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Back The Orchardist's Daughter Save as PDF
Chapters (57)
  1. COVER PAGE
  2. PRAISE
  3. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  4. DEDICATION
  5. PROLOGUE
  6. PART I SEEDS
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. PART II GERMINATION
  16. 9
  17. 10
  18. 11
  19. 12
  20. 13
  21. 14
  22. 15
  23. 16
  24. 17
  25. 18
  26. 19
  27. 20
  28. PART III GROWTH
  29. 21
  30. 22
  31. 23
  32. 24
  33. 25
  34. 26
  35. 27
  36. 28
  37. 29
  38. 30
  39. 31
  40. 32
  41. PART IV UNDERSTOREY
  42. 33
  43. 34
  44. 35
  45. 36
  46. 37
  47. 38
  48. 39
  49. 40
  50. 41
  51. 42
  52. 43
  53. 44
  54. 45
  55. 46
  56. EPILOGUE
  57. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

‘Yeah. Has to take two weeks off.’ Toby shook his head. ‘Imagine Mooney at home for that long. Poor Liz.’

‘Yeah, poor Liz.’ Leon leaned on the words heavily, because she deserved all their sympathy—and maybe it was time for someone to acknowledge it. Everyone knew about Mooney, didn’t they? Yet Leon had noticed the silence in town, and he knew it was wrong. He’d experienced the same silence in his parents’ home: the denial and pretence that gave people permission not to say anything. It wore them away, killed their spirits. Like cancer.

In the rear-view mirror, Toby’s eyes locked on Leon’s then dodged away.

He knew.

Leon waited for him to say something, but the silence lengthened. Maybe Toby was going to brush off Leon’s comment or ignore it.

Leon had given a slab of his life trying to make things right for his mum and protect her, but he’d been quiet in this town for too long. ‘My dad used to hit my mum,’ he said. ‘I know these things can be tough to resolve, but maybe someone should look out for Liz. Keep an eye on things.’

Toby’s gaze was fixed on the road, his brow a dark line, thunderous. Then he said, ‘It’s bullshit, that stuff. I’ll talk to Steph and we’ll work something out. Should’ve done it ages ago.’

Their eyes connected again in the mirror, and Leon nodded. ‘It’s never too late.’

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At the vet clinic, Leon lifted Bonnie out.

‘Want me to wait?’ Toby asked.

‘No thanks. I don’t know how long it’ll take. You’re good to go.’

‘How will you get home?’

‘Catch a bus or a taxi. Depends on how long it takes.’

Toby grabbed a receipt from the floor and wrote a mobile number on it. ‘Call me if you need a lift.’

‘Thanks.’

Toby grinned. ‘Reckon we’re even now.’

Leon smiled. ‘Reckon we are.’

32

32

Monday, Miki was up early, ready to go to the forest. But after breakfast, Kurt announced he was going without her. She felt herself deflating, and she followed him, dejected, to the door. ‘Why can’t I come?’

‘Because I’m going alone, and then I’m going straight on to Hobart.’ He seized his coat and keys, blocking her out.

‘I want to smell the trees,’ she pleaded. ‘It helps me get through the week.’

‘Fuck your week. You don’t need to smell trees.’

She watched him slide his feet into gumboots and lift his pack from the hook by the door. ‘Please, Kurt. Let me come.’

His mouth flatlined. ‘Not happening.’

‘Why not?’

He glared at her. ‘You ought to know.’ He gathered everything together and slammed the door on the way out. The lock clunked home.