A Night in the Land of Dreamtime

By Angeline Dupr'e

This is the story of two English girls, who travel to Australia to
fi nd love and romance. Jenny the principal fi gure in the book
is torn when she meets the dashing young, self-confi dent Ted
but she fi nds out that he’s not what he seems, from the outset
his self-confi dence and pride comes out to the detriment of
everyone else.
She has to fl ee to get back her freedom and she ends up in
Kakadu where she fi nally meets Steve the love of her life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris AU
• Release date: Oct 27, 2010
• ISBN: 9781669833949

Angeline Dupr'e

This is Angeline Dupre’s fi rst romance novel and she hopes to write some more. She was born in Paris France and emigrated to Australia when she was a child. She loves to travel, and loves to travel to different parts of Australia and the outback. She is fl uent in French, Italian and English. She lives In Canberra with her husband and child. Her hobbies are dancing and painting.

Book preview

Copyright © 2010 by Angeline Dupr’e.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

Xlibris Corporation

1-800-618-969

www.xlibris.com.au

500357

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

CHAPTER ONE

I just couldn’t believe it, little me Jenny Aspen, was actually on her fantasyland voyage, I had to pinch myself to remind me that I wasn’t dreaming. Here I was on a 747 Jumbo airplane flying to the land downunder, the land of the kangaroo, Ayers rock or was it Uluru now, Paul Hogan, Mel Gibson HHmmm . . . , deserts, sandy beaches, hot weather, Yeah . . . It had been so cold and miserable when I left England that anywhere would have been better than staying here. Thinking of England, I remembered having arguments with my Mum, for wanting to travel to Australia, she kept on saying it was too far, such a large unknown country, she talked as if I was going to nowhere land, to a wilderness, It is civilized I often reassured her as I showed her pictures of Sydney, and also I would have gone to visit a distant relative of ours, apparently it was my auntie, who had been married to my fathers brother, which my Mum had never met, but they had written to each other sometimes over the years. Still the arguments had continued, Why don’t you travel around Europe first, she kept nagging, and although I hadn’t traveled to other parts of Europe, I knew I could always travel there on my return, and as I kept pointing out, who knows if I can ever go to Australia again since it was so far away, and if I could afford to go there later on, this was my chance of a lifetime and I wasn’t going to let it pass me by for anything, I had worked so hard to get the money, having a part-time job in a bakery till 9 p.m. and working at a Research Institute in the daytime, I had saved more than enough to get me by, but you could never know. My best friend Anna and I had planned to go to Sydney first and then visit my auntie, the other plans we had left to destiny, but one thing we did know, we wanted to see Australia, as much of it as possible. There were so many people traveling to Australia at the moment, that it was the in thing before it had always been America, but now even the Americans wanted to travel to Australia.

Even Anna had to have 2 jobs to pay for her trip, but she had been luckier because her parents had helped her financially for her trip, Mum would have helped me if she could have but she was on a pension and had to support us, me and my little sister by herself, since Dad had died so many years ago, when I was 5, I don’t remember him very much apart from him having a beard, who used to tell me bedtime stories, and always brought me lollies when I was good, which I reassured him I always was. I remembered I was pretty upset when he died but I just hadn’t grasped the concept of dying and thought he had gone away, and that he would come back some day, and that’s what I kept on reminding Mum. Looking back I think that is what made me headstrong and positive, as when I realized that he had died I always thought that he was always near, to all of us in our family and would always look after us. And getting back to reality I was always hopeful that most peoples dreams can come true if they really want those dreams hard enough, one of my dreams was that I would meet my man, and even though I was 26 I had never really had had a steady boyfriend, sure I had gone on dates and on the last year of College I went out with the cutest guy in school so I was told but he had just lacked something a spark, a fire, just like those romantic novels I read, life without excitement was boring which was what life in England had been at the moment, sure I had happy memories, but I thought I had to move on to bigger and better things, life was to be experienced, and this was my chance of a lifetime, Yippee!!!!

Oh no . . . I had shouted those last words, and had woken Anna next to me, Oh you woke me up Anna looked at me pouting, I looked at her and was glad she was with me, I had known her for so long since third grade and we had stuck like glue, going to the same Primary School and then High School. There was a time when we drifted apart that was when she had gone to London to a Business College for a Secretarial course for 2 years, but during that time we had kept in contact with each other.

Well it’s about time you woke up, you lazy bones I retorted with the same pouting look, How can you go to sleep on our flight? I enquired.

How can you not go to sleep on this hot and crampy airplane? she asked back. True I thought, it is hot and stuffy, but who cares?

How can you think of things like that at a time like this, besides there’s a great movie and it’s starting in 20 minutes.

Oh yeah what’s the name of it? she enquired Would you believe, Crocodile Dundee,

Ooohhh I love that movie, even though I’ve seen it, I’d love to see it again. She said Me too I replied.

We settled to watching the movie, but I think all the excitement caught up with me, and I fell asleep. I woke up to the smell of food.

Breakfast someone called out, I couldn’t believe it I had slept right through the night, I stretched out and said

Good morning

Same to you buster replied Anna who looked like something had run over her like a steamroller. Didn’t you have a good night ? I enquired

Rotten,; I couldn’t sleep a wink and people kept going up and down the aisle all night, talk about a flight,

Oh well cheer up here comes breakfast

While we were eating, I looked out the window, and there was such an exceptional sight, dawn, with the sun breaking into a new day, beautiful hues of color splashed all through the sky, which made you feel happy to be alive.

Look at the beautiful sight I remarked to Anna Wnw she said isn’t it wonderful?

Then she looked downwards and filtering through the clouds we both saw land Land said Anna

The shape of it looking like Australia, so we were almost there. Hooray I shouted.

After finishing breakfast I settled back in my seat ready to hear some music but Anna reminded me to go over what we were going to do when we arrived in Sydney. First we were going to be meeting her friend at the airport, which used to live in England but came to live permanently in Australia when she was 12. Next we should go to the youth hostel for accommodation that is if her friend couldn’t put us up, what we didn’t want to encumbrance her, but Anna and Trudy had been good friends so as Anna reminded me she won’t mind putting up with us as she had already stated in her letter.

While we were talking the light went on to fasten our seat belts, and we were both sitting upright apprehensive of the arrival but also of what was waiting for us out there. Anna hadn’t seen her friend Trudy for 14 years, and we were wondering how she might have changed. I looked out the window and I could clearly see all these tiny houses and streets, and after an uneventful touchdown we arrived at the airport.

The airport looked like any ordinary airport, but me and Anna looked like two excited ducklings, you’d think we had won the pools or something, we couldn’t contain our happiness and had one of the biggest smiles you’d ever seen, grinning from ear to ear.

Whilst we were getting our backpacks who do we see but Anna’s friend Trudy, and although we must have changed over the years we recognized each other right away, Trudy couldn’t be mistaken for anyone else as she had this striking hair color, the unmistakable color of carrot; her hair color framed a sweet freckled face. Anna and Trudy hugged each other and were both swirling around which made passerby wonder what was going on

Look at you both her mother exclaimed, When I knew you, you were two little skinny things then she looked at Anna

Oh Anna did you cut your long beautiful hair? Anna blushed and said

Oh it was always getting oily and short is more in fashion.

You with your fashion, you haven’t changed a bit Trudy exclaimed remember when you made us cut our jeans with holes, because it was in, and then used to hide it from our parents, and then they found out,

Yes replied Anna and then everyone got grounded at that everyone laughed, by this time we had arrived to the car and everyone got in

Did you have a good trip? enquired Trudy’s mother Yes great I said

That’s what you think, said Anna It was the longest trip ever, I’m tired I didn’t sleep a wink

Yes it must have been tiring for you, but when you get home you can have a good nights sleep. Said Trudy’s mother

I looked out of the car, and it just looked like I had seen it on T.V. what impressed me were the roads they were so wide, and the cars were much bigger than in England, I also noted that they were speeding rather fast, but as Trudy’s parents explained that was normal speed in Australia. It was a beautiful sunny day and although the car was air-conditioned you could sense that it was very hot outside. We arrived at a quaint old Edwardian style looking house, and as Trudy’s parents explained they didn’t live very far from the city, and would bring us around tomorrow. We got into a quite spacious house with our bedrooms situated upstairs, and Anna exclaimed to Trudy

You’re parents must be very wealthy

OH no way replied Trudy as we got into our room, our house is small compared to most people that live around here

But replied the mother A lot of young people cannot afford to buy even an apartment with the cost of living now

Really I remarked has the economic situation plunged so low?

Yes, and I think it won’t be long before it becomes like England, with the unemployment. Oh that’s bad news, I said

Do you want a cup of tea before retiring? enquired Trudy’s Mum

That would be lovely Anna and I replied.

We went down stairs into the kitchen and sat around revolving chairs Trudy’s Mum enquired at how our parents were and then Anna produced a letter from her parents and said it was for them.

Oh that’s nice of them, look Harry, news from England, exclaimed Trudy’s mother with tears in her eyes,

Oh that’s really nice, said Harry giving his wife and us all a sad look which made me realize that he missed England very much, and then he got the letter and started to read it to us, while Trudy’s Mum prepared roast beef sandwiches for us. After the letter was read Trudy’s Mum exclaimed

Your mother has written to us such a wonderful letter, and you probably gathered from the letter that we have not written for a while now. When we moved to Australia we said we would write to each other but gradually over the years we didn’t write that often and then hardly at all.

After drinking our tea we felt very tired.

So said Trudy’s mother I can see you’re very tired so it’s off to bed with you

I must say we needed the rest and were thankful for a warm bath, and a comfortable bed.

The next morning it must have been pretty late when we woke up, as the sun was already high in the sky. I looked at the clock it was 11.00 am, boy we must have needed the sleep. We both went down to the kitchen for breakfast and we saw Trudy helping her Mum to dry the dishes.

Oh you’re awake, said Trudy’s mother You must have needed your sleep. Sit down and I’ll serve breakfast for you

Sitting down at the table, Trudy said

So tell me all the news Anna, even though you’ve written to me, there must be things you haven’t told me

Now don’t start disturbing them they have to eat first and then you can talk all you want Trudy’s mother said

Oh Mother said Trudy

Well anyhow said Trudy’s mother seeing you both here brings back such lovely memories

Oh mother, you’re not going to start again telling us about England and how wonderful it is and all that, said Trudy

No don’t be silly, I just wanted to say said Trudy’s mother looking at Anna That your mother has written to us a wonderful letter, and when you go back I want you to bring them something from us Oh you don’t have to said Anna

No, Harry and I want to and it won’t be long before we go back for a holiday there, said Trudy’s mother

While the talk was going on Anna and me were stuffing our faces with lots of goodies that Trudy’s Mum had prepared for us, like pancakes and toasts and also eggs, which were all scoffing down as we were starving.

Anyhow, tell us all about your secrets, said Anna looking at Trudy

If I had any I surely would not say them in front of my mother said Trudy

I wish you would be more open to me, Trudy and find yourself a steady boyfriend instead of roaming around with the crowd you hang around with, said Trudy’s mother

Never you mind Mum, said Trudy as me and Anna both looked at each other, wondering what they were talking about as we sensed a lot of tension with each other.

Maybe you girls can talk some sense into her, being from England and all, said Trudy’s mother. Yes Anna said with half her mouth full not knowing what she had actually agreed to.

Trudy then started to explain to us that we could go to the city and go shopping for the day, that sounded fine for us. After having eaten we went upstairs to freshen up and when we got outside it was still very hot.

When we got