The Reef (7 page)

‘That's a lovely idea, Don,' Vi jumped in.

‘We
are
being spoiled this year,' said Christina with a thin smile. ‘Whatever you want to do, Jennifer.'

‘A picnic sounds lovely. Thursday night.' Jennifer was relieved.

‘Oh. Thursday.' Christina looked around. ‘Is there a calendar somewhere?'

What now?
Vi and Jennifer exchanged an amused glance, both ready to explode in laughter.

Christina turned her back to them as she flicked pages of the calendar on the kitchen wall. ‘Oh dear.' She turned a stricken face to them. ‘Well, I'll just have to cancel.'

‘You have something on?' asked Vi with a raised eyebrow.

‘Nothing important.'
Pause
. ‘I've been taking tennis lessons for the past six months. We have our first little comp on Thursday night.'

They all stared at Christina who looked genuinely distressed. As she looked at the three stunned faces she became aware of the effect of her words.

‘What's so shocking? I'm not senile, you know.'

Jennifer looked at her mother, really looked at her dispassionately, for the first time in years. She saw a slim, wiry thin, but fit and tanned woman in her early fifties. She'd coloured her hair. Jennifer had never noticed. Christina used to have a few grey hairs, now they'd gone and her nails were painted red. ‘Mum! That's fantastic! Why didn't you tell us?'

‘What! And have the lot of you down on me for starting something like this at my age? Telling me I'd injure myself?' Nonetheless she was
looking a little pleased at their reaction. ‘Actually, I'm not bad. Should have done this years ago.'

A nerve twitched in Jennifer. An instinct that told her Christina no doubt blamed her late father for the lost opportunity.

Don slapped his sister on the back. ‘That's bloody beaut. Good for you. No wonder you're looking so trim. Play with ladies do you? Or are there a few blokes at the club?' he winked at Vi and Jennifer.

‘Where, when have you been doing this?' asked Vi.

‘With some people from work. We go at lunch times. Thursday is our first social outing.'

‘Well, you can't miss that,' said Don.

‘What say we all go?' said Vi.

‘Yes, Mum, we'll come and be your cheer squad.'

‘Oh, I'd be so embarrassed. I mean, I'm still learning . . .'

‘Don't go all coy, Tina. We'll be there. What do you say, Jen? We'll take your birthday cake and some champers to share.'

‘And celebrate your big win,' smiled Jennifer. She knew her birthday would be downplayed and they'd all pay lots of attention to Christina. That was fine by her. The break away with Blair would more than make up for it. And besides, she was keen to see her mother in this new light. I
bet Vi thinks she has a bloke. Well, I hope she does.

To everyone's surprise it turned out to be a fun evening. Christina was a different person around other people. Vivacious, laughing, teasing her partner on the court, and she played well enough to help win the match. There were several men in the group but Christina didn't pay attention to anyone in particular. ‘She plays to the gallery,' thought Jennifer. When Don broke out the champagne, one of the women laughed.

‘Hey Tina, you came prepared to win. You had the game won before we started.'

‘Here's to a rematch!' Christina raised her glass.

‘And happy birthday, Jenny,' added Vi and Don.

‘Oh, we didn't know. Happy Birthday, Jennifer,' chorused the group. Vi was furious. Why wouldn't Christina have mentioned it was her daughter's birthday? Darling Jen, so good natured. She hoped Blair would make it up to her.

And he did. Whether by good fortune, smooth management, or sheer luck, every moment of the three days was blissful for Jenny. The weather was perfect: cool fresh early mornings when they walked along the river watching wisps of mist drift across the gardens; warm balmy days as they explored the country around the vineyard towns, ate lunch in stylish and quaint restaurants, swam in the bathwater-warm pool at their elegant hotel; then lazy afternoons in their luxurious suite
making love, sipping wine, before dressing to go out for dinner or staying in and being pampered on the terrace by candlelight. The Saturday night opera under the stars in one of the major vineyards had Jennifer clutching Blair's hand as she wept at the sheer beauty of the evening.

‘Oh Blair, the night, the stars, those amazing voices, the music went right into me. I couldn't believe it was me sitting with a glass of champagne with all those smart people . . .'

‘The midnight feast in the marquee, was that a triumph of catering or what?' Blair had paid great attention to the details, the flowers, the candles, the table settings, how they'd got power into the huge marquee to keep the food warm, or ice cold, and provide just enough amplification for the chamber quartet. ‘Great setting for a wedding, or any convention function. Brilliant. I was talking to one of the organisers who told me how they managed in wet weather.'

Jenny smiled, knowing Blair was filing all this away should the day ever come when he could do something similar.

Blair rolled over in bed and reached for her hand. ‘Had a nice birthday?'

Jennifer hugged him. ‘The best ever. Thank you, thank you.'

‘Jenny . . .' He was about to say something else but his words were stopped by Jennifer's flood of kisses.

The next morning Blair met Jeff, the manager of the hotel, for morning coffee. Meanwhile
Jennifer and Jeff's wife Trudy headed to the river to share a kayak and paddle down to a spot where Blair and Jeff would meet them and they'd all go to lunch.

Jeff and Trudy were in their thirties and had been managing the hotel for two years. ‘It's been gorgeous because we've had a house here. Last job we had to stay in the hotel. But we'll be moving on at the end of the year. Down to the snow. I learned to kayak and did a wine appreciation course while we've been here. Suppose I'll be taking skiing lessons next!' laughed Trudy.

‘Sounds like a good life,' said Jennifer. Though she thought living in quarters in a hotel or having to be on call and close by all the time would be a bit claustrophobic. She didn't ask what they'd do if they had children. Vi had made her aware that childless couples might be trying desperately to have a baby. But Jeff and Trudy seemed such an ambitious couple, children didn't seem part of their immediate plans.

‘Are you and Blair serious?' Trudy asked Jennifer suddenly.

‘Depends what you mean. We've been together a year but I've still got to finish my degree. And then think about finding work.'

Trudy didn't answer as they concentrated on dipping their paddles into the smooth water. As they glided forward Trudy pointed. ‘Look, there're the guys. I'm ready to eat.'

Jennifer thought back to that afternoon several months later and wondered if Blair had talked
about his future with Jeff. Jeff had promised to let Blair know of any job opportunities he heard of along the grapevine.

Two weeks later Jennifer came home late on Saturday afternoon, after staying much longer with the rangers than she'd planned, and found Blair pacing around the patio.

‘Hey! I was getting worried. You said you'd be back after lunch,' he grumbled.

‘Oh, did I? Blair, it was so fascinating, we were with this professor who's been studying the disappearance of several species of frogs from Sydney. It's all to do with the pollutants in the water, it's shocking what people put down stormwater drains –'

‘We're supposed to be going over to the Harrisons' for drinks.'

‘Oops, is it that late? I'll be ready in a flash.' Jennifer dashed into the bathroom, peeling off her clothes.

Standing under the shower she felt cross that Blair wasn't the least bit interested in what she'd been doing all afternoon. Admittedly, threatened amphibians mightn't interest Blair, even if it was ringing alarm bells in environmental circles, but he could at least listen to her for ten minutes or so. Jennifer sighed as she towelled herself dry and wondered what to wear. The Harrisons were important to Blair, and she'd never met the general manager of the hotel and his wife before.

Blair eyed Jennifer as she emerged from the bedroom in a simple beige silk shift caught at the
shoulders with tiny gold buckles. Her legs were bare and she wore sand-coloured Italian sandals and simple but tasteful gold jewellery. Her damp hair was brushed smooth, falling to her shoulders and caught to one side with a comb. She was wearing lip gloss and eyeliner which made her blue eyes stand out. It was a dramatic change from the young girl who'd dashed in in khaki shorts and an old T-shirt shortly before.

‘Do I look okay? My hair will dry by the time we get there.' She still felt insecure about looking and behaving appropriately with Blair's friends and colleagues. Not to mention the big boss. God, what would she talk about? Not frogs, that was for sure.

‘You scrub up very well,' said Blair gruffly and he picked up the car keys. Jennifer followed, feeling chastened, unsure of Blair's mood.

When they returned home Blair seemed elated. Maybe it was the wine, though the company had been stimulating and, although the other couples were older, Jennifer had enjoyed herself too.

Blair made love to her with passion, murmuring endearments. As Jennifer was about to fall asleep in his arms he asked, ‘What did you and old man Harrison talk about for so long?'

‘Umm, sailing. Fishing . . . lots of things.'

‘You don't sail or fish. Anyway, he liked you. So did Mrs H. She thought you were lovely and natural.'

‘That's good. How else could I be?'

Blair tightened his arms and started to say something but Jennifer had fallen asleep.

The following Thursday night Blair and Jennifer were cleaning up after a home-cooked dinner. Jennifer was scrubbing the pan the bolognaise sauce had been cooked in. She was in shorts, a tank top, her hair scrunched back, her face scrubbed clean. Blair thought she looked about fifteen. How sweet and unaffected she was.

‘So I think I'll go back to the library tonight. I want to go through my lecture notes and get ready for Dr Mylan's class tomorrow morning.' Jennifer pulled a yellow rubber glove off with a snap.

Blair stepped behind her, wrapping his arms around her, pinning her against the sink. ‘Don't go, Jenny.' He kissed her ear.

Jennifer reached around to pat his head. ‘I won't get any work done if I stay home tonight.'

Blair's grip tightened. ‘Marry me, Jenny.'

They both froze. Blair stepped back allowing Jennifer to turn and face him, a stunned expression on her face.

‘Will you, Jenny? Marry me?'

Jennifer shook her head as if to clear it and, looking at Blair's hesitant nervous expression, she exploded in laughter and flung her arms around him. ‘Yes, yes. Oh Blair. Are you sure?'

‘Are
you
?' He kissed her long and hard then drew back. ‘Phew, I've been trying to get that out since your birthday. I thought that would be such a romantic place to do it, and, I don't know, I kept getting nervous waiting for exactly the right
moment and something always happened. Tonight, it just popped out. Sorry. But I do have a ring.' He fumbled in his pocket and produced a small velvet box.

Jennifer reached for it, then realised her left hand was still encased in the rubber glove. Laughing, they pulled off the glove and Blair opened the box and took out a sparkling sapphire surrounded by tiny glittering diamonds. He slipped it on her finger and kissed her.

‘Now you can't go back to study. You can stop worrying about those lectures.'

Jennifer was swept up in his embrace before she could protest. Never mind, she thought, he'd have to realise that much as she loved him, and this new idea of getting married, she was not giving up her studies.

Jennifer broke the news on the phone to Vi and Don, asking their advice on the best way to tell her mother. Neither had a concrete suggestion.

‘Just don't let her know we knew first. Maybe arrive and wave your left hand around. Is it a pretty ring?'

‘Oh Vi, it is pretty.'
If you like sapphires,
thought Jennifer, then scolded herself for being ungrateful. ‘It's a circle stone. But it wasn't the world's most romantic proposal. I'll be telling my grandkids about it, that's for sure,' she laughed.

Privately Vi was horrified that Blair had proposed while Jennifer was scrubbing a pot at the kitchen sink. That was not the role she saw for her niece.

Jennifer dropped by Vi and Don's on a casual surprise visit and made a pot of tea and chatted to her mother while Vi and Don disappeared into the garden to clean out the cage that held Don's bleeding heart pigeons. She waved her hand with the ring in front of her, held it under her chin, pretended to wave away a fly and did everything but push it under Christina's nose.