An Exception to His Rule(66)

                * * *

                ‘I can’t let you go like this,’ Isabel said the next morning as she watched Harriet pack her stuff into Brett’s battered old four-wheel drive. ‘Damien will never forgive me!’

                It was another blustery autumn day.

                ‘Stop worrying about it,’ Harriet advised her. ‘Between the two of you, you’ll have enough on your minds helping Charlie to get better without worrying about me. Besides which, I’m not that bad a driver,’ she added with some asperity.

                ‘There could be differing views on the matter.’ Isabel looked mutinous. ‘Look, take the Holden!’

                ‘I couldn’t possibly take the Holden,’ Harriet argued. ‘It doesn’t belong to me!’

                ‘Ah!’ Isabel pounced on an idea. ‘It could be said to belong to me, however!’

                Harriet didn’t stop packing up her vehicle.

                ‘What I mean is,’ Isabel continued, ‘I have a share in Heathcote, which includes all the equipment and machinery, so I am able, equally, to dispose of—things. Therefore I can gift you the blue Holden!’ she finished triumphantly. ‘Isn’t that how they phrase it these days?’

                Harriet put the last of her bags into the four-wheel drive and closed the back door.

                She walked over to Isabel and put her arms around her. ‘I’ll never forget you,’ she said softly. ‘Thank you for being a friend and—I have to go. I can’t explain but don’t blame Damien.’

                Isabel hugged her then took out her hanky.

                But a parting just as hard was still to come.

                Tottie was sitting disconsolately beside the open driver’s door.

                ‘Oh,’ Harriet said softly as a knot of emotion she’d been hoping to keep under a tight rein unravelled and her tears started to fall. ‘I don’t know what to say, Tottie, but I will miss you so much.’ She knelt down and put her arms around the big dog. ‘I’m sorry but I have to go.’

                * * *

                A few minutes later she was driving down the long, winding drive.

                In her rear-view mirror she watched Isabel hold on to Tottie’s collar so she couldn’t chase after Harriet, then the house was out of sight and the double gateposts were approaching and the tears she’d held on to so tightly started to fall.

                There was a sign on the road to be aware of a concealed driveway entrance to Heathcote.

                There was no sign inside Heathcote to the effect that the portion of the road that went past the gates was hidden from view due to some big trees and a slight bend in it.

                Still, Harriet had negotiated this many times so perhaps it was because that she was crying and had misted up her glasses that accounted for the fact that an ambulance driving into the property took her completely by surprise and caused her to swing the wheel and drive into one of the gateposts.

                * * *

                Damien put Harriet carefully into a chair and said in a weary, totally exasperated way, ‘What the hell am I going to do with you?’

                ‘Nothing,’ Harriet responded tautly and eyed him with considerable annoyance.