time will tell by fiona mccallum - chapter sampler
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Time
Will Tell
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First Published 2014First Australian Paperback Edition 2014ISBN 978 174356808 8
TIME WILL TELL 2014 by Fiona McCallum
Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilisation of this work in wholeor in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now knownor hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, orin any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the writtenpermission of the publisher.
This book is sold subject to the condition that shall not, by way of trade orotherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the priorconsent of the publisher in any form of binding or cover other than that in whichit is published and without a similar condition including this condition beingimposed on the subsequent purchaser.
All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in anyform.
This is a work of ction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are eitherthe product of the authors imagination or are used ctitiously, and anyresemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments,events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Published byHarlequin MiraAn imprint of Harlequin Enterprises (Aust) Pty Ltd.Level 4, 132 Arthur StreetNORTH SYDNEY NSW 2060AUSTRALIA
and TM are trademarks of Harlequin Enterprises Limited or its corporateafliates. Trademarks indicated with are registered in Australia, New Zealandand in other countries.
Printed and bound in Australia by Grifn Press
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Chapter One
Emily Oliphant and her best friend Barbara stood on the verandah,
staring out into the still country evening. Birds rustled in thetrees, settling themselves for the night, and a multitude of insects
chattered and sang in the summer air.
What a gorgeous evening. And what a really lovely spot, Em,
Barbara said with a sigh.
It is, isnt it? Emily reached down to pat her border collie pup,
Grace, who was at attention by her feet. I could stay here forever.They were out the front of Emilys house the house that would
be hers if she accepted the Baker brothers proposal. She thought
of all shed been through in the last two months leaving her
husband, meeting Barbara, saving Grace. And now, finally, settling
into a home of her own. Could she find the courage to do this too?
Seriously Em, you can do this the house, everything. Dont
let fear stop you. And dont worry about your mother.
Emily nodded. Her friend was right; being offered the house
was one hell of a Christmas present. And not too shabby as a
thirty-second birthday gift either.Forget what Enid had to say
about it. This is my life.
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Well, Id really better go before they send out a search party,
Barbara said, kissing Emily on the cheek.
Im so glad you stopped in. The two friends hugged, neitherwanting to be the first to let go. As always, Barbara had turned up
at just the right time.
Finally they broke apart, and Barbara made her way down the
steps and over to her car. See you Saturday, she called.
Dont forget the tinsel, Emily called back sardonically.
No fear there. And the champagne; were going to celebrate.She got in the car with a wave of her hand.
Emily watched until Barbaras tail-lights were out of sight. She
smiled wryly. Her mother would indeed have a fit when she found
out she was buying the run-down old place.Thankfully it didnt matter what Enid thought. It was to be
Emilys home and no one elses.
As she stared out into the last fading light of the warm
summer day, her head began swimming with possibilities, risks,
and calculations. The chance to buy the house really was a huge
opportunity, if a little daunting well, very daunting. But it wasmeant to be, wasnt it? A home of her own.
A home that was as much Graces as hers, she thought, looking
down at the small black and white dog beside her. Grace was a
typical border collie except for the missing white ring around her
neck. Emily still found it hard to believe it was only six weeks
since the day she had picked her up as a tiny puppy it felt like
Grace had always been a part of her life. And Barbara; theyd
become firm best friends almost instantly. She was so blessed to
have met her. Along with Grace, Barbara had been her saviour;
her rock, her voice of reason.
She bent down and ruffled Graces ears. The puppy looked up
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Time Will Tell 3
at her with love and adoration. Emily smiled. That look would
melt anyones heart. Well, except her estranged husbands.
At the thought of John Stratten, her face clouded. Thankfullythe bully was now out of her life. Hed completely ripped her off
in the financial settlement, but at least he was gone.
Come on Gracie, lets go inside.
They made their way down the hall, Graces claws clicking on
the bare f loorboards punctuating Emilys thoughts.
Why didnt I leave him sooner?Her mother had told her that once she had made her bed she
had to lie in it. If only she had ignored her. It was the twenty-first
century for Christs sake, not the nineteen-fifties! How could I have
been so damned gullible?
But of course Emily knew. It had nothing to do with gullibil-
ity and everything to do with that old chestnut that shaped yourlife growing up in a small country town: what will people say?
What could possibly make a woman like her give up a marriage
to one of the wealthiest farmers in the district?
She cast her mind back to the afternoon she had finally decided
to leave him. Johns threat to shoot Grace had been the last straw.
A shiver ran the length of Emilys spine. At least she had saved herfrom the brute.
Forty thousand dollars?! It wasnt fair. Perhaps if shed known
she was going to be offered the old house to buy she might have
fought for more in the settlement.
Emily sighed. At the time shed just wanted to get it over with,
to get on with her life and never have anything to do with him
again. She had hoped that feeling would last; that when twelve
months had elapsed it would just be a matter of the divorce papers
being signed and rubber-stamped.
She paused in the hallway and looked around her. The old
place had so much potential. Shed love to turn it into something
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worthy of Home Beautiful. But her meagre funds would barely
cover updating the kitchen even the most basic design.
The Baker brothers were only asking for ten thousand up frontand then ten thousand per year for twenty years and the costs
associated with subdividing, however much that would be. It was
a bloody good deal in anyones book, but still felt precarious to
Emily in her current situation.
She had approximately forty-seven thousand dollars in savings,
but no job, and nothing on the horizon thanks to the Global
Financial Crisis and a couple of years of drought since.
But she was going to stay positive. Fake it till you make it,
Barbara had said not so long ago. She had to have faith that it
would all work out. Really, what else did she have?
She could see now that Barbara had really been gently telling
her to stop feeling sorry for herself and get her act together. It was
something Emilys gran might have said if shed been born fifty
years later than she had. As it was, Granny Rose would have been
more likely to say something gentler, like: Put on a happy face,
dear. No one likes a sourpuss.
With that thought Emily hoicked up her shoulders and carriedon into the kitchen.
She filled the kettle and waited for it to boil. She really had to
start believing that good things could happen. Like her cousin
Elizabeth turning up with a friend who just happened to be anarchitect and a qualif ied builder; what were the odds of that?
Jake would be able to give her a good idea of how much the
house would cost to fully renovate. Hed certainly indicated it was
worth looking into. And he wasnt just humouring her or being
polite. He was genuine the gift and proceeds from the jam he
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Time Will Tell 5
had sent were proof of that. It was such a pity that he lived so far
away in Melbourne.
She looked across at the old Bushells coffee jar on the kitchentable. It was an almost identical match for the original jar from the
nineteen-thirties. Even the tone of the faded red tin screw-top lid
was the same.
The night before she died, Granny Rose had given Emily
her button jar. The thought of how serious Gran had been her
insistence that she take good care of it still brought a sad smileto Emily two months on. The Alzheimers had made her wise old
gran say the strangest things.
The jar was precious to Emily too. It had been since shed first
seen it as a four year old. Shed always loved the bright colours and the
rattle it made when gently shaken. Shed especially loved the weird
tradition that buttons were constantly put in on top, but none everremoved, nor the contents ever tipped out and rifled through. Since
Grans death, she had felt a sense of comfort whenever she held it.
And she felt dreadful that in just a few months it had got broken.
She still had no idea how the jar had fallen from the bench to the
floor in the middle of the night. It would remain one of lifes
mysteries.Emily forced thoughts of Gran aside she was getting too
melancholy thinking about her and wondered if she should
phone Jake again. Shed rung him earlier to thank him, but had
got his voicemail. She could try again later.
No, that would be weird and stalkerish. Youve already left one message,
she told herself. But Im really grateful to him. The replacement jar
was such a thoughtful gift.
The roaring kettle distracted her and she set about preparing a
mug of Milo.
At the kitchen table sipping her drink, she looked around the
large space and wondered who else she could ask for advice about
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the purchase. Her dad would be her first port of call hed already
helped her repaint the inside of the house and sand the floorboards
but he wasnt in the actual building game, so he wouldnt knowabout how much things would cost.
Suddenly Emily yawned. It was only eight oclock, but it had
been a big day; with the funeral for Barbaras father-in-law and
the Bakers visit afterwards. She was weary, but her brain was still
spinning a little too fast and her thoughts were too disconnected.
She needed some down time to let it all seep in.She would have loved to soak in the tub for a while, but still
didnt like the idea of lying naked and vulnerable in the bathroom
outside on the back verandah.
As she brushed her teeth and waited for Grace to have her last
pee for the night, Emily found herself daydreaming of a plush
ensuite, right off her bedroom, with plenty of heating for thecold winter months. When the time came, and funds permitted.
That would be a long way off, she thought pessimistically as she
followed Grace inside and closed the kitchen door behind them.
She said goodnight to Grace, who was settled on her bed in the
corner of the kitchen, and made her way slowly and heavily down
the hall to her bedroom,turning off the lights as she went.She changed into her summer pyjamas and climbed into bed.
She ignored the small wad of paper from the Bakers that contained
the conditions of the purchase she was way too tired to study
it again and picked up her book. But she couldnt focus on that
either.
Was she about to open a can of worms by trying to buy the old
place? It sure would be easier just to stay renting and trying to find
a job. But wouldnt she then be letting herself down; not fulf illing
her full potential?
Perhaps she didnt have any unfulfilled potential. Her mother
had certainly never seen her as more than wife material. And John
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Time Will Tell 7
had never let her help out on the farm. That had been her dream;
for them to stand shoulder to shoulder and run the place together,
as a true partnership. But he hadnt even let her do the books.Oh for Gods sake,stop feeling sorry for yourself, Emily! When havent
you been prepared to work hard for something?
Barbara was right; she could do this. She had been brave enough
to finally leave John, and shed be brave enough to do this too.
Somehow shed make it happen. On her own.
One of Grans sayings came to her now: Nothing come byquickly is ever as satisfying as that which has been waited for or
toiled over.
She was right. Yes, bit by bit, slow and steady wins the race,
and all that.
Emily banished the quotes from her head and picked up Donald
and Trevor Bakers handwritten offer. Her whole body began totingle with excitement. She reread it carefully and was making
notes and listing questions to ask of whom she wasnt yet sure
when her mobile chirped into action beside her. Her heart rate
doubled as she saw Jakes name lit up on the screen. Oh! She took
a deep breath and pressed the button to answer.
Hi Jake, she said cheerily.Hi Em.
I got your parcel this afternoon. Thanks so much. It does seem
rather a lot of money for just some jars of homemade jam.
Well, its very good jam.
Thanks. And thank you so much for the jar I cant believe
you found one the same.
I hope its the right one. The antique dealer seemed to think
there werent many variations.
Its perfect. Thank you again.
My absolute pleasure. Now I would love to chat, but I dont
have long. I actually called to ask you a favour.
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Oh. Okay.
Im in Whyalla working on a project with a friend of a
friend. Bit of a long story. I was wondering if I could come andstay for the weekend. You did say you dont do anything special
for Christmas, right? Im sorry about the short notice.
Of course you can stay Id love to have you! As soon as the
words left her mouth, Emily blushed. She was glad he couldnt see
her embarrassment at her poor choice of words.
Its just I have to be here again next week were workingright through while most businesses are shut but Id rather not
spend the Christmas weekend here on my own. I hate to impose,
but this project has come together in a bit of a rush, he added,
sounding a little breathless.
Jake, really, you wouldnt be imposing. Im just having Mum
and Dad and Barbara and David here for lunch Christmas day, andyoure very welcome to join us. Its just casual. And absolutely no
presents are being exchanged, she added.
Emily had always hated the awkwardness of being given a gift
and not having one to offer in return. It had almost become a
phobia. When she had invited Barbara, she had put the no gifts
rule on the table and had been relieved when Barbara had agreed,albeit reluctantly.
Okay. Well, perhaps I can have a bit more of a look at that
house of yours if you like to earn my keep, Jake offered.
Your timing would be perfect actually; theres been a bit of a
development on that front.
Oh?
Yes, the old brothers who own it have offered to sell it to me.
Wow, thats great.
Its a bit of a long story, but I really would appreciate your
opinion on the structural aspects of the house, and any other
advice you can offer.
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Time Will Tell 9
It would be my pleasure.
So when should I expect you and do you have someone with
you or are you on your own? She hoped it was the latter.No, its just me. And Saturday Christmas day if thats okay?
Say mid-morning?
No problem at all.
And Im really sorry to have to cut this short, but Im being
collected for dinner and my hosts have just arrived.
Okay. See you Saturday then. Drive safely.Thanks very much, Em, I look forward to it. See ya.
Me too, Emily said quietly, but she suspected the call had
already been disconnected.
Her heart rate subsided to a thud of nervous excitement. Wow,
Jake wanted to visit alone; without Elizabeth! And for Christ-
mas, no less! She couldnt wait to see him. This would make theday a bit special.
Emily was no longer tired, and in fact couldnt imagine how
shed get to sleep at all now. She mentally ran through her list for
Christmas; what she still had to do, what ingredients she had on
hand and what she had left to buy.
When the reminder of the expense seeped in, she picked up herbook. Shed found reading fiction the best antidote to the pres-
sures that regularly threatened to overwhelm her.
Especially the thought that she wouldnt be in this mess if shed
listened to her mother and continued to lie in the bed shed made
her marriage to John Stratten.
For a moment she wondered what her husband was doing for
Christmas. Had John arranged to see his parents, or would he be
spending the Christmas weekend alone on the farm? She cut off
the thought before letting herself feel any sympathy for him he
deserved everything he got.
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