Page 14 of The Knitting Club at Wagtail Ridge

Had Bree heard a slight catch in his voice? Before she put the glass to her lips, she studied her father’s face. Their eyes met and he smiled at her again. For a moment, Bree saw the father she remembered, the man she had hero-worshipped from the moment she was old enough to speak. Maybe even before. For the first time, she felt tears prick her eyes. She hadn’t let him down—he really was proud of her. He didn’t show it often, but she would never forget it again.

She nodded, stumbled over a few words and accepted the mandatory gold watch as a farewell gift from her colleagues. Then she went in search of another drink and a place to get a minute of calm before she walked out the glass doors for the final time.

She was standing, half-hidden behind a giant potted palm, when a voice disturbed her.

‘Brianna. Bree. Your mother’s speech was very moving.’

The man in front of her was one of the partners. A few years senior to her in the firm, he was bright, good at his job and ambitious. He was handsome, wore a tailor-made suit and exuded the sort of confidence she had never felt.

‘Thanks, Bradley.’ She wasn’t going to tell him her father’s words had meant so much more to her.

‘I know you are doing this farm thing,’ he said, dismissing her plan with a shrug, ‘but you’re not moving out of the city, are you? I thought we should have dinner. Soon.’ He ran a hand down the bare skin of her arm.

‘Well, actually …’ She took a step backwards.

‘I couldn’t ask you out before. You know, the bosses’ daughter and all that. But now, well, I’ve always admired you, Brianna.’ He took half a step forwards, almost trapping her against the wall.

‘Um. Thank you, but—’

‘We have so much in common, you and I. We could be good together. I mean,together.’ The emphasis on the last word left nothing to her imagination as he leaned closer. ‘And you never know, maybe one day …’ He inclined his head in the direction of her parents.

For a second, Bree saw the future Bradley had in mind, the same life her parents had. Linking himself to her family would boost his standing in the legal community. His wealth too. She imagined herself and Bradley standing where her parents were now—and she nearly shuddered.

‘Well, Bradley, you know I am looking to breed alpacas.’

‘Yes. And that sounds like an interesting diversion. Quite a lot of money to be made, I hear.’

‘I’ll be living in the Hunter Valley.’

‘In the wine country? That’s great. There are some excellent restaurants up there … and all that wine.’

‘Not the wine country. The horse country. And mostly there’ll be fences to mend and stables to be mucked out.’

Bradley actually took a step away.

‘You’re welcome to come and swing a shovel with me whenever you like.’ Bree smiled sweetly and put her glass down. She paused long enough to say goodbye to Ken and then left the meeting room without a backwards glance.

***

Her flat was no longer the pristine living space it had been. Several large boxes, firmly taped shut, sat in the corner of her lounge room. Others, still flat, leaned against the wall, waiting to be filled. Tomorrow the removalists would come. They’d deal with the bulk of her belongings. She wasn’t sure how this city-chic furniture would look in a weatherboard country house, but that really didn’t matter. She’d have something to sit on, a bed and a desk. That was the main thing.

She took her shoes off and looked down at them. Would she ever wear them again? She hoped not. And certainly not in a courtroom. There was half a bottle of wine in the fridge. She poured herself a glass and took up her favourite position, sitting in the woven cane chair on her balcony. She looked out at the city lights as she sipped the wine. Would she miss this? The answer came quickly. Yes. There was much about living in the city she would miss. This view, for one. And her regular visits to Nan’s place, with its even more spectacular view. She didn’t frequent nightclubs and bars, but she would miss the city’s choice of wonderful restaurants. She certainly wouldn’t miss the dating scene. Not that she dated much. She was far too busy, and far too many of the men she met were lawyers and just like that creep Bradley. She wouldn’t miss that part of it at all.

Still, moving to The Gums was going to be a huge change to her lifestyle. To her entire life.

Feeling suddenly restless, she carried her wine to her bedroom. A couple of open suitcases sat on the bed. She slid open the doors of her built-in wardrobes and looked at the contents. It was as if two very different people lived here. One wore dark business suits and high heels, and argued in court and on paper for large corporate clients. The other was a creative soul, who knitted her own jumpers, loved the fresh air, the feel of grass between her toes and a herd of large, hairy, slightly aloof creatures that occasionally spat at her.

Who did she really want to be?

There could only be one answer and she didn’t hesitate. She reached into the wardrobe and began placing jeans and overalls in her suitcases. The tie-dyed T-shirts and the colourful hand-knitted jumpers followed. There was plenty of space left for the long, gathered skirts and the flat, comfortable shoes. The person she really was went into the suitcase. The owner of the classic suits and the high-heeled shoes could be packed into boxes along with her clothes.

But at the back of Bree’s mind was the thought that if this new life didn’t pan out, she could unpack her old self as easily as she could unpack her old clothes.

CHAPTER

7

She was back.

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