Chapter 14
Jane had returned to the familiar life with a vengeance. Over the next few weeks, life was a continuing round of drinking, golf and sex. She attacked all with an equal vengeance and achieved a measure of excellence in all departments.
Convinced that Jane could not be shaken in her determination to keep her away from the offbeat farm family, Bunny took to driving the back roads, stopping at various farms for a drink of water, help with her car, or anything she could think of.
She never did find the Travers farm, but she did manage to find a lot of fun and left a lot of farmers feeling that a generous fate had stepped in to drop a lovely bonus into their dull lives.
As she developed her new hobby, Bunny began to take female friends along with her so that her casual visits to farm workers in the back fields eventually grew into orgies of splendid stature. In her circle, it became the thing to do. It was discussed at their unusual parties, over cocktails at the most fashionable watering spots, and everywhere the group met.
Jane had remained firm in her decision to leave the Travers family alone. Still, she couldn't help wondering what the fifty thousand dollars had done.
It was about a month after her departure when her curiousity got the better of her. She just had to know.
Wheeling the XKE out of the garage, she drove fast along the familiar dirt roads until the Travers farm loomed up ahead. Cutting her speed, she approached the farm slowly, looking for something, although she didn't know exactly what.
The first thing she noticed was that the junkyard look was gone. Making sure that there was no one around to see her, she stopped the car to take a closer look.
She saw then that the junk wasn't really gone, it had just been gathered into a pile in one corner of the front yard. Still, it was an improvement.
She drove slowly toward the front drive wondering if she would see any of the family. She didn't but what she did see was enough to cause her to hit the brakes and pull the car to a sharp stop.
On the post at the side of the drive was a crudely painted sign. It read, "Lady Jane Farm."
Somewhere, they had seen carefully tended farms decorated with names, they had copied the idea. It was a tribute from a crude, uncultured people to a woman who had come from another world and brought something new into their life.
Accepting it for what it was, she started the car and began to drive on. As she made the turn along the far side of the farm, she saw a movement in the field. Slowing down, she looked and saw George and Don walking behind the tired old horse. They were plowing.
The Travers farm would never be a showpiece, she realized, but in spite of their windfall, they were making an effort to work the old place again.
Driving away quickly, she brushed at her eyes. She was confident that the family would fall back into their usual pattern, but for a little while at least, they were doing something. That was good enough.