Riding the Storm (17 page)

‘Wow! I can’t wait.’

‘But the package comes with a strong warning concerning reliability.’

‘I don’t need him to be reliable. He has to be more exciting than the dull accountant types I’ve been dating lately.’

Chrissie laughed. ‘Mike Harrison may be many things but he certainly isn’t dull.’

Walter Mannion wasn’t dull either, although his appearance was a surprise to Chrissie when she and her mother went to meet him on his arrival at Tullamarine Airport. She thought Val would want to meet him alone, but her mother insisted that she should be there in case there was any awkwardness between them after all this time.

Val needn’t have worried. Although it was many years since she had seen him, Walter seemed astonishingly unchanged and she could only hope he felt the same way about her. Well dressed in smart but casual clothes, he was a small, compact Englishman who had been a jockey before becoming a trainer and then turning his talents towards breeding horses. Before saying anything, he swept Val into a warm embrace as if he had seen her only yesterday and Chrissie was slightly
bemused, watching her mother bloom under this man’s obvious admiration. Walter wasn’t a man who would ever take her for granted. In the end, Chrissie realized that, apart from acting as chauffeur, there had been absolutely no need for her to be there. Val and Walter sat together on the back seat, talking endlessly and holding each other’s hands as if they would never let go.

‘I have a confession to make,’ he told Val at last.

‘Oh no, Walter, don’t spoil it. You really don’t have to tell me anything.’ Val was suddenly afraid this reunion was going to be all too good to be true.

‘No,’ he said. ‘This is important. When I wrote to you when my wife died and you still wouldn’t join me in England, I told a lie when I said I’d married again. At that point I could see that you’d never leave Robert so I wanted you to forget me – perhaps even hate me a little.’

‘Oh, Walter, I could never hate you. You must have known you’d always be there in my heart.’

‘Can you forgive me?’

‘Oh, my darling, you’re here now. You came back to me. There’s really nothing to forgive.’

Chrissie concentrated on the road, trying not to watch the two lovebirds as they clung together like teenagers. She could only wonder what was going to happen now. Walter clearly had no intention of parting from Val again; she was the love of his life. But his breeding stables and the whole of his operation was centred in England. They would have to sit down and thrash out a plan for the future if they wanted to be together.

Walter was impressed with the Lanigans’ stables and
ran a practised hand over Tommy as Ryan gave him a brief summary of the animal’s history. He left nothing out, including the rivalry of the brothers who had fought so long and hard to possess him.

‘But I guess he belongs to Val now,’ he said at last. ‘And it’s up to her to decide what we do with him next.’

‘If he wins his next race, he will qualify for the Melbourne Cup,’ Val said. ‘We can only hope there aren’t too many overseas entries coming this year. The organizers are all too ready to overlook some of our local heroes in favour of visitors and that can be frustrating sometimes. Something to do with worldwide television coverage.’

‘Well, let’s hope he makes it.’ Walter gave Tommy a final pat on the neck. ‘He’s certainly big and strong enough to be a good stayer.’

The dinner party of eight around the kitchen table that evening was the largest gathering there had been for some time, the reason being to discuss the upcoming plans for the wedding. As well as Val, Walter, Chrissie and Ryan, Mike Harrison and Michelle were also invited together with Margie and her husband, Ron, making up the party.

The registry office was considered and rejected as being too impersonal and then Margie put forward the suggestion that a less formal ceremony could take place outside on the lawn. She and her sister would be happy to cater the event as it was small.

‘May I say something?’ Walter spoke up at last. He had been unusually silent for quite a while.

‘Please do.’ Chrissie smiled at him, ready to listen to
anyone who could make her mother this happy.

‘I haven’t asked Val about this so I really have no idea what her answer will be,’ he said softly. ‘And I know it’s not very long since your father died, Chrissie, but your mother and I have already lost a lot of time. We don’t have to have a double wedding if nobody likes the idea but it would be wonderful if Val would marry me on the same day.’ So saying, he put a small black velvet box in front of Val on the table. ‘Please, my darling, say yes this time.’ And he sat back and closed his eyes, half-expecting rejection again.

Val opened the box and everyone gasped at the size of the diamond inside, reflecting the candlelight nearby.

‘Oh, Walter, I don’t know. There’s so much to think about,’ she said, biting her lip.

‘No, it’s easy and simple,’ he said. ‘I know it’s too soon and people will talk but you do want to marry me, don’t you?’

‘You know I do.’

‘All right. Now this is the plan and I’ve been thinking about it a lot. Most of the time we’ll live in England, finding and breeding good horses to send to your daughter and son-in-law here. Let them spread their wings and realize their potential, training and racing those horses on their own; I’m sure we can get Ryan a trainer’s licence even if we have to pull a few strings. And when Hunter’s Moon has done enough, we’ll take him to England to incorporate him into our breeding programme there.’

‘Oh no,’ Ryan started to say. ‘After all we’ve been through, I can’t lose him.’

‘You won’t,’ Walter said as if he’d been half-expecting this response. ‘Because we’re not going to be strangers here. The
world is much smaller than it used to be. You’ll visit us often just as we shall come here.’ He paused for a moment, looking at Val. ‘You’ve not answered me, Val. I do hope I haven’t assumed too much? Please say you’ll marry me?’

‘Yes, Walter, yes.’ Val could scarcely speak for the tears misting her eyes. ‘How could I refuse?’

‘Then let’s celebrate and congratulate the happy couples.’ Margie jumped up and went to raid the fridge. ‘I had a feeling something like this might happen, so I put two nice bottles of French champagne to cool off in there.’

F
OR ONCE
, M
ELBOURNE
’S
unpredictable weather didn’t let them down. Although it was still officially winter, the day dawned bright and clear with no clouds in the sky and no sign of rain. Margie and her friends had constructed a pretty arch of white roses at the end of a wisteria-covered walkway. Tinka, who had once been wary and frightened of strangers, ran around barking joyfully, having adapted well to this new environment of people and horses.

Both Chrissie and her mother wore simple dresses in a style reminiscent of the sixties. Val chose to wear a small cap made from the same fabric as her dress while Chrissie wore a small coronet of real flowers with other small, white flowers scattered throughout her abundant hair. Also, as the ceremony was informal and with no attendants, they decided not to carry flowers.

Michelle caught Mike’s attention immediately but she received his overtures with a coolness that made Chrissie smile. This wasn’t the same girl at all who had seemed so starry-eyed at the prospect of spending the day with him. If this was a strategy on her part, it was certainly working as he couldn’t take his eyes off her; it would do Mike good to jump
through hoops for once in his efforts to impress a girl.

The marriage celebrant, who looked as pretty as the two brides in a figure-hugging white suit, turned up in a chauffeur-driven white sports car. Moments after her arrival, the wedding ceremony was under way; the woman wanted to waste no time. With no music or singing, just a sincere exchange of the two couples’ vows, it was over in minutes and the marriage celebrant climbed back into her car and was driven away to perform yet another ceremony that day. The rest of the wedding party headed back to the house for the celebrations to begin.

Ryan and Chrissie, anxious to seize a moment or two for themselves, lingered in the garden to savour the moment before joining the others. They had almost reached the front door when a small, black sedan came up the drive towards them, wheels spinning and spraying gravel as it was travelling too fast. Not recognizing the car, they both turned towards it, wondering who was about to gatecrash the party. It stopped with a squeal of brakes and the driver sprang out of the driver’s seat to confront them. Chrissie recognized him at once. It was Harry’s son, Tim.

Shaking with rage or nerves, he staggered towards them and Chrissie’s heart sank when she saw he was carrying a pistol, although he wasn’t pointing it at anyone yet.

‘S-so,’ he said, shaking so much he could scarcely speak. ‘The h-happy couple—’

Chrissie tried to take a step towards him but Ryan held her back.

‘Oh, Timmy, why are you here? You don’t want to ruin our wedding day.’

‘I don’t care. Why should you be happy when I’m not!’ he raged at her. ‘And don’t call me Timmy! Only my mum ever called me that.’

‘Chrissie,’ Ryan whispered. ‘Two steps and you can be inside. Then I’ll try to disarm him.’

‘No!’ she whispered back. ‘This is worse than before. He’s beside himself and he doesn’t know what he’s doing. You’ll be killed.’

‘Stop your whispering and plotting because you won’t get away,’ Tim said, gaining in confidence. ‘You’re a murderer, Ryan Lanigan, and I’m here to see you pay.’ And he raised the gun, pointing it at Ryan’s heart.

‘No, Tim, please listen to me.’ Chrissie continued to stand in the line of fire. ‘It was an accident. Everyone says so. Nobody wanted your father to die.’

‘It’s not fair. That man shot my father and walked free.’

‘It was your father who brought that gun to the scene – not Ryan. And he lied to you too, saying it wasn’t loaded.’ Chrissie took a deep breath, trying to control her nerves. ‘It was a terrible accident that shouldn’t have happened. You don’t want to make it worse by harming Ryan. Just drop the gun on the ground and step away.’

‘Oh, you’re so clever, making it sound so reasonable.’ He put on a mocking falsetto. ‘“Drop the gun on the ground and step away.” You think I’ll give up that easily? With revenge so close, I can almost taste it?’ He raised the gun higher to point it at Ryan’s head. His hand was shaking so much, Chrissie was afraid he’d fire it without really meaning to.

‘This isn’t you, Tim.’ She felt bound to keep reasoning with him. ‘You’re not like your father.’

‘Are you sure?’ Tim giggled hysterically, betraying his nerves yet again. ‘I might be exactly like him.’

Out of the corner of her eye, Chrissie could see the rest of the wedding party assembled in the hall looking out of the open front door, faces tense with horror at the scene being played out in front of them.

At that moment Tinka, sensing something was terribly wrong, dashed out of the house to start barking at Tim. For a small animal, she could make a very loud noise.

Momentarily distracted, Tim snarled, turning the gun towards the little dog bouncing around behind him. Chrissie clapped her hands to her mouth, certain Tinka was doomed, but it was Walter who surprised Tim, by coming up swiftly behind him, depriving him of the gun before he could fire it. Then, clearly used to firearms, he opened it and quickly removed the bullets.

‘Hmm. Nasty little weapon,’ he said, almost to himself. Then he looked up and grinned at the wedding party. ‘Fine thing to have to do on our wedding day,’ he said. ‘But somebody better call the cops.’

Margie hurried to oblige.

Disarmed, all the courage and fight went out of Tim and he sank to the ground, hunched over his knees and weeping. There was no need to restrain him while they waited for the police to take him away.

‘That poor kid,’ Chrissie said later as they watched him being handcuffed and pushed none too gently into the back of a police car. The black sedan he arrived in had been reported as stolen. ‘Never stood a chance in life, did he?’

‘Well, nobody forced him to come here and ruin our
wedding day,’ Val said.

‘He hasn’t ruined it at all because we won’t let him.’ Walter was determined to raise everyone’s spirits. ‘I have a thirst above rubies! Let’s get this party started and break out the champagne.’

Flying Colours

Red for Danger

Starshine Blue

Emerald Green

Indigo Nights

Magenta Magic

On Track to Murder