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A month before he died, Heath spent a pleasant dinner with his father and older sister Kate at an Indian restaurant in Fremantle, a port city near Perth. "He was joking around and having a good time," recalls Gurps Bagga, owner of Maya restaurant. "He was enjoying his family's company."
Appearing unscathed by rumors of another sibling Down Under, Ledger's daughter has been living with Williams at the home the couple once shared in New York City. "She's a loving, strong mother," says Michelle Vella, a designer who worked with Williams. "Her priority and her love is Matilda." A close friend of Heath's now hopes the rest of Ledger's family can move forward as well. "One thing Heath wanted," says a close friend, "was to keep things private."
• By Brenda Rodriguez. Melenie Ambrose in Perth, Helen Martin and Marianne Bilkey in Sydney, Louise Talbot in Melbourne and Lesley Messer, Alyssa Shelasky and Mary Green in New York
