“I have a bit of a slide show presentation, if that’s okay with you?” River said, pulling a laptop from his bag and setting it on the desk. Drone footage of what looked like an abandoned hotel appeared on the screen.
“This is Staghorn Island. Until recently, it was a bustling, ifsomewhat-run-down, resort island in the Whitsundays, named for the abundance of Staghorn corals in the reef just off the beach.”
Footage of the reef appeared on the screen, vibrant and full of life.
“When Covid hit, and the tourists dried up, the owners couldn’t recover. The resort went out of business and the island was abandoned. It’s been up for sale for eighteen months now, with no one prepared to take on the mammoth task of revitalising the resort.”
The drone zoomed over an emerald-green forest. “Staghorn is also home to some truly unique flora and fauna, found on only a handful of Whitsunday islands.”
My eyes lifted to River. “And you’re showing me this because …?”
River’s eyes met mine, but I couldn’t hold the intense focus in them. I glanced back to the screen as the drone returned to the dilapidated remains of the resort. “Because the price has just been dropped, again, and suddenly a Casino in Vegas—The Bacchanal—is showing interest in developing the entire island into a Greek-themed extravaganza, complete with a resort and casino, a theme park, its own airport and the largest shopping mall in the southern hemisphere.
My lip curled in disgust. “That’s horrendous!”
River leaned forwards, hands clasped in front of him on the table. “My thoughts exactly. Unfortunately, the owners are desperate to sell, to pay off their remaining debts, and the government is seeing dollar signs at the thought of all the pokie tax.”
The mention of pokies sent a sickening lurch through my stomach. I shook my head, unable to form words at the thought of all this beautiful wilderness being cleared for greed and exploitation.
“But,” River continued, his voice trembling slightly. “I convinced the owners to give me a month to find a more suitable buyer for the island. Someone who has the capital, and the wherewithal, to create something that not only respects and harmonises with the fragile ecosystems of the island, but allows tourists to enjoy nature, to appreciate something that should be preserved for generations to come.”
The screen changed again, filled with computer-generated images of small huts nestled between beach and forest, of a beautiful pool surrounded by native palms and ferns.
“I think you’re that man, Henry. I know how much weight you put into creating a carbon-neutral footprint for your business. I know thatyour yacht is state of the art in its green features. And I know that you have the funds available to save this island from greedy developers.”
I shut my eyes, thinking furiously. “So, you want me to buy this island, and restore the resort that was there before?”
River shook his head. “That resort was dated and disharmonious. What we would do would be to remake the island into a true ecotourism destination. Where people could unplug, unwind and get back to nature. A resort that would be able to function completely off-grid, if necessary, and be a blueprint for other developments around the world.”
“This is a massive undertaking. It is truly a noble cause, but I’m not sure I’m the man for the job.”
“I would volunteer my services to run the project,” River blurted, straightening in his chair. “I’d do the whole thing myself, if I had the capital to make it happen. I’ve been raised my whole life on an eco resort, and I’d love to put my name to something else that will benefit future generations.”
“And is your assistance with the marriage license contingent upon me agreeing to this?” I asked sharply. “Because I’d hate to feel like I was being blackmailed by someone who wanted me to go into business with him.”
River shook his head vehemently. “Mate, I’m happy to help you out despite some misgivings about the little workaround you’re planning … all I ask is that you come up with me over Easter weekend to Staghorn. Have a look at it, see for yourself what it could be. Please consider this. I promise it will make money in the medium term. It just needs some TLC, and it needs someone who cares about preserving the habitat too.”
And suddenly, things slid into place in my mind. A remote island, a wedding celebrant on hand. The Easter weekend, which I had promised Irina would be doable for completing this step towards her permanent residency.
“I think we have a two birds, one stone scenario,” I said, reaching my hand across the table for River to shake. “I’ll come up to Staghorn this weekend. If I can bring my fiancée too … and if you agree to marry us while we’re on the island.”
River’s eyes lit up. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”
… the princess gained herself a little shadow. Her brother, Andrei, appeared every morning when she started her lessons with the new tutor—her cousin, Stefan, had bullied the old one out of a job when he’d seen how badly he had treated Andrei.
Andrei sat beside her, often joining in lessons meant for children much older than himself.
The maid charged with his supervision left him for the day, knowing that the princess was more than capable of caring for him. His meltdowns became fewer, although the ones that still happened were extreme, and only the princess could calm him.
The princess resumed her evening trips to the swimming pool, and Andrei followed. He refused to set foot in the water, though, his eyes wide and terrified.
“I was the same before Stefan showed me how to swim,” she cajoled him, pushing away from the edge and swimming a length before returning to him. She’d been watching videos of competitive swimming on the internet and had been practising her freestyle stroke, and she wanted to show her newfound skill off.
Her brother was unimpressed. He glared at the water with mistrust. If some splashed him, he screeched and flapped and she couldn’t go near him to help until she was completely dry, because more water would only make his fit worse.
“How do you wash yourself if you hate water so much?” she asked him.
“I can’t drown in a shower,” he explained, as if she was rather stupid for not having realised this in the first place. She wondered if she should tell him, this little, six-year-old boy, that she’d almost drowned once, and look at her now. That he could be a swimmer, just like her, and wouldn’t have to worry about the waterhurting him.
