Blackpeak Station Page 6

  ‘Isn’t everything? I’m putting this week on expenses.’

  She gasped. ‘You’re not!’

  ‘Entertaining a valued client.’ Rob started to laugh. ‘Don’t look so offended — I’m only joking.’

  ‘About the expenses, or the valued client?’

  ‘The expenses, of course.’ He leaned over and kissed her. ‘You’re definitely my most valued client.’

  Inside, Charlotte explored their studio. The view from the terrace was stunning. With a flourish, Rob flicked the gas fire on. Apart from the fire and the king-size bed with its faux-fur throw, there wasn’t much else in the room. Charlotte perched, a little nervously, on the end of the bed.

  ‘Okay?’ Rob asked. ‘We can go somewhere else if you don’t like it.’

  ‘No, it’s lovely. It’s just …’

  ‘What?’

  ‘It just feels a bit weird. Us being here.’

  Taking her shoulders, he eased her backwards. ‘How does this feel?’

  ‘Mmm … not bad.’

  ‘And this?’

  Charlotte arched under his hands. ‘Getting better.’

  Sometime later, Rob dragged a reluctant Charlotte out of bed to hire some ski gear. Then he drove her back to the apartment and left her there. ‘I’ve got something I need to do in town,’ he told her mysteriously. A bit miffed, Charlotte settled down to watch TV.

  He returned half an hour later, looking furtive. ‘I’ve got you a present,’ he announced shyly, producing a bulky parcel from behind his back. It was the ski jacket Charlotte had been drooling over in a shop window.

  ‘You didn’t need to do that!’ She pulled it on, delighted. ‘It must have cost a fortune.’

  ‘It’s all right. It was on sale.’

  ‘You sure it wasn’t tax deductible as well?’ laughed Charlotte, hitting him playfully.

  Half an hour later, she raised her head from the pillow. ‘I’m not sure I’m going to have any energy left for skiing.’

  ‘Skiing? Who said anything about that?’ said Rob, pulling her down again.

  They did, however, manage to make the slopes the next morning. After an hour helping Charlotte down the learners’ slope, Rob decided it was time for her to take a lesson — although when her instructor appeared, Charlotte thought he was going to change his mind.

  ‘Off you go on your red runs,’ she said wickedly. ‘Laurent and I will be just fine.’

  They met back at the café for lunch.

  ‘How’d it go?’ asked Rob, taking off his glasses to reveal a face already tanning.

  ‘Great! I can snow-plough now,’ said Charlotte proudly. ‘You look like a panda.’

  ‘Thanks. How was Laurent?’

  ‘Lovely.’ Charlotte gave a wistful sigh. ‘He says I ’ave great balance — I told him I walk up a lot of hills. We’re having another lesson this afternoon.’

  By the end of the week, Charlotte was thoroughly enjoying skiing.

  ‘I think I’ve created a monster,’ moaned Rob, as she overtook him. ‘You’re a speed freak.’

  ‘You know what the really fantastic thing about this is?’ she asked, breathless at the bottom of the run. ‘Chairlifts.’

  Returning home on Sunday, Charlotte scanned Blackpeak’s hills suspiciously, but could see no sign of them having suffered in her absence.

  ‘Do you want to stay tonight?’ she asked, as Rob pulled up outside the homestead.

  ‘Absolutely,’ he grinned. ‘But I’d better not. I’ve got to be in early tomorrow.’

  ‘Okay.’ Charlotte smiled to herself.

  ‘What’s so funny?’

  ‘Nothing. It’ll be funny sleeping alone again, that’s all.’

  ‘You’re telling me,’ said Rob wistfully. He paused. ‘You know …’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Oh, nothing. I’ll get your bag.’

  Charlotte looked around. Jen’s ute wasn’t in the driveway.

  ‘She’s not back yet,’ Kath confirmed, once the hellos were over and done with. ‘She rang, though — asked if you could give her a call. The number’s on the pad by the phone.’

  ‘Oh?’ Charlotte raised her eyebrows. ‘Bit strange.’

  ‘She did sound a bit odd,’ Kath agreed. ‘Did you want to ring her now? I can hold tea for a bit.’

  ‘No, it’s okay,’ said Charlotte hungrily. ‘I’ll do it after.’

  ‘Don’t suppose you’ll be that keen on a boring old roast after all that fancy Queenstown food.’

  ‘Kath!’ Charlotte grinned. ‘When have I ever not been keen on a roast?’

  She waited until Rob had gone before calling the number Jen had left. Another woman’s voice answered. Charlotte could hear her shouting, ‘Jen, it’s for you,’ and Jen’s footsteps as she came to the phone.

  ‘Hello?’

  ‘Hi, it’s me.’

  ‘Oh, hi Charlie. Thanks for calling back.’

  ‘What’s up?’

  ‘Nothing — it’s all pretty good, actually. But I’ve got a favour to ask you.’

  ‘You want to stay longer?’

  ‘No, no … it’s my friend, Zoe. I’d like to bring her down to stay for a while.’

  Charlotte sighed inwardly. She didn’t really feel like having a stranger around the house, and it’d be that much more work for poor Kath … but she supposed she couldn’t really say no. ‘Sure. Look forward to meeting her — when’re you back?’

  ‘We’ll be down tomorrow.’

  ‘See you then.’

  ‘Everything okay?’ asked Kath, as Charlotte put the phone down.

  ‘Yeah. Jen’s bringing some friend of hers down to stay for a while.’

  ‘Oh, that’ll be nice for her.’ Kath turned the dishwasher on. ‘She must get a bit lonely down here sometimes. Young girl like that, all on her own.’

  ‘She’s older than me.’

  ‘Well, yes, dear. But you’ve got Rob, now, haven’t you?’ Kath lowered her voice conspiratorially. ‘Did you have a good time in Queenstown?’

  ‘Yeah, great.’

  ‘You make such a nice couple. You must have been together for what, six months now?’

  Charlotte thought back. ‘About that, I guess.’

  ‘About that.’ Kath’s eyes gleamed. ‘So, you didn’t make any plans, while you were down there?’

  ‘What kind of plans?’

  ‘Well … you know …’

  Charlotte shook her head.

  Kath smiled to herself. ‘Never mind, dear. He’ll get round to it, you’ll see.’

  The crunch of truck wheels on gravel sounded right on cue for lunch. Through the kitchen window, Charlotte could see a blonde, sweet-faced girl laughing with Jen as they got their bags out. She smothered a small stab of jealousy.

  ‘They’re here,’ she warned Kath.

  ‘Oh good. I’ll put the veggies on.’

  Jen walked in, looking happier than Charlotte had seen her in months. She was followed closely — and rather shyly — by her friend.

  ‘Hello,’ said Zoe tentatively. ‘It’s a beautiful place you’ve got here.’

  ‘Hello dear,’ bustled Kath. ‘Did you have a good trip? I hope you’re both hungry. We’re just waiting for Rex and Matt to come in, and then we can eat. So you’re from Christchurch, are you, Zoe?’

  ‘Yes — at least, I am now. I’m from Wellington, originally — Jenny and I went to school together there.’

  Jenny? thought Charlotte, in amazement. Seriously?

  ‘Oh really? That’s nice. I always think how nice it is to keep in touch with friends from school. Charlie never sees any of hers, do you dear?’

  ‘No,’ said Charlotte stiffly, wishing Kath would shut up for half a second.

  ‘Well, the place doesn’t seem to have fallen apart while I was gone.’ Jen’s voice was bright. ‘Everything all right?’

  ‘Fine — I only got back myself yesterday.’

  ‘Oh, right. How was the ski trip?’

  ‘Great.’
r />   ‘Good.’

  ‘I’ve made up Nick’s room for Zoe — it’s all ready.’ Guest-loving Kath was in her element.

  ‘Oh.’ Jen looked embarrassed. ‘Actually, I, um … we thought Zoe’d stay in my room.’

  ‘Yes, of course, if that’s what you want.’ Kath looked flustered. ‘But there’s only one bed in there.’

  There was silence in the kitchen. Jen looked down, avoiding Charlotte’s gaze. On the stove, a pot lid began to rattle.

  ‘Oh look, here are Rex and Matt!’ exclaimed Kath in relief. ‘You make the introductions, dear — I just need to drain those carrots.’

  After lunch, Zoe volunteered to help Kath with the washing up, and at last Jen met Charlotte’s eye.

  ‘You, er, wouldn’t mind giving me a hand with the rest of the bags, would you mate?’

  Charlotte followed her out to the ute. The back seat was pretty well loaded up — just how long was Zoe staying?

  ‘So,’ said Jen.

  ‘So you’re gay.’

  Jen scanned Charlotte’s face. ‘Yeah … I guess I should have said something before.’

  ‘Why didn’t you?’

  ‘Well, to be honest, at first I thought it was none of your business. And then …’ She grimaced. ‘I didn’t want things to get weird. You know, like they are now.’

  ‘Hey.’ Charlotte shouldered a bag. ‘You were right — it’s none of my business.’

  ‘Don’t be like that. Please.’

  Jen sounded so hurt, Charlotte turned. To her horror, Jen looked close to tears. ‘I don’t want things to change,’ she said, in a very small voice.

  Charlotte put the bag down and hugged her. ‘Of course nothing’s going to change!’ She held Jen back by the shoulders and smiled into her eyes. ‘Why would it?’

  ‘How long did you say Zoe was staying for?’ Kath asked Jen, nonchalantly, a week later.

  ‘She didn’t,’ said Charlotte pointedly.

  ‘Yeah …’ Jen shifted in her chair. ‘I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that. You know, things’ve been going really well with Zoe and me. Really well.’

  Charlotte braced herself. How bad could it be? Another week? Two?

  ‘The thing is … well, we’ve talked about it, and …’ Jen took a deep breath. ‘I don’t want Zoe to go. At all.’

  ‘You’ve got to be kidding!’

  The words were out before Charlotte’s brain had engaged. They were followed by a silence.

  ‘I think I hear Rex calling me.’ Kath scurried for the door.

  ‘Zoe said you wouldn’t be cool with it.’ Jen shook her head, staring down at the table. ‘She thinks you don’t like her.’

  ‘That’s got nothing to do with it,’ evaded Charlotte. Sure, Zoe was needy and nervy and talked too much, and Charlotte couldn’t for the life of her see what Jen was doing with her, but that wasn’t the point. ‘Come on, don’t you think her moving in is a bit much?’

  ‘No,’ snapped Jen. ‘I don’t. If Matt wanted his girlfriend to move in, you wouldn’t have a problem with that.’

  ‘I damn well would,’ Charlotte snapped right back. ‘Besides, Matt hasn’t even got a girlfriend.’

  ‘Hardly surprising, since he’s stuck out here all the time.’

  ‘Hey, no one made you come here.’

  ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

  ‘You chose to live here, so don’t moan about it now.’

  ‘All very well for you to say, with Rob Booty-Call on speed dial.’

  There was a dangerous silence.

  ‘Like I said, you made your choices,’ said Charlotte icily.

  ‘So maybe I’ll choose to move on.’

  ‘If that’s what you want.’

  Jen leaned back in her chair and rubbed her hands over her face. ‘It’s not what I want. You know that. But what am I supposed to do? I don’t want to lose Zoe.’ She sighed. ‘Christ, I’ve had enough of being alone.’

  ‘But you’ve got me,’ argued Charlotte. ‘And Rex and Kath and Matt.’

  ‘I’m a lesbian, mate, not a nun.’

  ‘Do you love her? Really?’

  ‘Really? God, Charlie.’ Jen groaned with exasperation. ‘Of course I do. Zoe and I go way back.’

  ‘That’s not what I asked.’

  ‘Wasn’t it?’ She shook her head. ‘It’s not all shagging and ski jackets, you know. Nobody gets everything they want. One day you’ll understand that.’

  Charlotte very much hoped she wouldn’t. But Jen was giving her such a strange, sad look she didn’t have the heart to say so. ‘Okay.’

  ‘Okay?’

  ‘She can stay. If it means that much to you.’

  ‘It does.’ Jen smiled a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. ‘Don’t worry, we won’t be up here in your hair all the time. I’ll move back into the cottage.’

  Charlotte nodded. Through the kitchen window, she watched Jen walk away. Was she just being childish? Not liking the new girl at school stealing her best friend? Was there really anything wrong with Zoe?

  High above Jen’s small figure, the hills were thick with snow, and the dark cloud rising over their shoulders was heavy with more to come. She swallowed the last of her cooling tea and went out to feed the horses.

  By the time she got back it was almost four o’clock, and dark. In the kitchen, the phone was ringing.

  ‘Things are crazy at work,’ Rob groaned. ‘You leave people alone for two minutes and it’s amazing the mess they can get themselves into.’

  ‘Tell me about it,’ Charlotte said drily.

  ‘Ah. Everything okay?’

  ‘Kind of.’

  ‘Want to get away for the night?’

  ‘Love to.’

  ‘Great — I’ll see you when you get here. You can tell me all about it.’

  Charlotte sighed gratefully. ‘Thanks.’

  ‘No worries. I’ve missed you.’

  Rob reacted to her news with gratifying horror. ‘You’re not paying her, are you?’ he demanded, pouring them both a large glass of wine.

  ‘God, no. That’s Jen’s problem.’

  ‘Just as well. That’s the last thing you need!’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  He hesitated, chewing his lip. ‘Okay. You’re not going to want to hear this. But I’ve got to say it.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Nick finishes uni this year, right?’

  ‘Yeah, so?’

  ‘So he’s going to need an income.’ Rob sat beside her on the sofa, putting his hand on her knee. ‘Babe, there are only so many salaries Blackpeak can pay.’

  Charlotte shook her head. ‘We’ve always run with this many hands.’

  ‘At the moment, yeah. But Nick makes one extra. And you know how things are,’ he added gently, ‘there just isn’t the money for that.’

  It was true. Charlotte felt sick. How could she not have seen this? ‘But Nick was always coming home this year,’ she said. ‘Dad must have had some kind of plan.’

  ‘Your father hardly drew much on the farm — he had his investment income. But now that’s been divvied up between you and your mum, all Nick has to live on is Blackpeak.’

  She brightened. ‘Okay, so I don’t draw a salary, then.’

  Rob bit his lip again. ‘It’s not that simple. Even if it was okay for you to work Nick’s farm for no pay — which it seriously isn’t — you can’t touch your trust till you turn twenty-five. Andrea and the other trustees are in charge of the lot until then.’

  ‘So what are you saying — we’ll have to let someone go?’

  Rob just looked at her.

  ‘But we can’t get rid of Rex and Kath … Matt earns bugger all anyway, and Jen doesn’t get much more.’ Charlotte put her wine down, thinking of Nick’s taste in shoes. ‘I can’t see Nick living on those wages …’

  ‘Charlie.’ Rob took both her hands and spoke very quietly. ‘Are you sure your brother had really thought things through when he said you could manage the
station?’

  Chapter SEVEN

  Charlotte ran her binoculars over a small mob of sheep on the ridge above her. The early spring sun was warm on her back — it was only the first week of September, but already the snow had gone from all but the deepest pockets of the foothills, and down on the flats the willows were greening. Below, out of sight, she could hear Jen’s dogs as they picked up the mob her own team had sent scurrying down.

  Carrick Fergusson and one of his shepherds were over from neighbouring Glencairn Station, making six hands in all for the Blackpeak muster. Glencairn’s ewes were already moving through the shearing sheds, and by the time this muster was over, the shearing gang would be ready to move on to Blackpeak. Charlotte looked at her watch. Kath and Zoe would be in town by now, stocking up for the twenty hungry mouths about to descend. She grinned. The gangs loved the Blackpeak shear — Kath’s tucker was famous.

  The thought of it made Charlotte’s stomach rumble. It was only half-past ten, but she’d eaten her breakfast four hours ago. Still, at least there was a good meal to look forward to tonight — that was the good thing about the spring muster. The sheep were low on the winter blocks, and even those musterers on the top beats could get back to the homestead at the end of every day. And in the meantime, of course, there were Kath’s sandwiches to see her through.

  As she watched Tinks work the ewes down from the ridge, she felt a glow of pride. Tinks was the least experienced dog on the hill, but she was going like a champion today. Charlotte raised the radio to her mouth to let Jen know the next mob was on its way, and smiled as a string of abuse crackled up after the ‘okay’.

  ‘Get away back! … Shit! … sorry, Charlie.’

  ‘Mob coming down the left ridge, Charlie.’ Carr Fergusson’s voice cut in.

  ‘Okay, Carr.’ She scanned the opposite ridge. ‘Yep, got ’em.’ She whistled Tinks down and sent her winging up the gully to get in behind the descending sheep. Tinks knew enough to do the rest herself.

  ‘Last mob before lunch,’ came Carr’s voice, an hour and a half later. ‘Coming through the gully.’

  The sheep came down quickly. Charlotte made a rough mental tally. That made about four hundred for the morning — not bad. And all of them looking fitter and fatter than she could remember. The winter had been unusually mild. It was going to be a good year. She called the last mob down to Jen and settled herself down on the springy tussock, stretching out her legs and rummaging for her lunch. The dogs crowded round, panting and eyeing the food.