As they rode across the main road to the gate to the gulf, Faith asked, “Is this all your land?”
“Yeah. We’ve got quarter of a million acres in total.”
She shook her head. “I can’t fathom that much land.”
“It keeps us busy.”
“We farm sheep,” Lara told her. “But we were going to farm cattle too. Something happened to the cows Granddad bought and we can’t get them now.”
Darcy winced. It wasn’t something he wanted people to know about.
Faith glanced at him. “Will you get them from someone else?”
He shook his head.
“We lost the money,” Lara said.
Darcy looked at his daughter as heat crept to his cheeks. How did she know that? He’d been careful to keep discussions about the station’s finances to when she wasn’t around.
“I’m sure there must be a clause in the contract which deals with an inability to fulfil the goods,” Faith assured her, giving him a sympathetic look.
Hope wriggled its head above Darcy’s self-loathing. Did it matter if the company was fake? Though it could be traced back to a real company. “Do you know much about contracts?”
“I’m a contracts lawyer,” she said. “Or at least I was when I was in Perth.” She hesitated. “I could review your contract when we get back if you’d like.”
He’d be a fool to refuse professional help, even if he was embarrassed by the situation. “That would be great.”
The trail narrowed, and he dropped back so Lara and Faith could ride side-by-side, Lara giving her the entire history of Retribution Ridge as they rode.
“So my family arrived here when the Retribution smashed against the reef just off shore from where we’re going,” Lara began. “There was a cyclone, and they’d come into the gulf to take cover, but—” she lowered her voice. “It was their downfall.”
Darcy smothered his smile.
“There’s a plaque on the shore which lists the names of all those on board, but we don’t know who died in the shipwreck and who died in the mutiny.”
“Mutiny?” Faith asked.
“Yeah. Some of the sailors mutinied, but no one knows why. I think it was because there was secret treasure on board and they wanted their share.”
Faith gasped. “What kind of treasure?”
“Gold,” Lara said with certainty. Then she tilted her head to the side. “Or maybe jewels.”
“So what happened?”
“No one knows for sure, but I have my ideas.”
He almost interrupted Lara, but Faith leaned closer. “Tell me more.” Her eagerness matched Lara’s, so Darcy settled in, tuning out their conversation. He’d enjoy the slow pace and not having to be anywhere.
The past few weeks had been hectic. Brandon had finally returned home after over a decade of self-ostracism. He’d never admit how much he’d missed his older brother. They’d been best friends growing up and Darcy had suddenly been thrust into the older brother role when Brandon left, looking after Edward and Georgie, taking over more work on the farm and feeling like he was missing part of himself. But now Brandon was back, and was staying for good.
He sighed. Then there’d been the sabotage by Stonefish, a consortium who wanted to buy the station. Thankfully it had stopped when a couple of men had been arrested, but Darcy still got the feeling they were out there, circling like sharks, waiting for the station to fail so they could buy it up and rip it apart, or whatever they wanted to do with it.
He sighed and stared up at the blue sky. Today wasn’t a day for such worries. He should enjoy this time with Lara and Faith. It wasn’t every day he spent a full day with Lara, and with a single, attractive woman his own age. He’d make the most of it.
“Dad, can we canter?” Lara called.
The trail was relatively flat. “Yes, but keep an eye on the road.”
