Chapter 9

Sighing deeply she entered Banjo's box and lay her head against his neck. It calmed her somewhat, made her able to think more clearly. Suddenly, getting rid of him didn't seem all that impossible anymore. No matter how well he might know her, there still had to be a way to outsmart him. Maybe she could even use his insight into her to lure him into a trap. Here, in the semi-dark of the stables, surrounded by the organic warmth and calm breathing of the horses, she could almost convince herself that she stood a chance against him. Almost.

That was, until she heard a car pulling up outside in the driveway and Tess' voice coming nearer and nearer

"Stevie!! Stevie! Rose is here!"

And at that moment Stevie knew that everything she thought had been at stake so far was nothing against what was at stake now. Because now Rose was here, the very moment her mother decided to risk everything to finally break free from her father after all those years.

And so it was with the darkest sense of foreboding that Stevie finally made her way out of the stables to greet her daughter, her feet seeming to get heavier with every step that she took.

The walk from the stables to the house seemed to last forever, and Stevie found herself growing short of breath as she quickened her pace. Her mind was racing. Rose? Here? Now? She was overwhelmed with conflicting emotions. Joy at seeing her daughter after so long apart, fear for Rose's safety, and confusion about what Rose was doing here. It had been so many years since Stevie had seen her daughter in person, did Rose even remember her? How had Rose known to come here, and why? It didn't matter why, it was just not safe. It was the reason she had not contacted Rose or even Michelle for so many years, she did not want him to discover the people that were close to her. Rose would have to go back, that was all there was to it. It wasn't safe here, not now. Once things were sorted out there would be a time for Rose to come and be here.

Stevie had no idea where to begin talking to this girl, who was virtually a stranger to her. No idea how she would find it in her heart to send the girl away. It was a dream come true, her daughter seeking her out. And once again she would have to send her away, back to Michelle. It had broken her heart leaving Rose the first time, how could she let them be separated again?

She told herself to take a deep breath and get a grip. She did not even know why Rose had come. She would have to talk to Rose before making any decisions or taking any action. Was it possible Michelle had told Rose the truth, that Stevie was her mother? Is that why Rose had come? There was only one way to find out. Stevie felt completely unprepared as she approached the main house to meet her daughter.

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Dave sat talking with Rose on the veranda waiting for Tess to arrive with Stevie. He had been alarmed at how quickly he had been able to co-erce the young girl into his car. She was barely more than a child, 12 or 13 he guessed. Too young to be out hitchhiking in the middle of nowhere accepting a lift from a stranger. He was glad it was he who had driven past and not someone who would have harmed her. Where were her parents, the people she knew as her parents? How had they let her come all this way on her own?

He smiled as she chatted away, noticing that she smiled just like Stevie did. He couldnt wait to see the look on Stevie's face when she knew Rose had come to visit. Dave didn't know the whole story, only that Stevie had a child when she was very young, and the child lived with her sister believing that her aunt and uncle were her parents. He had never asked for any more details. Stevie spoke of Rose now and then, and seemed to be looking forward to some future point of reconciliation and happy ending with her daughter. But there were never any concrete plans for Rose to visit or Stevie to visit her. Even so he saw Stevie's eyes light up when she spoke of the girl, and he knew it would make her happy to see Rose.

As he spoke with Rose, he discovered that she had not seen her "aunty Stevie" for quite some time. She chatted away on the drive back to Drovers, telling that she had come looking for her Aunty, whom she had not seen since she was a baby. Rose wondered aloud if her Aunt would be surprised, would she recognise Rose and remember who she was? Dave wanted to assure the girl that Stevie would know who she was, but he felt it best to say as little as possible. It was too easy to put his foot in it. When he had pulled up alongside her he had almost called out her name. He stopped himself in time to realise that this girl he had never met might think it odd that he knew her name, that he recognised her based on a resemblance to her "Aunty" and from seeing her photograph in a locket that Stevie had once shown him. And so he had remained silent, listening to the happy chatter of the young girl. She did not reveal to him why she had come, or come so far alone and he felt it best to leave it to Stevie to deal with it.