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It s just   It s all right, Priss lied, smiling gamely.  I m okay now.
Renee hugged her and mumbled something grateful, and later her father accepted Priss s remark that at
last she and John understood each other. She went to bed early, and finally was able to let loose the tears
that had been building ever since she d left the Sterling Run that afternoon.
She was convinced now that John felt nothing for her, never had. What a pity, she told herself bitterly,
that she d kept holding on to old memories.
She got up bleary-eyed and managed to go through the motions of teaching. But her appearance gave her
away.
 Well, I must say, you look like an accident victim, Ronald George remarked in the corridor as she
hurried to class.
She stuck out her tongue at the dark-headed Englishman.  You should see that accident!
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He chuckled, waved, and went on his way.
The twins were well-behaved as they had been the day before, but they looked preoccupied. At the end
of the day, Priss asked them why.
 Oh, it s Uncle John, Gerry remarked, and Priss s heart leapt wildly.
 What s wrong with him? she asked, trying to sound casual.
 We don t know, Bobby said.  He was horrible yesterday. But he hollered real loud when we tried to
wake him up this morning, and Daddy said he d had too many stubbies and was inked.
 Dinkum, Gerry added.  He had a black eye, too.
 In a blue, I ll wager, Bobby remarked enthusiastically.  His knuckles was bleeding, too.
Priss didn t catch the slip of grammar. She was trying to unravel the tangle of Australian slang. Inked
was drunk. A blue was a fight. John had been drinking stubbies beer and got drunk and had a fight
She blinked. Was that normal behavior, she wondered, or did it have something to do with their
confrontation on Monday? Then she realized she was flattering herself. John hadn t batted an eye when
she left me Run. As if he cared that he d hurt her...!
 He was as game as Ned Kelly, though, Miss Priscilla, Gerry put in, mentioning a legendary
Australian outlaw,   cause he got up and went out to help with the sheep-shearing regardless of his
head.
 I hope he s better, Priss said noncommittally.
 Who, me? Ronald George grinned, sticking his head in the door.
She laughed.  No.
 Have a coffee with me before you go home, he invited.  I ll make it
 You can make coffee? she gasped.
He glowered at her and made a fist  Know thy place, woman!  Watch thy step, man, she returned.
He left and the twins watched her bright smile suspiciously.
She couldn t know, of course, that they d make so much out of her laughing repartee with Ronald. But
what they did was to go home and tell everyone, including John, that Miss Priscilla was sweet on Mr.
George.  He even made her coffee, Gerry said over his rice pudding.
 Exciting, innit? Bobby grinned, running the words together in fine Australian fashion.  Bet they ll
get married!
John, who d been listening to this enthusiastic revelation with a grim, unsmiling face that was braised
and cut, put down his fork, ignored his coffee, and left the table. The twins soon excused themselves as
well and ran out to watch the shearing.
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 What s wrong with John? Lattice asked carelessly, wondering at this odd behaviour on her first night
back from Bermuda.  He barely touched his meal.
Randy grimaced.  I told Priss he went bankrupt five years ago, he sighed.  He all but knocked me
about for it, too, I ll tell you. Then he went out and got drunk and beat up a couple of neighboring
stockmen. He shook his head as he finished his coffee,  foot old bloke. He thought she felt sorry for
him, you see. Because he s living a deprived life, he added.
 Well, I can understand that, Lattice said with a venomous smile.  God knows it isn t easy, living in
deprivation. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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