"Your father madethis will some time ago, Cade. I did suggest at the time that the conditionswere a little harsh, but he wouldn't hear of changing them." He satforward in his chair, running his hand over his short dark cropped hair."Look, you only have to spend two thirds of the year at PetershamHomestead. That allows you time for holidays and in your case, games."
"That's if you canplay again and for the record, you still haven't told me what happened,"Russ said looking down at the brace holding his brothers leg. "When didyou say you find out?"
"I'll play again,you can be sure of that. I still have a few years left in the top grade, sodon't go burying me in the country too soon, brother." He turned and saton the window ledge, leaning his crutches against the wall. "So, apartfrom the old man insisting we all live back at Petersham, what else does hehave in store for us?"
"If one of youfails to fulfil the terms of the will, the property will be gifted to thepeople of the Hunter Valley and held under the management of the AgricultureDepartment. Your father had plans for the property for years. He felt there wastoo much history for the family home to be sold off and not preserved forfuture generations."
"I get that, buthell, to have to live there. That just doesn't do it for me, Tory." Cadecrossed his arms and sighed.
"What about you,Russ? Is there any possibility you could move home?" Tory asked.
"Funnily enough,yes. My divorce is going through and I was looking for a change of pace."He gave a bitter laugh. "The big city never really suited me but forobvious reasons I couldn't move back here. Anyway, since I was only a locumwhere I was working, I applied for a country hospital position and got it, notknowing it was in Singleton until they gave me the contract."
"You are kidding,right?" Cade slapped his hands on his good leg and roared with laughter."The big city doctor, divorced and locked in to the one place he couldn'twait to leave."
"You left justafter I did, Cade. Just remember that. At least I'm happy to come back to thefarm. If the old man hadn't tied the place up like he did, I could imagine usselling it off and going our own way. Give him credit for thinking ahead atleast. It would have been a shame to look back and see it in overseas handsturned into a damned hotel or similar. Mother would have had a fit." He lookedat the solicitor. "You said Rooney was coming later. How is she?"
Tory looked down at thepaperwork in front of him and fiddled with the pages. "Your sister isfine. That's about all I can say at the moment. She will fill you in on what’shappened but I have to say, she wasn't thrilled to be coming back either."
"I don't blame herone bit. The old man worked her over when he caught her with Stevie. Poor kidhad welts on her butt for days." Cade shook his head, a smirk on his face,and Russ wanted to hit him. If he’d stood up for his sister, they might havekept contact with her. She’d avoided them and Russ was sure it was because Cadedidn't defend her.
"Perhaps if you’dsupported her a bit more instead of thinking the sun rose and set on yourfootball career, she might want to have some contact with the family. As it is,she could have been through hell with no one to help her."
"Stop yourbleeding heart. For God's sake, Russ, she knew what she was doing when she jumpedin the sack with that no good boy. It's her fault Father found them out. Rooneyalways thought she could get away with anything being the baby of the family.Besides I gave her a bed for a few days after she left home. Not like you didanything for her yourself."
"Could we continuewith the will here, guys? You can have your family domestic on your own time.Now, the funeral." Tory picked up the papers in front of him. "I knowyou said you wanted him to rest beside your mother and I've made the arrangements.Tomorrow afternoon at three. The minister will be in touch sometime thisafternoon to work out the service."
"Thanks."
"Now, there were afew small bequests to other people as well. Estelle Green has been left a smallsum of money and the promise she will have a home as long as she lives. Theservants’ quarters are hers until she dies or chooses to move on."
"She deserves itfor all she’s done over the years." Russ thought about the woman who lethim sit in the kitchen and lick the bowl when she baked cookies. The same womanwho cleaned up his scrapes and bruises when he came in crying from a fight withCade and some of the other kids on the farm. If his mother wasn't always aroundfor the children, Essie was. "I'm looking forward to seeing her again."
"The farm has hada new manager for the last few years too. Kate Robins has taken over theeveryday running of the farm and is doing very well."
"What, littleKatie is the farm manager?" Cade shook his head. "I don't believe it.Was the old man sane when he gave her the job?"
"Why do you doubtit, Cade?" Tory asked, taking his glasses off and rubbing his eyes.
"Because she wasalways talking about leaving as soon as she could and heading to Sydney,getting away from the farm. I can't see her hanging around unless there wassomething in it for her."
"I've known Kateas long as I've known you guys and I don't like what you’re insinuating. Katehas shown how capable she is at the job and there isn't any reason to changethat." He picked up the will and continued to read. "Kate Robins isto be kept on as manager until my legal representative, Tory Daniels, sees fitto make changes." Tory looked up. "Along with the manager’s cottage,Kate is to receive the same wage
