Jacaranda Vines by Tamara McKinley

Author:Tamara McKinley
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: FIC000000 FICTION / General
Publisher: Quercus

Part Two

13

Mary opened her eyes and lay there for a moment wondering if she’d died. She was surrounded by a glare of white and the quiet rustle of people moving just beyond her vision. Voices were hushed and there was a wonderful smell of flowers. She turned her head on the pillow, eyes watering from the glare, and saw who was sitting quietly by the bed.

‘Daisy?’ she mumbled. ‘What’s happened? What are you doing here, and where the hell am I?’

‘Making sure you stay alive,’ said her sister grimly. ‘Though God knows why I should bother after what you did to us all.’

‘I haven’t done anything to you,’ Mary protested weakly. ‘It’s me in this hospital bed, remember?’

‘That article should have had your name signed at the bottom,’ said Daisy with disgust. ‘Only you could have dished the dirt with such venom.’

‘You did it to yourselves,’ she muttered. ‘I only told Sharon the truth.’ She ran her tongue over dry lips. ‘I need a drink.’

‘Here.’ A glass of water was thrust into her hand. ‘You should try it more often – does wonders for the complexion, and doesn’t leave you with a hangover.’

Mary eyed her through half-closed lids as she propped herself up on one elbow and sipped the ice-cold water. Her mouth tasted foul, and there was something about Daisy that made her feel uncomfortable. Exhausted by the effort, she sank back into the pillows. ‘You didn’t answer my question,’ she muttered. ‘What are you doing here?’

‘We couldn’t reach you by phone and, after talking to your housekeeper, I contacted the Paramatta police. They broke in and found you lying in your own vomit, naked and out for the count. Not a pretty sight by all accounts. You were brought here to the hospital under an assumed name – the last thing we need right now is more scandal. I caught a plane and arrived about two hours ago.’

Mary eyed her sister and realised it wasn’t just Daisy’s voice that had changed. There was something strong and composed about her – not like Daisy at all. She was usually such a mouse, so grey and self-effacing, and yet here she was laying down the law as if she’d been born to it. She was wearing make-up too, Mary noticed, and a smart dress and jacket that hadn’t been bought off the peg. She closed her eyes against the sun. Daisy had to have a man lined up. It was obvious, for she wouldn’t go to all that trouble for anything else, surely?

‘Why, Daisy?’ she asked finally. ‘Why have you done all this for me?’

‘Because you’re my sister,’ she replied simply.

‘And?’ Mary knew there had to be more. Even this new version of Daisy would find it hard to forgive her betrayal.

‘You might be a gold-plated first-class bitch, but you don’t deserve to die like a wino in your own vomit. There’s unfinished business, Mary, and I’m determined you see it through.’

Mary groaned and closed her eyes. She felt like

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.