CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
Winston Blake rose early Saturday morning he could see lights and activity at the stable facility. He made his way to Freemans Waterhole slowly cruising Gail Flametower's driveway at first light. The lights in the house and stable were on and he was relived that someone was home. He came unannounced purposely as he thought if Jessica knew he was coming she may conveniently be somewhere else embarrassed in Blake's presence. Last time Winston spoke to Gail she told him Jessica had been quiet and withdrawn blaming herself for the disappearance of Flaxmead although Winston had told her he understood her behaviour. He parked directly in front of the house and Gail recognised his car and met him at the door. Gail and Jessica were dressed and having breakfast Winston joined them to Jessica's embarrassment. She became pail looking down at the table into her breakfast her long fair hair hanging beside her checks hiding her face as her mother and Winston entered the kitchen and Winston sat opposite her.
"Winston has come to see us Jessica, butter on your toast and I think one sugar and white coffee as far as I can remember."
"Perfect thanks Gail. I suppose you know Flaxmead has been found and is safe and well."
Gail muddled about the kitchen preparing breakfast for Winston. "Everyone knows about Flaxmead first time we've bought the papers every day just to see if there's anymore about him. We've been to upset to call it's so nice to have you visit how an earth did those children get hold of him there's been no mention of you."
"Well to cut a long story short Jimmy Cotton saved the horse sort of indirectly. The family and children who now have Flaxmead found him on a camping trip and as they packed up to go home managed to contact Cotton as the horse was being mistreated and they objected. Cotton sold the horse to them with a bill of sale from Taggart's stable." Jessica stopped crying looked up rubbing her checks as she listened. "Mr Fields a winemaker bought the horse for his children took Flaxmead home to Pokolbin their neighbour is Graham Harper whom you may know."
"Graham Harper yes he's a vet," said Gail.
"While the children played with the horse they found he could run. The most intriguing thing is the children Dylan nine and Anna twelve have a dream of owning a horse that wins the Melbourne cup. I had a think about things with John Stanton when we found Flaxmead and without them knowing signed the horse over to them. The paperwork was held up as the bill of sale was not signed by the owner so before investigations got carried away I went to RISA and tidied everything up."
Gail put a plate of eggs and bacon in front of Winston and sat down. "Why an earth did you do that Flaxmead will be worth millions."
"These children love Flaxmead because he's their pet. They have no concern about how much he's worth or how much he wins. They just love him he's part of their family. I saw this with my own eyes and didn't want to change it. When I first saw Flaxmead he was playing with some children, seems that's when he's most content and in a far better position to run for the cup than I could muster."
Jessica spoke for the first time in an audible whisper. "Can I see him?"
Winston was trying to eat his breakfast but had too much to say. "That's why I'm here. In the most amazing circumstances the children's father is a winemaker at Loudbark next to Shangri La. We put a stabling facility in at Shangri La for Flaxmead and horses acquired in the area by the owners of Shangri La it was finished only just before he went missing. Flaxmead has become a target for the media and no doubt some elements in the industry. Bob Fields and Graham Harper have been concerned about the affects on the children and Flaxmead. We have had to do some networking within the wine industry and a chance meeting with Loudbark owner Clifford Barking and winemaker Bob Fields to thrash out some business led to Flaxmead being hidden away at Shangri La. He's there right now so is Dylan Anna and Bob Fields. We need a full time strapper to look after Flaxmead at Shangri La in the quarters provided in the stabling facility. I wondered if Jessica would like the job I always had planned for her."
Jessica looked at her mother wide eyed then back at Blake. "What about what I did."
"Making mistakes is how you learn to get things right, I've been making them all my life still do but I think I've got this right. To protect Flaxmead like you did you must love him very much, it was unfortunate you got tangled up with Taggart," replied Blake.
"Mum I can't leave you here by yourself, what about the horses."
"Jessica we have two horses here I'm sure I can handle them myself. Shangri La is just down the road you're hardly going overseas. What's more important is what do you want to do?"
Jessica was silent but began to smile for the first time. "I'd love to do it."
"Then I suggest you get on with it," said her mother.
Blake had been eating some of his breakfast now going cold, he put down his knife and fork and cleared his mouth. "There's one very important thing. No doubt one day the Fields may find out I had Flaxmead before them but they may not. All they know is you have done some work for the owners of Shangri La moving horses around for them; nothing is to be said of Flaxmead. For the record this will be the first time you see him. I'd like to take you to see the Fields while they are at Shangri La today."
Jessica nodded and threw her hair back over her shoulders her green eyes began to sparkle. "Okay I'd love to."
Jessica accompanied Blake to Shangri La Blake giving more circumstantial information on the way arriving mid morning and hoped she would become acquainted with Bob Anna and Dylan. Harper was due at six in the evening and he hoped to know by then if the personal chemistry would work between them. He felt this was important as the venture was heartfelt. There's nothing like a horse in the countryside to bring the best out in youngsters. Jessica and Winston walked from the Shangri La car park to the stable facility where Bob Fields and his children were trying some light lunch in the facility kitchen they had been up since dawn. Blake introduced Jessica as they interrupted lunch sitting her down at the fold away table.
"Ahh just in time for lunch this is Jessica she's come to have a look round."
"Hello Jessica," was the harmony reply.
Bob Fields shook her hand, "I'm Bob this is Anna and Dylan."
"Hi pleased to meet you," was the reply from Jessica.
"Do you like horses," asked Anna.
"No I love them," replied Jessica.
"We have the fastest horse in all the world he's our pet called Flaxmead," added Dylan.
"So I hear I can't wait to see him," added Jessica.
"He's going to win the Melbourne Cup," said Anna.
"I saw him in the newspaper," said Jessica.
"Would you like to see him I've had enough to eat," said Anna.
"I would love to see him," replied Jessica. They made their way to the stable where the top half of Flaxmead's stable door was open. Flaxmead caught the drift of a familiar scent, Jessica and reacted by shaking his head up and down snorting and grunting as Jessica rubbed the centre of his forehead and side of his neck.
"Well he certainly has taken to you Jessica," said Bob. "Like he knew who you were."
"He knows he need not fear me, they know more than we imagine," replied Jessica. "Can I get him out?"
"Yes get him saddled and put Anna and Dylan on his back. Walk him to the open paddock through the vines they'll show you where it is over the rise," suggested Bob.
Winston and Bob watched Jessica saddle Flaxmead by the saddle rail covered with an open sided roof like a big free standing carport between the stable cubicles the wash down pad under the same roof at the other end. Jessica helped Anna and Dylan onto Flaxmead's back and they headed off with Anna giving directions sitting on the front. Bob and Winston satisfied things were going fine retreated to the kitchen to talk wine marketing details. Through the grape vine if you'll pardon the expression, the word was out on extra tonnage required by Loudbark and enough tonnage of fruit had been found to fill upcoming orders. It was agreed that the grapes would be split fifty fifty giving both facilities a realistic workload in the remain
ing harvest time and an even keel of marketing the finished wines. These wines of extra order would not be available until harvest next year and careful blending by the winemakers would be essential to maintain pallet standard and quality. With cooperation they believed the goals were realistic but should the partnership fail the whole plan could fall over. There was however a horse that had drawn them close together and talk of a Flaxmead cup vintage held goals beyond the normal realms of winemaking.
The day moved on and Jessica Anna and Dylan were shown around the wine making complex. Bob Fields found it interesting as he had not seen the facilities at Shangri La before and pointed out some improvements that he thought may help. He also noticed some things that could be used to develop Loudbark's systems but retain tradition. By the time Graham Harper arrived Jessica had already become part of the furniture always with Anna and Dylan laughing and in some cases mothering the pair. Harper summed up the situation for a while then discreetly discussed the way forward with Winston and Bob. They retired to the kitchen in the late evening light their conversation drowned out under the gums at the dam by a flock of squawking Corella parrots in for a drink before going to roost. The hundred plus throng a cascade of white against the blue sky as they circled then gradually filled the limbs of the ghost gums.
"Do you know if Jessica can start this week?" Graham asked Winston.
"I need to take her back and see her mother but I would say yes," replied Winston.
"Well if we are all in agree to having Jessica here the plan for Flaxmead will take a big step. Flaxmead has generated enough income to pay for Jessica but my horse float is not good enough transport any further than Newcastle, we need a float with living quarters."
"I can't afford anything like that Graham," said Bob Fields.
Blake had already looked into buying a float of his own and gone as far as looking at one he thought would do the job. He used the cloak of his eccentric friends to fill the gap. "I have access to one. Shangri La owners Wilson Hornswaddle and Bartholomew Fothrington have one sitting around to transport horses they deal in. I manage all that and can have it stationed here."
"How big is it?" asked Graham.
"Now let me think. Cab integrated seats six with walk through rear access. Hino chassis, auto trans, sleeps four, hydraulic loading ramps, air conditioned including horse cubicles, full kitchen, vet facility...."
"Hang on how much did this thing cost?" asked Bob.
"Em, half a million dollars," replied Winston.
"Half a million jeepers' creepers we can't afford that!" shouted Bob.
Winston remained calm. "Well it can sit around and do nothing or we can use it."
"Where did these blokes get half a million to spend on a horse float that sits around and does nothing?" asked Bob somewhat calmed.
"Same place they acquired the rest of their billion dollar fortunes they go where no one fears to tread," replied Winston.
"These are the guys who flogged off all the wine they didn't have?" asked Bob.
"Yes but they had faith in the people round here to come up with the goods and they proved to be right, you happen to be one of them Bob," said Winston.
"Oh yeah sorry," added Bob.
Harper had been too busy watching the show and chuckling to himself to say anything. "When can you get it here?" asked Graham.
Blake wasn't shore it was some months past when he had looked into it and one was available so took a gut feel punt. "By the end of next week."
"Okay were off to Rose Hill and Randwick in Sydney. I'll enter Flaxmead in a few races there if he does what I think he's going to do well be in Melbourne in a couple of months. Hell have em hopping around then. I'd like to take my horse Flushing Meadow as well if that's okay with you Winston, If I'm going to do it may as well do it big."
"You have a runner?" asked Winston.
"Yes Flushing Meadow she can't run Flaxmead down but she's not far off. Time I gave her a chance to see what she can do." replied Harper.
Winston shrugged his shoulders with a smile on his face. "Off course."
"I'll have a plan by the end of the week, may run Flaxmead at Newcastle next week to get him up a class but I need to think this out now. With Jessica as full time strapper that'll make a lot of difference and gives us more options. As soon as I have a plan I'll see what you think," said Harper. Anna and Dylan burst in and the meeting was over.
Winston took Jessica back to her mothers and arranged for her to be at Shangri La for Sunday night when Anna and Dylan returned home to prepare for school the coming week. Another option was discussed with Gail Flametower to occasionally run Flaxmead at her training track should it become necessary. Winston returned to Shangri La to chase a horse float that may not exist.