Deleilah Read online

  “Yeah, ya can.” Misunderstanding, Corey forged ahead and the bay gelding followed. Curiosity and trepidation formed a hard knot in Leilah’s throat and she rode alongside as the house grew larger, the paddocks around it lush and green.

  “So, what’s with you and the boss?” Corey asked, running a sleeve across his sweating forehead. “Are you related to him?”

  Leilah shook her head. “We were friends until I left town at eighteen. I ran into him by accident after he came out of hospital and helped him bring Hinga home. I didn’t intend to stay, but she’s now scared of men.” Leilah chewed her lip, picking her words with care. “Why is he so on edge all the time? What’s been happening?”

  Corey wrinkled his nose. “I probably shouldn’t say; Vaughan’s been good to me. When my dad kicked me out, he let me live at the cottage on the edge of the property for free and said I could take food from the garden to feed myself. I started helping him with the stock and he gave me a wage.”

  “How long ago was that?” Leilah asked, pausing as her horse stamped away a fly.

  “Three years ago.” Corey wiped his face on the bottom of his shirt. “I know he’s got no money, but he always pays me on time.”

  “I don’t understand why there’s no money.” Leilah adjusted the crash hat on her head and loosened the strap against pinching her cheek. “Uncle Horse owned this property, so it’s just bills and maintenance, isn’t it?”

  Corey shrugged. “There’s a debt. It swallows the cash every month whether we’ve made any money or not. Vaughan’s struggled recently. Being sick more often means we missed the last breeding season. He’s doing riding lessons for cash and that helps but a few bucks here and there don’t buy drench and all the stuff we need. Paying Gilroy back the money for the mare can’t have helped.”

  “I saw a wedding photo in the house.” Leilah pushed her luck, hoping Corey could fill some information gaps for her. “Where’s his wife?”

  Corey winced. “I heard some stuff when I lived with my dad in town. Vaughan went off to Palmerston North for a weekend and turned up here with this chick. The township was full of gossip about it. They had this real quiet wedding a few months later, but she kept herself hidden up at his place. I heard talk she miscarried a baby and then a while later she died.”

  “Ouch!” Leilah regretted winding Vaughan up and realised most of what she saw in his eyes was heartache. “How did she die?”

  “That’s the problem.” Corey chewed his lip and his eyes grew afraid. “If he finds out I’ve told you, he’ll probably fire me and I’ll lose everything.”

  “Then I won’t tell.” Leilah forced her best listening face into place and tried to look sincere. “It can’t be that bad. Unless he killed her.” She smiled at her botched attempt at humour, alarmed when Corey’s face remained serious.

  “He thinks he did.” Corey swallowed. “That’s why you can’t mention it.”

  “What happened?” Foreboding hung over Leilah like a shroud, chilling the air and making her shiver.

  “She killed herself. Waited until he went to the sale yards in Hamilton and then took pills and whiskey. He called an ambulance when he found her that night but she’d gone too far. It took two days for her organs to shut down and the doctors made him turn off the machine. He’s never got over it.”

  Leilah swallowed and closed her eyes, imagining the horror of Vaughan’s discovery. No wonder he seemed so far removed from the laughing teenager she remembered. “Poor Vaughan,” she breathed. “Is that why he went off the rails and started drinking and fighting? I heard he spent time in the town jail.”

  “Yeah.” Corey nodded. “He went to pieces after the funeral. His wife’s family turned up and accused him of hurting her and that’s where the rumours started. The coroner picked up all these untreated bone breaks and stuff like that.”

  “Did he do it?” Leilah tried to conjure up an image of Vaughan hitting a woman and couldn’t. “I’d find that too hard to believe. He hit this boy at school once because he shoved a girl in the lunch queue. Kid didn’t know what hit him. Vaughan stood over him and screamed about men bashing women. The school counsellor and the dean carried him off still yelling, but he wouldn’t talk to us about it after.”

  “Na. I don’t believe it either.” Corey sounded relieved at the unanimity and gave Leilah a sweet smile. “He’s a good bloke.” He lifted his reins off the mare’s neck to urge her forward and they cantered along the bush line towards Leilah’s former home.

  Chapter 27

  An Unexpected Revelation

  The number of gates increased as the riders neared the boundary of Hector’s property. Corey dealt with them without dismounting and Leilah piled through, the Kaimanawa sure-footed beneath her. “Why won’t Vaughan like me riding this horse?” Leilah asked as they approached the house, desperate to distract herself from the black cloud of grief descending over her head.

  “He’s the only one who rides him.” Corey raised his eyebrows. “I’ll tell him I warned you.”

  Leilah narrowed her eyes in warning. “I wouldn’t do that. Not now you’ve spilled Vaughan’s secrets and made me promise not to tell.”

  The guileless youth looked conflicted and gnawed on his bottom lip, confused by the unexpected stalemate. Then he grinned. “Ok. We’re quits then.” He jerked his head towards the gelding. “Vaughan bred him from a stallion he had for years. His name was Cooper’s Lad and he sired good quality stock for years. The vet put him down last year when he got too old and started to look miserable. Vaughan walked into his house and slammed the door and I swear the guy cried.”

  “Cooper’s Lad.” Leilah mouthed the name of Hector’s best stallion and gripped a lock of the silky mane beneath her fingers. Again the grief rode her, determined to elicit a reaction. Her voice wobbled. “Is this gelding all that’s left of him?”

  “Na!” Corey shook his head. “You’re riding Cooper’s Boy but Cooper’s Lad sired some good mares and Vaughan breeds from them. There’s a stallion too; Cooper’s Dream. He’s up in the mountains. Vaughan let him keep a little herd of his own and he’s happy up there. We bring him down at the start of spring and he covers guest mares for a fee.”

  “But there’s still no money?” Leilah wiped a tear away before Corey looked back. Hector’s legacy lived and breathed on the slopes of Pirongia, not scattered and gone like she’d spent twenty years believing.

  “No. I told ya. Vaughan got sick and we missed last year.”

  They dismounted to enter the unkempt garden around Leilah’s childhood home, tying the horses to the rickety fence and leaving them to graze the verge. Corey checked on the cows while Leilah prowled around, climbing the broken steps to the porch and peeking through filthy windows. Her heart ached for her former home and she cried, painful, silent tears of regret. The rose bush Hector planted in memory of his dear wife grew leggy against the dilapidated garage, reaching out clawed fingers to scratch against the caved roof. The leaves looked mildewed and bitten, deprived through lack of care or water and it broke Leilah’s heart. She remembered her father’s deft fingers as he pruned the bush each winter and spoke to it, collecting the fallen rose petals and storing them in a glass bowl on the coffee table in the lounge. Leilah savoured their scent and it reminded her of her father; dried rose petals and horses.

  The house built by Great grandfather Dereham hadn’t been touched by a paintbrush for over twenty years and the wood peeled and flaked with neglect under the harsh seasons. Leilah closed her eyes and listened to the sound the porch steps made as she stood on them, alarmed by the sound of cracking underfoot. The dirty windows betrayed a view of the inside, blurred and softened by filth. “I’m sorry, Dad,” Leilah sobbed, drying her tears on the bottom of her shirt. The futile action soaked the material and only made room for more. “I didn’t know what happened until it was too late.” Her words hitched in her chest as hysteria bit and she felt her control ebb. “Vaughan and Tane bought stuff to keep it safe, but I got nothing of yo
u; just a few bits of furniture Michael brought back. I didn’t know. I didn’t know.” Leilah rocked herself on the step, hugging her knees and burying her face in her thighs.

  A breeze blew through the tree tops and created a collective whisper as though the mountain held a hui to decide her fate. The wind whipped up and the draught caressed Leilah’s dark curls, stirring them into a whirl and drying her tears. Leilah felt forgiveness and release and her soul connected with something ethereal. She knew what she needed to do.

  Corey sought her out, declaring the herd to be in great shape. “What’s happened?” He squatted next to her, concerned by her tearful, red eyes.

  Leilah smiled and leapt up, keen to leave. “I’ve had a revelation,” she declared. “There’s something I need to do.”

  The old Dereham house watched its mistress leave; a Dereham daughter galloping downhill on a Dereham horse. It creaked as it straightened its back and pressed its face to the sunshine, the wait finally at an end.

  Chapter 28

  Hard-Headed

  A bell jangled over the door of the real estate agent’s office and Leilah felt her nerves jarring. A dainty receptionist greeted her with a fake smile. “How can I help you, madam?” Her voice screeched like nails on a blackboard and Leilah winced.

  “I want to see the agent handling the sale of the Dereham house,” she said, keeping her tone cool.

  “But the For Sale board hasn’t gone up yet.” The receptionist lurched for a notepad and maintained the well-practiced grin.

  “I wish to purchase the house and land.” Leilah heard the wobble in her voice. “Today. Now.”

  “Oh, jolly good.” The young woman looked unnerved, glancing around the empty office with excitement. “I’ll just find Marlene.”

  “You do that.” Leilah seated herself on a bucket seat in a smart waiting area, glancing down at her filthy boots and the mud stains on her jeans. She ran a dirty hand through her hair and drew the phone from her pocket, seeing the icon for reception shooting to full. There were two missed calls from Seline’s number and four from Derek. Seline had texted a whole novel about the dubious mental state of Michael Hanover, but Derek’s arthritic fingers wouldn’t allow him the luxury of hunting her down that way.

  “She won’t be a moment,” the receptionist crooned. “Just with another client.”

  Leilah nodded and jangled the bell as she opened the door. “I’ll make this phone call and then I need to see her. My offer will only be good for today. After that it’s withdrawn.”

  The receptionist’s eyes widened as she spotted the big hand moving onto the three o’clock above Leilah’s head and she scurried back to the room where Marlene was probably eating her afternoon tea and enjoying a cigarette. Outside, Leilah called Derek. “Good girl for checking in,” he rasped. “The buyer’s ready to go ahead. Hanover’s been turned down by every lender in the city. There’re a few more buyers circling but I recommend you stick with the original plan.”

  “Yeah, I’m happy with that. I’m ready to sign.”

  “Where are you exactly?” Derek demanded, half curiosity and half concern.

  “Te Mutungo Iho,” Leilah admitted, holding her breath. “And that’s not all.”

  “You’re in TM?” Derek coughed and Leilah heard his wife in the background, repeating the name of the town with a raised voice.

  “Yes. I can’t explain right now but it’s important you tell no one.”

  “But you went off to Palmerston North. I’m confused.”

  “Feilding and that was the plan.” Leilah spotted her reflection in the shop window and wondered if Derek would recognise her. “It went pear shaped and I’m back here for a few days. Please don’t judge me, Uncle Derek.”

  “Not judging,” he gushed. “Oh, sweetie, I’m not judging. I’m glad you’re safe. You are safe, aren’t you?”

  “I’m fine. Michael reported me missing but an old friend squashed that for me.”

  “He’s an idiot!” Derek’s breath came in short rasps. “Trying to flush you out so he could change your mind. He’s going down the gurgler and he knows it.”

  “If you can get the documents here for the sale of my shares; I’ll sign them.” Leilah watched a stream of traffic flow along the main road and melted back into the shadows beneath the awning, not wanting to start more rumours.

  “Yeah, not a problem. I’ll sort it out with a friend in town. Do you remember Lloyd Hinkley Lawyers in the centre of town?”

  “I think so.”

  “I’ll arrange for you to go to their office to sign and they’ll witness it and courier it back to me. Make sure you’ve got your driving license or passport with you for identification though.”

  “I’ve got my driving license,” Leilah said. “Damn. It doesn’t look like me though. I’ve dyed my hair and look different.”

  Derek chuckled. “Don’t tell me you finally got rid of the blondie?”

  “Yeah, but that means my driver’s license isn’t great for verifying who I am.”

  “Bah, Lloyd will remember ya. I’ll send him a photo from when you stayed here as a kid. Don’t worry about it.”

  Leilah took a deep breath. “I need your help with something else,” she said. “I want to buy Hector’s old place. It’s up for sale and I want to do it today, before I change my mind.”

  She heard Derek whistle through the handset. “Bloody hell, girl! Who put a rocket up your ass?”

  Leilah smirked as she heard the lawyer apologising to his wife for his language, waiting as he grovelled and begged forgiveness. “Now look what you did,” he grumbled.

  “I want to make the offer available for today only,” Leilah said. A woman’s face appeared on the other side of the shop window, sandwich crumbs on her sweater. She beckoned to Leilah and she nodded in return, holding up a finger to signal she’d only be a minute. Leilah named an amount and heard Derek choke.

  “It can’t be worth that!” he snorted and Leilah shrugged, remembering he couldn’t see her.

  “It is to me. But I’m not haggling or messing around. Please can you handle the conveyancing? I’m prepared to go unconditional as soon as the vendor accepts my offer and I want possession in forty-eight hours from now.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want to keep Aloadae and run it your damn self? I think you could do it. You’re sounding hard-headed enough.”

  “No. I want rid of everything to do with Michael Hanover. I hope Alasdair destroys him. But I do want Hector’s house, Uncle. I want to put things right with my father.”

  “You have the money,” Derek mused. “What about reports and building inspections? There’s more to buying a house than slapping the cash on the table.”

  “I just want it,” Leilah said, feeling the fight rise up inside her. It empowered her and gave her back some of her lost dignity. “But only on my terms.”

  “That’s my girl!” Derek chortled. “That’s my girl!” He hacked again, a hollow, deathly sound. “I’ll sort it out and the money can be released first thing tomorrow. It should go straight into their account if you get me the numbers.”

  “Thank you,” Leilah breathed, feeling alive for the first time in ages.

  Marlene took more convincing. With dyed orange hair and heavy-handed makeup application, she almost convinced Leilah not to bother. “The Baxter family have already turned down an offer,” she said, smiling like someone on the edge of insanity.

  “Would the offer meet or better mine?” Leilah asked, her heart thudding in her breast.

  “Oh, no,” Marlene said. “It was half of the asking price.”

  “Then what’s the problem?” Leilah gritted her teeth.

  “I have to go back to the man who made the original offer.”

  Leilah rolled her eyes and huffed. “Did he suggest he would be back with a better offer?”

  “No. He laughed and said they’d be lucky to sell it.” Marlene chewed a cherry red lip, a bread crumb sitting in the corner of her mouth.

 
; “Then just make the call to the Baxter family.” Leilah stood, agitation making it impossible for her to sit still. “This offer expires in an hour and a half and will not be repeated. I’ve told you it’s a cash sale and I’m willing to go unconditional today. My solicitor will handle the paperwork which will be signed by both parties tomorrow, upon which the money is payable in full.” She leaned over the real estate agent, who baulked. “But nobody in this town gets to hear about this. Do you understand me?”

  “But if you go unconditional today, you must pay a deposit,” Marlene said, nodding, her grey eyes wide and afraid.

  Leilah drew her phone from her pocket, noticing the reception bars no longer on full. “Then I will ring my lawyer and pay the deposit!” she said, looking and sounding angrier by the second. “Just make the bloody call!”

  Chapter 29

  Disaster

  Leilah sat in the park on the steps of the war memorial and brooded, her phone in her hand. Derek rang, the sound startling her enough to drop the device on the concrete. “Sorry, sorry,” she said, wincing as she picked it up and held it to her ear.

  “Transfer’s done,” Derek said. “I’ve got Lloyd Hinkley to handle it. Go there tomorrow and sign the documents. The Baxters are signing in Timaru and their lawyer will witness it and fax a copy north. I still think you’re mad. Hinkley said the place wants tearing down before it falls, but it’s your hard earned cash.”

  “You sound like Hector.” Leilah wiped her nose on her sleeve. “I don’t care how it looks. It’s my birthright. Michael robbed me and now I’ve got it back. When can I sign to release Aloadae to Alasdair?”

  “Do it at the same time, girl.” Derek chuckled. “Right now, I’m more proud of you than I’ve ever been. Ain’t that right, love?” He spoke to his wife in the background. “Yep. Dead proud.”

  “Thanks Uncle Derek.” Leilah sighed and allowed herself a smile. “Hopefully the other interested party won’t be too upset. The agent said they offered half the asking price and walked out laughing when the vendor refused.”