The Australian by Diana Palmer

Author:Diana Palmer [Palmer, Diana]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781460340035
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2014-07-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

If she hadn’t been sitting down, her knees would have given way under her. She sat staring at Randy without even seeing him while the words repeated themselves in her numb mind. John had gone bankrupt. He’d gone bankrupt. And she’d never even known. There had been a conspiracy of silence all around; even her parents had kept it from her. But why? Why?

“I’m sorry,” Randy said gently. “I didn’t realize it would hit you so hard, Priss, or I’d never have said anything.”

She straightened. Her heart ran wild in her chest. “Why didn’t someone tell me?”

He shrugged. “I thought you knew. It was all over the district when it happened.” He crushed out his cigarette in the ashtray on her desk.

She wasn’t sure she could stand up. She felt as sick as she’d ever been in her life. All she could think about was her own cruelty to him since she’d been home, the way she’d ridiculed his clothing...and he was such a proud man. Oh, God, what had she done?

Her hands went into the drawer to produce a tissue. She dabbed at her eyes.

“I’m sorry if I upset you,” he said.

She looked up. “You pulled the station out of the fire, I gather?”

He started to speak, ran a hand through his hair, and smiled bitterly. “I was a first-class wowser, if you want to know,” he told her. “I lorded it over John and crushed what little pride he had left, and walked around with a head like a draft beer. I was going to show big John that I could run rings around him in business.” He stared at his clasped hands on his knees. “And at the end of the first year, I’d fouled up everything. I almost lost my own station in New South Wales, and the Sterling Run was no better off. I was desperate enough to ask John for help. He hadn’t seemed to care up until then, about anything. But after that, he and I put our heads together and came up with a plan. We’re progressing slowly, but we’ve restocked and reinvested, and we’re back on the way to prosperity. I managed to hold on to the sheep station down in New South Wales, and if everything goes well, Latrice and I can move back there in a few months. Maybe she’ll settle better near her people.”

She stared at the desk. “Yes, perhaps.”

He stood up. “Priss, I’ll promise you that Latrice and I will make the effort with the twins. I’ll try to arrange my schedule so I have more time to give them. Meanwhile, if you have any more problems, let me know. If necessary, I’ll cart them off to military school.”

She started to protest, but she held her tongue. A teacher could only interfere up to a point. Ultimately it would have to be Randy and Latrice’s decision, not hers.

“Thanks for coming, Randy,” she said, forcing a smile.

He nodded. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

She averted her eyes and mumbled something.

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