Currawong Manor

by Josephine Pennicott

  ‘What about you?’ she called, suddenly thinking that the elderly woman looked fragile and alone in the clearing. What good would an axe be against a rifle, anyway? ‘Will you be safe if you come across any hunters?’

  ‘These are my woods,’ Dolly said. ‘I’m safe here as long as I watch my back and tread carefully. I know what shadows to trust and follow. I understand the language of the bush.’ Her eyes flickered warily. ‘Off you go,’ she ordered. ‘Just take the kids and leave.’

  Elizabeth nodded once, then turned and began to walk away down the path. Before turning a corner, though, something made her stop again and look back at Dolly from behind a tree. Dolly was staring at something on the ground. She bent and scooped it up, then held it in her arms. Elizabeth caught a glimpse of yellow wool – it was Sugar’s doll. The elderly woman crooned something to it, rocking it tenderly. Then, still cradling the doll, she glanced around her, looking up at the trees, watching a flock of pink-bellied galahs flying with their soft grey wings outstretched, before scanning the dense ferns and dark shadows nearby. Feeling guilty for spying on a private moment, Elizabeth hurried off along the path.

  Fleur flinched as she heard footsteps behind her, then exhaled with relief to see it was Elizabeth. ‘Oh my God,’ she said. ‘She’s totally insane. Is it legal to carry an axe around like that?’

  Elizabeth shrugged. ‘You heard her – these are her woods. She probably thinks she can carry whatever she likes.’

  ‘You are both so dead when I tell Dad,’ said Louis, finally finding his tongue now that Dolly was safely behind them. ‘Dragging us up here with that old psycho walking around the bush with an axe. I bet that wasn’t kangaroo blood. You heard what she said about people belonging in slaughterhouses. She’s probably got a row of heads dangling from the roof of her mother’s cottage.’

  ‘Yellow Death is off, Louis,’ Fleur snapped. ‘I warned you about what you say in front of Sugar.’

  Sugar was openly weeping. ‘I left my doll back there.’

  ‘Well, she’s staying there,’ Fleur said in a more determined tone than her children were accustomed to. ‘There’s no way I’m going back to get that stupid doll. You’re too old for dolls, Sugar!’

  ***

  Holly was in the garden with James, the pair securing a rosebush against the side of the folly with rope. Spotting Elizabeth and her three companions emerging from the woods, she walked over.

  ‘Hello there. Bit cold for a picnic, isn’t it?’ she called. ‘Did you manage to find Mermaid Glen?’

  The children immediately began recounting the story of the butchered animal and Dolly’s appearance with the axe, embellishing wildly as they went. Sugar had stopped crying over her doll, and her eyes were now gleaming with excitement at the drama.

  Frowning, Holly glanced at James, shaking her head. ‘Are you listening to this? What on earth would she be up to in the woods, James?’

  ‘Search me.’ James began packing up his wheelbarrow. ‘I’m not exactly on speaking terms with Dolly Sharp. She’s had a go at me before for walking into the woods. I reckon she sees it as her territory and we’re trespassers.’

  ‘She’s got a damn cheek!’ Holly snapped, looking half amused. ‘I could fight that clause about her being permitted to stay – and plenty would – but I haven’t because I felt sorry for her. But if she insists on frightening my guests I might have to call my solicitor. Don’t tell me she’s actually hunting animals?’ She glanced at Sugar. ‘I’m sure it was just an animal, my sweet,’ she assured her. ‘I can hear hunters sometimes with their guns popping. They’ve got no right to trespass. It looks as if Dolly has taken the law into her own hands. She’s such an odd woman.’

  Sugar exclaimed in delight when she spotted one of the peacocks coming around the side of the building.

  ‘Would you like to take a tour of the manor?’ Holly asked her. Fleur glanced at her watch and Holly added, ‘Only if it’s alright with your mother, of course.’

  ‘Oh, please, Mama!’ Sugar begged. ‘I’d love to see inside the big house.’

  ‘Just a very quick look,’ Fleur conceded. ‘I don’t want to leave too late. That’s kind of you, Holly.’

  ‘I could give them a quick look at the towers where once three beautiful princesses lived, if you’d like to catch up with Elizabeth for a chat before you leave,’ Holly offered Fleur, smiling and extending her hand to Sugar.

  ‘Thank you,’ Fleur replied. ‘Just not for too long, kids.’

  As Holly and the two children disappeared around the side of the house, Elizabeth spotted Nick approaching from the Nests. She fought to control the jolt of pleasure she felt as he strolled towards them. Fleur gave him an appreciative glance, then turned back to Elizabeth. ‘As soon as I can drag the children out of the house, we’ll leave. It’s been a long day, and after that ghoulish scene in the woods it’s probably best to get them home. Sugar will be lapping up all the macabre tales Holly’s no doubt spinning. She’ll have nightmares tonight and I’m the one who’ll have to deal with it.’

  ‘What ghoulish scene in the woods?’ Nick asked, coming to stand beside them.

  Fleur described the bloody remains they had stumbled over and Dolly’s startling appearance.

  ‘Crazy old coot.’ Nick frowned. ‘What is it with the Sharp women acting as if they own Owlbone Woods? I’ll go and check it out.’

  ‘No, don’t!’ Elizabeth protested. ‘Leave her in peace. Nothing happened.’ She felt suddenly drained by the day’s events.

  Nick whipped out his phone. ‘The police should be informed that this woman is carrying a weapon and intimidating people, including minors.’ As he spoke he was examining Elizabeth’s face intently, making her breath catch slightly in her throat. ‘She doesn’t sound very stable.’

  ‘Don’t do anything, Nick,’ Elizabeth said, trying to keep herself from blushing and praying that Fleur wouldn’t pick up any of the odd undercurrents between them. ‘I want to work with Dolly for the book, and I don’t want to risk getting her offside. She said she was carrying the axe for her own protection, and it’s probably true. It’s not as if she threatened us.’

  ‘Elizabeth, this woman sounds dangerous,’ Nick argued. ‘There won’t be a book at all if she attacks you!’

  ‘What woman?’ They turned to see Ginger, who had approached without them noticing her. When Nick related an abridged account of Dolly’s behaviour, Ginger shook her head. ‘Nick’s right,’ she said, turning to look sternly at Elizabeth. ‘Dolly’s a very strange individual. It’s fine to feel sorry for her, but take it from me: keep well away from her and those woods!’

  ‘But Ginger—’ Elizabeth began.

  ‘Ah, there are the children now,’ Fleur cut in, as Louis, Sugar and Holly reappeared through the back door of the manor. ‘Sorry, Elizabeth, but we do have to leave.’

  ‘But, Mama, why do we have to go now?’ Sugar whined. ‘That’s the coolest house I’ve ever seen.’

  ‘It was a wicked house.’ Louis, for once, agreed with his sister. ‘I’m sure I saw a ghost in the tower. A child ghost. Man, I should have photographed it and made myself a fortune.’

  ‘In the car.’ Fleur ushered the children away, saying over her shoulder, ‘Elizabeth, it’s been quite a day. Ghosts and mad old ladies with axes – so much for a peaceful mountain life. I’ll be relieved to get back to the city to relax!’

  After they had all waved goodbye to the Amoses, Elizabeth turned to Nick. ‘Don’t you dare report Dolly, Nick.’

  Ginger shook her head. ‘You’re as stubborn as Rupert was,’ she said. ‘Be it on your own head, but if you do decide to get involved with Dolly, don’t say I didn’t warn you.’ She reached into her bag and brought out a cassette tape, which she held out to Elizabeth. Her face as she looked down at it was tired and drawn. ‘Here’s my latest. It wasn’t easy to record this one. It’s bringing it all back to me too vividly. I made so many mistakes. To be honest, I no longer know whether I should keep going with this proje
ct. And promises were made that I should honour . . .’

  She pressed her lips together and stalked off into the garden, leaving Elizabeth and Nick staring after her. Nick shrugged, looking at Elizabeth, who shook her head. United in concern for Ginger they watched as she walked over to the Diana folly and stood with her head bowed, as though in prayer.

  ‘Holly’s worried that she’s pushing herself trying to get her tapes done before her time runs out,’ Nick said quietly. ‘She’s seriously ill. I hope this book isn’t putting too much stress onto her.’ He glanced at the tape in Elizabeth’s hand. ‘I know you had a horrible experience in the woods today and so why don’t you relax this evening and I’ll listen to the tape?’

  Stung, Elizabeth retorted, ‘Why don’t you run after her, Mr Sensitive, and extract some more material out of her while you pander to all her whims? And this is my family’s business, so just do the job you’re paid to do and stop interfering!’

  ‘I beg your pardon, Poetess of the Flesh,’ Nick said, tugging an imaginary forelock. ‘I’ll keep to my place in future. Before I go there, a small tip – you need to come off your pedestal and develop some people skills.’

  Elizabeth shot him a glacial look and stalked off to her Nest, then slammed the door. How dare he talk to her as if she needed his wisdom on how to behave! She hated feeling so attracted to him when he was so arrogant. She forced herself to breathe deeply for several minutes, trying to control her agitation and anger. The truth was she was becomingly increasingly emotional the more they delved into Ginger’s reminiscences. She felt as if there were important gifts to be gained from investigating Ginger’s memoirs, something that would help her with coming to terms with her own complex family history.

  She remembered Ginger standing at the Diana folly with her head bowed, looking frail and troubled. There had been a quiet dignity to her in that moment and Elizabeth suddenly felt a deep respect and affection for the difficult old woman. Whatever support Ginger needed as she faced the painful secrets in her past, Elizabeth wanted to give to her. Despite the obvious hardships of her life, Ginger had survived it all, hadn’t she? And if Ginger could endure, then Elizabeth could also survive whatever life threw at her.

  22

  Death in the Mirror

  The following day, there was a knock on the door just as Elizabeth put a vegetable pie into the oven for lunch. She went to the door and tentatively opened it.

  ‘It’s freezing out here!’ Nick jumped up and down on the spot, his breath a misty cloud. ‘Can I come in before I turn into a snowman? You do know it’s meant to snow later?’

  ‘I was just about to eat,’ Elizabeth replied. Reluctantly, she opened the door wider, wincing at the frigid air outside.

  ‘That’s cool. I won’t stay long.’ He bounded inside and perched on her sofa, looking like someone who wasn’t ready to move for a while.

  ‘And after I eat, I’m going straight back to work,’ Elizabeth said bluntly.

  Nick held up his hand. ‘I hear you, I get the hint and I’m going to be doing the same, Liz. I just wanted to ask you out tonight. As a peace offering to try to make up for our spat in the garden yesterday.’

  ‘What do you mean, out?’ Elizabeth asked warily, setting a plate and napkin on a tray. ‘And it’s Elizabeth, remember?’

  ‘Okay, Elizabeth. Sorry, but you just look more like a Liz to me.’

  ‘And what does that mean?’ Elizabeth shot him a suspicious look.

  ‘Liz, as in glamour, sensuality, warmth. As in Liz Taylor.’ He laughed as she made a face at him. ‘Okay, Elizabeth as in regal, scary Queen Elizabeth, cutting off people’s heads – have it your way. I mean out, as in let’s get out of these tiny, cutesie cottages and head to Mount Bellwood for the flicks night.’ He wagged a finger at her mystified expression. ‘Don’t pretend you don’t know what they’re screening?’

  As she stared at him blankly, he extracted a creased flyer from his pocket, shaking it for her to take.

  Elizabeth took the paper and read aloud: ‘For the retro double-bill night, the Mount Bellwood Cinema proudly presents Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpiece Rebecca and the rare 1940s Australian documentary Broken Bloodied Brushes. This obscure short, which forms part of the Edgar Cabret collection, has been graciously loaned to Mount Bellwood Cinema for a rare viewing. Patrons please be advised the film contains technical imperfections due to age, but will be of great interest to art lovers and historians. Broken Bloodied Brushes features brief appearances by well-known mountains artists and identities such as Norman Lindsay, Edgar Cabret, Rupert Partridge and Monica Baillie.’

  Elizabeth looked at Nick in delighted surprise, then read on: ‘Ginger Lawson, formerly one of Partridge’s life models known as the Flowers of Currawong Manor, will present Broken Bloodied Brushes.’

  ‘And the bit that made my heart sing,’ Nick said. ‘An M rating, because it contains nudity. I definitely need to be there for research.’ He leered in an exaggerated fashion, making Elizabeth laugh.

  ‘I’d no idea the film existed!’ Elizabeth exclaimed, rereading the flyer, feeling goose bumps prickle on her arms.

  ‘What do you say we grab a bite in town before the films?’ Nick offered. ‘I could do with a change from Holly’s culinary efforts. She won’t mind if we don’t need catering for tonight as they’ll be going for sure.’

  Elizabeth, who was also tiring of conversation with the Shaws every night, thought it over as she sat balancing her tray on her lap. ‘Maybe,’ she said cautiously.

  ‘Excellent! I’ll leave you in a minute so you can get some work done. How are the images progressing?’

  ‘Going beautifully,’ Elizabeth lied, reluctant to admit that she was at a standstill. Holly kept proposing ideas for photographs of the manor and grounds but they were mostly uninspired and sentimental and Elizabeth was reluctant to show them to Ginger, knowing she would deplore the tone. And she didn’t feel that she had bonded well enough with Ginger to ask her to disrobe for some nude shots.

  ‘Really?’ Nick watched her as she cut into the pie. ‘I can’t wait to see the finished product. You did an impressive job of Magic Dirt.’

  ‘Thanks.’ Elizabeth wondered whether he was only flattering her. ‘You’ve seen it, then?’

  ‘Yeah, it was stunning,’ he said. ‘I hadn’t thought of the outback in that way before – in fact, I hadn’t given the outback much thought at all, apart from “Great Southern Land” or Redgum, Goanna or Yothu Yindi music. But your desert images were spectacular. It felt as though you could see some sort of spirit or poetry in the landscape. To be honest, it made me feel like booking a ticket to the Territory. Do you reckon you can do the same with Currawong Manor?’

  ‘I hope so,’ Elizabeth said, touched in spite of herself by his warm response. She was amused at the thought of urban-looking Nick Cash let loose in the outback. He was such a handsome man, and there was something charismatic about the bones and angles of his face. She’d love to do a series of photos of him that contrasted his hip urban cool with the simplicity of the bush.

  She added, ‘Ginger is a really experienced model and a fascinating character. She’ll make this book come alive.’ She wished she felt as confident about that as she sounded. Ginger was a great model when she wanted to be, but she was difficult to commit to shooting sessions and when she was being photographed she was pig-headed because, in Ginger’s own words, it was ‘her way or the highway’.

  ‘Maybe.’ Nick didn’t sound convinced either. ‘Do you want me to check over some of your images?’

  ‘That’s okay,’ Elizabeth said, sweetly but firmly. ‘I never like to show my work in its early stages.’

  ‘I understand.’ Nick stood up to leave. ‘But if you change your mind about that, you know where I am. What about Dolly Sharp? Do you think we’re going to be able to get her on board? I don’t suppose you’ve had a chance to talk with her about the book?’

  ‘No.’ Elizabeth grabbed her plate and headed to the kitchen. ‘I g
et the feeling she’s not pleased at the thought of Rupert’s granddaughter being involved in Holly’s project. She’s avoided me, and when I have run into her she’s not exactly amicable. Besides, I want to give her a few days to cool down. She seemed so angry and distressed to find us in the woods.’

  Nick nodded. ‘I’ve tried to talk to her a couple of times, but she won’t open her bloody door to me. I’ve got a hunch that she knows a lot more about what happened here than she’s let on in the past. Anyway, I had best try to get some more work done. I’ll pick you up at six, Liz? I mean, Elizabeth.’

  ‘Yes, okay. I’ll be ready.’ Elizabeth watched from the doorway as he ran back to his Nest, hugging himself in the icy weather. Damn, had she just agreed to go out with him? As she went to close her door, she noticed James in the garden, leaning on a rake and chatting to Ginger, who was wrapped up in a bright red pashmina. The elderly woman was waving her arms around with her usual animation.

  Elizabeth paused, wondering if she should invite the pair to join them for dinner in town. Ginger was obviously already attending the film, and it would also send Nick the message that she wasn’t interested in him romantically. It was cowardly, she knew, but she felt so awkward and shy in his presence, and she didn’t want any distractions from her work. And he was so sure of himself! She didn’t want him to think she could be another of his easy conquests.

  Making up her mind, Elizabeth headed towards James and Ginger.

  ***

  ‘Must be really interesting being a gardener,’ Nick said to James as the four of them sat in the Velvet Deer, the popular, crowded Lebanese restaurant in Mount Bellwood. ‘It would keep you fit, too.’ He studied James’s toned arms. ‘Do you talk to your plants?’

  ‘Sometimes.’ James downed his beer. ‘I couldn’t work in an office or on a computer like you do, Nick. I need to be outside in the fresh air, working with living things. That’s what my parents loved to do. I inherited their genes.’