Strangers at the Cove Read online

  “Call your father.” Her mother shot Lexie an urgent look as she rushed to the old lady’s side. “Tell him to bring the car around. Tell him to hurry.” Her words rang out loudly down the hall behind Lexie.

  Suddenly she was alone. What a morning! Her mother had told her to wait until she heard from them at the hospital before going over to Reiby House. Taking the mobile phone with her, she went to sort through the old bridles that had been dumped ages ago in a corner of the shed at the stables. Some were really old and worn and others could be cleaned up and put back into use. As she sat in the sun, the dogs at her feet, untangling them, her thoughts switched to her new friends. What would happen if their Great Aunt was really sick? Who would look after them? She supposed their father, Jason, would come home.

  The lilting tone of the phone made her jump. “Hello?”

  Her mother’s voice came through. “Not such good news. Miss Reiby has had a minor heart attack and they want to keep her here for observation and to do a few tests. For an elderly lady she certainly is feisty and quite adamant she must get back to the children. I think it would be a good idea to go across to see Clare and Stacey. Stay with them until we get there. It shouldn’t be too long.”

  Clare did not hear her when she arrived. Out on the verandah in her chair, she had her back to the road and was looking in the front door. As Lexie approached she heard Stacey yell from within the house, “You’re not my mother! I don’t have to if I don’t want to.” A loud bang from a closing door reverberated inside the house.

  “Hello,” Lexie said quietly. Clare turned, pale and shaking, and dissolved into tears. “I don’t know what to say to him. GAC is always picking on him. Pick this up, do this, do that, don’t make so much noise, don’t leave the house. I can’t play with him or help him because I can’t get out of this horrible wheelchair.” She suddenly started to shake the arms of the chair and it started to move forward, powered by her fury and frustration. “I can’t do anything,” she screamed. “I hate this. Why did it have to happen? Everything has been so bad.” She covered her face with her hands and her whole body shook uncontrollably.

  Lexie watched, feeling so much for this girl she hardly knew. She sat down on the top step, waiting for the outburst to finish. Her mother always said it was good to get your emotions out in the open, and she felt certain Clare would feel better when she calmed down.

  After a few minutes she looked up and said, rather sheepishly, “What are you doing here? I thought GAC went over to see your mother.”

  “Am I right in guessing that GAC is your Great Aunt Clarissa?” Lexie giggled.

  “Yes. Probably doesn’t sound so good but you try saying Great Aunt Clarissa all the time. Stacey and I only use it when she isn’t around.”

  “Is he alright? Should I go and see him?” Lexie was looking down the front hall, worried about Stacey. “My parents asked me to come over. Your Great Aunt has been taken ill and they had to take her to hospital really quickly. Mum and Dad are going to meet me here.”

  “Hospital? I’m not surprised – she’s so uptight all the time. I don’t think I’ve seen her smile once since we’ve been with her.” She frowned. “She doesn’t really want to know about all this, the last thing in the world she needed, and she said about as much, is to have to look after two children. She won’t talk on the phone and refuses to have the one here connected; I haven’t spoken to any of my friends since we’ve been here. I may as well be living on another planet. And,” she said, looking down at her hands and speaking in a small voice, “I miss my mother.” The ache in her eyes when she looked at Lexie was palpable.

  When Mum and Dad returned they said the decision had been made that Clare and Stacey should come back home with them and stay for a few days until they knew how Miss Reiby was. Stacey was delighted and took hold of Lexie’s hand. “Will you help me pack my things?” he asked.

  Her mother wheeled Clare into her room and, under her supervision, packed what they thought she would need while her father went around the house closing doors and windows, checking all was secure.

  Lexie had always wanted brothers and sisters and now here they were – not exactly a happy bunch but hopefully time would fix that.

  Stacey was settled out on the back verandah where there was a spare bed and the two girls would share Lexie’s bedroom. It was decided to convert the spare bedroom into a physio room for Clare’s treatment. Mum and Dad returned to the hospital with some personal belongings for Miss Reiby and to collect the necessary physio equipment.

  As they were driving back through the poplars Lexie was surprised to see another car driven by a neatly dressed man, about her father’s age, following them. Her father went across to meet him. He was not as tall as her father, but heavier, and he had a dark moustache and short dark hair, with signs of grey.

  “Come in,” she heard her father say, and they disappeared into the house. Lexie, racked with curiosity, sought out her mother. Too late. She was already with the men in the front room.

  Clare and Stacey were waiting for her on the back verandah. “Hey,” she said, walking in. “A guy I’ve never seen before followed Mum and Dad home, they’re in the front room. I wonder what he wants.”

  “Quick!” said Clare pressingly. “Go and listen.”

  “Yeah, let’s,” said Stacey, jumping to his feet.

  “No, I can’t.”

  “Why not?”

  “It’s not right,” said Lexie, feeling uncomfortable.

  “But you must.” Defiantly. “You might find something out. Pleeeease,” Clare begged.

  Not having a clue what Clare was talking about, Lexie relented and crept up the hall, leaving a vehemently objecting Stacey behind. As she approached the open door she could hear the stranger talking.

  “… so you see, the old lady has been under considerable strain. I feel personally responsible for her present situation. Following the accident I contacted Jason and he felt it safer to bring the children down here. He is aware that no family members have been living here for many years and felt that it was a safe house – feeling secure in the knowledge that he has not mentioned its existence to anyone.

  “Unfortunately it has not been possible for him to return immediately. He feels he is so close to making a breakthrough over there that everything would be lost if he were to leave now. As you can imagine it has been tough for him, and Miss Reiby tells me that his daughter has not made it easy for him. She refuses to have anything to do with him because he was not here for her mother’s funeral. It’s a tough job,” he finished gruffly.

  Lexie’s mind spun in amazement as she tried to make sense of what she was hearing. Aware there was movement in the room, she turned quickly to leave, and seeing Clare in her wheelchair at the end of the hall, motioned madly for her to get back. Halfway down she realised she would not be out of sight by the time they were out so she turned, and pretended to be sauntering up the hall towards her bedroom when the adults appeared. Her mother gave her an enquiring glance with raised eyebrows but said nothing.

  The three adults spent what seemed like ages talking outside before Lexie heard the stranger’s car leaving. So, she wondered, would her parents tell her what it was all about?

  She reported back to Clare, who was gazing out the window with Great Expectations open on her lap. “I only heard the end of their conversation before they left to go outside. It didn’t make much sense to me. They spoke about your father being away. What does he do?”

  Clare gave Lexie an angry look. “I’d rather not talk about my father if you don’t mind,” she said in a rather haughty manner. “There goes your father,” she said, as Lexie’s Dad walked past the window on his way to the shed. “I wish mine was like yours, always around when you need him.” She sighed and picked up the book.

  Lexie sought out her mother who was in the physio room preparing to spend some time with Clare. “So?” She gave Lexie a meaningful look, waiting. Lexie shuffled around, knowing what her mother wanted to
hear but ashamed to say it. “Yes, I know. I didn’t hear that much. In fact I only heard the very end, the bit where he was talking about Miss Reiby and Clare’s father. What does he do that is so important? Why isn’t he here with his children? Clare hates him because he hasn’t come back, you know.”

  “Yes, it’s a hard situation.” Her mother sighed. “It must be pretty horrible for him over there alone. He has just lost his wife, Lexie, don’t forget that. He must be feeling just as bad, or worse, than Clare and Stacey. As we don’t fully understand everything we shouldn’t judge him too harshly. Hopefully, Clare will see this as time passes. Now I had better get her in here before it gets too late.”

  SIX

  Down to the Cove

  As the days passed Clare’s left leg showed continual signs of improvement and the time finally came when a heel could be fitted to the plaster cast on her right leg allowing her to move with the aid of crutches. “Mind you,” Lexie’s Mum said, “it is important you don’t overdo the walking on that leg. A little exercise and movement is all you’re allowed.”

  Although the doctor advised Miss Reiby that it would be best for her to remain in hospital she had, initially, insisted on going home, but once the hospital staff convinced her that Stacey and Clare would be safe with the Holmans she accepted his advice.

  Clare was becoming increasingly impatient to get out and about on her own. When Lexie and Stacey went to the stables she would watch from the back verandah. One morning when her parents were at work, Lexie headed for the stables and Clare called after her, “Hey, what about me? I could come with you if you walk slowly.”

  “I’ll be back in a moment.” Lexie had decided to take Clare for a short ride on Bud without telling her mother. She felt sorry for her new friend, always either stuck in the wheelchair when they went out or confined indoors when walking with her crutches. Bud was such a well-behaved horse, she couldn’t see any harm in just a small walk around the yard. If that went well maybe she could take her down to the Cove.

  The difficulty was getting the patient up into the saddle. While Stacey held the reins Lexie helped Clare up onto an old box she found in the stables. Clare was able to throw one leg over the saddle and with Lexie’s help, pulled herself up until she was sitting comfortably. “Oh wow! This is great!” she said with a laugh. Stacey and Lexie led a docile Bud quietly around the yard. He didn’t mind going slowly, as if he sensed that this was important and that care had to be taken with his passenger. Lexie figured it had to feel strange to him, not having firm legs against his sides.

  “Stacey, why don’t you get your bike and we’ll take Clare down to see the Cove, we should have time before Mum gets back. Are you alright up there, Clare? You feel quite safe, not like you’re going to tip off?” Lexie shaded her eyes as she looked up at Clare.

  “No. It feels fine.”

  It was quite a sight – Stacey buzzing along on his bike, taking off on tangents to explore, then returning to ride beside Bud for a while; initially this unsettled the horse but with coaxing from Lexie he was reassured.

  “We must look so strange,” giggled Clare from high on the horse.

  Lexie looked up at her as she laughed, her hair gently swinging, swish, swish, side to side, with the horse’s movement. “It’s good to hear you laugh,” she said.

  “Hey, look at me,” cried Stacey. “I’m a fighter pilot swooping through the air; you’re the enemy – ack, ack, ack,” he yelled as he threw his bike recklessly around.

  His sister became serious. “Stacey, take care.”

  “I am!” and he swooped at them again, making both girls laugh.

  Clare could not believe how beautiful it was when they stopped where the grass ended and the sand began. That’s when Lexie realised she couldn’t get down because they had no way of getting her back up again. She looked around. Of course, if they went down onto the beach Bud could stop beside the rocks and she could climb off and on there.

  What appeared easy in theory proved more difficult in reality, Bud kept moving in the soft sand and as Lexie got more irritable, he, in turn, moved even more. Clare was heavier than she expected, too. As she lowered herself from the horse Lexie had to take her full weight just for a second or two. “Bud, stand still,” she said testily, as Clare’s unsupported body sent her staggering backwards. She could feel herself falling, taking Clare with her. Desperately she reached behind looking for support, and feeling a large rock she quickly put her left foot behind to steady herself and held Clare by the shoulders. “Mate, that was close! You alright Clare?” she asked, worry in her voice, as she lowered her gently.

  Her friend looked up at her with a pale face. “I’m okay,” she said with a nervous laugh, pushing hair out of her eyes. “I can’t say I’m bored now!” Something caught her eye. “Oh, look!” The large bird swept across the surface of the water. “It’s a hawk,” Clare exclaimed excitedly.

  Lexie smiled, delighted ‘her’ bird had come out to perform in front of them. “It’s actually an osprey. He dives for fish and has a nest up on the headland,” she said, waving her hand towards the bush.

  They sat chatting on the rocks watching the osprey’s antics, regaining their composure as Stacey played with the waves. Clare shifted uneasily after awhile, looking around.

  “What?” asked Lexie, following her gaze.

  “I don’t know. Do you think anyone else could be here?” Concern in every word.

  “No, no-one ever comes here,” she answered, peering at the rocks.

  “I have a strange feeling, you know, like someone is watching us. Stacey, Stacey, come back,” she called. Turning to Lexie, “Can we go now? I think we should really go back to the house.” Was that fear Lexie could hear in Clare’s voice?

  The ride home was uneventful and her mother commented that night how relaxed Clare seemed. No-one said anything – not even Stacey.

  Her father returned from the city that Thursday night with something on his mind. He invited Tom to join them for pre-dinner drinks and when he arrived they adjourned to the front room and closed the door, leaving Lexie to set the table and keep an eye on dinner. Stacey was in the bath; Lexie could hear him buzzing something around like an aeroplane so she knew he was alright.

  Clare was sitting in the early evening light on the back verandah gazing out to sea. Lexie watched her from the kitchen doorway, it seemed incredible that someone just a year younger than herself had experienced so much. Gradually, over the week since she and Stacey had moved in, Clare had started talking about her mother. She had worked part-time as a hairdresser at a local salon, allowing her to be with them after school. Clare and her mother were very close, spending hours talking and enjoying mother/daughter things. Just like Lexie and her Mum – how would she feel if something happened to her? She hugged herself, swaying to and fro – it was unthinkable. Clare’s mother was unhappy before the accident, things were not going well between her and Jason and Clare blamed her father. On top of everything, since he had been away this time there had been strange anonymous phone calls at the house during the day and sometimes late at night. Clare and Stacey were forbidden to answer the phone and Clare was sure they had something to do with her father’s work because her mother had reported them to his office and someone came to the house to meet with her.

  Lexie went up to Clare and sat beside her on the floor. “Isn’t it beautiful?” Clare said quietly. “It’s like being in another world.” Cackling laughter from a group of kookaburras calling to each other burst into the stillness. The sea was a pinkish pale blue reflecting the sunset, with iridescent white foam and the moon hovered just above the horizon. Soon it would be reflected on the water. A willy-wagtail floated past the window.

  Clare suddenly turned to face her. “I wonder what’s going to happen to us – to Stacey and me. I would so much like to stay here. You’re so lucky, Lexie,” she said wistfully.

  Without thinking, Lexie hopped up and gave Clare a hug. “It’ll be alright, things will sort themselve
s out, you’ll see. Your father will come home and everything will be fine.”

  “My father!” Clare’s eyes flashed in the dim light. “Sure, he’ll come home when he’s ready and then leave again. God, what a life!” Just then the oven alarm sounded.

  “Okay. That’s it. Let’s forget it for now and just enjoy the days as they come. You hungry? Come on, dinner’s ready.” Lexie went back to the kitchen, silenced the alarm and went to get her parents. “Stacey, you out of the bath?” she called.

  Tom had decided against staying for dinner, much to the girls’ disappointment.

  The silence around the dinner table was broken by Lexie’s father. “What have you young people been up to since I left?” he asked, glancing at the young faces.

  “Lexie took Clare for a ride on Bud.” Silence.

  “Stacey!” Clare glared at him. Stacey’s eyes were wide as he clamped his hand over his mouth in an attempt to recapture the forbidden words.

  “I’m sorry … I forgot.” Tears came to his eyes.

  “It’s alright, Stacey, don’t get upset.” Her mother reached across to give his arm a pat, at the same time giving Lexie her ‘I’ll see you later!’ look.

  “I heard from your father while I was in the city, Clare. He sends you and Stacey his love,” Lexie’s father said casually.

  “Is he back?” she asked distantly, wielding her fork to absently marshal the peas into a pile on her plate.

  “No, he isn’t back. He did have a lot to say, though.”

  “What does he do, for heaven’s sake?” Lexie was frustrated. “Everyone seems to know what’s going on except me.”

  “I don’t know what’s going on,” Clare said, looking at her. “He never talked about his work much at home. All I know is that he works for the Customs Department and he’s always going away on business.”

  “Customs?” Lexie raised her eyebrows at her father.

  “Yes, you know, when you arrive or leave the country you have your bags checked by Customs officers. They are there to make sure people don’t smuggle goods in or out of the country.”