Chapter 3.
I returned home and went straight to watering the crops. Rock came out of the house carrying Joel and handed him over, a frown on his face. He was obviously nursing the inevitable hangover and didn't seem to have even noticed I'd been missing. Straightening up I hefted Joel onto my hip and forced myself to ask how he was. Rock mumbled an answer and then told me he was going out. I just smiled and went through the usual routine of asking when he'd be back. Rock told me not to fuss and walked away. This was how it was for the next few weeks, me pretending that everything was fine and Rock going on his merry way.
As soon as I thought it was safe to do so I went to visit Chris. It was Van's usual market day and I made my normal purchases at his stall. I hung around longer than usual, pretending to look at the Blue Bar's field and the well until Chris came out to buy from Van. Moving alongside I began a conversation with her and asked if I could possibly ask for some advice about children's food. I could tell there were several ears listening as we moved away chatting happily. Once inside the house Chris made a pot of tea and invited me to sit. Then I made it clear to her that the advice I needed was a little more than help with weaning. She listened intently to my story, nodding unhappily as she heard what I had to say. Tears glistened behind her winged spectacles and a new serious expression showed her concern. Chris asked questions and jotted down details on her Blackberry. She suggested we look into the papers that Thomas and Takakura had drawn up for the farm. She also suggested that I made a will excluding Rock from inheriting the farm if we could. As we talked things through I was impressed with Chris's efficient, professional manner, such a contrast to the slightly melancholy Chris I saw at home. From there I decided to go and see Romana while my confidence was high.
On the climb up the hill to the mansion I felt so frightened I was physically sick in one of the bushes. By the time I was knocking on the door my head was spinning. If Sebastian had taken more than two minutes to answer the door I'd have turned and fled. He ushered me into the large open reception room and asked me to wait. It's such a fantastic room, practically a ballroom with a huge soaring staircase and dominated by Lumina's grand piano. There was a deep quiet in that room and a wonderfully rich smell of beeswax and money. In no time at all Sebastian reappeared and escorted me into a smaller, more personal sitting room. It was a beautiful room, obviously the main dwelling place of someone with a love of antiques. Romana had a fire blazing even though it was quite balmy outside at her age she easily felt the cold. Sitting in her rocking chair, she smiled warmly and welcomed me to her home. This didn't make me feel any easier considering what I was about to tell her about her ward. As I explained my reasons for being there her good manners never wavered, she didn't interrupt me or shout her indignation but waited for me to finish my sorry tale. She coldly but calmly asked whether I was sure of my facts and expressed her belief that Lumina would never have been so foolish or ill bred to do what I had suggested. She rang for Sebastian and requested him to ask Miss Lumina to join us. It was as Sebastian told her that Miss Lumina had left the mansion after receiving a phone call from a young man that I could see the truth begin to dawn on her. Sebastian turned to leave but Romana asked him to stay and then asked me to repeat the information I had given her. He was deeply shocked. Romana took a deep breath and faced me. She began to tell me that she would question Lumina as soon as she returned home and that she would deal with the mattered. I had to dissuade her from this course of action as quickly as I could because as soon as Lumina knew she'd been found out so would Rock and with it would go any chance of me freeing myself from him. I know it was a little cruel of me, Lumina would be safe but I wouldn't be, well, not in the way I hoped. Romana was unhappy but she did agree to listen to my plan. As I carried on she began to relax and nod in agreement. By following my plan Lumina would end up unhappy but her relationship with Romana wouldn't be damaged and, if everything went to plan, she would learn a salutary lesson in life. After all I was the injured party here and surely I had to have a chance to set things right for Joel and myself. I can remember holding my breath just waiting for her answer, if my plan was to work it needed both the carrot and the stick. I could supply the stick but I needed Romana for the carrot. Finally, she'd looked me deeply in the eye and agreed to everything. She ordered Sebastian to find that small, scruffy little man that habitually hung around the kitchen door and bring him up to the mansion as we had a job fro him. He could tail Lumina and report back without arousing any suspicion. After an hour of discussion I walked home. My heart felt a little lighter but I knew we had a long way to go before I was safe and there was an awful lot that could go wrong but at least things were moving.