Outback Sunset (28 page)

T
he next year was a disastrous one for Amaroo because the wet did not come. The normal wet weather pattern bypassed their station, Cadogan’s Run and the Linford Downs Station entirely, a phenomenon that had only occurred twice in living memory. The land, the cattle, the flora and fauna in that part of the Kimberley stood as if in suspended animation, desperate for rain to revive them and bring new life, and hope. It became so dry that the bloodwoods, gums and willow barks down by Gumbledon Creek began to shed leaves in an effort to survive. The cracks in the dry creek bed widened, the banks eroded further and fell away to expose more of the trees’ roots, which put the trees under more stress.

And little by little, what capital reserves Amaroo had stored, after working the accounts into the black again, became as empty as the creek bed. The Selbys were forced to pay an exorbitant fee for an engineering company to come and drill for new bores, hoping to tap into additional underground water sources.

The seriousness of the downturn had an effect on everyone at Amaroo. Bren decided that they could get by with just one station hand, so Tony was reluctantly let go. Then, as finances and the drought wore inexorably on, more cattle were rounded up and all but the best of the breeding stock were trucked to Derby to be sold for ridiculously low prices. Bren’s level of confidence suffered. He became plagued by doubts as to whether they could tough it out for almost two years, till the next wet, though it was a situation over which he had little control. As a consequence of this his irritability soared, and he began to seek solace in alcohol, as he had done once before early in their marriage.

Vanessa was at a loss to know how to shake him out of his depression, a state for which she had great sympathy. She too was devastated by having to watch what had been built up — the breeding stock, improvements to the property, their funds — go backwards. The coup de grâce was the repossession of their near-new helicopter because they could no longer afford it.

As well, at the end of the month Vanessa was leaving for Melbourne, with Kyle, to take up the role of Detective Kim Clancy, in the television police series titled
The Twenty-first Squad
being filmed at a Melbourne production house. The thirteen weeks had been organised long ago; accommodation was booked and a nanny employed to care for Kyle when she was on the set. She hated to leave the station in the condition it was but, contrarily, the survivor within her acknowledged that it would be good to be away from Amaroo and the day-to-day tension.

Admitting this as she bathed her son, doing her best to elude the splashes of his rough-housing in the bath which she’d rationed to less than forty centimetres deep — he loved water and would stay in it half the day if she let him — gave her no joy. As she got him out, protesting loudly, and wrapped him in a fluffy towel, Vanessa had a moment’s regret for the atmosphere in which Kyle was to celebrate his second birthday. Adding unnecessarily to the strain was the expected arrival of Hilary, Stuart and Diane Selby. They were expected any time now, to participate in Kyle’s birthday celebrations. He was now a healthy, happy and active child after his earlier ordeal.

Vanessa thought the timing unfortunate. Bren’s moodiness had extended to and enveloped Curtis, making her brother-in-law more acerbic than usual. Reg, an outback man through and through, kept his own counsel and went about his chores without murmur or complaint, as did Fran. The only one who didn’t understand how tough things were, but had begun to know what birthdays were all about, was her bundle of joy.

A doting mother, Vanessa constantly marvelled at how much her son had grown and learned in just two years of life, especially after being so ill, and her only ongoing disappointment was Bren who continued to show some irritability towards him. Fran, though she’d never experienced motherhood herself, was of the opinion that some men weren’t good with small children though Vanessa knew, from Fran and Nova, that Curtis had been wonderful with Regan when she’d been small. It
was difficult but she was having to accept that in Bren’s case, that was probably so. But … she didn’t have to like it.

Vanessa was dressing Kyle in his usual day-time attire, a nappy, because it was too hot for other clothes, when Fran poked her head around the open doorway. ‘Reg said to let you know, the Selbys are about fifteen minutes away.’ She gave a disdainful sniff. ‘Trust Stuart to arrive in time for morning tea. The man has an uncanny knack of timing his arrival around food or refreshments. It’s a wonder he’s not the size of a house.’

‘It’s not Stuart that concerns me, it’s …’

‘Hilary.’ Fran gave an understanding nod. ‘She’s all right once you learn not to be fazed by her condescending stares.’ She thought for a moment then added. ‘Don’t think she didn’t have her problems with the isolation, the solitude of Amaroo. Matthew, so I’ve heard via camp-fire gossip and such, was, in the early days of their marriage, often away for extended periods. Did you know that Hilary even had a nervous breakdown after Bren was born?’ One eyebrow lifted as she delivered that information. ‘No one knows exactly why because his was a regular, run-of-the-mill labour. Then she had Curtis and Lauren pretty close together, and that kept her too busy to be lonely, until Bren went to boarding school in his teens.’

Vanessa gave Fran a grateful smile. ‘I didn’t know that. She gives the impression of being totally unfazed!’

‘She is, now! Over the years Hilary perfected the mistress of Amaroo role to a ‘t’. But you’re its
mistress now and don’t let her forget it. She’s the kind who, if she sees a weakness, will take advantage of it.’

‘You’re probably right. Still, I’d feel happier about her visit if the station was doing better.’

‘Don’t worry about that,’ Fran said offhandedly. ‘She’s been around long enough to know that properties in the Kimberley have their ups and downs. Just show her how well you fit in. Once she sees that, and that Bren’s happy — she’s always been over-protective of him for some reason — she’ll be closer to accepting you as Amaroo’s mistress.’

Vanessa shook her head in admiration of the older woman’s advice. ‘You are a wise one.’

‘Reg and I have been here almost eighteen years. People don’t stay in one place if they’re not reasonably content. I learned a long while ago how to get around Hilary. In time you will too.’ She put her arms out to take Kyle, and suggested, ‘Go make yourself beautiful for your in-laws.’

What Vanessa expected to be an ordeal, initially, turned out much better than anticipated. Hilary, on arrival, had masked her ongoing disappointment that she had another grandson with the statement that it was important for Amaroo to produce a male heir and that there was plenty of time for more children. Diane, whose second daughter, Traci, was expecting her first child, clucked and cooed over Kyle and even Stuart, whom Vanessa believed to be one of the most self-centred men she had come across, paid her son undue attention. Perhaps he did due to the novelty of Kyle being male, because his
offspring, including his first grandchild, were female. The attention pleased Bren and brightened his mood for the length of their stay.

Although … with her penchant for observing people, as they ate, dining casually in the kitchen, and even as they played night tennis, Vanessa made several interesting, and curious observations. Below the surface camaraderie a subtle animosity existed between Hilary and Diane, the latter being three or four years younger than her mother-in-law. And more curious still, it wasn’t the sharp-tongued Hilary who’d slyly deliver the occasional sniping remark and the veiled criticisms, but the milder mannered, pleasant Diane.

‘What are you doing about the drought, Bren?’ Stuart asked from his position at the end of the long table where everyone congregated for Kyle’s birthday dinner.

‘Like everyone else, we’re waiting it out, just surviving. We’ve cut back, haven’t we, hon?’ Bren glanced towards Vanessa for confirmation, which she gave with a nod of her head. ‘CT Engineering have dug four more bores, found water in one.’

‘That must be costing you plenty,’ Diane said. She had grown up in suburban Adelaide and knew little, apart from what Stuart told her, about the hardships of life on the land.

‘The earth,’ Curtis contributed dryly. ‘But if the drilling finds another water source it will help our situation a lot — see us through till the next wet.’

‘I presume you’re dropping feed,’ Hilary asked. She looked at Bren for her answer as she dandled a sleepy Kyle on her lap. It was almost his bedtime.

‘Yes. We’ve managed to maintain a percentage of the herd,’ Vanessa informed her on Bren’s behalf, ‘and have brought the stock in closer to bore water to make feeding and watering easier. We can monitor them better that way, too.’

Everyone at the table knew several more months would pass before the next wet broke the drought. Vanessa, personally, had grave concerns as to how they’d manage till then, but if the situation became borderline and money was needed fast, she would sell the property she had bought — when Bren paid her back the money she’d loaned him — as an investment in Darwin. Her chin firmed as she made the mental decision, that she would do so with or without Bren’s approval. She was determined to ensure Kyle’s inheritance though such a situation was many years away.

‘We put in several underground water tanks before the last wet, so the homestead and buildings close by won’t run out of water.’ Bren glanced towards Vanessa and grinned. ‘At Vanessa’s suggestion.’

‘Really!’ Hilary’s gaze spun towards her daughter-in-law. ‘How innovative.’

‘Vanessa’s done several things around Amaroo since she’s been here,’ Diane said. ‘Spruced up the stockman’s quarters.’ She darted a narrowed glance at Hilary. ‘Not before time either. As I remember them they were pretty revolting. Put in a new bathroom, a common room with an updated kitchenette, including a freezer, a new television and expanded the video library.’

‘That’s right. Amaroo’s set a benchmark for other
stations to aspire to,’ Curtis added, unaware of the current of tension between his mother and Diane.

‘Stockmen tend to come and go with the seasons, and sometimes they don’t look after things,’ Hilary fired back but her expression showed that Diane’s comments had hit their mark.

‘The blokes who’ve been here have appreciated the effort,’ Reg threw in, helping to give Diane’s words further weight.

Vanessa had already gleaned, from conversations with Fran, Reg and Curtis, that when Hilary lived at Amaroo she preferred to spend money on herself, or in refurnishing the homestead but Diane’s not-so-subtle criticisms caused a ripple of tension to radiate around the table.

Still on the attack, Diane went on. ‘A few less overseas holidays and lavish parties when Matthew was alive and there would have been the wherewithal to make similar improvements to Amaroo. Wouldn’t there, Hilary?’

Hilary gave Diane a dagger stare as she ashed her cigarette in the ashtray. ‘I recall that you never knocked back the opportunity to attend any party we gave.’

‘I came because my husband wanted to. After all, Amaroo is where he grew up,’ Diane tossed back without apology.

‘Diane!’ The suppressed anger in Stuart’s tone added to the unease. ‘That will do. Sorry, everyone,’ he glanced at those around the table, ‘after two glasses of wine, my wife tends to get stroppy.’

‘The hell I do,’ Diane retorted as she saluted him with her wine glass before downing the last drop.

Fran happened to catch Vanessa’s eye, and an eyebrow lifted. She intervened to break the tension. ‘Don’t know about anyone else, but I’m ready for another cup of coffee and a second slice of birthday cake.’

‘Me too,’ Vanessa was quick to agree. She pushed back her chair and moved towards Hilary. ‘But first, it’s past Kyle’s bedtime and a certain young man looks sleepy,’ she said as she scooped Kyle out of Hilary’s lap.

‘Mind if I come too?’ Hilary asked, staunchly refusing to look at Diane who sat opposite her.

‘Of course not,’ Vanessa replied. She was embarrassed by Diane’s undiplomatic behaviour though it confirmed what she had been thinking, about the animosity between them. Something was wrong between the two women, and she’d come to believe that the situation had been gathering malice for years. She cast her mind back to other family gatherings and could remember, now that she thought about it, the occasional stinging remark from Diane, but nothing as pointed as what had been said tonight. What was the problem?

Jealousy or was it a personality clash? No, it seemed deeper than that. Perhaps … could Diane think she’d been wronged or in the past, intimidated by Hilary? Whatever the reason, it was all very … interesting. And because the battle lines had been drawn tonight, she would puzzle over the cause until she knew why. But who could she ask? Bren? No. He knew his mother’s shortcomings but he was a loyal son. It would have to be someone else. Curtis or Fran? Maybe …

Filming of
The Twenty-first Squad
in Melbourne was kept to a tight schedule and Vanessa often worked twelve to fourteen hour days, but not Sundays which, due to Kerri’s contractual organising, she had off to spend with Kyle. She missed the life at Amaroo very much. The station had become familiar, it was home and she revelled in the freedom, the open space and though they had their ups and downs she missed Bren too. Still, isolated from home and her husband, as well as spending hours learning scripts, planning scenes then acting them out, Vanessa still had time to deliberate on their marriage.

The rose-tinted glasses had come off a long time ago and there were times when she surprised herself by how dispassionately she could view their relationship. Theirs wasn’t the perfect marriage her parents had enjoyed. But when she cast her mind back to Edward and Rosa Forsythe’s marriage, she admitted that her memories could have been enhanced by a romantic youthfulness on her part. She and Bren had a good, working marriage. Most, but not all the time, there was give and take and they both compromised, well, at least she did. It was just that … When she took the time to consider the details of their relationship, and reminisced on their first days together, she wondered what had happened to
that
Bren.