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Authors: Dorothy Cork
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old it must surely belong to the old pioneering days. Perhaps the Gascoynes had been pioneers. She didn't know, and, she reminded herself, she didn't care.
It was hardly a room for a housekeeper, she reflected wryly. From the size of the bed, it was a room for a man and his wife.
What kind of a room did Steve sleep in? she found herself wondering, and she knew that when he had left the house she would do as he had said—look into all the rooms, find out if he had a narrow monklike bed or—or a bed wide enough for sharing.
Good heavens, what mad thoughts she was having! With a feeling of guilt she attacked her suitcases, and began stowing her clothes away in the drawers and the wardrobe. All the lovely clothes Jake had heaped on her, some of them still unworn, unfamiliar, to help to mend her broken heart. Most nights at the hotel she had cried herself to sleep, but today she had barely thought of Paul. A new environment, new faces—but the simple fact was she had been too bothered by what she was doing, by her growing mistrust of Steve Gascoyne, to think of anything else at all.
She didn't look in the other rooms after all. While she was still in the midst of her unpacking she heard Steve go down the stairs and a few minutes later a car started up. Thank goodness he was out of the house, and she could relax, she thought. She finished her unpacking and then made up the bed, then found the bathroom and tidied up, though she didn't change out of the dress she was wearing.
She was brushing her hair at the mirror and trying to persuade herself that things would work out when she heard the sound of another car, an old noisy motor this time, not a quiet one like Steve had driven. Pos-
sibly it was Leanne back from shopping in Whitemark, and if so, then she had better go downstairs and introduce herself—and thank heaven she didn't have to say she was Steve's fiancée ! She wondered what Leanne would be like. Charlie had struck her as being a pleasant young man, so it was likely that his wife would be a nice girl—and they would have something in common if she and Steve had a few differences of opinion !
The girl she found in the kitchen was a very slim, very young-looking girl with thick red wavy hair that reached below her shoulders, and a pale narrow face. She wore pale blue pants and a matching top in fine cotton that looked expensive—about the same quality as the clothes Jake had bought for Ellis, and she was somehow not in the least like a country girl who lived on a sheep station. She was busy over a big box of groceries on the kitchen table and she looked up and stared as Ellis appeared.
`Oh, where did you spring from? Are you—are you Bob Mussett's niece?'
`No, I'm Ellis Lincoln.' She added awkwardly, 'You —you wouldn't have heard of me. You're Leanne, aren't you? I—I came back with Steve.' She paused and wished she'd said Mr Gascoyne instead of Steve, and that she could somehow make herself say the unconvincing words, 'I'm the new housekeeper'. Yet she knew Leanne would laugh too—just as Charlie would have laughed.
Leanne's eyes widened fractionally, but all she said was, 'Oh, you're a—a friend of Steve's ! That's nice ... Actually, we were expecting a housekeeper, and I thought I'd stock up the cupboards for a good start. Did she come with you?'
`No, I—there's just me,' Ellis stammered. 'I'm—I'm used to doing things
`Oh, for heaven's sake ! ' Leanne looked annoyed. `You're not used to cooking for shearers, are you? He's got someone coming in a day or two, hasn't he?'
`No one else. I—I can manage.'
`Don't be mad. Why should you, when you've been asked on a visit?' Leanne was thrusting the groceries higgledy-piggledy into the cupboards now, and watching her, Ellis longed to take a hand and set them to rights. She wondered how long Leanne had been married. It was clear anyhow that she hadn't been capable of taking over when Steve's aunt had been taken to hospital, and presently she
It was hardly a room for a housekeeper, she reflected wryly. From the size of the bed, it was a room for a man and his wife.
What kind of a room did Steve sleep in? she found herself wondering, and she knew that when he had left the house she would do as he had said—look into all the rooms, find out if he had a narrow monklike bed or—or a bed wide enough for sharing.
Good heavens, what mad thoughts she was having! With a feeling of guilt she attacked her suitcases, and began stowing her clothes away in the drawers and the wardrobe. All the lovely clothes Jake had heaped on her, some of them still unworn, unfamiliar, to help to mend her broken heart. Most nights at the hotel she had cried herself to sleep, but today she had barely thought of Paul. A new environment, new faces—but the simple fact was she had been too bothered by what she was doing, by her growing mistrust of Steve Gascoyne, to think of anything else at all.
She didn't look in the other rooms after all. While she was still in the midst of her unpacking she heard Steve go down the stairs and a few minutes later a car started up. Thank goodness he was out of the house, and she could relax, she thought. She finished her unpacking and then made up the bed, then found the bathroom and tidied up, though she didn't change out of the dress she was wearing.
She was brushing her hair at the mirror and trying to persuade herself that things would work out when she heard the sound of another car, an old noisy motor this time, not a quiet one like Steve had driven. Pos-
sibly it was Leanne back from shopping in Whitemark, and if so, then she had better go downstairs and introduce herself—and thank heaven she didn't have to say she was Steve's fiancée ! She wondered what Leanne would be like. Charlie had struck her as being a pleasant young man, so it was likely that his wife would be a nice girl—and they would have something in common if she and Steve had a few differences of opinion !
The girl she found in the kitchen was a very slim, very young-looking girl with thick red wavy hair that reached below her shoulders, and a pale narrow face. She wore pale blue pants and a matching top in fine cotton that looked expensive—about the same quality as the clothes Jake had bought for Ellis, and she was somehow not in the least like a country girl who lived on a sheep station. She was busy over a big box of groceries on the kitchen table and she looked up and stared as Ellis appeared.
`Oh, where did you spring from? Are you—are you Bob Mussett's niece?'
`No, I'm Ellis Lincoln.' She added awkwardly, 'You —you wouldn't have heard of me. You're Leanne, aren't you? I—I came back with Steve.' She paused and wished she'd said Mr Gascoyne instead of Steve, and that she could somehow make herself say the unconvincing words, 'I'm the new housekeeper'. Yet she knew Leanne would laugh too—just as Charlie would have laughed.
Leanne's eyes widened fractionally, but all she said was, 'Oh, you're a—a friend of Steve's ! That's nice ... Actually, we were expecting a housekeeper, and I thought I'd stock up the cupboards for a good start. Did she come with you?'
`No, I—there's just me,' Ellis stammered. 'I'm—I'm used to doing things
`Oh, for heaven's sake ! ' Leanne looked annoyed. `You're not used to cooking for shearers, are you? He's got someone coming in a day or two, hasn't he?'
`No one else. I—I can manage.'
`Don't be mad. Why should you, when you've been asked on a visit?' Leanne was thrusting the groceries higgledy-piggledy into the cupboards now, and watching her, Ellis longed to take a hand and set them to rights. She wondered how long Leanne had been married. It was clear anyhow that she hadn't been capable of taking over when Steve's aunt had been taken to hospital, and presently she
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