raised voice halted mid-sentence when Caitlin came into the room. Jake looked furious and stomped out. The children appeared to get on Vanessa’s nerves and she no longer made much of an attempt to hide it.
Angela retreated to the garden to commune with her chickens. When Caitlin came out to find her she said, “There’s a battle of wills going on between those two and I doubt Vanessa will win it.” She threw feed around and made clucking noises. “She’s acting dumb. You don’t try to push a guy like Jake around without a very good reason. And you get on with his kids. That’s not too hard, surely.”
“Of course not. They’re great kids.” Caitlin helped her shut the gate. “Shall we go back?”
Angela grimaced. “If we must.”
Harry offered Caitlin another riding lesson. Glad to be back on a mates footing with him, she grabbed the opportunity eager for a few hours away from the house.
They rode out before noon. Caitlin found she was becoming acclimatized to the heat. They rode for almost an hour before Harry dismounted to rest his horse. He held Caitlin’s reins for her to do the same. “About three kilometers from here are some Aboriginal cave paintings,” he said. “People come from all over the world to see them.”
She was far more confident in the saddle. In fact, she was ready to surprise Jake with what she could do. She was just waiting for the opportunity.
“Can we make it to the caves and back before dark?” She had no wish to add to the unsettled atmosphere at Tall Trees.
“With time to spare. I’ve brought torches and water. Look, even a couple of sandwiches. Hungry?”
Eyeing the squashed bundle of plastic wrap, she said, “Who made them? Columbine?”
“Funny girl. I did. Ham-and-tomato or cheese-and-tomato.”
“I guess beggars can’t be choosers.” Caitlin took the cheese-and-tomato and began to unwrap it.
Harry laughed. “That’s very ungracious of you, Caitlin. Water?” He handed her a bottle. “Eat up, the land levels out ahead and I want to see how well you can gallop.”
She sat down on a rock to eat and then jumped up again as a fat lizard came to claim it. “I sometimes feel like I’ve come to another planet,” she said crossly, backing away as the lizard stared up at her and made a loud, hissing sound.
“A goanna.” Harry said, dismissing it.
It looked menacing to her. A hawk floated in the sky above them and the goanna suddenly came to life, crawling away out of sight. Relieved, Caitlin moved away, but she was aware she was not top of the food chain here and it put her constantly on the alert.
They mounted their horses again and she showed off how much she’d improved. Far less like a sack of potatoes thumping about in the saddle, but still lacking the grace and ease of the men. Harry passed her easily and headed towards a rocky outcrop in the distance.
“Wait,” she called. “Columbine doesn’t have legs like Thunderbolt.”
He returned and circled her. “Talking about legs,” he said teasingly.
“Down boy,” she replied, grinning. They’d arrived at the outcrop and she saw the mouth of the caves that probably ran deep into the earth.
They tied up the horses in some shade from a pile of rocks. “I’m not about to wander miles underground, Harry.”
“We don’t have to go very far,” he replied, as she followed him inside.
They moved deeper into the cave, away from the entrance, the light from their torches bouncing off the rock walls.
“Ow!” Caitlin yelled, freaking out as something slithered past her.
“What is it now?” Harry asked in a wry tone, his voice echoing around her.
“Something ran over my foot,” she said indignantly.
“Probably just a snake.”
“A snake!” she flinched, her sweaty fingers almost dropping the torch.
Harry’s torch raked the ground at her feet. After a brief look, its glow returned to the cave wall. “A small carpet python. It’s gone now.”
“Harry,” she said firmly. “I
Angela retreated to the garden to commune with her chickens. When Caitlin came out to find her she said, “There’s a battle of wills going on between those two and I doubt Vanessa will win it.” She threw feed around and made clucking noises. “She’s acting dumb. You don’t try to push a guy like Jake around without a very good reason. And you get on with his kids. That’s not too hard, surely.”
“Of course not. They’re great kids.” Caitlin helped her shut the gate. “Shall we go back?”
Angela grimaced. “If we must.”
Harry offered Caitlin another riding lesson. Glad to be back on a mates footing with him, she grabbed the opportunity eager for a few hours away from the house.
They rode out before noon. Caitlin found she was becoming acclimatized to the heat. They rode for almost an hour before Harry dismounted to rest his horse. He held Caitlin’s reins for her to do the same. “About three kilometers from here are some Aboriginal cave paintings,” he said. “People come from all over the world to see them.”
She was far more confident in the saddle. In fact, she was ready to surprise Jake with what she could do. She was just waiting for the opportunity.
“Can we make it to the caves and back before dark?” She had no wish to add to the unsettled atmosphere at Tall Trees.
“With time to spare. I’ve brought torches and water. Look, even a couple of sandwiches. Hungry?”
Eyeing the squashed bundle of plastic wrap, she said, “Who made them? Columbine?”
“Funny girl. I did. Ham-and-tomato or cheese-and-tomato.”
“I guess beggars can’t be choosers.” Caitlin took the cheese-and-tomato and began to unwrap it.
Harry laughed. “That’s very ungracious of you, Caitlin. Water?” He handed her a bottle. “Eat up, the land levels out ahead and I want to see how well you can gallop.”
She sat down on a rock to eat and then jumped up again as a fat lizard came to claim it. “I sometimes feel like I’ve come to another planet,” she said crossly, backing away as the lizard stared up at her and made a loud, hissing sound.
“A goanna.” Harry said, dismissing it.
It looked menacing to her. A hawk floated in the sky above them and the goanna suddenly came to life, crawling away out of sight. Relieved, Caitlin moved away, but she was aware she was not top of the food chain here and it put her constantly on the alert.
They mounted their horses again and she showed off how much she’d improved. Far less like a sack of potatoes thumping about in the saddle, but still lacking the grace and ease of the men. Harry passed her easily and headed towards a rocky outcrop in the distance.
“Wait,” she called. “Columbine doesn’t have legs like Thunderbolt.”
He returned and circled her. “Talking about legs,” he said teasingly.
“Down boy,” she replied, grinning. They’d arrived at the outcrop and she saw the mouth of the caves that probably ran deep into the earth.
They tied up the horses in some shade from a pile of rocks. “I’m not about to wander miles underground, Harry.”
“We don’t have to go very far,” he replied, as she followed him inside.
They moved deeper into the cave, away from the entrance, the light from their torches bouncing off the rock walls.
“Ow!” Caitlin yelled, freaking out as something slithered past her.
“What is it now?” Harry asked in a wry tone, his voice echoing around her.
“Something ran over my foot,” she said indignantly.
“Probably just a snake.”
“A snake!” she flinched, her sweaty fingers almost dropping the torch.
Harry’s torch raked the ground at her feet. After a brief look, its glow returned to the cave wall. “A small carpet python. It’s gone now.”
“Harry,” she said firmly. “I
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