Keeping up appearances, p.1
Keeping Up Appearances, page 1
praise for Tricia Stringer
‘“Masterful” gets used a lot in reviews, but Tricia Stringer really is. With Birds of a Feather, she firmly takes her place as one of Australia’s most accomplished writers.’
—Better Reading
‘Warm, sincere and thoughtful, Birds of a Feather is an engaging contemporary novel sure to delight readers, new and old.’
—Book’d Out
‘A good, warm-hearted read with relatable and empathetic characters.’
—Canberra Weekly on Birds of a Feather
‘Birds of a Feather is the latest offering from Aussie favourite Tricia Stringer. Her books always strike a chord with her faithful following. On this occasion, Tricia gives us a multi-generational family drama but with the emphasis on what exactly is family? A fantastic theme to ponder in these new and uncertain times.’
—Great Reads and Tea Leaves
‘A book you can’t put down … Stringer’s skill is in weaving the experiences of different generations of women together, with sensitivity and familiarity, gently showing how context can shape women’s decisions … A moving, feel-good, warm read about strong, loving women … the exact book we all need right now.’
—Mamamia on The Family Inheritance
‘… a polished family saga … all delivered with intelligence, wit and emotion in equal measures … Perfection!’
—Better Reading on The Family Inheritance
‘Tricia Stringer is an intuitive and tender-hearted storyteller who displays a real ability to interrogate issues that affect families and individuals. The Family Inheritance is another gratifying read from Tricia Stringer.’
—Mrs B’s Book Reviews
‘This book is the equivalent of a hot bath or a box of chocolates, it’s comforting and an absolute pleasure to immerse yourself in … If you enjoy well-written family sagas, look no further. The Model Wife is perfect.’
—Better Reading
‘Tricia Stringer’s The Model Wife is a beautiful multi-dimensional family saga.’
—Beauty and Lace
‘Tricia Stringer excels at two things: strong, empathetic characters; and finding an experience or emotion shared by many, then spinning that small kernel of commonality into an engaging novel. The Model Wife is no exception … Stringer’s prose is warm and friendly. She pulls you in with an easy and flowing writing style that quickly has you absorbed by the action. It’s easy to read, but that doesn’t mean it’s shallow.’
—Other Dreams Other Lives
‘[A] heartfelt saga.’
—Herald Sun on The Model Wife
‘I would highly recommend this novel and hope that readers will gain what I have from it. The Model Wife is a beautiful story with familiar challenges and a strength of a family who are connected via their life experiences together.’
—Chapter Ichi
‘A well-written, engaging story of the everyday challenges of life and love … a wise, warm, and wonderful story.’
—Book’d Out on The Model Wife
‘Delivers a gentle satisfaction that makes it a great choice for a lazy Sunday afternoon read.’
—Books + Publishing on Table for Eight
‘A witty, warm and wise story of how embracing the new with an open heart can transform your life.’
—Herald Sun on Table for Eight
‘… a moving, feel-good read … a warm and uplifting novel of second chances and love old and new in a story of unlikely dining companions thrown together on a glamorous cruise.’
—Sunday Mail on Table for Eight
‘A wonderful story of friendships, heartbreak and second chances that may change your life.’
—Beauty and Lace on Table for Eight
‘Stringer’s inviting new novel is sprinkled with moments of self reflection, relationship building, friendships and love.’
—Mrs B’s Book Reviews on Table for Eight
‘… a really moving tale … This truly was a delightful read that left me with that feel-good happy sigh … be enticed by this tale of love and laughter, trauma and tears, reflection and resolution.’
—The Royal Reviews on Table for Eight
‘This winner from Tricia Stringer … is a light-hearted and easy-to-read novel with twists and turns along the way … enjoyable and fun.’
—The Black and White Guide on Table for Eight
‘Tricia has no trouble juggling a large cast and ensuring we get to know and connect with them … captivated me start to finish; if it wasn’t the wishing myself on board for a relaxing and pampered break from reality, it was connecting with the characters and hoping they managed to find what they were looking for. Definitely a book I didn’t want to put down!’
—Beauty and Lace on Table for Eight
‘A heart-warming novel that celebrates friendships old and new, reminding us that it’s never too late to try again … If you enjoy stories that explore connections between people and pay tribute to the endurance of love and friendship, you will love Stringer’s new novel. Table For Eight is a beautiful book … If you’re looking for a getaway but don’t quite have the time or funds, look no further – this book is your next holiday. Pull up a deck chair and enjoy.’
—Better Reading on Table for Eight
about the author
TRICIA STRINGER is a bestselling and multiple award-winning author. Her books include Birds of a Feather, The Family Inheritance, The Model Wife, Table for Eight, and the rural romances Queen of the Road, Right as Rain, Riverboat Point, Between the Vines, A Chance of Stormy Weather, Come Rain or Shine and Something in the Wine. She has also published a historical saga; Heart of the Country, Dust on the Horizon and Jewel in the North are set in the unforgiving landscape of nineteenth-century Flinders Ranges. Tricia grew up on a farm in country South Australia and has spent most of her life in rural communities, as owner of a post office and bookshop, as a teacher and librarian, and now as a full-time writer. She lives in the beautiful Copper Coast region with her husband Daryl, travelling and exploring Australia’s diverse communities and landscapes, and sharing her passion for the country and its people through her authentic stories and their vivid characters.
For further information and to sign up for her quarterly newsletter go to triciastringer.com or connect with Tricia on Facebook or Instagram @triciastringerauthor
Also by Tricia Stringer
Table for Eight
The Model Wife
The Family Inheritance
Birds of a Feather
Queen of the Road
Right as Rain
Riverboat Point
Between the Vines
A Chance of Stormy Weather
Come Rain or Shine
Something in the Wine
The Flinders Ranges Series
Heart of the Country
Dust on the Horizon
Jewel in the North
www.harpercollins.com.au/hq
For Jo and Annabel
Hensley Family Tree
Wilson Family Tree
Contents
Praise
About the Author
Also by Tricia Stringer
The Country Courier
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Fifteen
Sixteen
Seventeen
Eighteen
Nineteen
Twenty
Twenty-one
Twenty-two
Twenty-three
Twenty-four
Twenty-five
Twenty-six
Twenty-seven
Twenty-eight
Twenty-nine
Thirty
Thirty-one
Thirty-two
Thirty-three
Thirty-four
Thirty-five
Thirty-six
Thirty-seven
Thirty-eight
Thirty-nine
Forty
The Country Courier
Acknowledgements
THE COUNTRY COURIER
24 November 1970
There was a spectacular turnout for the Back to Badara celebrations last weekend when more than five hundred past and present residents attended a variety of events over three days. The sunny spring weather gave an extra fillip to the festive mood that existed for the celebrations, which began at the Badara Hall. The hall, which has recently been extensively refurbished, and with the addition of a kitchen and supper room, was officially re-commemorated on Friday afternoon by mayor of the district, Donald Glen.
Mayor Glen spoke highly of the efforts of the Methodist congregation and the wider community to restore and improve the hall for the future use of all people in the district. In particular, he thanked local farmers Mr Arthur Wilson and Mr Jim Hensley for the time they had put in leading the committee, fundraising and carrying out many hours of work themselves. Both the Wilson and Hensley families have been faithful members of the congregation and tireless workers for the community for generations.
The speeches were short and sweet. Mayor Glen then cut a ribbon reopening the hall, trees were planted on the northern side by local schoolchildren, and a time capsule was buried at the rear of the hall to be opened in fifty years.
T
The town was decorated with flags and pennants, adding colour to the Saturday street parade which was led by the South Australian Police Band and ended at the oval where various sporting activities were held. The whole weekend was heralded a huge success.
Photo above: Mayor Glen cuts the ribbon, assisted by committee member Mrs Mary Addicot, as the large crowd throw hats and streamers in the air.
Photo left: Sweet little Briony Wilson presents a posy to Mayoress Beryl Glen before the dinner begins.
Photo right: Mayor Glen, flanked by Mr Wilson (left) and Mr Hensley (right) prepares to bury the time capsule.
one
Present day
It’s not easy to disappear. Hard enough for one person let alone a mother and three children, but Paige believed she’d pulled it off. Sun streamed in through the kitchen window, warming the canary-yellow benchtops where she was slicing fruit for the kids’ after-school snack. She lifted her gaze to the row of brightly coloured geraniums lining the fence beyond the window and allowed herself a smile.
They’d been in the little town of Badara in rural South Australia for six weeks and no-one had come looking for them, and there’d been no unexpected knocks on her door or weird deliveries. She had a new phone and a new number that, apart from the children’s schools, only her best friend Niesha had, plus she’d given it to her parents but they rarely made contact, and Levi’s other grandparents who lived in New Zealand.
It had been hard not to stand out when they’d first arrived. Badara was a town of around three hundred people if you also counted those living on nearby farms. Anyone new was immediately under scrutiny. Naturally the locals had shown interest in the newcomers. Paige knew how to be polite without giving too much away and so far she’d managed to keep people at arm’s length.
The house had been a surprising windfall. She’d had no idea where to hide and Google had come to her aid. Her frantic search for a rental that was both cheap and far from Melton, Victoria, had turned up this fabulous old house, with its large rooms and high ceilings. It came partly furnished, and the best part was the ridiculously cheap rent. After driving for three days, with roadside campouts, she’d been exhausted and the kids cranky and she’d been terrified that she might have dragged them all this way to a non-existent house. In the dull light of that grey afternoon it had looked a bit worse for wear and the garden was part overgrown and part dead, but the house had been true to the photos and her distant landlord’s promise of being weatherproof and liveable.
“Mummy, I’m hungry.”
Levi’s plaintive voice and big imploring brown eyes brought her back to the present.
“Have some apple.” She handed him a quarter of the fruit she’d been doing her best to cut the bad bits out of. That was the only thing that hadn’t changed – the difficulty she had trying to feed her kids. She’d used her meagre savings to move them, and buy the new phone and some extra bits of furniture. It hadn’t left a lot to build up her staples.
“I’m still hungry,” Levi wailed.
She handed him a second piece of apple and put the remains plus another apple and a pear into a bowl.
“We’ll have the rest after we get Kodie.”
“Yay!” The little boy clapped his hands.
Paige strapped him into the stroller and set off to meet her daughter at the school gate. Levi was chanting his sister’s name and kicking his legs in time to the beat.
“Kodie! Kodie!”
The sound of the school bell rang out in the distance. Paige picked up her pace. Luckily it wasn’t very far from their place to the school.
Kodie was already waiting at the oval gate, kicking her foot against the wire of the fence. Paige bit back the command for her to stop. The shoes had been new at the start of the school year. But she could tell from the scowl on Kodie’s face they’d end up in an argument. Pick your battles, she’d been told once by a mum with five kids. It had been good advice.
“Hey, kiddo,” she said instead.
“Kodie!” Levi called.
The scowl slipped from Kodie’s face and she bent into the stroller to hug her brother. She stayed half in, half out tickling him. Levi kicked and laughed. The stroller was a flimsy thing bought at a second-hand shop and the faded material was already ripped in a couple of places.
“Steady up, Kodie,” Paige said.
The little girl gave her brother one last tickle under his chin and stepped back. He tugged off her hat and dropped it to the ground. She stuffed it in her bag. Paige resisted telling her fair-skinned daughter to put it back on her head. Instead, she turned the stroller in the direction of home.
“There’s a newsletter,” Kodie said and handed over a crumpled page. “Some of my class are showing their constructions.”
Paige glanced at the newsletter, which had several smiling kids holding up buildings made from cardboard, pipe cleaners and coloured paper.
“Mine’s not there.”
Kodie’s statement was matter of fact but Paige felt a stab of conscience. She’d asked the school not to include Kodie in any photos that may appear online. Kodie didn’t know that, of course.
Paige glanced over the rest of the newsletter and her eyes stopped at a notice about a fitness group, Tuesdays at the local hall. Now that they were settled she should make the effort to mix more in the community.
“Have a good day?” Paige asked.
“Yes.”
“How did your morning talk go?”
Kodie shrugged and strode ahead. Her little legs might be thin but they were strong. Her close-cropped blonde hair tufted up as if she’d been dragging her fingers through it and her backpack banged against her back with each step.
“Would you like me to hook that on the stroller?” Paige asked.
“It’s not that heavy.”
“I know but…” Paige was silenced by the determined jut of Kodie’s jaw.
A willie wagtail hopped ahead of them singing cheerfully then fluttered up onto a fence as they passed.
“I could walk by myself, you know,” Kodie said, ignoring the little bird that once she would have stopped to admire and talk to. “Jayden does.”
The only thing that had bothered Paige about Badara was that there was no high school so her oldest, Jayden, had a twenty-minute bus trip to Wirini Bay Area School each day. The bus picked up and dropped off the students at the primary school gate. Even though it drove right past their door Jayden had to walk to the primary school to catch it.
She didn’t like that he was so far away from her during the day, but at thirteen he was street smart and knew not to give too much away. She’d also told him the reason for their move – not the real one. She felt guilty making Levi’s grandparents the scapegoats but Jayden would never have come with her otherwise. He was a good kid but he’d dug his heels in at the idea of leaving his friends behind in Victoria. She’d had to come up with something to change his mind.
Ahead of them a car came a bit too fast around the corner and slewed to their side of the road.
“You’re big enough to walk by yourself, Kodie, but it’s the other silly people we have to worry about.” Paige nodded towards the car.
It slowed and continued along the street at a more sedate pace. The young P-plater kept his eyes straight ahead as he passed them.
“That’s Jayden’s friend.”
Paige looked back as the car turned the next corner. “How do you know?”
“He’s been at the playground when we’ve been there.”
The poor excuse for a playground was dirt, with some swings and a small climbing frame. Badara was a pretty little town, nestled between some low hills and a dry creek bed – there were plenty of nice gardens and big trees but like some of the houses and older buildings, the park had been neglected. It was at the other end of the main road that ran past their place. She’d taken Kodie and Levi there not long after they’d moved in. Paige had found the unloved park depressing and hadn’t gone back. It was Jayden who’d offered to take his brother and sister there a few times lately.
It had surprised her. Often helpful with his younger siblings in the past, since the move he’d spent a lot of time on his own in his room. She put it down to him turning into a teenager and having a room of his own at this new house – something he’d never had in the flats they’d lived in most of his life.
