"Sure," she responded brightly as they made their way out of the hotel towards the restaurant.
They settled at a table near the window, overlooking the picturesque town. The waiter approached to hand them menus and ask if they wanted drinks. Max looked surprised when Elise just ordered a diet coke and some water for herself.
"You don't fancy some wine after all that travel?" he queried.
Grimacing, she shook her head firmly. "I guess you saw that I'm not the best traveller. Usually I'd welcome a glass of wine, but I know that tomorrow we're going to have to get on another one of those tiny planes. Trust me, a glass of wine now will just make it worse. It might relax some people, but it will just keep me awake worrying about it." Even as she spoke the words, Elise was surprised at herself. She seemed unable to hold her tongue with this man and was giving away all her secrets without thought. She cursed herself inwardly.
But, to her astonishment, he didn't seem to judge her for her fears of flying, but instead just seemed to accept her words at face value. "That makes sense. But tell me, how is it possible that someone with a fear of flying chose a career that involves spending almost as much time on planes as off them?"
She sighed, knowing that his logic was right and she had made some seemingly odd choices over the years. "It's kind of strange I know, but I always knew I wanted to be a photo journalist. And since it was always the natural world that interested me, rather than cities or portraits or events, I figured I'd just have to suck it up and deal with the travel." She frowned. "Don't get me wrong, I love it once I've landed on solid ground. I wouldn't have carried on doing it for so long if I didn't. I've learned to cope with the flights, but I don't think I'll ever reach the point when the thought of them doesn't stress me at least somewhat."
Now it was Max's turn to frown. "Does your family know how you feel about the travel? It must worry them to know that something you love so much requires you to be stressed in order to pursue it." It wasn't quite disapproval that she sensed in Max's voice, rather a concern and, oddly, a hint of protectiveness.
"Well, I think my sisters suspect that I'm not keen on it; but it's not something they've ever had to witness with me, and they haven't asked." She laughed. "I suppose I haven't volunteered the information, as I don't want them to worry more than they already do while I'm away!"
"Hmm..." Max didn't sound convinced, but seemed content to leave the matter for the time being, except for adding, "Well, if you were my sister, or part of my family in any way, I'd want to know!"
Suddenly worried, she groaned and said, "Max, you can't tell Tom. Please. He worries enough as it is!"
"Don't worry, Elise," Max reassured her, taking her hand across the table and stroking it lightly to soothe her. "Your secrets are safe with me, although it's not something I think you need to keep to yourself. Loads of people dislike flying but still tackle it. Although admittedly," he added, "not on quite the same scale that you do!" He smiled at her. "You know, Tom and I had the misfortune to take huge numbers of horrific flights in tiny planes and helicopters while we were in the forces. I don't remember a single man in our team looking forward to those flights! Grown men went pale at the thought."
Feeling a bit better, Elise laughed and took a sip of her diet coke. "So what about you?" she asked. "I know that you were in the army with Tom for years and that you now run a security company based in London, but Tom never went into details about your background except to say that he trusted you." She rolled her eyes at Max. "He never really explained how you were such an expert on this area of the Arctic, or how come you'd spent so much time here."
Max grinned at her. "There's not that much to tell, really. After we left the army, I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do, and I ended up spending a year or so out here, which is how I know so many people locally. We'd passed through the area on military survival courses before and I'd always felt at home here, so it seemed the natural place to come and figure out my next steps. I needed some time to myself to think about the future before I settled back in the UK."
He paused as the waiter came over to take their orders, and then continued on, "In that year here, I figured out a business plan to take home to the UK with me. The security firm I run is pretty wide ranging, but one of our areas of expertise is providing security, escorts and guides for private companies that need to transport people or supplies through some of the world's more remote regions."
"You mean like mercenaries?" Elise looked shocked.
"No, not at all!" He laughed. "We definitely don't supply small armies! What we do is provide research beforehand for companies, giving them full updates about the main risks in the area. And then we provide them with on the ground support to help them navigate their way through non-existent transport systems, poor supplies and so on. One of our big selling points is that we understand the local communities with whom they'll be dealing, and emphasise sustainable development and environmentally friendly commerce. Which means," he added, "that in today's world of checklists and targets, if they follow our advice, they tend to hit lots more of those soft government targets and milestones than their competitors; and also the local communities are more likely to want to deal with them as they don't try to ride rough shod over local populations."
"So no armies, then!"
"Nope. Our people definitely know how to defend themselves, and those they're with, but the emphasis is on avoiding those kind of situations in the first place. If they want military style private security, we can put them in touch with people who run that kind of operation, but it's not where our area of expertise lies."
"Fair enough," she said, silently relieved that, although he looked like the kind of man who could single-handed deliver a small army if the need was there, he'd focussed his attentions on creating something more valuable and sustainable. "So does that mean you travel lots too?"
"Less so than I used to. To begin with, when the company was in its early days, I did a lot of the work on the ground myself, but these days we have enough people who want those adventures, that I tend to work from the UK a lot more and just pick and choose if there's something that really takes my fancy."
"Or get conned into babysitting your friend's sister-in-law on her trip to the Arctic?" Elise figured she may as well be upfront with Max.
"Conned? Are you joking?" He looked genuinely baffled.
Suddenly unsure of herself, she tried to explain, "Well, I figured that accompanying a photo journalist you've never met before to the Canadian Arctic wouldn't be high on your list of things that 'really take your fancy'."
Quietly, and more seriously, he assessed her. "Tom definitely didn't con me into anything, Elise. I thought you knew, but a little while ago I met up with Tom. Your other two brothers-in-law, Luke and Alex, were also there, and they were clearly worried about your constant travel and the kind of danger in which you could find yourself. They knew your stint in Kenya was coming to an end, but were worried about the prospect of you then venturing into the Arctic."
He looked disapprovingly at her. "It seemed they'd only just found out that you tended to travel by yourself, without any guide or protection, and that you'd misled them into thinking you went with support. I offered to be around when you started the Arctic project to give them some peace of mind and, frankly, because I was horrified at the idea of a young woman without any experience with these kind of conditions being out here on her own!"
"I did not deliberately mislead them!" she exclaimed hotly.
"Really?"
"No! It's hardly my fault if they assumed there was a team of people wherever I went. If they knew more about photo journalism, they'd have realised, earlier on, that you can hardly photograph animals in their natural habitats if you have a film crew and a million and one people with you at the time!"
"That's odd," he commented, seemingly neutrally. "Alex seemed to think that while he'd been in the States, he'd asked you about the travel and you'd definitely suggested you had company."
/> Elise flushed, knowing she'd been caught out in what was, at best, a partial truth. She did remember Alex asking about her travels and she'd known what his reaction would be, if he knew she wandered around pretty much on her own. He'd always been protective, even when they were all kids growing up together. Since he'd returned from the States, and he and her sister, Isabelle, had finally formed a relationship, that protectiveness had only become more acute in every way. The man refused to appreciate that she was now a responsible and capable adult.
Fortunately, their food arrived and she didn't have to answer his observations immediately. At last, she admitted quietly, "I didn't want to worry anyone, Max. I know they all worry about me anyway. I'm not stupid, but the travel – and the loneliness – go hand in hand with the job at times, and I can't change that. There was no point in having them worry more than they do already."
"I can see that," he replied, his eyes filled with understanding. "But I just want to make sure you know that for the next couple of weeks, you need to be absolutely honest and open with me. The Arctic is no place for concealing worries or fears, Elise. Even though Kuvanerk is a modern town, once we move on to Ingiyokke Park, the environment changes, and that environment can be dangerous. I know you're used to being around less than tame wildlife, but here that wildlife is combined with freezing, harsh conditions. We need to work as a team, and I need to know if anything's wrong or if you're struggling with anything. Okay?"
She nodded, knowing he was right, but also wanting him to know that she wasn't a child. She was a professional who had been contending with the hostilities of nature throughout her career. "Sure. I do know the ground rules, Max. I've spent loads of time in harsh environments. I know safety's paramount all the time."
"Good. But this isn't Africa or South America you're in now, Elise. Those places have their own unique risks and dangers just as much as the Arctic, but the Arctic has different dangers, ones you may not be as used to. Okay?"
She rolled her eyes at him again, intrigued to see exactly the same unwavering, immovable attitude in him that she saw in her brothers-in-law, but slightly wary now that she was the sole focus of its attention. "Yes, Max. I promise, okay?"
He didn't look totally convinced at her response. "Your brothers have been indulgent with you, Elise. Don't think that I'll be so malleable!"
"What?" she squeaked.
"You know they have. Whereas any one of your sisters would have been on the receiving end of a sound spanking if they put themselves in the kind of dangerous situations you've probably encountered daily, not to mention what would happen if they had tried to keep the truth hidden. Your brothers-in-law have been easy going with you as they've been worried you don't trust them enough to accept them protecting you as they'd like."
Elise spluttered in her diet coke, not quite believing what Max said about her sisters' partners. He clearly knew the dynamic under which her sisters' relationships operated. "Are you kidding me? Easy going? They've been ganging up on me for ages to prevent me travelling on my own. But that's irrelevant; they should never have told you intimate details about their relationships. It's personal between them and my sisters!"
"Relax, Elise," he hastened to reassure her. "They didn't betray any confidences. I've known Tom for so many years; it would be difficult not to know how he approaches relationships. I'd find it hard to imagine that he would have undergone such a fundamental change in character when he met Lily. And when I met Alex and Luke they struck me as having the same approach to life and relationship dynamics as Tom has and, for that matter," he added softly, "as I have."
She gulped. It didn't surprise her. It didn't even particularly worry her, even if he was a bit intimidating. However, she did feel suddenly off balance with this man, as the conversation had taken on such a personal quality.
"All I'm saying, Elise, is that for the next couple of weeks I'm happy to guide you wherever you need to go in Ingiyokke and help you get the photos you need, but in return you need to abide by what I say, as there will be a reason behind it. I don't issue orders or rules for no reason. If you don't, you'll be endangering both of us, and I won't put up with that. I won't be as indulgent as your brothers have been, as the environment out here is too dangerous for that. You will find yourself over my knee if you break those rules, and you won't like it. Understand?"
And with that declaration, facing a speechless Elise, a smile tugged again at his lips and he dug into his steak.
Chapter Two
Elise sneaked a look at Max out of the corner of her eye. It was early morning and after his announcement the previous evening she'd slept badly, even if he acted as though nothing had changed.
She wasn't sure why she was so off-balance. She'd known about the dynamics of her sisters' relationships and it didn't particularly bother her. She'd always prided herself on her "live and let live" attitude. For each of her sisters, it was her relationship and her choice. It wasn't even as if the thought of a man spanking her upset her in itself. She was pretty open-minded and, if she was honest, saw how happy her sisters were in their relationships.
Perhaps it was the way the conversation had suddenly become so personal so quickly. It hadn't been the kind of conversation that two strangers would normally have, or two people who were essentially going to be colleagues for the next couple of weeks. It was altogether more intimate, and that made her wary, particularly after her recent experience with David.
David was a man she had met in Kenya who worked for a Non-Governmental Organization. He had had what she thought were similar characteristics to those she saw in her brothers, and for that matter in Max, but she'd been fooled. The confident assertiveness to which she had been attracted had actually been little more than bullying, but, to her chagrin, she'd only walked away when he raised his fists to her.
She knew that her experience with David was unfortunate and the polar opposite of her sisters' relationships. But the memory was still at the front of her mind, and the way Max had spoken, his natural confidence and obviously dominant tendencies combined with his easy admittance of his approach to relationships, made her wary, as she was attracted to those characteristics more than she wanted to be. She didn't want to risk misjudging another man.
"Penny for them?" He smiled down at her, taking in her worried expression.
"Oh!" She jerked herself out of her thoughts and smiled back at him. She had to get over her wariness. After all, she'd met the man less than twenty-four hours ago and they were hardly even contemplating a relationship! "It's nothing, really."
Max had already been out that morning and picked up the basic supplies they would need for the next couple of weeks. They were now waiting at the airstrip for the small charter plane to arrive that would fly them to Alornekuk, after which it was around a three hour trek to Ingiyokke Lake, their main base during their time in the park. Elise had been told that the trek was relatively gentle, though she'd bought new sturdy boots just to be sure, as she knew the terrain would be very different from the deserts and ecosystems she'd previously been used to.
"Here it is." Max nodded towards the small plane approaching in the distance.
"Oh, god." Elise gulped audibly. Even knowing that the distance skewered her perspective, she could tell that the aircraft was tiny, even compared to yesterday's diminutive offering.
"Hey, it's okay, sweetheart, I promise." Sensing her panic, Max instantly pulled her into his side, offering her the comfort of his arms as one hand stroked lightly up and down her spine, soothing her through the padding of her jacket and many layers of thermal, waterproof clothing. "Really, it will be fine. It's only half an hour airtime between here and Alornekuk, and we're the only ones on the plane. The rest of the space is going to be used to take supplies to the village," he tried to reassure her.
"How's that supposed to make it fine?" she joked weakly, trying to make light of her panic. The muscles in her shoulders tightened as the small aircraft came closer. She'd known the plane would be small; A
lornekuk had such a small airstrip that only very small planes could land or take off on its runway, but even so. This was small to the point of ridiculous. She'd seen cars that were bigger.
"Well, I guess it depends on your perspective. I figured that, if you were likely to be nervous, you might prefer to be nervous around friends rather than surrounded by a plane full of strangers." He smiled at her casually, but with concern in his eyes.
"Does that mean we're friends already then?" She again tried to make light of the situation.
Lowering his head, he pressed a gentle kiss onto her forehead. "I hope so," he joked back at her.
Her head jerked up in shock at his action. Even though it had been so light and fleeting she wondered whether, despite her quickening heartbeat, she'd imagined it. Lost for words for the umpteenth time in twenty-four hours, she stared up at him.
"I've been wanting to do that and hold you against me since I saw you step down from the plane yesterday," he confided. "But you can tell me to steer clear if you want; I won't push myself onto you, I promise."
"I.... no," she stumbled over her words. "I mean, it's fine. I like it." She blushed.
He laughed at her. "Good, I'm glad. Really glad."
He helped her to her feet just as the Twin Otter aircraft landed on the strip in front of them. Once he was certain it was safe for them to approach, he led her out of the sheltered waiting area and towards the plane just as the pilot jumped out and stepped down onto the runway to greet them.
"Max! Good to see you again!" The men shook hands and Max re-introduced Elise to Steve who, she remembered, had also been the co-pilot on her flight into Kuvanerk yesterday.
"So you're doing the Alornekuk lap today then?"
"Yep." Steve grinned. "Going to get some supplies into the village and then come back and I'll be back on the Kuvanerk-Ottawa run tonight. Is that your stuff over there?" He indicated the rucksacks on the ground near them.
Elise's Story: A Bentley Sisters Novel Page 2