The Long Road Home, page 34
‘So, Lauren, tell me about being a writer,’ Rick said, breaking into the looming silence. He felt a bit bad about how much airtime he’d taken up during the night.
‘Oh, I wish,’ Lauren said, rolling her eyes.
‘Do I have that wrong? You’re not a writer?’ Rick frowned. He looked at Alice, who had just returned and sat down, for help.
‘Lauren, stop it. She is, Rick. She’s really talented and has even won an award and been published,’ Alice said.
‘That’s brilliant. Wow. Congratulations.’
‘Only with short stories.’
‘So, what’s wrong with that – short stories, that is?’ he asked.
‘Exactly! Darling Lauren here thinks the be-all-and-end-all is a novel, and she hasn’t found her groove there yet. So she continues to put her talents down.’
‘Well … I …’ Lauren began to protest.
‘Stop it,’ Alice said gently. ‘She has a Masters in Creative Writing with all high distinctions.’
‘And I’m resorting to teaching to at least bring in some money and stop sponging off Mum and Dad so much, bless them,’ Lauren said.
‘Brett, please tell her teaching is not resorting – she’ll be bloody brilliant,’ Alice said.
‘Oh I’ve tried, believe me, as have both Charles and Melissa. Her parents,’ he added, looking at Rick and then Ashley. ‘Who are both teachers, I might add – though in different areas. Shall we tell them our other news, darling?’
‘Yes. Let’s.’
‘What are you talking about? What other news?’ Alice said, looking quizzically from Lauren to Brett.
‘We’re moving back to Ballarat. We’re going to live with Lauren’s parents,’ Brett said.
‘Oh my god, that’s awesome,’ Alice said.
‘Well, that’s not the half of it. Don’t worry, Rick and Ashley, the house is huge, so it’s not as weird as it sounds,’ Brett added.
‘Huuuuge. And has a separate cottage, anyway,’ Alice added. ‘And Lauren’s parents are fantastic, so it wouldn’t matter either way.’
‘I’ve got an interview on Monday with an engineering firm – I’m a civil engineer.’
‘That’s great. Good luck,’ Rick said.
‘Thanks.’
‘Oh, come on, that’s not the interesting bit,’ Lauren said. ‘He’s taken up photography, too. Is doing a course. Because, Alice, you know how I said Mum wants to do events at the house? Well, we’re doing it. Seriously going to give it a crack. Weddings, birthdays, corporate rah-rah offsite thingies, the whole shebang.’
‘Ah, I get the photography now,’ Alice said. ‘In order to provide a whole package, right?’
‘Exactly!’
‘We’re going to offer a whole deal – accommodation for a few couples, catering, gorgeous premises with awesome photo opps. And a photographer. We’re going to start with focussing on mainly smaller weddings, but we’ll see,’ she finished.
‘I think the whole idea is fantastic,’ Alice said. ‘And you’d do a brilliant job. And the place really is incredibly beautiful.’
‘And what I mean by the whole package is making it so the bride and groom will barely have to organise anything but their outfits and guest list.’
‘Listen to you, saleswoman extraordinaire,’ Alice said.
‘Well, you can help too, missy: you’re part of the family, too, you know. It’s a whole family affair. No shirking.’
Soon after they’d enjoyed mugs of peppermint tea, a series of yawns made its way around the table, and then exclamations about the time being one o’clock. Mere moments later the three couples had all wandered, entwined, outside to the cars.
‘I might be drunk, but I was serious about lunch tomorrow,’ Lauren said to Blair and Rick, hugging them both. ‘I’m sure it’ll be fine with Mum and Dad, but I’ll check and send a confirmation text tomorrow. Er, later. Shit,’ she said, getting into the car.
‘Okay, sounds like a plan,’ Blair said.
‘Great. I’m looking forward to seeing your home,’ Rick said.
They said their goodbyes to Lauren and Brett, hugged them, and then watched as their car drove off.
‘I don’t want to leave,’ Alice said, nuzzling Blair.
‘No, neither do I,’ Ashley said.
‘Well, I’m going to be a true gentleman and terrible host and kick you both out. How about that?’ Blair said, gently prising himself away from Alice.
‘Probably best,’ Alice said.
Rick kissed Ashley and then holding her said, ‘Talk to you tomorrow,’ reluctantly peeling himself away.
‘Is that a promise?’ Ashley asked.
‘It sure is.’
They drove off, their hands waving out of the windows. Blair and Rick stood there silently watching them go until they turned out the gate a hundred or so metres away.
‘Wow, what a night,’ Blair said, putting his hand on Rick’s shoulder.
‘That’s one word for it, mate,’ Rick said. ‘Good to see you and Alice are back on track.’
‘Yep, couldn’t be better. Is it weird that I’m in love with your ex-wife?’
‘Nope. Is it weird if I say I’m going to marry that woman one day – Ashley, that is – and we probably haven’t even had a proper first date?’
‘Yep. That is weird. But, seriously, good for you. You wait until you see the Finmores’ house – you’re going to shit yourself. Come on, I need to go to bed,’ he said, slapping Rick’s back.
‘What about the dishes?’
‘Ah, leave them until the morning. Deal with everything then.’
‘You sure?’ Rick was surprised. He’d never seen anything out of place for longer than about two seconds in Blair’s house.
‘Yep. I never do dishes the night of a party – too easy to break something.’
‘Okay. Fair enough.’
Chapter Thirty-three
‘Okay, so here’s the apparently famous mailbox,’ Blair said, bringing his ute to a stop and opening the door. ‘I can’t believe we’ve all been looking at it for years, none the wiser,’ he said, walking around it. ‘I check their mail most days.’ He opened it now and peered inside before shutting it again.
‘Apparently Toilichte means happy in Scots Gaelic,’ Blair said as he moved away a little.
‘That’s nice. I wonder who named it.’
‘I don’t know. I think Lauren would have said if she knew. Your parents do, did, beautiful work,’ Blair said with awe, shading his eyes against the sun.
‘Yep, they sure did,’ Rick said, tracing the back-to-back Bs with his finger. He’d expected a rush of emotion, but he was completely calm. How would he do his own signature? He really wanted something similarly stylish. After a few moments he joined Blair and they walked the few steps back to the vehicle.
‘Okay?’ Blair asked as they got in.
‘Yep. All good.’
‘I was half-expecting you to get emotional,’ Blair said, turning the key and then putting the vehicle back into gear. ‘You’re clearly coming to terms with everything. That’s great.’
‘Hmm.’ He kept thinking about Ashley and wondering when he’d get the chance to see her again. He didn’t want a relationship confined to huge chains of texts for too long. He missed her already, had started to the instant she’d left his side.
‘Are you serious?’ Rick asked as they came out of a tree-lined driveway and saw an enormous stately home looming up ahead. He knew his eyes were bugging out of his head and his mouth was open, but he didn’t care. He turned to Blair, who laughed.
‘Yep. Deadly serious. Welcome to Toilichte House.’
Rick had to keep reminding himself to close his mouth, which kept dropping open as he gazed around at the massive old stone two-storey house with sweeping tapering steps joining it to a huge expanse of white gravel. ‘It could be out of Downton Abbey or something. It’s incredible. Man oh man.’
‘That’s what everyone says. Isn’t it awesome? And it’s just as stunning inside.’
They’d just pulled up and got out and Rick was still gazing up and around, taking in the detail of the magnificent building now they were close up, when the huge front door opened.
A woman and a man, both with dark hair and both dressed in jeans, sneakers and purple polo tops, came down the steps to where Rick and Blair stood on the gravel. Rick assumed they were Mr and Mrs Finmore, but thought they could almost pass as Lauren’s older siblings.
‘Melissa, Charles, this is Rick Peterson. Rick, meet Melissa and Charles Finmore,’ Blair said.
‘Hello. Welcome,’ Charles said.
‘Yes, welcome, welcome,’ Melissa said, bundling Rick into a hug. It was the type of warm, all-encompassing hug that he imagined might come from a much larger, more voluptuous person. Hugs must come from inside, he found himself thinking as he clung to her, taking in her scent, which he took to be most likely lavender. It was subtle, but definitely there. He was surprised at how much more observant he was these days – it was as if a switch had been flipped. Like he was suddenly allowed to think for himself … I really am an artist at heart, he thought.
‘It’s wonderful to meet you,’ Charles said, pumping Rick’s hand.
‘Yes, likewise. Thanks so much for having me. Your home is gorgeous,’ he said.
‘Thank you. We love it,’ Charles and Melissa said at once.
They’ve clearly had to respond to this comment plenty of times before, Rick thought.
Brett appeared on the steps, making his way down. ‘Hi, Rick, great to see you,’ he said, holding out his hand.
‘Hey, Brett,’ Rick said. ‘Where’s Lauren?’
‘Writing.’
‘Oh. Great. That’s good, isn’t it? For a writer, right.’ He let out a slightly self-conscious laugh.
‘Yes, it sure is,’ Brett said. ‘Although, she hasn’t stopped since we got home. From last night. Well, technically, this morning.’
‘Right. Wow,’ Rick said.
‘So, we’re going to be very quiet and do the full inside tour later,’ Melissa said, taking him gently by the elbow. ‘Come in, though,’ she said, speaking quietly while guiding him.
‘Shoes off?’ Rick asked when they were inside the incredible vestibule and about to step onto a magnificent Persian carpet. He took his dress Akubra off his head.
‘No, no. Please, come on through. Lunch is ready, but we’re going to hold off in case Lauren surfaces. Meanwhile, would you like a cool drink or a hot drink, perhaps?’ Melissa said, as they made their way through and into an enormous kitchen with a stone bench the size of a small country. ‘I’m having tea. Anyone else fancy one?’
‘Actually, a cup of tea sounds perfect, thank you.’ Rick was surprised to hear himself making the request. Until recently, the only time he ever drank tea was in the shearing shed.
He watched while Blair got a glass from a cupboard and went to a filter tap at the sink and helped himself.
‘Settle yourselves down,’ Charles said, taking a seat at the bench. ‘No formalities here. So, how are you enjoying Ballarat and surrounds, Rick? We hope you don’t mind, but we were up last night when the kids came home and did get some of the details. Sincere condolences for your losses.’
‘Yes, it must have been a very difficult time for you lately,’ Melissa chimed in. ‘Here you are,’ she said, placing in front of him a mug of black tea and a tray with a teaspoon, a pot of sugar and a small jug of milk on it.
‘Thanks. Yes. It’s been a bit confronting. But I’m getting there,’ he said.
‘And Brett tells us you actually have a connection here, specifically, too,’ Charles said. ‘That’s incredible.’
‘Yes …’ Rick wasn’t sure what else to say.
He was relieved when it looked like he wasn’t going to be quizzed further on that or have to tell the story again. ‘Your plans sound exciting, too,’ he said. ‘I can see why you’d want to do weddings here. It’s perfect.’
‘Yes, thank you. It’s early days. We’re still getting our heads around how it’ll work. But we’re keen to give it a damned good shot,’ Charles said.
‘Blair, darling, speaking of love, have you properly sorted things out with our dear Alice yet?’ Melissa said. ‘We love her like our own,’ she said to Rick.
‘I have,’ Blair said. ‘We’re back on track.’
‘Oh, I’m so pleased.’
‘Yes. Jolly good,’ Charles said.
‘We might just hit you up to have a wedding here before too long.’
‘Sounds like we’d better get our skates on, dear,’ Charles said.
‘Yes. Rick, darling, is all this a bit odd, given Alice is your ex-wife?’
‘Not really. She’s great. Actually, if Ashley and I work out and get married, I’d ask her to be my best man – well, best person, I guess I should say.’
‘That’s fantastic,’ Charles said.
‘Yes, it’s wonderful when divorced couples can eventually become friends, let alone as close as you sound like you are,’ Melissa said. ‘She’s been through a lot, too, poor thing.’
‘Don’t let Alice hear you call her “poor thing”,’ Blair said, smiling. ‘She’s quite okay, as she’ll be very quick to tell you.’
‘Yes, thank goodness she got away from her family by the sounds of things,’ Charles said.
‘She’ll only really get away from them when she goes no contact, if she decides to,’ Brett said sagely.
‘Yes, well, it’s complicated I’m sure,’ Charles said.
‘It’s just sad when families don’t support you,’ Melissa said. ‘So, changing the subject. Come on, Rick, let’s give you a tour of the outside and outbuildings, unless you’re starving?’
‘Oh, no, I’m good, thanks,’ he said, vacating his seat and following Melissa out. Blair, Brett and Charles fell in behind them.
Again, Rick had to tell himself to close his mouth several times. The yard was a series of various sized, solid red brick outbuildings arranged around a large courtyard, like a small village. All neat and in perfect repair. Not a blade of grass was to be seen in the gravel and not a flake of paint peeling anywhere. Nothing was out of place. Everything was pristine. He sighed with contentment. Another thing he’d learnt since being away from Hope Springs was that the notion that Anthea, and Alice, too, had spoken of a lot was so true – tidy life, tidy mind. Here, with everything in its place and ordered, he felt clear to think, to not just take in what he was seeing but to feel it seeping into him at a soul or cellular level. He had the comforting feeling that right here right now was where he was meant to be and that somehow this was going to be instrumental to his future.
‘It’s so neat,’ he found himself uttering with wonder.
‘Yes, we might be a little OTT on that front, but we do like things just so,’ Charles said.
‘Never …’ Rick said, the word coming out like a long breath.
‘I must say,’ Melissa said, ‘we’re very excited to have another creative in our midst. We do so love being surrounded by clever people with vivid imaginations who use their gifts for good.’
‘Did you tell them about the mailbox, Brett?’
‘No. I haven’t got that far, yet.’
‘What about it?’ Melissa asked.
‘It looks like it’s the work of Rick’s parents – the bit that looks like butterfly wings is actually their signature – two Bs back-to-back.’
‘Oh. How interesting,’ she said, tapping her lip with her finger. ‘See what I mean about clever, creative people.’
‘I’m not sure I’m there yet,’ Rick said quietly.
‘Ah, but you will be before too long. You’ve got creative written all over you.’
‘I do?’ Rick found himself looking down his front. Obviously she knew his history, but how could she say he looked creative? He was in jeans and a T-shirt.
‘It’s in your eyes and your expressive hands,’ Melissa said.
Rick turned his hands over and inspected them.
‘You don’t have to have purple hair or shaved bits or tattoos to look like an artist, my boy,’ Charles said. ‘It’s about what’s inside – the depth and breadth to which you think and interpret and then what you will create with all that thought that sets you apart. I won’t say from normal people, because I don’t think there is such a thing as normal.’
Rick’s heart stretched and he glowed inside. He felt like he’d spent his whole life waiting to meet these people, to feel so welcome, so understood. And for the first time since he’d left Hope Springs, he didn’t mind that it had taken him thirty-odd years to figure out who and what he really was. Better late than never, indeed.
Blair must have sensed his thoughtfulness because he clasped Rick by the shoulder. ‘You okay, mate?’ he whispered.
‘Yep. Just a lot to take in. Sort of like a lifetime’s worth.’
‘You’ll be right.’
‘I know I will.’
They waited while Charles pulled open a pair of large swinging barn doors.
‘We’re thinking of turning this one – old stables – into accommodation that is a little more rustic. It’ll be perfect for Lauren’s writers when we add a large table in here for them to work around.’
‘Oh, I think we forgot to mention that last night,’ Brett said. ‘That Lauren’s going to be doing writing workshops – we’re organising a week-long one for, hopefully, soon.’
Rick looked around the space, which was paved in red bricks. He found himself frowning slightly at something above them in the rafters in the far corner that looked a little out of place – not exactly untidy, but …
‘Oh, yes. Darling, the furniture!’ Melissa said, looking in the same direction as Rick. They must have noticed his gaze.
‘Yes, I’d quite forgotten it was there. Can you bring the ladder, please, Blair?’
Moments later Blair had positioned a large A-frame ladder under the rafters.
‘Would you rather do it later after lunch – we might all get covered in dust,’ Melissa said.
‘We can shake our clothes out later if we do,’ Charles said.
What are they up to?
‘Okay, but I’ll get a towel to give them a wipe over,’ Melissa said, and disappeared, only to reappear moments later. Rick figured there must be a washroom in here, too. Of course there is!
