"New South Wales, Hunter Valley. Singleton to be exact," he said.
"Mate, I don't know if you looked at the post code before you called me but I live in Alice Springs. In the middle of the frigging desert in the Northern Territory. I can't pop down the road and see you, understand?" She blew a stray curl from her face.
With one hand she opened her bedroom door and walked out to the lounge room. Garth tidied up his breakfast dishes and she smiled in his direction. He pointed to the coffee machine and Sami blew him a kiss.
"It will be worth your while to drive or fly down Miss Darling."
"I can't afford it, okay? It's not like I do double shifts at the pub because I enjoy the work. I need the money and there isn't enough at the end of the week for a happy little visit to your office. Tell me what you want to say and let me get on with my day now you've dragged me from my bed." She lifted a hand and rubbed at her eyes.
"Very well. You have inherited Buttercup Farm and it's contents. There is also a bank account with a small balance which I will disclose once you have formally proven your identity."
"Are you serious?"
Garth looked over at her, his shoulders raised in question. She shook her head and turned away.
"I did send you paperwork last week but I didn't receive a reply, hence the follow up phone call today." The solicitor’s bristling attitude irritated her.
A pile of unopened mail sat on the cluttered kitchen counter and Sami screwed up her face. Out of habit she threw the next day's mail on top of the pile, dreading the bills inside the envelopes. The longer she ignored it, the larger the pile grew.
"Sorry. I've um... been a bit busy and haven't got around to opening the mail for a few days."
"Well I suggest you do that. I need signatures to transfer the bank account into your name. It would be significantly easier if you were here in town. Since you are not, I would appreciate it if you could go to the nearest courthouse and have a Justice of the Peace witness your identity and your signature where I have indicated. It might be best if you Express Post the papers back to me today. You have to decide what to do with the farm and the stock." There was silence for a few seconds. "If I might make a suggestion? There are interested parties if you should decide to sell the property. Would you like me to have it valued for you? I can arrange everything from this end if you would prefer."
"No, no. I need to think about this for a bit. I'll ring you back after I read your letter. Thanks for calling." Sami hung up and threw the phone onto the couch and dropped her head into her hands.
"What is it? Was the landlord after his rent again? Sami, tell me."
"No, Garth. It was a solicitor." A wobbly laugh rose in her throat. "It seems as though we had family after all, even though he's dead."
Watching the look on her brother's face tore at Sami's heart. His mouth opened without a sound and he looked younger than his seventeen years as his eyes widened. She waited for the haunted look knowing it would rip her apart. Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, she pulled him close.
"I know, I know. Why didn't they get in touch with us when Mum got sick and died? I have no answers for you, honey. I didn't even know she had any family left. Not until now."
Garth pushed her away and walked stiffly over to the machine to pour a cup of coffee. Sami cringed at the way he held himself. She reached out and rubbed his back, hoping he would relax and let go of the tension. The last thing she needed was for him to sink back into another bout of depression. For the last few months he had been doing well, even working part-time. A big improvement from when their mother had passed away eight months ago.
"Look, don't get stressed out yet, okay? I’ll read the paperwork." She rummaged through the pile of mail and found one with the name of the law firm before easing onto the threadbare couch. "Then we can discuss it before we decide what to do."
Slipping her finger under the edge of the envelope, Sami ripped it open and pulled out the sheets of paper. The seat dipped beside her and two cups of coffee appeared on the scarred wooden table in front of the couch. Garth leaned against her, his chin resting on her shoulder, reading with her. If she could ignore the legal jargon it made sense - there was an inheritance.
"Miles Pendergast Westwood. That was our grandfather’s name." She looked at Garth, pleased to see interest in his eyes now. "The solicitor said there was a bank account too and once he has the signed paperwork back he will send me the statement." She burst out laughing dropping the papers to her lap and they slid unheeded to the floor. The laugh quickly turned to gut wrenching sobs and Garth wrapped his arms around her shoulders.
"Don't cry, Sami. Please don't cry." He tucked his head into her neck and held on. Her heaving sobs came from the depths of her being leaving her gasping for a steady breath. As Sami struggled to bring herself under control she realised Garth was starting to tremble.
When her tears subsided, Sami wiped her hands over her face. She tried to give him a smile but knew it lacked conviction.
"I'll be okay. It's so wrong, you know? Imagine if this had happened before Mum died. We could have kept the
