NOT AT ALL AUSTRALIAN

"Have you been here long?" Claire asked Cort. They'd paused by a split rail fence and were leaning their arms on it, looking out across the fields.

"As long as I can remember," he replied, tipping his chin up a bit as he said the words.

"That long? I was given to understand the Meridiuses were fairly new to the valley. Were you born here then?"

"They are fairly new," he said. "I don't know about the rest?"

"You don't...? What do you mean?"

He turned to face her. "I don't know. Plain and simple as that. I don't know."

"You don't know if you were born here? Is that what you're saying?"

His eyes shifted toward the side. "I find this mighty awkward, Miss Claire."

"Please don't," she hurried to say. "I didn't mean to pry into your affairs, truly I didn't."

"I don't take it as pryin', Miss Claire. 'Specially not from you."

"Is...is there some problem, then?"

"With me, Miss Claire. Only with me."

No one had ever called her Miss Claire before and the way he went about it in that quiet, respectful way of his, touched something in her. "I'm sorry, Cort. It's not my business."

He looked back at her with open, frank eyes. "I wish it was."

"What do you mean?"

"I guess I mean I wish I knew whose business it was."

"I don't understand."

"Makes two of us," he said, smiling wryly.

"Please, Cort...."

"I'm sorry. I'm not used to it is all. Or maybe I am. That's somethin' else I don't know."

"What do you know, Cort?"

"I know this place is in Australia and that it's owned by good, decent folks. That's it."

"That's all you know?"

"Pretty much the sum of the thing, yes."

"But...."

"Sorry, Miss Claire. I know you just met me and I shouldn't be goin' on about this. Not right. Just not right and you have my apologies."

"Cort, I have no idea what you're apologizing for. I certainly don't feel like you owe me one. Not at all. You live here and this is my very first visit. You haven't done a thing except take time out from your work to show me around. I just wish...."

"What, Miss Claire?"

She smiled. "I wish I knew what you were talking about."

"Doesn't really make all that much never mind," he shrugged. "I'm here. Not much more to the thing than that."

"Do you like it here?" She found she didn't want to end their conversation, didn't want to go back to her car and leave, so she asked the first thing that popped into her mind.

"I like it fine, especially the horses. I think I must know a thing or two about horses."

"You think...? Cort, don't you know?"

"No, Miss Claire, I don't actually know. Just seems to come kind of natural, what they like, how to handle them. And East, he's the guy lives in the barn, tends to the groomin' and the shoein', he fills me in on what the General likes done with his horses."

"The General?"

"Yes, Mr. Meridius. He's a general...or was. Guess he still is pretty much. Guess once you are, you always are. Cavalry, over in Europe. Couldn't ask for a finer man to take you under his wing."

East came out of the barn and signaled when he saw Cort. "Well, Miss Claire, nice to meet you but it looks like I've got to be goin' now. I sincerely hope to see you again." He gave her a shy smile and loped off down the lane.

"Cort." She repeated his name softly as he neared the barn. "An unusual name for an unusual man."  Definitely not like the local boys she'd known in the area. And his accent was not at all Australian.

Joimus' customers were just loading the last of five small shrubs in the trunk of their car when Claire arrived back at the front of the greenhouse. "Cort give you a better idea of the outside portions of the nursery?" she asked.

"Yes, he was a good guide," Claire smiled. "Does he help out at the Greenery often?"

"Quite a lot. It's been good to have his help the last several days."

"He hasn't been here long then?"

"Just a few days, Claire, that's all."

"Hmmm? I asked him about that and he said he didn't know how long he'd been here. Said it was for as long as he could remember."

"That's true, Claire, it is for as long as he can remember."

At her puzzled look, Joimus added, "He has amnesia, Claire. Maximus found him in one of our fields a few days ago. He doesn't remember a thing."

Claire shot a quick look toward the barn, her mouth forming a silent Oh! "So that's what he meant. I didn't understand." She looked back at Joimus. "But his name. He knows his name."

"Not really," Joimus sighed. "He had a little Bible in his pocket with Reverend Cortland Wells written inside. We don't know for sure, but we believe that's who he is."

"A pastor?"

"Yes. It actually has come to seem more likely than not."

Claire turned away, staring intently at the place just outside the distant barn where Cort was talking with another man. "Oh, my goodness," she breathed.