by Jane Corrie
Mr Waden hadn't a hope of keeping it going when he inherited it from his father. He'd no capital, you see.'
She nodded at the silk skein of blue that Vicky handed her. 'Thank you, dear. Now where was I? Oh, yes, I think Ross's father would have taken it over if it hadn't been for Mrs Janson. She and Mrs Waden simply didn't get on. No, that's not quite right,' she corrected herself as she threaded the silk through her needle. 'Mrs Waden put herself out to get an entrée into Mrs Janson's set. Mrs Janson wasn't a snob, at least, not really a snob, but she did set a lot on what she considered good class, and Mrs Waden was a pushing sort of woman. She had looks, but not much sense, you know, and no tact at all, and certainly had an eye for the future. In fact, she was everything that Mrs Janson disliked in a woman. If Mr Janson had taken over the station he would have left Mr Waden as manager, he couldn't have done anything else, and that would have meant a closer association between them, which was something that Mrs Janson definitely did not want.' She smiled at Vicky. 'So they looked towards Dale's Creek for the expansion they felt would be needed in a few years' time.'
Not only expansion, thought Vicky, but a bride for Ross as well. If Mrs Janson had not taken a dislike to Ella's mother, Ella would have been Mrs Janson's choice for him, since she could have had no objection to Ella, who would certainly have made the kind of daughter-in-law that she had wanted.
She wondered why Ella had not been to see Mrs George for such a long time. Was it because it was becoming too hard for her to face up to the fact that Ross would shortly be marrying someone else? Her mind went back to the party. She could not recall any special look between them that told of their affection for each other but then, she thought sadly, they were both past the stage where their emotions might let them down. They had learned to live with it for so long that it was natural to keep their feelings on a tight rein. Just as it was natural for Ross to assume that she, Vicky, did not know her own mind. He thought of her as a wilful child having tantrums that he didn't intend her to get away with. She had to be taught how to conform, and if she married him, life would be one hard lesson after another, simply because she did not see things the same way as he did.
All these thoughts went through her mind while she listened to Mrs George recounting tales of the past, one part of her attentive, the other wandered off into her own reverie.
After that morning's encounter with Ross, Vicky had no intention of an encore. She had said all that she was going to say, and knew that it would be a long time before Ross forgave her if he ever did, that was. In any case she wasn't hanging around to find out.
When the meal was ready, she served up Mrs George's portion, and then Ross's, which she placed in the oven warmer for him, leaving his
place set on the kitchen table, and then took up Mrs George's tray, hearing the Land Rover drawing up as she started up the stairs and automatically quickening her steps to avoid meeting him as he came in the door.
Ross would think that she had taken her meal with Mrs George, and Mrs George would think that she was eating with Ross, and that left her at least an hour of peace in her room until she could go down to do the dishes, by which time Ross should have retired to his study to catch up with some paper work, since that, she had learned from Mrs George, was the usual routine at Jarra. As for the latter part of the evening, Vicky intended to spend it with Mrs George, and if not, then in her room. Whatever happened, she meant to keep her word and stay out of Ross's proximity. Her brushes with him always left her feeling like the Ugly Duckling, only she wasn't going to turn into a swan, not in his eyes or anybody else's, not that she wanted to be anybody else but who she was, but it made good sense to keep her distance while she still had a shred of confidence in herself!
The following morning brought a visitor to Jarra, and Vicky, preparing the mid-morning coffee for herself and Mrs George, heard a car drawing up in front of the homestead and slipped through to the lounge to see who their visitor was. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw Ella Waden alighting with a basket in her hand, and going back to the kitchen Vicky reached for another cup and saucer.
A second later Ella came into the kitchen with the basket of fruit. 'I thought Mrs George might appreciate some peaches,' she said to Vicky. `Rotten luck falling like that,' she added, in a flat voice.
Vicky gave her a quick glance before she put two cups and saucers on a tray. There had been no smile of welcome from Ella, in fact, Vicky thought, it was not unlike her welcome at Albury the other night, and gave her the distinct feeling that her visit was not altogether an altruistic one. Ella had something on her mind, and she was not pleased with Vicky, that much was certain, and Vicky was in no mood for yet another lecture on what was considered her bad taste in consorting with Pete Noonan. 'I was just going to take Mrs George's coffee up,' she said lightly, picking the tray up and starting to walk to the door, giving Ella no choice but to follow her. 'She'll be pleased to see you,' she added firmly, and led the way up to her room.
Mrs George was pleased to see her visitor, and accepted the fruit with open pleasure, and began to relate how she had had the accident, with Ella listening sympathetically, and half apologising for not calling before now, but offered no excuse for her absence from the scene, except mentioning vaguely that she was doing some work in the office line for the consortium and had been frightfully busy for weeks.
Vicky edged near the door while she was talking, meaning to make her escape and leave them alone to have a chat, when Mrs George, seeing that there
were only two cups of coffee on the tray, exclaimed, `We'll need another cup, Vicky,' and at Vicky's excuse that she had a few things to do, replied, `Nonsense! Nothing that can't wait, I know. You go and get another cup.'
Vicky had no option but to comply with this direction, and returned to the kitchen to collect her coffee, not looking forward to the cosy chat Mrs George obviously anticipated.
Ross's name inevitably cropped up in the conversation, and Vicky sensed rather than saw Ella glance her way. It was on Ross's account that she was angry with her, she thought, and that settled it for Vicky. Ella was in love with Ross, it was the only answer. Instead of being in the clouds at Ross's freedom, for surely she could see a happy ending at last, she was absolutely furious with Vicky. No one, thought Vicky, was reacting the way they should have done, and it was all rather odd.
After a little further thought on this, Vicky began to see how it was for Ella. To have been in love with someone for years, only to find that the person in the way of your happiness had turned out to be a silly chit of a girl who had become embroiled with such a man as Pete Noonan, must have been galling, to put it mildly, she mused silently. It must seem like wasted years to the unhappy Ella.
When the visit drew to a close, Vicky gave an inward sigh of relief which was shortlived, for when Ella got up to go, she asked if Vicky could find a plate for the peaches as she needed the basket, and
handing Vicky the coffee tray gave her no option but to accompany her downstairs, in spite of Mrs George's suggestion that they use a very pretty fruit dish that she possessed, and that Vicky would find in her dining-room cabinet, a suggestion that Ella chose not to hear, for she was already at the door of the sitting-room and expecting Vicky to follow her.
Once in the realms of the kitchen and out of earshot of Mrs George, Ella rounded on Vicky, hardly giving her time to put the coffee tray down. `Keep away from Pete Noonan,' she said in a hard tight voice. 'You've got a perfectly good man of your own. Stick to your own territory,' she advised her grimly.
Vicky's brow shot up, and a surge of anger swept through her. She was sick of receiving advice from all and sundry! What business was it of Ella's? She was as bad as Ross! Her eyes met Ella's grim ones. `And if I choose not to?' she said coldly.
Ella banged the basket that Vicky had just handed her down on the kitchen table, and Vicky got the distinct impression that she wished it was her head. 'Look,' Ella said caustically, 'Pete had his own reasons for dating you. I'm
telling you to keep away from him for your own good. You'll only make a colossal fool of yourself if you don't.'
Vicky felt like shaking her head. Was Ella warning her for her own benefit or was there more to it? Had Ross asked her to have a word with her? Or was it Mr Waden who had sent her out on the mission? It was a more likely solution that he had.
Perhaps he felt responsible as Pete was on his payroll.
As Vicky had no intention of seeing Pete again, she decided to set Ella's mind at rest, although she did not look worried, furious, yes, but definitely not worried.
`I suppose your father sent you?' Vicky said quietly. 'Well, you can tell him there's nothing to worry about. It's a storm in a teacup, as they say,' she added sardonically.
Ella stared at her and then gave a dry chuckle that held no amusement in it. 'That's good,' she said in a hard voice. 'Father wouldn't lift a finger to stop you seeing Pete. In fact, he'd encourage you.'
It was Vicky's turn to stare. 'I don't get this,' she said bewilderedly. 'What does it matter to You?' she blinked, as a thought struck her. It
couldn't be that Ella ? 'You and Pete?' she
asked with a note of incredulity in her voice.
Ella's eyes met Vicky's wide eyes and then dropped hastily to the table. 'Yes,' she said quietly.
Vicky heard her answer but was having difficulty in believing it. Yet it all made sense. It explained why Ella had never married. She looked at the other girl. 'Your father?' she began.
`Knows nothing about it,' Ella cut in bitterly. `Pete would be shot off Albury at a moment's notice if he knew.'
Vicky could well believe it. 'Was that why Pete ' she began, sorting out her thoughts as she went along.
Ella again interrupted her. 'Sheer frustration,' she said, 'and to try and get me to make my mind up about marrying him. We'd have to go away, of course. Pete would lose his job, and we'd have nowhere to go either,' she ended miserably. `Neither of us has any money.'
Vicky felt a spurt of sympathy for Ella. She had felt sorry for her before when she had thought that she was in love with Ross, but her predicament was apparently ten times worse than that. She had fallen in love with the wrong person—wrong, that was, from her father's viewpoint, and Vicky could see little hope of a happy ending.
`That's why Pete took a sudden shine to you,' Ella said in a dull voice. 'We'd had a fight, and he was punishing me by making a dead set at you. Oh, I was jealous enough. I could have scratched your eyes out at that party. And when he had the gall to bring you up to Albury ' Her voice faltered.
Vicky touched her arm in a reassuring way. 'He acted the perfect gentleman, Ella,' she said soothingly, deciding not to mention the kiss he had given her. It had only been a token gesture anyway. 'I thought he was having a go at Ross, and that was why he picked on me,' she said with a smile. `Otherwise, it didn't make sense. I'm nothing to write home about, am I? So there had to be a reason.'
`Oh—I didn't mean ' Ella began hastily.
`Oh, yes you did,' Vicky replied, still smiling. `And you're right. I was having my own private
fight with Ross at the time still am, if it comes to
that, so I didn't mind falling in with Pete's plans—only I wouldn't have done, if I'd known about you,' she reassured Ella. 'You see, I thought I was helping you—I thought you and Ross ' she grinned at Ella's startled look, 'well, he did have a crush on you once, didn't he?'
`Oh, that was years ago,' Ella replied lightly. 'He got tired long before did. I used to dream about him,' she added with a wistful smile, then her face sobered. 'Then there was Pete.' She was silent for a moment. 'I know what everyone says about him. But he's not like that now. He used to play around. He's too good-looking for his own good, that's his trouble. Women made fools of themselves over him, and he encouraged it. But he's through with all that now. I think at first he tried to date me as a kind of dare he'd had with himself, to see if he could get me to fall for him, and I ignored him, and that made him pretty mad. It also sobered him up and made him think a little more seriously about the future.' She gave a wistful smile. 'He knows there's no future at Albury for him, not if we marry, but he says he'll get something somewhere, if I say yes.'
Her hands clenched round the handle of the basket. 'But it's not that easy. I know he wants to make sure of me, and he's afraid ' she hesitated and looked back at Vicky. 'He knows Father's hoping ' she met Vicky's interested eyes, 'well, we all expected Ross to announce your wedding plans at the party, and when he didn't, it started
everyone wondering—I mean, he has taken over Dale's Creek, hasn't he?' She took a deep breath. `It certainly started Father thinking, anyway. He's always believed that if it hadn't been for that arrangement between your parents Ross would have chosen me. Fathers are like that, you know,' she ended sardonically.
Vicky nodded understandingly. 'What are you going to do, Ella?' she asked quietly.
Ella drew in a quick breath. 'Say yes to Pete,' she said quietly, 'before Ross really goes to town on him. Pete's no fighter, and Ross knows how to use his fists. I'm worried that Dad might get to hear of the fight. It's Ross's side that he'll take, of course, for obvious reasons. He won't fire Pete, but he'll send him to one of the outstations and I'll never see him. It's difficult enough as it is.' She ran a hand over the handles of the basket. 'I sneak out to see him twice a week on the excuse that I'm visiting Mrs George. He's no objection to that, and he's never queried it.'
She looked up at Vicky. 'If it came to the push, I don't think Mrs George would let me down. She doesn't know that I'm using her as an alibi, but I'm sure she'll understand when she knows the truth, she knows I wouldn't do anything really wrong, and she knows how it is with Father,' she said lamely, adding tiredly, 'but he's not stupid. I think he knows there is someone, but doesn't know who.' She gave Vicky a wry grin. 'When Pete took a sudden shine to you, I guess it took some of the suspicion off Pete, although I don't think he
seriously considered him as a threat.'
Vicky understood this too. She had thought the same. Ella was too level-headed to fall in love with a womaniser, or someone who had once been a womaniser, even if they had now mended their ways. Vicky wished she could do something to help Ella, but didn't see what. Ella wanted Ross to keep away from Pete, and he would only do that if Vicky kept her distance from Pete. Ella had known that, of course, hence her warning to Vicky earlier. 'I wish there was something I could do,' she said to Ella.
Ella gave her a smile. 'Thanks anyway,' she replied lightly, and gave a shrug. 'I guess it's in the hands of fate now. I'm burning my boats. I only know that I love Pete and that he loves me. We'll just have to take off. Father will have to come to terms with it one day, I know that there's no way that he'll accept it now, so we've no option but to run for it.' She gave a slight moue. 'I just wanted to make sure that Pete was fit for travel at a moment's notice,' she said at an attempt at raillery, and picked the basket up. 'Thanks for the coffee and sympathy,' she said, as she walked to the door and paused as she reached it. 'I guess you've your own troubles, huh? Ross is a fine man, Vicky. If it wasn't for Pete, then I'd give you some opposition, not that I think I'd be successful, mind you. He seems to have a one-track mind where you're concerned ' She hesitated. 'I can trust you, can't I,
Vicky? not to mention
Vicky nodded quickly. 'Of course you can,' she said reassuringly. The next minute Ella had gone.
CHAPTER NINE
VICKY stood gazing at the dust clouds in the wake of Ella's car's departure. Her mind was full of the news of Ella and Pete. If the news came as a shock to her, she could well imagine Mr Waden's reaction. In the local idiom, he would 'go bananas'!
She went over what Ella had said about Ross being a fine man. Of course he was a fine man, but he wasn't her man, she thought crossly, and wondered why no one bothered to wonder if she was in love with him, or if he was in love with her, and he wasn't, and she wasn't—oh, dear, she thought, what a muddle it all was!
At least Ella
and Pete upheld the good old tradition of romance. Ella loved Pete and Pete loved Ella, and goodness knew what sacrifices they would have to make to stay together. They had no money, but were prepared to risk everything on the cause of true love. Vicky sighed. They say that fortune favours the brave, she thought, and she hoped that in his case it proved true.
She was so busy with her thoughts that she did not notice the time, and it was only when she heard Ross's Land Rover draw up in front of the homestead that she realised that he was back for lunch, and she had to make a dash to get a salad for him,
thanking providence that there was a dish already prepared in the fridge, and all she had to do was to cut up some cold meat to go with it, and with any luck she could get it done before he came down from the quick shower he usually took before sitting down to lunch.
She almost made it, but whether Ross had guessed her intention of doing the disappearing act before his appearance, he was certainly quick off the mark, for they met at the kitchen door, and Vicky would have gone past him had he not caught her by the arm. 'Do you have to be so childish?' he said furiously. 'Okay, so I was rough on you the other day, but it was only for your own good.'
Vicky's brows lifted. He had actually apologised! At least, that was as near as he would get to an apology, she thought darkly.
`Look,' said Ross, running an impatient hand through his dark hair, 'did you really mean what you said about liking Pete Noonan?' he asked quietly.
Vicky's eyes rested on the tiled floor. She knew what it had cost him to ask that question. He had his pride. 'Yes,' she said slowly. It was not a lie, she did like Pete, and she was liking him a lot more than she was liking Ross at that particular time.
Ross's thoughtful, 'I see,' somewhat surprised her, and she looked up at him, but he was not looking at her, but focusing his attention ahead of him. That was all he said, but Vicky knew with certainty that he had accepted her word. Without any further discussion, she knew that he would