The Reluctant Wag

Epilogue


Cal had said he’d call for her after her last lecture of the day, and at three o’clock he picked her up and headed out of town on the Eastern Freeway.

‘Where are we going?’ she asked, covering the hand he kept on the gear-stick with her own.

‘To look at some property I’m thinking of buying. A possible development site.’

She didn’t really care where he took her, just as long as they were together.

Ten minutes later, Cal turned into a road that looked more like a country lane than suburbia and drove for about a kilometre. He finally pulled into a gateway and followed the winding drive until they turned a corner and found themselves in front of the most impressive house she’d ever seen. It was a modern architectural masterpiece in glass, steel, wood and stone.

They got out of the car and stood admiring the house from the outside.

‘It’s absolutely stunning,’ Merise said enthusiastically. ‘It’s a wonderful house. Do you know who the architect was?’

‘It’s a Susannah Burrows house,’ said Cal, referring to one of Melbourne’s leading younger architects.

Merise nodded. ‘I’m not surprised. She’s won so many awards. I’d love to see inside one of her houses.’

‘I don’t think the owner’s here at the moment. He’s selling the twenty acres behind the house to pay for the new build. Let’s go and have a look at the land, shall we?’

As they rounded the corner of the house, the vista opened on to broad paddocks and she realised that the land was beautifully elevated. On one side there was a magnificent view of the Kinglake Ranges and on the other, Melbourne’s striking city skyline; and there, behind a new post and rail fence, stood six miniature ponies.

‘Oh! How utterly adorable!’ Merise cried. She ran over to the fence and the tiny horses trotted towards her and began jostling for a pat. She scratched their heads as she looked out over the rich pasture that ran down to a broad strip of bushland. She could just glimpse the river between the gum trees.

‘Is that the Yarra?’ she asked.

‘Yes. This place has absolute river frontage. It’s a real find.’

‘I’ll say. Isn’t it perfect?’

‘I think so,’ he said. ‘It should be very appealing to buyers at the upper end of the market – people who want a quarter-acre block for a pool, tennis court, triple garage. And there’s plenty of room for a couple of blocks of luxury townhouses over there by the river; maybe a boutique retail development with cafés, restaurants and a health club. There may even be enough space for a central park. We could squeeze a playground in where the ponies are now.’

She turned to him, horrified. ‘What! You can’t be serious! You’re thinking of developing this place? Of ruining paradise? Having McMansions and apartments and cars and . . . and dirty great tin sheds and people tramping all over these tranquil paddocks? I can’t believe it. How could you?’

‘Easy. I’d make a lot of money on a deal like this, and people have to live somewhere. You’ve got to be realistic, Merise.’

She looked utterly forlorn. ‘But it would be such a shame to spoil a place as perfect as this.’

‘Yeah, I thought you’d like it.’ He paused for a minute. ‘I remember you telling me once that you wanted to live close to the city centre, but in a bushy setting, beside the river, with lots of land, and . . .’

‘And a herd of miniature ponies,’ Merise added. She scanned his face for a moment, then asked quietly, ‘who actually owns this place Cal?’

He turned and a slow smile spread across his face. Then he leant down towards her and said softly, ‘I do, actually. But I was hoping it might be ours – all of it – house, land, your little ponies . . .’

‘Cal!’ she gasped in delight. ‘Really?’

‘Now don’t go interrupting me, Merise, let me finish what I have to say. I’ve had to work myself up to doing this.’

‘Sorry,’ she said with mock contrition. ‘Go on, say your piece. I’m listening.’

He cleared his throat and looked gravely into her face. ‘I thought, if this place pleased you, that we might come and live here; that is, if you wouldn’t mind marrying me.’

Her lips parted and her heart thumped in her chest. She took in a shallow breath and expelled a long sigh of mingled delight and relief. But all she could get out was, ‘Oh! Oh really? You mean it? Honestly?’

‘I do. What do you say?’

‘I . . . I . . . um, well . . . ‘

‘Come on, Merise,’ he bantered, ‘you’ll have to be a bit more articulate than that if you want to make it in the Melbourne media. I’m going to need some help paying off the mortgage on this place.’

In response she threw herself into his arms and they stayed there, locked together until he said, ‘One more thing.’ He put his hand in his breast pocket and took out a ring. It was a magnificent oval pink diamond surrounded by white diamonds in an art deco setting. ‘The minute I saw it, I thought it was made for you,’ he said. ‘It’s unique, very beautiful and utterly precious – just like you, my darling.’

Merise looked at it, tears brimming in her eyes, but she was determined not to be overcome. She wanted to enjoy every second of this day.

‘Come to think of it,’ she said as he slipped the ring on her finger, ‘I wouldn’t at all mind being your wife! I’ve started to quite enjoy my newfound notoriety. And I can’t seem to help myself – I love you so very much. So by all means let’s live here. It’ll be the perfect lair for my wild Yarraside Wolf.’

‘Okay,’ he said. ‘Let’s do it.’

‘For the supporters?’ she asked with a challenge in her eyes.

‘No,’ he growled, as he pulled her to him again. ‘For each other.’


The End