Read Online In the Shadow of the Trees by Elenor Gill - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Elenor Gill
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hand around the place. It’s just till she gets back on her feet, then I’ll be off again.’
‘I gather the Sullivan family’s been here forever.’
‘Since the early days. Michael Sullivan came over in the eighteen hundreds and bought up acres of land. An old family, from Ireland apparently. Very wealthy. Not that it’s brought them much happiness.’
‘Was that his monument in the graveyard? Big marble thing? Looks like the obelisk out of Space Odyssey? ’
‘That’s him. The old man himself. He’s quite a legend in these parts. Opened up a lot of this area for farming. There’s quite a few Sullivans up there with him.’
‘I gather a lot of the women died young.’
‘Yes, well I suppose they did in those days. Though they do seem to have had more than their share of bad luck. But you don’t want to believe everything—you know how people love to make a drama out of nothing. I suppose it was the way she died.’
‘The way who died?’
‘Anne Sullivan. That was his wife. He met her after he came here.’
‘What happened to her?’
‘One day she went out riding and never came back. Fell fromher horse apparently and struck her head. They say she bled to death. That’s all I know really. It was up in those hills around the lake. They say that bush area still has a strange feel about it. Haven’t been up there myself. But that land’s never brought them any luck in all this time.’
‘What, you mean it’s haunted or something?’
‘Not sure I believe in that sort of thing. Just a story hereabouts. I suppose every place has its ghosts and ghouls, you know, stories to frighten the kids. We were always told not to go near the Sullivan land or Anne would be after us. I guess it was just a way of stopping us young ‘uns from trespassing. You never knew how Old Man Sullivan would react.’
‘Really? Doesn’t seem the sort to go scaring kids.’
‘Oh, not him. I mean his father, Tom Sullivan. Died a few years back now. Grumpy old bugger he was, wouldn’t let anyone near the place.’
There was a burst of laughter from the other end of the bar. Then singing, one of the men making a poor imitation of Rod Stewart.
‘Hey, wake up Maggie, I think I’ve got something to say to you… ’
‘Don’t you think that joke’s wearing a bit thin, Jack?’ Maggie called back.
‘Don’t let me keep the men from their beer,’ I said, grabbing a handful of paper serviettes to wipe the mayonnaise off my sleeve.
‘Right now I think they’re more interested in you,’ she whispered. ‘Back in a mo.’
She moved away, swinging her hips and smiling dutifully. There was quite a bit of laughing and elbow nudging. Maggie pulled the beers and flirted and they rose to the bait, as those sort of men do. She was so good at it I almost felt sorry for them. I certainly felt sorry for anyone who dared put a hand out of place. They kept looking in my direction. I had finished my sandwich andstarted on the second beer when she came back.
‘Idiots,’ she smiled indulgently. ‘I told them you were the new Avon lady and we were discussing the latest lip gloss. I think they actually believed me. I doubt they could raise a dozen brain cells between them. Now, what were we talking about?’
‘You were telling me about the Sullivan family.’
‘Not much to tell. There were just the three of them, old Tom, then his son John Sullivan and young Jason.’
‘What about Jason’s mother and the grandmother?’
‘Who knows? There’s always been rumours. But that’s more to do with them being so isolated. You know what people are like. And you won’t get much out of the Sullivan men.’ She hesitated, picking up another glass. ‘How is Jason, by the way? Haven’t heard from him for a while.’ It was the way she avoided looking at me that told it all.
‘He was fine the last time I saw him. And,’ I waited until she turned, then looked her straight in the eye, ‘I expect it will be a while before I see him
‘I gather the Sullivan family’s been here forever.’
‘Since the early days. Michael Sullivan came over in the eighteen hundreds and bought up acres of land. An old family, from Ireland apparently. Very wealthy. Not that it’s brought them much happiness.’
‘Was that his monument in the graveyard? Big marble thing? Looks like the obelisk out of Space Odyssey? ’
‘That’s him. The old man himself. He’s quite a legend in these parts. Opened up a lot of this area for farming. There’s quite a few Sullivans up there with him.’
‘I gather a lot of the women died young.’
‘Yes, well I suppose they did in those days. Though they do seem to have had more than their share of bad luck. But you don’t want to believe everything—you know how people love to make a drama out of nothing. I suppose it was the way she died.’
‘The way who died?’
‘Anne Sullivan. That was his wife. He met her after he came here.’
‘What happened to her?’
‘One day she went out riding and never came back. Fell fromher horse apparently and struck her head. They say she bled to death. That’s all I know really. It was up in those hills around the lake. They say that bush area still has a strange feel about it. Haven’t been up there myself. But that land’s never brought them any luck in all this time.’
‘What, you mean it’s haunted or something?’
‘Not sure I believe in that sort of thing. Just a story hereabouts. I suppose every place has its ghosts and ghouls, you know, stories to frighten the kids. We were always told not to go near the Sullivan land or Anne would be after us. I guess it was just a way of stopping us young ‘uns from trespassing. You never knew how Old Man Sullivan would react.’
‘Really? Doesn’t seem the sort to go scaring kids.’
‘Oh, not him. I mean his father, Tom Sullivan. Died a few years back now. Grumpy old bugger he was, wouldn’t let anyone near the place.’
There was a burst of laughter from the other end of the bar. Then singing, one of the men making a poor imitation of Rod Stewart.
‘Hey, wake up Maggie, I think I’ve got something to say to you… ’
‘Don’t you think that joke’s wearing a bit thin, Jack?’ Maggie called back.
‘Don’t let me keep the men from their beer,’ I said, grabbing a handful of paper serviettes to wipe the mayonnaise off my sleeve.
‘Right now I think they’re more interested in you,’ she whispered. ‘Back in a mo.’
She moved away, swinging her hips and smiling dutifully. There was quite a bit of laughing and elbow nudging. Maggie pulled the beers and flirted and they rose to the bait, as those sort of men do. She was so good at it I almost felt sorry for them. I certainly felt sorry for anyone who dared put a hand out of place. They kept looking in my direction. I had finished my sandwich andstarted on the second beer when she came back.
‘Idiots,’ she smiled indulgently. ‘I told them you were the new Avon lady and we were discussing the latest lip gloss. I think they actually believed me. I doubt they could raise a dozen brain cells between them. Now, what were we talking about?’
‘You were telling me about the Sullivan family.’
‘Not much to tell. There were just the three of them, old Tom, then his son John Sullivan and young Jason.’
‘What about Jason’s mother and the grandmother?’
‘Who knows? There’s always been rumours. But that’s more to do with them being so isolated. You know what people are like. And you won’t get much out of the Sullivan men.’ She hesitated, picking up another glass. ‘How is Jason, by the way? Haven’t heard from him for a while.’ It was the way she avoided looking at me that told it all.
‘He was fine the last time I saw him. And,’ I waited until she turned, then looked her straight in the eye, ‘I expect it will be a while before I see him
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