The Shifting Light

by Alice Campion

  CHAPTER 22

  Thank god, thought Heath, as he closed the hangar door and walked towards Kurrabar’s homestead. Farming was a snap compared with managing the Minister’s office and the departmental bureaucracy. He often amused himself in meetings picturing him, Jet and the cattle dogs rounding up the pen-pushers and driving them towards a decision with a crack of the stockwhip. But no, every tiny thing had to be pulled apart and analysed in excruciating detail with hours of bickering.

  As he passed the machinery shed he caught a burnished gleam – something he’d almost finished making for Nina. It would have to wait.

  The long, low 1950s bungalow with its scattering of outbuildings had never looked more welcoming. The earth contours behind it were now covered with golden grass and sagebrush, their roots protecting the soil from erosion. Despite his exhaustion, he felt a swell of pride as he took it all in. If only Dad and Mum could be here to see this.

  Ben’s ute was gone. Probably out with Izzy. It had been a tough year for Ben as well – but they seemed to have climbed above the clouds and into the sunshine now. Nina’s car was here, though. Good.

  ‘Hey,’ he called, hanging his hat in the hallway. Wait. Some thing was different. In fact, everything was different.

  The plain coat-rack in the entranceway was gone and a hatstand shaped like a tree he vaguely remembered from Nina’s flat in Woolloomooloo had taken its place. By the door, umbrellas stood in a tall painted pot one of her students had made. Inside, Nina’s Japanese-print sofas had replaced the worn old inner-spring lounges of his childhood and her collection of netsuke was displayed beside his mother’s china collection in the glass cabinet. Even the walls were a different colour.

  ‘What do you think?’

  Nina stood shyly in the kitchen doorway wearing the same white, sheer slip she had worn at his engagement party so long ago. The night the fear set in – that there was another level of love and maybe he hadn’t found that with Deborah.

  ‘Wow,’ he said. ‘It all looks great. Especially you.’

  She beckoned him into the kitchen where her collection of 1950s china and canisters stood like colourful soldiers on the dresser.

  ‘It’s so much brighter,’ he said. ‘It looks amazing. What’s the word? Retro. I’m so glad you …’

  Heath turned to her, his heart full.

  But she held up her hand, face alight. ‘There’s more,’ she said.

  ‘Go on.’

  ‘I’ve decided to give Lachlan three weeks to leave. I’m starting to see what you mean about him.’

  Heath felt a wave of relief. Finally, that toxic presence would be out of their lives.

  ‘But the one thing Lachlan did teach me is that I can’t do every thing on my own,’ she added. ‘I need help. And I’m going to ask Izzy to be my business partner in the art retreat. I’ve spoken to the accountant. It can work.’

  ‘Ben’ll be rapt,’ he answered.

  ‘Absolutely.’

  ‘So, it’s all … good?’ he said disbelievingly. She nodded and they burst into laughter, holding on to each other for support. A month ago everything had seemed impossible – now nothing was.

  ‘There’s one more thing.’ There was an odd look in her eyes. What now?

  ‘I’m a bit nervous. Sorry.’ She cleared her throat, and then suddenly she was dropping onto one knee.

  ‘Are you okay?’ he asked, concerned.

  ‘My one regret is I never accepted your proposals – not fully. So, now I’m doing the asking. I know now I’ll love you forever. Will you marry me?’

  ‘Will I …?’ Heath groped for the right words, mesmerised by the green eyes that looked longingly up at him, tears forming at their edges.

  ‘Will you?’ she asked again gently.

  ‘Of course. Of course I’ll marry you,’ he whispered at last, bending low and drawing her up. He kissed her, tasting the salt of her tears. His hands slid down her slender body, feeling her warmth beneath that silky dress, the way he had when they had danced that first time.

  ‘There’s one other thing you have to see,’ she murmured into his neck.

  ‘What’s that?’

  ‘What I’ve done to the bedroom.’

  With a laugh, he picked her up and carried her, legs wrapped around him, to bed.

  ‘Hellooooo? Anyone?’

  ‘In here, Izz,’ Nina called from atop a stepladder in the living room. She laughed as she heard Izzy break into ‘All the Single Ladies’ from the entrance hall.

  ‘So at last Heathy put a ring on it! … Wah woh woh. Wah woh woh,’ sang Izzy in the doorway. ‘It’s official! I’m so happy for you both,’ she crowed. ‘I’ve brought chilled champers … no mean task out here, thank you.’

  ‘Glasses?’ asked Nina, stepping down from the ladder and giving Izzy a hug.

  ‘What do you think?’ she replied smiling.

  Nina took two glasses from the sideboard.

  Izzy surveyed the canvas Nina had been adjusting. From a distance it suggested rolling plains, but close up it revealed an intricate pattern of tiny cat’s eye prickles. ‘Looks much better over here,’ she said. ‘That one too.’ Izzy pointed at Nina’s portrait of Jim where he was walking away at Durham’s fountain.

  ‘That one’s having a break from The Springs. I’ve got plans for it,’ said Nina.

  ‘Whoa,’ Izzy exclaimed, as she moved to the sofa and dumped her bag. ‘This place is unrecognisable – in a good way.’

  ‘You like?’

  ‘I love. Ben said he’d catch up with us later. Heath out?’ asked Izzy, popping the champagne as Nina joined her on the lounge.

  ‘Yep. Back in an hour or so,’ Nina said, as her glass was filled. ‘So, I wanted you to be here a bit early because I need to ask you something.’

  ‘Wedding plans? Yes, please …’ Izzy replied, jiggling on her side of the lounge.

  ‘It’s about Lachlan,’ said Nina slowly.

  Izzy choked on her champagne.

  ‘Are you alright?’ asked Nina above Izzy’s coughs and splutters. She handed her a napkin.

  ‘Sure. Nup. All good. Must have gone down the wrong way. I didn’t spill any, did I?’ Izzy asked. She looked flustered, even upset.

  ‘Hey, Izz, it’s okay. It’s just a bit of champers,’ said Nina, concerned.

  Izzy sighed. ‘Okay, Nina. What is it? Though I think I already know.’

  ‘I’m sure you’ve sensed it,’ said Nina. ‘How things have got a bit awkward between Lachlan and me.’

  ‘Awkward?’ said Izzy. ‘He hasn’t tried to …’

  ‘It’s just, you know how he and Heath are. And then there was the business with the cattle. And he’s just always around. He’s starting to make me feel uncomfortable.’ Nina smiled. ‘Is that weird?’

  ‘No. Not at all,’ replied Izzy, gulping her drink.

  ‘It isn’t working anymore,’ sighed Nina. ‘I’m going to ask him to leave. I’ll give him three weeks to sort himself out. I feel horrible, seeing he’s just about my only Larkin rellie left in the world. But, well, I need to put us – Heath and me – first.’

  ‘Sure,’ said Izzy softly. ‘I can see that. It’s just …’

  ‘You think I’m being mean, don’t you?’ said Nina. ‘I know. I feel terrible about it but …’

  ‘No,’ said Izzy. ‘Don’t feel terrible for one second.’ She turned to look Nina in the eye. ‘I can’t tell you how relieved I am – if I wasn’t so knackered, I’d be doing cartwheels around Kurrabar.’

  ‘What?’ asked Nina, shocked.

  Izzy sighed and took Nina’s hand in hers. ‘I’m the one who has to tell you something. Something I should have told you way earlier.’

  ‘What is it? Are you okay?’

  ‘Yes, yes I’m fine – now. But a few weeks back things were very different.’ She paused. ‘Lachlan and I had a fling. It was brief and stupid and horrible …’

  ‘You and Lachlan?’ Nina’s mind flashed back to the day they were painting the mural
s – they’d been flirting. And at the ball. Izzy had been strangely preoccupied …

  ‘Look, Izzy – you’re an adult. It’s not really any of my business …’

  ‘Of course it’s your business,’ said Izzy. ‘We were both living at The Springs. Both working for you. It was stupid, stupid, stupid. I wanted to tell you – I came so close – but I couldn’t. I was embarrassed. Let my body rule my head, as usual.’

  ‘Don’t be so hard on yourself,’ said Nina. What else had Lachlan been up to behind her back?

  ‘At first, it was just a bit of fun – nothing serious,’ continued Izzy. ‘But then he became so, so – I don’t know. So cold,’ she said quietly. ‘He’s actually a bit of a bastard, and believe me, I know my bastards. I’m sorry, Nina.’

  ‘Poor Izz,’ said Nina, squeezing her hand. ‘So, what happened?’

  ‘I guess it’s more what didn’t happen,’ said Izzy, draining her glass. ‘He made it quite clear that I was only good for one thing. And then he became … well, kind of cruel.’

  ‘Cruel? Lachlan?’ The image of Lachlan whipping up eggs dressed in her apron popped into her head.

  ‘I know, I know. Hard to believe. But please, listen. He confronted me at the Show. Warned me against telling you, accused me of tell … He basically told me to keep my mouth shut.’

  Izzy refilled their glasses.

  ‘Shit.’ Nina slumped back on the lounge.

  ‘I’m so sorry to tell you this, Nina. I should have ages ago but I just couldn’t. And then he made himself indispensable to you.’

  Nina took a long sip. ‘Look. These things happen. I mean, how well do I even know him? Heath’s a great judge of character. I just wish I’d paid more attention to what he thought earlier. Anyway – Lachlan’s getting his marching orders. I think it’s definitely time he moved on now. He should get back to his real life.’

  The two sat quietly.

  ‘Can we keep this between us?’

  Nina nodded.

  ‘Nina, you said you needed to ask me something?’

  ‘Funnily enough,’ smiled Nina, ‘I was going to offer you a business partnership in the Painted Sky Retreat.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Once Lachlan’s gone, I’m going to need a lot more help, particularly with the bookwork. And we’re a pretty sharp unit, you and me. There won’t be loads in it for either or us, just yet.’ Nina paused to take in Izzy’s thoughtful face, whose eyes flickered as if her mind was ticking over.

  ‘If I move out here permanently I’d pretty much have to give up my other tour routes,’ Izzy finally said. ‘But I suppose I could take on more bookkeeping gigs.’

  ‘And you’d see heaps more of Ben.’ Nina smiled. ‘You don’t have to decide right now.’

  ‘Are you serious? I’ve been racking my brains trying to think how I could stay out here without running into Lachlan all the time, not to mention how I could afford it, and you’ve solved it.’ Izzy clapped her hands. ‘The answer is a big fat yes.’

  They clinked glasses.

  ‘Awesome. You’ve brought so much business out here. With you properly on board we can grow it. And I need the time and head-space to paint more. We’ll have to work out the details as to who does what, but plenty of time for that.’

  ‘Oh my god. There’s so much to think about,’ said Izzy with the widest smile. ‘I can’t wait to tell Ben. You know … he’s been great,’ she said finally.

  Nina raised her eyebrows.

  ‘I told him about Lachlan. Way back.’

  ‘He’s a keeper, Izzy, trust me.’

  ‘I know that. Did he mention he’s coming down to Sofala with my history tour group next weekend?’

  ‘Might have …’ smiled Nina.

  ‘It could be the last tour I take out there now.’

  ‘Ben told me he can’t wait to see where Barkin’ Larkin and his mate struck gold.’

  ‘I know. Something else to look forward to. Apart from … well.’

  Nina put her glass down and put her arms around her friend. ‘I’m so happy for you.’

  ‘Thanks,’ said Izzy before pulling away. ‘Just one thing. Have you told Lachlan yet?’

  ‘No,’ she sighed in reply. ‘But I will soon.’

  ‘It’s just that …’ started Izzy. ‘No, don’t worry.’

  There were two double bedrooms.

  Izzy fumbled with the keys at the front door as Ben made his way down the path on his crutches.

  ‘Rainbow’s End,’ Izzy said excitedly in front of the old stone cottage. ‘We were obviously destined to stay here – just hope the name isn’t a bad omen.’

  ‘Can’t see that being the case,’ said Ben quietly. He felt strangely nervous.

  Izzy opened the door, marched up the hall and put her bags in what she declared the ‘prettiest’ room.

  Ben followed slowly and peeked in the bedroom doorway. It was ‘pretty’, he supposed, but the main thing that caught his eye was the king-size bed, the welcoming champagne bucket by one side. And through a doorway he could just make out a spa bath.

  ‘So … I’ll just put my stuff in the other room, or …?’ He hovered awkwardly in the hallway on his crutches.

  ‘Um … whatever you think,’ said Izzy.

  Ben cursed himself. Now she, too, seemed embarrassed. He dropped his small backpack in ‘his’ room and then went to find her. He poked his head in that room. No sign.

  ‘In here.’ Her voice came from the front of the cottage, the sitting room.

  ‘On my way,’ he called, hoping his voice sounded less unsure than he felt. What was wrong with him? He’d been looking forward to this trip to Sofala ever since it was on the radar. He knew what was wrong. Izzy seemed so comfortable with him, but what would she think when she saw him naked?

  However, the moment he saw her in the cosy room, he felt himself relax. She was standing stiffly, red in the face, holding her breath and trying to stifle a huge laugh. The minute Ben burst into giggles, so did she. He moved to the couch and she sat on his lap and, between gasps, kissed him. They held each other’s gaze.

  ‘So, when do you have to drag yourself away from me?’ said Ben, nuzzling her neck.

  ‘Ugh, about five minutes ago.’

  ‘Hurry back.’

  ‘I will.’

  Once it became too dark to read anymore, Ben closed the latest book club pick, The Road. Brutal but brilliant. He wondered what Izzy made of it – she had lent him her hard copy. He moved inside from the deck overlooking the river onto the couch. He knew he was lucky to be able to use crutches to get around. It seemed to take him forever to get from A to B as opposed to his wheelchair, but it meant he was able to go to places like this. Yep, he thought again as he settled back on the cushions and sucked on a bullseye sweet from the touristy general store. He was very lucky. All day when he was in town he had caught glimpses of Izzy and her group – a flash of her auburn hair bustling into the museum; her silhouette walking across the bridge to the graveyard, her round behind hopping on a minibus to visit the old diggings. It was tantalising. When would she be back? His hands itched to touch her.

  The cottage was nice enough. Oldie-worldie, Mum would have called it, but with modern touches. That bed. That bath. A private place for the two of them while her charges stayed at the village’s 19th-century beauty, The Royal Hotel.

  This weekend would be huge for Izzy, thought Ben. Her last tour out here and her first night with him.

  ‘Don’t mess it up,’ he muttered to himself. Now she was going to be at The Springs permanently, he had to get things off to a good start. He would pretty much be able to see her every day if he wanted to. And he did want to. He was missing her now, for fuck’s sake.

  And then suddenly she was there.

  ‘Hi. Sorry I’m late.’ She dropped her bag on the floor and slumped next to him on the cushion-strewn couch.

  ‘We’ve got half an hour till we have to meet them for dinner at the pub,’ she sighed.

  ‘Be
tter than nothing. How was it?’ asked Ben.

  ‘You know those people who repeat the last couple of words of everything you say?’

  ‘Everything you say?’ said Ben.

  ‘I’ve got one of those in this group.’

  ‘This group?’ echoed Ben.

  ‘Stop it, you’re driving me insane,’ she said, picking up a cushion.

  ‘Insane,’ repeated Ben.

  Izzy whacked him on the head and he threw his hands up in surrender.

  ‘So, did you find any gold when you went panning?’ he asked.

  ‘I did actually. Check it out.’

  Izzy pulled a plastic vial from her pocket and held it up. In the water, twinkling amid the silt, were specks of gold.

  ‘Eureka,’ said Ben, pulling her closer. ‘I was thinking of Barkin’ Larkin today.’

  ‘Me too.’

  ‘I could just picture him around here, living under canvas or in some shanty. The bush is so bloody dense.’

  ‘To a desert rat like you, I suppose it is.’

  ‘And the valley’s so narrow and deep, it always seems to be in shadow. I’d be hanging out for open space and sunshine if I lived here.’

  ‘Yeah, I know what you mean. Bit spooky.’

  Izzy kicked off her shoes and Ben opened the champagne.

  ‘I wonder when the rot set in with Barkin’ and his panning partner?’ he said.

  ‘Do you really think Barkin’ murdered him? I mean, we don’t know for sure he was even here. Unless you found something today.’

  ‘Nah, plenty of other interesting stuff in the museum, but no mention of our man. It was just great to soak it all up, though. I’m glad I came.’

  ‘So am I.’ Izzy turned to him and smiled. They clinked glasses. ‘We could skip dinner at the pub. They won’t miss us.’ She shot him a look that was so candid, he felt himself stir.

  They’d barely been able to stay away from one another since that night at the Show. They’d almost fallen into bed more than once, but he knew she needed time. They both did. When the moment came, it had to be for real, he had told himself. No bullshit, no playing around.

  She seemed as nervous as he was. They sat side by side on the couch, staring ahead at the fading print of Drysdale’s Sofala. He took her hand and their fingers entwined. Then Izzy’s touch changed, it became lighter as she caressed his hand.