Thus , when Helen arrived in the doorway of the kitchen in her working clothes, Peter , with a tug of the forelock , indicated a cup of tea on the table.

-- No milk or sugar yet , he said. Didn't know how you took it.

Helen added milk , and began to drink as Peter asked :

-- Where do you want me to start ?

-- Kitchen garden . I've made a start myself , but it'll take a bit of time to get it in order . Mostly just concentrate on clearing out the rubbish and preparing the beds. There's a pile of compost round by the shed , and a wheelbarrow and tools there . Later on in the week I'll send you down to that hardware store for some packets of seeds . I want to be self-sufficient if I can .

-- Okay , said Peter .

-- Ah , and yes , lunch . She paused .

-- I've not got much on hand .

-- Eggs ? asked Peter .

-- I make a mean omelette , and from what I can hear , you have fowls . Do you want me to feed them ?

-- No , I'll do that . But make enough omelette for me too , and I'll join you .

-- No problem , said Peter .

-- And another thing -- I don't especially want to do a lot of cooking , I had enough of that back home in a shearing shed as cook's mate for a while , but I am pretty good on rabbit casserole .

He laughed ruefully.

-- You couldn't make a shearer eat rabbit at gunpoint . I learned that in the sheds.

-- I might take you up on that , said Helen .

-- I'm off to feed the hens , and then I have work in here . You'll be right in the garden ?

Peter acknowledged that he would , and exited to begin his job.

The morning passed easily ; the work was straightforward . About halfway through the morning Peter went into the kitchen to make a cup of tea again , but when he called up the stairs to ask if Helen wanted one , he got no answer .

Morning tea finished , he went back to the garden , and kept at it till it was time to wash up for lunch.

Checking again by calling upstairs , he again got no answer , but poking his head through the open front door , he saw Helen engaged in getting her mail from the postman .

-- Starting the omelette , he yelled , and Helen looked up from an already opened letter she was reading and signalled that she was coming .

She took quite some time , reading as she came , and when she sat down at the kitchen table she briefly thanked Peter who was dishing her omelette onto her plate , and began to eat in silence.

-- You look like you've had bad news , said Peter.

Helen looked hard at him and said :

-- I'm not exactly sure .

Then she finished her meal in silence , rinsed her dishes and Peter's , and left the room.

Peter shrugged . If she doesn't want to talk , it's not my problem , he thought .

The afternoon passed the same way as the morning , and at the end of his time for the day he called out to let Helen know he was going . She appeared briefly and he let her know he would be earlier next morning and set off for his digs.

Passing the Craft Shop , he poked his head round the door , and said hello . In answer to Jane's enquiring look , he shook his head and smiled .

-- Just gardening , he reported , before Jane asked .

-- But I think the lady might have got some odd news . She was pretty distant after she got her mail , anyway . But I'll have to go get cleaned up , I'm too grubby to stay and talk . See you soon -- especially if I can get some Tim Tams .

And off down the street he went .