A Chance of Stormy Weather

by Tricia Stringer

  * * *

  Paula opened her eyes. Her head felt fuzzy. She couldn’t remember how many glasses of wine she’d drunk last night. What a nightmare! She was hoping she’d wake up to find none of it had happened. But the reality flooded back with her consciousness.

  On the way home last night, her father had tried again to explain the legal document he’d had drawn up and her mother had sat in silence for once. It was some kind of arrangement to keep Paula’s investments separate from Dan. It was almost like a one sided pre-nup agreement, only they were already married. Paula had yelled at them both, ranting and raving about their interference. When they had arrived home she had marched into the house then crept miserably into bed where Dan was already asleep. She vaguely recalled him getting up early this morning and here she was, alone in the bed again.

  There were sounds coming from the kitchen and it was only seven. Paula sighed deeply, dragged herself out of bed, pulled on her new dressing-gown and wrapped it tight to fight off the cold.

  She could hear her mother’s voice murmuring softly as she approached the kitchen, then her father’s voice, much louder.

  “I want the finances to be tidied up so she can come home with some collateral, once this country fling is over, that’s all.”

  “I know what you mean Rex, I just think —”

  Paula pushed open the door. The heater was on in the kitchen and there was a smell of toast mingled with a hint of pine. Her parents both stood at the sink. She glared at them.

  “Good morning, darling.” Her mother gave her a weak smile.

  “Are you feeling better this morning?” Rex asked.

  Better? What did he mean? He obviously didn’t care how she felt if he could describe her marriage to Dan as a ‘country fling’. All kinds of words flew around her fuzzy brain. She wasn’t going to put up with his meddling any more. She tried to think of something to say to hit back but all she could think of was how well she’d cleaned the toaster yesterday. She wondered if her mother had eaten any toast or perhaps her father had been the one to use it.

  “We’re heading home this morning, Paula,” Rex said. “Your mother is worried about Susan.”

  Now she focussed.

  “What’s wrong? Have you heard something?”

  Paula looked at her mother but she wouldn’t make eye contact. They’d rung her sisters on Sunday morning and everything had been fine then.

  “Nothing new, but I think you can manage here without us and we don’t know when this baby might turn up. Your mother wants to be there, and you don’t seem to need us here.”

  “I see.” Paula spoke quietly and her mother looked up expectantly. You’re darn right I don’t need you, Paula thought. She opened the fridge. “Have you packed something to eat in the car? It’s a long trip.”

  “We’ll stop along the way. Now, come on, Diane, once we drop this trailer off at the depot in Adelaide we will make much better time. We could be almost home by tonight. Are the cases ready to close up?”

  Diane followed her husband out the door, without speaking. Paula looked around the kitchen. Everything was neat and in its place. Her mother had done the dishes and put everything away except the offending toaster, which sat alone on the bench.

  Paula sat down. Her head ached. She had been right to worry about her parents’ visit. It had turned into a disaster. It was probably best that they left early, before they could do any more damage.

  Diane came into the kitchen and patted Paula’s shoulder. “I’m sorry it’s a bit of a rush, darling. I want to be home in case Susan needs me. You understand.”

  Paula stood up and forced a smile onto her face. “Of course, Mum. I’m fine here. You’re better off there, where you can be of some help.”

  Diane flinched. She stepped back.

  That was probably a bit rough, Paula thought to herself. Anyway, Susan would surely have paid Paula to keep their mother away a bit longer. She certainly wouldn’t be expecting to see their parents a few days early.

  “Darling…” Diane’s eyes were watering. “I’m sorry about the solicitor thing. I did try to warn your father but…”

  Paula turned away. She couldn’t face a tearful scene. Her sleeve caught a plate and it crashed to the floor and broke. “Bugger!”

  “Paula,” Diane chided. “Your language has deteriorated since you moved to the country.”

  Paula looked up from the pieces she was picking up and glared at her mother. “No, it hasn’t. I’m not a little girl any more, Mum, and I can swear if I want to.”

  Tears brimmed in her mother’s eyes again.

  “Here you are.” Rex stuck his head round the kitchen door. “The car is packed. We must get going, Diane.” He gave Paula a kiss on the cheek as she stood up. “You don’t have to do anything with those documents if you don’t want to but I think it would be wise to at least read them. I’ve left them in the bedroom. Take care.”

  Paula turned to her mother. They looked sadly at each other for a brief moment then Diane stepped forward and hugged her tightly.

  “Yes, take care, darling. Make sure you eat properly. You’re still so thin.”

  “Come on, Diane, she’s a grown woman, she can manage her own food. Now we don’t want any teary goodbyes.” Rex propelled his wife through the door. “Don’t come out, Paula, it’s damp and cold outside.”

  Paula smiled weakly and sat down as if she was a ten-year-old again.

  In the quiet she heard the four-wheel drive start up and move off down the track. As the sound of the motor faded she looked across the table in front of her to the old dresser. She recalled the evening she had spent with her mother unpacking the china, glassware and wedding gifts, while the men watched the football on television. She had enjoyed the relaxed camaraderie she had shared with her mother then.

  On display was a large white platter painted with abstract flowers in various shades of blue and touches of green, the bright colours reflected in the other gifts of coffee mugs and assorted bowls and plates they had placed along the shelves around it. She was glad she’d asked for the bright colours instead of plain white as her mother had originally suggested. This drab old kitchen needed a lift and the dresser and its contents had begun the process.

  A momentary flush of excitement sent her thoughts tumbling over colours she could use to complement those in the dresser and give the whole room a fresh look. Then the crackle of the two-way reminded her she was alone, with no vehicle and no idea of when Dan would be home. The prospect of the long week ahead made her feel listless. What would she do?

  “Woodie, it’s Croft. Dan, are you on channel?” Rowena’s voice burst into the kitchen.

  “Yes, Rowena.”

  “I forgot to give Paula the leftovers for your lunch. Would you like me to bring them out later?”

  “Yep, that would be good.”

  “See you about twelve.”

  “Okay.”

  Paula stood up and snapped off the two-way. Dan didn’t need her when he had Rowena to run after him, feed him, do the paperwork. What was the name Jane had given her and Paula, ‘new blood’? Well, if producing children was all he’d married her for, Dan could think again. Thank goodness for modern medicine and the pill. Paula looked around her empty kitchen and misery washed over her once more. But what was she going to do with her time?

  She brushed at the tablecloth. There were a few dirty marks on it. Washing. That’s what she’d do. She’d strip her bed and her parents’ bed and give everything the once-over. Happy to have a plan at last, she went to her parents’ room. On the bedside table she noticed a large envelope. It bore her name, written in her father’s bold handwriting. She picked it up, turned it over and wondered how she was going to sort this out with Dan. They had been so happy. Why did her father have to interfere?

  The phone rang. Paula went back to the kitchen, dropped the envelope on the dresser and picked up the receiver.

  “Hello, Paula? It’s Jim McInerney speaking.”

&nbs
p; “Hello, Jim.”

  “Look, I’ll get straight to the point. I know you’ve got visitors but I am desperate. My secretary, Heather, is still sick, in fact she’s in hospital and I’m nearly going under here. Dan mentioned a while back that you knew a bit about office work and I wondered whether you could spare me a few hours.”

  Paula was stunned. It was the last thing she’d imagined hearing. She smiled to herself, thinking of Marco’s empire that she had managed. “I have spent a bit of time in an office but…”

  “I don’t care if you can type or not, just some filing, phone answering, banking and mail. Only a few hours a day, I don’t want to keep you from your visitors, and I’d pay you, of course. I know it’s a bit cheeky to ask, Paula, but I’ve tried a couple of other people. Seems everyone’s sick or covering for someone who is sick and I thought of you. It wouldn’t be all day… ”

  “Hang on, Jim.” Paula jumped in. This could be just what she needed. “My parents left this morning. I could possibly do it…”

  “Wonderful, how soon can you be here?”

  “Well, I’m not even dressed so I’d need a few minutes and then…oh!”

  “What’s the matter?”

  “I don’t have any way of getting there. Dan has the dual cab.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ve got a rookie who needs to take a vehicle for a test run. He can take it your way and pick you up. I’m sure I’ve got a car here you could borrow to get you home.”

  “Oh no, Jim. That wouldn’t be right…”

  “Look, Paula, you are doing me a favour. It’s the least I can do. Will half an hour be enough time? I can have young Brad out there by then. We’ll sort out the rest when you get here.”

  Paula looked at the phone for a minute before hanging it up. What had she done? What would Dan think? She hadn’t even had the chance to ask him. Still, he was busy and Rowena had his lunch under control. Paula would go in to town, sort out Jim’s office and be home before anyone knew she was gone. Maybe there would be time to repair some of the meddling her father had done and Dara might even have something delicious she could bring home for their evening meal. She hummed as she left Dan a note on the slight chance that he arrived home before her. Yes, this was definitely what she needed.

  CHAPTER

  12

  It didn’t take Paula long to familiarise herself with the way Jim’s office ran. She felt relaxed sitting in the comfortable leather chair behind the counter. It made her remember her first observation about Jim. He ran his business with style.

  She was thankful that she’d chosen to dress in her black knee-length skirt and the pink-and-black floral knit which she tucked in at the waist. The smart outfit had boosted her confidence and made her feel good after months of not working. Heather’s systems had been easy to follow and by mid-afternoon all that was left to do was the post. Paula slipped her double-breasted coat back on. There had been no need for that in the warm office but outside the day was bitterly cold.

  She felt she had everything sorted and organised as she stepped confidently up to Marg’s counter.

  “Oh, hello dear. Paula isn’t it?” Marg’s beady eyes inspected her shrewdly and then scrutinised the bundle of mail Paula had placed on the counter. “I didn’t recognise you. Running a few errands for Jim, are you?”

  “I’m managing his office while his secretary is away.” It didn’t take long for word to get around.

  “That’s nice for you, dear. Katherine Melton was in earlier and she was saying it was kind of Jim to give you a bit of work, to keep you occupied. It can get very lonely on the farm during tractor season.”

  Paula looked down at the packets and envelopes she had put on the counter. How did Katherine know about the job and what did she mean? Paula wasn’t a child to be kept amused with toys while she waited for her man to come home. She stood up straight and looked directly at Marg.

  “I’ve noticed a couple of things in the mail log that would be better for Jim’s business if they went Express Post.”

  “Oh yes, Heather didn’t care for it much. I did try to…”

  “And I couldn’t find any record of a monthly account. Surely a business the size of Jim’s would have one of those.”

  “Heather didn’t…”

  “I think it would be much more efficient if you set one up.”

  “Perhaps when Heather gets back…”

  “She’s in hospital, poor thing. I’d like to have things organised before she gets back to save her some work. I’m sure you understand how much more efficient it would be.”

  “Well, of course but I don’t like to…”

  “I’ll be in tomorrow to finalise the details.” Paula turned to leave then looked back at Marg’s puce face. “Oh, and can you have the paperwork ready for me to change over the mail delivery at the farm by tomorrow. I’ll bring in my change of name details but I won’t have much time. I’d appreciate it if you had it ready for me to sign. See you then.” Paula turned and strode out of the post office leaving an open-mouthed Marg in her wake.

  She stopped outside the door and took two deep breaths before continuing on her way back to Jim’s. Perhaps she’d been a bit hard on Marg. Paula had gone in with the intention of discussing why Heather didn’t make use of the obvious time and money-saving services available. But at the mention of Katherine’s name Paula had lost all sense of reason. That bloody woman! What was it about her that she kept such a close eye on their affairs? She was obviously an old girlfriend but if Dan didn’t still care for her what bothered him so much?

  Paula stopped. Katherine had been away for a while. Maybe she had broken off their affair, not Dan. Perhaps he still harboured feelings for her but had married Paula on the rebound. She’d had friends who had been in similar relationships, but at least they hadn’t married and were able to walk away from the misery. That would explain Dan’s reaction at the very mention of Katherine’s name.

  A yell from a passing child interrupted Paula’s wild thoughts. Was she going crazy? Dan loved her, she knew it. Just because she’d had a bad experience with Marco didn’t mean it would happen again. She strode off along the footpath trying to concentrate on what was left to do before she went home.

  “Paula, thank you so much for today.” Jim beamed at her as she tidied up the front desk. “Are you able to come back tomorrow?”

  “I should think so. That’s if I don’t get a better offer.”

  “Oh, I said I would pay you a good wage.”

  Paula laughed. “I was joking, Jim. Where else would I be, except home alone? I’ve really enjoyed being here today.”

  “Good.” His momentarily displaced smile returned. “Now, we need to find you a car to borrow.”

  He took Paula through to the huge workshop area out the back. There weren’t as many vehicles lined up as there had been when she’d come with Dan to get the dual cab.

  “I’ve got two mechanics off with this flu bug as well. We’ve had to cut back on work. Thankfully, I’m expecting them both back tomorrow. Now let me see what we’ve got on the block that we can lend you.”

  Jim went off and talked to a mechanic and Paula wandered around the shed until he caught her up.

  “I’ve got a ute that has just been traded. It’s in good condition so you should be fine in it, or…”

  Paula listened carefully to the ‘or’. She didn’t fancy a ute after experiencing Dan’s.

  “There’s old Mrs Johnson’s Audi.”

  “That will do nicely.”

  Jim got keys and they headed off into a far corner. “I don’t know why she bought it. It wasn’t practical for her and I wouldn’t recommend them for our roads. She loved it though, racked up thousands of kays going from here to the city and interstate then traded it for a RAV4.” Jim laughed. “She’ll be eighty next birthday and is quite eccentric. Anyway I haven’t been able to sell it here so I’m going to try Adelaide.”

  Paula expected an old chunky-looking car but instead they stopped beside a
sleek jet-black, three-door sedan. Jim opened the door and Paula could detect the smell of leather as she slipped into the driver’s seat and gripped the steering wheel. Now, this was a car. And she noted there was no two-way radio.

  Paula felt she had a new lease of energy as she pulled up in front of Dara’s shop.

  “Paula, I’ve been going to ring you all day.” She was met by Dara’s enthusiastic welcome as soon as she stepped through the door. “Thank you so much for sending that American couple to us. They were great and we got on so well. We ended up cooking them an evening meal and they stayed the night. We had such a good time and the bonus is they insisted on paying, and very well I might add. It lifted Chris’s spirits. I can’t thank you enough for that.”

  Over coffee Dara gave Paula all the details. The local hospitality idea had been a success and Paula was pleased it had worked out. With their fine food and cheerful welcome, Dara and Chris could have a good business although they’d have to do something about their coffee. Dara had used the machine on her shop counter to make it this time and it had been rather bland. Paula explained her presence in town and Dara insisted she come for lunch the next day.

  “Jim can’t be such a slave driver he doesn’t give you a lunch break.”

  “He’s a nice man,” Paula replied. “He’s even let me borrow a car to get back and forth.”

  “So he should. You’re helping him out.”

  Paula had a quick wander around the shop while Dara served some customers; they all wanted food. There were several ideas gelling in Paula’s brain about Dara’s place.

  She was still mulling them over as she zipped along the bitumen, the radio beating out catchy drive-time music and a container of Dara’s mutton curry nestled on the seat behind her. Paula felt her cheeks heat up at the recollection of her question regarding which animal mutton came from. Dara had been kind enough not to laugh but Paula had felt like a fool when she’d said it was sheep but an animal older than lamb, and tastier in her opinion. Paula shook her head. Some things were so simple and right in front of her face and yet a trap for the girl from the city.