[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
seat, sighing and shaking his head.
Boy, you really get uptight, don t you? And so
easily. I can see that we will have to teach you to relax
once we get you to the village.
If you get me to the village. At this rate, I ll have a
tour of Great Britain before I ever see it.
Jacob shook his head. Not a tour of Great Britain,
just a pocket of it. I want you to see some pretty
countryside along the way. We re going down through
Wiltshire. Have you been to Salisbury before?
Belinda shook her head.
What? You ve never seen the cathedral? I can t
believe it. A pretty young English woman like you?
I m not English, I m Australian.
You don t sound Australian.
Well we don t all talk like Crocodile Dundee and
wear corks around our hats, you know. Actually I am
English, but I was raised in Australia and spent most of
my life there so I feel Australian. She leant back in her
seat and gave an artificial yawn. As a matter of fact, I
was thinking that after I sell the cottage, I ll probably go
back to Melbourne. The money from the sale would
come in handy there, and it s such a good rate of
exchange at the moment.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw him stiffen,
and smiled to herself as she realised that her teasing
had irritated him. She now knew his Achilles heel. He
hated the idea that she would sell the cottage.
Late afternoon found them wandering around the nave
and Trinity Chapel of Salisbury cathedral and Jacob, a
fountain of ecclesiastical and architectural knowledge,
had been giving Belinda what amounted to a guided
tour of the thirteenth century structure.
That stone, he said pointing to a plain black slab,
marks the spot where a shrine in honour of St Osmund
stood. He was the bishop who built the original
cathedral at Old Sarum.
Belinda nodded sleepily. She d heard of Sarum
quite recently, she recalled, and she knew it was of
some importance, but little sleep last night and the
drive in the country had combined to make her drowsy.
Jacob looked at her quizzically.
You do remember Old Sarum?
Should I? queried Belinda stifling a yawn.
They made their way back to Jacob s truck.
I showed you the ruins on the way here, and told
you its history, he whispered testily as an elderly
deacon shuffled by.
Hmm. I remember. Something about it being hit by
lightning and rheumatic clergy moaning about the cold
winds, so they rebuilt the cathedral here, am I right?
Sometimes you act as though you ve been hit by
lightning, Jacob hissed as he turned away. Belinda
shrugged.
Well, I m sorry, Jacob. I live in this century, and
while all that history is interesting, I can t see why I
should be expected to drool just because you happen
to think its exciting.
Do you know your trouble? asked Jacob as he
clambered into the truck and angrily revved the engine.
No, sighed Belinda. But I have an awful feeling
you re going to tell me.
You lived too long in Australia. They have no
history to speak of.
He put his foot down hard on the accelerator and
the truck lurched forward and onto the road that led to
Bath. Belinda groaned.
Jacob, that is such a stupid statement, even from
you.
What s that supposed to mean? he snapped,
swerving to avoid a pothole in the road.
I mean that at times you behave like a child, and
please slow down, you ll run off the road and I do want
to survive this trip so that I can get to live in my
cottage. Look, I think it s wonderful that the cathedrals
and ruins are here and that you like them, but please
don t expect me to react with the same enthusiasm.
You haven t understood one little thing have you?
he sneered.
Belinda looked bewildered. I m sorry, was I
supposed to?
Jacob braked sharply and pulled the car over to the
side of the road. He switched off the engine and turned
towards her, his face red with indignation.
I ve shown you some of the most beautiful
countryside and one of England s loveliest cathedrals
and you haven t got the message.
Message?
Jacob nodded abruptly. Yes. You saw the effect of
history, of man s efforts in architecture and the
combined reward of retaining his history and his
landscape.
Belinda s jaw dropped. So that s it, she gasped.
You re still on about my retaining the cottage and
restoring the garden restoring it the way you want it
to be.
Jacob slumped exaggeratedly back into his seat
and raised his arms. Finally! he cried. But not the way
I want it, the way it was.
Do you mean to tell me that you dragged me all
over the country, just to try and convince me to do
what you want? cried Belinda. What you want to do
with my property? Well, let me tell you Mr Aitkins,
nothing will convince me now or ever to listen to what
you have to say. Nothing!
The drive to Bath was undertaken in a glacial silence
and it was under darkening skies that the truck pulled
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]