Kath, and I understood … how shall I say? … in not so long, perhaps, you might have other plans?’
Charlotte was baffled. All this information was making her brain hurt. What other plans could Kath possibly think she might have?
‘I’m not going anywhere,’ she said firmly. ‘There’s nothing I’d ever leave Blackpeak for. You couldn’t get meoff this place if you tried.’
Flavia’s eyes flicked up, over Charlotte’s shoulder.
‘Hi,’ said Rob, leaning down and kissing her cheek. Charlotte smiled up at him. His eyes, she thought, looked a little bit sad — he must have had a bad day. Just as well they had such good news to tell him.
‘That’s fantastic,’ Rob said, when all was explained. He pulled Charlotte to him, smiling into her upturned face, his blue eyes crinkling in that way she loved. ‘I’m so happy for you.’ He turned back to the others. ‘Of course, you’ll have to clear the Overseas Investment Office.’
‘Oh,’ said Flavia airily, ‘our people will handle all that.’ She looked Rob over again.
‘Rob happens to be the station’s accountant as well,’ Nick explained.
‘
Madonna!
’ Flavia flashed her eyes at Charlotte again. ‘It’s true what you Kiwis say — this really is God’s zone.’
‘Flavia’s very beautiful,’ Charlotte observed, as she and Rob lay in bed later that night.
‘Yeah? I hadn’t noticed.’
‘Liar.’ Charlotte flicked his chest.
Rob grinned. ‘Well, maybe she is.’ He kissed the hollow of her neck. ‘But I prefer girls with blue eyes …’ He ran a hand down her thigh. ‘… and red-top gumboots.’
Chapter
NINE
October had been kind. The sun shone and the rain fell in idyllic proportions, the grass grew long and green on the river flats, and with so much feed to go around so few, the remaining stock began to prosper. What lambs the station did have, almost all singles and born underweight after the snow, were now making up for lost time. You could almost see them getting fatter, Charlotte thought, as she watched a group of them play king-of-the-castle in the sun. The front due to blow through tomorrow wouldn’t bother them at all.
This time next year, these lambs would be trucked off for a good price, and Blackpeak would have its first generation of ultra-fine stock on this same ground. Turning her mind to the bloodlines she was hoping to buy, Charlotte drove backto the homestead for lunch in high spirits. Tinks, riding the flatdeck, stuck her face through the side window, panting in Charlotte’s ear.
‘There you are!’ In the kitchen, Kath was almost bursting with news. ‘You’ll never guess what — I think Zoe might’ve left. For good, I mean. I passed Jen’s ute heading out a couple of hours ago.’ She paused briefly for breath. ‘Zoe was in the passenger seat and the back was full of boxes.’
Wow — this really was a good day, Charlotte thought, before she could stop herself. She bit her lip. How could she be such a bitch? This was Jen’s life they were talking about.
‘She hadn’t said a word to me about going anywhere,’ Kath continued. ‘Did Jen tell you they were heading into town?’
Charlotte shook her head, feeling deeply ashamed of herself. Poor Jen. She knew she and Zoe hadn’t been getting along that well back before the snow, but since then she’d hardly spoken a word to Jen except about sheep and money.
After lunch, Charlotte checked her email again — there was still no word from Nick. She clicked on the MetService site. It was bristling with river warnings. The front was forecast to hit tomorrow afternoon, bringing heavy rain to the high country headwaters. She sighed. She was reluctant to take the ewes off the best grass, but they’d better come up in the morning.
The afternoon passed with no sign of Jen. At dinner, Rex reported that her ute was back, but there was no reply when Charlotte rang the cottage. She gave it another hour, and then decided to drive down. A long silence
Charlotte was baffled. All this information was making her brain hurt. What other plans could Kath possibly think she might have?
‘I’m not going anywhere,’ she said firmly. ‘There’s nothing I’d ever leave Blackpeak for. You couldn’t get meoff this place if you tried.’
Flavia’s eyes flicked up, over Charlotte’s shoulder.
‘Hi,’ said Rob, leaning down and kissing her cheek. Charlotte smiled up at him. His eyes, she thought, looked a little bit sad — he must have had a bad day. Just as well they had such good news to tell him.
‘That’s fantastic,’ Rob said, when all was explained. He pulled Charlotte to him, smiling into her upturned face, his blue eyes crinkling in that way she loved. ‘I’m so happy for you.’ He turned back to the others. ‘Of course, you’ll have to clear the Overseas Investment Office.’
‘Oh,’ said Flavia airily, ‘our people will handle all that.’ She looked Rob over again.
‘Rob happens to be the station’s accountant as well,’ Nick explained.
‘
Madonna!
’ Flavia flashed her eyes at Charlotte again. ‘It’s true what you Kiwis say — this really is God’s zone.’
‘Flavia’s very beautiful,’ Charlotte observed, as she and Rob lay in bed later that night.
‘Yeah? I hadn’t noticed.’
‘Liar.’ Charlotte flicked his chest.
Rob grinned. ‘Well, maybe she is.’ He kissed the hollow of her neck. ‘But I prefer girls with blue eyes …’ He ran a hand down her thigh. ‘… and red-top gumboots.’
Chapter
NINE
October had been kind. The sun shone and the rain fell in idyllic proportions, the grass grew long and green on the river flats, and with so much feed to go around so few, the remaining stock began to prosper. What lambs the station did have, almost all singles and born underweight after the snow, were now making up for lost time. You could almost see them getting fatter, Charlotte thought, as she watched a group of them play king-of-the-castle in the sun. The front due to blow through tomorrow wouldn’t bother them at all.
This time next year, these lambs would be trucked off for a good price, and Blackpeak would have its first generation of ultra-fine stock on this same ground. Turning her mind to the bloodlines she was hoping to buy, Charlotte drove backto the homestead for lunch in high spirits. Tinks, riding the flatdeck, stuck her face through the side window, panting in Charlotte’s ear.
‘There you are!’ In the kitchen, Kath was almost bursting with news. ‘You’ll never guess what — I think Zoe might’ve left. For good, I mean. I passed Jen’s ute heading out a couple of hours ago.’ She paused briefly for breath. ‘Zoe was in the passenger seat and the back was full of boxes.’
Wow — this really was a good day, Charlotte thought, before she could stop herself. She bit her lip. How could she be such a bitch? This was Jen’s life they were talking about.
‘She hadn’t said a word to me about going anywhere,’ Kath continued. ‘Did Jen tell you they were heading into town?’
Charlotte shook her head, feeling deeply ashamed of herself. Poor Jen. She knew she and Zoe hadn’t been getting along that well back before the snow, but since then she’d hardly spoken a word to Jen except about sheep and money.
After lunch, Charlotte checked her email again — there was still no word from Nick. She clicked on the MetService site. It was bristling with river warnings. The front was forecast to hit tomorrow afternoon, bringing heavy rain to the high country headwaters. She sighed. She was reluctant to take the ewes off the best grass, but they’d better come up in the morning.
The afternoon passed with no sign of Jen. At dinner, Rex reported that her ute was back, but there was no reply when Charlotte rang the cottage. She gave it another hour, and then decided to drive down. A long silence
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