Page 77 of The Knitting Club at Wagtail Ridge

‘I’m worried about her. She needs help.’

Bree sighed and smiled. ‘Matt, I love that you are thinking of her. But it’s reached the stage where that’s no longer possible. You have to start fighting her.’

‘She can’t take Vicki away, can she?’

‘The court is unlikely to remove a child from a parent without very real cause, which I don’t think she has. But if she follows up on this, there will have to be a hearing and some investigation. Vicki will be interviewed. It’s going to be hard on her. And there is a possibility that you would have to accept court-mandated access visits.’

The tone of her voice, more than the words, convinced him that Sally’s threat was real. ‘So what do we do now?’

‘We don’t do anything, I’m afraid.’

Matt blinked in surprise. ‘Won’t you help—’

‘It’s not that I won’t. I can’t. This document names me and accuses you, me, us of a relationship. That makes it impossible for me to continue as your counsel. And even if it didn’t, it would do your case more harm than good.’

‘So what are we going to do?’

‘I’m still part of a law firm. I am going to drive to the city tomorrow and find someone else to officially represent you. But don’t worry, I’ll be behind you all the way.’

When she reached out to offer him comfort, he grasped her hand like the lifeline that it was.

CHAPTER

30

‘Good morning, Ms Johnston.’

‘Good morning.’ Bree swiped her ID card, surprised to see it still worked. Her heels made a familiar crisp click as she walked across the marble floor to the lifts that would take her where she was going. She was the only one in the lift and fidgeted with the smart black suit she had hoped never to wear again. Like the rest of her ‘old self’ clothes, it was tighter than it had been. She didn’t care, but she was pretty certain her mother would not only notice, but also comment on her weight gain.

As she walked through the glass doors with her parents’ names etched in them, she braced herself.

They were waiting for her in the conference room.

‘Brianna, dear.’

Her mother kissed her cheek. He father actually hugged her. As he did, she suddenly realised that weeks—months, actually—had passed since she had seen them.

‘Sorry I haven’t visited,’ she said, meaning it. ‘I’ve been busy. Things are going so well at the farm.’

‘I always knew you would make a success of it. I’m proud of you,’ Gary said as he waved her towards a seat.

Bree blinked. He’d said those words at her farewell from the firm, but he’d never said them directly to her like that. This time, she believed him and that made it harder for her to tell them why she had come.

They listened in silence as she told them about Matt and Vicki. She had copies of the letters to show them. When her mother read the letter referring to her relationship with Matt, she raised an eyebrow, but said nothing until they had finished reading.

Her father spoke first. ‘Tell me about Matt.’

‘He’s …’ Bree paused, trying to find the right words to describe the man and her relationship with him. She wanted to keep this professional. ‘He’s a friend. He’s still grieving for Vicki’s mother, Kim. He is a good father. Vicki is well cared for and loved and kept safe. The real threat to her comes from Sally. Matt thinks she is becoming mentally unstable, and I strongly suspect he may be right.’

‘I know this firm,’ her mother said, holding up one of the letters. ‘Their reputation isn’t good. This man is not far removed from an ambulance chaser. He’ll threaten litigation without having a decent case, then he’ll drag it out for the fees. He probably won’t want to go to court, but if he does, it’s going to be unpleasant. The man has no scruples.’

Gary nodded in agreement. ‘So, Bree, how can we help?’

‘Obviously, I can no longer represent him. Could you assign one of the associates to work on this? I took the case pro bono, but I’m happy to cover costs, if you prefer.’

He raised an eyebrow at that last comment. ‘That won’t be necessary. I can take the case, if you like.’

‘Don’t be silly, Gary,’ Margaret jumped in. ‘You have the same last name—they’ll automatically assume a relationship. I’ll take it.’ Her mother had always practised under her maiden name.

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