sister.’
‘Where were your parents?’
Cal shrugged. ‘Dad went off in the bush one day and never came back. My mum and sister . . . they died of the grog.’
‘Cal, that must have been awful.’
‘My grandfather was a good man. He looked after us and taught us the old traditions. Tried to keep us from going to the drink.’ His black eyes flickered as he stared into the
mirror.
Ethel shivered as she looked at this man. There was so much she didn’t know about him. ‘This is the first time you’ve told me about your family.’
‘It’s the first time you’ve asked.’
Ethel looked down. ‘It didn’t seem to matter before.’
‘Does it now?’
She nodded silently.
‘Can I ask you a question?’
‘Yes, but that doesn’t mean I’ll answer.’
‘You’re a good-looking Sheila,’ Cal said quietly. ‘You could have anyone. Why me?’
Ethel blushed. ‘How many Sheilas do you know?’
‘None like you.’ Slowly he began to slide down the straps of her slip. In a rush of embarrassment, Ethel stopped him.
‘Cal, don’t. I’ve got to go.’
‘Why? You said you had all day.’
‘Yes, and the day’s almost over.’
‘What’s all the rush? Your kids are with their gran.’
Ethel rolled her eyes as she slipped her straps back over her shoulders. ‘Yes, but Timothy’s too old to stay the night now. And if he won’t stay, neither will Rosie. My
mother-in-law don’t let them listen to the radio or go into Lewisham. She thinks they’ll get up to something.’
‘Like their mother.’ Cal grinned.
Ethel frowned. ‘Don’t rub it in, Cal. I feel guilty enough as it is.’
‘You shouldn’t, you’re entitled. I’ll run you home in the car. What’s an hour as the crow flies?’
‘I don’t want you anywhere near me house,’ Ethel threatened as she leaned her head to one side. ‘Not in that hearse you’re driving.’
‘It’s a damn fine Studebaker, imported from the US of A,’ Cal replied with amusement. ‘You appreciated it enough the other day when—’
‘All right, all right!’ Ethel blushed as she thought of the last afternoon they’d spent together. Cal had driven her out Bromley way and they’d parked in a secluded spot.
She couldn’t believe that she’d let him make love to her in broad daylight on the big leather seats. Anyone could have caught them. Yet it had been their recklessness she’d found
exciting.
‘Good memories,’ he whispered in her ear and Ethel shivered.
Ethel smiled sweetly as she reached for her blouse. But Cal dragged her back into his arms. ‘I don’t give up easy. You’re a little cracker, Ethel.’
‘Now you’ve messed up my hair.’
‘I’m gonna mess it up some more.’
Ethel knew this was wrong, but she couldn’t stop herself.
‘Kiss me again, girl,’ Cal whispered as he ran his hands over her, ‘or I’ll set the bunyip on you.’
‘You wouldn’t dare,’ she murmured, grateful for the fact that she had never been wanted like this before.
Soon Ethel had forgotten she had a home to go back to and only heard the sounds coming from outside; the gulls flying over the smoke-blackened boarding house above the café. The smell of
the rope works and the pickle factory drifting in through the window. The shouts of the noisy kids in the street. She forgot about getting home for Richard’s tea. Another few minutes
wouldn’t matter.
But Ethel regretted her decision as, several hours later, she flew off the bus and rounded the corner only to see Richard standing at the door of the house. He was dressed in the same suit he
wore to the office every day of his working life, his angular face set in a scowl and the late afternoon sunshine reflected in the lenses of his spectacles.
‘Where have you been?’ he demanded as Ethel hurried up.
‘I thought you were at your mother’s tonight.’
‘She has a church meeting. I asked you, where have you been?’
Ethel shrugged, trying to push past. ‘Shopping, that’s
‘Where were your parents?’
Cal shrugged. ‘Dad went off in the bush one day and never came back. My mum and sister . . . they died of the grog.’
‘Cal, that must have been awful.’
‘My grandfather was a good man. He looked after us and taught us the old traditions. Tried to keep us from going to the drink.’ His black eyes flickered as he stared into the
mirror.
Ethel shivered as she looked at this man. There was so much she didn’t know about him. ‘This is the first time you’ve told me about your family.’
‘It’s the first time you’ve asked.’
Ethel looked down. ‘It didn’t seem to matter before.’
‘Does it now?’
She nodded silently.
‘Can I ask you a question?’
‘Yes, but that doesn’t mean I’ll answer.’
‘You’re a good-looking Sheila,’ Cal said quietly. ‘You could have anyone. Why me?’
Ethel blushed. ‘How many Sheilas do you know?’
‘None like you.’ Slowly he began to slide down the straps of her slip. In a rush of embarrassment, Ethel stopped him.
‘Cal, don’t. I’ve got to go.’
‘Why? You said you had all day.’
‘Yes, and the day’s almost over.’
‘What’s all the rush? Your kids are with their gran.’
Ethel rolled her eyes as she slipped her straps back over her shoulders. ‘Yes, but Timothy’s too old to stay the night now. And if he won’t stay, neither will Rosie. My
mother-in-law don’t let them listen to the radio or go into Lewisham. She thinks they’ll get up to something.’
‘Like their mother.’ Cal grinned.
Ethel frowned. ‘Don’t rub it in, Cal. I feel guilty enough as it is.’
‘You shouldn’t, you’re entitled. I’ll run you home in the car. What’s an hour as the crow flies?’
‘I don’t want you anywhere near me house,’ Ethel threatened as she leaned her head to one side. ‘Not in that hearse you’re driving.’
‘It’s a damn fine Studebaker, imported from the US of A,’ Cal replied with amusement. ‘You appreciated it enough the other day when—’
‘All right, all right!’ Ethel blushed as she thought of the last afternoon they’d spent together. Cal had driven her out Bromley way and they’d parked in a secluded spot.
She couldn’t believe that she’d let him make love to her in broad daylight on the big leather seats. Anyone could have caught them. Yet it had been their recklessness she’d found
exciting.
‘Good memories,’ he whispered in her ear and Ethel shivered.
Ethel smiled sweetly as she reached for her blouse. But Cal dragged her back into his arms. ‘I don’t give up easy. You’re a little cracker, Ethel.’
‘Now you’ve messed up my hair.’
‘I’m gonna mess it up some more.’
Ethel knew this was wrong, but she couldn’t stop herself.
‘Kiss me again, girl,’ Cal whispered as he ran his hands over her, ‘or I’ll set the bunyip on you.’
‘You wouldn’t dare,’ she murmured, grateful for the fact that she had never been wanted like this before.
Soon Ethel had forgotten she had a home to go back to and only heard the sounds coming from outside; the gulls flying over the smoke-blackened boarding house above the café. The smell of
the rope works and the pickle factory drifting in through the window. The shouts of the noisy kids in the street. She forgot about getting home for Richard’s tea. Another few minutes
wouldn’t matter.
But Ethel regretted her decision as, several hours later, she flew off the bus and rounded the corner only to see Richard standing at the door of the house. He was dressed in the same suit he
wore to the office every day of his working life, his angular face set in a scowl and the late afternoon sunshine reflected in the lenses of his spectacles.
‘Where have you been?’ he demanded as Ethel hurried up.
‘I thought you were at your mother’s tonight.’
‘She has a church meeting. I asked you, where have you been?’
Ethel shrugged, trying to push past. ‘Shopping, that’s
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