Euan stood up too. “Will you be okay for a while, Keely? I’ll go up with Ken and let Dianna know where I am. She’s probably wondering where I’ve got to.”

“Please don’t tell anyone about this, Euan. I feel so foolish,” Keely said.

“The only foolish thing you’ve done is harbouring all this anguish. It’s not good for you. The issues from your last school aren’t resolved but at least I hope you feel better having shared them.”

“Yes.” She smiled at him through watery eyes. “I do. Thank you.”

Keely listened as the sound of their footsteps receded, then she walked to the edge of the bank and looked at the gently flowing water. She stretched her arms up into the air. Tears rolled down her cheeks again but this time they were tears of relief. It was as if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

Chapter 34

CHAPTER 34

“Are you sure you want to sell, Baba? There are other things we could do. Besides, we’ve got some time. It can wait till you feel better.”

Kat sat on the hospital chair, silently watching the exchange between Pappou and her uncle Tony. Pappou had asked her to sit in on the discussion but she didn’t know why. Several days had passed since his heart attack and she was glad to see he was looking much better. Her flight to Melbourne left the next day and she wanted to be able to reassure her mother that he was on the mend.

“I am sure, Tony,” Pappou said. “I have had nothing else to do but lie here and think about things.”

“We should run it past the accountant,” Tony said.

“I rang him first thing this morning and he agrees with me.”

He’d be a brave man to disagree, Kat thought.

“We need to quit some debt and generate some funds,” Pappou said.

“I know, Baba, but you badly wanted that land when we bought it. Are you sure you don’t want to look at other options?”

“That piece of land has given us nothing but grief. It will have the least effect on our plans for River and Ocean Dynasties. I do have some conditions, however.”

He closed his eyes for a moment and Tony raised his eyebrows at Kat across the bed.

“Pappou, should you be discussing business?” she asked. “I don’t know that your doctor would approve.”

His eyes flew open. “He doesn’t approve of anything, that man. He doesn’t even drink red wine. What kind of man doesn’t like red wine? Now, I will tell you what my conditions are.”

Kat shrugged at her uncle. She had tried.

* * *