5 Peppermint Grove (45 page)

Michael heard a little tapping noise on the door.

“Yes – come in!”

Gillian peeked her head around the door and batted her lashes.

“Hello – I was wondering if you would like a coffee or anything? You’ve been working very hard.”

“Oh, a coffee would be lovely – thanks, Gillian.”

“How do you like it?”

Michael was so tempted to say ‘with you on top’ but refrained. “Eh, black, please – no sugar.”

Gillian trotted out in the new shoes that she had bought which were five inches high and desperately uncomfortable. They were a vain attempt to help her feel as tall and elegant as Julia but had only succeeded in giving her blisters.

When she returned she placed the cup on the table in front of Michael, making sure that she was revealing some cleavage. Her bra had successfully pushed up her small bosoms to make two plump appealing curves.

“Thank you for making me feel so welcome.” He grinned.

“Oh, I could make you very welcome . . .” She had said the words before she realised and stopped.

Michael laughed. “Could you now?”

It was all the encouragement that she needed. A pent-up impulse took over and she sat herself up on the desk, looking Michael right in the eyes all the time. She lunged forward and smacked her lips on his.

He was too startled to move but the next voice he heard was his sister’s and she was not happy.

“What’s going on here?”

Gillian jumped down off the desk and started to button up the shirt that she had opened before delivering the coffee.

“Ju – we were just having a coffee.”

“Is that what you call it now?” Julia couldn’t believe her eyes and she was feeling very disconcerted by the scene.

Gillian wanted the floor to open up. “I’ll just go out to the bed – I mean
desk
– and tidy up – eh, goodbye, Michael, Julia.”

A mortified Gillian closed the door behind her.

Michael had a wild cheeky grin on his face and Julia wanted to hit him.

“Your first day in the office and I can’t trust you! I’m a stupid fool to think that you have changed. I was even telling
Lydia that you’d changed but you haven’t at all.”

Michael got up from his chair and went over to his sister.

“Ju, I’m sorry, I swear I was just sitting here and she made a lunge at me – you can see I was just sitting at the desk.”

“But I bet you led her on!”

“I swear, Ju – it was just friendly office banter. Please, I’ve had a great afternoon – I do want to work here.”

Julia didn’t know what to believe. She looked at her watch – she had forty-five minutes to get to Howth.

“Just pack up here, will you,” she said sternly. “I’m in a rush.”

Chapter Fifty-eight

Angela was quiet when Ruth got home from her chat with Brian. She had sat in the sun for most of the day and was scribbling on a notepad.

“Hi, love, how was your day?”

“Fine, thanks, Mum. In fact, it was a bit strange – I can’t stop thinking about what you told me. You know I met Brian – I hope you don’t mind but I had to tell him.”

Angela nodded. There had been a tremendous lift of the burden from her shoulders since she had spilled her soul the night before.

“You have to do what is best with the knowledge now – I’m sorry that I never told you before but I hope you believe me when I say the timing had to be right and it is now.”

“I do, Mum – I wouldn’t have understood if you had told me in
Dublin.”

“And I’ll have to tell your father – I think that’s why he didn’t come out here, to be honest. He has been dreading the day that you would know the truth. I think we should ring him and tell him that everything is going so well.”

“I’ve been thinking about him – it’s important that he hears how much I love him. Do you mind if I make that call now?”

“I think that would be a good idea,” Angela agreed.

Ruth lifted her phone and dialled the number in Sutton. It was early morning in Dublin but she knew that her father would be up.

“Dad?”

“Ruth, how are you getting on – is your mother there with you?”

“Yes, she is – we are having a lovely time. How is
Dublin?”

“Not too bad today – it’s been very mild.”

“Mum is finding her way around – she says Perth’s changed a lot.”

“I’d say it has. Is it very hot? Although I suppose you have air-conditioning now?”

“Yes, it’s roasting.” She paused. “Dad, there’s something I need to tell you. Mum’s been chatting with me about the things that happened before you left Australia.” She looked over at her mother who was biting her lip nervously.

There was silence at the other end of the line, until he said, “Oh really?”

“Dad – I know the truth and I want you to know that I love you – you are my dad – that is the way it’s always going to be.”

A sob came down the line. It was difficult for Fred to deal with this now – on his own and so far away from his daughter and wife.

“Angela had said that she might tell you when she was out there. It doesn’t change a thing, Ruth. You are my little girl – and I know I don’t say it often enough but I love you.”

Ruth felt a lump in her throat. “I love you so much, Dad. I’ll be home for Christmas, I promise, and I’ll ring you often.”

“I know that – now put your mother on.”

Ruth handed her mother the phone.

Angela was shaking as she took the receiver. “Thanks, love.”

Ruth left her parents alone to speak to each other in privacy and went into her bedroom to change out of her work clothes. Her laptop was open on her dressing table and she went over to check for messages on Skype. There was a chat message from Julia. She was asking her to pick up the painting that she had bought in Fremantle prison and completely forgot about with the trauma at home. Ruth decided to Skype her quickly.

“How are you, Julia – I’ve been needing to speak with you – we’re finding out amazing things here.”

“Oh really, I can’t wait to hear! Sorry for the late notice about the painting – I only remembered it today.”

“I can drop out there now. Mum and I need to go for a walk so we can go there – that’s where we were last night when she told me about my father.”

“What about him?”

“Julia, I hope that you’re sitting down for this. My father was the son of Charles Walters who owned Number 5.”

“
What?
I don’t believe it!
Angela had an affair?”

“No, she was working for the family in a restaurant. It was awful, Julia. She was raped – and I am the product of it. I’ve been trying to get my head around it all day.”

Julia was stunned.

“Oh my God – I don’t know what to say – are you okay?”

“Kind of, in a crazy way – I mean, it’s too weird – it probably hasn’t sunk in properly.”

“Oh, Ruth, I wish I were with you! Look, ring me if you’re upset at any time – won’t you?”

“Yeah, but I think was better hearing this while I’m in Australia – I think I would have been distraught if she had told me back in Dublin but here it feels like I am where I am meant to be.”

“You are half-Australian – oh my goodness! We needn’t have got you that work permit after all! Oh, I’m sorry, Ruth – I don’t mean to be flippant – I’m just shocked.”

“Hang on – I’m not sure if that would be true – I mean, I know my father’s name is on my birth cert so I probably wouldn’t be entitled.”

“That’s crazy news – so the man who owned Peppermint Grove . . .”

“Was my grandfather!”

“Well, that’s fate if ever I heard it!”

“That’s what Brian said.”

“How are things going there?”

“Fantastic – I really like him, Julia. Thanks – none of this would have been sorted if it wasn’t for you.”

“I’m sure it would have but I hope that I didn’t make things worse. Poor Angela – it must have been awful for her, carrying this information around for so long.”

“I’ve been thinking that too. But she feels better now that it’s all in the open. I’ve talked to my dad too and he is so relieved. Listen, I have to go here – I’ll get that painting for you.”

“Thanks, I owe you – just hang on to it for me.”

“No worries!”

“Hey, Ruth, you’re even sounding like a really Aussie now! Love you – miss you.”

“Me too – bye, Julia.”

Ruth smiled as she switched off her laptop. It felt so much better now that the truth was out in the open. She would get the painting for Julia and stroll around Fremantle with her mother. She had an ocean of possibilities ahead of her.

“It’s a lovely painting, isn’t it?” Ruth said to Angela as they drove back from their brief visit to Fremantle Prison.

“I was never fond of Aboriginal art but that picture is very relaxing or something – I don’t know what it is.”

“It’s the symmetry. It’s the way that all the parts are equally balanced. I can see why that appealed to Julia.”

“Brian will know whether it’s good art or not.”

“Yes, he might even know what it means. He said he might call by later if we were home early – is that okay with you?”

“Of course – I’m tired anyway and going to have an early night – I was jotting down my thoughts today while you were at work. You know, talking with you has sorted out a lot of things that were crowding my head for years. Thank you, love, for taking it so well.”

Ruth didn’t know what to say. She didn’t have a choice in the matter and she felt sad for her mother. She also felt sad for her father – she loved him dearly and nothing would change that.

They arrived home to find Brian sitting in his Jeep outside the house. He jumped out immediately and came to meet them.

Ruth took out the painting from the boot and showed it to him.

“Nice work – it reminds me of the ‘Country’ landscapes that the Abos make in the desert. Huge aerial murals made from stone and sand, giving a kind of maplike bird’s-eye view of the desert landscape. They are telling a story about dreaming – and usually planned out perfectly like this painting. This guy is a mathematician of some sort.”

“I was wondering what you’d think of it.” She smiled at him. “I’m really glad you like it. I do.”

Angela headed to bed very soon – making her apologies, saying she was really tired.  Ruth was taking a beer and a box of wine from the fridge when Brian went over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

“So how have you been? I’ve got something I thought you’d like to see.”

Ruth giggled. Closing the fridge door, she turned around and gave him a playful smoochy kiss. “You always have something I’d like to see!”

“Hey there – you Irishwomen are minxes – I’m trying to be nice!” He grinned as he took something out of his breast pocket.

It was a photograph of a Federation house with a pretty green door and climbing pink clematis flowers around the frame. A bunch of lavender sat to the left of the door and a big brass Number 5 hinted to Ruth that this was the Walters home.

“My goodness! Where did you get this?”

“It was in a pile of old photos that the Arthurs chap had. I rooted it out today. We used it in the planning-permission documentation.”

Ruth was agog. “Wow – I don’t know what to say.”

“Don’t say anything,” Brian held her firmly. “I had a word with our company solicitor today and enquired what Arthurs is doing with the new house. As I suspected, he has no big interest in it – he just sees it as a chance to make some cash. He’s only been on the site once!”

Ruth shook her head, puzzled. “So?”

“It’s just a notion I have – I’d say he’s going to sell it as quickly as possible – it would be a very good investment.”

“You’re not suggesting
I
buy it?”

Brian shrugged – it wasn’t his initial idea but he wanted to hear her opinion. “I thought you might be interested . . .”

Ruth sighed. “Brian, I’m only on a work permit here – I’m not sure how long I’m going to stay in this country. Yes, it’s a stunning house and in the most beautiful part of the city and if I was staying it would be a fabulous place to live. But I’ve no collateral – not even in Dublin. I’d be lucky to afford a one-bed apartment anywhere in this city.”

Brian was deflated by her response and her mention of leaving
Australia. Maybe he was speaking out of turn – it was early days in their relationship and he didn’t want to come on too heavy – not after their recent bust-up. But, the truth was, he had put some of his best ideas into the design of the house and had grown to love it. He needed to get a place of his own and soon. An offer had been put in earlier for his house in Karrinyup and it was a good time for him to move on a place of his own. At least now he knew that Ruth really liked it – if she had an issue with the owners or found it creepy she would have said.