“But why wouldn’t they have moved it into the shed with the rest of them before they closed the cellar?” Ed asked.
“We could see if there’s anything in Charlotte’s journals,” Tess suggested.
“Yes!” Lara said, leaping to her feet. “Where are they?”
“In my room. Do you want to help me get them?” Tess asked.
Lara nodded and tucked her hand into Tess’s. “This is so exciting. I’m so glad you came.”
Tess’s heart squeezed at the little girl’s acceptance of her. “Me too.” Her gaze caught on the backpack her mother had bought her before she’d come to Australia. Her mother would be horrified about her climbing into dusty cellars and being so involved in what was private Stokes business. She sighed. Her mother was probably anxious she hadn’t called. It was time Tess toughened up and faced her.
She needed answers.
Chapter 19
Ed took the journal Tess handed him, and soon there was silence as they all tried to decipher Charlotte’s scratchy, hard to read handwriting. Her displeasure about the dust, the isolation, and her three children who wouldn’t behave was clear, and he felt sorry for his grandpop. “Not a happy woman.”
“I don’t remember her,” Darcy said. “She was what—our great grandmother?”
“Yeah,” Brandon said. “I have only vague memories of having to be quiet and behave myself when she visited. Our grandparents brought her up here.”
“Are they still alive?” Tess asked.
Ed shook his head. “Grandpop died of cancer before I started uni, and Nanna died not long after. They lived in Perth.”
“Dad said Grandpop never liked the station, which is why he was happy for Dad to take over as soon as he was old enough,” Darcy said.
“If he was locked in the cellar regularly, I can understand why he had such awful memories,” Faith said.
Ed didn’t have many memories of his grandparents. They’d visited less than once a year, and his Grandpop had always been sombre. But now it made sense. He would have associated this land with a crappy childhood. Ed was surprised he hadn’t sold it the moment he inherited, but maybe by then, Bill had fallen in love with the land.
“Charlotte mentions the mess in the cellar here,” Amy said. “All sorts of old rubbish; trunks, papers, clothes. Her plan is to burn the lot.”
Tess stiffened beside him as Amy flicked through the pages to find out what happened. “Her husband forbade it, but she says she’ll wait until he’s away for a few days, and do it anyway.”
“What a witch,” Lara exclaimed.
Ed chuckled and nodded.
Outside, a car pulled up, and Matt stood to unlock the kitchen door. Georgie hurried inside, frowning at Matt holding the door open for her. “What are you doing?”
“Being a gentleman.”
She grunted and continued inside, her eyes darting to the trunk, and then to her family. “Someone better tell me what’s going on.”
“We went through the trunks in the shed,” Ed told her. “Found some journals which Tess read, and she saw reference to a cellar. So we pulled up the lino in the laundry and found a hatch.”
“I want to see for myself.” She disappeared into the laundry, and Matt trailed after her.
“Don’t you go locking me in here,” Georgie told him.
“I wouldn’t dream of it, Freckles.”
Ed grimaced. It was just as well Charlie had never known about the cellar, otherwise he would have tricked them in there, and then switched off the light. Ed closed his eyes. But Charlie also would have come up with the most amazing adventures revolving around the cellar as well. He’d always had the best imagination. Ed smiled. He’d forgotten that.
A few minutes later, Georgie was back. “That’s so cool.”
“Can we open the trunk now?” Lara pleaded.
