packed in my trunk. I’ve got my raincoat— that’s warm enough. And the trunk and my suitcase are in the room.’
As he followed her Rex said simply, ‘Suit yourself, but don’t complain if you feel cold later on.’ It was not a good beginning and rather to her surprise Davina found herself making excuses.
‘It simply never occurred to me that I might be cold on the journey,’ she began, then angry with herself for apologising so meekly she added sharply, ‘You didn’t give me much notice, when all is said and done—and in any case, why didn’t you warn me we’d be travelling in a utility vehicle?’
He grinned as if her acid protest amused him. ‘I warned you the place was at the back of beyond, you can’t deny that, so what did you expect? A Rolls? What use would an ordinary car be on a farm?’
He had her there, Davina had to admit. She simply hadn’t given the matter serious thought. Perhaps at the back of her mind she had supposed Rex would have arranged to have two vehicles at his disposal, since if the farm was as remote as he suggested there would surely be occasions when she herself might require transport to shop in the nearest town. Apparently her convenience had simply never crossed his mind, so that if and when shopping had to be done, she was expected to wait until he saw fit to take her into town himself.
Ten minutes later, the trunk and suitcase loaded, her goodbyes said to Mrs Styles, Davina found herself in the passenger seat as Rex manoeuvred the vehicle into a line of slow-moving traffic. Silence hung like a visible obstacle between them as they crept slowly out of the suburbs towards the north-bound motorway, for Davina felt obstinately reluctant to be the first to speak.
Her normal good-tempered nature was surprisingly ruffled by their initial altercation, yet she had to be honest with herself. She could as easily have asked Rex on the telephone last night whether to dress warmly as he to advise her to do so. Almost as if he read the thoughts jostling through her mind he said, his eyes on the road ahead, ‘I guess you’ve never been a Girl Guide. Isn’t their motto “Be prepared?” ’
Davina smiled reluctantly, relieved to have the ice broken even if by doing so Rex aimed yet another dart of criticism. She leaned back in her corner, turned to smile at his profile and say, ‘You must be already regretting your generosity in giving me a job, especially as you’d someone else in mind. I promise I’ll try and do better.’
She turned away, so missed the curious twisted smile with which Rex responded to her last remark. After a few moments she turned to him again. ‘You’ve never given me a hint of exactly where we’re going. What sort of a farm is it you’ve brought?’
‘It’s in Cumbria—the other side of Alston. Do you know it?’ When Davina shook her head Rex went on, ‘It’s a hill farm for running sheep. I’m giving myself a sort of sabbatical to try out a bit of experimental work. My ambition is to try and find a better breed to suit our needs.’
Davina’s smooth brow wrinkled in puzzlement. ‘But I’ve always been told Australian sheep are second to none.’
‘Most of them are, I agree. But we could still use a breed more adaptable to our long droughts. Have you any idea how many acres are needed in some parts of Australia just to support one animal?’
‘I don’t know much about your country at all, and very little about sheep,’ Davina admitted.
‘You’ll learn.' There was a grim note of amusement in Rex’s soft voice, but as soon as she turned questioning eyes on his face he went on slowly, ‘But I thought you’d been to Australia. I’m sure your aunt told me you’d been out there not too long ago.’
Davina laughed, real amusement in her voice as she replied. ‘What Aunt Marjorie means is that I’ve seen Sydney and Adelaide. I don’t call that the real Australia. I went there on a trip with them paid for by Grandmother and when I
As he followed her Rex said simply, ‘Suit yourself, but don’t complain if you feel cold later on.’ It was not a good beginning and rather to her surprise Davina found herself making excuses.
‘It simply never occurred to me that I might be cold on the journey,’ she began, then angry with herself for apologising so meekly she added sharply, ‘You didn’t give me much notice, when all is said and done—and in any case, why didn’t you warn me we’d be travelling in a utility vehicle?’
He grinned as if her acid protest amused him. ‘I warned you the place was at the back of beyond, you can’t deny that, so what did you expect? A Rolls? What use would an ordinary car be on a farm?’
He had her there, Davina had to admit. She simply hadn’t given the matter serious thought. Perhaps at the back of her mind she had supposed Rex would have arranged to have two vehicles at his disposal, since if the farm was as remote as he suggested there would surely be occasions when she herself might require transport to shop in the nearest town. Apparently her convenience had simply never crossed his mind, so that if and when shopping had to be done, she was expected to wait until he saw fit to take her into town himself.
Ten minutes later, the trunk and suitcase loaded, her goodbyes said to Mrs Styles, Davina found herself in the passenger seat as Rex manoeuvred the vehicle into a line of slow-moving traffic. Silence hung like a visible obstacle between them as they crept slowly out of the suburbs towards the north-bound motorway, for Davina felt obstinately reluctant to be the first to speak.
Her normal good-tempered nature was surprisingly ruffled by their initial altercation, yet she had to be honest with herself. She could as easily have asked Rex on the telephone last night whether to dress warmly as he to advise her to do so. Almost as if he read the thoughts jostling through her mind he said, his eyes on the road ahead, ‘I guess you’ve never been a Girl Guide. Isn’t their motto “Be prepared?” ’
Davina smiled reluctantly, relieved to have the ice broken even if by doing so Rex aimed yet another dart of criticism. She leaned back in her corner, turned to smile at his profile and say, ‘You must be already regretting your generosity in giving me a job, especially as you’d someone else in mind. I promise I’ll try and do better.’
She turned away, so missed the curious twisted smile with which Rex responded to her last remark. After a few moments she turned to him again. ‘You’ve never given me a hint of exactly where we’re going. What sort of a farm is it you’ve brought?’
‘It’s in Cumbria—the other side of Alston. Do you know it?’ When Davina shook her head Rex went on, ‘It’s a hill farm for running sheep. I’m giving myself a sort of sabbatical to try out a bit of experimental work. My ambition is to try and find a better breed to suit our needs.’
Davina’s smooth brow wrinkled in puzzlement. ‘But I’ve always been told Australian sheep are second to none.’
‘Most of them are, I agree. But we could still use a breed more adaptable to our long droughts. Have you any idea how many acres are needed in some parts of Australia just to support one animal?’
‘I don’t know much about your country at all, and very little about sheep,’ Davina admitted.
‘You’ll learn.' There was a grim note of amusement in Rex’s soft voice, but as soon as she turned questioning eyes on his face he went on slowly, ‘But I thought you’d been to Australia. I’m sure your aunt told me you’d been out there not too long ago.’
Davina laughed, real amusement in her voice as she replied. ‘What Aunt Marjorie means is that I’ve seen Sydney and Adelaide. I don’t call that the real Australia. I went there on a trip with them paid for by Grandmother and when I
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