Wisps of Cloud (23 page)

Gary shrugged. "Heard a couple might be here but not a convoy." He laughed as the traditional bridal tune screamed out through speakers on the front veranda. "Shall we go?"

Karla nodded. "I knew I shouldn't have put Jason in charge of the electronics. It's far too loud." She grabbed her father's arm and practically led him around the side of the school and through the line of motorbikes up to the veranda where the ceremony was about to take place.

Lorena as second bridesmaid, looked mature beyond her years, as did groomsman Jason who stood quietly confident beside her.  The best man, an old friend from Ryan's high school days stood along from a serious Chrissy but Ryan appeared relaxed when he turned as she stepped in beside him.

"Hi there, you look beautiful," he whispered. "Nice of you to come."

"Oh shut up Ryan," she whispered back and flushed for a hush had gone over the whole crowd. What if she had been overheard?

It appeared that most of the staff from her old school were there. That, along with just about every parent and other family members from Top Plateau School as well as old friends and the inevitable relations, meant that over two hundred people stood in the afternoon sunshine to witness the event. Chrissy reported later though, that the principal and associate principal from Tui Park were conspicuous by their absence though Gillian, the DP at her old school was there with her husband. Ted Wilton who had not returned to the district had also stayed away.

Before this amazingly large crowd who accepted the open invitation published in a small personal add in the Wairarapa Times-Age, Masterton's daily newspaper, Miss Karla Spicer became Mrs Karla Spicer before the officiating Justice of Peace.

Afterwards, the reception was held in the spacious surroundings at Top Plateau Homestead that Clive and Lois had persuaded Ryan and herself to use. Well into the evening, the guests were all quite cheerful though Karla and Ryan both hadn't more than one glass of wine each. Ryan was across the room chatting with some of his old friends from high school days and Chrissy had disappeared into the crowd. Karla finally sat on a sofa to relax when Trish came and deposited herself down beside her.

"I got you wrong," she said as she sipped her wine. Her face looked rosy and she appeared to have had her quota of alcohol. "You love my brother, don't you?"

"I wouldn't have married him, otherwise," Karla replied.

"Yes, I guess that is one reason to marry," Trish replied.

"And the others?"

Trish shrugged. "Money, social standing, give the kids a name." Trish laughed. "You have to still sort that one
out, though. Why did you keep your surname, anyway?"

"Just being modern."

"Fair enough. Anyway, I've got another offer to place on the table. Ryan and no doubt you aren't interested in my plan to sell to that overseas syndicate and I guess you are only lukewarm on Alan's subdividing idea, too." Trish gulped down another mouthful of wine. "I noticed Ryan still has a limp. How's his leg?"

It was true.
Though most of the scarring had gone Ryan had lost strength in his right leg and tired easily. He never complained but she knew he still had a lot of pain and had even joked about having to take up smoking pot to help relieve it. Why, though, did Trish bring this into the conversation?

She grimaced. "He's finding it hard to get his former strength back and it does get painful. Why do you ask?"

Trish nodded. "Even as a boy, Ryan was always the academic rather than physical sort. Our father used to try to push him into what he called manly things such as hunting and playing sport but Ryan would rather work on his computer.  I doubt if he'd really be interested in replacing Clive and run the station. Having a bung leg won't help, will it?"

Karla stared at her sister-in-law. She was blunt but her words said exactly what Ryan and herself had avoided mentioning. "Okay, but how does this fit into the offer you want to talk about."

"I need the money, Karla. To put it frankly, I came out of a quite violent relationship with my former partner becoming bankrupt and I've been pulled down too." She shrugged. "One of those businesses that went wrong. Anyway, unless I can get capital to avoid reneging on my house mortgage, the bank will foreclose and enforce a mortgagee sale."

Karla said nothing but studied Trish. Perhaps the wine had made her more honest than usual but she found herself warming towards the woman and compared her with Ryan. In some little things they were more than just physically similar.

"When we were kids we were great pals," Trish whispered. "It was only after I went away to boarding school that we grew apart. I remember wishing he could be with me at boarding school when I was being bossed around by older girls who can become quite spiteful as you probably know."

"Your offer?" Karla pushed.

"I offered sell my third of Top Plateau Station to Ryan but he turned me down. Said he couldn't afford it and refused to discuss it any further."

"I doubt if I could persuade him to change his mind."

Trish refilled her glass and gulped half down in two swallows. "I know I come across as a hard old bat but I do love my Mum and this farm. I can also see through Alan but acknowledge that she appears happier than any time when we were growing up.

What about this suggestion? I sell Ryan fifty-one percent of my third. That will give him controlling interest in Top Plateau Station to do with as he wished. As well, Mum will save face and probably her marriage by not having to support Alan's stupid idea."

"How much?" Karla decided to remain firm.

"Current government valuation. That's generous. Farm property is selling well above that at the moment. You only have to see that offer that overseas syndicate made."

It was true. "Okay, to me it sounds a possibility but it is Ryan who will have to be persuaded."

"Which you can do?"

Karla pouted. "I'll talk to him but can do no more."

"That's all I ask." Trish stood up. "Ryan's a lucky guy to find you. Sorry to interrupt this delightful occasion with business. Thank you for inviting me." She smiled and walked away.

*

It was close to midnight before Karla and Ryan finally drove off, again under escort of two lines of motorbikes until they reached the main road. They drove onto a motel in Masterton for their first night. At four the following afternoon they were booked to fly out for a week on the Gold Coast of Queensland, Australia for their honeymoon.

*

The week in the sunshine and in an apartment on the fifteenth floor overlooking the ocean was everything they had anticipated. They left early on their last day and headed back to Brisbane for an afternoon flight home. With several hours available, Ryan suggested they find Trish's home. They arrived in an outer suburb of modern but comparatively modest homes and found the street.  Except for the trees and lack of a footpath it could have been a place in New Zealand. Trish was not home but they walked around the building.

"Different than I expected," Ryan said.

"It's a nice house but I'm not very impressed with the suburb," Karla remarked. "Seems to lack personality. Just streets of houses with little in the way of facilities." She glanced at the house as they drove away. "What did you expect?"

"Some upmarket place overlooking parkland. Perhaps she's not as well off as I thought. She always hinted about how much better life was over here."

"Well, she did have a breakup. Perhaps she moved into a more modest home after the separation."

"No. This is the address she's had for five years or more. I think she just wanted us to think she was better off than she actually was."

"So does that put a different light on the offer she made about the farm?"

"Probably and that other bit she confessed, too."

"That was?"

"We were real friends when we lived at Top Plateau and went to school there. She was my big sister who sat in the seniors' quarter of the room and she used to help me with my schoolwork. Two years age difference is nothing for adults but when one is eight, a ten-year-old sister can be quite helpful. I think I told you; she never really came home to live permanently after she went to high school. We went our own ways and grew apart."

"And now?"

"Perhaps I misjudged her. What do you think?"

"She reminds me of a more forceful version of your mother who I respect and like. I think she's been under stress and is pretty unhappy. That brings out the worst in people."

Ryan nodded as he drove onto one of the city motorways. "So we should get that mortgage and accept her offer?"

"I think so."

"There's one more thing, too. I've all but persuaded Clive to stay on another year as manager. No matter what decision we make about the farm, nothing will happened before we have to think about this year's spring. It's only seven months before lambs and calves begin the farming cycle again." He grimaced.  "It'll give me time to see whether my leg gets any better or I will remain with my weakened right hip."

Karla stared at him. It was the first time he had actually admitted that he was worried about his rate of recovery. She reached across and kissed him on the cheek.

"I love you Ryan," she whispered. "When I think of your sister, your Mum and even my Dad I think how fortunate we are."

He smiled. "Yes, Mrs Spicer. We are." He stretched his arm out, hugged her shoulder and drove the car into a left lane to follow an overhead airport sign.

*

Six weeks later, Karla glanced around the spacious lawyers' office in a once grandiose home two blocks from Masterton's main street. A
s usual, the lawyer's fees seemed phenomenal but necessary for the legalities involved. She knew what Ryan and herself were paying and could only guess at the fees, Anne, Alan and an absent Trish were paying.

"So this is the final agreement that we have arrived at," Corey Fitzgerald, their lawyer in whose office they had gathered, said. "As the result of gifting from Anne to both Ryan and Patricia represented by my colleague in her absence…" He nodded at a middle-aged man across the oval table. "...these are our figures. Ryan now owns fifty-one percent of Top Plateau Station, having purchased fifty percent of Patricia's original share bequeathed to her by her father and being gifted one point five percent by his mother, Anne.  Patricia still owns eighteen percent having also being gifted one point five percent of the station's value, leaving Anne herself as thirty percent owner of the two properties that make up Top Plateau Station."

He continued on for fifteen minutes with the legalities of every page that were initial by Ryan, Anne and Trish's lawyer who had her proxy rights. The other main items were that the animals and equipment were to be owned by the three using the same ownership percentages and that the claim that the two titles were illegal, withdrawn by Trish. It was also stated that any agreements on the sale or future use of the station was a separate issue not covered in the agreement. It was, however, subject to the voting percentages of the legal owners that meant Ryan had the controlling interest.

Karla again looked around the room. Ryan looked serious, Anne had a tiny smile on her face and Alan appeared grim but had earlier accepted the result and had even agreed to Anne's gift, mainly Karla suspected, that it made little difference to the final outcome. Another item included an agreement already signed by Clive that he would have his contract as manager extended for one year. This suited everyone for there was now time to sort out what Top Plateau's Station future would be.

*

"Now to the physiotherapist," Ryan said after they had left the others a few moments later. "I must admit that the exercises she has suggested have loosened up my hip and leg a lot. I can now work for a morning without grimacing in pain but I doubt if I'll ever be able to run in a ten-kilometre race.

"And you did before?" Karla replied.

Ryan grinned. "Not really but you know what I mean?"

"I do but every week is better than the one before, isn't it?"

Ryan grinned at her. "Just like the school, I guess."

Karla nodded. "Chrissie's so keen, it's almost embarrassing and the locals have taken to her, too. I think she loves the farm cottage she has rented from Sharon and Dillon. She stays here on the plateau most weekends now."

"Yeah, plenty of young guys around to keep her amused."

"Oh Ryan," Karla scolded. "She's not really that sort."

"No but it's amazing how many tractors
and quadbikes just happen to be cruising along the road when she goes on her Saturday morning run in those tight shorts and top."

"Ryan!"

"Not me. I'm an old married fellow. It's the young guys I'm talking about."

"I hope so." Karla smiled and tucked her arm through her husband's one.

*

Ted Wilton sat in the kitchen of the home
, his wife and himself rented in Masterton. This was a temporary arrangement for he hoped that when everything blew over, they could return to Riversdale Beach to their home of the last eight years. He was by himself for a few weeks as his wife was overseas on a trip that they could never afford but with capitalisation of part of his superannuation it became possible. The idea of travelling abroad had not interested him anyway. He shrugged, pulled the tag off the can of beer and glanced at his watch. They said between eleven and noon. It was now almost the later time.