Read Online The Stranding by Karen Viggers - Free Book Online Page B

meat. Lex discovered, over time, that he was as vehemently anti-whaling as the rest of the Australian public. And so buying the home of an old whaler did not sit well with him and daily he found himself trying to come to terms with it.
    ‘What do you think about whaling?’ he asked, when Sue set his coffee on the table. He pointed to the headline in the paper: Japanese to Take Humpbacks.
    ‘I don’t like it,’ she said. ‘Whale-watching’s an important industry around here.’
    ‘Apparently humpbacks make good steaks.’ Lex snorted.
    ‘No, thanks,’ Sue said. ‘That’d be enough to make me turn vegetarian.’
    She turned away to wipe the table beside him.
    ‘Tell me about the whale-watching,’ Lex said. ‘Who runs the tours around here?’
    ‘Jimmy Wallace.’
    ‘Wallace, did you say? The son of?’
    Sue nodded.
    Lex shook his head. ‘Another Wallace into whales.’
    ‘It’s a bit different,’ Sue said. ‘Jimmy doesn’t kill them.’
    ‘Do you think I should go on a trip?’
    ‘That’s up to you.’ Sue finished wiping the table and was heading back to the kitchen.
    ‘What about my neighbour?’ Lex asked. ‘Do you think she’d be into it?’
    ‘Mrs Brocklehurst?’ Sue shrugged. ‘I don’t know. You’ll have to ask her.’
    ‘I hardly ever see her.’
    ‘No, she keeps pretty much to herself. But you might see her son Frank around. He comes up every week or so to mow the lawns for her.’
    ‘I hope I didn’t scare her off,’ Lex said, half to himself.
    Sue raised her eyebrows. ‘Trying to kill the peacock?’
    Her eyes twinkled and she disappeared into the kitchen. So the locals were talking about him. He ought to have known.
    When Sue came back to set the table she’d just cleaned, he resumed the conversation.
    ‘Why is Mrs Brocklehurst so antisocial?’
    ‘Did I say she was antisocial?’
    ‘Not exactly. But Beryl said she was a bit prickly too.’
    ‘Ah, but that’s a different issue.’ Sue laid out knives, forks and napkins. ‘Mrs B and Beryl don’t see eye to eye.’
    ‘Why’s that?’
    Sue hesitated. ‘I don’t suppose there’s any harm telling you . . . I guess you’ll find out sooner or later anyway . . .’
    Lex nodded to encourage her.
    ‘Mrs B wasn’t very happy about it when Beryl got together with the old man. It wasn’t Beryl’s place elbowing in on Vic like that. It disturbed the natural order of things.’
    Lex wondered about the natural order. Was Sue saying that Mrs B had some right over Vic Wallace? He decided to change the subject. Sue was obviously uncomfortable.
    ‘Do you go to church?’ he asked.
    ‘No. Not me.’
    ‘That’s a relief. I was thinking everyone was into the church around here.’
    Sue gave a small smile.
    ‘Helen Beck’s been on to me at every opportunity. I can’t seem to convince her that my soul’s past saving.’
    Sue’s face widened into a real smile. ‘Either you’re with them or you’re not,’ she said. ‘Town’s pretty much divided down the middle into those who go to church and those who don’t.’
    ‘Her husband’s a strange man.’
    ‘Yes.’ Sue was short. ‘But he’s a good butcher.’
    Lex finished his coffee and pushed out his chair, scooping up his newspapers as he stood.
    ‘I should get out of your way,’ he said. ‘Let you clean up. I’ll see you next time.’
    Lex hadn’t been home long when he heard voices outside. It was Sash and Evan, and their mum, and the dog. He didn’t really feel like company, but they were all smiles, with a cake on a plate, and there was no choice other than to invite them in.
    Sash and Evan bounded in and sat on the couch while their mother placed the cake on the coffee table.
    ‘I’m Sally,’ she said, shy and uncertain. She was sweating from the effort of walking.
    ‘Lex.’
    ‘It’s nice to meet you. Sash said you wouldn’t mind visitors. She’s been at me to bake a cake for days. And thank you so much for donating to their library fundraiser. That