Dan Fey was correct in his suspicion that his mother was up to something. During lunch when Rosina went to the toilet, Penny said to Jolene, "Perhaps you suspect that Rosina and my son have become more than friends?"
"Yes she indicated that, well more than indicated, during our drive here from the ferry wharf."
"And?"
"Relax dear, I confess I'm delighted about that. Dan appeared to be an admirable young man."
"Um as the saying goes, I guess he's been around the block a few times."
"And that probably goes for my daughter as well."
"It might be worth her staying on with us for longer than she intended."
"Well to be frank, I'd been thinking the same thing; she appears to be almost jumping out of her skin. Do you have something in mind about a longer stay?"
"Yes I'd like her to stay till the end of summer and work for me."
"Then you only have to ask. Here she comes now."
When Rosina had settled, Penny said she'd been talking to Jolene about the possibility of Rosina staying on longer.
"Ah that's a coincidence, I'd been thinking of asking you the same thing and would seize the opportunity to stay longer if I can find work."
"Well your mother is open to my suggestion that I invite you to stay on to the end of summer. I'd like to employ you to step into my role of looking after bookings for the chalets and supervising the cleaners and attending to the requests of guests."
"Ohmigod I'd love to do that. Mum is it okay for me to say yes."
"Yes dear, whatever you wish."
Penny said she'd welcome a long over-due break and being relieved of that time-consuming responsibility would allow here to plan for the progressive renovations of the chalets from late autumn at end-of-season and to upgrade her own kitchen and to create a full orchard with rabbit and stock-proof fencing.
Rosina looked steely-eyed at both women and asked gravely, "Is this a conspiracy to try to advance the relationship between Dan and me?"
Jolene rolled her eyes and said, "Don't be so difficult darling."
"The answer is yes."
Mother and daughter looked in surprise at Penny who smirked and said, "At least one of us has the balls to tell it how it is."
The three of them looked relieved and began to laugh.
* * *
Arriving back at the farm highly excited after having accepting Penny's offer for Rosina to stay on and manage the rental accommodation business, Rosina grabbed a farm-bike and sped over the several hundred acres of flat and clean grasslands to one of the 40-acre hay paddock. Three blocks of similar size were in a program whereby one block would be used for growing hay for summer cutting for one year and then would be 'rested', reverting to farm grazing for two years and on the third year would rotate to be the current season's haymaking block.
Dan and his sister spent 4½ days working on maintaining the fence-line of approximately a quarter of a mile that enclosure the 40-acre block and, with the job finished, were sprawled out on the grass on the shady side of the tractor-trailer unit transporting supplies having mid-afternoon refreshments. The tractor was mounted with a hydraulic post-driver fitted with pulling claws for the removal of badly damaged or rotted posts.
Dan and Trish waved at the approaching Rosina.
"What's up?" Dan asked.
Rosina dismounted and asked, "First I need a drink."
"We have beer or coffee."
Holding a cool beer, Rosina declared, "I've accepted your mother's offer to stay on till the end of summer and paid to manage the accommodation bookings, unit servicing staff and guest inquiries and requests."
"Why?" Dan asking, pretending this news had not be expected. Is mum pregnant?"
Ignoring her uncouth brother, Trish leaped to her feet and hugged Rosina and said, "Oh I'm delighted, so delighted you'll be staying on."
"Yeah great news," Dan said belatedly.
Rosina kissed Trish and whispered, "Could you go, take the bike, as Dan and I could celebrate here?"
"I'm off on the bike Dan; our lady from the south wishes to have sex and I don't think she means with me."
There was no comment from Dan.
Rosina handed Trish's sunglasses and jeans jacket to her and whispered, "Thanks darling, you embarrassing bitch."
They kissed and Trish left.
Sitting beside Dan, Rosina said he hadn't appeared to be happy that she was staying on.
He lied, "Oh but I am; I put the idea into mum's head as she needs a break I reckon."
"Are you sure it was your idea?"
"Yes but um there's no need to mention that to anyone and by now mum probably thinks it was her idea. I'm almost out of me tree in delight that you will stay her at least to the end of summer."
"At least?"
He soothed her, knowing he'd have to go against his natural method of grinding away to bend his target into submission. He believed this concession was necessary because Rosina was by no means an easy push-over and probably would counter-attack should he push too hard and too fast. This rather pleased him because compliant females tended to become boring.
"I was thinking by then you might be so use being around here that you may wish to stay here even longer."
"Right, and how should we mark this occasion?"
"I have no idea," Dan said and leaned over and begun unbuckling Rosina's jeans belt.
She watched his fumbling fingers and smiled.
He figured that once underway he should roll on to his back, taking her with him and give her the opportunity while riding cowgirl to exploit him fully her way instead of her usual role of remaining fairly passive and being pounded until she turned almost cross-eyed and groaning incomprehensibly. Yeah. she may welcome the change and think 'he was the man'.
* * *
Two days after Jolene and Arthur returned home, still unsure if Dan and Trish knew that Rosina would be staying on through summer, Penny received a call from the orchid grower Helen Wright who invited Penny to lunch next day.
"Is this some special occasion?"
"No it's just that I thought we should intensify our rather casual friendship."
Penny arrived at the Hawkins' impressive home overlooking the ferry terminal and out to two smaller islands. With white puffball clouds breeze-driven across the blue sky and mirrored down as dark grey shadows drifting across the dark greenish sea the expansive 90-deg. view truly was picturesque.
Handing Penny a glass of Lillete, an aperitif wine from France.
Mary said, "I mentioned on the phone my interest in intensifying our friendship that has been rather hit and miss, depending on meeting at some event."
"Yes the idea rather appeals to me, partly because your interests are so diverse."
"Ah and you said partly?"
"You are elegant, knowledgeable and dress immaculately and in good taste."
"That is very sweet of you Penny. Your appeal to me is you are a standout in a group, conversing with charm and wit which is rather confusing because I've hear people agree that you can be one tough cookie."
"Which translated means a hard-nosed bitch?"
"Oh what a splendid reply and I do admit overhearing a woman describe you exactly like that when you were at a confrontation meeting with island administrators seeking the views of permanent residents and regular visitors on the proposal by its planners at presented to the council recommending closure of our ferry service that would force us to use the main terminal on the other side of the island. We all know the scene at the main terminal is nothing short to chaos when day-trippers and longer-stay tourists swamp the terminal and that create delays with scheduled ferry arrivals and departures."
"Yes I'd been elected to lead the delegation representing permanent residents on this side of the island."
"And in the heat of the moment Penny you threatened to implant shotgun pellets into the backside of any councilor or administrative bureaucrat known to be involved to cutting the local ferry service against the wishes of the majority of permanent residents whom those officials were had been elected or appointed to serve."
"Um, it was alleged I said that."
"And didn't that same newspaper article report that the chairman of the meeting call on the senior Police officer present to arrest you for uttering inflammatory threats in a public place?"
"I seem to remember Inspector Walsh saying my provocative comments were at most borderline considering the general tone of the meeting and requested that I stop short of making threats of bodily harm at any level."
"Indeed and thanks to your sterling performance the principal council over on the mainland accepted submissions that the main ferry terminal was already over-crowded at peak times. It went on to decide that because there were no plans at present to expand that terminal and at the same time decreed the secondary service to our terminal would remain untouched for the foreseeable future and even expanded if required to reduce pressure on services to the main terminal."
"Yes we won and our submissions were strongly supported by permanent residents on the other side of the island and from the owners and users of the third terminal that caters exclusively for vehicular ferries."
"Indeed," Mary smiled. "And for a brief time you eclipsed your son as being this island's hero or heroine."
"Well nothing lasts forever," Penny laughed.
Mary said, "The main reason for asking you here for lunch today is to make a suggestion and find what you think about it."
"That sounds interesting, fire away."
"You may already know this. The latest news on the gossip grapevine is your son is about to propose marriage to Rosina."
"That's news to me as I haven't been told that by either one of them."
"Oh."
"Mary we both know that gossip is rarely accurate but actually in this case and perhaps soon it may become true. I've noticed that since the ball those two had rarely been out of each other's sight and long, lingering looks between them have definitely increased in frequency."
"Oh and are you happy about that?"
"I'm deliriously happy because they are well matched and Rosina seems to manage him far better that I can."
"Penny perhaps there's a reason for that?"
"Yes, she's in control of his sex life."
They laughed and Penny asked why Mary had taken a sudden interest in the couple.
"An idea has developed in my mind. After high school when I was part-way through my second year in a polytechnic diploma in dress design I found my primary interest had switched to interior design. Against my parents' objections I switched studies to gain formal qualifications in interior design and until retirement I enjoyed a satisfying career. But since retirement I've increasing missed satisfying in interest in design."
"Penny I'd like you to invite me to be Dan and Rosina's wedding planner with involvement of her parents of course?"
"Should they marry."
"Of course Penny, should they marry."
"Rosina and her mother will probably have the major say in the location and venue of any wedding but nonetheless I will put your offer to them."
"Anyway your comment interests me as Rosin will now be staying on till the end of summer and taking over my responsibility of making or rental accommodation units a commercial success. That will leave me free to plan the renovation of the units from the end-of-season and I also wish to upgrade my kitchen and perhaps extend that to the renovation of other parts of our home."
