Her friend put an arm around her. “You haven’t failed, Sal. But if it doesn’t rain, what can you do?”

Paula pressed herself into her chair, wishing she could disappear and give the women some privacy. Only last week the front page of the city paper had shown a family leaving their farm after years of drought. The report came from another part of the state and Dan had reassured her things weren’t that bad here but the women she’d just overheard must live somewhere in the local district. Then there were the Watsons, their neighbours to the east. They’d recently gone through bad times, and she’d initially assumed that was because of Ted’s mismanagement, but Dan had explained it was a combination of things out of Ted’s control, market fluctuations and the weather being the main offenders.

“Paula?”

She jumped and the magazine slipped from her fingers.

“Sorry, I’m running a bit late today.” Dr Hunter stood at the door, smiling at her.

Paula could feel the interest of the two women turn to her. Quickly she bent to pick up her magazine, then jumped to her feet. The room spun.

“Steady up.” The doctor put his arm under hers.

Paula clapped her hand over her mouth. “I’m going to be sick.”

* * *

At the sound of a vehicle Rowena gripped the edges of the kitchen bench and took a deep breath. She let it out slowly, switched on the kettle and glanced back into the sunny eating area where her small round table was set for two. Her gaze focused on the letter she’d left by her plate. It was the reason she’d asked her nephew Dan to call in for lunch. How she was going to break the news to him she still wasn’t sure, but the worry of it had kept her awake half the night.

She moved through the arch into the little sunroom and sat down at the table, unable to resist the urge to pick the letter up and look at it again. Just when there was so much to look forward to, the past had come back to smack her in the face.

How she wished Austin was home instead of interstate. She would have been tempted to jump in the car and drive the couple of hours to Adelaide to talk things over with him. It was all too complicated for a phone call but she would talk to him once he was back.