Page 154 of Seduction Under the Southern Stars

It’s just under two hours to Hanmer Springs, and it’s a fine, clear day, perfect for driving. The traffic is slowish in the city, but once we’re on State Highway One it eases up, and Linc can put his foot down a little. The speed limit is only eighty kilometers in most places, so we’re hardly flying along, but the breeze whips across us, tugging at my hair, and Linc’s face is an absolute picture, full of joy. He holds my hand most of the time as we drive, and despite my worries about the upcoming conversation about our future, I thoroughly enjoy myself, with the Canterbury Plains backed by the Southern Alps on our left, and the views of the Pacific Ocean appearing from time to time on our right.

Once we’re over the Waipara River, Linc takes State Highway Seven, and we begin the final part of the drive through the fields and then the Tekoa Range, which is on the fringe of the Southern Alps.

“Do you remember the Maori name of Hanmer Springs?” I ask him as we drive across the fields toward the hot springs.

“Te Whakatakanga o te Ngarahu o te ahi a Tamatea,” he says, the Maori words rolling easily off his tongue, surprising me before I remember that the two of us took about three days trying to memorize it when we were kids. “I can’t remember what it means, though,” he admits.

“Where the ashes of Tamatea’s fire lay,” I reply. “Tamatea was the captain of the canoe Takitimu.”

“Yeah, right, I remember. It’s the perfect place to set a school like Greenfield. So much to do there—all the mountain bike trails, the ski fields, the forests, white water rafting, as well as the hot pools.”

“Do you have fond memories of it, in general?”

“I do,” he says, although he doesn’t elaborate, and he grows quiet again as he turns onto the drive toward the school.

I deliberately haven’t given much thought to our visit on the way here after speaking to Mum, but now the prospect of Linc meeting my father again after all this time has my stomach packed full of butterflies. I’m sure he’s feeling the same, although he doesn’t look nervous. Actually, he looks pumped. His eyes are bright, and there’s a sudden energy around him that’s almost shooting out of his fingers and the tips of his hair. He’s rising to the challenge, excited, I think, to face this dragon from his youth now he has the maturity to deal with it.

Oh God.

He drives through the open gates, then along the long, winding road toward the school. I wonder whether he’s thinking about the last time he traveled this road, in the opposite direction, when Dad took him away. I want to ask, but suddenly I’m too shy and too nervous to broach the subject.

As we reach the fork in the road, he takes the right option, and we curve away from the school with its rugby field and football pitch, its tennis courts and cricket pitches, toward the office buildings. We pass those and head down the hill, go around a small copse of trees, and then the house appears ahead of us, overlooking Chatterton River.

Linc takes a deep breath, then lets it out slowly, his first indication that he’s nervous. He drives up to the house and slides the Aston next to Dad’s Range Rover. Neither Joel’s car nor Fraser’s are here but there is a rather nice Merc, so I’m guessing they flew to Christchurch together and this is a rental.

I’m puzzled as to why they’re here. I don’t know whether it’s a good or bad thing that they’re going to be around when Linc meets Dad. Joel might well be supportive of Linc and try to defend him. Fraser, being older, has tended to be less forgiving, although it was nice to see him give Linc a big hug when he saw him last week.

Linc turns off the engine. Then he glances at me. “Ready?”

I swallow hard. “Do you… um… want to talk about what we’re going to say…?”

“Nah. Best to wing it.”

I roll my eyes as he opens the door and gets out. Of course. God forbid that the pirate should make any kind of plan.

It’s a long, sprawling, one-storey home, with a large living room in the center, and another in the west wing of the house which also doubles as a kind of library and study, which is where Linc and I used to hang out a lot. There are eight bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a huge country-style kitchen. There are always a minimum of three dogs and several cats in the house, and at the moment there’s also a parrot called—somewhat ironically considering Linc’s presence—Jack Sparrow. I love it here, but at the moment I’m too nervous to feel excited about coming home.

We walk up the path and, as we get close to the front door, it opens.

“Hello,” Mum says. She’s in her mid-fifties, and I’m thrilled that her beautiful blonde hair is growing back, and she can now style it, even though it’s still quite short. She’s lost a lot of weight, but she’s regained some of her energy, and her eyes have a sparkle in them now as she surveys the two of us. “Hey, baby girl,” she says as I walk up to her.

“Hi, Mum.” I give her a big hug, then step back as Linc walks slowly up the steps.

“Linc,” she says, coming out onto the porch and holding out her hands. “Oh my God, look at you all grown up.”

“Hey, Mrs. Bell,” he says, taking both her hands in his.

“Oh come on,” she scoffs, “you haven’t forgotten my name, surely?”

“Clementine,” he says, and grins, because he’s obviously remembered that she dislikes her full name. “Clemmie,” he adds then, and she laughs and pulls him toward her for a big hug.

I watch them, overcome with emotion. But Mum was never going to be the problem. She always had a soft spot for Linc—it was one reason why he was at the house so often. She was always making his favorite cakes and biscuits, getting him books out of the library, including him on family trips, and generally treating him no different from her own sons, so it’s no wonder that she’s been more of a mother to him than Nancy.

When she steps back, she takes another look at him, shaking her head. “You’ve grown into a fine man, Linc.”

He gives a short, self-conscious, rather cute laugh. “Thank you.” Then he reaches out a hand and touches her shoulder. “Lora told me you’ve been unwell. I’m so sorry to hear that, and I’m really pleased you’re on the mend.”

“Thank you. It’s been tough, but at least I’ve had my family, which is a lot more than some people have.” Mum gestures inside with her head. “Come on. Let’s get this over with.”

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