Paula felt the heat rise in her cheeks. “I’m sorry,” she said. “You will have to use my temporary outside toilet. We’re having trouble with the pipes. The tree roots clog them up.”

“An outside toilet.” Jacinta spoke slowly, then her eyes widened. “Good grief, is that what you were doing with that shovel?”

Paula didn’t see why she should feel guilty about a plumbing problem. It wasn’t as if they lived like this all the time. “I was just about to call the plumber when you arrived.” She looked down over her grubby clothes to the boots on her feet. Why was Dan never here when she needed him and why hadn’t he or Rowena mentioned this snobby-nosed cousin? Paula felt a sudden urge to lash out at someone.

“The boots are in case of snakes,” she said with a smile. “We get a lot of snakes but Dan says they help to keep the mouse numbers down. Sometimes they swarm through the house.” Paula threw her arm out to indicate the rooms beyond.

“Yes, of course.” Jacinta glanced around. “I think I should be able to hang on until we drive back to town.”

“I can get you a glass of water,” Paula said, scooping up her underwear on her way to the passage door. After her outburst, she felt contrite. Jacinta may be obnoxious, but she was Dan’s cousin after all. “Why don’t you come inside, it’s much cooler in the kitchen.”

“Oh no, really, I’ll be fine,” Jacinta said. “We should keep going, shouldn’t we, Stewart?” She pushed her husband towards the back door.

“Yes,” Stewart mumbled.

“We’ll leave you to get on with it.” Jacinta pushed the screen open. “Say hello to Dan and tell him next time we’ll phone first. Don’t come out in the heat.”

Stewart cast an apologetic smile in Paula’s direction and pulled the door closed. The screen door shut with a thud and the wind rattled the tin roof. Paula stood for a moment clutching the wet washing to her chest. Then she felt a giggle surge up inside her as she recalled the look of horror on Jacinta’s face at the mention of an outside toilet.

“City girl,” Paula muttered and she laughed out loud.

Chapter 30

CHAPTER

30

“Don’t worry about it,” Paula said. She stood beside Dan holding the torch. “Bert said he could come in the morning.”

Dan rammed the hose harder into the pipe. After the day he’d had, the last thing he felt like doing was unblocking the drain but Paula had managed all day without a toilet. There was no guarantee Bert would get there early in the morning. Something had to be done tonight.

His hand slipped on the greasy pipe. “Damn,” he muttered as his knuckles connected with the old porcelain pipe. He clenched his mouth as the foul smell wafted around him.