Queen of the Road Read online

  Janice pushed through the door behind her. ‘For goodness’ sake, Angela, look at you.’

  ‘Are you sick, Mummy?’

  ‘I’m just tired, pumpkin. I had a very late night.’

  There was a snort from Janice.

  Claudia dropped her arms and looked up. ‘Your hair looks funny and your eyes are black.’

  ‘Remember I told you I was going to Carmela’s wedding and that there was going to be a big party?’

  ‘Was it a dress-up party?’

  ‘Kind of.’ Angela squatted carefully down to Claudia’s level. ‘Did you have fun at Grandpa’s?’

  ‘I rode in Big Red but Grandpa wasn’t there much. Janice got me this.’ Claudia stooped to tug a doll from her backpack. Angela frowned, realising the little jacket her daughter was wearing was also new. ‘See, Mummy,’ Claudia said, pushing the doll at her. It wasn’t a baby doll, but one with makeup and jewels. Angela knew from the toy catalogues it wasn’t cheap. ‘Her name’s Bebe. She’s got some extra clothes.’

  ‘Grandpa is busy with so many drivers out of action.’ Janice looked down at Angela. ‘So we went shopping.’

  ‘I didn’t realise,’ Angela said, torn between her concern for her father and her annoyance at Janice lavishing money on Claudia.

  ‘He’d planned to take the day off, but he’s had to do a run to Adelaide,’ Janice continued. ‘I kept her as long as I could, but I’m meeting friends for an early dinner and a movie. You do realise it’s four o’clock?’

  Angela peered at the clock on the wall and clicked her tongue. It couldn’t be. She’d only sunk onto the couch for a quick sleep after the taxi dropped her home.

  ‘Do you like my doll, Mummy?’ Claudia waggled the new toy in Angela’s face.

  ‘She’s very nice.’ Angela rose delicately to her feet, clutching the back of a chair for support. ‘Take your things into your room. I’ll help you unpack in a minute. Say goodbye to Janice.’

  Janice bent down and they gave each other a hug and air kissed each cheek.

  ‘Thanks for having her,’ Angela said as they watched Claudia skip to her room. ‘I wouldn’t have left her if I’d known Dad wasn’t going to be there.’

  ‘I can look after her. She’s really no trouble.’

  ‘Well, thank you …’

  ‘I would have been happy to keep her longer, but I made this arrangement weeks ago with the girls. I tried ringing but your mobile keeps going to message bank and your home phone rang out.’

  Angela glanced around for the handset. Surely she would have heard it. She licked her dry lips. What she needed was a big glass of water.

  ‘Are you sure you’re well enough?’ Janice said. It was more of an accusation than a question.

  ‘I’m fine. The last few weeks must have caught up with me, that’s all.’

  Janice gave another snort. ‘Or just last night perhaps? Several people rang our number looking for you. I was getting worried.’

  ‘They could have left a message.’ Angela grabbed her bag and tugged out her mobile. It was flat.

  ‘Perhaps they did. I’m sure whatever Carmela said wouldn’t have been pleasant, judging from my conversation with her.’

  Angela dropped her phone on the couch. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘You know I don’t interfere in your love life, but really, Angela, why would you target a married man with a pregnant wife for a one-night stand?’

  Angela glared at Janice. Her mouth was open but nothing came out as a jumble of thoughts and emotions boiled inside her.

  ‘Carmela rang to warn you,’ Janice continued. ‘She was hoping to keep it quiet, but one of your colleagues has been spreading the story far and wide.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Something about having pictures of you dancing in a bar, pictures on his mobile phone.’

  Angela pressed a hand to her forehead. Bloody Ian and his bloody phone. This couldn’t get any worse.

  ‘Kate rang looking for you too, then Nigel rang. He wants to organise some time with Claudia.’

  The mere mention of Nigel brought Angela out of her tailspin. ‘He’s got a bloody nerve!’

  ‘Don’t shout, Angela. You don’t want to upset Claudia any more than she is.’

  ‘What do you mean, any more than she is?’ Angela spat the words, struggling to maintain her composure.

  ‘Seeing you like this.’ Janice waved her manicured hand up and down.

  ‘I’m her mother. She’s seen me tired before, I hardly think she’ll be traumatised.’

  ‘As long as she doesn’t hear about your … activities.’

  Angela clamped her fists at her side. ‘Janice, that’s enough. I appreciate you having Claudia while Dad’s busy, but I am not going to have you tell me how to be a parent.’

  ‘Well, someone has to. Your father’s too soft. And Nigel is worried.’

  ‘I don’t give a damn!’

  ‘Lower your voice,’ Janice hissed. ‘And don’t get angry with me. I’m not the one who can’t be discreet about her affairs.’

  Angela yanked open the front door. ‘Leave now.’

  Janice stepped through the door then turned back. ‘Think seriously about that job interstate. It might be best if you left Melbourne for a while.’

  Angela slammed the door, then winced and leaned against it. Her heart was pounding in her chest. She had never wanted to be a part of Carmela’s wedding in the first place, now her life was a mess because of it. All the expenses had blown her credit cards. Then there was Eddie, and she hadn’t even liked him that much. She slumped to the floor and held her head in her hands. Why didn’t she just say no to people?

  ‘Are you still tired, Mummy?’

  Angela looked up into the worried face of her daughter. ‘Just a bit. But I’m feeling better now that you’re home.’ Angela opened her arms and Claudia leaped into them.

  ‘I missed you, Mummy.’

  Angela kissed the top of Claudia’s head. She smelled like Janice’s perfume. ‘I missed you too.’

  Claudia sat back and looked up. ‘Janice took me to lots of shops.’

  ‘So I see.’ Angela tugged at the new jacket. She had to admit it was rather cute, with its mix of polka-dot pinks and greens.

  ‘She said I could bring this one home and just wear the others when I’m at Grandpa’s.’

  ‘What others?’

  ‘I’ve got a special wardrobe at Grandpa’s. When Janice buys me clothes we put them in it.’

  ‘Do you?’ Angela tried to keep the anger from her voice.

  ‘And the toys.’

  ‘What toys?’

  Claudia put her little head to one side. ‘The ones she buys me when I stay, of course.’

  Angela stood her daughter up. Alarm bells were ringing. She looked carefully at Claudia. ‘Have you got many toys and clothes in the special wardrobe?’

  The little girl’s eyes looked from side to side as she put one chubby finger to her lips. ‘It’s a secret,’ she whispered.

  ‘You can tell me, Claud. I’m your mummy. We don’t keep secrets from each other, remember?’

  Claudia shrugged. ‘Are you going away?’

  ‘No, why would you think that?’

  ‘Janice said if you went away I could stay at Grandpa’s and have all the things in my special wardrobe.’

  ‘Did she?’ Angela struggled to her feet.

  Claudia’s eyes brimmed with tears and she flung her arms around Angela’s legs. ‘I don’t want you to go away.’

  A burning sensation rose in Angela’s chest. She hugged her daughter close. ‘I’m not going anywhere, Claud.’ She bent down and wiped away the tears smeared across the little girl’s cheeks. ‘How about you and I have a bubble bath?’

  ‘Yes!’ Claudia squealed. ‘Can I bathe Bebe?’

  Angela nodded. She didn’t think the doll was one that would do well in water, but she didn’t care. Claudia skipped off to her bedroom and Angela picked up her mobile from the couch before beginnin
g her search for the cordless.

  Why was Janice suddenly showing so much interest in her daughter? It was Angela’s dad who usually entertained Claudia at family get-togethers, and when he called in for a visit, Janice was rarely with him. Angela thought back. Over the last month or so Janice had offered to collect Claudia from pre-school and look after her if Angela had something on, like the wedding. Angela had assumed her father was the driving force for this. What was Janice up to?

  She found the handset in the jumble of clothes on her bed. It was flat. She decided to leave it that way a little longer.

  Back in the kitchen she downed a large glass of water and plugged in her mobile. As soon as she did it began to beep with messages. She started working her way through them. Carmela’s snappy voice asking her to call back. Kate’s carefully worded message asking how she was. Janice’s curt request to call back urgently.

  Angela sucked in a breath as Nigel’s voice asked how she was feeling and suggested they really needed to talk. Another message from Kate, this one from this morning and with urgency in her voice, asking her to call. No doubt to warn her about Ian and his happy snaps. The final one was from her father just saying hello and hoping she’d had a good weekend. He sent a sloppy kiss for Claudia. Angela could hear the weariness in his voice.

  She collapsed into a chair, staring at her phone. Everything was a bit off centre. Her dad was under pressure, she was in damage control mode, and Janice was up to something. Why would she be making a cosy place for Claudia? Angela sat up straight. The truck job. When Janice had urged her to take it she obviously thought Claudia would be left behind.

  ‘Mummy, you said we could have a bath.’

  Angela looked up. Claudia had stripped off her clothes and was clutching her new doll to her bare chest. Her big brown eyes, the only part of her that reminded Angela of Nigel, were full of trust. The mobile beeped again with a text and the turmoil in Angela’s brain ceased long enough for her to make a decision.

  ‘We are.’ Angela dropped the phone on the chair and bounced up as best she could in her current state. ‘A deep bath with lots of bubbles. And after that we’re going to pack.’

  ‘Why?’

  Angela scooped up her daughter and kissed her soft cheek. ‘Because we’re going on a little adventure, Claud. Just you and me.’

  Chapter 9

  Coop dragged himself out from under the seeder and rose to his feet. Slowly he rubbed each elbow and ran his eyes over the piece of machinery. Over several weeks he’d been carefully bringing the seeder back to life, and now he just needed one last part and it should work fine.

  He thought of Alice and how much he wanted to show her the results of his labour. It had been her idea to resurrect the seeder once she discovered he had the skills. Sadly, she wouldn’t be checking it out for a while now. Her cousin Mary said she was doing okay, but she was still facing more treatment.

  Jilly nudged his leg. Coop reached down to ruffle the dog’s ears and glanced up at the sky. No sign of the rain Alice was sure would fall early this year. Apart from a murky haze on the horizon, there wasn’t a cloud to be seen. And looking back over Alice’s carefully kept records, the district had seen little rain for the last thirteen years. Coop knew she was a good farmer, but he didn’t understand where her prediction came from. None of the other locals shared her optimism.

  Still, he’d fixed the seeder as she’d asked. The old machine had been kept to do small touch-up jobs, but hadn’t been used for several years now. A neighbour was always contracted to do her seeding, but Alice was anticipating that they’d all be too busy once it rained, and she wanted Coop to start the working up. She’d also been researching the planting of lucerne as a long-term pasture and was keen to give it a go over the winter.

  Fixing the seeder had given Coop a project to work on when he wasn’t checking sheep and mending fences. Farming out here at this time of the year was a waiting game. Wherever you went people were casting searching eyes at the sky, even if there was no indication that this year was going to be any wetter than the last.

  Jilly lifted her head and looked back towards the house. Then she stepped forward and gave a sharp bark. Coop noticed a trail of dust rising along the track from the road to the house. The sun glinted off a vehicle before finally he heard its motor.

  ‘Who’s this, Jilly?’

  The whole district knew Alice wasn’t home and he wasn’t expecting anyone. He flexed his shoulders and brushed the dirt and gravel from his back. He arrived at the house yard at the same time as a black BMW.

  Slowly the tinted window slid down and revealed the face of the suit guy from the pub.

  ‘Hello, you’re Coop, aren’t you?’

  ‘That’s right.’

  ‘It’s good to see a familiar face.’

  ‘What can I do for you, Jeremy?’

  Jeremy opened his door, put one highly polished boot on the ground then quickly pulled it back as Jilly let out a low growl.

  ‘Sit, Jilly,’ Coop commanded, trying to contain his smile as Jeremy eased himself from the car, glancing from Coop to his dog.

  ‘I’m not a dog person,’ Jeremy said. ‘People say they can sense that.’

  ‘She’s wary of strangers.’ Coop rubbed the dog’s head. ‘At ease, Jilly. I don’t think Jeremy’s going to give us any trouble.’

  Jeremy pulled his lips into a smile and shoved his hand forward to shake Coop’s.

  ‘I think I’m lost. I’ve been driving around for an hour looking for the Camerons’ place.’

  ‘Well, this property runs nearly to their back door,’ Coop said, ‘but you’re on the wrong road. You need the next one over.’ He pointed east.

  Jeremy’s eyes followed his hand. ‘Geography’s not my strong point.’

  ‘Don’t know which of the Camerons you’re looking for,’ Coop said, ‘but the parents live in town. Their son, Paul, is overseas on his honeymoon and his younger sister, Annabel, is running the place. I heard she’s living in the main house, but I wouldn’t know for sure.’

  ‘Thanks, I’m just making a courtesy call. I’ll see who I can find.’

  They were both silent for a moment.

  ‘Is this your place?’ Jeremy glanced around.

  ‘I work for the owner.’

  There were damp patches forming under the arms of Jeremy’s white shirt as he rolled up the sleeves. He tugged at his tie. ‘I didn’t realise it would be this hot.’

  Coop took in the ginger hair and red flush spreading over the visitor’s face. ‘Might pay to get a hat if you’re planning on being out and about a lot. Would you like a drink? There’s cold cordial inside.’

  ‘Cordial?!’ Jeremy’s face broke in to a broad grin. ‘I haven’t had cordial in years. That’d be great, thanks.’

  Jilly stopped at the house gate and Coop led the way to the back verandah. He sensed Jeremy’s hesitation as Rusty hobbled towards them.

  ‘Don’t worry about Rusty,’ he said. ‘He’s harmless, more of a pet these days than a working dog. You’re getting a bit old to be picking fights, aren’t you, buddy?’ Coop ruffled Rusty’s ears then pointed back at Jilly by the gate. ‘Although he still lets Jilly know who’s boss.’

  Jeremy stepped carefully past Rusty and Coop opened the back door. ‘Head inside. I’ll wash my hands and be right with you.’

  By the time Coop entered the kitchen Jeremy was seated at the table reading the local paper.

  ‘Looking to see what’s on,’ he said. ‘I’m here for a few more weeks. What do you do for entertainment?’

  Coop put a glass of cordial in front of Jeremy then raised his own, taking several swallows before he spoke. ‘You’re asking the wrong person. I don’t get out much.’

  ‘You were in town on the weekend. What do you do?’

  Coop studied Jeremy’s face. It was good to see the red was fading. The cool drink was having its effect. ‘I keep to myself mostly, and there’s always something to do around the farm.’

  ‘
But the weekends?’

  ‘Farming doesn’t always fit neatly into weeks and weekends.’

  Jeremy put a hand to his forehead and rested his elbow on the table. ‘I don’t know how I’m going to survive.’

  Coop felt sorry for the bloke. It wasn’t always easy adjusting to a new place – years of shifting around had taught him that. At least I like the country, he thought. His few trips to the city were always short, and while he was there, he yearned for the open spaces. No doubt Jeremy was feeling the reverse.

  ‘Sometimes there’s a cabaret or a dance at the local hall,’ he said. ‘The Highway Hotel’s been advertising bands, but I don’t know when they’re on, sorry.’ He racked his brains for other ideas. ‘Barb and Bill at the Munirilla pub run darts nights, pool nights, bingo. Sometimes, if there’s no sport on, some of the younger blokes head to Whyalla or Port Augusta. It’s a long drive but …’ he trailed off. From the look on Jeremy’s face, Coop could see that none of his suggestions were appealing. ‘If I’ve got a few days off I tend to chuck my swag in the ute and go camping, either in the bush or over on the coast.’

  Jeremy’s eyes locked with Coop’s. For a moment there was a look of despair in them, then Jeremy pulled a face. ‘My father said this job would test me. I thought he meant I wasn’t up to the work. Now I realise he was referring to life outside work. Still, I shouldn’t be surprised. He’s only happy if I’m not.’

  Coop heard the bitterness in his voice.

  Jeremy stood up and looked out the window. ‘The pub has turned out to be quite comfortable, but maybe I should look around for somewhere to rent.’ He waved a hand to take in the kitchen. ‘This isn’t bad for workers’ housing.’

  ‘This isn’t mine.’ Coop picked up the glasses and moved them to the sink. ‘Alice, the owner, asked me to stay in here while she’s away.’

  ‘Alice? You lucky guy. You’ve landed a job with a mistress rather than a master. Must be a few extra perks in that.’