Inheritance by Kate Loveday

drive, lined with tall palms, led to an imposing modern stone building with steps leading up to a wide entrance. To one side of the building was a car park, almost full.
    An attendant showed them to a parking spot and appeared alongside them as they alighted.
    ‘Good morning, ladies. Please follow this path to the back of the building and join the other guests.’
    They rounded the end of the building and saw a colourful scene in front of them.
    Trees and palms surrounded a large green lawn, scattered with tables and chairs and sheltered from the sun by large umbrellas. Beyond that was a large pool, already in use. Groups of casually dressed men and women stood about, chatting, while others relaxed at the tables. Bikini-clad females reclined, soaking up the sun on brightly coloured lounges around the pool.
    Waiters with trays of drinks moved among the crowd. Overall was a buzz of voices, punctuated by laughter and splashing from the pool.
    ‘I told you it’d be posh,’ Rosie murmured as they made their way over the grass. ‘Waiters and all.’
    Mark excused himself from a nearby group and came to greet them, his face lighting up as he caught sight of them ‘Hello. I’m pleased to see you both.’ His smile lingered on Cassie as he held out both hands to grasp one each of theirs. Cassie returned his smile and the pressure of his hand.
    ‘And both looking lovely.’ His admiring glance slid over Cassie’s simple but striking ankle length sheath of red printed batik and Rosie’s brief blue shorts and top.
    Cassie looked around. ‘I didn’t realise it was to be such a big party. And how different this all looks to the last time I saw Binbin. You’ve created quite a paradise here. I’m absolutely in awe.’
    ‘Do you like it?’
    ‘Yes, it’s beautiful. But it’s so…so grand. Is this how you always live?’
    ‘Not at all. This is for business. I live in the old homestead. Suits my tastes much better.’
    ‘But what’s all this for?’ asked Rosie, waving her arm as she looked round. ‘Cattle buyers don’t usually get this sort of hospitality. Come to mention it, I don’t see many cattlemen around. They’re not usually as glamorous as this bunch.’
    ‘You’re right, Rosie, there aren’t a lot of cattle men here. You’ll find out what it’s all about soon. Now, can I get you a drink?’ He gestured to a passing waiter. ‘Champagne all right? Or would you rather have something else?’
    ‘Champagne’s fine.’
    Mark took two glasses from the tray for them.
    ‘Come and I’ll introduce you round. You may already know some, but there’ll probably be others you haven’t met.’
    They approached the group he had been standing with as they arrived.
    ‘I’d like you all to meet Cassandra Taylor and Rosie Hanson, my neighbours. This is Stella Hardwick,’ he gestured to each one as he named them, ‘Gary Murphy, Ian and Rachel Walker and my brother Laurence, who’s come up from Sydney specially to be here today.’
    After the greetings, Cassie turned to Laurence, who stood next to her. Mark’s brother bore little resemblance to him, apart from his colouring. A tall stringbean of a man, his thin face had deep groves running from nose to mouth, and his keen eyes of flinty grey looked as if they missed little as they regarded the world.
    ‘It must be a special day, to bring you all this way,’ Cassie remarked.
    ‘It is indeed.’ Laurence paused then continued smoothly, ‘Cassandra, now that’s a delightful name.’
    ‘It’s a bit of a mouthful. Please call me Cassie.’
    He nodded. ‘Neighbours, Mark said. Does that mean you live on the cattle station next door?’
    ‘Yes, we live on Yallandoo and, yes, it is next door.’
    At these words Stella Hardwick placed her hand on Mark’s arm and turned to him. ‘Yallandoo Station? Isn’t that one of the other properties you’re going to buy, Mark?’ She gazed up at him enquiringly as she asked the question. Cassie frowned and stiffened at the