Winds of Change by Anna Jacobs Read Free Book Online

funereal.’
    â€˜I’ll be fine. You have my phone number. Give me a ring and let me know how it goes.’
    â€˜I’d prefer to walk round and tell you myself.’
    â€˜I’d prefer that, too.’
    She set off, feeling slightly more confident because she had a plan to follow, a plan that gave her freedom from her family.
    Her confidence began to ebb as soon as she saw Regina’s hired car in the drive, blocking in her own vehicle.
    What was her sister doing there? She was supposed to be staying with Sebastian.

Three
    Regina was pacing up and down the veranda, seriously worried now about her sister. Then she saw Minnie coming along the street and stood up, staring in shock. Her sister’s clothes were crumpled, her hair was untidy, she looked . . . as if she’d had a hard night.
    Anxiety made her demand, ‘Where the hell have you been?’
    Minnie flinched. ‘Staying with a friend. I didn’t want to come back here last night. I was too upset.’
    Regina gave her a quick hug. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sound like Sebastian, but I’ve been worried sick about you.’
    â€˜I’m a grown woman. I can look after myself. I just needed to get away from our dear brother.’
    â€˜I don’t blame you. He’s a bit heavy-handed, isn’t he? Gets more like Father every time I see him. I don’t know how Dorothy puts up with his autocratic ways. She gets very tense when she’s serving a meal. He has to have everything just so. As for not wanting to come back here, I don’t know why you and Father stayed here so long. It’s not as if he couldn’t have afforded a more modern house. This one feels as if it’s about to collapse any minute from extreme old age. I’ve never been in a place that creaks so much. I had a terrible night, kept jerking awake thinking someone had broken in.’
    â€˜You spent the night here? Why?’
    Regina rolled her eyes at the ceiling. ‘Why do you think? We were worried about you. I thought you’d come back here so I waited for you.’
    â€˜Oh. Well, that was very kind, but there was no need.’
    Sebastian had said the same thing. He was a callous sod but Minnie was too soft for her own good and Regina felt protective towards her. ‘You could have let us know where you were. I was afraid you might do something silly or that you’d been hurt. I wanted to call in the police, only Sebastian got furious at the mere idea, said it’d be too embarrassing for a man in his position.’
    â€˜We can’t have him embarrassed, can we? And I’d never kill myself, if that’s what you mean.’ She pushed past Regina and went towards her bedroom. ‘I need a shower.’
    â€˜Doesn’t your friend have a bathroom?’
    â€˜Of course he does, but I waited till I could get a change of clothes.’
    â€˜
He!
’ Regina stared at her. Minnie with a boyfriend! ‘How long has this been going on?’
    The bedroom door shut in her face and she hesitated, then went to put the kettle on. You could hardly chase after an older sister as if she were a naughty child. Minnie was upset, that’s what all this was about. Regina would have been upset about that will, too. She was younger than Minnie, yet had been left money to do with as she pleased. Why shouldn’t Minnie have been treated the same?
    When Regina had actually said that to Sebastian, he’d insisted Minnie was too impractical, but she’d guessed that he really wanted to keep the money in the trust for the next generation. Which meant his two grown-up children, who now lived in Sydney and New York. Nikki would get some money too – eventually. Thinking of her daughter upset Regina all over again. How stupid and
unnecessary
to get yourself pregnant in this day and age!
    When Minnie came into the kitchen, Regina waved one hand at the kettle. ‘It’s just