would it be third?
In many ways Jeckie had heard of those surreptitious conversations amongst cousins, uncles and aunts. She'd been indifferent. After all, families were always funny if you looked at them from the aspect of distant relationships. Quite a circus, she had privately called them.
The only thing she hadn't heard was that Sheila Bowen — that very pretty, very social third cousin of hers — had indeed made a visit to Mallibee.
Now she had come herself — but for runaway reasons which her pride would never have let her disclose to anyone else. She wondered what had been Sheila's reasons.
Jeckie's pride had been lacerated. But with that pride she would get over her heartbreak. She just had to be determined about it !
Now here she was, standing on Mallibee's north veranda looking at the gay bougainvillea along the yard fence and the blaze of hibiscus and oleander in Aunt Isobel's jungle garden in the corner. Round by the side veranda were the pot-plants. Jeckie had looked at them too.
Whether it was the change of customs, or change of scenery, she wasn't sure, but she was beginning to feel better. Different anyway.
Kind, smiling Jane-dear was touching her arm, making her feel welcome, all over again.
But not to show feelings now! She might get herself another pair of wet eyes.
Best get ready to go with Barton.
'I'm going to enjoy myself,' she said aloud. 'Jane dear — that's what I'm going to call you — Jane dear. You're being very kind to me. I mean to enjoy myself, and I hope — '
`Why, Jeckie!' Jane said with a laugh. 'You sound as if you had been afraid you were not going to enjoy yourself.'
'I wasn't sure . . . I didn't think enough about how you would all take me. I just didn't think Now I'm sorry I was sort-of scared —'
'My dear, we're all sort-of scared when we go to a new place amongst strange people. Do you know I only go south once in a blue moon? To the dentist, or to do some special shopping — things like that. I feel sick for days beforehand. And very sick the first night and day in a strange hotel. Then quite suddenly I get over it. Then I begin to have a lovely time.'
It was Jeckie's turn to laugh. 'Thank you for being so nice about it, Jane dear. You don't really know what a meanie I was before I came. Even when I first arrived too. Perhaps one day I'll tell you about it —'
'Well, I'm a good listener. And, Jeckie? Thank you for putting my name so nicely. Here comes Barton with
the Land-Rover. Run and get your sun hat or he'll start blaring that wretched horn just to annoy Miss Isobel. Barton really enjoys being irritating sometimes. Oh — and Jeckie, there's a jar of special lotion on your dressing table. I put it there. Put plenty on your face and arms. On the back of your neck too. That's where the sun strikes hardest. But be quick, dear!'
Jeckie was already half-way through the kitchen, heading for the front half of the homestead.
`I will, I will!' she called back. Her young girl's voice suddenly rang like chimes through the great old kitchen.
`That one hasn't taken long to have a shine for Barton, eh? What you think, Miss Jane?' Cassie asked.
`If that means she is going to enjoy herself and be happy with all of us, including Barton, Cassie, I hope she has,' Jane remarked as she made her way through the kitchen.
'Um!' Cassie addressed the lumps of dough she was deftly dropping into bread tins. 'Maybe Andrew likes that one Sheila. An' Barton might maybe like this one Jeckie. That'ud jes' about suit Miss Isobel all right. This old Cassie's no fool about reading right inside Miss Isobel's head.'
The morning land breeze blew coolly as the Land-Rover ricocheted over the gravel and flintstone track northwestwards. It was an empty land. So endless, not monotonous, yet sort-of empty. To Jeckie it was uncanny and not quite credible. It was a flat, red-brown country, so aged it was grotesque — yet in so striking and exciting a way, it filled her with wonder. The
In many ways Jeckie had heard of those surreptitious conversations amongst cousins, uncles and aunts. She'd been indifferent. After all, families were always funny if you looked at them from the aspect of distant relationships. Quite a circus, she had privately called them.
The only thing she hadn't heard was that Sheila Bowen — that very pretty, very social third cousin of hers — had indeed made a visit to Mallibee.
Now she had come herself — but for runaway reasons which her pride would never have let her disclose to anyone else. She wondered what had been Sheila's reasons.
Jeckie's pride had been lacerated. But with that pride she would get over her heartbreak. She just had to be determined about it !
Now here she was, standing on Mallibee's north veranda looking at the gay bougainvillea along the yard fence and the blaze of hibiscus and oleander in Aunt Isobel's jungle garden in the corner. Round by the side veranda were the pot-plants. Jeckie had looked at them too.
Whether it was the change of customs, or change of scenery, she wasn't sure, but she was beginning to feel better. Different anyway.
Kind, smiling Jane-dear was touching her arm, making her feel welcome, all over again.
But not to show feelings now! She might get herself another pair of wet eyes.
Best get ready to go with Barton.
'I'm going to enjoy myself,' she said aloud. 'Jane dear — that's what I'm going to call you — Jane dear. You're being very kind to me. I mean to enjoy myself, and I hope — '
`Why, Jeckie!' Jane said with a laugh. 'You sound as if you had been afraid you were not going to enjoy yourself.'
'I wasn't sure . . . I didn't think enough about how you would all take me. I just didn't think Now I'm sorry I was sort-of scared —'
'My dear, we're all sort-of scared when we go to a new place amongst strange people. Do you know I only go south once in a blue moon? To the dentist, or to do some special shopping — things like that. I feel sick for days beforehand. And very sick the first night and day in a strange hotel. Then quite suddenly I get over it. Then I begin to have a lovely time.'
It was Jeckie's turn to laugh. 'Thank you for being so nice about it, Jane dear. You don't really know what a meanie I was before I came. Even when I first arrived too. Perhaps one day I'll tell you about it —'
'Well, I'm a good listener. And, Jeckie? Thank you for putting my name so nicely. Here comes Barton with
the Land-Rover. Run and get your sun hat or he'll start blaring that wretched horn just to annoy Miss Isobel. Barton really enjoys being irritating sometimes. Oh — and Jeckie, there's a jar of special lotion on your dressing table. I put it there. Put plenty on your face and arms. On the back of your neck too. That's where the sun strikes hardest. But be quick, dear!'
Jeckie was already half-way through the kitchen, heading for the front half of the homestead.
`I will, I will!' she called back. Her young girl's voice suddenly rang like chimes through the great old kitchen.
`That one hasn't taken long to have a shine for Barton, eh? What you think, Miss Jane?' Cassie asked.
`If that means she is going to enjoy herself and be happy with all of us, including Barton, Cassie, I hope she has,' Jane remarked as she made her way through the kitchen.
'Um!' Cassie addressed the lumps of dough she was deftly dropping into bread tins. 'Maybe Andrew likes that one Sheila. An' Barton might maybe like this one Jeckie. That'ud jes' about suit Miss Isobel all right. This old Cassie's no fool about reading right inside Miss Isobel's head.'
The morning land breeze blew coolly as the Land-Rover ricocheted over the gravel and flintstone track northwestwards. It was an empty land. So endless, not monotonous, yet sort-of empty. To Jeckie it was uncanny and not quite credible. It was a flat, red-brown country, so aged it was grotesque — yet in so striking and exciting a way, it filled her with wonder. The
Similar Books
