"Yeah, I don't think so, not for now anyway." She let her gaze wander down to Rupert, noticing the tight lines around his mouth. "We have nothing to go back to and I don't want to make a decision without seeing what I'm talking about. Thanks anyway." Reaching forward, Sami took her cup and drank thirstily, wincing when the hot liquid burnt her parched throat. She put the cup down and looked up. "How far away is the farm?"
"Oh, I'd say about twenty minutes. I have the keys to the main house for you but there is a caretaker living on the property. An elderly man who has been with your grandfather for years. He insisted on staying with the place until the decision was made for the future. I'm sure he can be of some help to you." He pulled open a drawer and withdrew a large white envelope, passing it across the desk. "Keys, latest bank statements and a letter from your grandfather addressed to you. Also a couple of pages of useful information regarding the old place. If you have any questions feel free to call me any time. And don't forget if you should choose to sell, I can help you there as well."
"Thanks." She reached over, took the envelope, then stood and looked at Garth. "Ready, mate?"
He stood and put down his cup before following her to the door.
"Miss Darling, good luck with everything." The solicitor stood and walked her out. "This is a nice little rural town and I'm sure you will fit in well once you get to know everyone. Your grandfather was somewhat eccentric especially in his later years, but I can assure you he was liked by all who knew him."
"Thanks." She pushed Garth out the door knowing damn well the solicitor’s words were hollow. She did not fit in here and he made it quite clear by his actions. She slipped her arm through Garth’s to walk back to the car. "Sheesh, enough of the 'want to buy you out' crap. It's one bloody farm for goodness sake. Not like it's the be all and end all surely?"
She hurried down the sidewalk, got in the car and ripped open the envelope taking out the keys. Hooking them over her finger Sami looked over at her brother. "Well, at least we won't have the landlord threatening to throw us out for not paying the rent again."
"Pretty happy about it too." Garth smiled and punched the air with his fist. "Right, let's go see our new home." He took the map from the dashboard. "Follow down this road until we get to the bridge and take the first left, then straight for about fifteen kilometres."
Twenty minutes later he directed her to take a right turn. "Down here and it's the first driveway on the right."
"Garth, you do directions better than me but I think you've stuffed up this time, dude." She pulled over to the side of the road and sighed, not looking forward to backtracking and starting again this late in the day. She wanted a hot bath, a feed and a soft bed to fall into. Sami held her hand out for the map.
"Uh uh, no I haven't. Look at the name on the letterbox, 'Buttercup Farm.' This is our new home, isn't it?" He sat back with a satisfied grin and watched her.
"No way. I don't believe it." Sami pulled the envelope from down beside her seat and looked inside. She took out a sheet of paper and swore again. "Shit, you're right."
Garth slapped his hands on the dash laughing heartily.
"This place is too nice for us." She clutched the steering wheel and rested her forehead on it before looking out the window again, staving off a panic attack. "Someone is having a loan of us, I just know it."
"Who? Tell me then. Deal with it Sami, someone has left us something worth having and I want to go and have a look around. If you won't drive, I’ll walk over myself." He opened the door and got out with a smug look on his face.
"Fine then, get back in and stop being such an idiot. Hell." She started the car when he complied and drove across the road to turn into the tree-lined driveway. There were a couple of horses grazing in the front paddock and they didn't lift their heads when the car passed by. On the other side of the driveway was another paddock, but instead of horses she spotted a large bull with a small herd of cows chewing contentedly on the lush green grass.
"Look, over there." Garth pointed past the creamy hide of the cattle. Heavy wooden posts were set in the ground, strung with wire running down the hill to a magnificent sandstone building. Its roof soared skyward and for a second her interest was piqued. There was nothing this flash where they came from.
"Hmm, we’ll check it out later. Take a look at the house." Coming into view was a majestic old red brick home with wide verandas reminiscent of days gone by. Paint was peeling from the railings and the elegant trim topped each section of veranda. Chimneys rose from the peaked roof like sentries keeping watch. Black soot rimmed the edges of the hand-turned tunnels stained from years of smoke and ash. The setting sun shone on the old tin roof, highlighting the rusty edges of the guttering.
The house was fenced with rustic, chunky posts covered by heavy flowering roses. To the left, the drive followed down to
