way now and there would be no more diversions en route.
Chapter 7
By the time Meriel had parked her car and walked through Perth's central business district to her office, the wind had blown her hair into a tangle. She sighed as the lift stopped at several other floors on the way up to the eleventh. It seemed to get slower every day.
Outside the glass doors that led into her firm’s new office suite she hesitated, then turned aside into the ladies' room to fix her hair, wishing yet again that it wasn’t so fine it flew all over the place. She combed the shoulder-length strands slowly, finding the action relaxing. She was feeling rather tense today because this afternoon she’d be taking the final examination of the whole course.
She grimaced at her image. ‘Aren’t you the perfect little executive, Meriel Ingram? Pity your mother can’t see you now.’ Navy suit and cream blouse, just the sort of thing a rising young accountant was expected to wear.
When she went into her office, the feeling of irritation intensified. She couldn’t understand what had got into her today. She knew she’d pass the exam, for heaven’s sake, so it wasn’t nerves. Before she even had time to sit down at the desk, she looked up to see Rosanna.
‘Hi, Meriel!’ Her friend’s smile faded. ‘Hey, you look angry. Is something wrong?’
‘What? Oh, sorry, Rosanna. No, nothing's wrong. I'm just feeling a bit – oh, I don't know, disorientated. It's my final examination this afternoon and I can’t think what I’ll do with myself next year. I'm going to miss going to classes.’
‘Most people are glad to get their studies over with.’
‘Well I am too, in a way. But I’ve enjoyed meeting people and encountering new ideas, even being forced to try new media and methods.’
‘I came to wish you luck.’
‘It's not luck that passes examinations, but hard work.’
‘Hey, don't bite my nose off.’
‘Sorry.’ Oh, dear, she’d sounded just like her mother then. She’d have to watch that.
Rosanna came forward to perch on a corner of the desk and lean over confidentially. ‘You've seemed a bit down for a week or two now. Anything I can do to help?’
‘Thanks but no. I’m sure I’ll feel better once this exam's over.’
But would she? The more Meriel studied, the more boring she found her work as an accountant. The high-rise block seemed like a prison with its stale air, artificial lighting and pinging lifts.
In the evenings she would try to paint or draw, but was often too tired to produce anything worthwhile. Only, you had to earn a living, didn’t you? Stand on your own feet and all that. So what other choice did she have?
And at least the people she worked with were great. That helped a lot. She forced a smile. ‘I’m all right, really I am.’
Rosanna patted her shoulder. ‘When this exam is over you should get out more, meet a few new people. I could fix you up with a date. I have this cousin – he’s been working over in the eastern states, but he’s back in Perth now. I think you’d like him and – ’
‘No, thanks! I’ve got a full and interesting life. It isn’t obligatory to have a man, you know.’
‘It’s nice, though,’ Rosanna’s voice became more gentle and a tender smile crept over her face.
‘Things still going well with Karl?’
‘Mm-hmm. Are they ever! He's great, the kindest guy I’ve ever met.’ She grinned. ‘Even if he isn't a nice Italian boy!’
‘Is your mother still complaining?’
Rosanna shrugged. ‘She's getting used to him, especially since he started bringing her flowers. I told him that’d help.’
‘I'm really glad for you.’
When her friend left Meriel told herself to focus on the bright side. She had just received another commission to do a book cover illustration because the publisher had been very pleased with the first one she’d created for them.
She loved that sort of work. It was a challenge to get the right message across on the
Chapter 7
By the time Meriel had parked her car and walked through Perth's central business district to her office, the wind had blown her hair into a tangle. She sighed as the lift stopped at several other floors on the way up to the eleventh. It seemed to get slower every day.
Outside the glass doors that led into her firm’s new office suite she hesitated, then turned aside into the ladies' room to fix her hair, wishing yet again that it wasn’t so fine it flew all over the place. She combed the shoulder-length strands slowly, finding the action relaxing. She was feeling rather tense today because this afternoon she’d be taking the final examination of the whole course.
She grimaced at her image. ‘Aren’t you the perfect little executive, Meriel Ingram? Pity your mother can’t see you now.’ Navy suit and cream blouse, just the sort of thing a rising young accountant was expected to wear.
When she went into her office, the feeling of irritation intensified. She couldn’t understand what had got into her today. She knew she’d pass the exam, for heaven’s sake, so it wasn’t nerves. Before she even had time to sit down at the desk, she looked up to see Rosanna.
‘Hi, Meriel!’ Her friend’s smile faded. ‘Hey, you look angry. Is something wrong?’
‘What? Oh, sorry, Rosanna. No, nothing's wrong. I'm just feeling a bit – oh, I don't know, disorientated. It's my final examination this afternoon and I can’t think what I’ll do with myself next year. I'm going to miss going to classes.’
‘Most people are glad to get their studies over with.’
‘Well I am too, in a way. But I’ve enjoyed meeting people and encountering new ideas, even being forced to try new media and methods.’
‘I came to wish you luck.’
‘It's not luck that passes examinations, but hard work.’
‘Hey, don't bite my nose off.’
‘Sorry.’ Oh, dear, she’d sounded just like her mother then. She’d have to watch that.
Rosanna came forward to perch on a corner of the desk and lean over confidentially. ‘You've seemed a bit down for a week or two now. Anything I can do to help?’
‘Thanks but no. I’m sure I’ll feel better once this exam's over.’
But would she? The more Meriel studied, the more boring she found her work as an accountant. The high-rise block seemed like a prison with its stale air, artificial lighting and pinging lifts.
In the evenings she would try to paint or draw, but was often too tired to produce anything worthwhile. Only, you had to earn a living, didn’t you? Stand on your own feet and all that. So what other choice did she have?
And at least the people she worked with were great. That helped a lot. She forced a smile. ‘I’m all right, really I am.’
Rosanna patted her shoulder. ‘When this exam is over you should get out more, meet a few new people. I could fix you up with a date. I have this cousin – he’s been working over in the eastern states, but he’s back in Perth now. I think you’d like him and – ’
‘No, thanks! I’ve got a full and interesting life. It isn’t obligatory to have a man, you know.’
‘It’s nice, though,’ Rosanna’s voice became more gentle and a tender smile crept over her face.
‘Things still going well with Karl?’
‘Mm-hmm. Are they ever! He's great, the kindest guy I’ve ever met.’ She grinned. ‘Even if he isn't a nice Italian boy!’
‘Is your mother still complaining?’
Rosanna shrugged. ‘She's getting used to him, especially since he started bringing her flowers. I told him that’d help.’
‘I'm really glad for you.’
When her friend left Meriel told herself to focus on the bright side. She had just received another commission to do a book cover illustration because the publisher had been very pleased with the first one she’d created for them.
She loved that sort of work. It was a challenge to get the right message across on the
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