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possession of his farm. With only one man to look after I should have lots of time to get on with my writing. I’m hoping to get at least a dozen short stories done, not to mention making a start on that children’s book I’ve always had a hankering to write.’
    Three days later Davina was heating a can of ravioli when her landlady came to tell her she was wanted on the telephone. When she picked up the receiver, James’s voice sounded in her ear.
    ‘Hello, Dav. Haven’t dragged you away from anything important, I hope.'
    ‘Not unless you consider tinned ravioli important,’ Davina teased. ‘What’s on your mind?’
    ‘You and this job with friend Fitzpaine. We’ve agreed a price and the deal should be completed in about three weeks. If you’re still interested in working for him, he wants you to give him a ring at the Inn on the Park. I still think you’re taking a chance if you agree,’ James finished warningly.
    ‘Honestly, James! Stop judging everyone by your own sorry moral standards,’ Davina exploded. ‘He doesn’t look to me the type who walks in his sleep, but if he is I’ll buy a strong bolt for my bedroom door. Thanks for letting me know he hasn’t changed his mind about offering me the job. I’ll get on to him right away.’
    ‘I suppose you're old enough to know what you’re doing,’ James replied. ‘Incidentally, I think I’d better warn you Grandmother phoned me this morning to ask me for Fitzpaine’s telephone number.’
    ‘Grandmother I What could she want it for?’
    James chuckled. ‘Come on, Dav, you know Gran. I suppose you’ve written and told your mother about Fitzpaine’s proposition. Aunt Helen will have shown Grandmother the letter and she’ll be checking his credentials.’
    ‘I wish the family would mind their own business,’ Davina said angrily. ‘You’d think I was about two years old! I hope Gran hasn’t messed up my chances.’
    ‘Cool it, Dav,’ James’s voice held friendly warning. ‘Just be thankful you’ve a family who care what happens to you and are not a poor little orphan Annie.’
    ‘I’m not sure sometimes that wouldn’t be preferable,’ Davina grumbled, then added quickly, ‘sorry, that was a mean thing to say. Thanks for ringing, James, and for warning me Gran may have contacted our friend from Down Under.’
    But if Davina’s grandmother had been in communication with her granddaughter’s prospective employer, he did not enlighten her. When the hotel telephone exchange connected them, he thanked Davina for getting in touch and asked if she was still prepared to take the job he’d offered. At her ‘yes’ he asked for the address of her digs and with a laconic ‘be seeing you’ rang off.
    Davina stood in the draughty hall and stared blankly at the telephone for several minutes and her face was thoughtful. She was unused to being treated in such a cavalier manner, but suddenly remembering she had left the gas on, she hurried to rescue her meagre supper.
    After she had eaten, she began the mammoth task of sorting out her belongings. Like most students, Davina’s wardrobe was adequate without being lavish, but in addition to clothes during three years at college she had accumulated a considerable amount of other possessions, from books down to mundane necessities such as pans and crockery. When she moved from the flat she had simply brought everything haphazardly packed into cardboard boxes, but she could hardly travel two hundred miles with her belongings in old grocery cartons.
    She was sitting staring glumly at the piles of clothes and goods when the landlady knocked. Mrs Styles smiled at the chaos which met her eyes.
    ‘Doing a bit of sorting out, I see. I came to ask you when you’ll be moving out, because I’ve had several people enquiring about the room.’
    Davina sighed. ‘My job starts in about two weeks’ time, but m pay until the end of the month. I guess I’ll have to leave my things with you until I get back