Read Online The Tender Winds of Spring by Joyce Dingwell - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Joyce Dingwell
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Josie, I must commend you for listening to my advice regarding that person, that Passant man. I was pleased not to see him here today. He may be a man of substance, a new plantation owner would have to be, but it could still raise brows in certain quarters.’
‘Yes,’ said Jo faintly, faint because at that very minute she could see Abel’s car hurtling down to Tender Winds from the highway. The car did not come to the house, though. Abel must have seen Gavin’s own car and shot off instead into one of the many tracks into the bush.
It was not until Gavin had gone that Abel’s car emerged again, and a few minutes later the new banana boss marched into the house.
He said studiously, evidently remembering yesterday’s correction: ‘Fiancé, not guest, departed?’
‘Yes.’
‘You don’t look happy. Can I take that to mean it was not a pleasant interlude, or can I take it that it was pleasant and now you’re sorry to have him gone?’
Suddenly Jo felt at the end of her tether. ‘You can take it as you like,’ she snapped.
‘At least give me a clue.’
She turned away, but he came after her and turned her round again, turned her quite demandingly.
‘What’s wrong, Josephine?’ he asked.
‘Nothing. Nothing, of course. Gavin has been wonderful. Not many men would have—well—’
‘Yes?’
‘Accepted what Gavin has accepted.’
‘You’re not telling me he’ll take the kids!’
‘He’ll take—one.’
‘One?’
‘I said one.’ Jo’s voice had risen a note, a dangerous note.
‘I see.’ Abel Passant was silent a moment. ‘So your preoccupation now is because you’re wondering which one?’
‘Something of the sort.’ Jo fairly flung it at him. She hated him for putting it into bare words. ‘Mr. Passant’ ... with fury ... ‘Mr. Passant, what are you doing?’ The fury was because very obviously and very unmistakably Jo knew what Abel was doing.
For Abel had taken a coin from his pocket and deliberately he was looking at her to give the call.
‘Heads it’s the boy, tails a girl. If a girl comes up, we’ll have to toss again to see which one of them wins, won’t we? Or’ ... and the coin spun up ... ‘loses? It’s just a matter of how you look at it, isn’t it, Josephine? Heads Dicky, tails the girls. Winner ... or loser ... decide which for yourself.’
Jo did not hear him out. She dropped what she was doing and ran desperately outside. She raced down the hill to the creek.
There, exhausted, she leaned against a tree and whispered: ‘Gee, help me, help me.’ But there was no answer, not even that dream echo, as yesterday, of Gee’s laughter.
Gee is not amused, Jo thought dully, and neither am I. Poor Gavin meant well. He never deserved to be jeered at like that. Abel Passant is a pig, a pig!
At length she straightened her shoulders and went up to the house again.
‘He’s having dinner up at the camp again,’ Dicky supplied. ‘He said to tell you.’
‘Thank you, Dicky,’ nodded Jo, appreciative that at least this time he had remembered.
Dicky, she weighed up as she moved around the kitchen, all men want a son, and it seemed that Dicky was the first breakthrough she had had, for of his own accord Dicky had actually spoken to her.
Then she heard:
‘Who’s him?’ Sukey asked her brother. ‘Who told you?’
‘Under the table, of course,’ Dicky’s voice came pertly back. ‘Put the horse in the stable. Abel, the jam label.’
No, not Dicky, Jo eliminated.
Then Amanda came in coolly: ‘I quite like Abel.’
So— Amanda ?
‘I like him better,’ Sukey said.
Sukey?
Amanda, Dicky, Sukey, one out of three. Heads the boy. Tails a girl.
Winner? Loser?
Jo stood at the sink, and all at once, uncontrollably, began to laugh.
CHAPTER FIVE
Dicky came into the kitchen and stood looking at Jo. ‘What is funny?’ he asked.
‘Nothing, really.’ Jo took a hold of herself. ‘It’s just that I have to make a choice. Do you know what a choice
‘Yes,’ said Jo faintly, faint because at that very minute she could see Abel’s car hurtling down to Tender Winds from the highway. The car did not come to the house, though. Abel must have seen Gavin’s own car and shot off instead into one of the many tracks into the bush.
It was not until Gavin had gone that Abel’s car emerged again, and a few minutes later the new banana boss marched into the house.
He said studiously, evidently remembering yesterday’s correction: ‘Fiancé, not guest, departed?’
‘Yes.’
‘You don’t look happy. Can I take that to mean it was not a pleasant interlude, or can I take it that it was pleasant and now you’re sorry to have him gone?’
Suddenly Jo felt at the end of her tether. ‘You can take it as you like,’ she snapped.
‘At least give me a clue.’
She turned away, but he came after her and turned her round again, turned her quite demandingly.
‘What’s wrong, Josephine?’ he asked.
‘Nothing. Nothing, of course. Gavin has been wonderful. Not many men would have—well—’
‘Yes?’
‘Accepted what Gavin has accepted.’
‘You’re not telling me he’ll take the kids!’
‘He’ll take—one.’
‘One?’
‘I said one.’ Jo’s voice had risen a note, a dangerous note.
‘I see.’ Abel Passant was silent a moment. ‘So your preoccupation now is because you’re wondering which one?’
‘Something of the sort.’ Jo fairly flung it at him. She hated him for putting it into bare words. ‘Mr. Passant’ ... with fury ... ‘Mr. Passant, what are you doing?’ The fury was because very obviously and very unmistakably Jo knew what Abel was doing.
For Abel had taken a coin from his pocket and deliberately he was looking at her to give the call.
‘Heads it’s the boy, tails a girl. If a girl comes up, we’ll have to toss again to see which one of them wins, won’t we? Or’ ... and the coin spun up ... ‘loses? It’s just a matter of how you look at it, isn’t it, Josephine? Heads Dicky, tails the girls. Winner ... or loser ... decide which for yourself.’
Jo did not hear him out. She dropped what she was doing and ran desperately outside. She raced down the hill to the creek.
There, exhausted, she leaned against a tree and whispered: ‘Gee, help me, help me.’ But there was no answer, not even that dream echo, as yesterday, of Gee’s laughter.
Gee is not amused, Jo thought dully, and neither am I. Poor Gavin meant well. He never deserved to be jeered at like that. Abel Passant is a pig, a pig!
At length she straightened her shoulders and went up to the house again.
‘He’s having dinner up at the camp again,’ Dicky supplied. ‘He said to tell you.’
‘Thank you, Dicky,’ nodded Jo, appreciative that at least this time he had remembered.
Dicky, she weighed up as she moved around the kitchen, all men want a son, and it seemed that Dicky was the first breakthrough she had had, for of his own accord Dicky had actually spoken to her.
Then she heard:
‘Who’s him?’ Sukey asked her brother. ‘Who told you?’
‘Under the table, of course,’ Dicky’s voice came pertly back. ‘Put the horse in the stable. Abel, the jam label.’
No, not Dicky, Jo eliminated.
Then Amanda came in coolly: ‘I quite like Abel.’
So— Amanda ?
‘I like him better,’ Sukey said.
Sukey?
Amanda, Dicky, Sukey, one out of three. Heads the boy. Tails a girl.
Winner? Loser?
Jo stood at the sink, and all at once, uncontrollably, began to laugh.
CHAPTER FIVE
Dicky came into the kitchen and stood looking at Jo. ‘What is funny?’ he asked.
‘Nothing, really.’ Jo took a hold of herself. ‘It’s just that I have to make a choice. Do you know what a choice
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