Where There Is Smoke

by Elisabeth Rose

  She hurried back downstairs to find her phone but it was no use calling Abbie. If she was safe she’d be driving and it would distract her. She’d have to wait until either the rain died down enough to drive safely for her to take the car, and if the driveway wasn’t blocked, check the road, or enough time had elapsed for Abbie to reach home. She put Lola down.

  The boxes and flats had to be stowed somewhere else, out of the way.

  ‘Let’s sort all this stuff out,’ she said. ‘Where shall we put it?’

  Lola wagged her tail.

  Chapter 18

  Oliver had to stop driving, the rain was so heavy when the storm broke. He nearly made it home but the road disappeared from view and the wipers couldn’t keep up with the onslaught so he sat it out for ten minutes, deafened by the pounding on the roof of the car. Like sitting inside a big metal drum with a horde of maniacs beating on it as loudly as they could.

  With any luck the rain would continue for the rest of the day. Too much to hope it would go on for a week but this would boost the dams and give the trees a drink, and the last thing anyone needed now was flooding.

  Seeing Abbie at The Grange had been a surprise. Rod had told him Krista was hiding away and not wanting to see anyone. Understandable given the rough red wound on her face.

  Why did Krista push him away? The question tormented him. When he’d found her that night she’d clung to him, not just as a saviour, he was sure. And when she saw him in hospital she was pleased to see him. She said so. What had happened since then? He’d given her some space, the way Doc recommended, but he hadn’t expected such a chilly reception.

  ‘Amy gets a bit frustrated with her sometimes,’ Rod had said. ‘But it’s because she’s worried about what we’ll do when Hugh sells this place. She had her heart set on buying it.’

  Oliver nodded. ‘Disappointing.’

  ‘Amy thinks Krista doesn’t properly register that we’ll have no home and no job. Those basic things aren’t a problem for her. She doesn’t need to work and she has an apartment.’

  ‘Krista’s had a rough time,’ said Oliver. ‘Bit of a shock for anyone, let alone a sheltered rich girl.’

  ‘Yeah, I know, and so does Amy, don’t get me wrong. She understands Krista’s been through a terrible ordeal.’ Sitting in the marooned car, Oliver pondered the truth of those words. Amy’s viewpoint was understandable, but she was a practical, hardworking woman and a survivor. She and Rod would find another job. Krista was struggling to adjust to a complete upheaval of her comfortable existence with no support at all from her family. Angus was the only one of them who had shown any sign of caring for her wellbeing and that was driven by remorse. The trauma of kidnap and injury would take a while to overcome. It wasn’t as simple as ‘getting on with it’ the way people in past generations expected.

  The fact remained he wanted to help. They’d made a good team during the fire and forged a bond he was looking forward to strengthening when she returned from Melbourne. He thought she was too. How could she say he wanted something from her? Did she think he wanted her money? How could she? All he wanted was her love.

  Maybe Abbie would be able to help where he couldn’t. She knew firsthand what it was like to be in Krista’s situation, she was kind and she had no personal involvement.

  The onslaught had eased to a steady downpour; the storm had passed on, leaving a brighter sky to the west. He restarted the engine and eased the car back onto the road.

  At the surgery, Margie was mopping the floor.

  ‘What happened?’

  ‘That side window was open. I was running around making sure the windows and the door at the back were closed and forgot this one. Did you get stuck in it?’

  ‘I was about two k’s out. Had to pull over. Big storm.’

  ‘Sure was. Wonder if there’s any damage.’

  ‘I saw a few branches down when I came into town but nothing too bad.’

  ‘At least the power stayed on.’

  ‘Yes. I’d better check on Billy.’

  ‘Sorry, I didn’t think about him.’

  ‘No worries.’

  The yard had turned to slushy mud with large brown puddles but the rain had dwindled to a drizzle. Oliver pulled on gumboots and sloshed across to the horse yard and stables. Billy was on the far side of the paddock, sheltering under the trees along the fence. He raised his head and looked when Oliver called his name, then ambled across to say hello.

  ‘You okay, mate?’ Oliver asked.

  Billy tossed his head. He was soaked through.

  ‘You’d better come inside and get dried off.’ He opened the gate and grasped a handful of mane to lead Billy into the yard. He released him and closed the gate.

  ‘Come on.’

  Billy followed him in to the stable and gave him a hard nudge in the back with his nose to speed him along. Oliver laughed.

  ‘Stop it, you devil.’

  He spent the next half hour with a towel and brushes. Soothing, rhythmical work that took his thoughts away from Krista and her troubled mind. If only people were as easy to understand and treat as animals.

  Abbie phoned later that day. After exchanging pleasantries and opinions on the storm she said, ‘Krista rang me just after I got back to town.’

  His heart sank. ‘Is she pulling out of the painting?’

  ‘No. She was worried I’d be stuck in the storm somewhere with Charlotte. She was quite concerned.’

  ‘That’s surprising.’

  ‘Yes and no. It was pretty violent, wasn’t it? She said a tree came down in their driveway. It must have been worse out there. I left just before it got started. I had to pull over for a while.’

  ‘So did I.’

  ‘The thing is, Ollie, she was worried about me and I think that’s a good sign.’

  ‘I suppose so.’

  ‘I like her and I can see why you do. I think the painting will be really good therapy for her. Give her something else to focus on.’

  ‘I hope so, Abbie. I thought we might have something happening before she left for Melbourne, but now … she doesn’t want me around.’

  ‘She’s all confused at the moment. I was like that. Everything was totally overwhelming and if it hadn’t been for Rupe …’

  ‘But you didn’t push him away.’

  She chuckled. ‘It wasn’t as straightforward as you think.’

  ‘Wasn’t it? It seemed that way.’

  ‘Believe me, it wasn’t. Anyway, I knew Rupe for ages before we got together. Krista has only known you for a couple of weeks. She’s lost all her bearings. I know what that’s like too.’

  ‘So what can I do?’

  ‘Don’t lose touch with her. Show her that you’re here and that nothing has changed where you’re concerned.’

  ‘Wait, in other words.’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘That’s what Doc said.’

  ‘He’s right. I’ll go out there again in a few days to see how she’s getting on but I’ll invent some other reason to do with painting.’

  ***

  After she’d spoken to Abbie and confirmed she and the baby were safely in town, Krista, with Lola getting in her way, moved the flats to the far end of the terrace room in the corner behind the bar. The boxes of paint and brushes fitted neatly out of sight there as well. By the time she’d finished, the rain had eased to a trickle and the sun was trying to find its way through the clouds.

  Rod knocked loudly while she was tearing lettuce for a salad and came in without waiting for her to open the door.

  ‘It’s me,’ he called.

  ‘In the kitchen.’

  He appeared in the doorway. ‘You okay? A tree came down in the drive.’

  ‘I saw it from upstairs. I’m fine, thanks.’

  ‘It hasn’t blocked the road, luckily, but the fence is broken. I’ll have to get someone in to fix it. Can’t do it with this leg.’

  ‘Is your house all right?’ she asked.

  ‘Yep. We got
the horses in before it started. I hope Oliver got through okay.’

  ‘Abbie left after he did and I just talked to her. She had to pull over but she’s fine so he will be.’

  ‘Right. Good.’ He looked at her with a slight smile but turned away before she could comment. ‘See you later.’

  ‘Bye. Thanks for checking on me.’

  ‘No worries. Listen, I reckon you should have some riding lessons. We’ve got that big arena, unused.’

  ‘Oh, I don’t think so.’

  ‘Why not? Archie is perfect for a beginner. She’s quieter than Calypso. I can’t do much at the moment so teaching you would be a good way to fill in some time.’ He lifted his hand to forestall her objections. ‘Think about it.’

  When he’d gone, Krista sat at the table, her salad untouched before her. Rod was trying to be kind. He and Amy probably cooked up that riding idea to give her something to do. She didn’t want to learn to ride. She never had so why would she start now? Why couldn’t they leave her alone? And why had she ever said she’d help Abbie with the sets?

  She went upstairs to lie on her bed, staring unseeing at the ceiling, wishing the world would forget she existed. If she had the energy, she’d book herself into an exclusive hotel somewhere and tell them she wasn’t to be disturbed. She’d live off room-service left at the door. The problem with that was she’d have to fly and she’d have to deal with people, people who would stare and mutter and comment to each other as she walked by. Lots of people, far more people than were here.

  Lola scrambled onto the bed and licked her face.

  ‘Gah. Stop it.’ She shoved Lola’s head away. ‘You don’t care, do you? You love me anyway.’

  Oddly enough, she didn’t mind Rod and Amy seeing her face. They didn’t care how she looked. Neither did Abbie. Abbie said she understood how Krista felt and she believed her. She was an easy woman to like. To trust. What had happened to her? Whatever it was must have been bad if it meant she lost almost everything. Twice, she said. She had a grown-up daughter who had to be from the first marriage. She was young to a have a grandchild. The baby could easily be hers. She would have been young when she had her daughter. Were there other children?

  Krista exhaled and closed her eyes.

  She woke with her phone ringing insistently on the bedside table and picked it up without looking at the caller.

  ‘Hello.’

  ‘Krista, darling. How are you? How’s Lola?’

  ‘Mama?’ A surge of relief brought tears to her eyes. For all her faults, her mother did love her and she hadn’t realised until this moment how much she wanted and needed her support.

  ‘Yes, of course it’s your mother.’

  ‘I’m so glad you called. Where are you? I thought …’

  ‘I’m in Sydney.’

  ‘Mama, can I come to stay with you?’

  ‘No, darling, I’m about to leave, that’s why I rang. Can you keep Lola permanently, please?’

  ‘Yes, but …’

  ‘Thank you, darling.’

  ‘Mama, did Hugh tell you what happened?’

  ‘He left a message. Two actually. He wanted me to call him but before I got around to doing that he rang back to say everything was all right and you were safe.’

  ‘I was kidnapped.’

  ‘My goodness, but you’re safe now, aren’t you? What was that about? Money, no doubt. Someone wanting a ransom. I lived in fear all through that marriage that someone would kidnap me. Not that he would have paid a penny to get me back. How much did they want for you?’

  ‘Nothing,’ she said hoarsely.

  ‘Really? So they just let you go? Or did the police catch them first?’

  ‘They let me go.’

  ‘You were lucky. So no harm done and you’re fine now?’

  ‘Yes.’ Her voice barely worked.

  ‘Are you back in Melbourne now?’

  ‘No, I’m staying at The Grange.’

  ‘Why on earth are you doing that? I thought you hated the place. I certainly do.’

  ‘Angus is staying at my apartment.’

  ‘So he’s back.’ As usual Mama barely listened.

  ‘Yes, he was in Macau.’

  ‘And we all know why. He’s nothing but trouble, that boy. I told Hugh over and over he needed straightening out but he never listened. Still, when the divorce comes through we never need lay eyes on either of them again.’

  ‘Are you going through with it?’

  ‘Of course, I am. He humiliated me in front of all my friends and he’s going to pay for it.’

  ‘I’m sorry, Mama.’

  Her mother paused then said, ‘So am I. We did have some good times.’

  ‘Does Hugh want a divorce too?’

  ‘He says not.’

  ‘Is there a rush? Why not wait a little while?’

  ‘I’m going to a retreat in India tomorrow. I’ll be away a month, but when I return I intend to see my lawyer.’

  ‘In India?’ She hated the heat. ‘What happened to skiing in Japan?’

  ‘I need to clear my mind. Someone recommended this place to me. It’s very exclusive and takes only a limited number of guests at once.’

  ‘Good luck with it,’ she said helplessly.

  ‘Thank you. Take care, darling. I’ll phone you when I come home.’

  ‘Is Brenda going too?’

  ‘No, she’s having a month’s holiday.’

  The line went dead in her ear.

  Why hadn’t she told her mother what had really happened? Why hadn’t Hugh? Because it wasn’t worth the reaction. Somehow it would swing around to being about her and not Krista and she’d use the whole episode as a stick to beat Hugh with. They both knew Mama too well.

  As usual with Mama, the conversation had torn through like a whirlwind and it was only now she realised what could have happened.

  ‘Thank goodness. It looks like we’re stuck with each other.’ She scooped her up for a cuddle and received a lick on the ear.’ If her mother had reclaimed Lola, she’d leave a gaping hole. ‘You’re my favourite girl. You keep the monsters away.’

  The following morning the roar of a chainsaw dragged her from bed. Someone was working on the fallen tree. A red truck was parked in the driveway and a thickset man in khaki shirt and shorts, with ear protectors and a fluoro vest, wielded the chainsaw while another, smaller man dragged the debris away.

  She’d slept in. A dreamless night. It was almost eight o’clock. The rain had gone and taken the clouds with it but everything had a new-washed sparkle in the morning sun. When she let Lola out, the pool beckoned. If she stuck to breaststroke and kept her head out of the water, there shouldn’t be a problem. She went back upstairs and changed. She should use the pool house and leave her swimming costumes there, along with sunscreen and hats and anything else she needed post swim.

  After swimming, she went into the pool house, opened the windows and door and raised the blinds, letting in a flood of light and clean fresh air. The shut-up air inside had the faintest tang of bushfire smoke. She dragged the pool-side furniture back outside then showered and changed into shorts and tank top.

  After breakfast, she went in search of a bedsheet to use as a drop sheet. The downstairs linen cupboard held a store of upmarket sheet sets. Upstairs yielded the same. Just as she’d thought, there was nothing old here and none of the bathrooms had shower curtains, they had glass screens.

  She put a complete set of matching sheets and pillowcases in a shopping bag and went to find Amy.

  She found Rod in the office, staring at the computer.

  ‘Hi,’ she said.

  ‘G’day.’ His warm smile washed over her.

  ‘Is Amy around?’

  ‘No, sorry. She went into town early to do some shopping.’ He eyed the bag in her hand. ‘Can I help?’

  ‘Abbie said I needed a drop sheet for when I do the painting but I don’t have anything. She said I could use an old sheet or a shower curtain but there aren’t any in
the house. I thought maybe you might have an old sheet I could swap for this.’ Belatedly aware of how rude that sounded, she held the sheet set out in a shaky hand. ‘Sorry, that sounded … wrong.’

  ‘We have plenty of old sheets,’ Rod said. ‘But I can give you a tarp instead. I use it when I paint. Or I could give Amy a ring and ask her to buy a plastic drop sheet while she’s in town. She should find one at the supermarket.’

  ‘Thanks. That would be great. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean …’

  ‘I know you didn’t.’ He smiled. ‘I’m glad you’ve got something to do.’

  ‘You won’t need to give me riding lessons if I’m busy painting.’

  ‘I was serious about that, Krista. You should learn to ride while you’re here. Oliver said you were good with the horses. They responded to you and that’s not always the case.’

  She looked at him, astonished. Was he kidding? Somehow, she didn’t think he was. He wasn’t the type of man to say things for the sake of talking.

  He went on, ‘Archie is perfect, like I said. Angus didn’t want her apart from his scam attempt. I’ve bought her from him.’

  ‘Was she expensive?’

  ‘No, peanuts, otherwise he couldn’t have afforded her. He wanted her for her looks. She’s well-bred but a failure as a racer, can’t jump and is a bit too big for the average gymkhana rider. She’s a nice, sedate ride though. I’ll use her.’

  ‘I like Archie.’

  ‘I know. Let me know what you decide.’

  ‘Thanks, Rod.’

  ***

  Oliver resumed his regular cello practice and it took his focus off the subject that occupied the bulk of his waking moments. Krista. She lurked in every cell of his body and every pocket of his mind. She was in every room of his house, in his car, his surgery, the stables and on the farms and in the houses he visited.

  Holding his cello and concentrating on the dots on the page, executing smooth strokes of the bow on the strings and accurately placing his fingers on the neck of the instrument gratifyingly filled his mind. Playing was therapeutic in the best possible way. It comforted and satisfied his soul the way no other activity could. His love of music wasn’t the same as his love for Krista but it went a long way towards soothing the pain.