Relentless Dan Fey Ch. 03

"Yes she is upset, putting it mildly but um Rosina it's all self-inflicted."

"I guessed as much but does she know it's self-inflicted? Don't answer, I'm here to try to ease her pain."

"What without reinforcements?"

"Yes because they might have proved unhelpful."

"Oh."

"Great answer Mr. Delany."

Guy appeared impressed by that neutralizing comment.

"Please come with me and don't be surprised if my wife appears unimpressed with your arrival."

"That's fine."

They entered the dining room and apart from little waves from the nervous-looking twins there was no greeting from mother and son.

"Rosina I believe you know the twins. This is my wife Della and our son Morgan."

"Hi Morgan and hello Mrs. Delany. Mrs. Delany, I understand that I'm responsible for upsetting you and I'm sorry about that. May I kiss you?"

Reacting in surprise at that unexpected gambit, Della muttered yes.

Rosina moved in swiftly, kissed Della softly on the cheek and still hugging the woman standing with her hands at her sides, whispered, "Please come and bring your family to the ball tomorrow evening. If it would please you, take me outside now and beat me with a fence post or perhaps a feather, whatever your preferred weapon is."

"W-what?" Della said knowing that the family couldn't have heard the soft whisper.

Rosina said firmly and calmly, "I said I was sorry for the hurt you are feeling caused by Dan Fey falling for me when you mind was set on one of your daughters being his preference, although who knows that could still happen."

Della of course would have known Rosina had whispered no such thing and must have wondered how could she had lost the upper-hand so deftly.

Before she had time to gather herself the young upstart was at her again.

"Mrs. Delany, are you and your family attending the ball tomorrow evening? The Fey family and I will be greatly disappointed if you don't. My personal concern is that I've only just felt a friendship is building between your daughters and me and a social outing in their company such as a ball would accelerate the depth of such contact."

"Yes mum... please mum at least allow Tess and I to go to the ball," Kirsten pleaded.

Tess said, "But also we want all of the family to attend."

Rosina stepped back and said softly, "We all await your decision from the heart Mrs. Delany."

Slowly a smile relaxed Della's face and she drawled, "God I can see why Dan Fey didn't have a chance when you decided to switch those blue eyes on to him intently. I'm having difficulty convincing myself that a slip of a girl like you could bring me to my knees when I'm in the most combative of my moods darling. Yes, the Delany's will be at the ball. I can't bear the thought of living here without the totally committed friendship that Penny and I enjoy."

The twins rushed their mother and Kirsten pulled Rosina into the huddle of delighted females.

"See mum, I told you Rosina was awesome."

The twins father and their brother looked nonplussed until Morgan said, "It's too early to open the bar; I'll get coffee for a family welcome to this new star in our midst."

"Well said son. I'll assist."

Driving off an hour later, Rosina decided to say very little about her encounter with Della Delany other than to say it had been a hard slog but when she arrived home she was greeted by the sight of Penny running out to greet her and beating her chest with both hands as if she was the female version of Tarzan.

"You little beauty," Penny said excitedly, pulling Rosina as she stepped from the vehicle into a huge hug.

"Della phoned and told me everything."

"And you accepted her apology."

"What an apology from Della; you have to be kidding. But she was raving about you," Penny chortled. "She told me I'm not to let you go."

"Not let me go; what does that mean?"

"Oh you blue-eyed innocent from southern country, you really don't know do you? I mean my son is not the only one ever so charmed by you; we all love you."

"What even Della?"

"She's practically infatuated by you. I told you she raved to me."

"Exactly what did she say?"

"Well she was all over the place and sobbing and I took that as Della's interpretation of apologizing for her bad behavior. She said you confronted her by kissing her and then you, whispering, invited her to take you outside and smash you with a fence post for infuriating her."

"Della said for the first time ever I suspect that she was so taken-aback she was left practically legless and unable to think how best to abuse you verbally. Meanwhile you quietly kept on steadfastly as if you were a student of relentless Dan Fey."

Rosina gasped and said that certainly was quite a rave.

"Darling I agree with Della that we need to keep you here. She sees that as being good for the twins and I see that as an opportunity to give you more time to develop your relationship with Dan one way or another?"

"One way or another?"

"By that I mean until he dumps you or you withdraw from him."

"And if neither happens we may commit totally to one another."

"Exactly."

Rosina smiled and cooed, "One of the things I like about you Penny is your ability to be strong and blunt."

"Thanks darling I need those abilities to handle my difficult husband."

"Oh when does he return home?"

"When he's finished with this floozy he's travelling with."

"Omigod, how can you put up with that?"

"Because of our substantial operation here we can't afford to be away together for any length of time. We actually get along fine together for most of the time but when he becomes stroppy I know it's time to let him off the leash."

"But that's allowing him to commit adultery."

"That's one way of looking at it Rosina. I prefer my attitude I learned from my mother and that is 'boys will be boys even when becoming a man'."

"Wow, what great alternative thinking."

"And that's another of the things I like about you dear Rosina; you have great capacity in brain power. May I have your mother's phone number please."

"I added that number to your list beside the kitchen phone the second day after my arrival here."

"Good girl. I want to invite your parents here."

"Why, to cast their eye over Dan?"

Penny flushed and said it was because the two families had much in common being farmers and after their harsh winter her parents would probably enjoy a break.

"Ooh and thanks and about now is a good time as lambing will have finished and shearers are booked to arrive about three weeks from now. I'm off to find Dan."

"Take a farm bike. He and Trish are down maintaining the fencing around the hay paddock and he estimates that work will take the best part of a working week."

"Oh god I should be down there pulling my weight instead of wooing Della and spending further time talking to you."

"Wooing Della; what a funny choice of word."

"Well she was swept away by me, according to what you told me.

They laughed.

More Coming