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.In minutes she was back in the kitchen where she found Vanbeginning to run hot water into the sink.`That's nice furniture back there,' she remarked conversationally as she joined him at the sink andreappraised the kitchen.`In fact, it's all quite nice.Oldish, but nice, all the same.Did you buy it, or did itcome with the house?'`It came with the house.The previous owners were retiring to the coast, so they sold it along with thestore because they figured it would cost less to replace it all in Adelaide than it would to freight this towhere they were going.'`Their loss, your gain,' she grinned.`Something like that,' he agreed, and caught her to him in a convulsive bear-hug.`God, it's good to haveyou here, Reb ! Or have I already told you that?'`I think so,' she returned a little mistily.`Although it's not a sentiment I'm likely to get tired of hearing.'`Which is probably just as well, since I've the feeling you're going to be hearing it said repeatedly overthe next few weeks.'`You think the novelty of my being here will have worn off by then, do you?' she teased in assumedindignation.`Never,' he contradicted in all seriousness before turning her loose and facing her towards the sink.Whereupon he grinned facetiously.`And especially if you keep doing my washing up for me.''For that you can clean out all the cupboards,' she ordered in the same light vein.`It wouldn't surprise meifhalf of them haven't seen the light of day for goodness knows how many months, and by now just aboutfile:///E|/My%20Library/books/ROMANCE/kerry%20a.%20pitereeka%20TXT/REUNION%20AT%20PITEREEKA.txt (37 of 100)05/05/2010 14:39:23file:///E|/My%20Library/books/ROMANCE/kerry%20allyne/1980%20%20reunion%20at%20pitereeka%20TXT/REUNION%20AT%20PITEREEKA.txtanything could have made their home in there.'Van swept her an exaggerated bow.`I'm yours to Command, my dear sister.'With both of them working hard it wasn't long before the room was shining clean from top to bottomand, feeling happier to see it so, Rebel began her assault on the rest of the house.By lunch time she hadcollected every article of dirty clothing she could find, washed them, and had them hanging on the lineto dry a process which would be accomplished extremely quickly, she had decided, on feeling the stingof the summer sun while pegging them out.Her bedroom was now spick and span too with all herclothes put neatly away as were Van's bedroom and the bathroom.`If we get stuck into the rest of the rooms this afternoon, We can start on the shop tomorrow,' shesuggested as they were taking a well earned break with their lunch.`From the look of it, I rather think itwill take a whole day to get that back into anything even approaching a semblance of order.'`More than likely,' Van smiled faintly, indifferently almost, and causing Rebel to eye him with amounting sense of disquiet.His enthusiasm had shown definite signs of waning during the last hour, she remembered.Even whiteteeth worried at her lower lip for a moment or two, and then she elected to take the bull by the horns.She would get nowhere by avoiding the issue.`Is something wrong?' she asked quietly.`What makes you ask?' Van looked at her enquiringly.`You seem to have lost some of your interest for the project.'`Have I?' he countered with a laugh.It sounded a trifle forced to her.`Maybe it's just been too much of ashock to my system.'`Well, you don't have to help with the cleaning if you'd rather not,' she hastened to impress on himearnestly.`I don't mind doing it on my own if there's something else you'd prefer to do.'A tinkle drifted down the passage towards them and Van was on his feet immediately.`There's someonein the store,' he explained unnecessarily, since that was the second time someone had rung the counterbell that morning, and had disappeared in that direction before Rebel could say another word.Saved by the bell ! Her lips curved wryly and, extracting a cigarette from the packet on the table she litit, and drew on it thoughtfully.Although she considered she had the capability and the willingness toreturn the store to a paying proposition, at the same time she didn't want her brother to feel that she wasattempting to usurp his position.He might have been the one to let it slide downhill, but he was still theowner, and perhaps she had unintentionally been forcing him into doing what she wanted.It might bemore diplomatic, from now on, if she let him make the decisions with regard to what needed to be done.`Someone wanting petrol,' Van relayed on his return [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]