Heaven is Here: An Australian Outback Romance by Lucy Walker

Author:Lucy Walker [Walker, Lucy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: small town and rural, outback romance, clean romance, clean and wholesome, australian romance, autstralian rural romance, australian author, australian rural novels
Publisher: Wyndham Books (Small Town & Rural Romance)
Published: 2022-02-24T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

The next few days passed in the ordinary routine of running the homestead. Jean took care not to appear in the kitchen until Mrs. Wilstack had come through the breakfast ordeal with her family. She did not wish to appear a sleepy-head when the whole homestead was humming but she tried not to come out until the two older brothers had left the kitchen for their work.

By watching the clock and listening to the house sounds she was able to judge the right time to emerge in order to help Matt collect his books and assignments and get away to school.

Rain was coming up and both brothers went out to get a big five hundred acre paddock fallowed in readiness. They took it in turns to come in to lunch, Anthony coming one day and Hugh the next.

This was the first time Jean saw Hugh really looking like an out-back farmer except on the day he had gone after the ‘cove’ who had let down the fence on the far boundary. Like Anthony he wore drill pants tucked in the tops of his heavy boots and a very ancient felt hat on the back of his head. Moreover, there was loam on his hands and an earth-weary look about his face at sundown. Jean thought it made him look older though a little more human. The tiny crow’s feet at the corners of his eyes deepened. His face was a darker brown.

She was very careful in all her contacts with both Anthony and Hugh when the whole family was together. She wasn’t going to have any more of that nonsense about Anthony, but at the same time when he came in alone she was nicer to him, and more gentle, than she was when they were all together.

She and Mrs. Wilstack knew that Anthony’s heart was with his little school teacher down the line. Jean thought that neither of them would think she was heart-hunting when she smiled at Anthony.

She did have one unhappy moment, however, when Mrs. Wilstack said, ‘I wonder if Anthony’s really keen on that girl. He doesn’t do very much about it.’

‘I expect he’s shy,’ Jean said. ‘After all, he’s very young.’

‘He’ll be twenty-one in a week or two and that means a big fuss in the district. I’ll never forget Hugh’s twenty-first birthday party. They had a bonfire with fireworks in the town.’

‘I hope it’s not fireworks for Anthony,’ Jean said. ‘Couldn’t we have a nice peaceable party at Stirling Downs?’

‘We’ll have the party anyway but the whole town’ll have to come. But what’s troubling me is that girl. I really will have to face Anthony with it. If he’s really keen … why then, she must come. If she came from this town it would be easy …’

‘Let’s ask him when he comes in,’ said Jean. ‘I’ll go outside, if you like, while you ask him.’

‘Perhaps I’d better get Hugh to ask him.’

‘Oh, don’t ask Hugh,’ Jean said impetuously. Then bit her lip.

Mrs. Wilstack looked at Jean curiously.

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