PART EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Carly was at the Sydney airport early to catch her flight to Melbourne and stopped at a coffee shop in the terminal after she checked in her luggage. She was sipping the hot beverage—her favorite, coffee mocha—when somebody pushed into her chair from behind and made her jostle some of her drink onto the small table where she was seated. She hurriedly sopped it up with napkins and turned around to see who had been so inconsiderate—ready to give that person a tongue-lashing.
"I'm sorry," the woman said. She looked like she had just gotten out of bed. She was bleary-eyed, and her hair was all rumpled. "I thought I was going to be late, and I didn't want to miss my flight to Melbourne . The hotel where I stayed at last night forgot to wake me up. I'm sorry I bumped you."
Instead of being angry, Carly all of a sudden felt compassion for the woman, as she knew how she would have felt under similar circumstances. "What flight are you on?" she asked.
When the woman told her, Carly said, "That's the same flight I'm on! You won't be late. In fact, you're early."
"Oh, really? Thank God!" The woman heaved a sigh of relief.
"Why don't you leave your bag here, go get a cup of coffee and join me. I'm just waiting here till they give the boarding call."
"Are you sure you don't mind? I mean, I don't want to interrupt." The woman looked at Carly uncertainly and then longingly, at the cup of coffee she had her hands wrapped around.
"Nah. Sounds like you're from the States, too. A fellow traveler."
"Okay. I'll be right back." The woman left her bag on the seat beside Carly and came back with a cup of coffee and a donut—the white frosting decorated with red and green sugar crystals. "Isn't this donut pretty? Just like Christmas," she said, taking a huge bite.
"I must look awful," she declared after a second bite. "I didn't even have time to do a thing with my hair or anything else! I just knew I was going to miss the flight."
"Why don't you go use the restroom to freshen up after you drink your coffee? I'm sure the plane won't be boarding for a while. By the way, my name's Carly." She held out her hand with a smile.
The woman wiped the donut crumbs on her hand off on a napkin. "Hi. I'm Paige," she said, smiling back and shaking hands with Carly.
"What brings you to Australia ?" Carly asked.
"I'm going to meet a friend in a little town north of Melbourne called Clunes. She's not really expecting me. It's going to be a surprise, I think."
"Really!" Carly exclaimed. "That's so exciting! I'm supposed to meet a friend in Clunes, too! But she is expecting me. In fact, I'm going to ride the bus to Clunes once I get to Melbourne . How are you getting to Clunes?"
"I don't know. I sent Jo an e-mail yesterday morning to pick me up in Melbourne . But I don't know if she received it. So I don't know what I'll do if she's not there."
"Well, I'm sure you can take the bus to Clunes, too. We could ride together, since we're going to the same town. If she doesn't pick you up, that is. I've heard it's a little bitty place, so you shouldn't have any problem finding your friend."
"That's sounds really great," Paige said, smiling at Carly with appreciation. "I wouldn't mind taking the bus. That is, if my friend doesn't pick me up."
The announcement for boarding finally came. Paige had used the restroom to freshen up. Carly thought when she saw her afterwards that she was a rather attractive woman, now that she had brushed her hair, washed her face and put on a little eyeliner. They boarded the big jet at the same time when a seating section was called and found they were sitting in aisle seats right across from each other.
Carly closed her eyes—just like she did when she took off from LAX—and gripped the arms of her seat for dear life until the plane was airborne. She noticed she was shaking more than usual. She was already dreading the plane rides that would take her back to the States.
By the time the plane was fully airborne, Carly had calmed down. She persuaded the passenger in the middle seat next to Paige to trade seats with her so she could sit next to Paige. The passenger was more than willing to switch, as he was a rather large man and felt squeezed in where he was sitting. He had convinced the ticket agent that he didn't need two seats. But an aisle seat would let his 'overhang'—which he had plenty of—hang out into the aisle!
As the 747 made its way to Melbourne , Carly and Paige talked steadily for the next hour. They found out they had a lot in common. Paige had once worked in a bookstore, and Carly had once been a grocery clerk for several years. They found out they liked the same type of music, the same type of movies, and—to a certain extent—enjoyed the same kind of food.
"You know, I was really shook up on the plane to Los Angeles , so I took some medicine to help calm me down before I got on the plane at LAX to fly to Sydney and again with the plane here to Melbourne ," Paige admitted. "I'm scared to death of flying. I'm afraid we'll crash—explode right out of the air after we take off!"
"Really?" Carly said, amazed that someone besides her was afraid of flying.
"Yeah," Paige said. "Didn't you notice I was white-knuckling the arms of my seat?"
"Actually, I was doing the same thing," Carly admitted. "I wasn't watching you. I'm afraid of flying, too. Afraid the plane will crash before it even gets off the ground."
"Really?" Paige said in awe. "No wonder you didn't notice me."
And so on the way to Melbourne they began another topic of conversation they had in common. They never ran out of things to say to each other. And because they were so engrossed in talking, they never paid much attention to the country they were flying over, either.
When they arrived at Melbourne , Paige looked for Jo, but didn't see her anywhere.
"Why don't you wait here in the waiting room in case she comes, and I'll go get my luggage," Carly said.
"Do you need any help?" Paige asked.
"No, I can manage," Carly replied. "Just stay put."
Paige promptly sat down in the waiting area. She watched Carly walk in the direction of the baggage claim, thinking how sleek and sexy she looked with her curly black hair bouncing up and down. It didn't seem to matter to her when Carly told her she'd had a recent hip replacement. Paige thought it was not all that noticeable and kept her eyes on Carly's tight ass encased in her blue jeans until she rounded a corner and out of sight.
"Still not here?" Carly asked, returning with a luggage trolley. She eased her suitcases off.
"Nope," Paige replied. "Jo must not have received my message."
An announcement came over a loudspeaker.
Call for Carlotta Pilot. Please pick up the white telephone. Carlotta Pilot. Please pick up the white telephone.
"Hey, that's me!" Carly realized. She looked around and spotted a white telephone on a post close by. "I bet that's my friend Shannon. Wait here," she said, momentarily putting her hand on Paige's arm. "I'll be right back." She got up and quickly walked over to the phone.
The phone conversation was animated and lengthy, with Carly gesturing with her hands. Every now and then she looked around at Paige and smiled. Then she hung up and came back and sat down, her smile broadening.
"Well, that's a stroke of good luck for both of us. That was Shannon . She told me your friend Jo said you were going to be on this flight and that I should find you and have you ride with me on the bus up to Clunes. Isn't that a coincidence? I told her I already found you! And another stroke of luck: my Shannon and your Jo are staying at the same B&B ! Imagine that! And Jo did get your e-mail, but didn't know how she could have picked you up."
"That's certainly good news," Paige said. "I'm so glad you were here. It was kind of short notice for Jo to pick me up, anyway. Really was a spur-of-the-moment kind of thing."
"No more than it was short notice for Shannon to run off to Melbourne and leave me stranded in Sydney !" Carly said sarcastically under her breath.
Then she brightened up. "Come on. Let's find the bus station." She looked at her watch. It was 11 o'clock. "With any kind of luck, we'll be in Clunes long before nightfall."
They both left the area and turned in their declarations cards to the proper authorities and exited the airport with Paige carrying the heaviest one of Carly's suitcases as well as her own bag. They found the bus depot just around the corner and bought their tickets to Clunes, paying with Visa Cards. As they boarded the bus to Ballarat, they smiled at each other, confident that they were already well on their way to becoming the best of friends.
CHAPTER THIRTY
After Shannon talked with Carly, the three women had a 'cuppa.' Rose decided she needed to take a break. Mid-mornings and mid-afternoons were 'tea time' at the B&B . Both Shannon and Jo thought they might as well start drinking tea, as they just couldn't handle the instant coffee. Rose brought out her favorite biscuits again. She knew the men were around somewhere, either on the back veranda, down at the chook pen, or maybe in the bungalow. But she wasn't going to hunt them up and disturb them just for a 'cuppa.' It would soon be lunch time, and that was soon enough for them to make an appearance. The less she was around Mr. Bannister, the better she liked it.
Right now, she wanted to get acquainted with her two women guests a little more. She knew Jo, of course, from e-mails, but it was different talking with her in person. She didn't often have guests who would sit and chat with her like this. They were always in a hurry going somewhere and doing something.
"Why don't I call Emily down at the Post Office," she said after a short time, "and ask her to watch for your friends and then call up here when she sees the bus pull in? That way, Fred won't have to go down there and wait for them to show."
"I wouldn't mind if you called Emily," Shannon said. "Thank you. I don't expect them to get here for a couple of hours yet. But Jo and I will go and pick them up." She looked at Jo and winked. Jo nodded her head.
"Are you sure you have room for their luggage in that little red sports job?" Rose asked, smiling broadly.
"They can hold their luggage on their laps. It's not far to the B&B from town," Shannon replied, smiling back.
Davie , Jeff Bannister, and Alfred walked into the kitchen while Rose was on the phone to Emily. They were all laughing at a joke that Fred had just told them. Rose smiled at Fred and Fred smiled back. Jo could see their fondness for each other on their faces. Fred got some beers from the fridge, and they sat down at the table.
"When is your friend arriving, Ms. Brooks?" Mr. Bannister asked.
"I just spoke with her at the Melbourne airport. She should be here in a couple of hours," Shannon replied.
” My friend should be here in a couple of hours, too, on the same bus," Jo stated.
Mr. Bannister raised his eyebrows. He thought he must have missed out on some conversation along the way. He wasn't aware that Ms. Campbell was expecting a friend, too. He didn't like being kept in the dark about things and frowned—not realizing he did so. His frown was not lost on Shannon, though, who had been observing him from the time he walked into the kitchen.
"Well," Fred said, "I better go get that other bed over at Max's then. When I talked to him yesterday, he said I could pick it up anytime. Come on, young man, you can help me. We'll load it up on me little trailer and haul it over. Max lives just across the street down a ways."
Davie looked over at Mr. Bannister, who shrugged, then nodded his head in resignation—having no choice but to go with the flow. Young Davie and Fred picked up their bottles of beer, excused themselves, and left.
Jeff Bannister looked over at Rose, who was hanging up the phone. He breathed a deep sigh before he spoke.
"I got Davie 's mobile working. He just let the battery run down. So he'll be using it from now on instead of your house phone—if he needs to do any calling." Rose looked at him out of the corner of her eye, but didn't respond.
Jeff Bannister directed his gaze to Shannon and said, "Ms. Brooks, I talked to my main man in Melbourne this morning, and he said they'd be here around five this afternoon with our production equipment. He's driving the Caravan, and two other men will be with him."
"Mr. Bannister," Rose interrupted, as she sat back down at the table, "will these three gentlemen be wanting to stay here in the B&B , too?"
"No, Missus Hamus," Jeff Bannister said to her, impatient with the interruption. "They'll be sleeping in the Caravan tonight." He turned to speak to Shannon again.
"But they'll be wanting breakfast?" Rose asked, interrupting again.
"I'm not sure if they will or if they're bringing their own food," Jeff replied. "We'll see when they get here."
He turned his attention back to Shannon . "We won't do anything today, but I want to get an early start tomorrow. Have you heard of the town of Daylesford , Ms. Brooks?"
Shannon turned to Jo seated on the other side of her—away from Mr. Bannister's look—and mouthed the words: "I told you so."
Rose immediately spoke up. "Oh, yes, that's just a few miles from here. Fred and I lived there for twelve years while our children were growing up. But we had to move away because when the kids began looking for jobs, there just weren't any to be found. So we moved to south of Melbourne, and they finished growing up there. And found good jobs. Our oldest boy, Matt, is a plumber, and the next oldest, Thomas, sells plumbing supplies. Fred used to be a plumber before he retired, you know. They both take after him . Our oldest girl, Gwen, works as a nurse, which is what I was before I retired. Our youngest girl, Tamara, just got married recently and has a little boy now. Cutest little boy. His name's Austin . Our other two boys, Steven and Daniel, have good jobs, too, but the youngest, Daniel, is in the process of moving to a different house with his family. He has four children now and just outgrew their place. They thought of building a house, but wound up finding one they could let instead, till they get more money saved up. Steven is the only one who isn't married yet. He just hasn't found the right girl, he says. Most of our kids live down around Melbourne , except Tamara and her family. They decided to move to Dandenong after their little boy was born. Oh, and Matt lives here in Clunes, too, less than two kilometers from us. He does plumbing in all the little towns around. His wife Suellen runs The Bakery . Actually, they own it. They have a boy and a girl who attend the local school. They're only three years apart in age. Fred and I moved up here five years ago. We always wanted to have a B&B , and I fell in love with the place the first time I saw it. Yeh! We sold our house in Melbourne and didn't pay any more for this place here. We had to do a little remodeling, but now it's pretty much the way we want it. Daylesford is a beautiful little town. They get snow there in the winter, too."
She looked over at Mr. Bannister, pausing to take a deep breath. She was upset with him for starting to discuss business with Shannon almost as soon as he walked into the kitchen. She'd never had much of a chance to get acquainted with the woman. And she'd hardly spent any time with Jo, either. She normally didn't monopolize her guests, but this was an exception.
Who does he think he is, anyway? she had been thinking. These are me friends, and Mr. What's-his-name can just wait till we're done visiting! And I'm sure Shannon doesn't want to talk business right now, either. The photography crew isn't even here yet! She's not working!
Jeff Bannister was sitting there with his mouth agape. He never expected Rose to carry on like she did and then just barely mention Daylesford at the end. And he had addressed the question to Ms. Brooks in the first place.
"So you're acquainted with the town, then?" he asked Rose, trying to be polite. All of his life he had relied on his rugged good looks and pleasant outward demeanor to win people over. Never would he have dreamed that Rose had seen right through him as soon as he walked in the front door yesterday!
"Yeh. Anything you'd want to know about it, I suspect," Rose rattled on. "And just about any other little town around here. Me and Fred both grew up in this area. He was born in Creswick, which is not far from here. We got married right here in Clunes at the little chapel, which has now been converted and is part of the new high school. Mum's second husband is buried in the local cemetery, and so is me father. We've lived all of our lives around here, except for the few years we lived around Melbourne . But we haven't lived in Daylesford for over 20 years. It's changed a bit since we were there. They have a new grocery store—a really huge place—and that's where we go to buy groceries sometimes. Usually we go to Ballarat, though, because Ballarat has a couple of different stores I like to shop in that Daylesford doesn't have, like a shop that sells quilting materials, called The Spotlight . I don't mind bragging on meself, but I have won a lot of prizes for me quilting, you know. But Ballarat and Daylesford are the same distance away, so we go to Daylesford a lot, too. We were there just two weeks ago for a picnic at Wombat Hill Gardens . That is a beautiful place, with a glass-enclosed hot house filled with begonias. Yeh! Absolutely beautiful! At one place overlooking the town, we can see the house where we used to live. We don't miss it, though, since we have the Willowbranch."
Mr. Bannister sat leaning on the table, elbow bent, with his chin in the palm of his hand, listening to Rose talk. He had never run into a woman who talked as much as she did. But he had no choice but to listen. Rosalie and Alfred Hamus were his hosts. He didn't want to be rude. And Rose had no intention of stopping, once she had captured his attention. One of the marks of good B&B operators, Jeff Bannister knew, was that they could talk—and talk—and talk. Usually tourists were glad for the conversation, as most of them were newcomers to an area. But Mr. Bannister was not in the mood for casual chatting. He was here strictly on business. He was wondering how he could begin to redirect his conversation to Shannon without seeming to be rude and totally ignoring Rose. But then Rose paused again for a moment, and Jeff Bannister saw his chance.
"Ms. Brooks," he said, turning to Shannon , "I wonder if I might have a word with you, concerning our shooting schedule."
"Don't you think Rose talking about her and Alfred's life is fascinating?" Shannon asked him, trying to avoid talking business. "We did, didn't we, Jo?" Jo nodded, smiling.
Mr. Bannister started to say something, but Rose interrupted again. "Now, Mr. Bannister, I really think discussing business will have to wait for a while, since you won't be working till tomorrow, anyway. Shannon is still recovering from a serious bout of food poisoning she had when she stayed those couple of days in Sydney , and I'm sure she doesn't want to talk business right now. She's had a bit of a headache."
Once again, Jeff Bannister's mouth dropped open, and he was left speechless. Never in his life had he met a woman like Rosalie Hamus!
What's this about Shannon being ill? he wondered. Why didn't Davie tell me? I'll have to have a talk with him.
Shannon smiled and blessed Rose silently.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
"Let's turn it this way, Davie ," Fred said as they started to come into the kitchen, "and it should fit right through the door."
The two men were back from Max's—having been gone half an hour—and were carrying a brass headboard. "We'll have to move the kitchen table out of the way, though. There's no room to get around it to the bedroom."
They set the brass headboard down and stood there bracing it to keep it from falling. Fred looked at Rose, who took the hint and got up from the table. Shannon and Jo followed her example, and the three of them began to lift the heavy kitchen table at three corners. Rose glared at Mr. Bannister, who also stood up then, picked up his beer bottle, and lifted the fourth corner of the table with his other hand. They moved it away from the hutch so Fred and Davie could get past it with the headboard—which they wasted no time in doing—and carried it into the red room. Then they went back out to Fred's two-wheeled trailer and got the rest of the bed, plus the mattress and box springs. The kitchen table was then replaced in its original spot.
Jeff Bannister continued to stand there, looking around kind of dumbstruck, with his beer in his hand and wondering what he had gotten into by arranging to stay at this B&B .
Rose saw his chagrin and smiled and then said, "Come on, girls. I may as well put you to work. I have a lot of veggies that need cleaning and chopping up, and you two can do that while I get some food on the table for lunch. We're just having a light lunch, some sandwiches again, because we'll have a lot to eat for dinner." She picked up her teacup and carried it over to the kitchen sink.
Shannon and Jo followed with their own cups. As they set them in the sink, they noticed heaps of potatoes, onions, squash, carrots, cabbage and green beans nearby, all needing to be washed, peeled, chopped and ready to put in with some meat already cooking in a huge pot to make a hearty stew for dinner.
Jeff Bannister looked over at them helplessly, wondering when he would be able to talk to Shannon Brooks. He didn't want to interrupt his hosts, who were trying to make them all feel at home. He finally sat back down at the kitchen table.
"Say, Mr. Bannister," Fred shouted from the red room, "Could you come in here and give us a hand putting this bed together?"
Jeff rolled his eyes, thinking what next ? But he left his beer bottle on the table and went into the bedroom.
After the men finished assembling the bed, they came out and sat back down at the table. Fred got them each another beer. Jeff Bannister realized that this was not really a good time to discuss business. He finished off his first beer and started in on his second.
Maybe I can talk business with Ms. Brooks later. We're not going to start shooting till tomorrow morning, anyway.
"Fred, dear," Rose said. "Could I get you to run down to The Bakery and get some more rolls for tonight? I forgot to mention that Matt and Suellen and the kids will be here for dinner, or you could have picked up some while you were just out. They're going to pick up mum on their way over. So get enough for sixteen people, would you? I think that'll be enough. There'll be the six of us here, and then Matt and his family and mum, and Shannon and Jo's friends, and then those three fellows will be here, too. They might like to eat with us. So I think probably three dozen rolls will be plenty."
Shannon and Jo had been peeling and chopping away at mounds of veggies and both of them were wondering why so many rolls, until they heard Rose telling Fred how many people would be present for dinner. Shannon thought she'd be able to avoid talking business with Mr. Bannister a little while longer. He was her employer, but she wasn't exactly chomping at the bit to discuss business. She was glad for Rose's steady conversation that allowed her to be excluded from answering questions. She wondered again if she had done the right thing by accepting this assignment without first meeting with Mr. Jeff Bannister. But it was a little late for dwelling on that now.
Fred nodded. "Yeh, I'll do that after lunch. Anything else you'd be needing?"
"I'm just about out of butter, too, if you could stop at the creamery?"
"Yeh," Fred said again.
"Bertie said yesterday that she'd be by today to pick up some eggs. Do we have enough for a dozen for her?"
"No worries, love," Fred said. "The chooks have been laying good, and I'm sure we have enough without depriving our guests." He looked sideways at Jeff Bannister and then back at Rose. "Did she say what time she was coming?"
"She wasn't sure, but thought it might be in the evening." Rose said.
Jeff Bannister rolled his eyes again and thought, Just like old home week! God in heaven! It's like we're staying on a goddamn farm or something!
He listened to the conversation back and forth between Rose and Fred while he finished his beer. Then he told Davie to come with him down to the bungalow—that he wanted to talk to him about the crew that was coming in later today. They needed to get things lined up. Fred said he would come and get them when lunch was on the table.
* * * * * *
" Davie , just what exactly has been happening since you picked Ms. Brooks up in Sydney ?" Jeff asked, as soon as Davie settled down on the divan in the bungalow's living room.
"What d'you mean?" Davie replied, looking up at his boss who had remained standing.
"Missus Hamus said something about her having a serious bout of food poisoning in Sydney ?"
Oh, my, I never should have said anything to Rose, Davie thought. "Well, sir, it wasn't exactly food poisoning. It was an allergic reaction to some seafood at that restaurant where I took her to eat her first night in Sydney ."
"Why didn't you tell me about that?" Jeff Bannister was staring him into the ground.
"Well, sir, it was just a momentary thing, and with a counteractive shot by the doctor, she was okay after that. I didn't think it was...that important—" His voice trailed off.
"You didn't think it was that important?" Jeff asked calmly and slowly. He was trying hard not to lose his temper.
"No, sir?" A weak question rather than a forceful statement.
Jeff Bannister started pacing the floor. "I don't pay you to think, Davie ! I'm paying you to keep an eye on Ms. Brooks. Do you realize she could have ended up in the hospital? That maybe she would have had to go back to the States?" By this time, he had lost his cool and was yelling at Davie . When he realized what he was doing, he stopped pacing and forced himself to calm down.
"Well, tell me then, Davie , what has happened since you got to this B&B ?"
"What d'you mean, sir?" Davie asked. He sank deeper into the divan. Mr. Bannister sat down beside him.
"I mean…where has Ms. Brooks gone since she's been here?" He felt his voice getting louder and took control once again.
"Well, she went with Fred to Ballarat to rent a car about seven yesterday morning, and—" Davie started to say.
"You went with her, of course," Mr. Bannister said. He remembered Shannon had told him they'd been to Ballarat. He assumed Davie had gone with them.
"No, sir," Davie said, almost cringing. "Just her and her friend Jo."
"You let her go by herself?" Jeff said loudly, getting up from the couch. "What in God's name were you thinking? I told you to keep an eye on her!" He started pacing the floor again.
"They let me sleep in. And I didn't see any harm in it. Fred dropped them off, and they got back here by lunch time."
"Where did Ms. Brooks and Ms. Campbell go after she rented the car? She said she went early in the morning, so several hours must have passed from the time they rented the car till they got back here."
"I don't know. She didn't say. I suppose she was taking pictures."
Jeff Bannister stopped pacing and just shook his head slowly. "Then what did you do when Ms. Brooks and Ms. Campbell got back?"
"Well, we ate lunch and then Rose's mum came over. We were going to play a game of cards, but Shannon and Jo wanted to go to Maryborough first so they could exchange some American money for Australian. Shannon said I could ride along. Then we came home, and you showed up right when we got back."
"Did Ms. Brooks go anywhere else? Anywhere at all? Think, Davie . It's very important."
Davie wondered why Mr. Bannister was so insistent about knowing exactly where Shannon had been. What difference did that make?
"No," Davie said, shaking his head. He hesitated, then said, "That is...well, we took a different road on the way back from Maryborough, and we stopped one time to look for kangaroos."
"Look for kangaroos?" Mr. Bannister was staring at him in wide-eyed disbelief.
"Yes, sir. Shannon said Fred told her he sees them sometimes when he goes back and forth to Ballarat. I didn't know exactly where we were. I was sitting in the back seat with a map, trying to figure that out. Shannon , though, seemed to know where she was going."
"Yes," Jeff said under his breath. "I'm sure she did." This poor boy doesn't even know, evidently, that the time to see kangaroos is at dawn or dusk. It was still afternoon when they got back. Hmm—maybe Ms. Brooks doesn't know, either.
"Is something wrong, sir?" Davie asked.
"Yes, Davie , there is. I wish you would keep a better eye on her like I asked you to." He didn't want to be too hard on his young assistant, as Davie was just learning about life. But there were some realities he'd have to deal with him about—such as following his orders!
"Do you value your job, Davie ?" he asked.
"Yes, sir," Davie responded, starting to wilt. He didn't know what he had done wrong. He thought he might be in a little trouble with his boss. Maybe his job was in jeopardy. But Shannon was only here to take photos. What she did with her personal time was her own business, wasn't it? As long as it didn't interfere with her work. And as far as the allergy went, he couldn't have done anything about that. He guessed he should have told Mr. Bannister, though. He was right when he thought his boss would be upset. Mr. Bannister had never yelled at him before.
"Then I want you to keep so close to her that you know what time she goes to bed at night and what time she gets up in the morning, and everything she does during the day—especially if she speaks to someone outside of this B&B . If it means never closing your eyes again, don't let her out of your sight! Is that understood?"
"Yes, sir," Davie responded again.
"And another thing, Davie ," Mr. Bannister said. "Why do you call her Shannon ?"
"She told me to," Davie answered.
He needs to learn a little professionalism about this job, too, Jeff Bannister thought. You don't get cozy with the people you hire.
"From now on, Davie ," Jeff said carefully, "you will call her Ms. Brooks." He wagged his finger at Davie while he was talking, daring him to say anything.
"Yes, sir," Davie said, sinking even deeper into the divan. He didn't know why calling a person by their name in a certain way was such a big deal. Mr. Bannister was teaching him how to be polite and get along with people, and Shannon told him to call her by her first name. He thought it would be a little standoffish if he switched to calling her Ms. Brooks now. But Mr. Bannister must know what he was doing.
He thought he'd better not mess up again, or he'd be without a job. But what else could go wrong? And how could he mess up? He didn't think anything had gone wrong so far—if you eliminated the food allergy episode—and he wondered why Mr. Bannister was so angry. Again, he wondered why he had to keep an eye on Shannon . He thought he was here to help with the photography production end.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Jeff Bannister and David Westmore were in his own thoughts when Fred knocked on the door and told them lunch was on the table. They came out of the bungalow, thanked him, and walked up to the main house with him.
Shannon and Jo were seated on one side of the table, Fred was at one end, and Rose told Mr. Bannister to sit beside her . She placed Davie at the head of the table, much to his surprise.
They ate lunch quietly, and as soon as they were finished, Fred got up and said to Davie , "Come on, young man, I'll introduce you to the local population."
Davie followed Fred out the back door, without looking at Mr. Bannister for approval. He decided he wasn't working, either, until they began shooting tomorrow morning! And his personal time was his own, just like Shannon . And if he wanted to call Shannon Brooks by her first name, he was going to do it! Just not in Mr. Bannister's hearing, of course. He sensed a bit of rebellion in himself and had no idea where that came from.
"Hey, Jo, let's go look the town over," Shannon said, getting up from the table. "We can be down there when our friends come in." She looked sideways at Mr. Bannister, looking for a reaction. But Jeff wasn't looking at them. His face was registering utter surprise, as Davie never asked him if it was all right to go with Fred. He was going to have to rein that boy in, for sure, before he did something foolish and ruined his plans.
Rose got up from the table at the same time. "You girls go right ahead. I need to do some cleaning in here and make up that other bed and get some other things ready for dinner tonight. You'd just be underfoot. I don't think you'd be wanting to spend the afternoon cooped up in the house, anyway, would you? I'll tell Emily when she calls to say your friends are here, that you're already in town and will pick them up."
The two of them exited by the back door. Rose cleared the lunch dishes away and moved to the sink, leaving Jeff Bannister sitting alone at the table.
"Well, I think since everybody else is doing something, I'm going back down to the bungalow and take a nap." He wasn't pleased that Davie had gone off with Fred, when he should have gone with Ms. Brooks and her friend into town. But he couldn't do anything about that now. He felt a headache coming on again.
He rose from the table, making a big show of pushing back his chair, and then noisily pushed it back into the table and stomped loudly out the door onto the veranda.
"I think that would be nice," Rose said to herself, cleaning off the counter and smiling slightly. At least you won't be able to bother anybody for a while, she thought.
* * * * * *
"I'm so glad to get out of there," Shannon said to Jo as they drove into town. "I don't remember when a person has unnerved me like Jeff Bannister has. There's just something about him—even though he seems quite pleasant right now."
She pulled up in front of the bank. "Let's stop in here first," she said, "so I can cash this check Mr. Bannister gave me. He paid me in Australian money, so I shouldn't have any problem. I won't be able to put it in the bank at home right now and really don't want to carry it on my person for too long. I'll keep a bit of cash out and then hide the rest somewhere when we get back to the B&B .”
Jo waited for her in the car.
"Now let's head for The Bakery ," Shannon said, getting back in the car. "I've never been there before."
They saw a couple of sidewalk tables with chairs on an outdoor patio in front as they pulled up to the curb. As they walked in the front door and looked around, they noticed a few tables and chairs scattered about inside, too.
"This is nice," Shannon said approvingly. "Kind of a little café atmosphere. Bet it's the best place in town to relax. Looks new."
"G-day, ladies. Can I get you something?" A tall, slim woman with long blonde hair stepped out from behind the counter. She was dressed in jeans and a man's shirt, which was way too long for her. She had a dishcloth in her hands. "I was just cleaning up behind here." She motioned toward the counter. "Sometimes the hired help doesn't do as good a job as I'd like."
"Well, I hope you can get us something," Shannon responded. "Would you happen to have any brewed coffee? My friend and I just got to Australia from the States a couple of days ago. We're going to be here for a couple of weeks, but we aren't up to the instant coffee they serve up at the Willowbranch B&B . And we really don't want to have to go to Ballarat again like we did yesterday for a decent cup of coffee."
"Oh, yeh. No worries. Brewed coffee is all we serve here. But mum, she's got this crazy idea that Americans like instant coffee—and instant everything else—so she's never bothered to buy a coffeepot. We Australians drink tea for the most part. But there are some folks around here who like a good cup of coffee, too."
"Mum?" Jo said. "Rosalie is your mother?"
"Well, actually me mother-in-law. I'm married to her son Matt," the woman said.
"You must be Suellen, then," Shannon said. "Your mother went on and on about all the amazing flowers and bushes you've helped her with. My name is Shannon , and this is Jo. We're expecting a couple of friends on the bus shortly and came downtown to look around a bit before they get here."
"Well, sit yourself down anywhere, and I'll get your coffee. Would that be white coffee or black?"
They both acknowledged they wanted hot, strong, black coffee!
Shannon and Jo sat at a table towards the front but away from the door. They immediately noticed the air-conditioning. Shannon asked Suellen about it as she came out from the back area where the coffee machine was located. Suellen set two cups of coffee down on the table in front of them and then sat down with them, since there were no other customers.
She told them The Bakery was built eight years ago—the first new building in 125 years! When she and Matt moved to Clunes about three years ago, they noticed it was for sale. But Suellen said she wouldn't buy the place unless they put in air-conditioning.
"Can you imagine eating bakery goods in the summertime with melted, gooey stuff running all down your hands or onto your clothes?" she said, screwing up her face and demonstrating with her hands. "That's the way it used to be in here. So they put in air-conditioning, and we bought the place. It's made a difference in the number of customers during the summer, I can tell you. It's the only place in town that has air-conditioning."
"G'day, Suellen," Fred said, walking in the door with Davie at his side. He noticed her sitting with Shannon and Jo. "I see you've met two of our guests. This is another one—name's Davie . I'm showing him around town, introducing him to the local population and such. We've just been to the creamery, and your mum wants us to pick up some rolls for dinner tonight. You and your bunch are coming, aren't you?"
"Yeh," Suellen replied, getting up from the table. "We'll be there. What time?"
"Oh, I think about six o'clock."
"Hi, Davie . Hi Fred," Shannon said. "Would you care to join us?" She held up her cup of coffee.
"No, I don't think so," Fred answered. "We just came in to get some rolls. I'm going to take Davie up around to the other side of the creek and show him the old gold mine up there and the herds of sheep."
"I'd like to stay here, Fred," Davie said. "And then I can catch a ride back to the B&B with these two ladies." Mr. Bannister's words were haunting him: Don't let her out of your sight! His momentary rise of rebellion earlier was effectively squelched as he thought of the repercussions of he didn't do what Mr. Bannister told him to do.
"No, Davie boy, I think you need to come with me and leave these ladies to themselves. They're expecting a couple of friends in a little bit, and there wouldn't be room for you in that tiny car." He started laughing. "Then you'd have to walk back to the B&B ."
He turned his attention back to Suellen. "About three dozen rolls, Suellen, will be enough."
"You're expecting a large crowd for dinner then?" Suellen asked.
"Yeh," Fred replied. "Rose counted sixteen."
"Wow! Are you sure three dozen are enough?" she asked, handing the plastic bag of rolls to him.
"Oh, I think so. Along with the big pot of stew we're having."
"Do you think you might be wanting any Christmas goodies tonight? I've already started baking for Christmas."
"No, Rose never mentioned anything about that right now. You know we're all gathering at our house for Christmas dinner, don't you? I think she'll be wanting plenty then."
"All right, then. See you tonight." Suellen went back to cleaning behind the counter.
A young woman wearing shorts and a tank top and sporting a sun visor walked into The Bakery . She asked if anyone knew where the golf course was.
"I saw only two cars in the whole bloody town," she said with a raspy voice, "and they were parked here in front of this bakery. So I figured there was someone alive in here that might be able to give me directions."
Fred immediately answered, chuckling, and told her how to get there. She thanked him, and Shannon and Jo watched her through The Bakery 's front windows as she climbed into a car with a woman passenger in front.
"See?" Shannon whispered. "I told you they play golf around here." Jo smiled at her in agreement.
Fred turned and walked out the door with the rolls. Davie trailed along behind him, almost stepping on his heels. He and Davie both waved good-bye at the same time. Shannon and Jo began to laugh. "Fred certainly has Davie on a leash, doesn't he?" Shannon said. " Davie follows him around like a lost puppy dog!"
"That boy is so young . And seems so innocent . I wonder how he came to work for Jeff Bannister," Jo said.
“Maybe he doesn't know what type of a man he is," Shannon said. They were talking quietly, but Shannon was sure Suellen wasn't listening, as she had turned some music on and was singing along with the song as she worked.
"You're probably right. But maybe that's just our first impression of Jeff Bannister."
"I always trust my first impression, Jo," Shannon said. "And I haven't been wrong yet. No matter how pleasant that man seems to be right now, I just know in my gut he's bad news!"