Lake Hill

by Margareta Osborn

  ‘You don’t like the idea?’ Rick asked, frowning.

  ‘I love it!’ she almost shouted.

  He laughed. ‘That’s what I like to see – enthusiasm. C’mon.’ He grabbed her hand. ‘Let’s haul this stuff riverside and have ourselves a feast.’

  The look in his eyes told her he was looking forward to consuming more than just food. Julia shivered with delight. The touch of his hand was enough to set her whole body tingling. The realisation, when it came, made her heart thump: she was so in love with this man. As adults their connection seemed stronger, deeper, and she revelled in it. Taking a deep breath, she forced the anxiety she was also feeling to the back of her mind.

  Much later, Rick pulled up in front of Julia’s cottage and turned off the engine. They both sat staring at their joined hands, and Julia enjoyed the sensation of his thumb dancing across her skin, causing ripples of desire to shoot through her. She’d have thought their lovemaking on the grassy riverbank would have sated her, but apparently not. And seeing that Rick was reluctant to let her go, she was reassured he felt the same.

  ‘Julia, let Chloe move to the Grange,’ he said, breaking the silence.

  She shot him a look, but he was peering up at the sky outside.

  ‘I can’t do that,’ she said, despite a little part of her wishing she could.

  ‘Why the hell not? That way we can be together whenever we like. We’re not constrained by a bloody cook!’

  ‘It’s not Chloe constraining us, Rick. I’m the one who’s uncomfortable. I just don’t think it’s right to do … well, you know … while that young, impressionable girl is so close.’

  ‘Exactly. So let her go live in the staff quarters at the Grange and all our problems will be solved.’

  Julia withdrew her hand from his grasp. ‘No, it’s not right. I’m sorry, but I don’t want to discuss it any further. You might make all the decisions for Montana, but you’re not doing the same for me. Or Chloe for that matter.’

  ‘I do not make all the decisions for my sister.’

  ‘You try!’

  ‘Fuck it, Julia, I’m just trying to look after everyone!’

  ‘No. You’re trying to control everyone. If you want to be involved with me, Rick Halloran, you have to trust I can make decisions for myself.’

  Because she’d done such a good job of that all her life up to now. Yeah, right.

  Rick was silent.

  A light went on inside the cafe. A high small-framed window at the back. The toilet. Chloe must still be awake.

  ‘I have to go. Thank you for tonight.’

  She looked at Rick. He was quiet, seemed almost sulky. But then he turned to face her and she saw his eyes were glassy. What on earth …?

  ‘Rick –’

  ‘Julia, you have to understand. For most of my life it’s been my responsibility to look after the people I care about – Montana, my parents, the property; and now, to a certain extent, the community here. It’s hard to let go of that need to protect.’

  ‘Rick,’ she tried again.

  ‘No, just listen. Please.’ He shifted in his seat. He appeared to be thinking, wrestling with something. Finally, it came out in a rush. ‘I’m prepared to try, though – for you, for us. I’ll try to back off, to give you the space you seem to need.’

  He wasn’t begging, and he wasn’t defensive. He seemed … well, resigned if anything, Julia thought.

  But then he said: ‘But, Julia, we have to do something about this girl.’

  ‘She’s staying, Rick, and that’s my final word on the matter.’ She opened the door and got out of the ute.

  Rick was around her side and standing in front of her before she could take two steps towards the house. ‘Alright, alright,’ he said. ‘She stays and I guess I’ll teach you how to drive the boat. Does that work?’

  Julia stared at the ground for a few seconds then slowly raised her face to gaze up into his earnest eyes. ‘Thank you,’ she said, quietly.

  ‘You’re welcome.’

  And his mouth came down to claim hers all over again.

  After seeing Julia safely inside, Rick got back in his ute and cranked the engine. Inside the building, a light went on upstairs, causing shadows to scoot across the gravel in front of the ute. The vision in his mind of Julia undressing not 50 metres from where he sat caused him to involuntarily groan. He shook his head. He was acting like a love-struck teenager fuelled on testosterone and nothing much else. Jamming the vehicle into gear he drew away from the cafe, trying not to feel annoyed all over again that Chloe was coming between them.

  Rick could see how Julia might think he tried to make decisions for Montana; he’d spent most of his adult life taking care of his little sister. He’d left a successful bronc-riding career in the States at the age of twenty-one to come home and take care of the wild child Montana had become, neglected by her parents and left to the care of Betty, the housekeeper.

  As she’d got older and her looks had started to fade, Elsbeth had struggled to get the A-list roles she wanted. Craving male attention to prove she was still beautiful, she had turned to men other than her husband to fuel her self-obsession. Rick was sure Montana was the result of one of those affairs, although he had always protected his sister from that particular suspicion.

  He still remembered his conversation with Elsbeth in the library on a hot afternoon one December. He’d come home for Christmas, only to find Montana running wild in the paddocks, no Christmas tree or presents organised, and a mother distracted, waiting to hear back from the producer of a movie she was desperate to star in. His father was nowhere to be found. Apparently the old man was hiding away in his studio up on one of the top farms. How his parents stayed married was beyond Rick. He knew they’d lose a lot of money if they divorced, but the main reason they didn’t split up was because, despite the other men, Cormac truly loved and adored Elsbeth. Poor Charlie was trying to manage the properties on his own. The buildings were going to rack and ruin, the fences were falling down due to lack of maintenance, and it was all Charlie could do to keep the livestock cared for and fed.

  ‘Mother, what have you got Montana for Christmas?’ Rick had asked.

  His mother had waved her hand. ‘Elizabeth is organising something.’

  ‘Betty?’

  His mother nodded and returned to reciting her lines.

  ‘But she told me you were buying her a cubby house.’

  ‘I am?’ said Elsbeth, looking surprised.

  ‘Apparently.’

  She waved her hand again, as if swatting a fly. ‘Oh well, I didn’t. Elizabeth can pick her up something else. A doll or a pretty dress.’

  Rick stared out the library window. He could see Montana hanging upside down in the apple tree, trying to feed a piece of fruit to her dog with her teeth.

  ‘How’s she going at school?’ he asked.

  ‘I beg your pardon?’

  ‘Montana. What was her report like?’

  ‘How should I know? Elizabeth looks after all that. Now if you don’t mind, I need to learn these lines. I must have won this part.’

  Rick had walked over and snatched the papers from his mother’s hands. ‘Don’t you even care?’ he demanded.

  ‘About this role? Of course! Don’t you realise how important it is to me?’

  ‘What about your daughter? Isn’t she important too?’ he yelled back. ‘How can you neglect her like this? Look at her!’

  He took hold of his mother’s shoulders and turned her towards the window. Montana had fallen from the tree and was now running across the lawn shouting for Betty, her clothes as dirty as the little Jack Russell dog she was carrying. Rick could see a long bleeding scratch on her leg.

  ‘Betty, I hurt my leg!’ Montana called to the elderly woman who was hobbling down the path towards her.

  ‘She looks fine to me,’ said Elsbeth defensively. ‘Elizabeth is caring for her.’

  ‘That’s just my point,’ Rick said. ‘Betty isn’t her mother. You
are! You can’t just dump her on your housekeeper. Who’s taking an interest in her schooling? Do you know if she’s playing sport? Going to dance classes or gymnastics? What sort of life has she got outside of school? Who are her friends?’

  His mother stared at him furiously. He could see he’d hit home. ‘If you’re so worried, you look after her!’ she yelled. ‘And now,’ she snatched her film script back, ‘if you will excuse me, I need to get to work!’

  Rick had rocked back on his heels, stunned.

  He had made his decision in the few minutes it took him to stride out of the library and towards the Grange’s kitchen to see his little sister. He would come home and look after her, one way or another. He had to protect her because no one else in their family was going to.

  Chapter 21

  The next day, Julia was standing on the verandah sipping her first cup of tea for the day. She had slept late thanks to a restless night. Thoughts of Rick, Chloe and even Rupert had zoomed through her mind for hours.

  The day was bright and sunny. Good drying weather for hay, she found herself thinking, which made her chuckle. She was turning into a farmer. What a turn-up for the books. Next thing Rick would have her working in the cattle yards, which was where he was today. She wondered how all that was going.

  She stared absently across the glassy lake shining silvery in the sun, and noted how the rocky ridges and sharp peaks defined the mountains beyond, before they swooped downwards to deep valleys and long gullies. The landscape was a lot like life, she thought.

  A light puff of rust-coloured dust caught her eye. A vehicle had turned into her driveway. She watched it follow the golden ribbons of gravel that wound their way up to the cafe. It wasn’t until the ute rattled to a halt out front that Julia realised it was Charlie. He came barrelling out of the cab like a snake was chasing him. She wondered if that actually was the case, seeing his green handbag visible on the seat through the open door. The thought made her smile.

  Charlie wasn’t amused though. ‘Lottie’s missing!’ he called.

  He sounded agitated, and his clothes were in a worse state than usual, mud-splattered and dirty. Plus he wasn’t wearing his wide-brimmed felt hat, which was usually firmly glued to his head.

  ‘Are you sure?’ Julia said. ‘Maybe she’s at home somewhere?’

  ‘I’ve checked all over her place. She’s not there.’

  ‘In town?’ she suggested.

  Charlie shook his head. ‘I’ve had Bluey lookin’ all over. Can’t find her.’

  Julia frowned. ‘Don’t you think you’re hitting the panic button a bit early, Charlie? She’ll turn up.’

  But instead of calming down, the older man just got more agitated. ‘You don’t understand. Today’s Matthias’s anniversary.’

  ‘But he’s been gone, what, fifty or so years?’

  Charlie glared at her. ‘Fifty-five years today, but it’s just like yesterday for Lottie, so you’d do well to mind what you’re sayin’!’

  Julia felt awful. This wasn’t like Charlie at all.

  ‘Sorry, Charlie, I didn’t mean to upset you. It’s just … well, Lottie is rather eccentric. She often comes past here at all hours of the day.’ And night, she added silently. She’d often seen a torch bobbing along the lake path from her upstairs window, but after a few frights had realised it was just Miss Finch out and about. ‘She’s probably sitting on a bench somewhere around the lake having a rest.’

  ‘But I found her bow,’ said Charlie, his voice rising. ‘It was on the path near her house.’

  ‘Weren’t you helping Rick sort cattle today?’ she asked quietly, trying to remind him of his responsibilities.

  ‘Yes! That’s how I found out she’s disappeared. We were musterin’ and the cattle jumped the fence over there,’ he pointed, ‘and ended up on her place. I was so worried about her peonies, I rushed over to get them out, and that’s when I found the bow.’

  ‘What’s the big deal with the bow?’ asked Chloe.

  Julia turned to find her daughter standing right beside her. She hadn’t heard her come out.

  ‘You don’t get it, do you?’ Charlie shouted. ‘She’s worn that bow every day for the last fifty-five years. Matthias gave it to her!’

  Julia was shocked to see tears in his eyes.

  ‘Eeewwww, I hope she washed it occasionally!’ Chloe said, before Julia could stop her.

  An urgent shout came from the lakeside and Julia saw Rick running towards them. He wasn’t smiling.

  ‘Charlie?’ he called. ‘I think you’d better come.’

  Lottie Finch was sitting on a bench on the lake path in front of the cafe. Her eyes were closed and her head lolled to one side, but she was still clutching her book of love poems.

  Charlie’s cry of anguish could have been heard out on Rick’s island, Julia thought.

  ‘I was looking for the cattle,’ Rick said quietly to Julia. ‘Found her right here.’

  ‘Oh, Lottie, my love. Oh, my love …’ Charlie sank to his knees beside Lottie’s body and rested his head in her lap. The book she had loved so much dropped to the ground.

  Julia moved to pick it up, but Charlie cried, ‘Don’t! It’s the last thing she touched!’

  Rick pulled Julia back. She saw tears running down his face as he grappled for his mobile phone. He called the ambulance, then Ernie. It was obvious Lottie was gone, but Julia knew he had to go through the motions.

  They stood a short distance away, giving Charlie time and space. Rick held onto Julia like she was his anchor to the ground.

  Charlie wept, but wouldn’t let anyone near himself or Lottie. ‘Stay away from her,’ he yelled any time they tried to go close. ‘Stay away. Oh, my Lottie, my darling girl.’

  Ernie arrived and stood beside Rick and Julia, his old face crumpled in grief. ‘He couldn’t have her in life. Give him his time with her now,’ he said. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped at the tears pouring down his apple cheeks. ‘Death is cruel in so many ways. As well as taking someone you care for, it reminds you of all those you’ve lost before.’

  Rick didn’t respond. He was staring at Charlie, who was rocking his beloved Lottie back and forth, crooning like she was a baby who needed comfort.

  Julia felt intrusive watching, so she stared up at the sky instead. A wedge-tailed eagle soared overhead, riding the heated streams of air. She could see its mate hunting on the opposite hill, both intent on their search for food. Life went on regardless – that was the cruellest thing.

  ‘He never told her he loved her. Not once,’ Ernie whispered beside her.

  ‘Lottie never knew?’

  Ernie nodded, swiped at his eyes again.

  ‘Why?’ said Julia. What a waste of two lives!

  ‘She’d always loved Matthias, and I guess there was never a good time. Plus Charlie was thirteen years younger.’

  ‘But what’s that got to do with it?’

  Ernie smiled sadly. ‘Lottie considered herself a widow, and only a widow, after Matthias’s death. Closed her mind to any other man.’

  ‘Perhaps she had just one true love,’ said Rick, gazing at Julia.

  She blushed. He put his arm around her and pulled her into his chest.

  ‘I think Charlie decided that as long as he was close to her that would be enough,’ Ernie added. ‘The alternative wasn’t. I can understand that.’

  An ambulance siren could be heard in the distance.

  ‘That seems unnecessary,’ said Ernie. ‘I’ll go and meet them, ask them to hold off a little while.’

  Rick nodded, still holding onto Julia like a drowning man.

  She glanced up at him and realised he was very distressed.

  His lips brushed the top of her head. ‘What am I going to do with him?’ he mumbled. ‘I don’t know how to handle this.’

  Julia pulled back and kissed his lips. She felt the wetness of his tears on her own cheeks. ‘Of course you do. You’ll deal with this just like you deal with everything else. Co
mpetently and well.’

  ‘It reminds me of losing my parents,’ he said, and his eyes filled with tears again.

  She untangled herself and gave him a little shove towards Charlie. ‘Go on. He needs you.’

  The big man hesitated, but at her urging he moved towards his best friend. Julia heard him say quietly, ‘Charlie, mate.’ Saw him place his hand hesitantly on the older man’s shoulder.

  Finally, Charlie let Lottie go. Gently and reverently he sat her body against the bench, then turned and flung himself into Rick’s arms.

  ‘I loved her, Ricky. God, I loved her so much,’ he wept. ‘It’s so unfair.’

  ‘I know, mate. I know.’

  Julia turned as she heard the rattling of the ambulance trolley and the voices of its attendants coming down the path. Ernie was following behind, silent and thoughtful.

  Over his shoulder she could see Chloe standing alone on the verandah, looking down on them all. Her face was distorted, like she was trying not to cry, and Julia was struck by the thought that this must remind her of Sylvia’s death. An inherent need to protect her child sprang from deep within, surprising her. She made her way back to her, her heart thumping.

  ‘Chloe? Are you okay?’ Julia’s voice sounded wobbly even to her own ears. She stretched out a hand to her daughter who was obviously upset.

  The girl swiped roughly at her eyes. ‘Course I am. Go back to your boyfriend. I’m fine.’ And she spun and stalked back inside the cafe, leaving Julia alone on the verandah.

  Chapter 22

  Lottie Finch’s funeral was held the following Tuesday. It was a bright day, with a cloudless blue sky. The faded maroon bow had been returned to Lottie’s flaxen hair, and her book of poems was buried with her.

  In his eulogy Charlie told the congregation how Lottie had been found clutching her precious book of love poems. Perhaps Matthias had told her it was time for them to be together again.

  In the main body of the church, Rick took Julia’s hand. Surprised, she glanced up towards the man standing beside her. Rick’s gaze told her all she needed to know: he was as glad as she was that they were finally together again after so many years apart. She squeezed his fingers firmly in response.