Dan felt his heart lift. How much money was Rex talking about?

“There’s a certain amount that we gave the other girls as a gift but Susan and Jerry needed more when they were starting their restaurant and we loaned them extra, at a better rate than the banks, of course. We would be happy to do the same for you and Paula. I won’t pretend to understand farming but if there was something you needed money for that helped your long-term productivity, like a truck for instance...”

“Trucks cost a lot of money,” Dan said.

“I know.”

The two men stared at each other. Dan tried to keep his head still. It felt as if it would spin right off his shoulders. This could be the answer. They could pay off the loan but… “Paula would have to be told.”

“Of course. She is our daughter and the reason we offer the money but she’s also an astute accountant. Whatever you two decided, we would expect it to be a decision that insured the future of your property. You’ve got a family to consider now.”

“It’s very generous of you.” Dan’s initial thrill at the thought of extra money slid away as quickly as it had come. He couldn’t get Paula to pay out the loan without telling her about his father’s will.

A vehicle rumbled past outside.

Dan stood up. “That will be the mechanic. Thanks for the offer, Rex. I’m sure it won’t be necessary but if we do ever need it, I’ll discuss it with Paula.”

He lurched past Rex. In the enclosed back verandah he bent to pull on his boots and grasped the window ledge to support himself. He felt like a drowning man who’d been thrown a lifeline, only to see it slip from his grasp. It was his own fault. If only he’d been honest with Paula from the start.

* * *

“I’m glad you could all at least come for lunch before you head off, Diane. It’s a shame Dan couldn’t make it.” Rowena was setting teacups on a tray for Diane to carry back into the dining room. She felt sick to the stomach over Jacinta’s claim, which was never far from her thoughts, and her head ached from the exhaustion of maintaining a calm facade for the Crawfords.

“It’s been lovely to catch up with you again too, Rowena. I can’t believe how quickly this week’s gone by.”

“You’ve been lucky with the weather. Once we get a constant burst of heat that old house can get extremely hot.”

“They don’t have air conditioning, do they? I hope it will be all right for the baby. Your place seems much cooler.”