suspiciously, but could see no sign of them having suffered in her absence.
‘Do you want to stay tonight?’ she asked, as Rob pulled up outside the homestead.
‘Absolutely,’ he grinned. ‘But I’d better not. I’ve got to be in early tomorrow.’
‘Okay.’ Charlotte smiled to herself.
‘What’s so funny?’
‘Nothing. It’ll be funny sleeping alone again, that’s all.’
‘You’re telling me,’ said Rob wistfully. He paused. ‘You know …’
‘What?’
‘Oh, nothing. I’ll get your bag.’
Charlotte looked around. Jen’s ute wasn’t in the driveway.
‘She’s not back yet,’ Kath confirmed, once the hellos were over and done with. ‘She rang, though — asked if you could give her a call. The number’s on the pad by the phone.’
‘Oh?’ Charlotte raised her eyebrows. ‘Bit strange.’
‘She did sound a bit odd,’ Kath agreed. ‘Did you want to ring her now? I can hold tea for a bit.’
‘No, it’s okay,’ said Charlotte hungrily. ‘I’ll do it after.’
‘Don’t suppose you’ll be that keen on a boring old roast after all that fancy Queenstown food.’
‘Kath!’ Charlotte grinned. ‘When have I ever not been keen on a roast?’
She waited until Rob had gone before calling the number Jen had left. Another woman’s voice answered. Charlottecould hear her shouting, ‘Jen, it’s for you,’ and Jen’s footsteps as she came to the phone.
‘Hello?’
‘Hi, it’s me.’
‘Oh, hi Charlie. Thanks for calling back.’
‘What’s up?’
‘Nothing — it’s all pretty good, actually. But I’ve got a favour to ask you.’
‘You want to stay longer?’
‘No, no … it’s my friend, Zoe. I’d like to bring her down to stay for a while.’
Charlotte sighed inwardly. She didn’t really feel like having a stranger around the house, and it’d be that much more work for poor Kath … but she supposed she couldn’t really say no. ‘Sure. Look forward to meeting her — when’re you back?’
‘We’ll be down tomorrow.’
‘See you then.’
‘Everything okay?’ asked Kath, as Charlotte put the phone down.
‘Yeah. Jen’s bringing some friend of hers down to stay for a while.’
‘Oh, that’ll be nice for her.’ Kath turned the dishwasher on. ‘She must get a bit lonely down here sometimes. Young girl like that, all on her own.’
‘She’s older than me.’
‘Well, yes, dear. But you’ve got Rob, now, haven’t you?’ Kath lowered her voice conspiratorially. ‘Did you have a good time in Queenstown?’
‘Yeah, great.’
‘You make such a nice couple. You must have been together for what, six months now?’
Charlotte thought back. ‘About that, I guess.’
‘About that.’ Kath’s eyes gleamed. ‘So, you didn’t make any plans, while you were down there?’
‘What kind of plans?’
‘Well … you know …’
Charlotte shook her head.
Kath smiled to herself. ‘Never mind, dear. He’ll get round to it, you’ll see.’
The crunch of truck wheels on gravel sounded right on cue for lunch. Through the kitchen window, Charlotte could see a blonde, sweet-faced girl laughing with Jen as they got their bags out. She smothered a small stab of jealousy.
‘They’re here,’ she warned Kath.
‘Oh good. I’ll put the veggies on.’
Jen walked in, looking happier than Charlotte had seen her in months. She was followed closely — and rather shyly — by her friend.
‘Hello,’ said Zoe tentatively. ‘It’s a beautiful place you’ve got here.’
‘Hello dear,’ bustled Kath. ‘Did you have a good trip? I hope you’re both hungry. We’re just waiting for Rex and Matt to come in, and then we can eat. So you’re from Christchurch, are you, Zoe?’
‘Yes — at least, I am now. I’m from Wellington, originally — Jenny and I went to school together there.’
Jenny? thought Charlotte, in amazement. Seriously?
‘Oh really? That’s nice. I always think how nice it is to keep in touch with friends from school.
‘Do you want to stay tonight?’ she asked, as Rob pulled up outside the homestead.
‘Absolutely,’ he grinned. ‘But I’d better not. I’ve got to be in early tomorrow.’
‘Okay.’ Charlotte smiled to herself.
‘What’s so funny?’
‘Nothing. It’ll be funny sleeping alone again, that’s all.’
‘You’re telling me,’ said Rob wistfully. He paused. ‘You know …’
‘What?’
‘Oh, nothing. I’ll get your bag.’
Charlotte looked around. Jen’s ute wasn’t in the driveway.
‘She’s not back yet,’ Kath confirmed, once the hellos were over and done with. ‘She rang, though — asked if you could give her a call. The number’s on the pad by the phone.’
‘Oh?’ Charlotte raised her eyebrows. ‘Bit strange.’
‘She did sound a bit odd,’ Kath agreed. ‘Did you want to ring her now? I can hold tea for a bit.’
‘No, it’s okay,’ said Charlotte hungrily. ‘I’ll do it after.’
‘Don’t suppose you’ll be that keen on a boring old roast after all that fancy Queenstown food.’
‘Kath!’ Charlotte grinned. ‘When have I ever not been keen on a roast?’
She waited until Rob had gone before calling the number Jen had left. Another woman’s voice answered. Charlottecould hear her shouting, ‘Jen, it’s for you,’ and Jen’s footsteps as she came to the phone.
‘Hello?’
‘Hi, it’s me.’
‘Oh, hi Charlie. Thanks for calling back.’
‘What’s up?’
‘Nothing — it’s all pretty good, actually. But I’ve got a favour to ask you.’
‘You want to stay longer?’
‘No, no … it’s my friend, Zoe. I’d like to bring her down to stay for a while.’
Charlotte sighed inwardly. She didn’t really feel like having a stranger around the house, and it’d be that much more work for poor Kath … but she supposed she couldn’t really say no. ‘Sure. Look forward to meeting her — when’re you back?’
‘We’ll be down tomorrow.’
‘See you then.’
‘Everything okay?’ asked Kath, as Charlotte put the phone down.
‘Yeah. Jen’s bringing some friend of hers down to stay for a while.’
‘Oh, that’ll be nice for her.’ Kath turned the dishwasher on. ‘She must get a bit lonely down here sometimes. Young girl like that, all on her own.’
‘She’s older than me.’
‘Well, yes, dear. But you’ve got Rob, now, haven’t you?’ Kath lowered her voice conspiratorially. ‘Did you have a good time in Queenstown?’
‘Yeah, great.’
‘You make such a nice couple. You must have been together for what, six months now?’
Charlotte thought back. ‘About that, I guess.’
‘About that.’ Kath’s eyes gleamed. ‘So, you didn’t make any plans, while you were down there?’
‘What kind of plans?’
‘Well … you know …’
Charlotte shook her head.
Kath smiled to herself. ‘Never mind, dear. He’ll get round to it, you’ll see.’
The crunch of truck wheels on gravel sounded right on cue for lunch. Through the kitchen window, Charlotte could see a blonde, sweet-faced girl laughing with Jen as they got their bags out. She smothered a small stab of jealousy.
‘They’re here,’ she warned Kath.
‘Oh good. I’ll put the veggies on.’
Jen walked in, looking happier than Charlotte had seen her in months. She was followed closely — and rather shyly — by her friend.
‘Hello,’ said Zoe tentatively. ‘It’s a beautiful place you’ve got here.’
‘Hello dear,’ bustled Kath. ‘Did you have a good trip? I hope you’re both hungry. We’re just waiting for Rex and Matt to come in, and then we can eat. So you’re from Christchurch, are you, Zoe?’
‘Yes — at least, I am now. I’m from Wellington, originally — Jenny and I went to school together there.’
Jenny? thought Charlotte, in amazement. Seriously?
‘Oh really? That’s nice. I always think how nice it is to keep in touch with friends from school.
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