Age is But a Number

She released me and we set off again, while I settled down and willed my hormones to slow down and my physical discomfort to ease off for fear that I'd frighten her off. Toni looked at me and asked, " Are you ok, you seem to be a mite uncomfortable?"

"Mm, yeah well, a certain person has stirred up all sorts of feelings in me and I'm trying to get comfortable."

"Oh, did I do that," she looked at me with a mischievous grin, "All by myself?"

To break my thought processes, I just looked at her and then asked, "The shindig isn't tonight is it, cos we're late if it is."

"No, no, tomorrow night, and it's not so much a shindig, more of a family gathering really to see what the family want to do with the farm and so on, now that Dad's so ill and can't work it anymore."

"I know that you said you're not that interested in the farm, but would you work the farm if you had to?"

"No, I'm more into the business and research world actually, and because there are no boys in our family, there isn't anyone to take the farm. It would be a good deal for Dad's brother and his son Mark as they will double their land holding. But I think that's why Johnny's so keen, because our place joins his family farm and would add considerable cropping area and if he got that through marriage......well I guess you can see why he hangs around?"

"And why he's so bloody persistent as well," I muttered. Toni, looked at me and squeezed my hand again in silent agreement.

We drove in comparative silence for a while until she slowed and then turned right onto the Wickepin Bullaring Road as described by the road sign, which also advised we had about 15 kms to go. "The farm's about 10ks further on. My Uncle's place is about 3ks from town, and Dad's farm's next door. The Petrelli farm is the next one past Dad's place. The thing is Dad has a permanent water supply through some rocks at the northeast corner which he and Uncle Harold share, but there's no permanent water on the Petrelli place. They've got bores and dams of course, we all have, but the permanent water is what I suspect makes Dad's place so valuable. Dad won't sell to anyone, but he has already told me it's mine when he dies, but I don't want to stay on the farm, or any farm really. Of course if I married Johnny, then he would inherit the farm by proxy through me, and that's what he wants. It's not me as such, just what he would get. I don't want to marry him and he knows that, but he keeps trying to wear me down. And I don't want him to get the farm either. What worries me is, when he finally works out that he isn't going to get the farm through marriage, what he will do."

"Toni, can you pull over a minute?"

She stopped the car and turned to me as I asked, "Do you think that the fires may have been deliberately lit? I mean is that the sort of stunt he'd come at, if he thought that he wasn't going to get the farm by fair means?"

"I've thought about that, but Dad always seemed to get along with Joe Petrelli, Johnny's father. In fact they helped each other get the farms started. Old Joe and Maria were migrants to the district after the second world war, and Dad took the land as part of the resettlement scheme for war service people, the same as his brother. Those two were mates, along with my Uncle, but when Joe died a few years ago, and Maria not long after due to a broken heart, there was no one to keep Johnny in line. He worked hard on the farm and made a success of it, but he says the one thing he wants to do is run sheep, and to do that successfully, you really need water, and lots of it. The droughts messed that up for everyone in the district of course, but Dad and Uncle Harold had permanent water, so while they let the flock diminish, they still kept the stud rams and ewes. And when the rain came and filled the dams, everyone started to build up their flocks and planted wheat, barley and oats again, and everyone looked forward to a bumper crop which would have got them out of debt with the banks. Then just before harvest, the fire went through Dad's place and part of Uncle Harold's. It started somewhere near the east boundary and spread toward the west, then north and south. It didn't get into Johnny's place of course because he had good fire breaks, and the wind was coming from the southeast blowing toward the north west, so taking it away. He helped Dad and my uncle of course, but only after it had burnt over half the crop out. He had to make sure his crop was safe didn't he. The Insurance people came and said that it was lightning and an Act of God, whatever that meant. Anyway the payout was nothing like what the crop would've bought in, so the whole mess set Dad back so much I reckon he almost willed the illness on himself."

"Do you have access to the farm records, you know bank statements, and letters to and from the bank and so on?"

"Yes, they'll all be at the farm. Why, what are you thinking?"

"I'm not sure yet. Do you have good Wi-Fi and internet connection out there?"

"Yes, that's how I've been keeping in touch with Mum."

"Ok, good, Do you think your Mum and Dad would mind if I had a look through them. I'm curious, you know getting land for water is a good idea but............. How big is the rock outcrop anyway?"

"Oh, I'm not sure, pretty large, I used to play there as a kid. I suppose the best part of 7 or 8ks long and about 2ks wide."

"Shit, sorry, that's big isn't it. Is there a map we can look at that will show the whole farm and the rock outcrop? Is it totally on your Dad's farm?"

"Aah almost, I think some of it is on my uncle's as well, why do you ask?"

"I think I need to see a map so I can show you something. It might explain a lot. Shall we go, your Mum might be getting worried."

I opened and closed three gates between the road and the farmhouse and we stopped just near the back of the house. As we did, the lights came on and a woman appeared wiping her hands on an apron. She watched as Toni got out of the car and with arms open wide held her tight in a hug for some minutes. She finally let her go and Toni introduced me as we shook hands.

"I've made up your room Antoinette and the spare for David."

"Thanks Mum, call me Toni, everyone does."

"Your name is Antoinette, not Toni, I suppose David calls you Toni does he?"

"Aahh, yes but only at Toni's - sorry, Antoinette's insistence."

"Well, if she insists, I can't do much about it, can I. Anyway, come inside and see your father, he's been looking forward to seeing you ever since you rang. And if you don't mind me asking, David, how long have you been friends with my daughter?"

"We've known each other for a few months actually, but we only went out last night for dinner for the first time. We never really got the chance before because of her work and Uni and so on. And I wasn't going to interfere with any of that."

"Good heavens, last night for the first time, and you've been invited to farm already. Are you interested in farming, David?"

"No. Mrs Patterson, I have my own business, but I'm not going to try and influence Antoinette one way or the other. It's her life, no doubt she will decide accordingly what her future will be."

We had taken our luggage out of the car and had walked slowly toward the house while we had been talking, and I reached for the door and held it open for the two ladies before I followed them inside. "Come into the kitchen, would you like a cup of tea or coffee?"

"Coffee, Mum thanks, David only drinks tea"

"Milk, sugar?"

"Just milk please."

"Antoinette, go and see your father, he's in the lounge, you as well David, while I make the tea. Oh, David, call me Ann please?"

In the lounge we found a small man half sitting up in a chair, wrapped in a blanket with only his face, right arm and his feet with his slippers showing. He seemed to be asleep, but he opened his eyes after Toni cleared her throat. "Hello Dad," she whispered, "I'm home and I've a bought a friend with me, David Dalgety."

Her father opened his eyes and looked about until he saw and was able to focus upon his daughter. "Antoinette, Antoinette, I am so glad you're here. And who is this fellow? David Dalgety, you say. Are you anything to do with Dalgety's Farming and Agri Business?" He spoke in a half whisper and half croak and said, "Sorry, it's hard for me to get enough wind in me to talk properly."

"Sort of, Mr Patterson, that side of the business was my Great Grandfathers'. I have my own business, nothing to do with them."

"Mm, are you staying here with us David?"

"Yes, Mrs Patterson has arranged the spare room for me."

"That's good, we must talk in the morning young fellow, you can tell me all about my daughter and what she's been up to. I'm likely to get more from you than her, never tells me anything."

"Dad, I know I don't get here as often as I can, but I'm here till Monday, so I'll see you in the morning and we can have good chat then." I saw the tears start and quickly found a tissue for her which she used to quickly dab at her eyes.

"I'm sorry Dad, it's just that everything seems to be piling up, one on top of the other. There are things to sort out, and I don't even know where to start. Maybe Uncle Harold will have some ideas, because at the moment I don't have any."

"Yes, maybe. We'll see in the morning. Thanks for coming home, and for bringing your young man with you. This one seems sensible enough, unlike that other bastard." Her Dad broke into a fit of coughing with Toni getting some tissues for him. "Go, we'll talk in the morning."

We returned to the kitchen where the tea was being poured into mugs. Mrs Patterson pointed to the chairs and instructed us to sit, while she closed the door to the lounge, and then sat opposite Toni and me. "Your father has not long left Antoinette, maybe six months. The doctors have told us the cancer is everywhere and is spreading to where it isn't. He finds it quite difficult to talk sometimes - I'm sure you heard that just now. He is really worried about the farm. We both know you aren't interested in that Petrelli boy, and I don't blame you one bit. He has been hanging round and keeping an eye on the place just waiting for you to come back so he can try and sweet talk his way into your life."

Toni took my hand at that and said, "He's too late, Mum," as he will find out tomorrow or whenever he decides to turn up. "I've already told David what his grand plan is, and we will work this out together with some help from you and Uncle Harold. Mum, where are all the farm papers, you know statements, bank and tax papers and so on? And has it all been saved onto the laptop yet?"

"Yes, it's all done. Young Nicky finished it all a couple of months ago, and taught me how to keep it up to date. Nicky is Harold's daughter and the computer whizz kid in the family so her full-time job at the farm is the accounts for both farms," the explanation being for my benefit.

"Mrs Patterson, is there a problem if your Brother-in-law took over this place? I mean, it just seems the most logical arrangement as Toni - sorry Antoinette, doesn't want to work the farm, it seems?"

"The issue is that Harold doesn't have the money to buy it, and if he simply inherited the place, I still need money to look after myself until my days are over. So while there are no death taxes anymore, I don't know how Uncle Harold will be able to look after me financially when he's already got his own family to support. Neither of us want that Petrelli boy anywhere near the place, especially owning it and taking it from under. He knows that Antoinette won't marry him, so he won't get the farm that way, so he might try and force us off the land in a fire-sale deal, especially as we've had two fires in such a short time, either side of droughts, and we've not had a decent income for such a long time. I just don't know, David, I really just do not know. The bank has been very good so far, but even their patience must be starting to run out."

"Well, with your permission, I'd like to look at all the papers and accounts. I want to see if there's something that no-one has picked up on, what the real reason is. The Petrelli place is what 10000 hectares apparently, and what's this place?"

"Our farm is 10500 hectares, but 1600 hectares is not used because that's where Boodalockin Rocks are. That's where we get our permanent water from."

"Do you think that's why young Petrelli wants this place?"

"I know he wants the water; however I think it's the rocks, but I don't know why. Look you and Antoinette can look through the papers and see what's on the laptop. I don't know what you'll find though. I'm sure Antoinette will get you more tea if you want, I have to get Dad ready for bed. I'll see you in the morning."

Toni and I looked at each other and when she started to ask me a question, I put my finger on her lips and shook my head. After a few minutes, I said, "Sorry, I had to get my thoughts together. Is there a map of this place somewhere, and where's the laptop? Have you one as well, I knew I should've bought mine along, damn, damn."

"Mine's in my case, hang on I'll get it. Not sure about a map though, I know there used to be an old map on the wall in the dining room, let me check."

Toni re-appeared with two laptops and turned them on, and then went back to the lounge where her Dad had been. She came back and put a large map of the surrounding district on the table. It showed the various farms around as they existed in 1955, the year the farm settlement scheme started. Quite clearly was the ridge of the Booderlockin Rock outcrop and drawn in pencil was the pipeline from the natural dam to Harold's farm and to this one. The outcrop ran slightly northeast from a point about halfway along the eastern boundary but nearly a mile west of the fence line and finished just beside the corner of Harold's farm but inside the Patterson property line. At just over 5 miles long it was an impressive feature on the map and was marked as quartz. Toni was looking at the accounts in the farm laptop so I asked if I could use hers to check something. She nodded and pushed it across to me and I opened up the ASX and looked up IPOs (Initial Public Offerings) and looked at some of the new gold stocks coming on the market, as well as existing gold exploration companies. There was one that provided a map of the exploration site, at the very bottom of which was Booderlockin Rocks. The exploration had all occurred some 20 kms from the farm, but drilling would eventually start on the farm especially once an exploration licence was taken out. The figures and information provided to the ASX showed a valuable site some 15kms away and was showing signs of a better than average production of gold. If the rate per tonne hovered around that and was present in this outcrop, the Booderlockin Rocks were an extremely valuable commodity. Young Petrelli may have wanted water years ago, but I am almost positive he wants the gold, and if he owned the land, he could control who had access to it. I tapped Toni on the shoulder, and said, "I'm not sure, but this might be what the issue is as far as why Petrelli is so keen on getting the farm."

She looked at the map and the charts on the screen and whispered, "What is all that for?"

"It's a map of the exploration by a mining company looking for gold, and it seems as though they've found it in spades as well. That field is about 15ks away, but geologically, if the quartz reef continues south and the rocks are part of it, then the gold reserves could be massive."

"What would be the worth of such a field?"

I looked at her and said, "Millions. Your family would be very rich if they sold the land as is to the company. I'm positive that's why Petrelli wants it, and I think you are only as useful to him as a signature on a wedding certificate. Marry him, he gets the land, and the gold rights. Even if you left him, he'd have everything because I'll bet he won't share it with you or anyone else."

"Can we prove it?"

"We need to talk to your Uncle and Mark in the morning. Also, tomorrow will you look at the dates of the two fires and see if you can find the insurance reports as well? I'll keep checking the ASX and ASIC. There's something I can't put my finger on just yet, it's there waiting to jump out and hit me in the face. I guess it'll come to me. Look can I have a quick shower and then I might get some sleep. I want to be wide eyed, bushy tailed and vertical tomorrow when we talk to your Uncle. And then we need to set up a plan to get young Petrelli off the scene and leave your family alone."

"Want me to come and scrub your back?"

"Yes, but then I won't get any sleep, so no. But hold that thought, there will come a time when sleep will be the last thing on my mind."

Toni grinned, stood and wrapped her arms around me. Pulling me in as tight as she could, she whispered, "I am so glad you came with me this weekend, and for more reasons than I can say at the moment. I will hold the thought but only for a wee while, and when it breaks out, watch out my friend. There, you've had fair warning, the only such warning you'll get as well." Then she kissed me, another toe-curling kiss that took me to places I'd never been before and which had my body responding in ways that I considered were long forgotten. "Hmm," she grinned at me, "At least you haven't forgotten some things in life, and I am so glad I can do that to you. Enough, I have work to do, and you want a shower, so go. Come and say goodnight before you go to bed," she instructed.

I appeared after some minutes, the majority of which was spent cooling the ardour so that I presented the look of a normal cool, calm and collected male around a beautiful woman, but which failed miserably. I stood near her in my pyjamas and whispered, "These are merely for show. I don't usually wear such things, only for the fact that I am at your parent's house and I'm trying my hardest - wrong word - best to remain platonic around you. I am going to bed now in what is likely to be a vain attempt to sleep. I will let you know in the morning if I succeeded. Good night, Toni. Sleep well, I am sure we can sort this out for the best for your family." I leant forward and kissed her lightly on the lips, "Goodnight my love."

I turned and disappeared into the spare room and pulled the door to but didn't close it. The room had a nice double bed and when I had sat on it earlier seemed to be nice and comfortable and held the promise of a good relaxing sleep. Oddly, for a bed that was probably quite old, it never made a sound as I settled in and turned the table light out. I could make out the light in the kitchen shining around the door but otherwise it was quiet, and quite restful, such that I must have gone to sleep almost straight away.

At some point during the night, I felt someone get into bed, turn and spoon into me, then a small hand about the size of Toni's took mine and placed it upon her breast. "So, I'm your love now, am I? Good!!" Soon after I heard the rhythmic breathing of a sleeping young woman, and I went back to sleep.

I woke in the morning to an empty bed, but heard the cheery sound of a kettle and the smell of warm toast wafting into my room. I knew I hadn't been dreaming because the second pillow had an indentation in it, but otherwise there was no sign of anyone having spent the night in my bed. I went to the bathroom and after a quick wash, returned and dressed for the day. In the kitchen, Toni and her Mum were arranging the table for breakfast and I was told to sit. Tea would be provided in a few minutes.

"Did you sleep well?" Toni asked.

"Yes thanks, it is a very comfortable bed, I think I got a good night's sleep indeed."

"Good, David, so were you able to work out something last night?" Ann asked.

"I think there is something more than water at stake here, but I have some more checks to do first. However, if I'm right, it will mean some very quick action on you and Mr Patterson's part or everything could be lost, and we don't want that by any means." The tone of my voice had Toni looking at me more concerned than before, but I wasn't in a position to elaborate as yet. I needed to check a couple of things first. "Ann, are you able to sign legal documents on your own, or is your husband the only one?"