Tarzan started to bark madly. She stepped out from the stone wall with the shovel in her hand and gave an involuntary yelp as a man and a woman appeared from the side garden.

“Can I help you?” Her voice came out in a squeak.

They both turned towards her and Paula could see that the woman was pregnant.

“Oh, hello,” the man said. “We weren’t sure if there was anyone home. We knocked at the front door.”

People rarely came to the front door. Paula glanced at the side gate. There was no sign of a vehicle there. Tarzan wasn’t very big but he was making a lot of noise. She thought about letting him out of his enclosure but shooshed him instead and decided to hang on to the shovel as she went to meet them.

“I’m not sure if we have the right place,” the woman said, after studying Paula from head to toe. “We’re looking for Dan Woodcroft.”

“This is his farm,” Paula said.

“Are you his wife? Mum didn’t say he was married.” The woman put a hand to her stomach. “And you’re pregnant too. Isn’t that amazing, Stewart?”

“Yes, I’m Paula, and you are?”

“I’m sorry. This is my husband Stewart and I am Jacinta.”

Jacinta beamed at Paula while Stewart gave a shy smile. Paula felt as if she was missing something important.

“I’m Jacinta Woodcroft,” the woman said. “Dan’s cousin.”

Paula couldn’t remember any mention of a cousin. Dan didn’t have any relatives she’d ever heard of.

“Was Dan expecting you?” Paula asked, her head in a spin.

“No,” Stewart said. “We’re from Victoria and we…”

“We wanted to take a holiday before our baby is born,” Jacinta cut in. “Dan and I have never met. I thought Rowena may have mentioned us though. My mother has written to her. We called past the other house down the track but no one was home. Is that Rowena’s place?”

“Yes. Look, I’m sorry, no one told me you might be coming.”

Paula tried to comprehend what Jacinta was saying. Dan had a cousin and she’d come all this way to see him. If Rowena had told him to expect visitors, why hadn’t he told Paula? When you don’t have many relatives surely the existence of a cousin is important, even if they do live a long way away.