Read Online Heart of the Outback by Lynne Wilding - Free Book Online Page B

said as a matter of form, “Good idea.”
    She rose from her stool and stretched. In low heels and standing to her full height she was twelve centimetres shorter than Aden.
    “Would you like me to pick you up Thursday evening?” Aden offered.
    “Thank you, but no. I’ll get a taxi.”
    She went behind her desk and picked up her handbag while at the same time she reached for her navy blazer which lay casually over the back of her desk chair. She could just imagine what her father would think if he knew that Aden Nicholson, her boss, was showing a personal interest in her. He’s very good husband material, her father would proclaim, and then she’d never hear the end of it. The situation was bad enough as it was. Every opportunity he got her father reminded her that she wasn’t getting any younger. That she should be looking to settle down, get married — like her cousins. Since she’d achieved her degree he’d become the perennial nagger, wanting her to find a good man and give him and Lucia, hermother, a tribe of grandchildren. What a thought! She had too much to do career-wise. Her dream was to one day have a full partnership with Nicholson, Drew and Carlyle. And she’d never travelled. Before she turned thirty she wanted to see the ancient architecture of places she’d read about — Italy, Greece, England — as she had studied for her degree.
    They walked together to the outer corridor beyond the large room in which four draughtsmen were employed to draw up the detailed plans of the architects. Aden left her at the foyer and went towards his own office. Like Francey, he knew it would be hard to concentrate for a while. Lately, Francey had that effect on him. Soon, he sensed, almost fatalistically, he’d have to do something about it.
    “But Francey,
amore
, I don’t understand. This drive, this ambition you have. Why you not want to marry a good man and have lots of
bambini
? That’s what your mamma always wanted to do but,” Carlo Spinetti shrugged his shoulders sadly, “we were only blessed once. With you.”
    Francey’s throat muscles tightened. She regularly ate with her parents on Wednesday nights and this particular turn in the conversation always had the same effect on her, no matter how hard she tried for it not to. She’d tried over the years to make her point but her father still didn’t understand.
    “Papà, we’ve had this talk before. Many times. I don’t know why I have this need inside me, this desire to be the best I can be at something. I can’t explain it, but I can’t ignore it either.” She tried not to let the hurt show in her voice. “I thought you’d behappy for me. Being in contention for a national architectural award is quite an honour. Think of all the architects around Australia trying to win this award — hundreds! And even if I don’t get a place just being short-listed will increase my value with Nicholson, Drew and Carlyle. Maybe they’ll offer me a junior partnership next year.”
    Carlo shook his silver head, a mixture of consternation and frustration etched into his lined features, the expression in his dark eyes undecipherable. “Aahh, Francey, you’ll end up an old maid. Alone and unloved,” he opined as he slurped his minestrone soup.
    “You’d rather I be like Rosa or Daniella?” They were her cousins, her Aunt Josie’s children. “They’ve each pushed out a baby a year for the last three years. Well, no thank you. I don’t want to be a baby factory, or be tied to a husband and live off the crumbs he graciously throws me.” This was something of an exaggeration but her father’s words stung, even though she knew that Rosa and Daniella were happy with their respective husbands, and they were wonderful mothers too.
    “You’re not getting any younger,” Carlo pointed out. “One day you’ll wake up in bed alone and you’ll want those things. Marriage. Children. You might be wealthy and successful by then, but you’ll be too old. And