‘I can buy the Carmody property and do what I want with it. This was all meant to be.’ I began to laugh and jumped up, dancing around, flicking my silk skirt around my thighs. ‘Oh my God,’ I shrieked, ‘imagine if you’d given it to me sooner and now I had to divide it up with Davis. Bea you really got this right… really, really right. I can bring Wilbur home.’
‘Peach… one more thing…’
I halted my dancing and spun to look at her, wondering what else there could be.
‘It’s time for you to go to the chateau,’ she said with an air of firmness.
‘Of course, of course.’ I would have promised her anything at that point. I had never visited the chateau, even though I had been close many years earlier. My plan, at the time, had been to enjoy my time with Steve in Paris, and then head to Provence on my own. But when Davis proposed, that idea flew out the window and I returned home with Steve into the arms of my fiancé.
‘We’ll both go directly after my exhibition. I know it would be timely to go now, while you’re in limbo, but I need a few months. I want to show you your father’s house. It’s your history Peach.’
I nodded my head, shrugging at the same time, unused to Bea being so parental. ‘Whatever!’
‘And my advice to you,’ Bea continued on with her unexpected words of wisdom. ‘Is to get those settlement papers with Davis signed pretty quick smart. Then move on the Carmody property after that.’
‘Good advice.’ I leant down to kiss her proffered cheek. As I stood up, I straightened my skirt which had twisted to the side.
‘Look at you Peach, your skirt is swimming on you.’
‘I know, I know, I know!’ I said still dancing around. ‘Yep, try as hard as I might to lose a kilo or two for years and then my skanky assed husband goes off with a blonde tart, to put it politely, and guess what, I’ve lost four kilos. I should market it.’ Bea shook her head at me while I continued with my tirade. ‘You know, a few weeks before I found out about him and… Davis pinched the top of my thigh and said, Ooh got some wobbly bits here. We really should watch that, shouldn’t we. Condescending bastard.’ I threw myself in among the cushions on the lounge.
‘He always was Peach. You just didn’t see it.’
I brushed my hair out of my eyes. ‘Or chose not to.’ From my vantage point I could see straight out the front door and now noticed how late it had gotten. I looked at my watch. ‘Marty is coming by to take me to dinner. Do you want to join us?’
Bea cocked her head to the side and raised her brows. ‘Oh… I see… Marty?’
I waved a hand at her and shook my head. ‘It’s nothing like that.’
‘Really?’
‘Really Bea. He will always be just a friend.’
‘Mmmm.’
Slowly and languidly I drifted back to consciousness, deliciously stretching. It was so quiet here, last night I had slept the sleep of the dead. With my eyes still closed, I snuggled further into the warmth pressed against my back, enjoying the feel of another person. And then quickly one eye snapped open. From the mattress on the floor, I saw the early morning light creeping through the window. Where was I? Instantly the other eye opened. I blinked rapidly. Turning, I hurriedly pulled away from the sleeping body.
‘No you don’t. Up,’ I commanded, pushing with my foot. ‘No Wilbur, I’m sorry, but dogs do not sleep on beds, much less with their heads on the pillow. Come on… off.’ I attempted to shoo the sleepy labrador off my mattress with some difficulty, as his body weight appeared to be not much less than mine. His dark brown eyes looked at me and for a minute I softened, stroking his blonde head. ‘Yes, I know. You don’t understand where your master is, do you?’ He cocked his head to the side and looked at me, clearly attempting to decipher what I had said.
‘Don’t worry boy, I’m at a bit of a loose end too. This is all new to me, but we’re family now.’ I ruffled his fur.
With a deep snuffle, his heavy tail hit the floor once with a thud, as if that was as much joy as he could muster. However, I felt it was a promising sign. We had officially been friends for less than 24 hours.
*
Yesterday, with some measure of excitement, I had wiped my feet on the front door mat, weathered and worn with age, and turned the key in the stiff lock, ready to begin my new life in my new home. Breathing through my mouth, even the stale air did nothing to dampen my excitement. Dropping my bags in the hallway with haste, I walked towards the window with the heart hole curtain. Reefing it back, I was rewarded as sunlight cascaded into the once dark kitchen. Walking around, I had flung open every window, letting light and air flood through the home, as once again, I began exploring my new domain.
John Scott had allowed me free access for some time. On my second visit, I had found the staircase to the attic. There was a door to the left of the entry, which I had originally thought to be a cupboard. Upon opening it, a staircase, softly illuminated by an ethereal amber glow from a stained glass window above, was revealed.
Timidly, I had trod each step lightly, up towards a small landing with a door on either side. On the left, was a small dark grimy room lined with shelves. At first glance I was dismayed. I shoved aside the dark curtain. Mr Carmody had been damn keen on awful heavy old drapes. Natural light lit up the room. With some resistance, I opened the small attic window, and delighted in the breeze that instantly hit my face. At second glance, I could see that if I stripped the room bare, and painted it white, it really could be a lovely room, although somewhat small. For what purpose I was uncertain.
Next, I explored the room to the right. As I opened the door, magically I was greeted by a sizeable sunlit room filled with small lost planets of golden drifting dust motes. The side wall was dominated by a marble fireplace, much the same as the one in the formal area downstairs. Stroking the marble mantle, and feeling the thick caked dust I pulled my hand away. The room’s ceiling sloped towards the front of the house where, to my pleasure, a huge window overlooked the entire front garden.
The room had to be at least nine metres wide. By the time I had taken in the view from the back windows, my mind began to tick over and excitement was building. Already I could see it once completed. This was indeed the icing on the cake.
Glancing around, I had taken in the remnants of old newspapers and cardboard boxes, and realised that in recent years Mr Carmody must have used it as a storeroom. However, for me, it would make the perfect bedroom.
There were times I still had to pinch myself that this house and garden were mine. Lost in thought, standing at the back window in the kitchen, entranced by the view, the sound of a car on the gravel came to me.
From the front door, I saw the battered old EH Holden utility pull to a stop. I guessed the driver to be Wilbur’s recent carer, old Alex Smith. Sitting tall in the passenger seat, Wilbur had given a yelp and bounded from the car, running in circles, foraging around, sniffing.
Laughing with delight, I greeted Alex. ‘Would you like to come in for a cup of tea? I have a kettle and some tea bags but not much else. The truck comes tomorrow with my things.’
It
