Inheritance Read Online Free Page A

I’ll unpack. I think I’ll take a shower and change.’ Impulsively she threw her arms round Lorna. ‘And thank you. Both of you. For everything. I can’t remember a time when you weren’t here. I can still remember when you were a stockman, Tom, and before you became housekeeper, Lorna. I know how much they trusted and relied on you and what good friends you all were. I know you must be missing them as much as me.’
    Lorna sighed. ‘It’s been a sad time, love. For all of us. But we have to keep going. It’s what they’d want. Now, we’ll leave you to unpack. We can talk later.’
    Cassie opened her bag as they left the room and started to put her clothes away. How many times had she done this? She had lost count. Then she sat in the big blue and white floral armchair where she had curled up with a book so often when torrential rain had prevented her from going outside.
    Tears pricked her eyes as she caught sight of a framed photo on the table alongside. Picking it up, she sat looking at it. It was of herself on her first pony with Uncle Len leading her. He had done that, patiently, round and round, until he was satisfied that she was able to control the small horse.
    How she delighted at last in digging her heels in and racing across the home paddock! How old had she been then? Probably only five.
    Three years later had come her first horse. A real step up in the world, even if it was only a docile old mare. Then finally, her own beloved Tango. A beautiful chestnut mare with a soft,velvety muzzle. A present from her aunt and uncle, Tango knew straightaway that they belonged together. They had been together ever since.
    The tears came then, great drops falling on to the photo in her lap. She hardly noticed them. When they were all spent, Cassie took a deep breath as she shook herself out of her reverie and put the photo back.
    Picking up a change of clothes, she went into the bathroom. As she let the soothing water run over her body, her mind moved ahead. Now she had a decision to make. Should she keep the station or sell it? If she stayed, would she be like her parents, and pine for the city, or would she be as happy here for the rest of her life as her uncle and aunt had always been?
    Stepping out of the shower she towelled herself dry, then dressed in jeans and a pale blue, short sleeved shirt, open at the neck. She checked in the mirror, no red eyes betrayed her tears.
    In the kitchen, Tom and Lorna were waiting. The table was set ready for afternoon tea with a freshly baked sultana cake.
    ‘Sit down, love. I’ll just make the tea. You okay?’
    ‘Yes, I’m all right. It’s just coming here brings everything back.’
    ‘I know. It takes time to get used to it. And you’ll never forget them, love. But later you’ll mostly remember the good times. And be glad there were so many.’
    Tom cleared his throat as he passed her the cake. ‘How was the trip up, Cassie?’
    ‘Good, thanks, Tom,’ she said, before biting into the fruity cake.
    ‘And how’s your mother?’ Lorna poured tea from the old-fashioned brown china pot. ‘Still busy as ever, I suppose.’
    ‘Oh yes. Always.’
    Tom got down to business. ‘Now you’ll want to see the books first. Everything’s ready for you. ’Course Graham the executor’s been signing the cheques, but I’ve got all the details here. I hope it’s all okay.’
    ‘I’m sure it will be.’
    ‘You know things aren’t what they were a year or so ago, before the drought. ’Course, we’re better off than a lot. What with the river, we’re never short of water. And we’ve had some rain, but not enough to keep the feed up. We haven’t had a proper monsoon for three years now, that’s the trouble. We’ve had to sell off a lot of stock and with so many doing the same, we didn’t get a good price. And what we’ve kept, we’ve had to hand feed most of the time. That’s pricey.’
    Cassie took a deep breath. ‘I know it hasn’t been good, Tom, and I know