The Bay (16 page)

She tried not to smile. ‘What makes you think I want changes?'

‘Because you're living here and you are getting to know the moods of the house, where the light is needed, where you like to sit and read. What view you want to look at most, those sorts of things.'

‘You're right. I have to confess there are some things I want changed. I'm at a loss about others. And there are things I want kept intact.'

‘I understand what you mean. Would you like to look at a couple of places I've worked on? A lot of old homes in one street were being ripped down for shops and units, but once some of the owners saw how an old place came up with renovation, they changed their mind. So we saved the last few.'

‘You must have done a good job. Best form of advertising, so I'm told,' said Holly.

‘Thank you. It's very challenging to take what looks like a pile of junk and renovate without destroying the soul of a place. Not always that easy, but when it works the client is happy and I get job satisfaction. Win–win, as the jargon goes.'

‘I'm pleased to hear it. The last builders here seemed intent on ripping the place apart rather than renovating.'

‘Holly, don't worry. I only do one job at a time and Richmond House will have my full attention. And my assistants know what's expected of them.'

Holly relaxed. ‘Great. Then let's walk through the place again.'

Their last stop was the widow's walk.

‘This should be kept, of course. It balances the structural design and it's a nostalgic part of the house, I'd say,' mused Mitchell. ‘It gets the wind, facing out to sea like this, but it could be made into a small private roof garden, or perhaps a sundeck.'

Holly didn't answer, her attention was focused on the distant horizon. In her mind's eye she could see the faint outline of a ship.

‘Holly?'

‘Oh, sorry. I was daydreaming. I can't help thinking about the woman who lived in this house and the times she must have stood up here.'

‘The original owner was most likely a sea captain. His wife probably spent a lot of lonely, anxious hours here,' said Mitchell.

Holly turned to him. ‘I think so too. I just know so . . .' She looked away. ‘It sounds silly but I can feel the presence of someone in the house. It doesn't bother me, it's not a haunted house, but I feel she is here watching me, or hanging around for some reason.' Holly gave an embarrassed little laugh. ‘My imagination runs away a bit in a place like this.'

‘Oh, I find it a lot,' said Mitchell calmly. ‘Houses absorb feelings, moods, from those who live in them for a long time. I sometimes think spirits or souls hang around when there's unfinished business. What do they call them . . . earthbound spirits?'

Holly was surprised to hear the builder talking about spirits in such an accepting way. ‘Do you think unfinished business, as you put it, is ever resolved? What happens when the place is pulled down, or changed?'

‘I don't know, I'm only guessing.' He hesitated. ‘Maybe you'll understand this . . . I just figure that sometimes fate steps in and alters people's lives before they're ready. Oh, I don't know, I guess it sounds silly, but I would say I believe in ghosts. Not ones you are supposed to see. No, the ones we sense.'

She didn't answer. It all sounded odd, and she started a little when he touched her arm. ‘Don't be alarmed. This place has the feeling that a lot of love was shared here.'

‘I'd like to think so.'

As they returned indoors Holly wondered what Andrew would have made of this conversation. She knew he'd tell her The Bay was turning her into an airhead. And she knew she wouldn't tell him.

She also didn't send him the local paper the following week with a large front-page photo of the protest rally to allow dogs on Tinderbox Beach. In the centre of the picture, marching with a little army of colourful characters and their dogs and banners, was Holly leading Curly. Curly wore a bow and trotted beside Romany and Mitchell. Holly thought she'd send the paper to her children. After all, it was her first protest rally.

That night, feeling so proud of her public stand, she told Andrew about taking part in the protest march. She bubbled over the phone, ‘There were all manner of people, and our dogs. There were some great speeches. I was so impressed, it wasn't just about allowing dogs on a beach. It was about a lot of fundamental principles, about freedom, lifestyle, over-regulation, bureaucratic arrogance.' Then she stopped, sensing disapproval in Andrew's silence.

Eventually he spoke, slowly, very deliberately. ‘Holly, how could you? That's utter stupidity. How could you get involved with that rabble? You will ruin your name in the town as a serious business woman – if that's what you want to be. God almighty –'

‘I want to be a member of the community. I care about things that affect the town.'

‘And if the ferals and local dropouts decide to march naked down the main street to protest about not being able to fornicate in the park, you'd march too?'

‘Andrew, you don't have to be so silly. It's just that people can unite and speak with one voice about things that genuinely concern them –' Holly began, but he cut her off.

‘I find it hard to believe you would lower yourself to take part in a protest, Holly. For dogs! It'd be funny if it wasn't so ludicrous.' He changed the subject to practical matters and Holly bit her tongue.

Eddie's car had broken down again. Resigned to his situation he shouldered his camera gear and started walking the last kilometre to the farm.

He was surprised to see Laura's car parked in the driveway as well as another he didn't recognise and the front door wide open. He glanced at his watch. School wasn't out yet so she hadn't brought Alice up to visit. Nor had she rung to say she was coming. It annoyed him that she still regarded the farm as her property.

He could hear her voice as he stepped up onto the verandah. ‘It needs heaps of work, of course, but you can see why we liked it. If someone worked the farm it would be a good investment.'

‘Depends. There's more value in the land to develop as an MO – multiple occupancy – or eco-village.'

Eddie didn't recognise the man's voice.

‘Would a development application be approved, do you think?' Laura asked with great interest.

Eddie had heard enough. ‘Can I help you guys? I'm sorry, Laura, have I missed an appointment? I don't recall us arranging a meeting here.'

She stepped forward with a thin smile. ‘Now, now, Eddie. This is Dick Armstrong from Armstrong Real Estate. I thought he should give us an appraisal of the farm, perhaps a few ideas of . . . other places.'

‘What for? I'm not moving. Or selling.' Eddie put the camera on the table and turned to the agent. ‘Sorry to waste your time, Mr Armstrong.'

‘Eddie, be practical. There's no way you can manage this place. We need the money.'

‘Er, if there seems to be some misunderstanding I can come back.' The agent turned to Laura. ‘Maybe this is a little premature, perhaps you two should talk things over and get back to me.'

‘That won't be necessary, Mr Armstrong. My wife, my ex-wife, doesn't seem to grasp the fact that we've done a property settlement. The farm is mine. She got practically everything I own and a cash settlement. Look around. I'm down to bare essentials.'

‘Why don't I leave you for the moment?' The agent began backing out the door. ‘I'll be in touch, Mrs Harley.'

‘Don't bother,' snapped Eddie.

Laura spun on her heel. ‘How dare you talk like that. You're totally out of line and wrong as usual. When are you going to wake up –'

‘You're the one who's out of line, Laura.' Eddie went to the sink to get a glass of water. ‘Sorry I can't offer you a drink. No fancy glasses and you cleared out the wine cellar, if you recall.' His anger evaporated. He was tired and felt defeated as he always did in the face of Laura's bulldozing.

‘Don't be so pathetic,' Laura said. ‘Do you want to have this out here and now, once and for all?' She folded her arms and glared.

‘Laura, we've done this. I've given you and Alice everything I possibly can, at least allow me a leaking roof over my head.'

‘Buying this property was my idea, remember! We need the money. The Bay is no place for us any more, we're not on holidays. I want Alice to have a bit of sophistication, go to a good school. So we'll have to get rid of all this land. It's only fair.'

‘Fair!' he exploded. ‘Give me a break. You have everything. There's still a mortgage on this place. It's zoned rural for the next five years, maybe longer. No fancy development is going to happen way out here. And I like living here.'

‘We'll see about that. You'll have to find money for school fees, and speaking of money there's a stack of unpaid bills over there.' She pointed at the small table.

Eddie stared at Laura like she was a total stranger. ‘You just don't get it, do you? Alice is very happy in The Bay. She loves the local school. She's ten years old, we're not talking university and finishing school yet. And what damned bills?' He strode to where she had left a pile of envelopes. ‘What are these? You're responsible for your own bills. I give you an allowance for that, I'm paying your rent, I paid for your car. What more do you want? Oh don't answer that.' Eddie rifled through the bills. ‘What's this – David Jones and Myers! If you're ordering stuff from them you pay for it.' He turned the bill over and read aloud, ‘Clothes, cosmetics, accessories. And what's this? An account for hairdressing – on the Gold Coast! What's wrong with The Teepee in The Bay where everyone else goes?' He threw the bills back on the table.

Laura snatched them. ‘I don't intend to be just like everyone else in The Bay, as you put it. Look around you, Eddie, they're flakes and freaks. I don't want Alice exposed to all this weird stuff.'

‘Since when? It was your idea to move here. I had a good job and was quite happy in Sydney.' Eddie could feel his temper rising. ‘There's no point in going over this again. I'm going out to feed the chooks.'

‘That's right, walk away, typical,' snapped Laura. ‘Well, Alice and I are moving to the Gold Coast. Going to make something of ourselves, not wander around some pseudo beach town with a bunch of lost souls.'

Eddie wasn't going to ask what brought this on. He didn't want to know. Laura was always irrational, but she used to be more of a delightful ditz who could make him laugh. Later he discovered she really wasn't very bright and the ditzy manner covered a devious streak of self-preservation and self-indulgence.

She headed out the door, firing a parting shot. ‘You can be an absolute shit, Eddie, without even trying.'

Holly sat on cushions on the floor under the yellow pool of lamplight, with sketches and plans and a notepad spread around her. The faint regular wash of the waves, the rustle of palm fronds, Curly's gentle snore, the occasional pattering of a possum on the roof were now comforting and familiar evening sounds. The phone rang and the long-distance bips suddenly made her heart race. Was there a problem with her children? She fell into her old habit of fretting immediately, expecting the worst.

‘Holly, it's me,' said Andrew.

‘Is everything all right? I haven't heard from the children –'

‘Give it a rest. Let me at least say hello. How're things?'

‘Fine. The new builder is great. How are the kids?'

‘I don't know, no one ever calls me unless they want money. They're busy, I guess. Now listen, I'm off to Bangkok tomorrow, be gone ten days at least. I need you to sign some papers, asap.'

‘Oh, all right, send them up. What's going on? Why so long in Bangkok?'

‘All a bit hush-hush, hopefully we'll be doing a big resort complex.'

‘I thought Thailand was already full of resorts.'

‘There's a lot of money up there, this company invests in properties all around the world. It's an international consortium. Now about these papers. They're at a solicitor's office in The Bay, Pearce and James in Dive Street.'

‘Why there? Why didn't you send them to me here?'

‘They need a JP to witness the signature, you know the usual rigmarole. Just do it tomorrow, would you?'

‘When are you coming back up here? I'd love you to see my ideas and it gets a bit lonely. I miss you –'

‘Now, Holly, you knew this was how it was going to be. And ideas for what?'

‘The house, oh lots of things.'

‘What do you mean the house? I'd drawn everything up specifically. Don't you let some hick builder start changing those plans. We agreed –'

‘That I would run things,' Holly cut in. ‘Don't worry, Andrew. I'm sure you have a lot more important things to worry about.'

‘Well, yes frankly, I do. Look, I might come up for a weekend when I get back. How's that?'

‘Lovely. Whenever you can fit it in,' said Holly slightly facetiously.

Andrew didn't notice or chose to ignore it. ‘I'll call when I can. But you know how it is . . . and the time difference –'

‘Yes. I know how it is. I hope everything goes well with the deal.'

‘Me too. Don't forget those papers. They'll be expecting you in the morning. Take care. Bye.'

‘Bye, Andrew.' Too bad if she had other things arranged for the morning. Andrew had become used to her not having any life outside his. As it so happened Holly did have some free time, but her days were getting busier. Mitch was there every day. She'd gone with him to look at materials and been into the council as they were making a change to the plans. Nola had been terrifically generous and Mitch had patiently listened to her advice about the colour scheme. Initially Holly had trailed behind Mitch and his two assistants – Rob with the shaved head and Larry with the ponytail – when the heavy work of removing the walls and windows started. But the more she watched them the more at ease she became. Mitch was careful, had an eye for the small details and respect for the original builder's work. She knew Richmond House was in caring hands.