Page 20

A few minutes later her breathing had evened out. She opened her eyes as the tyres of a vehicle crunched on the gritty track. She turned to speak to Cecily and Paul, but to her surprise, Graysen was sitting at the end of the table.

Cecily and Paul had moved to a large undercover area with bench seats along three sides and were sitting with Zed and Miska and Maggie. Jodie had parked a four-wheel drive vehicle with the Larapinta Luxury Treks logo beside them. She and Andrew were setting up a trestle table in the middle of the covered area.

‘Sorry, I guess I’m not Cecily’s favourite person. You looked like you were having a bit of a breather, so I stayed quiet.’ Graysen looked up from the lens he was cleaning. The wind was stronger here and a fine layer of dust covered the table.

‘Just resting my eyes . . . and legs. Not to worry, they’re probably hungry and keen to get lunch as soon as it’s out,’ she replied. ‘I found Cecily hard work last night, but hey, live and let live. We can’t all get on with everyone all the time.’

‘A good philosophy.’ Graysen nodded to behind Sandra. ‘Here’s that other pair now.’

She turned. Clive and Jenny had just entered the campsite. ‘That’s a relief.’

‘Are you hungry? They’ve just about got lunch set up.’

‘I am. I’ll just use the facilities and have a wash.’ She couldn’t help shooting him a cheeky grin. ‘Don’t worry. It’s not the company I’m leaving. Nature calls.’

She got a big smile in return. Graysen Hughes wasn’t so bad after all. She’d enjoyed his company on the ridge, but it was clear that he was a private person, and she would respect that.

The facilities were basic but clean, and Sandra rinsed her face and neck in the cool water. Feeling refreshed, she headed back out but there was no sign of Graysen and the other older couple, so she made her way to the undercover area where there was a selection of cold meats, salad, and pre-made baguettes laid out under a small wired net. Best of all was the smell of brewing coffee.

At the far end of the table, white crockery plates and mugs sat beneath a sheer white cloth. Sandra took a mug and poured herself a coffee before collecting a ham and salad baguette and an apple.

The only spare seat was beside Cecily, and Sandra made her way over. She sat down and began to eat, enjoying every mouthful of the fresh roll.

Once she’d finished eating, she dabbed at her mouth with the napkin. ‘How did you go this morning?’ she asked the young woman.

‘It was much easier than I expected. How about you? Did you find it too much?’ Despite Cecily’s innocent words, true to form, there was a sting in the tail.

‘No, it was great, although I must admit to my leg muscles protesting on that climb up the ridge.’

‘You’ll be sore tomorrow.’

‘We probably all will be,’ Sandra said with a smile.

‘Only you oldies will be, Sandy. I can’t believe you’re doing it at your age. My mother would have more sense.’

God, what a rude little bitch.

‘My daughters encouraged me to come. They took me shopping and got me kitted up for the trek. Very supportive.’ Sandra was determined not to let this young woman push her buttons. It had been a good day so far, and she wanted to keep the calm mood she was in.

‘Mad rather than supportive. What would they do if you fell and broke your hip?’

‘The same as your family would do, I imagine, if you fell and broke yours. Oh, here’s Graysen back. Enjoy your walk this afternoon, and be careful.’

Getting the last word in was very satisfying. Sandra was proud of herself. Once she would have curled up and taken whatever was dished out. After Peter’s death her confidence had hit rock bottom. Placing the sandwich wrapping in the bin provided, and the empty coffee mug in the plastic tray, she walked across to Graysen and the Clarks as they stepped off the path from Wallaby Gap.

‘Lunch is out over there. Very nice catering.’

‘Thanks, do yourself a favour and head down the path and have a look at Wallaby Gap itself,’ Graysen said.

‘It’s worth the short walk,’ Jenny said. ‘Unless you’ve had enough walking.’

‘No, I want to see everything I can on this trail. Crazy to walk so far and miss out on the scenery. Enjoy your lunch.’ Sandra bit into her apple as she headed off along the path to Wallaby Gap. The further she moved away from the lunch area, the quieter it became. Eventually, the only sound was the wind whistling through the gap ahead. At least the wind brought the benefit of fewer flies.

Only a couple of hundred metres along the track, she drew a quick breath as the stunning landscape opened out in front of her. A bare-footed rock wallaby sat on a rock above the trail looking down at her for a moment before it hopped away. Ahead of her the silence was suddenly broken by the unique squealing of zebra finches.

Looking for a secluded spot, she spied a large rock and walked slowly towards it as a variety of birdlife sang around her. Another wallaby jumped along the path, and Sandra slipped behind the rock out of the wind, and sat quietly, her back against the warm stone, watching the scene unfold in front of her. She’d read up about the birds and wildlife that could be spotted at each stop on the trail, and was pleased that she could identify the white-plumed honey eaters that skimmed over the water and dipped in for a drink. She recognised the crested pigeons that strutted around the edge of the water, the bright iridescence of their wings glowing in the midday sun. Glancing at her watch, she knew she had time to rest here and enjoy the sights and sounds for a while before they set off for Simpsons Gap and their overnight stay.

Calm stole over Sandra as she enjoyed her solitary view of nature’s performance. But the quiet was soon interrupted.