FOLLOW THE MORNING STAR (57 page)

‘Gosh, I wish I could come with you. It’s school holidays and it’s really boring plodding with the families on the trail rides.’ Saskia wrinkled her nose.

‘You gonna git your turn to be messing round with racehorses and doin’ what you want soon enough, Sas. Take it easy.’

Saskia left Mick and returned to the resort and spotted Colin.

‘Hi, Colin, have a nice dinner the other evening? Oskars is good, isn’t it?’

‘I didn’t have as good a time as you two did,’ remarked Colin.

Saskia turned away. Dina must have given him a hard time over Jenni. However, he couldn’t have been in too bad a mood — he was headed for the office, whistling as he walked.

Queenie returned to Tingulla and closeted herself away in her office. Millie carried in a tray with a jug of lemonade and plate of pikelets.

‘You look worried, luv. Everything all right?’

‘I hope it will be, Millie. I have a . . .money problem with Colin.’

‘What! What’s that wretch been up to now?’

‘It’s a long story, Millie. Apparently Dad had a change of heart after he made out his will and sent Colin a letter telling him Cricklewood was to go to him, and the letter has just turned up. So Colin wants Cricklewood. Well, he doesn’t really, he wants money. Rather a lot, I’m afraid. He’s planning something, but so long as he gets out of my life, I don’t care.’

Seeing the anguish on Queenie’s face, Millie said, ‘But the price is pretty steep, huh?’

‘Very. The worrying part is, it’s not just my money. I have a lot of goodwill, friendship and faith at risk too. But I’m dammed if I’ll give up Cricklewood.’

‘And your dad never told you he was leaving Cricklewood to Colin? That don’t sound right to me, Queenie luv. You and your dad was so close.’

‘I thought so,’ said Queenie quietly. ‘Anyway, I’m trying to figure out a way to pay him out. But it’s going to put me in a very precarious position.’

‘Sounds more like blackmail t’me,’ sniffed Millie, pouring Queenie’s lemonade.

‘I just hope I’m doing the right thing, I wish I could talk it over with TR.’

Millie shook her head sadly. ‘P’raps you should have a yarn to Dingo. See what he thinks about what you’re doin’ and whether you should mention it t’TR.’

‘We’ll see, Millie. I’ll think about it.’ But Queenie knew she couldn’t mention it to Dingo — he’d offer her money straightaway and she was not about to risk anyone else’s money.

Queenie finished the last pikelet and stood looking at her father’s books lining one wall of what had been his office. How she wished a book would fall out of the shelf and inside would be a letter from him telling her it was all a dreadful mistake. She decided she would have to share this with her son.

Tango sat in his father’s office at Guneda holding the phone and frowning as he listened to Queenie. ‘Jeez, he hasn’t improved over the years, has he? What a sod. What are you going to do?’

‘What would you do, darling?’

‘Deck the bastard,’ Tango replied promptly.

Queenie couldn’t help smiling. ‘You forget about his in-laws. Camboni would send over several gentlemen to kneecap you, or worse.’

‘You’re right, Mum. Pay the bastard off; get
rid of him for good. It’ll be money well spent in the long run, though it’s a bloody shame you have to do it.’

‘Do you think I should ask TR’s advice?’

There was a pause. ‘I don’t think so,’ said Tango carefully. ‘TR is pretty wrapped in things Dingo is doing. It’s like Tingulla and Cricklewood never existed for him. Give him a bit more time. But I’m sure he’d agree with me that you’re doing the right thing.’

Queenie knew Tango was right but his remarks stabbed at her heart. TR had probably relegated her to a life he didn’t recall and, most hurtful, didn’t want to recall. ‘It’s still hard to come to terms with not sharing everything with him,’ she said in a broken voice.

‘Give it time, Mum. It’s all you can do.’

‘How much more time? A year? Five years? What? This is living hell!’ Queenie couldn’t stem the tide of hurt and anger that burst from her.

‘Mum, there’ll come a morning when you’ll wake up and make a decision. To go on or to walk away. Only you will be able to decide that,’ said Tango quietly.

‘I don’t think I have that choice,’ said Queenie sadly. ‘I think TR has already decided.’

Millie was watering the ferns hanging along the verandah when Queenie charged upstairs, changed clothes and left the house. Inside, the phone rang and after a few minutes Ruthie came hurrying out to the verandah.

‘Telephone. I told her the missus was out riding, but maybe you’d better talk to her, Millie,’ she said breathlessly.

‘Who is it?’

‘Some lady called Auntie Maud. I didn’t know we had an Auntie Maud.’

‘Nor did I. Oh well, I’ll see what she wants.’

When Queenie returned from a long hard ride Millie was glad to have some news to distract her with. ‘I bin talkin’ to Auntie Maud. She was tellin’ me ’bout this and that. Anyway she wants to know if she can bring her next mob of kids out to camp back of Tingulla somewhere. Teach ’em the bush ways, you know.’

‘Sure, Millie. I offered that when I first met her. Did she say when?’

‘Nope. I didn’t ask. She said t’tell you the fashion stuff with Raylene is going like a rocket.’

Queenie managed to smile. ‘That’s good. Tingulla Fashions is certainly a mix of personalities.’

‘Maud said Raylene hasn’t changed a bit, in fact she’s changing the princess . . . countess, whatever she is. Dreadlocked her hair.’

‘What!’ Queenie burst out laughing.

‘Yeah, said she told her she was living in the fifties, braided her hair with beads and stuff and the old girl loved it.’

‘Sounds like you and Maudie had quite a chat. I’d better give her a call.’ Queenie was grinning as she threw her hat at one of the arms of the stand and headed for the phone.

‘Oh Queenie, there was one other call.’

Queenie turned back to Millie. ‘Who else?’

‘Mrs Dina Hanlon. “Would you ask Mrs Hamilton to call me back. Thank you very
much”,’ mimicked Millie, giving a brief curtsy.

Queenie groaned. ‘Oh, no. What now? More trouble. Millie . . .’

‘I know, I know. I’m putting the kettle on.’ Millie went to the kitchen and Queenie went to her office. What the heck did Dina want? There was only one way to find out. Groaning inwardly, she lifted the phone.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

It was sundowner time. Tango was stretched out on a settler’s chair on the verandah at Guneda, a cold beer in his hand, the phone to his ear, his eyes on the sunset.

‘So, Tango, what’s happening?’ asked Saskia. At the other end of the phone she was sprawled out on her bed, the phone stretched the length of its extension cord. Jenni sat in the doorway watching the last rays of the sun filter through the banana and poinciana trees.

‘Well, I’m having a cold beer and watching the sun go down. I miss TR at times like this. What’s new at Harmony Hill?’

‘Er . . . that’s why I rang. I do have a bit of news,’ Saskia started nervously. ‘It’s about Mick. You know he’s up here on holiday . . . I sort of asked him — ’

‘Christ, is he all right? Hasn’t gotten into any strife, has he?’

‘No, no, nothing like that. Let me go back a
bit. Remember I told you there was this horse here I reckoned I could train?’

‘Oh, yeah, the old racehorse. Is Mick — ’

‘Tango, just listen,’ said Saskia quickly. ‘I told you I wanted to be a trainer, that I didn’t want any handouts from you, that I wanted to prove to you I could work with horses.’

‘Hang on, Sas, I was prepared to give you a go. You
are
my little sister.’

‘And that’s just what everyone else would say. Don’t you see, Tango? I have to make my own mark first, then I can use my family.’

‘So, how’re you going to make that mark, Sas?’ asked Tango, dropping his teasing attitude.

‘I’ve worked with this horse. He was a bit broken down but I reckon I’ve sorted him out. Toffee is going like a beauty . . . So the bottom line is,’ Saskia took a deep breath and in a rush said, ‘Jenni and I bought him; a friend — an old trainer — is entering him in the Gold Coast Cup and Mick is riding him.’

There was a stunned silence, then Tango burst out laughing. ‘By God, you know how to wind a bloke, Sas!’

‘You’re not mad?’

‘Mad? I don’t think so. Surprised, I guess.’ Tango took a long sip of his beer. ‘So do you think your horse can beat Ambrosia?’

‘Maybe. I don’t know. Mick says it will be close. Now, Tango, Mick wants you to understand he had nothing to do with this. Camboni had hired this other jockey to ride Ambrosia so I figured if Mick thought Toffee was okay, then he’d give me the best possible chance.’

‘Yeah, you’re right. Well, it’s going to be an interesting Cup. I wouldn’t miss it for quids.’

‘Tango, I want to keep this quiet. The horse used to belong to Bannerman, a friend of Colin’s and Camboni’s, and they could just nobble him out of spite.’

Tango laughed. ‘Now you’re talking like a trainer. What does Mum say about all this?’

‘I haven’t told her what I plan yet. I wanted to straighten things out with you about Mick first. Mum saw Toffee when she was here and thought he looked good.’

‘Sounds like we’ll all be ringside. Where’s Jenni? I’d love to talk to her. She done anything like this before?’

‘No, I think we Hanlons have corrupted her. She’s here, I’ll put her on.’ Saskia waved Jenni to the phone.

‘Hi, Tango. Surprise.’

‘Yeah, snap. How come you’re buying racehorses? They must be paying you too much money at that retreat place.’

‘We work for love here, not money,’ joked Jenni. ‘That’s why Saskia and I decided to take the plunge.’

‘And what do you know about racehorses? Do you massage them too?’

‘I don’t know much . . . but I’m learning. Maybe massaging the horse isn’t such a silly idea.’ Jenni grinned at Saskia, giving her the thumbs up. Saskia raised her glass of mango juice.

‘What about me? I wouldn’t mind a massage from you sometime,’ suggested Tango.

‘Ah, you have to earn that . . . by doing something nice for me,’ teased Jenni.

‘You name it. I’m serious,’ said Tango. ‘Really, Jenni, I’d like to see you again. Just the two of us. I’d like to get to know you better.’

‘Why don’t you come up in the next few days and visit Harmony Hill before the Cup?’ suggested Jenni. ‘I’ll be your tour guide.’

‘Great, I’d love to. That’s settled then,’ said Tango warmly. ‘You keep an eye on my sister for me in the meantime, will you? I hope she comes through with this — for your sake as well. I don’t want to see her fall on her face here. She doesn’t have to prove anything to me, you know.’

‘She knows that. But she has to prove it to herself, Tango. Then it doesn’t matter what anyone else says,’ said Jenni gently.

‘So, you’re intelligent as well as pretty. I knew there was more than one reason I liked you,’ said Tango, and Jenni could visualise the lopsided grin on his face as he said it. The same smile as TR’s.

‘Tango, I’m really looking forward to seeing you. I’ll put Saskia back on now. Bye.’

‘So, Tango,’ said Saskia, ‘any words of advice for the novice?’

‘I didn’t think you wanted any advice. No, tell you what, Sas, don’t put a lot of money on the race. Save your money . . . just in case.’

‘We don’t need to make a killing on backing Toffee, we’ll have our winnings,’ said Saskia.

‘I like your style, girls. Tell Mick I’ll see him very soon. Good luck, kid. I’m really very proud of you.’

‘Cheers, Tango.’

At the other side of Harmony Hill Colin sat in his office, his briefcase open on the desk beside
him. In the school exercise book he wrote down more figures, did some calculations, then leaned back with a satisfied smile. Glancing at his watch, he picked up the phone and dialled interstate.

‘Did the horse arrive from Guneda okay? . . . And everything is set? Right, sounds good . . . The Spook’s riding the favourite? Though it’s being overcautious if you ask me. Ambrosia is a straight up, good horse . . . Okay, okay why take chances indeed. Might even put some of my own money on him.’ Colin gave a light laugh. ‘Yeah, give me the last minute details on the day.’ He hung up. Whistling, he put the book and papers back in his briefcase and snapped it shut.