Again she paused on the first floor staircase to view the assortment of books that resided here in a strange collection. Books which had never been read, obviously put there for Sarah to enjoy, like Charlotte’s Web and Bow Down Shadrach. It was apparent by the Stephen King collection there was an enthusiast in the house, for there were several tatty volumes of his macabre tales. Further along, she found an array of Jackie Collins books, several Harold Robbins juicy tales and numerous classics such as Catcher in the Rye and Lady Chatterley’s Lover.
Kirsten wandered down to the first floor, finding herself confused for just a moment about which way to go. When they had originally gone up they had come through the kitchen, but on the way back they had reversed their direction. Deciding it didn’t matter she swerved to the left and found her way back to the spacious formal lounge. A large open fireplace, built into the wall between this room and the dining room, made Kirsten imagine it would be a wonderful place to sit and read in the winter. The room caught the afternoon sun through two rows of French doors which opened onto the patio. This was grey painted concrete with white dipped cast iron hand rails. Stairs flowed down onto the lawn, preceding a gradual drop of about thirty feet before the pool and guesthouse below framed the edge of the grounds. It was an architectural paradise; a beautiful home cut into the fine grandeur of the wilderness that surrounded it. Kirsty walked onto the patio, stood at the edge and peered down to the sea. The sun was low over the hills now and fine fingers of orange and yellow stretched out over the horizon. Shimmers of light caught the water which shivered softly against the beach and lapped the stony shore as it receded to low tide.
“Beautiful isn’t it?”
Kirsty was startled by Beth’s approach. She had been so lost in thought she didn’t hear the woman arrive.
“Oh, yes.” She smiled in appreciation. “I’ve never seen anything quite like it. It’s hard to believe people live here. It’s somewhere you’d expect to go on holiday.”
Beth laughed softly. “I know what you mean. When you’ve been here a little while you’ll start taking it for granted.”
Kirsten frowned. “I can’t imagine that.”
Beth surveyed Kirsten from head to toe. “Well, you look much fresher, dear, do you feel better now?”
“Yes, thank you.”
Beth had also changed, into a pastel pink tracksuit.
“Well, I always have a glass of wine before dinner. Would you join me?”
Kirsten smiled. She was warming to this lifestyle more with every minute that ticked by. “I’d like that, thank you.”
“Sarah’s in the kitchen with Craig so we can relax for a few minutes before dinner.”
They returned to the lounge and Beth poured white wine into two crystal glasses at the bar.
Kirsty sat in an overstuffed leather recliner next to an old polished grand piano.
“Who’s the piano player?” she asked curiously.
“Oh, we all have a bash.” Beth smiled. “I’m trying to teach Sarah, but she has her mother’s attention span. Tyler is almost as good as Sarah.” She winked. “Jamie is the one to watch out for. He doesn’t play often anymore but he certainly knows how to tickle the ivories.”
“Really?”
“Oh yes, Jamie’s the arty one around here.” She pointed to a photo of Sarah on the wall. “Sometimes I think that camera’s glued to his face.”
Kirsty stood up and walked over to the photo for a closer look. He had captured Sarah at a wonderful moment. She sat on a swing which had been erected beneath the branch of a huge beech tree. She was gazing out to sea, oblivious of anything but her own feet as they stuck out in front of her.
“Did he do the painting upstairs too?”
Beth laughed. “Which one?”
“Is it Sarah’s mother, on the second floor?”
“Oh yes,” Beth said delightedly, “that’s Brook.”
“He’s very good.” It made sense now. The look she had seen in Brook’s eyes could only be for the man she loved. What a beautiful notion. To be posing for a painting, the artist being the one and only person who saw her like that; with the look of love in her eyes. And Jamie who had portrayed it so perfectly onto canvas for the world to see forever. She felt sad for Jamie suddenly, even though they had never met, for he had lost a woman who obviously loved him so much.
“He should be home tomorrow night, you’ll meet him then. And Ty should be home later on this evening.” Beth glanced at her watch. “But that depends on what time his meeting finished. Knowing him, he’ll have to have dinner and socialize before he comes home.” She rolled her eyes for emphasis then smiled. “Let me just warn you about one thing.” She leaned closer to Kirsty so she could lower her tone. “Tyler and Jamie are like chalk and cheese, and they fight like cats and dogs. Don’t, for heaven’s sake, get in the middle of them.”
“Seriously?” Kirsten asked, wide-eyed.
“Oh, maybe that’s a little melodramatic.” Beth winked. “But they are not friends.”
“Doesn’t that make it hard for Sarah?”
“Yes and no. They tolerate each other when she’s around. Sometimes I think-,” she paused and her eyes glazed over. “No, I know. She’s the only thing holding this family together. Jamie knows it. He knows he has complete power over Ty and me. He could leave tomorrow, take Sarah to his parents place in Nelson and it would break both our hearts.”
The older woman glanced fearfully at Kirsten, her eyes pleading, as though she were looking for an answer.
“Is he away a lot?” Kristen felt as if she were invading their privacy by asking, but if she was to look after Sarah then they were things she probably needed to know.
“His work takes him away a lot, but sometimes I think he’s away more than he needs to be. It’s hard on Sarah. She’s so isolated here.”
Kirsten wondered why then, if Beth knew the situation was hard on Sarah, did she choose to live in such an isolated area. Surely it would be better for Sarah if they lived near other people; other children at least, with whom she could socialise. But it was not her place to ask. Not yet anyway.
As if hearing her name, Sarah appeared through the heavy swinging door from the kitchen. She grinned at Kirsten then addressed her grandmother.
“Craig said to say dinner is ready.”
“Oh, good.” With ring laden fingers, Beth straightened Sarah’s hair. “Will you please tell him we’ll eat in the kitchen tonight? We don’t want to be too formal on Kirsten’s first night do we?”
Sarah shook her head, smiled to reveal a comically wide gap where a tooth was missing from the front of her mouth.
They enjoyed what Beth called a simple meal together in the kitchen. To Kirsten it was a feast. Craig had prepared home baked bread rolls and a delicious chicken broth for starters. Afterward he served steak and seasoned homegrown vegetables. Finally he produced a huge cheesecake, the size of which Kirsten had never seen, drizzled with wild berry compote and garnished with whipped cream.
“Uncle Ty’s favourite.” Sarah squirmed with delight in her chair as a large bowlful of dessert appeared before her.
“I think there will be plenty left for Uncle Tyler to enjoy when he gets home later.”
Craig winked at Sarah as he sat down to his own generous helping. Kirsten wondered where they put all this glorious food; none of them were overweight. If this was a hint of what was to come, Kirsten could imagine herself ten stone heavier in just as many months.
Beth smiled as if she read her mind. “Don’t worry, honey, with all the fresh air and hill climbing around here you’ll be able to eat like a horse.”
“Don’t be silly Grammy, horses don’t eat cheesecake,” Sarah exclaimed with authority. Her brows creased together over her cocoa eyes. Beth and Kirsten looked at each other for a moment in silence before they erupted into laughter.
“You’re right Sarah, they don’t,” Kirsten confirmed, finally getting her amusement under control.
Looking pleased with the reaction, Sarah spooned a huge helping of berries and cream into her mouth. She had such an angelic face. The outline of her mouth was well defined and when she smiled her radiance lifted the room. She had long curled eyelashes and perfect round eyes the colour of milk chocolate as it melts. Her slender limbs were tanned from the hours she spent outdoors, fine golden hairs shone on her arms.
After they had finished eating Kirsten offered to help with the clean up, but Beth insisted it was not necessary. Instead she invited Kirsten to join her and Sarah on a walk
to the beach. Kirsten thought about the bags sitting upstairs for her to unpack and declined the offer.
“Maybe Sarah could take me to the beach tomorrow?” she suggested instead. The little girl’s face brightened. “Okay. Is that okay, Grammy?”
“That’s a wonderful idea.” Beth smiled.
“I’m not sure what plans you have tomorrow,” Kirsten added. “But I’d like to spend some time with Sarah if that’s okay. Probably the sooner we get to know each another the better.”
Beth looked pleased, as did Sarah. “That sounds great. What do you think, Sarah?
Will you show Kirsten around tomorrow?”
Sarah jiggled excitedly from one foot to the other. “Yes, I will!”
* * * *
Kirsten had a little trouble getting to sleep among her new surroundings. When she climbed the stairs to the third floor, feeling rather like a Princess retiring to her tower, she felt so isolated from the rest of the world. The familiar sounds of traffic outside the window were gone, as were the street lights to illuminate the room. There were no noises through the walls from a television, or people moving around the house in close proximity. The floorboards didn’t even creak as she crept around on the plush carpet. As her toes sank deep into the cashmere pile it felt more like she had been flown off for a vacation in a five star hotel rather than a house she was to reside in. Everything was so extravagant.
She turned the lights off to pitch black and deathly silence. She heard a couple of cars about a kilometre away. Around midnight she was vaguely aware of headlights creeping down the hill, glaring against the house below her. She heard the engine cut and a car door open and close, then feet crunched on the gravel path before everything fell to quiet once more. She guessed it must have been Tyler arriving home. Kirsten was apprehensive about meeting both Beth’s son and Sarah’s father. She had already formed pictures of them in her mind from what Beth had told her. She imagined Tyler to be a younger version of his mother, but she was unsure of Jamie. She couldn’t understand how a man could be away from his daughter so much. Sarah seemed to be a grounded, loving child. What kind of father would be so absent from his child’s life, especially when he was her only surviving parent?
* * * *
The bright morning sun penetrating the flimsy curtains woke Kirsten early. She felt like she had hardly slept at all. The bed sheets were twisted around her body like a sleeping bag and she was damp with sweat. She pulled back the curtain to catch a glimpse of the blue cloudless sky. It was another day in paradise; her first morning in her new home. She stretched and crawled from the confinement of the sheets, pushed them impatiently to the end of the bed. Then she showered and dressed in a pair of green cotton shorts and the sleeveless blouse she had worn to dinner the night before. Looking in the wardrobe she realised her choice of shoes were mostly inappropriate. She had a decent pair of sneakers and one pair of sandals sturdy enough to tackle the hills and walk to the beach. The three pairs of heels she had packed would more than likely sit in the back of the wardrobe for the duration of her tenure. Her plush pink
slippers would also be redundant, considering the whole house was furnished with gorgeous shag pile carpet and heaters were installed everywhere. Even the kitchen and bathrooms had heated floors.
She wandered down to the first floor. There was no sign of life on the second floor as she passed, but as she neared the kitchen she could hear two male voices. She pushed open the solid oak door, her rubber soles squealed on the glossy floor as she entered. Craig stood at the bench, preparing a fresh fruit salad. Poised atop the breakfast bar was Tyler, his bare tanned legs stretched out before him. Kirsten knew at once who he was, for the similarity to his sister’s image in the painting upstairs was uncanny. He had dark hair, cropped close to his head and brooding brown eyes. He seemed different to what Kirsten imagined he would be. From Beth’s description she had pictured a smart business man who wore a suit and tie. However the man before her was far from that. Tyler wore cut off shorts, something he had fashioned from an old pair of Levis, and a cotton Hawaiian print shirt. He had long lean arms and legs, his bony bare feet hung to the floor as he watched Kirsten approach.
“You must be Kirsten.” His voice was deep and mellow. He spoke with a slight American accent, which was only apparent when he reached the
r
in her name. He pushed himself from the counter and held out his hand for her to take.
“Yes, I am. And you must be Tyler.” She smiled as his warm fingers gripped hers. His dark complexion was a total contrast to her pale, freckled skin.
“Well, Beth’s a sly old dog isn’t she?” It seemed the question was directed at her; however Tyler looked at Craig and winked. “I thought you’d be old and ugly like the last one.”
Craig laughed and Kirsten blushed at Tyler’s strange compliment. Craig wiped his hands and looked at Kirsten. “Would you like some breakfast, Kirsten?”
“Please, call me Kirsty,” she smiled. “And yes, I’d love some breakfast please.”
“Well, on that note I’m going to go before Sarah gets down here, otherwise I’ll never get out to the boat.” Tyler smiled at Kirsten. “I look forward to talking to you later, Kirsty. I’m sure my mother has the day planned for you and Sarah already.”
Kirsten pulled a chair from under the table, sat down and wrapped her ankles around the turned legs.
“Actually I asked Beth if Sarah and I could spend the day together.”
Tyler looked impressed. “Well good on you. If you guys get bored I’m going out to the farm just after lunch. Sarah loves going on the boat, and I’d be happy to give you a tour of the Sound.”