Chapter 3 #2
The spell was broken by Jen saying loudly, ‘Dan, you’re relieved of child duties. Why don’t you get Augi a drink?’
Augi turned around to find Kate and Lucy looking at her with a smile she didn’t like the look of. They obviously, erroneously of course, believed there was something between Dan and herself. They couldn’t have been more wrong. If only the blush which refused to subside didn’t signal the opposite.
‘Sure,’ said Dan, as if he was equally thrown by his reaction.
He took a few steps up to the verandah towards her.
If Augi hadn’t had the wall behind her, the table to one side, and Kate on her other side, she’d have backed away.
But there was nothing for it except to watch him approach.
She must have betrayed how nervous she felt because he stopped suddenly.
When he reached out his hand for hers, they both had to stretch to meet.
‘Augi,’ he greeted. ‘Glad you could come. I thought—’
‘Kate invited me,’ she said quickly before he could convey his thoughts to everyone here. And, from the warm look in his eyes, those thoughts weren’t for common consumption.
He cleared his throat, raked his fingers through his hair and twisted around, and saw everyone looking. Not that it seemed to worry him. ‘Would you like a glass of wine? Champagne?’ he asked, turning back to her.
‘White wine would be lovely, thanks.’
‘Come and take a seat,’ said Lucy.
Augi nodded, and glanced at Oliver who looked right at home amongst them all.
She couldn’t believe he was sitting as if he were part of the family, as if he had nothing to hide, when he did.
They all believed that the consultation process he had to adhere to would block the development of his brand new hotel, which would be at complete odds with the feel of MacLeod’s Cove. But it wouldn’t.
Question was, should she reveal the information she knew to Lucy now, when it was clear that Lucy and the rest of the MacLeod family were a lot friendlier with Oliver than Augi had anticipated, given the state of play around the Old Colonial Hotel?
Instead of doing anything dramatic she focused on the plate she was holding. She took off the foil cover, to reveal the Greek dessert she’d prepared, and placed it on the table.
‘As I couldn’t get here until after dinner, I thought you might enjoy something from my homeland.’
‘Yum! Thanks,’ said Lucy, taking a cake slice and dividing up the dessert.
The chair which Lucy had indicated for her to take was next to Oliver.
And Augi hesitated as she watched Oliver and Lucy exchange glances which were too warm, too interested, given what Augi knew.
A surge of anger rose up inside of her. She hated injustice, hated it with passion born not only of her nature, but also of what she’d experienced during the last dark days of her life in Greece.
When Oliver looked up at her, Augi suddenly realised that a sense of tension had settled around them, and the conversation had dwindled to a halt.
‘Augi,’ said Kate. ‘Is something the matter?’
‘I’m sorry,’ Augi said to Kate before nodding to Lucy. She hated to cause Lucy pain, but she hated even more that Lucy was being tricked and used by this man. ‘I hadn’t intended…’
‘What?’ Kate responded with a frown.
‘To say what I’m about to say,’ Augi said.
‘I was going to wait, but I can’t.’ She turned her attention back to Oliver.
How he could sit there, his handsome face relaxed as if he had every right to enjoy flirting with Lucy and accepting Kate’s hospitality, she didn’t know.
‘You haven’t told them, have you, Oliver?
’ Her voice surprised even her with its coldness.
His eyes widened and smile dropped. He shook his head. At least he didn’t try to defend himself. He licked his lips, as if giving himself a few more seconds to think. ‘No, I haven’t. I guess you’re going to, though?’
She nodded. ‘It seems I have to. I’ve never liked hypocrisy.’ Icy this time.
Oliver visibly flinched. ‘I’m not —’
Augi raised an autocratic hand and Oliver stopped speaking instantly. ‘Save it…’ — she glanced at Lucy — ‘for Lucy because she needs to hear your explanation, not us.’
‘Explanation for what?’ burst out Lucy, finding her voice at last.
‘For why,’ said Augi, ‘Oliver has moved the goal posts around community consultation.’
All eyes were on Oliver. He looked at each of them in turn, a forced smile resting on his lips as if he was still in control. But he wasn’t. His gaze only faltered when he looked at Lucy, before turning back to Kate.
‘Your friend is correct. I’ve met with both the mayors of Kāpiti and Wellington a few days ago and, subsequently, his team has agreed to a change in the consultation process.’
‘What change?’ asked Kate.
‘A streamlined consultation process has been approved.’
‘A… what?’ said Lucy, her face white with shock.
‘Streamlined.’
‘As opposed to… usual, to normal, to thorough,’ added Augi.
Oliver’s lips tightened. ‘The council want a Wellington development I’m also working on to begin and there were a few things uncovered about the hotel which have allowed the consultation process to be reduced.’
‘Reduced to what?’ asked Kate in a steely voice which Augi had never heard before. Her tone clearly had an effect on Oliver, too. There was no hint of a smooth smile now.
‘Ten working days notification.’
‘And that’s passed,’ she said. ‘What else?’
‘Ten percent engagement threshold.’
‘You can’t have received that yet.’
Oliver winced.
‘You have.’
He nodded. ‘At the public meeting last Monday.’
‘But that was to be the first, of several,’ said Lucy, who had risen from her seat and stood over Oliver, looking down at him like an avenging angel.
‘It was,’ he said, addressing her directly, ‘but not now. There won’t be any more public meetings. I’m only required to have one now. I’m sorry.’
Augi watched as Lucy shook her head, and stepped away, her chair falling back onto the wooden deck with a clatter.
She continued walking on into the house.
Jen rose as if to follow her, but Sam held her hand firmly and shook his head.
Augi couldn’t help but think Sam was right.
Lucy wasn’t the sort of person to want anyone making a fuss of her, or seeing her when she was down.
‘I’m sorry, Kate,’ said Oliver. ‘I shouldn’t have accepted your invitation.’
‘Well, that’s one thing you’ve got right! How could you Oliver? When you know how much it means to all of us, especially Lucy. It’s bound to have a negative impact on her business and all the other businesses in our village. Not to mention changing its character.’
Augi heard Lucy make a sobbing sound — she must have stayed within earshot — before they heard the sound of retreating footsteps.
Kate closed her eyes and shook her head.
‘I should go to her,’ said Oliver, standing up.
Augi half-expected Kate to give Oliver his marching orders but instead she opened her eyes slowly and Augi saw she’d under-estimated Kate.
While Kate might prefer Oliver to disappear off the face of the earth, she clearly understood the extent of her daughter’s feelings for this man, and knew they weren’t about to disappear.
‘Yes you should,’ said Kate. ‘You owe her a proper explanation. She’ll be in the Drawing Room. At the front of the house.’
Augi glanced across at Dan who looked as if he were about to launch himself at Oliver. Augi couldn’t blame him. Kate laid a restraining hand on Dan’s arm as they all watched Oliver follow Lucy into the house.
‘It’s where she always goes when she needs comfort,’ Kate said with a sigh. She glanced at Augi with a weary smile. ‘It was my husband’s favourite place, where he wrote,’ she added by way of explanation.
‘I’m sorry, Kate, my intention wasn’t to…’ Augi shrugged as she trailed off. It hadn’t been her intention to upset anyone, but she’d known it would.
‘Of course you didn’t. And you did the right thing. It certainly didn’t look as if Oliver was about to come clean. So we’re in your debt.’
Augi frowned. ‘I wonder why he didn’t say anything.’
‘Maybe he would have,’ said Jen, sitting back down beside Sam. He put his arm around her and she nestled against him, as if it was where she belonged. ‘Given time.’
‘Are you kidding me?’ exploded Dan. He was still standing. He pointed inside. ‘That bastard—’
‘Daniel!’ rebuked Kate.
‘—was taking us all for a ride,’ Dan continued. ‘Why would he tell us? He doesn’t care about us, about MacLeod’s Cove, about Lucy, about anything other than himself.’
Augi studied his face. He was indignant, angry but controlled. She liked how he was protective of Lucy. And she couldn’t help but agree with his summation of the situation.
‘I think you’re right,’ said Augi. ‘From what I’ve found out about him, at Lucy’s request…
’ She looked around, wanting everyone to know she wasn’t in the habit of looking into people’s backgrounds unless there was good reason.
‘I know that ambition must have been instilled in him from an early age. It’s hard to make an abrupt change after so many years following one path. ’
Dan made a dismissive sound. ‘That man won’t change.’
After they heard Oliver’s car drive away, Augi was dimly aware of Kate’s friends — Megan and Ryan — and Jen and Sam quietly talking as they finished off their drinks and took some dirty crockery into the kitchen.
No doubt Jen had gone to find Lucy while the others slipped off home.
In the end only Kate, Dan and Augi were left at the table.
‘I’m sorry, Augi,’ Kate said looking at Augi’s Greek dessert. ‘We never got round to trying your lovely dessert. I think the party is over sooner than I imagined.’
‘Because of me,’ said Augi. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘You haven’t anything to be sorry about,’ said Dan with a smile which could only be described as tender. Their gazes tangled for a moment.
‘Daniel,’ said Kate rising with a knowing smile, ‘why don’t you show Augi the phosphorescence on the beach we saw last night. It should be stunning in a little while.’
Dan rose. ‘Sure. It’s quite a sight.’
‘I…’ Augi was about to make an automatic excuse to return home, but was stopped by Dan’s expression. How long was it since anyone had looked at her like that? How long since she’d let down her guard with someone?
And there was a part of her that very much wanted that connection now.
She rose with a nod. ‘I’d like that.’