Outback Man Seeks Wife. Margaret Way

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СКАЧАТЬ looked over her blond head. ‘From my mother I guess. She was Anglo-Irish and well spoken—and lovely. My father’s appallingly cruel family had no right to treat her the way they did. They turned all their fury on her because my father abandoned them for her. The accent would have been reinforced by long contact with my late mentor who was English. I became very close to him.’

      ‘Was he the one who presented you with Lightning Boy?’ She wanted to know all about him.

      He nodded. ‘Yes, he was. He handed Lightning Boy over a couple of months before he died.’

      She read the grief in his glance. ‘What did you do? Did you work for him?’

      ‘I was proud to,’ he said briefly, his tone a little curt. ‘My boss and mentor.’

      ‘Are you going to tell me his name?’

      ‘No, Caroline.’ He refused her. At the same time his gaze gathered her up.

      ‘I’m sorry.’ She glanced across the dance floor at all the glowing, happy faces. This would go on into the wee hours. ‘I won’t intrude. I’m just glad you met someone who treated you well.’

      ‘I can’t recall many others.’ His expression was openly bitter.

      ‘Are you going to make us all pay for wounding you?’ she asked, thinking he had been hurt a great deal.

      He ignored her question. ‘I’d like to take you out to Jimboorie. Would you come?’

      Her heart jumped. Agree and there’d be trouble. Big trouble.

      ‘Look at me,’ he invited quietly. ‘Not away. Would you come, Caroline?’

      A back-up singer in the band launched into a romantic number. ‘How do you see me?’ she countered. ‘As someone whose freedom is being curtailed?’

      ‘Is it?’ He studied her so intently he might have been trying to unmask her.

      That put her on her mettle. ‘I’d be delighted to come,’ she said shortly, consoling herself she had been driven to it.

      ‘Good. I confess I find a woman’s views necessary.’

      ‘Is it your intention to put in your ad that Jimboorie House is falling down?’ She met his eyes.

      ‘Certainly. It’s the right thing to do,’ he replied smoothly. ‘But it’s not in the utter state of decay it appears to be from the outside. The best materials were used in its construction. The finest, stoutest timbers. The cedar came from the vast forests of the Bunya Bunya Mountains. The house itself is built of sandstone. There is a tremendous amount of restoration to be done—I can’t deny that—but somehow I’ll get around it.’

      ‘Perhaps you should say in your ad that you’re looking for an heiress?’ she suggested, bitter-sweet.

      ‘Now that’s a great idea.’ His face broke into a mocking smile.

      Unnoticed by either of them Scott Harper, who had been further detained by two of his father’s friends wanting to know if he thought his team could continue their unbeaten polo season, was quickly canvassing the crowd.

      The blood flooded into his face the moment he saw them together. He drew in his breath sharply, catching his bottom lip between strong teeth and drawing blood. How could Carrie possibly do this thing? She knew how he felt about Clay Cunningham. All his childhood antipathy had returned but one hundred times worse. He made his way towards them, threading a path through the dancers, some of them, marking his expression, getting out of his way.

      Just look at her, Scott inwardly raged, his jealousy violent and painful. Her beautiful blond head was tipped right back as she stared up into Cunningham’s eyes.

      This is wrong, all wrong. Let her go!

      His progress was stopped when a woman got him in a surprisingly strong arm-lock. ‘Scotty, you’re not ignoring me are you, darling?’

      He swung, catching the hateful expression of malice on Natasha’s face. ‘You can’t let your dewy little fiancée have a bit of fun, can you?’ Her voice dropped so low he could barely hear her. ‘And she is having fun, isn’t she?’

      ‘Let go, Natasha,’ he rasped. If she’d been a man he would have hit her, so tense was his mood.

      ‘Sure. One dance and we’ll call it a night.’ She stepped right up to him, a stunning figure in violet banded in silver, putting both hands on his shoulders. ‘Don’t make a fool of me now, Scotty,’ she warned. ‘I’ve kept my mouth shut up to now, but things can change.’

      ‘You’re a real bitch! You know that?’ he muttered, contempt built into his voice. Nevertheless he retained enough sense to draw her into his arms.

      ‘You don’t say that when I’m making you happy.’ Natasha, a tall woman, stared with hard challenge into his eyes.

      ‘I should never have started with you,’ he said.

      A shadow fell across her blue eyes. ‘You told me once you were in love with me. I’m still in love with you.’

      ‘Why don’t you get over it?’ he suggested harshly.

      ‘Easier said than done, Scotty. Don’t get mad at me. I’m your friend. I’ve loved you far too much and far too long. You’ve made a big mistake getting yourself hitched up to Carrie McNevin. You haven’t got a damned thing in common. And how ridiculous is that virgin bit?’ Her lips curled in a sneer.

      ‘Shut up,’ Scott hissed violently, in the next minute thankful the dance music had changed to something loud and upbeat. Why had he ever told Natasha about Carrie and himself? He was a thousand times sorry.

      ‘Watch it!’ she warned, an answering rage in her eyes. ‘You don’t want people to see how jealous you are my cousin is fascinating your beloved little virgin. I have to admit he scrubs up pretty well. That’s the Cunningham in him, of course. Why don’t we sit this out for a while? Or we could go outside?’

      ‘Forget it,’ he said bluntly.

      Her expression was both wounded and affronted. ‘What is it she’s got? I’m beautiful, too. Is it the hunt? The thrill of the chase? Once you’ve had her you won’t want her anymore.’

      ‘You don’t understand anything,’ Scott said, shaking his head as if to clear it. ‘Carrie appeals to the best part of me. When I’m with her I remember I have a soul.’

      That affected Natasha more than the cruellest rebuff. ‘You fool!’ she said.

      Scott gave up. In the middle of the dance floor he dropped his arms from around her and walked away, leaving Natasha feeling hollowed out, gutted. Why did she love Scott Harper? It dismayed and humiliated her. She was well aware of his character flaws, which that little innocent Carrie wasn’t. Living through this engagement was a long nightmare. She knew Scott had used her up—she had let him, was still letting him—but damn if he was going to throw her away. Maybe it was about time she had a little talk with darling Carrie even if she risked having her own life torn apart.

      Carrie danced twice more with СКАЧАТЬ