Read Online Trouble in Nirvana by Elisabeth Rose - Free Book Online

and put his mug down with precise care. “I don’t know what you’re implying but it was a mutually beneficial arrangement.”
    “Not more beneficial to some than others?”
    “In what way?” His voice was deadly calm. The grey eyes never left hers. Steely now. Primrose’s mind groped for facts. They were scanty. Mostly based on Kurt’s ravings and Danny’s vaguely defensive comments.
    “Doesn’t the commune need water frontage too?”
    “They have the creek. They don’t irrigate much and they have two dams. Haven’t you noticed?”
    She hadn’t. But seeing as she’d begun she may as well finish. “What about the price?”
    “What about the price?”
    “Was it fair?”
    “We thought so. And Danny and I are the only ones involved.” Blank faced, daring her to keep blundering on. “And I’ve made him an offer for his thirty acre block, too.”
    “You’re buying more land?” Surprise shot up Primrose’s spine like an electric current. Why hadn’t Danny mentioned it?
    Tom replied quietly, “He’s selling more of his land.”
    “Why?”
    “Ask him.”
    “Do the others know?”
    He shrugged. “I haven’t told anyone. Except you.” He raised one eyebrow slightly and murmured, “Maybe I shouldn’t have.”
    That startled her even more than the initial remark. “Why not?”
    “Danny asked me not to broadcast the news but he didn’t exactly ask me to keep it secret. Will you ?” He leaned forward slightly, emphasising the question.
    Primrose hesitated. Wasn’t everyone supposed to take part in decision making on the commune? Why hadn’t Danny discussed this with the others? No-one had mentioned it, not even Nirupam. Did she know?
    Tom’s eyes bored into hers. “I’ll ask Danny about it,” she said. “How many acres will he have left?”
    He relaxed against the back of his chair. “Seventy. Plenty for what they do here.”
    She frowned at the scorn. “Mess around, you mean?”
    He smiled the lopsided smile but it didn’t linger. “I didn’t say it, you did.”
    Primrose sat uncomprehending. Her brain thrashed the information about like a tumble dryer. Danny must be really short of money and despite all his protestations about not being part of the capitalist system he was selling land. Or was that why he was selling? Was he offloading possessions? And if he was, was Tom taking advantage of some predicament her brother was in? Did he know more than he was letting on?
    “How much are you paying?”
    “None of your business.” The tone was polite but the smile had gone, replaced by a narrowing of the eyes.
    “It is my business. I’m a joint owner.”
    “Really!” That shook some of the smugness from him.
    “Yes, really.”
    “Doesn’t he need your approval to sell?”
    “No. When we inherited it we agreed he would live here and run it as a commune. I never imagined he’d start selling bits off without telling me.”
    “Well he has. You’ll have to take it up with him. It’s not my problem.”
    Primrose gritted her teeth. Another “not my problem” from Mr. Fairbrother. “Have you signed on it yet?”
    “No.” Crisp, succinct and clearly not willing to discuss it. “Why?”
    “I’m going to make sure Danny knows exactly what he’s doing before he does any deal, this time. And I’m going to make quite sure we aren’t being ripped off.”
    “By me, you mean?” The eyes pinioned her again. Primrose stared right back. She wasn’t the pushover Danny was, and the sooner Tom Fairbrother realised it the better.
    “Yes.”
    “Know all about land prices, do you?”
    “I can find out.”
    Tom stood up. His voice came taut with fury but unlike Kurt he didn’t yell, which made his sudden anger more chilling. “You do that. Thanks for the tea. I’ll be going now before I’m accused of anything else, but as you’ve been here all of four days I suggest you talk to your brother and get your facts straight before you start interfering.”
    Primrose swallowed the lump in