Blackpeak Station (21 page)

There was a silence. ‘You don’t mean this year?’

‘Yes, this year.’ She counted to ten. ‘Are you coming or not?’

‘Christ, Charles. I think I’d better — if it’s not too late to get a ticket.’

A minute after she’d put it down, the phone rang again.

‘Don’t be cross with us,
cara
,’ Flavia soothed. ‘Your brother, he is very grumpy sometimes, but of course we will come. Now! You and I, we must talk all about the dress!’

Chapter
EIGHTEEN

The sun was just climbing over the hills as Charlotte drove down to collect the mail. As the Hilux’s tyres crunched over the gravel, a rabbit, caught warming itself in a patch of sun, startled and broke for cover.

Pulling up beside the box at the end of the drive, Charlotte seized the mail bag and emptied its contents onto the seat beside her. She refilled the bag with outgoing mail, loaded the two bales of fencing wire she’d ordered onto the flatdeck, stretched and surveyed the empty highway. Luke would be down tonight.

A hawk rose lazily from a fence post and settled back on the dead hare from which it had been distracted. Its wings and the low chug of the ute’s motor were the only
sounds to break the valley’s stillness. Charlotte raised the flag on the mailbox, swung into the cab and headed for home. It was too nice a day to spend in the office — but that’s what she’d said yesterday, and now the GST really had to be done.

If this weather would just hold for two more weeks … she smiled at herself. Usually, about now, she’d be praying for rain. But she was really hoping they wouldn’t have to use the marquee her mother had booked ‘just in case’ they needed to shift their plans to the homestead’s lawn.

She pulled a face — Andrea was also due to arrive this afternoon, armed to the teeth no doubt with hire catalogues and seating plans. Not that she didn’t want her mother’s help — she was counting on it, but God, it was exhausting. And of course, it did put rather a damper on anything else she and Luke might have planned for the evening. Like the billiard room, for instance. Then again … in another fortnight, they’d have the house to themselves every night … Bouncing into a pothole, she swore and turned her attention to the road.

Back at home, Charlotte made herself a cup of tea and carried it through to her desk. She fired up the computer. Two new messages. ‘No subject’ from Luke and a forward from Nick, ‘proposed design’, with an attachment — ooh, that would be the wedding dress sketches Flavia had promised. She couldn’t wait to see them … She clicked on the email from Luke.

Perfect! With a bit of luck, he’d be home an hour or so before her mother got here … not billiard room sort of
time, maybe, but time enough to — Oh, this was no good. She shook herself. Wedding dresses. Right. Then the GST.

She opened Nick’s email.

Ugh … God, what was he on about now? She clicked on the attachment. Holy fuck. Charlotte scrolled down. No. It couldn’t be! Rocking back, she hugged her stomach. Oh my God, she felt actually — she raced for the bathroom, locked the door and threw up. Sitting back on her heels, she started to cry.

Four hours later, the unmistakable whirr of the Range Rover’s engine drifted in through the open bedroom window, and Charlotte heard the churn of its wheels on the gravel outside. She sat up and blew her nose.

‘There you are.’ Luke walked in, his bag slung over his shoulder. ‘Good.’ Closing the door behind him, he gave her his paint-stripping smile. ‘What time does your mother get here?’

Charlotte stared at him.

‘Hey …’ His grin faded. ‘What’s wrong?’ Dropping his bag, he hurried over and sat on the end of the bed. ‘Has something happened?’ He stroked her leg.

She shuddered and drew up her knees. ‘These
happened
.’ Reaching over to her bedside table, she handed him six sheets of A4 paper. ‘Nick sent them to me. I printed them off.’

She watched Luke’s face as he saw the first page. For half a moment, he froze. Then, slowly, he leafed through
them. ‘Is this all?’ He looked up at her. ‘Jesus, I thought someone had died.’

‘All?’ Charlotte took the pages back from him. ‘Blackpeak Station Resort,’ she read out. ‘A development like no other … welcome to Asia-Pacific’s new best hotel.’ She paused, looking at him. ‘A Tsang Corporation-Pegasus Project.’

‘Hey, it’s no big deal — it’s just a proposal, that’s all.’

‘No big deal? You were going to turn my home into a hotel — not even, in fact, because if I read this thing right, you’re actually flogging a fucking timeshare — and you’re telling me it’s not a big deal? It’s not a proposal, it’s a fucking brochure.’

‘It’s just a mock-up to show how the marketing could work. Look, I can explain.’

‘Don’t fucking touch me!’ She snatched her hand away. ‘This was going to be one of the restaurants, was it? How does it go — “the best pan-Asian cuisine will be served in the historic nineteenth century homestead, with its fine colonial art collection and exquisite antiques”. Oh, and let’s not forget that “guests can enjoy the fine cognac selection in the beautiful wood-panelled billiard room, with its rare books and blazing fire”.’

‘The billiard room? Jesus!’ Her voice broke. ‘You know …’ Shaking, she stared at him. ‘I thought that was going to be the worst part.’ She shuffled the pages. ‘And then I got to this: “The Owner’s Pavilion. Set high on Rough Creek Spur, this architectural masterpiece — accessible by quad bike safari from the resort, or directly by helicopter — offers the ultimate corporate retreat …”’ She couldn’t go on.

‘Can I say something now?’ Again, Luke reached for her hand — then, seeing her flinch, held his own up in surrender. ‘The ultimate
day
retreat — that’s what it says.
Available only by special arrangement.’

Charlotte’s eyes widened in disbelief. He was fucking correcting her now?

‘That’s because’ — he sought out her eyes — ‘it’s our house. Yours and mine, up on Rough Creek Spur. What you’ve always wanted.’

What she
wanted
? For a moment, she couldn’t speak. ‘You went …’ She took a deep breath. ‘You went
behind my back
to the Sammartinos.’

‘No — look, it was just an idea. I wanted to see if it would fly before I got your hopes up.’

‘My hopes?’

‘I was going to tell you—’

‘When? After we were married? Or when the bulldozers rolled in?’ She stopped. ‘Oh my God.’

‘What?’

‘That’s it, isn’t it? You were going to tell me after we got married. That’s why you’ve been in such a rush …’ She closed her eyes. Oh God, oh God. It was just too awful. ‘Then if I said no, you could always take half my share in the station anyway. With the Sammartinos on your side, you’d have a controlling interest.’

‘That’s not true.’ Luke took her by the shoulders. ‘It isn’t.’ He shook her slightly. ‘Look at me!’

She couldn’t.

‘Hey. I love you. I wouldn’t have done that.’ There was a catch in his voice, too. ‘I
didn’t
do that.’

‘But you could.’

‘I wouldn’t. I wasn’t going to.’

‘I don’t believe you.’

There was a second’s silence.

‘You should.’ His voice was low. His arms slid around her. ‘Baby, you have to.’

Charlotte was numb. ‘I don’t. I think you’ve been lying to me since the day we met.’

‘That’s not true.’

‘Everything — all the time you spent here, the phone calls, the pictures, the Skyping in the billiard room … it was all for your project.’

‘No. God …’

‘That was why I couldn’t meet your parents, wasn’t it? In case they told me?’ She shook her head. ‘Are they even in Italy?’

‘My parents are at a villa in Umbria. We can call them if you like.’ Luke held her back at arm’s length. ‘I have been more honest with you’ — again, he tried to look into her face — ‘than I have ever been with anyone in my life.’

Wow — so this was what it felt like when your heart broke. ‘You know the really sad thing? I think that might be true.’ She slid the ring off her finger.

‘No.’ Luke shook his head. ‘Don’t.’

Breaking away from him, she got up and opened her bedside drawer. ‘You should have this back as well.’ She put the tennis bracelet on the bed between them, next to the ring. ‘Could you go now? Please?’

‘You don’t really want that.’

‘Yes, I do.’

‘Over this?’ Picking up the brochure, he ripped it in half. ‘It’s that easy. You don’t want me to pitch this, I won’t. I just thought I could make us some money, that’s all — give you the things you want.’

Charlotte sighed. ‘Actually, I think maybe
that’s
the worst part — you really thinking I could want this.’

‘I don’t understand.’

‘No. I don’t think you ever will. That’s why you need to go.’ She walked to the door and opened it.

Luke’s voice hardened. ‘Fine.’ Picking up the diamonds, he stuffed them into his bag. Charlotte followed him through the house and out of the back door. He stopped, his hand on the door of his car. ‘Sure you don’t want to check my pockets before I leave?’

She closed her eyes briefly. ‘Goodbye, Luke.’

‘Fuck you.’

He threw his bag onto the back seat and climbed in. She watched as he pulled away. Gunning out of a three-point turn, he had to swerve to miss the Prado pulling in. Then, in a hail of gravel, he was gone.

With a look over her shoulder, Andrea got out of the driver’s seat. ‘Charlotte? What’s happened?’ She hurried over. ‘Oh, darling … come here.’

Sobbing, Charlotte crumpled into her mother’s
outstretched
arms.

‘Charlie? Can I come in?

Charlotte rolled over to face the window. The door opened anyway. On the floor beside the bed, Caddy’s tail thumped a welcome.

‘Hey.’ Jen sat down on the end of the bed.

‘Well,’ Charlotte sniffed, ‘I guess you got what you wanted. Luke’s gone.’

‘Your mum told me.’ Jen put a hand on her pyjama knee. ‘And this is exactly what I didn’t want — to see you like this.’

‘I just feel so
stupid
.’

‘You’re not stupid. You weren’t to know.’

‘You knew.’

Jen sighed. ‘Not really. I mean, I always thought Luke was probably … well, it doesn’t matter what I thought now. I had no idea he might be up to something like this.’

Charlotte blew her nose and rolled onto her back.

‘Anyway,’ Jen went on. ‘I kind of had an advantage. If he was a girl, I’d probably have fallen for him, too.’

Charlotte smiled.

‘There.’ Gently, Jen shook her knee. ‘That’s better.’

‘God … and now I have to tell everyone.’

‘Your mum’s done most of that. She took care of the guest list last night.’

She groaned.

‘
Hey
. Don’t worry about it. So you called it off — it’s no big deal. Weddings get cancelled all the time. No one needs to know why.’

‘How am I going to face people?’

‘There are no “people” here — just us. And we love you, and we’re going to help you get through this.’

Charlotte sniffed. ‘How?’

‘One day at a time, babe.’

Shit. A whole day? She really couldn’t see it.

‘Come on.’ Jen stood up. ‘Let’s get you out of here. You need some fresh air.’

‘I don’t think I can.’

‘You have to. We need you out there.’ Taking her hand, Jen pulled her to her feet. ‘This place revolves around you, you know — we can’t manage without you.’

Charlotte was far from convinced, but unable to summon the energy to argue, she let Jen bundle her into some clothes and out into what remained of the day. Caddy saw them as far as the hedge, then lay down on the drive. As they passed the bay shed, Charlotte caught sight of the quad bikes and balked.

‘It’s all right …’ Seizing her shoulders, Jen marched her on. ‘I’ve caught the horses. We’re going for a ride.’

Okay. In the stable, Charlotte tacked up Archie. This was
good … it didn’t remind her of Luke at all. Just Rob. Oh God, oh God … she hadn’t thought about him in such a long time … and she’d — oh no, for
Luke
? How could she? She hadn’t even called him to say goodbye … oh, she was really in free fall now … Charlotte leaned her forehead against Archie’s flank. Had anyone, ever, in the history of time, been such an idiot as her?

‘Come on,’ Jen insisted. ‘Up you get.’

From Archie’s back, the world did look a little less grey. No one could help but notice that it was a beautiful afternoon out here. The alps had got a fresh dusting of snow overnight and stood sharply against the deep autumn sky. A breeze was running down from the mountains, barely stirring the grass, but cutting the heat of the sun. Jen turned her horse into it.

‘Where are we going?’

Jen looked back over her shoulder. ‘Anywhere you like! But I thought we might check out Two Burn — see how the hunters have left it this time.’

Sure. Okay. Anywhere but Rough Creek Spur. Or the tarn. Or—

‘Come on!’ Jen dug in her heels. ‘Last one there has to bury the goat guts!’

Charlotte sighed. She really wasn’t in the mood for a gallop. She was going to get one, though — not wanting to be left behind, Archie took off with surprising speed. She hung on, settling in as the wind whipped her face and the sunbaked grass flew by. There was life in the old boy yet — they were actually gaining on Jen. Gripping tightly, Charlotte bent lower over Archie’s neck. His huge legs stretched out. With a final effort, he showed his smaller rival a clean pair of heels — then, having made his point, immediately slowed down. Laughing, Charlotte
patted his neck. ‘Good old horse.’