Page 55 of The Island Girls

‘Everywhere is heaven when you’re on holiday,’ she said thoughtfully, ‘though I do admit, even if I was working, this place really is paradise. But so is Brownsea Island. I’ve been obsessed with Dorset and Poole Harbour all my life, thanks to Peggy, and it still feels like a dream to wake up and see Corfe Castle and Old Harry Rocks from my bedroom window every morning.’

‘It must be wonderful for your work to also be your joy,’ Paul said, finishing his glass and lying back with his hands behind his head.

‘Would your work have been your joy if you’d continued with music, do you think, and gone professional?’

‘Probably, yes. Though I do enjoy what I do. And it has all kinds of bonuses. I have a lot of flexibility to follow leads thatinterest me, and I travel a lot, and meet some great people. Some are particularly wonderful,’ he said, shading his eyes from the sun and smiling up at her. ‘And I think that joy in work is all about being grateful for the small things – making the most of all the situations life throws at you.’

The details that Darrell had revealed to them about the life Peggy had lived during the war were scant, and he’d left some gaping holes that Rebekah was eager to have filled. But the simple facts had left a lasting impression: Peggy had been a capable boatwoman, a beauty without compare, and a woman who was prepared to take risks for the good of her country. She’d obviously had nerves of steel and skills that had been used by her country in ways that probably nobody would ever really know.

‘When we get home, to Brisbane I mean, I think I’d like to offer to take Darrell to the cemetery where Peggy is buried. He may not want to go, of course, but I’ll offer all the same,’ said Rebekah.

Rebekah made her phone call to Darrell once they arrived back in Brisbane, and they agreed a good day for the trip to the cemetery would be Christmas Eve. The day began, hot and sunny as ever, and Paul waved Rebekah off as she set out to fetch Darrell. Paul watched the car disappear around the bend and went to finish his coffee on the back deck, where Helen joined him.

‘And how are you going to fill your day, love?’ she asked him.

‘Is there anything you need help with before tomorrow? I’m happy to go and fetch groceries, and can make myself useful in the kitchen?’ Paul offered.

‘That’s very kind of you Paul, but it’s all done. We keep our Christmas preparations very simple here. The weather is looking glorious for a day under the mango tree tomorrow – not too humid,’ she said.

‘If you don’t need me, there is something I’m keen to do – but I’d need to borrow the car and probably have a good lesson in navigation to get there alone. I’m hoping to visit the antique markets at Paddington. Rebekah told me about them, and partly as a historian I’m interested, but I’m hoping to do a little Christmas shopping while I’m there too,’ he explained.

‘Why don’t I come with you, if you don’t mind, that is? It’s a pig of a place to get to, navigating from here on your own, and it’s been a few years since I went for a look around. If you don’t mind the company, I can drive you if you like?’ Helen said, and a short while later, they were stepping over the threshold to the old cinema that had been converted into an antiques market.

‘Wow, there’s a lot to discover in here,’ Paul said as they walked in.

‘You can spend hours here – and I often have done. I’ll go this way and leave you to it – come and find me if you need anything,’ she said as she went off to rake through the vintage clothing section that she loved.

Paul was amazed to discover antiques from so many different parts of the world, a fact that signified the widely multicultural society that Australia had become since its colonial beginnings – very recent history in the timeline of Australia’s ancient civilisation. But he had never expected to find treasures from Poole. One of the first sections he browsed had a glass cabinet full of distinctive Poole Pottery from across the twentieth century. Paul picked out a display plate that was painted with an ancient map of Poole Harbour, with all the islands labelled and decorated with pine trees. He traced with his finger the route he’d taken around Brownsea Island the first night he’d metRebekah, and smiled, taking it to the front counter to keep safe until he’d finished browsing.

Each individual collector’s area had its own style, designed to showcase the different kinds of pieces each focused on: lamps, clothing, military memorabilia, china, and jewellery – the real reason he’d come.

The antique rings were as widely varied as all the other delights in this real treasure trove. There were Australian opals aplenty, as well rings featuring pearls, many of which would have been harvested in Western Australia. But it was the ruby and sapphire gemstone rings that caught his attention, and for a while he couldn’t decide between the two colours, until he found the perfect combination.

He paid for his purchases at the front counter and had them both gift-wrapped so they could be placed straight under the tree back at the Martins’ home when he arrived.

When Rebekah came home from the outing with Darrell that afternoon, she was exhausted. The day in itself was not particularly tiring, but the emotional journey had been draining. Both she and Darrell had wept at Peggy’s graveside and Darrell had been quiet on the drive home again. But he had thanked her for bringing this news into his life, and told her how it had lightened his heart to know there had never been anything to hold against Peggy after all.

That night, Rebekah dressed carefully for dinner. Paul had booked a table for them at a restaurant that Tim had suggested – with a perfect view of the city at night from the top of the lookout at Mt Coot-Tha.

‘I’ll drive, Rebekah, but you’ll need to navigate to get us there,’ he’d joked as they got into the car.

At the restaurant, he had taken Tim’s advice and booked the corner-most table for two where they sat with their backs to the other restaurant guests and a picture view of the whole city lit up at night.

After they ordered, and sat sipping their wine, Paul tentatively introduced the subject that had been on his mind for the last few weeks.

‘I could happily spend the rest of my life like this, Rebekah.’

‘Mmmn, so could I – holidays and travelling and eating out in posh restaurants – it’s marvellous. But we’ll have to get back to normality in the new year,’ she said.

‘I wasn’t so much thinking of the holiday, and all its delights, though this has been the most amazing experience. I’m more thinking of just this: sitting here beside you, watching you look at the world, eating with you, talking to you, listening to you,’ he said and she turned to give him her full attention.

‘Paul, you put that so beautifully, and I know exactly what you mean.’ She grew quiet and he gave her space for her thoughts.

She had drifted back to the night she’d discovered that Ben was seriously interested in her. She had not chosen the long-term acquaintance who offered the security and predictability of a life she understood, but instead chose Paul – the out-of-town stranger who thrilled her with his spontaneity. Gabriel Oak and Frank Troy came to join her in her thoughts again.

‘Have you readFar from the Madding Crowd, Paul?’ she asked, and from the startled look on his face, it was hard to tell if he was unsure of the book or just thrown off course by her sudden change of subject.

‘There are two main characters who vie for the attentions of the heroine, Bathsheba Everdene. One is a playboy who excitesher with his wild ways,’ she said, raising an eyebrow which made Paul chuckle. ‘The other is a farmer, steady and plain, who promises her nothing more than constancy. He says this wonderful line when he describes their future together, “And at home by the fire, whenever you look up, there I shall be – and whenever I look up, there will be you,”’ she finished and sighed.

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