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.It was still beautiful country, though, Rowan had to admit, with its rich red, volcanic earth, rolling hillsdressed in mantles of tall green grass, and clumps of darker canopied trees lining every glinting creekand gully.Because they had no transport of their own, it was the farthest inland Tanya and herself hadbeen since arriving at the Bay, and she was finding the journey to be not only more interesting than shehad anticipated, but the restful scenery a pleasant change as well.`What do you think, Rowan?'Brought out of her silent contemplation of an avocado plantation they were just passing by the sound ofher friend's questioning voice, Rowan turned away from the window with a start.`I'm sorry, I wasn'tlistening to what you were saying.What do I think about what?' she frowned her request for elucidation.`Evan was just asking if we'd like to have a look over the plantation,, or if we'd prefer to go straight toMrs Raymond's,' Tanya explained over her shoulder.`Mrs Raymond's?' The furrows across Rowan's forehead became even deeper.Tanya's eyes rolled expressively skywards.`The lady we'll be boarding with, of course! Haven't youheard anything we've been saying?'`Sorry,' Rowan apologised ruefully for her lack- of attention.`Why, are we nearly there?'`Not really, apparently there's still a way to go yet.Evan thought we might like to see over the placebefore we start work there, that's all.'file:///E|/My%20Library/books/ROMANCE/kerry%20ally.call%20home%20TXT/somewhere%20to%20call%20home.txt (21 of 82)05/05/2010 14:43:44file:///E|/My%20Library/books/ROMANCE/kerry%20allyne/1983%20%2.here%20to%20call%20home%20TXT/somewhere%20to%20call%20home.txtMomentarily, Rowan was inclined to ask whether Fraser was likely to be there too before giving heranswer, but on further consideration she decided that was extremely unlikely unless he'd departed evenearlier than they had.A circumstance she didn't think probable since he was, according to previousinformation from Evan, supposedly taking a well-earned vacation for a few weeks.`I don't mind,' she now shrugged negligently.`If that's what you want to do, it's okay by me.' Providedshe didn't have to suffer Fraser's highhanded presence, she didn't mind where they went.`Oh, good,' Tanya smiled at her.`Because I thought it sounded like a great idea.At least then it won'tseem so strange when we start work tomorrow-never having done anything like this before.'`Is that when we start.tomorrow?' Rowan's return glance was wryly humorous.Apparently there werea number of subjects she'd missed hearing them discuss.`I thought we might as well,' Tanya nodded.`Especially since Evan will be here to give us any hints andtips we may need.'`Oh, so you don't intend returning immediately to the beach house, then, Evan?' Rowan sat forward oncemore in order to speak directly to him.`No, I thought I'd stick around, at least for a while,' he swung his head briefly to grin.`I can't for the life of me think why,' she teased, adopting a pondering pose.A remark which had Tanya colouring selfconscioitsly as she responded with a mock-threatening gazebefore hoping to forestall any further comments of a similarly bantering nature by pointing to a steeplysloping hillside on their right covered with orderly rows of palm-like plants and asking swiftly, `Arethey bananas over there?''Mmm,' confirmed Evan on a dry note, guessing her question had been made out of defensiveness ratherthan ignorance.`They grow them on slopes like that because.'`Don't you dare say, because that's how they get the bend in them,' interrupted Rowan wryly in case heintended following with the age-old joke.`I wasn't going to,' he denied, laughing.`I was going to say, they're grown on those steep slopes because,like macadamias, they require good draining due to their strong aversion to wet feet.'`You mean, your plantation is on a sharp hill like that too?' Tanya gasped.`Oh, no, macadamias aren't quite as temperamental in that regard as bananas.thank heavens,' Evanexplained with feeling.`They're satisfied with nice gentle gradients.'`Considering they're a native of the rain forest, though, I would have thought they'd like a lot of water,'surmised Rowan.`They do,' he agreed, ironically.`But they dislike it sitting around even more.'`Oh, I see,' she half laughed whimsically and, as the minutes passed, returned to her contemplation of theview outside.Shortly, the landscape began levelling out a little more and after rounding a sweeping bend in the roadthey could see a small village clustered about a wide intersection just ahead of them.`The Crossroads,' Evan informed them as he started to slow and prepared to make a right-hand turn atthe junction.`And that's the Raymonds' house, where you'll be staying.' He pointed out a large,bougainvillea bedecked house on the outskirts as they passed [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]