. How have I let this happen?
At least she’d turned her phone off tonight and left it in the bedroom. She hadn’t wanted to let Oliver spoil this night, but she knew there’d be a gazillion messages on there from him when she got back. Tomorrow she would ring him and tell him how low she thought he was, trying to bully her from afar.
‘I’m planning to leave him as soon as I get back,’ she said tightly.
‘Excellent.’ Kate slipped an arm around her shoulders. ‘I know it won’t be easy, Flora. You’ll still see Oliver at work, I imagine.’
‘Sometimes.’ She bit her lip to hold back tears.
‘And you don’t have family close by to back you up.’
‘No, but I’ve made some good friends.’
‘Great. And at least Christmas isn’t all that far away. Does the orchestra take a break?’
‘Yes, about a month.’
‘So you’ll be able to come home.’
‘Perhaps . . .’ Flora said, thinking of the big decision her family had made last night. When she saw Kate’s surprise, she felt compelled to offer at least a partial explanation. ‘Everything’s up in the air at the moment. Mum and Dad will – um – no doubt tell you all about it very soon.’
‘Oh?’ Kate was obviously trying to cover her surprise and curiosity. ‘Well,’ she said quickly, ‘if you can’t come here, there’s always our cottage in Burralea. You’d be welcome to stay there.’
Flora knew the cottage. It was a little timber place, painted pale pink, with white lattice and window boxes, a
nd a picket fence. It was on the edge of the rainforest, cuteness personified, and she’d always loved it. Bonus, it was just down the road from Kate and Brad’s office. For that matter, it was also close to Seth’s girlfriend Alice’s shop. Flora had really liked what she’d seen of Alice so far.
‘But don’t you rent the cottage out, especially at Christmas?’
‘Not always. We often keep it free for family and friends, and I’m almost certain it’s still free through December and New Year. We’d love you to make use of it.’
‘Oh, Kate, that’s so kind of you.’ Flora could almost feel her tense stomach muscles letting go. No matter what happened family-wise, she could still come home to the far north for the Christmas break. For a whole month, she would be three thousand kilometres away from Melbourne, away from Oliver, safe in Burralea, in that sweet little cottage.
She would be able to regroup, and if she decided that she needed to look for a job with another orchestra in Australia, or even overseas, she could practise in the cottage to her heart’s content.
‘Thank you,’ she said, giving Kate a warm hug. ‘I’ll let you know soon if I need the place. It would be perfect.’
__________
The concept of honesty was clearly open to interpretation, Alice decided. Despite her brave attempt to set things straight with Seth, he kept to their original plan. All evening, he made sure she was at his side, proudly introducing her to the guests, always attentive, cheerful. Tactile.
The problem was, even the most casual touch from Seth was a major distraction for Alice, which made things rather difficult as they chatted to people. It wasn’t easy to keep up her end of an intelligent conversation when every cell in her body was aware of the man at her side.
The party was lovely of course, a huge success. The eclectic background music set a happy mood and Alice met all sorts of interesting, friendly folk. The wine flowed, the food was amazing, and the speeches and tributes to Hugh Drummond were sincere and touching.
A neighbour, a balding, red-faced grazier, who kept hitching his trousers over his pot belly, became quite emotional when he told everyone how Hugh had saved his daughter from drowning when she was five. Brad Woods, the solicitor, talked about Hugh’s university days in Brisbane when he was the star of the rugby team.
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