Ghost Gum Valley Read Free Page A

left nothing to Garnet, except Amaru, her sulphur-crested cockatoo that drove father nuts.Mother’s insult reminds me of Shakespeare’s Will – leaving to his estranged wife, Anne Hathaway, his second-best bed.’
    Marmaduke tossed the document on the desk. ‘So what’s the problem, mate?’
    Edwin sighed. ‘This Will isn’t signed, Marmaduke.’
    â€˜But I heard her dictate it. We’ll demand Garnet hand over the original copy.’
    â€˜This is the original. It was immediately written up by Garnet’s manager and returned within the hour for her signature. But your mother had died minutes earlier.’
    Marmaduke’s voice rose in frustration. ‘But I was there. So was Garnet – he was drunk at the time – in one of his manic moods. He’d brought an Irish fiddler to the house to play jolly Irish jigs to cheer up my dying mother, for God’s sake. But Garnet’s had ten years to remember that night and honour Mother’s wishes!’
    â€˜I regret I must act as the legal servant to two masters, Marmaduke. But you can count on me as your friend. Your father insists on sticking to the letter of the law. Challenge him in court if you will but I believe every barrister in Sydney will give you the same advice. Garnet Gamble has the law firmly on his side.’
    â€˜You mean the bastard never intends to hand over Mother’s estate to me?’
    â€˜He will...on condition you return to Bloodwood Hall to sign the deeds face to face.’
    â€˜Face to face? I’d rather kill the conniving bastard!’
    Edwin thumped the table in an uncharacteristic display of aggression. ‘Don’t be a damned fool, Marmaduke. You are his only son and heir. You stand to inherit his whole empire – given you don’t lose your head and sign your own death warrant!’
    â€˜If I killed Garnet Gamble in a duel half of Sydney would applaud me!’
    â€˜I managed to get you off one murder charge for killing a man in a duel because you were a wet-nosed youth of sixteen. But don’t count on me or the law to prevent you swinging on Green the Finisher’s rope if you murder your own father!’
    Marmaduke quietly digested those words until his mood turned to icy calm.
    â€˜I thought I’d felt the full gamut of hatred. For my father and that villain I killed. But I see now there’s no end to Garnet’s manipulation and no end to my hatred.’
    Edwin ran his fingers through his hair and seemed to have aged in the past hour. Marmaduke felt a sting of pity for his friend and hastily assumed a cavalier manner.
    â€˜Forgive me for shooting the messenger, mate. I can see it’s a helluva role playing lawyer to both father and son. Don’t worry. I’ll return to Bloodwood tomorrow and play Garnet at his own game. I’ll talk him into his grave.’
    Marmaduke grabbed Edwin’s hat and jammed it on his friend’s head.
    â€˜That’s enough real-life sturm und drang for one night. You and I are off to enjoy the French chef’s cuisine at the Princess Alexandrina. My treat to celebrate my homecoming. And after we’ve drunk our fill of the new Hunter Valley wines I’ve read about, We’re off to the box I’ve taken at the Theatre Royal. No arguments. They’re giving us scenes from Hamlet tonight.’
    He steered a mildly protesting Edwin out the door and bundled him into the carriage, quoting lightly, ‘“The play’s the thing to catch the conscience of the King!”’
    Beneath the surface of his changed mood, Marmaduke examined his options.
    Unlike the Prince of Denmark I’m not indecisive. If push comes to shove I won’t baulk at murder. They say the second time a man kills is so much easier than the first.

Chapter 2
    De Rolland Park, Gloucestershire, England, December 1832
    â€˜Do I really have to wear this awful corset, Agnes?’ Isabel groaned,