by Di Morrissey
‘It’s addressed to Mum. I’d better give it to her to open,’ Sally said, and put the smaller envelope back into the large brown one. They searched the rest of the cabinet but came up empty-handed.
‘Well, that little search didn’t lead to much,’ Jessica said as they walked back to the main house.
‘Let’s hear what Terry has to say, and then our lawyer will tackle Broadbent’s solicitor. I don’t want to see that man Broadbent in person, he’s too scary, and after that letter, I think he’s unstable,’ said Sally. She put the brown envelope in the farm office and the two women walked into the kitchen, where Toby was sitting at the table with his laptop.
‘We didn’t find anything, unfortunately,’ she told him. ‘Just something addressed to Mum – could be anything, though.’
Toby rubbed his eyes. ‘Man, this is a nightmare. Maybe the trip to Hobart and seeing Terry will help. I hope all this isn’t distracting you too much from your interview for that job, Jess.’
‘Thanks, Toby. It’s not exactly like a school exam! I can only be honest and say what I think and feel,’ said Jessica.
But Jessica was nonetheless nervous as she packed a small bag after considering what to wear to her interview. Toby and Sally had decided they would drive up with her so they could all meet with Terry, and Jessica was glad of the company. However she thought she should give her friends some space, so she arranged to stay with Carmen rather than at the hotel they’d booked.
Mollie insisted on remaining behind with Katie. ‘I’ll be fine here,’ she assured them. ‘The pickers are all still here working, after all, so there are plenty of people about. Ask Terry if he wants to come back with you, or come again soon with Dan,’ she added. ‘And good luck, Jess!’
*
Toby and Sally dropped Jessica at Carmen’s house and arranged to meet her at the Botanical Gardens the next day.
Carmen embraced Jessica. ‘Good to see you, and I’m so sorry to hear about Sally’s problems. Dan said Sally’s mother received some sort of threatening letter and a solicitor is contesting a will from generations ago. Sounds mad to me, but her mother must be distraught. Why is this man causing such trouble?’
‘We’re not sure. It’s a long story that goes back to Sally’s grandfather’s day. It’s terrible how things can come back to haunt you decades later.’
Carmen shook her head in concern. ‘Come and sit down, take your mind off it by telling me about this job. Where would you be working?’
‘Out in the field a lot; depends what issue the agency is dealing with, whether it’s ocean, land or forest. I could move anywhere, really, though I think initially the project they’re working on is here in Tassie.’
‘From what you told me over the phone, it sounds like a cross between the CSIRO, Greenpeace and the Department of the Environment,’ said Carmen. ‘Well, whether you’d be doing research or promotion of their work, your passion will shine through. I’m sure they’ll see that too. Now, Sean and I have a function to attend tonight, but you’re welcome to hang out here and make yourself some dinner.’
‘Actually, I’m going to dinner with Dan, but thank you. Seeing him will distract me from the interview tomorrow – and this terrible business at Arcadia,’ said Jessica.
*
Dan hugged her tightly after Jessica opened the door, then kissed her.
Jessica drew a breath and laughed as they pulled apart. ‘Wow, anyone would think we hadn’t seen each other in years!’
He smiled and took her hand. ‘It feels like years.’
‘Thanks for offering dinner. I don’t want to make it a late night, though, my interview is first thing in the morning.’
‘Grab your coat then, and let’s go.’
As they stepped outside into the twilight, Dan asked, ‘How are you feeling about tomorrow?’
‘Well, I’ve got this far, so I don’t know what else I can do but answer as honestly as I can. If I get this job it’ll be good for me to get back into the real world and start working again.’
His grip tightened on her hand as they walked down the road towards the waterfront. ‘Time out is useful sometimes.’
‘You’re right, and I can never thank Sally and the family enough for putting up with me. But now I feel ready to get on with my life.’
‘That’s good, but I was going to suggest a little more time out. Once you’ve finished all your business tomorrow and seen Terry, that is,’ said Dan.
‘Oh yes? I’m sure that can be arranged,’ said Jessica, laughing.
‘I was hoping to come down to Arcadia again, and wanted to ask if you’d like to travel with me.’
‘Sure. Of course.’ She leaned her head against his shoulder. ‘So where are we having dinner? I love the waterfront.’
‘Follow me, I want you to see something before it gets dark.’
They walked along the cobblestones, past the convict-built warehouses where lights from surrounding buildings were glimmering on the calm harbour waters, past jetties and moorings where rigging lights twinkled and metal stays jingled as boats bobbed on the night-time sea. Cabin lights glowed, there was an occasional burst of laughter, and the smell of food drifted across the air as the small community of seafarers settled for the evening.
Dan stopped. ‘What do you think?’
‘It’s lovely. Such a pretty setting. So romantic.’
He leaned over and kissed her. ‘Good, glad you approve of her.’
‘Huh? Who?’ said Jessica.
Dan pointed. ‘The Lady Jane, over there.’
Jessica looked again, and saw that he was pointing at a tidy sloop of burnished teak and fresh white paint. Below the cockpit, portholes looked out from what appeared to be a comfortable interior.
‘That sloop?’
‘Uh-huh, she’s an Arthur Robb thirty-five-footer, well, a bit over ten metres, a Sloop Classic Yacht, late 1960s, but in good nick,’ said Dan proudly. ‘Four berths, lots of space. She’s raced in the Sydney to Hobart. But easy to sail solo.’
‘And she’s yours?’ said Jessica incredulously, turning to look at Dan.
Dan grinned. ‘Once I worked out I’d be spending more and more time in Hobart working on the projects here, I decided to start looking for a boat I could live on. The Lady Jane came up for sale and I settled last week. I thought we could sail back to Arcadia. Well, to Burridge.’
‘You’re joking! I mean, that’s amazing. How fabulous! Of course. Oh, wow!’
Dan chuckled. ‘The weather is looking good, so if we leave after lunch, when you’re finished with Terry, we can moor somewhere for the night and get to Burridge in time for morning tea.’
‘So we’re not going out to dinner, after all? Are you sleeping on board tonight?’
‘No. Much as I’d like to invite you on board this evening, she’s not quite fitted out yet. But by lunchtime tomorrow she’ll be all shipshape, provisioned, and ready to go. I hoped you’d agree.’
Jessica threw her arms around him and kissed him. ‘That’s so romantic. You know I love to sail.’
‘C’mon, let’s go eat. There’s a great little seafood place up here.’
Holding hands, they wandered away from the waterfront to a small taverna.
*
Jessica walked slowly out of the building, putting on her sunglasses in the glare of the mid-morning sun.
The past hour had gone by in a blur as she’d jumped through the hoops of the interview process in front of the panel of four charged with making a decision about her prospects. She’d dressed carefully, pulling her hair back into a neat knot, and keeping her make-up subtle. The interview had been wide-ranging, covering everything from a mock media interview to her feedback on a promotional video and her views on climate change and energy. While not canvassing her political views, she was asked penetrating questions on how to influence govern
ment bodies, where she thought changes needed to be made, how she saw the future prospects for specific environments, habitats and wildlife. Finally they’d asked her why she wanted this job.
She hoped she’d made a good impression and that they’d seen her passion and heart as she’d talked about how Tasmania had changed her.
As Jessica walked into the sunshine she had no idea how she had fared, but she thanked her lucky stars that she’d met Dan, Carmen and Sean Hyland, and that she knew good people like Toby and Mollie. Above all, she thought about how lucky she was to have Sally as her dearest friend.
Well, it was done, and she could only be patient now and wait to hear from them. It was time to move forward to the next step on her journey, she told herself.
She met Sally and Toby for a quick lunch at the Botanical Gardens, then Dan joined them and they went to meet Terry.
He was sitting at a table in the sun, at the rear of the conservatory, his eyes closed, his white hair shining in the warm sunlight.
Dan tapped him on the shoulder. ‘Visitors, mate.’
‘Aha! How lovely!’ Terry smiled.
‘Don’t get up, we’ll squeeze in around you,’ said Sally.
‘Fine, fine. Where’s your mum?’
‘Holding the fort, looking after Katie. Who sends you a kiss, by the way. She loves that owl you gave her.’
‘We’re in town on errands, and Jess went for a job interview,’ said Toby.
And as Terry gave her a questioning look and a raised thumb, Jessica replied, ‘No idea yet, but fingers crossed, Terry.’
Dan leaned forward, cutting to the chase. ‘Okay. I’ve told you about the solicitor’s letter, Terry, and then the threatening note from Gordon Broadbent, and, well, we wondered if you knew anything about Stephen and Hilda Holland that could be helpful,’ he said.
‘So what do you think, Terry?’ asked Sally anxiously. ‘About my grandfather? Mum said he would never have hurt anyone. Do you know anything about that time when he was married to Hilda? Did your mother ever talk about it, or mention anything, perhaps . . .?’
Terry paused, looking down at his hands. ‘Dr Holland was a good doctor. I remember him in that polio time when I was a kid. He saved a lot of lives. My parents respected him.’ He paused, then looked up at them. ‘In her last years, Mum and I had a lot of talks. And she sat me down and told me things she felt I should know. She told me that Hilda had always been delicate, and in the end she was very sick, maybe it was cancer, they never said. But she suffered for a long time and towards the end, back in those days, there wasn’t a lot that could be done for her. Mum said Doc Holland adored her and couldn’t bear to see her in such awful pain. So he, well –’ Terry took a deep breath ‘– he made it easier for her. At the very end, Mum said the first Mrs Holland’s suffering was really terrible, so Dr Holland got some medicine to ease her pain and, well, help her go, if you get my drift.’
‘He euthanased her?’ said Toby quietly.
‘He let her die in peace,’ said Terry firmly. ‘Mum said she passed with a smile and holding his hand.’
‘Your mother was present?’ asked Dan softly.
‘The doc asked her to be there, apparently. Asked her to witness it, like. Only my mother and the doc knew what happened. Mum didn’t tell anyone apart from me and Mrs H – Stella, that is – after the doc himself passed. It would be impossible to prove.’ He paused. ‘Mum told me all about it but she made me swear first that I wouldn’t mention it to anyone outside of the Holland family. She wanted me to know so that one day, if someone ever told your mother, Sally, like Broadbent has done, then I could fill her in on the actual situation.’
‘So, my grandfather helped the woman he loved to die. That is so sad,’ said Sally.
‘My mother thought about writing it all down as a record to protect Dr Holland’s name, but she soon realised that could be used against him. So she told me instead,’ Terry said. ‘I hope it’s all right that I’ve told you.’
Jessica took his hand as the old man fell silent. Finally he looked up and said, ‘I don’t believe anything about a forged will, Sally. Dr Holland didn’t help his wife to die because he wanted the land.’
‘Do you have any idea why Gordon Broadbent would be bringing all of this up now, after all this time?’ asked Jessica.
Terry shrugged. ‘Mum told me old Mr Broadbent stayed in touch with your grandfather, but that his son John always hated the Hollands, both Stella and the doc. He never stopped believing that Arcadia should have been his. I think Joseph, their old man, kept John in line while he was alive, and maybe his brother, Thomas, did too. Don’t know why John’s son would bring all this up now, though. He’d be in his sixties himself, I reckon. Seems very strange.’
‘We believe it’s because of the rare fungi and the value of the old forest on Arcadia,’ said Sally. ‘Gordon Broadbent’s been stealing from Arcadia and manufacturing something with the rare mushrooms. He’s probably been doing it for years but maybe his research is cranking up and he’s ready to start manufacturing products, if he can.’
‘Hmm. He’s supposed to be pretty clever. His father and uncle certainly were. Mum read about them in the paper a few times.’
‘You’ve been a huge help, Terry,’ said Jessica. ‘Thank you.’
‘You’re like part of the family,’ said Sally, reaching over to squeeze his other hand. ‘Mum said she’d love to see you again. Come down any time.’
‘Thank you, pet,’ said Terry, suddenly misty-eyed. ‘Arcadia always felt like home for my brothers and sisters and me. Mum and Dad felt the same way. Your grandmother was very good to my mum, let her stay on at the cottage,’ he said.
Sally smiled and Jessica added, ‘Yep, they’re a special family all right. They belong at Arcadia.’
They all sat quietly for a moment, taking in everything they’d just heard, until Dan glanced at his watch. ‘I think we might have to make a move. Jess and I are heading back to Arcadia.’
‘Sailing back!’ exclaimed Jessica, clapping her hands. ‘In Dan’s sloop, the Lady Jane.’
‘What? Dan, you devil, how fabulous!’ cried Sally.
‘We need to reach a cove I know before it gets dark, to moor for the night. We’ll lob into Burridge in time for morning tea,’ Dan said, smiling.
Toby grinned. ‘We’ll be there to meet you, mate, as arranged.’
‘So you knew all about this, Toby?’ Sally said, laughing. ‘Katie will be so excited. She loves boats.’
They all gathered their things and stood up. Sally gave Terry a hug. ‘I can’t thank you enough for sharing this,’ she said.
‘It’s all thanks to my mum really,’ Terry said. ‘Tell Mollie I’ll take her up on the offer to visit in a week or so. Thank you.’
*
When the four of them were heading back to the main gates of the Gardens, Sally shook her head. ‘I’m still trying to process all this. The Jameses really were like family for my grandparents. It’s good we’ve connected with Terry.’
‘Hearing what Mrs James told Terry is reassuring, but it won’t stop Broadbent from making trouble,’ said Toby. ‘He could still say that Stephen Holland killed his wife, forged a will, and he might carry through with his threat of trying to prove it. And maybe he really does have a legal document saying that Arcadia should have gone to the oldest living Broadbent, which is him.’
They walked past the coolly beautiful fernery, mist spraying onto the path from the ferns and waterfall. Jessica was deep in thought, holding Dan’s hand. Then she stopped.
‘Sal . . . I’m thinking. The notes we found, the photos . . . of, you know, Stella and the Adonis . . .’
‘You mean, Thomas Adonis! Poor Thomas. Who was actually brilliant Thomas Broadbent?’ said Sally.
‘The note she left for him . . . I have to stop seeing you . . .’
‘What are yo
u talking about?’ asked Dan.
Sally stared at Jessica, her meaning suddenly hitting her. ‘My grandmother told Thomas she couldn’t see him any more, and broke off their relationship. Do you remember the date on that letter? It was 1949. Mum was born in 1950. My grandpa and his first wife didn’t have any children, and my grandparents were married for over fifteen years before Mum came along.’
Toby stared at them. ‘You mean Mollie’s father could have been Thomas Broadbent, not Dr Holland?’
‘Crikey! Does Mollie have any idea?’ asked Dan. ‘And did Thomas know, I wonder?’
‘I’ve only just thought of it, and we don’t think Mollie knows about Stella’s relationship, so I think it’s pretty unlikely that anyone knows,’ said Jessica.
‘But if it were true, it would make Mollie the oldest living Broadbent,’ exclaimed Toby. ‘She’s about ten years older than Gordon. A DNA test would prove it, if it came to that.’ He turned to Sally. ‘It would make you a Broadbent too,’ he said gently.
Sally stopped in her tracks. ‘Wow, of course,’ she stuttered. ‘It’s a lot to take in.’
‘Mrs James might have had an idea about it,’ said Jessica. ‘She seems to have been the family confidante.’
‘Should you ask Terry?’ said Dan.
‘No, not today. He looked pretty exhausted and emotional after talking about his mother,’ said Jessica.
‘Mum certainly doesn’t know,’ Sally said firmly. ‘She would have told me. When I was pregnant with Katie I asked her a bit about our family history,’ she added.
‘Are you sure about this? About Stella and Thomas?’ asked Toby.
‘No, I guess we can’t be absolutely sure without a DNA test that shows that Mum and I are related to Gordon Broadbent,’ said Sally with a shudder. ‘But if we raise the issue, it might be enough to get Broadbent to back down. It might be a risk he’s not willing to take,’ she added. ‘For me the hardest part is, how do I tell Mum?’