tipping his chair over in his haste, and disappeared into the house. The sound of him slamming the office door shocked her. Who could possibly evoke such a reaction?
Curious, Amanda walked to the garden fence, pulling her jacket closer around her, and watched as a top-of-the-range, dark blue Toyota LandCruiser pulled up at the gate. She recognised the driver now, though she still had no idea what he was doing on her farm, or why her father had reacted so violently.
Amanda watched as a handsome man got out of the car. He was dressed to the nines tonight.
‘Amanda! After all this time. How are you?’ he asked as he walked towards her, hand outstretched.
‘Mr Major. This is a bit of a surprise. I don’t think I’ve seen you since I was about nine or ten.’
Adrian laughed. ‘Oh, call me Adrian, please. “Mr Major” makes me sound so old – I’m not much older than you really.’
‘Well, it’s hard to change the habit of a lifetime, but I can try . . . Adrian.What brings you here?’
‘I heard that you’ve taken on running Kyleena, so I thought I’d do the neighbourly thing and offer my services to you. I’ve been meaning to come over and renew our acquaintanceship since your mother died, but the time never seemed quite right. I was afraid of intruding on your grief. But then I heard . . . well, the gossip mill has been working overtime, as I’m sure you’re aware.’ His mouth turned up in a half-smile and he held up his hands in an apologetic manner. ‘I guess I wanted to see how you were getting on and if I could do anything to help.’
Amanda couldn’t help grin back at his infectious smile.
‘Well that’s very nice of you. Thank you. But I’m managing just fine.’
‘I had an inkling you would say that. Miss Independence! Just like you were as a child. But please, Amanda, if you need any sort of help, let me know. If I can’t come, I can send one of my workmen.’
Amanda smiled. ‘Thank you. I’ll keep it in mind.’
Adrian looked towards the house curiously. ‘Is your father home? I haven’t seen him about for some time. Don’t tell me you’re here all by yourself?’
‘No, no. Dad comes and goes,’ she answered in a noncommittal voice.
‘Right. Well, like I said, give me a call if you need anything.’
Adrian got into his car and drove away. As his tail-lights disappeared down the driveway Amanda noticed the curtains in the office moving. She turned and headed back into the house. She’d always thought her Dad was on good terms with the owners of the neighbouring properties. What on earth had got into him?
Chapter 12
Winter 1934
Michael’s hand hovered over the letter to his family. Outside the rain lashed the tin hut and the wind threatened to tear the roof from the wooden rafters.
Bowy huddled closer to the fire as Michael realised that it was slightly smoky inside tonight. The wood he’d collected must have been damp. It wasn’t surprising since it had been raining for five days straight and dry wood was hard to come by.
The river was rising and he was worried about his stock. He imagined the animals falling into the raging waters, being swept away and . . .
Shaking his head, he decided not to continue in this line of thinking. ‘What will be will be.’ He could hear his mother’s lilting tones echo around his head.
He turned his mind instead to the previous weekend, when Thomas Cramm had ridden into his camp with his sister Kathleen. Michael had danced with her the last time he had been in Esperance. He remembered the tinkle of the piano and the thump of heavy feet on wooden floorboards. Kathleen’s smile had left him spellbound, as had her dancing. He decided he would like to get to know her better so he invited her to visit.
The weekend had been a pleasant one. Michael had planned a small walk from his camp to the river’s edge, where all three had marvelled at the smell of the bush, the vivid red flowers of the bottlebrush trees and the granite rocks that
Curious, Amanda walked to the garden fence, pulling her jacket closer around her, and watched as a top-of-the-range, dark blue Toyota LandCruiser pulled up at the gate. She recognised the driver now, though she still had no idea what he was doing on her farm, or why her father had reacted so violently.
Amanda watched as a handsome man got out of the car. He was dressed to the nines tonight.
‘Amanda! After all this time. How are you?’ he asked as he walked towards her, hand outstretched.
‘Mr Major. This is a bit of a surprise. I don’t think I’ve seen you since I was about nine or ten.’
Adrian laughed. ‘Oh, call me Adrian, please. “Mr Major” makes me sound so old – I’m not much older than you really.’
‘Well, it’s hard to change the habit of a lifetime, but I can try . . . Adrian.What brings you here?’
‘I heard that you’ve taken on running Kyleena, so I thought I’d do the neighbourly thing and offer my services to you. I’ve been meaning to come over and renew our acquaintanceship since your mother died, but the time never seemed quite right. I was afraid of intruding on your grief. But then I heard . . . well, the gossip mill has been working overtime, as I’m sure you’re aware.’ His mouth turned up in a half-smile and he held up his hands in an apologetic manner. ‘I guess I wanted to see how you were getting on and if I could do anything to help.’
Amanda couldn’t help grin back at his infectious smile.
‘Well that’s very nice of you. Thank you. But I’m managing just fine.’
‘I had an inkling you would say that. Miss Independence! Just like you were as a child. But please, Amanda, if you need any sort of help, let me know. If I can’t come, I can send one of my workmen.’
Amanda smiled. ‘Thank you. I’ll keep it in mind.’
Adrian looked towards the house curiously. ‘Is your father home? I haven’t seen him about for some time. Don’t tell me you’re here all by yourself?’
‘No, no. Dad comes and goes,’ she answered in a noncommittal voice.
‘Right. Well, like I said, give me a call if you need anything.’
Adrian got into his car and drove away. As his tail-lights disappeared down the driveway Amanda noticed the curtains in the office moving. She turned and headed back into the house. She’d always thought her Dad was on good terms with the owners of the neighbouring properties. What on earth had got into him?
Chapter 12
Winter 1934
Michael’s hand hovered over the letter to his family. Outside the rain lashed the tin hut and the wind threatened to tear the roof from the wooden rafters.
Bowy huddled closer to the fire as Michael realised that it was slightly smoky inside tonight. The wood he’d collected must have been damp. It wasn’t surprising since it had been raining for five days straight and dry wood was hard to come by.
The river was rising and he was worried about his stock. He imagined the animals falling into the raging waters, being swept away and . . .
Shaking his head, he decided not to continue in this line of thinking. ‘What will be will be.’ He could hear his mother’s lilting tones echo around his head.
He turned his mind instead to the previous weekend, when Thomas Cramm had ridden into his camp with his sister Kathleen. Michael had danced with her the last time he had been in Esperance. He remembered the tinkle of the piano and the thump of heavy feet on wooden floorboards. Kathleen’s smile had left him spellbound, as had her dancing. He decided he would like to get to know her better so he invited her to visit.
The weekend had been a pleasant one. Michael had planned a small walk from his camp to the river’s edge, where all three had marvelled at the smell of the bush, the vivid red flowers of the bottlebrush trees and the granite rocks that
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