by Margaret Way
She went. She dared not stay a moment longer before she beat out her sense of utter helplessness and frustration against the steely wall of his chest.
The richest man in town had died; so rich even the rich called him rich. Accordingly almost the entire township turned out to lay Leo Templeton to rest. It poured with rain yet most people elected to attend the graveside service when Clio wouldn’t have blamed anyone for not wanting to stand in the heavy rain. As it happened, just about everyone did, except for those well on in years. People were not only determined to pay their last respects, they had to be seen to be doing it. Leo had died in the ambulance on his way to hospital from his massive heart attack.
Most people would take their leave, but family and close friends had been invited back to the house. The same sad old ritual. The gathering. The eating, drinking, even the subdued laughter. It didn’t seem appropriate to Clio. She hadn’t cried through the service. Bizarrely she had to fight back a laugh because the mourners in their black clothes with raised black umbrellas put her in mind of colonies of tropical fruit bats. Part hysteria, she knew. Anyway, she did her crying in private. Stoic in adversity. It could have been the Templeton mantra. Not that there had been much in the way of financial adversity. But clearly money wasn’t everything. The rich couldn’t escape the dying of the light any more than the poor, though the funerals of the rich usually drew much bigger crowds.
Directly opposite, the Crowley family had turned out in force. Old Paddy Crowley was suited up like Darth Vader. Vince and Jimmy were making a ridiculous show of sadness. Real tears welled up in poor Susan’s eyes. When she could, she was going to have to do something about Susan Crowley’s situation. Women’s affairs, the family courts, had always interested her. She had spent enough time in the backwaters of Templetons. She had to take the plunge into real life. Even deeply distressed, she couldn’t help the flare-up of irritation at the way Jimmy kept staring at her. Funny how she despised Jimmy yet she liked and felt sorry for him at the same time. The Crowleys had to be mad to cling to the idea she and Jimmy would make a match of it. That was well and truly burying one’s head in the sand.
It was impossible to miss Josh, even though he stood well back in the crowd. He hadn’t bothered with an umbrella. He wore an expensive black raincoat over his clothes. The rain had drenched his blond hair, darkening the colour.
“What’s he doing here?” Lyle demanded angrily of his daughter, as everyone began to head for their cars. The tension in him was so palpable it hung around them like a cloud. “I tell you I won’t have it,” he declared, hostile even in deep distress. “He killed Dad. You know it. I know it. The town knows it.”
Clio bit her lip until a speck of blood appeared. “Only because you let the rumour get started, Dad,” she said, feeling tremendous shame. “I never would have believed my own dear father could be so vindictive. Josh Hart has never hurt you. He saved Ella’s life. We simply don’t know what happened. I think it highly unlikely Josh would have persisted in trying to sell any project to Leo he was against. That wouldn’t have happened. We both knew Leo. Usually he and Josh were of one mind. If anyone could have swung it with Grandad, it would have been Josh. I think I might ask you why Keeley didn’t come. She didn’t want to get wet?”
Lyle’s expression was mortified. “Keeley wanted to be here but she’s taken Dad’s death unexpectedly hard. I was the one who told her she needn’t come to the graveside service, but she will come to the house.”
“A stellar effort! You don’t know how much joy that gives me, Dad. There was no love lost between Leo and Keeley.” She knew she should have let it slide, but she was so overwrought she didn’t. She had adored her grandfather, even though she had lived with his benign domination. She hadn’t been with him when he’d died. That was a deep grief.
“Why are you saying this now, Clio?” Lyle asked in anguish.
“Sorry, Dad. We’re both terribly upset. People tend to say what they really mean when they’re horrendously upset. Go back to the car. The worst of the rain appears to be over. There’s a chink of blue over there. The sun is breaking through. I want to have a quick word with Josh.”
Lyle lifted his head to the heavens. “Lord, give me strength!” he implored. “I love you, Clio. You’re my only child. I’m only trying to protect you.”
Clio gently touched his arm. “Try protecting yourself, Dad,” she advised, and turned away.
She had to run across the grass, her high heels sinking into the wet turf and hindering her progress. “Josh!” she called out. “Please wait.”
He made her come to him. When she was within a couple of feet of him he moved to take her arm and draw her beneath the shelter of a massive Moreton Bay fig. One of the biggest and most robust trees in the world, its giant roots sprawled over a wide area, its great prop roots supporting the trunk. Josh chose a clear section for them to stand.
“Thank you for coming,” she said breathlessly. Her heart was thrumming. There was a dryness in her throat. He meant so much to her yet he looked so unapproachable, commanding, austere. His blue eyes transfixed her where she stood. She had never ever seen such an intensely focused regard.
“Why would I not?” Josh answered. “Not even your father putting it around town I caused Leo’s death would have prevented me coming. I’m glad Bart McMannus didn’t share his views. A warning you might pass on to your father. He had better keep out of my way. This isn’t a good time for me either.”
The wind blew a little flurry of spent yellow leaves onto his wide shoulders. He left them there. “I’m so sorry, Josh.” Her voice cracked with emotion. “Losing my mother all but finished Dad off.”
“Keeley will do the rest,” he stated bluntly.
Clio gave a deep sigh. “It’s always a shock when people reveal aspects of themselves that were never previously there. Dad’s mind has become a little skewed. You have to understand the way Leo thinking the world of you impacted on my father. You weren’t family, but Leo loved you.”
“Nonsense, Clio,” he responded bluntly. “The only person who has ever loved me was my mother. Leo and I shared similar aims and interests. I respected his business acumen greatly. I acknowledge I have a great deal to thank him for. But you could never say he loved me. That’s vastly overstating it.”
“No, it’s not.” She swayed a little shakily. Straight away he reached for her, steadying her with his hands on her shoulders. There was great intimacy in the gesture. The air around them turned as electric, as if they were caught in the middle of a severe thunderstorm. “You don’t want to be loved, Josh.” Her gaze was at once compassionate and challenging. “You have plenty of women in the town in love with you.”
“And not one I want.” He abruptly released her, thinking of the flame inside him that would never burn out.
Clio found herself pleading. “Don’t shut me out, Josh.” She felt so sad and lonely it was all she could do not to break down and weep.
If only he would hold me. He was immensely strong.
“Clio, for God’s sake!” For the first time he showed real emotion, as though he had flashed onto her feelings. “I’m trying to discourage you from making a big mistake.”
“Ah, to hell with that!” The words flew from her lips. “What mistake would that be, Josh?”
His sculpted mouth took on a bitter curl. “You know. Better to stick to the noli me tangere policy.” It hurt him terribly to see her beautiful face grow even paler, but he couldn’t possibly expose her to more trauma. She must have found all the gossip about them acutely embarrassing, yet she seemed to think it was okay they become close. Many people in the town thought just the opposite. Not that he gave a damn about them. His only concern was to protect Clio from all harm and spurious gossip. He knew she had an enemy in her stepmother. Keeley wouldn’t think twice about hurting Clio, adding embellishments to all the malicious whispers. The way to protect Clio was for him to conceal his true feelings. Not all that difficult, surely? He had done just tha
t for almost his entire life.
Right versus wrong; love versus hate. He wasn’t sure what it was he felt for Clio. He had precious little experience of what people called love. He only knew he wanted her more than he wanted anything in the world. Was that love? Was love a driving need? Was love immense pleasure in the sight and sound of her? He would do anything to keep her safe. He would punish anyone who hurt her. Was that love? What did he know about love anyway? He knew a great deal about pain and the multiple ways it was inflicted. He knew about suffering and being stoic. He knew about lust, the lust that had been felt for him as a handsome boy. He knew about learning to protect himself. He’d become better than good at that. He knew about losing his only parent before he could possibly look after himself. Love simply hadn’t existed right through the years that had formed him. Maybe he wasn’t allowed to love? Maybe happiness would forever elude him? What he did know was that love came with loss.
Clio looked up at him as he stood there in brooding silence. “What are you thinking about, Josh?” she asked quietly. “What is it you’re looking for?” She continued to stare up at him as though determined to get the truth out of him.
His brow knitted. “I’m looking not to cause you further harm, Clio. If you turn your head, you’ll see quite a few people are staring our way. Your father is standing beside his car, talking to the Crowleys, who really are scumbags. But it seems they’re more acceptable than I am. Old Paddy with his death’s-head grin. How do you stand nice Jimmy never taking his eyes off you? The way I see it, your father is anxious for you to return to the fold. Is he so blind he can’t see what the Crowleys are all about? I might have to exclude Jimmy. He has no real sense of himself. He just does what he’s told.”
“Dad likes to see the best in people,” Clio offered, halfheartedly.
“It’s an easy option.” Josh’s response was cynical. “He condones the likes of the Crowleys, yet he truly believes I’m no good.”
Clio’s brilliant dark eyes flashed. “I think it more likely he believes you too good,” she said spiritedly. “It’s struck me recently that much as I loved Leo and I love my father, both men in my life have demanded total allegiance from me.”
His beautiful mouth twisted. “So you’ve finally figured it out?”
“Do you feel contempt for me?”
“God, no!” he said explosively. He was mad with wanting her.
“I’m glad of that. But I never rebelled, did I? Leo ruled us with an iron fist wrapped in a velvet glove. He had control of you through his trusteeship. You were just a boy and you were required to tread a straight line. You must have had a lot of strength even then to maintain it after you’d virtually run wild. As for me, I’m not finding excuses, but I lost my mother at a critical time. A girl needs her mother. I know you’re very brave, Josh. I know you’ve had to gird yourself in armour to survive. I know we’ve got a bond. I want it to go deeper. I know exactly what I want. I want us to be friends. Don’t let everyone else win, Josh. I’m not nine. I’m a woman now. I intend taking my life into my own two hands.”
“Then you’d better be prepared for a battle,” he said. He looked down into her beautiful face. Her flawless skin was much paler than usual but glowing and dewy in the rain. Little tendrils of her dark hair curled around her temples and wisped out onto her cheeks. “We can’t make this right, Clio. Things have to settle. A lot of people feed on gossip. They’ve had a field day in recent times. I’m so sorry for that. Now they’ve been given the idea I was in some way responsible for Leo’s death.”
Hot tears sprang into her eyes. “Then they’re very bad judges of character.”
“Maybe.” He gazed over her head. “Your dad has grown tired of waiting, it seems. He’s coming towards us. Don’t let him get here, Clio,” he advised. “I’d like to see him hit the turf. But I’d hate you to see it.”
There was a coiled tension in his superbly fit body. She could see it was straining for release. No way was she going to get Josh into trouble. And it could happen. “It’s okay, Josh,” she said swiftly. “I’ll go.” She turned back for a moment, her beautiful eyes so full of sorrow he was desperate to offer whatever comfort he could, but knew he couldn’t. Certainly not here. “I had hoped you’d come back to the house,” she said, “but that’s out of the question?”
“Absolutely.” The dark timbre of his voice was as dry as ash.
She moved on. She had so wanted to give Josh her stamp of approval. She knew Leo had left the family home to her. She was expected to fill it with her children, Templeton descendants. “I’ll give it a little time,” she called back, lifting a hand in farewell.
CHAPTER THREE
LEO TEMPLETON had appointed one of his closest friends, Supreme Court Judge Henry Morgenstern, as executor of his will. The family had to wait a day for the judge to arrive, and now various members of the high-finance Templeton clan that counted in the children, grandchildren, cousins, even second cousins, were gathered in Leo’s study, with Henry seated behind the massive partner’s desk, with its elaborately carved lion’s paws for feet. Henry had pushed some papers to one side, before polishing away an invisible speck on his glasses. Next, he looked up over the top of his spectacles at those present, all of whom he knew. “Not much here you don’t know, my dear friends.” At least one surprise, however.
Inside Clio was quaking. She was certain Leo would have made mention of Josh in his will. Now she awaited confirmation with very real trepidation. Her father had it in for Josh, and no mistake. She knew the root cause was jealousy. And a lot of it was Leo’s fault. Leo had treated Josh in a different way from her father. Her father might lack Leo’s brilliance and Midas touch—he didn’t really understand money, probably because he’d never had to make it—but he had always applied himself very diligently to everything that was asked of him. With Josh Hart increasingly on the scene, her father might well have perceived himself not as Leo’s only son but a second string.
Such things happened. There was nothing ordinary about Josh. He was as exotic as a young lion. That had appealed greatly to her grandfather, who in his youth had exuded great physical attraction along with immense vigour and vitality. These days, with his marriage moving inexorably towards divorce, her father would believe his life was getting emptier and emptier with every passing day. Once a divorce was in full swing, he could go traveling—open his heart, his mind and his eyes. He could find the right woman. It wasn’t out of the question. He was much too young to shut down. There had to be light at the end of the tunnel. One had to believe it. Clio made up her mind she would have a long talk with her father.
He was speaking now, his tone bombastic. “I’d appreciate it, Henry, if you’d read my father’s will to us now.”
Clio caught her breath. The relatives looked shocked. Lyle was always a gentleman, sweet, with exceedingly good manners.
“No point in delaying.” Lyle sat virtually centre stage with Keeley on one side, overdressed for a will-reading, an extremely valuable necklet of South Sea pearls around her throat, which she kept fingering to make sure it was still there, and his beautiful daughter in a simple dark grey silk dress on the other. Leo’s two sisters, married rich, handsome women, perfectly attired, sat in the second row. Both lived in Melbourne, Sarah with her retired neurosurgeon husband, Delphine with her husband, a retired investment banker. Other members of the extended family, a small crowd, had pulled up chairs, positioning themselves where best they could.
“Of course, Lyle.” Judge Morgenstern tolerated the terseness of “young” Lyle’s request, because he could see how tremendously upset Leo’s only son was. He knew well in advance this wasn’t going to be easy. In fact, he anticipated a big problem. Someone definitely wouldn’t like this. Maybe the lot of them.
“If you would, please, Henry.” Clio gave him her lovely smile, making up for her father’s curt tone. She was clearly embarrassed. The judge smiled back. He was very fond of Clio. She needed to get away from her father’s influence. F
or that matter, the judge considered Leo had done his best to clip Clio’s wings. Clio was a very clever young woman. She had done extremely well at university, only it had become glaringly apparent Leo couldn’t bear to have his granddaughter out of his sight. In the Templeton family, going back many long years, sons were the thing. Daughters had different roles entirely.
By the time Henry had finished the reading, a kind of chaos reigned. Lyle was clenching the armrests of his chair so tightly his knuckles showed white, while rage had put red into his handsome face. His whole life had gone to pot! And he knew how it had happened.
It was painfully obvious to all that Lyle was trying desperately to keep himself together. No comfort from his wife, who was smiling and staring upward with an expression of near ecstasy, as though seeing a splendid vision. Not the religious kind.
“Do you mean to tell me Leo left that young man Aquarius?” Delphine asked her great-niece in wonderment. They all knew Josh’s history and how Leo had taken the “bad boy in town” under his mantle.
“Don’t forget the rest of it!” Lyle shouted, shoving his armchair back so violently Clio had to move fast to prevent it ramming Great-Aunt Delphine’s distinguished husband, who was looking aghast at Lyle’s lack of decorum and control. The Lyle they had always known had morphed into someone else entirely.