Page 127 of The Side Road
Mia scattered the pile and started flipping the pictures over, right side up, as if she were working on a jigsaw puzzle. ‘What are we looking for?’ she asked.
‘Photos of Elsie with other men.’ It was a sentence Oliver never thought he would utter. ‘If there are dates on the back, we can make a timeline.’
Twenty minutes later, the photos they wanted were in chronological order across the table. The earliest pictures were from 1950, the year Elsie was born, and the latest were from the 1990s.
Oliver pointed to a section of photos from the 1970s and 80s. ‘These are all Elsie and Bob.’
‘If your hunch is correct, then this man is Arthur.’ Mia tapped an image of a man wearing a wide sun hat. ‘There are seven photos of him with Elsie – all from the 1990s. But no names on the back.’
‘Wait here.’ Oliver slipped out the back door. He headed to the garage.
Returning a few minutes later, Oliver held a box of Elsie’s belongings. It was a framed photograph he was after. The one Elsie had kept by her bed. After pulling it out of the box, he unclipped the back and removed the picture. He placed it on the table. For a long moment, they stared at the image. In the background was the old train station. The man, in his forties, wore a blue zigzag patterned jumper. He smiled at the camera.
Oliver turned the photo over.Arthur Ferguson, 1993.‘The year Lizzy was born,’ he said. ‘For the past six months, Arthur’s been roaming around town grieving and trying to get closer to Tash because she’s’—raising his head, he looked at Mia— ‘she’s his granddaughter.’ He was keeping his misguided hunch about Arthur to himself.
‘It certainly looks that way.’ Mia glanced at the picturescovering the table. ‘It feels like we’ve invaded his privacy. We could have picked up the phone and just asked him. He’s in my Saturday Sit & Knit group. He always saves a seat for Tash.’
After Mia forwarded Arthur’s number, Oliver made the call. When Arthur answered, Oliver said, ‘Arthur, this is Oliver – Oliver Overton. I don’t mean to pry, but are you, by any chance, Tash’s grandfather?’
‘Yes, I believe I am. If it’s convenient, I’ll come over. Would that be okay?’
‘Transeasonal,that’s what some people call it. The transition between the seasons can be a difficult time of year,’ Arthur told Tash. With cups of tea, they sat together on the parsonage’s front veranda. Mia and Oliver perched on chairs beside them. Nearby, Mary hung over the railing.
‘You see, it’s the unpredictability of the weather,’ Arthur continued. ‘I lose my rhythm. The change leads to unrest, which leads to deep questions about life.’ Arthur fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a bag of sweets. He offered one to Tash. She accepted.
Mary cleared her throat.
Arthur turned. ‘Didn’t see you there, young lady.’ He offered the bag to Mary. She helped herself.
‘Here are the facts,’ he said. ‘I loved Elsie and she loved me. We fell pregnant and had a baby, your mother. But then I floundered. You see, it was autumn when we found out she was expecting.’
‘What does that mean?’ Tash held out her hand for another sweet, and Arthur obliged. She took two, slipping one into her pocket for later.
‘I was overwhelmed by fear,’ he said. ‘We were bothmarried. We could have had a wonderful life together, but I couldn’t do it. I wasn’t brave enough. Elsie was, though. She was fearless. I loved her very much, but I let her down.’
‘Did she forgive you?’
Arthur smiled. ‘That was not in her nature.’
‘This is a very sad story. Poor Nan.’
‘Indeed.’ He picked up a cup and sipped his tea. ‘Stone cold. Never mind.’
The box of Elsie’s belongings was on the low outdoor table. After staring at it, he said, ‘Ah. I know where the money is. Can’t believe it took me this long. I must be getting old.’
Sliding the box closer, Arthur flicked through the items: framed photographs, Elsie’s purse, handmade lace doilies, andTheVelveteen Rabbitbook. A Bible. He found what he was looking for at the bottom. A set of teaspoons with religious motifs. He placed them on the table and smiled, proud of his discovery.
‘Are you kidding? Two hundred thousand dollars for some old spoons,’ Tash said.
‘Seventeenth-century apostle christening spoons. Sterling silver and hand-engraved,’ Arthur corrected. ‘She bought them from a dealer in Sydney. It’s a complete set, but I told her she paid far too much.’
Dismayed by this news, Oliver rubbed his forehead. When he got a chance, he would check the true value of the spoons.
‘We found a cigarette in Nan’s handbag?’ Tash said. ‘And whisky in the car.’
Arthur smiled. ‘I’m keeping that private. But if you’re finished with the hip flask, I’ll have that back.’
A short time later, Blanche and Leo arrived with Flora. News of Tash’s heritage had spread. Taking seats on theveranda, they gathered around the box that contained the last of Elsie’s worldly possessions. Mary flicked throughTheVelveteen Rabbit, while Mia and Blanche examined the lace-edged doilies. Arthur studied the old photos. Flora had removed the antique teaspoons from their box.
