Time Will Tell (37 page)

She scowled at the steel structure as she approached it. That's what she would do today; start taking it down. She could get the front-end loader out – it couldn't be
that
hard to drive and operate the bucket on the front, could it? The frame looked just like a giant meccano project – how hard could it be to take apart? Her eyes travelled downwards and settled on the uprights disappearing into the concrete footings.

She nibbled at her lip. If she could get everything down there would still be four uprights. She'd need a jackhammer for the concrete, and she was pretty sure John hadn't had one of those in the shed. She looked back up and sighed again. It was awfully high – would the front-end loader's bucket go that high? Could
she
go that high? She could at least try.

‘Come on Gracie,' she called. The dog paused in her snuffling and looked at her with head cocked to one side as if to say, ‘But we just got here, I'm not finished.'

Emily started walking back. Grace would catch up, she always did; didn't like being apart from her mistress for too long.

Back at the house, Emily shut Grace in the yard, much to the dog's disappointment.

‘For your own safety. Don't want you getting squashed under a wheel,' she said, as she walked away.

Emily climbed up into the smaller of the green tractors, the front-end loader. Her heart was racing a little with excitement.

Yes, I can do this.

She settled into the seat and looked around her. God, it wasn't like a car at all. There was a key to turn it on, a panel of instruments up front, and clutch and brake pedals on the floor. But that was where the similarities ended. To her right were a number of levers, some with numbers and some without. Nothing was familiar. She couldn't even tell which were for driving the tractor and which were for working the bucket out the front. She cursed herself for not taking more notice when riding with John.

When they had first started going out, she'd spent hours perched on the arm of his tractor seat as he worked the land. It was so satisfying to start at the fence and watch the paddock slowly changing, lap by lap, until the point where the corners were all that were left and the tractor would be driven out across them – the headlands they were called – signalling the end.

Seeding had been one of her favourite things about living on the farm. She loved the hum of tractors in the distance in winter, barely detectible in the cold, still night air, the lights dotted about as far as the eye could see. She especially enjoyed seeing the change of colour of the earth to rich dark chocolate as the machine passed over it, the small, even mounds and furrows and the deep, fresh, earthy scent.

The hours of tractor driving had been considerably shortened now they sowed directly rather than ripping up and working back as they used to. These days it was all about keeping the soil as healthy as possible and not overworking it. It made sense; farming was really just gardening on a huge scale, and it was important to keep a good layer of mulch – the previous year's stubble – to add nutrients to the soil and help keep the moisture in.

Could she learn how to be a farmer and run it on her own? It wasn't like you needed brute strength. There were so many machines to do the heavy work. Hmm. Maybe if someone taught her how to drive one of these bloody things! And she took some bloody notice!

She reluctantly got out, slammed the door shut, and climbed back down.

Emily frowned and looked around the shed for another option. She spotted a collection of ladders leaning against the wall. She opened the boot of the car and slid the longest ladder into it. Quite a bit hung out, but if she drove carefully, and hoped the boot didn't try and close on it, she'd get it over there. Next she searched the workshop for two large shifting spanners and some rigger's gloves. Feeling better, she got in the car and drove carefully across to the steel structure. She sat for a few moments looking up. It was very high. Should she be doing this? Yes. She was sick of feeling useless when it came to this farm. She'd at least give it a damn good shot.

Emily unfolded the ladder to its full length and leant it against the nearest upright. God, it was higher than she'd thought.
Stop being a scaredy cat.

She forced herself to keep looking up to keep the fear of heights at bay. Once at the top, she realised there was a bit of a gap between where the ladder ended and where she needed to be.
I can do this
, she told herself as she stretched across to a beam. Once up, she took a brief look down. Her stomach lurched. Too high. Maybe she'd better go back down. No, not before at least trying.

She patted her pockets and realised she'd left both spanners hanging on the hook on the ladder. She'd totally forgotten to bring them up with her.
Damn it!
She sighed with exasperation and started to look at where to put her feet to get down.

It was a long way just to the ladder.
I don't think I can do it.
The realisation seeped in slowly. Fear gripped her, and then her heart began to race. Jesus, she was stuck up here.
No. You got up here, you can get down.
But the ladder was so far away and there was such a small space to put her feet. And it would be out of sight when she tried.
Shit! Right, just calm down. You're safe here, just sit for a bit and think.

From her perch atop the frame, Emily looked across at the rubble of the cottage. Where would one start rebuilding it? She wished she'd asked Jake more questions that day. Could she ask him now? Could that be her way back to him? Hmm.

Yes, damn it, she would call him.
As soon as I get down from here.
It would be difficult, but not as hard as leaving John.

And then I'll phone Barbara. Enough is enough.

Something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention.

When she looked across to her left, Emily saw a white ute with a rotating orange light flashing on top and hazard lights blinking. Behind it, a green tractor was turning the corner. The two vehicles were about a kilometre away. Someone was moving machinery. The big yellow tank behind the tractor was a boom sprayer. That was the trouble with a good burst of summer rain; a mass of weeds sprang up and then had to be sprayed.

She waved one arm while holding on tightly with the other. She could only hope whoever it was would look at the steel structure and marvel at its ugliness long enough to see her sitting up there.

‘Here! Over here!' she yelled.

They can't hear you, they're miles away and in cabins with the radio most likely blaring. Idiot.

Emily thought about taking off her top to wave, but didn't want to let go with both hands. Oh God, what was she going to do? There might not be another vehicle along this road for days.

She watched the ute and tractor make their way slowly towards her. She waved frantically until her arms were too tired. Tears threatened as she imagined being stuck there all night.

Suddenly the tractor turned in towards the house. David?! That meant Barbara was most likely driving the ute as escort. She could hear the throaty diesel engine idling nearby. He'd stopped by the house.
Turn off the engine so you can hear me!

‘Help! Over here! Help!' Tears began to fall. The frustration was killing her. She looked down at the ladder. She had to do it. She just had to. But it was such a long way down.

There was a change in noise as the tractor was turned off.

‘Help!' she yelled again, but the ute was still idling; there was still too much noise. She thought she could hear Grace barking, but that could have been her brain playing tricks on her. She was finding it more and more difficult to stay calm. She had to get David or Barbara's attention before they went down into the paddock, or left altogether. She focused on breathing in and out slowly.

Suddenly the ute's engine noise increased. It was no longer idling.
No, don't go.
She couldn't muster the energy to yell. There was no point anyway; they couldn't hear her.

Emily noticed a flash of white out of the corner of her eye. She turned, careful not to lose balance. Oh please, let it be, she thought, as the ute made its way up the road towards her.

David and Barbara leapt out of the vehicle below her. Emily was so relieved she let go and wobbled slightly.

‘Don't let go!' Barbara and David yelled in unison.

‘I can't get down.'

‘I sort of figured that,' David said. ‘What are you doing up there?'

‘Can you just get me down?'

‘I'm trying to work out how to do that. Just let me think a minute.'

Well, hurry up!

‘Are you okay?' Barbara asked.

‘Yep, just stuck.'

‘I'll go and get the front-end loader. Back in a sec.'

Barbara stayed standing below and David leapt into the ute and drove off back to the house.

‘How did you find me?' Emily asked.

‘Grace,' Barbara yelled back. ‘She kept racing to the corner of the yard and barking her head off. It was so out of character we thought we'd better check it out. And then we saw your car. How long have you been up there?'

‘No idea. Too long.'

They both looked towards the house at hearing the tractor start up.

Before long David had Barbara in the cab and was in the bucket and using hand signals to guide the machine close to Emily. Minutes later she stepped down into his arms.

‘Thank you,' she said breathlessly, and then sat down in the bucket as David had Barbara lower them.

When she was finally back on solid ground, Emily burst into tears. ‘Thank you so much.'

Barbara got out of the tractor and came over.

‘Hi Barb,' Emily said sheepishly.

‘What the hell were you doing up there?'

The greeting was tense, but not as bad as it could have been.

‘I…' She was about to explain when David spoke.

‘I'll take the loader back and leave you in Barbara's capable hands.'

‘Thanks so much. Again.'

‘No worries. You okay if I go and get a bit of spraying done?' he asked. ‘You two have probably got some catching up to do.'

‘Sure, go for it. Great.'

‘Thanks. Darling, I'll call you later,' David said, giving Barbara a kiss. Emily and Barbara watched in silence as he climbed back up into the cab, put it in gear, and drove off with a wave of his hand.

Barbara was the first to break the silence. ‘Don't suppose I could use your loo before I head off?' she asked with a wince. ‘The trip down took way longer than I thought it would. And then all this excitement…'

‘Of course,' Emily said. ‘I really need a cuppa if you'd like to join me.'

‘That would be great.'

Suddenly Barbara pulled Emily into a hug. ‘I've missed you so much. I called, and when you didn't call back…' Her words came out in a torrent. ‘I can't believe you got up there by yourself. Seriously, what the hell were you thinking? You could have been killed! What would you have done if we hadn't come along?'

‘Well, thank God you did.'

‘Thank God you're okay. I don't know what I would have done… If it wasn't for Grace, who knows what might have happened.'

She saved me. Again.

Emily hugged her friend back, feeling her chest tighten. ‘Oh God, Barbara, I behaved like a complete idiot. And I'm not just talking about this,' she said, waving an arm towards the shed skeleton. ‘I'm so sorry. Can we go back to the house, have a cuppa and forget it – accept that I've been a complete idiot and move on?'

‘I can if you can. As long as you promise I'll never have to rescue you from up there again.'

They broke apart, dragging the backs of their hands across their cheeks and wiping their eyes as they did.

Chapter Forty-two

Back at the house, Emily gave Grace a lot of attention while Barbara looked on. ‘I'll just get Grace a bone before I do anything else,' Emily said. She raced inside to the fridge and tossed the grateful dog her treat.

‘Right, now my conscience is clear for a cuppa. Come on in,' she said.

‘You're living here?!' Barbara asked, looking around the kitchen with wide eyes.

Emily silently retrieved coffee and sugar from the pantry, milk from the fridge, and mugs from the cupboard above the sink. She flicked the switch on the kettle and it roared into life.

‘Didn't you hear?' she said, leaning against the bench while waiting for the kettle to boil.

‘Hear what?'

‘Jesus, what happened to the bush telegraph?' Emily said, shaking her head. ‘You'd better sit down.' She poured the water into the mugs, added milk, and put the carton back in the fridge while Barbara took the two steaming mugs to the table.

*

‘You're kidding!' Barbara said when Emily had explained about Tara's visit and her sudden eviction. ‘You had a bad feeling about that woman right from the start. See, I keep telling you you've got to listen to your intuition,' she said, sipping at her coffee. ‘But you had an agreement with Donald and Trevor, aren't you at least going to try and fight it? You love that house.
I
love that house.'

‘I know. But I didn't get things signed off properly. Tara's right that the agreement isn't worth the paper it's written on. We had a verbal agreement, but I can't prove that. And I'm too tired to fight anymore. Anyway, there's not a whole lot to work with when someone evicts you because they just don't like you.'

‘Hmm, I see your point. Not fair about the house, though – that's just plain rotten.'

‘I know. But maybe this is how it's meant to be,' she added with a shrug.

‘And for the record, you should have called us rather than pay removalists – we would have moved you.'

‘I know. But you've done so much for me already. And it all happened so fast, and…' Emily said lamely.

‘We're friends, Emily. We'd do
anything
for you. So what does Jake think about all this?' Barbara said, changing the subject. ‘I bet he's disappointed.'