Page 81 of Outback Secrets

‘Um … it was kind of a spur of the moment decision. I’d been travelling for a few years and thinking about stopping and opening some kind of business but wasn’t really sure what. When I stopped in Bunyip Bay, I saw the For Sale sign outside The Palace and it just felt right.’

‘How so?’

‘Mum, stop asking so many questions.’

‘It’s fine.’ Liam gave Henri a quick smile. ‘Well, I guess I just liked the feel of the town, and I saw the potential in the old building. While I was driving around Australia, the old pubs, some really rundown and derelict, others beautifully restored, really intrigued me. I guess I was excited by the challenge of bringing The Palace back to life.’

‘Well, you’ve certainly done that,’ Fiona said as she began to dish up the quiche. ‘Don’t you agree, Henrietta? Remember how dirty and dingy it used to be?’

Henri nodded, even though she now had a feeling this wasn’t the full story. People didn’t just buy pubs on the spur of the moment. Then again, if her whole family were obliterated in one go, who knew what kind of crazy thing she might do.

‘Some salad?’ her mother asked Liam.

As he nodded, she added, ‘Must be pretty tough work though. Long hours, late nights, seven days a week. Hard to get away for a break.’

‘I wouldn’t say it’s any more gruelling than farming,’ he replied.

‘But all those long nights!’ she exclaimed. ‘And when was the last time you took a holiday?’

‘True, I work nights, but most of my days are my own and as for vacations, have you seen the beach recently? People come here for holidays.’

At this, Fiona had to concede a smile.

‘Henri and I went to the Abrolhos on Wednesday—that was amazing.’

‘Ooh, yes, I saw the photos she put on Facebook. I haven’t been in years. I guess you must meet some interesting characters in your job too?’

Liam nodded. ‘Interesting is an understatement. I promise I’m never bored. You should hear some of the stories I’ve heard from people passing through.’

‘I can imagine,’ she said as she handed him a plate. ‘I hope you like quiche.’

‘What’s not to like?’ Liam removed his hand from Henri’s knee to pick up his cutlery and she felt her skin go cold.

Knives and forks clinked against crockery as they all began to dig in. Everyone except Henri—she merely pushed the food around her plate with her fork. Usually, she’d have seconds of her mum’s homemade quiche, but today the only thing she was hungry for was sitting right beside her.

‘This is delicious,’ Liam said after a couple of mouthfuls.

Fiona beamed. ‘Thank you. It’s a secret family recipe. Speaking of family … I can imagine yours weren’t very happy when you decided to stay in Australia.’

Henri tensed, wishing her mother would just mind her own business; then again, Liam was the one who’d accepted her invitation. Perhaps an interrogation served him right.

‘My parents are both dead,’ he said, reaching for his glass of water.

Her mother blinked, then gave him a sympathetic smile. ‘Oh, I’m so sorry.’

He nodded. ‘Thank you.’

Awkward silence lingered a few long moments and Henri racked her mind for something innocuous to say when her mother tapped on the album. ‘Would you like to see some photos from when Henrietta was growing up, Liam?’

‘Are there any embarrassing ones?’ he asked.

She beamed. ‘This is Henrietta we’re talking about … pretty much all of them are embarrassing. She was constantly getting into sticky situations, not caring about what anyone thought.’

‘In that case …’ Liam grinned as if someone had just told him he’d won a million dollars. ‘I definitely want to see.’

Clearly delighted, Fiona abandoned her lunch and opened the thick hand-crafted scrapbook—during the height of the scrapbooking craze, she’d made one for each of her children. The baby photos came first, and Henri couldn’t help the warm flush when Liam gushed about how cute she was.

‘She was my chubbiest baby,’ her mother told him, ‘until she started to crawl, and then she didn’t stop moving. She was always running, climbing over furniture and up trees. See how she’s wearing red in almost every photo?’