The Valley Read online

  ‘Two weeks. All right then, but no silly business and no talk later about your both sheltering here. Take your papers then and make your own way, though you will find it hard to get work with these two.’

  ‘Thank you, Miss Kelly. We have a plan. Noona knows where there are some horses running wild, I’m going to catch and break them and sell them.’

  Isabella raised an eyebrow. ‘Be very sure they are wild horses and not runaways with brands.’ She was curious as to where these horses might be but knew better than to ask. She glanced at the baby and at Noona’s face, creased with a smile.

  ‘Tankoo, miz,’ Noona said.

  ‘Noonamaji, what is the child called?’ asked Isabella.

  ‘Killy,’ responded the mother.

  ‘Kelly,’ said Florian. ‘Kelly Holmes.’

  Isabella hastily turned on her heel and walked away, but suddenly stopped and looked back. ‘Be careful, Florian,’ she said softly and with feeling, then added, ‘Especially of Rothwall.’

  Dani

  Dani tucked her sketchbook, charcoal and pencils under her arm and walked down to the river at Chesterfield. She had decided to sketch another aspect of the view before she moved out. It had been a frenetic time. She’d packed up her house in Sydney and rented it, and arranged for some things to go into storage, and her personal effects and favourite pieces of furniture to be freighted to The Vale. The independent-minded Tim had chosen the toys and books he wanted sent to Cedartown but made no commitment about staying there the six months Dani had suggested. He declared he would stay with her for the next school break and then decide. Lara was now gently supportive of the idea, which surprised Dani, but she was grateful.

  Dani had completed several rough sketches as the sun began to set. She used oil pastels in bold sweeps to capture the colours melting across the sky. The water began to ripple as the wash of a small boat cleaved through the river close to the bank. The boat slowed and swung towards the pontoon where she was perched. She steadied herself wondering if Barney and Helen were expecting a visitor.

  The engine was cut and a man gave a wave, ‘How’s it going?’

  Dani studied the silhouette then recognised Roddy.

  ‘I hope you’re not running out of petrol,’ she called.

  ‘Cruising, no worries. Mind if I tie up?’

  ‘If you like.’ Dani scooped up her artwork and put it on the steadier wooden landing as he nosed in and jumped onto the floating pontoon. ‘You coming to check on the wallaby?’

  ‘Nope. I’ve come to see you,’ he said as he secured the boat. ‘Hi again, Dani. You know it occurred to me that you and I have shared an odd experience and we don’t even know each other’s last names. I thought I’d ask you out for a coffee, find out your life story. I hear you’re a local once upon a time.’

  ‘Not me, my mother.’

  ‘Ah, my sources got confused.’

  ‘And you? You’re not a local,’ judging by your knowledge of the area’s geography, she thought.

  Roddy sat down beside her on the pontoon. ‘I had an aunt who lived here for a bit. Always talked about it. I’ve recently headed this way for business reasons. Don’t know a heap of people under sixty so I thought you might be in the same boat. Hoped I could inveigle you into coming out for dinner.’

  ‘In your boat?’

  ‘We could motor down to Harrington Waters, anywhere you fancy.’

  Dani hesitated, a dinner date sounded fun and he was personable. ‘That would be lovely, but not tonight, another time. Or lunch,’ she added.

  ‘Lunch tomorrow then? You got a mobile number?’ He wrote it down and then asked, ‘How’s the patient?’

  ‘Barney says he’ll live but he won’t be jumping around for a bit.’

  ‘Wow, what a sunset,’ Roddy paused to admire the afterglow of the setting sun across the river. ‘I can understand why you’re giving the paint box a workout. Pretty place here but I guess you’ll be glad to move. Get on with your new career.’

  Dani bristled slightly. ‘You seem to be well up on my moves.’

  ‘Hey, small town. It takes some getting used to. Your friend Helen filled me in the other night. So when do you move to your new place?’

  ‘Why do you ask?’ Dani wondered if he knew about The Vale. Suddenly her privacy and security there seemed threatened.

  ‘Sorry, don’t mean to pry. I was talking to the boys at the Nostalgia Cafe, they told me you’d come up here to paint, and are renting some place in the country. I was going to offer to help you move your stuff if you have a lot of gear,’ he said.

  ‘That’s kind of you,’ said Dani, making a mental note to ask Claude and George to be more discreet. ‘I have a truck bringing stuff up but getting it where I want it around the house might be difficult on my own. If I can call on you that would be great. Er, where are you living?’ Dani realised she knew little about him. She’d have to find out what Helen had uncovered.

  He whipped a card out of his wallet. ‘Here’s my number. I’ll call you about lunch or dinner. Or both.’

  ‘Thanks, Roddy. That would be nice. Be careful navigating home.’

  ‘No worries. I’ve got night-vision goggles on board. See you soon, Dani, I hope.’ He gave a wave as he jumped into his boat.

  It wasn’t till later that Dani glanced at the card he’d thrust into her hand. ‘Rodney Sutherland. Investment and Corporate Consultancy.’ Underneath was a logo that looked like a gas flame, a postal box address in Hungerford, an email address and a mobile phone number. I wonder exactly what his business is, thought Dani.

  Helen was pleased to hear Roddy had come to visit Dani. ‘He’s fun, attractive, and on the lookout for opportunities I’d say. He’s new to the area, was working in Western Australia in Margaret River setting up some project. He’s keen to do something in this area. Loves it here, hates cities. He is single though. Got that much clear the other night.’

  Dani ignored her big smile. ‘He seems nice. Easy to be with and if he’s willing to lend a lifting hand when I’m moving, I won’t say no. But I’m not after a big-time relationship,’ said Dani.

  ‘Why not? Well, at least he might be useful for a roll in the hay now and again.’

  ‘Helen!’ laughed Dani. ‘You’re outrageous.’

  ‘Come on, Dani, you’re young and pretty, make the most of it. I dunno, you gen-Xers are a bit conservative compared to us baby boomers.’

  *

  ‘When can we come and see your house?’ asked Tabatha skipping beside Dani. Toby, Ratso and Jolly were racing ahead as they took the food scraps to Pig, the fat old sow who had become a family pet as she was too old to breed or to turn into bacon.

  ‘As soon as I fix it up with a few things of my own. I want to make it nice for Tim.’

  ‘Is Tim going to stay here too? Come to our school?’

  ‘I hope so, Tab, we’ll see.’

  ‘I hate it when grown-ups say that.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘We’ll see. We’ll see, we’ll see,’ she chanted and chased after her brother.

  Dani smiled. She’d hated her mother saying it too. Well, she had time before Tim came up to stay, though she’d be down in Sydney before that. There were still some loose ends to tie up at the house, the last of her pot plants and odd things she’d stored at her mother’s to retrieve.

  The next morning Dani dropped in to the museum in Cedartown and found Patricia Catchpole heading for a coffee after leaving Henry at work.

  ‘Come and join me, I’m keen to hear your plans. I gather you’ve decided to stay awhile. Excellent news,’ said the councillor.

  ‘Max James has been so helpful with the art side of things. Very encouraging as well as lending me a whole pile of equipment. I’ll have the studio ready before the house!’

  ‘It’s an old place on a farm, right? Well, I wouldn’t bother spending a heap of money on it if I were in your shoes,’ advised Patricia.

  ‘Just superficial stuff. I’m a nester I’m afraid, lik
e to have things looking nice and my stuff around me,’ said Dani. ‘I’m hoping I can persuade my son to stay here for six months.’

  ‘Mothers don’t persuade, they just tell – this is what we’re doing. End of story,’ said Patricia firmly.

  Dani merely laughed, but decided she wouldn’t like to be on the opposite side of a debate in council with the forthright Patricia. ‘He doesn’t have much choice, other than staying with my mother, but that’s not fair to her. So he’ll have to make the best of it, though I’m hoping the country experience will be good for him.’

  ‘So you’re launching yourself as a full-time artist for six months. Then what?’

  ‘I’m not making any plans. See what I produce, how I feel about things, the lifestyle and so on. I’ll have to earn some money as I know art doesn’t pay. Not the kind I plan to do.’

  ‘Didn’t you say you worked in a graphic design studio in Sydney?’ asked Patricia, leaning forward.

  ‘Yes, but I don’t want to do that anymore.’

  ‘Maybe not as a full-time job. But how about taking on one project and helping out with your artistic skills while you’re here? We need talented people in the country. Pay the rent, get you out once a week,’ said Patricia.

  Dani drained her cappuccino. ‘I could be interested. What is it exactly?’

  ‘Marketing and creating a look, an image, for the new development Jason Moore is in charge of – the community at Birimbal.’

  ‘That new housing development? I don’t think so. He tells me it’s different and sensitive and so on but, Patricia, it’s still a housing estate whichever way you look at it. I hate the idea of it sprawling over that lovely land,’ said Dani vehemently.

  ‘I think you’d better trot along to see Jason at his office where the plans and models are. Let him explain. Remember I’m on council and we approved this. I don’t want you going around believing we’re a bunch of rednecks up here. I think you’ll be impressed.’

  Dani wondered just how innovative or cutting edge any development would be in such an out of the way place. ‘I’m sorry, Patricia, I didn’t mean it like that. I’ve come to escape the city – the traffic, the malls, wall-to-wall suburbia, the crime . . . sadly, all the things sea-changers are generating to mess up a lot of coastal towns,’ she added wryly.

  ‘Don’t we know it. Our shire includes the coast. The trouble is, Dani, how do you tell people the shutters are down, the gates are locked, don’t come here? A few places have put population limits on their towns, but developers, and state governments, looking at the short term, see all this bush and crown land and think, perfect, we’ll shove a town in there. The long-term view is that regional and northern New South Wales and southern Queensland is where all the population growth and investment will be.’

  ‘And you think there’s a way it can be done decently?’

  ‘If there has to be economic growth, the dreaded P word – progress – then let’s at least try and manage it. The finger in the dyke solution doesn’t work.’ Patricia stood up. ‘Not everyone can opt out to a rural escape, try a new career, chill out, drop out of life for half a year. Call Jason and let me know what you think. We’d rather have people like you with us than agin us, or, worse, on the fence.’ She smiled warmly to soften their exchange. ‘Come over to lunch next Sunday. I’ll get an interesting group together.’

  ‘Thanks, Patricia, I’d like that.’

  Driving away, Dani couldn’t help wondering if what Patricia had said applied to her. Opting out, escaping, dabbling, sitting on the fence. It didn’t sound terribly serious. But for Dani, and Tim and Lara, this move was a huge upheaval. I have to make it mean something, have something to show for this big step, she thought. Dani made up her mind. She’d call Jason Moore tomorrow.

  As if they’d been thinking the same thoughts, Lara phoned Dani at Helen’s that evening.

  ‘Hi, darling, what are you doing?’ Her mother always asked that, or else, ‘Where are you?’ as the opener of most phone conversations.

  ‘Feeding the dog. It’s a beautiful sunset. What are you guys up to? How’s Timmy?’

  ‘We’re great. He’s doing his homework. Rushing it I fear because of some junk TV show. Such rubbish kids watch.’

  Dani thought of Patricia. ‘Don’t let him watch rubbish, please Mum.’

  ‘Makes me want to get back in the TV game and try to shake things up,’ declared Lara.

  ‘You’re not serious. TV has changed since your day, not for the better, I agree. But maybe you should think of doing something with your time.’

  There was a brief hesitation before Lara spoke. ‘I’ve thought about that. And made a decision. I’ve decided to tackle the family history.’

  ‘Fantastic! You’ve got all that stuff on the dining room table to work on, and you can get on the net and see what it reveals about the distant past. There’s plenty to start on. Sounds good, Mum.’

  ‘Well, that’s not exactly how I plan to do it. There are so many unanswered questions, big holes in our recent family history that have got me really intrigued . . . curious. I’d like to find the answers. I hadn’t planned on tracing the family tree back to the Huguenots on the Williams’ side, or anything like that.’

  Dani began to get a feeling that her mother was about to drop a bomb. ‘So what are you planning to do?’

  ‘I thought I’d move up there too. Not with you, of course, but find a place to rent while I dig around. There are probably oldies up there who knew my Nana and Poppy . . . I could still help out with Tim. Might make it easier for him to settle in knowing he doesn’t have the option of staying down here with me . . . ’

  Dani was in shock and slightly annoyed. She adored her mother but just as she was striking out on her own adventure here comes Lara galloping over the horizon. ‘Mum, I’m a bit surprised. How long do you plan on staying? What about your house? I mean, I suppose you could stay with me at The Vale when it’s fixed up . . . ’

  ‘No, darling, I wouldn’t dream of that. You do your thing. At first I thought I might wait until you decide what you want to do in six months’ time, but I’m nervous some of the old folk might drop off the perch and take information with them. I’d prefer to find a little place in town. Or maybe ask Helen if she’d consider renting one of her cabins to me for a month or so.’

  Dani felt faintly relieved. A month wasn’t so long and her mother was being sensitive to her desire to be alone to paint, explore a new lifestyle and rethink her future. With the initial tension gone, she reflected that they enjoyed each other’s company. It was just a matter of making it clear that she needed her own space. Cedartown was a small place. ‘I’ll ask Helen. Just when did you think you’d make the move? I mean Tim’s school doesn’t break up for a bit.’

  ‘Of course we’ll wait till then. But I might come up for a couple of days soon and settle my accommodation.’ Lara was aware of Dani’s feelings and did feel a pang of guilt at moving in on her new-found space and freedom.

  ‘Lovely. Though I’ll be a bit busy getting my place set up . . . ’ began Dani.

  ‘Darling, you do what you have to . . . I’ll sort things out. I’ll call your friend Henry at the museum and start the ball rolling.’

  ‘Yes, Henry will be a goldmine of info for you. Well, let me know how you go. Put Timmy on, take care.’ Dani chatted to her son, listened to his news and told him more about The Vale.

  ‘Sounds cool, Mum. Do you think I could bring my mate Justin when Ma brings me up next?’

  ‘Of course you can! Great idea. But I’ll call his parents to be sure they’re okay about it.’

  Dani made an appointment to see Jason Moore at his office in Hungerford, a little unsure about working on his project. The idea of collaborating with the smooth charmer from Sydney didn’t appeal to her. She was getting used to and loving the more upfront, down-to-earth, dry-humoured, unpretentious locals. But Patricia had insisted that she at least meet with him.

  Dani parked in the main street and g
ot cash from the ATM, browsed in a bookstore and bought wine in the rather quaint bottle shop that had once been some sort of church building, but decided against tackling the large supermarket. She preferred shopping in Cedartown with its smaller providers and local produce, much of it organic.

  Then she spotted an antique shop painted lavender called Isadora’s. It was filled with tasteful treasures. Dani lingered over the estate jewellery wondering who had owned the beautiful pieces. But it was the back room filled with memorabilia of more gracious times that charmed her.

  The owner introduced himself. ‘I’m Barry, are you looking for anything special?’

  ‘Well, everything in here seems special,’ said Dani. ‘Where on earth do you find these things? I just love that art deco lamp.’ She pointed to a lithe bronze figure holding a crystal globe. ‘Reminds me of the dancer Isadora Duncan. Is that where the name of the shop came from?’

  ‘I’m not sure, you’ll have to ask Maree, my partner. We poke around the sales here and there but you’d be surprised what treasures are sitting in old farmhouses. Though now families are more savvy about the value of deceased estates.’

  Dani paused and ran her fingers over a wooden box with an engraved brass clasp. It opened to reveal a writing box with a raised surface for the paper, an inkwell, grooves for pens or quills, small slot holders lined in velvet and a tiny inlaid mirror. ‘How gorgeous. I love this.’

  ‘It’s old and, look here, a secret compartment.’ Barry showed her how a brass handle unfolded from the side. ‘For carrying. Nifty, eh? It’s early to mid nineteenth century.’

  ‘It would be lovely to carry all my sketching things,’ Dani sighed as she glanced at the price tag. ‘I’ll have to think about this, save up. Or sell a painting.’ She smiled and fingered the clasp. ‘There are initials – WC. I wonder who he, or she, was.’