by Jane Corrie
Rebecca gave a curt nod. If he thought she was going to hang it out, or let him do so, just because he was too lazy to break in another secretary, then she wasn't having any. Her eyes met his. 'I promised, and I'll keep it. We've barely a chapter left, and going by normal routine, two days should do it,' she said.
`There's nothing like a loyal secretary,' he said sarcastically, then glared at her: 'I should have thought you owed me more than that,' he added meaningly.
That was not going to work either, Rebecca thought with a tightening of her lips 'Haven't you forgotten something?' she asked. 'You promised I could go if I wanted to when the book was finished, didn't you? Well, I'm going,' she stated flatly. 'It's not,' she added furiously as she made for the door, `as if I applied for the job in the first place!' and she swept out.
`If you think I'm going to settle in the U.K. then you can think again,' Janus shouted after her. `We're staying, do you hear?'
Rebecca heard, everyone in the house must have heard, but with a different kind of impact. She was past caring, she only knew she wanted out, and her bleak eyes met Mr Leon's twinkling ones as he passed her in the passage, and she felt a deep sense of outrage. What did they care about her heartbreak? She meant nothing to them.
`I've heard better proposals,' said Mr Leon, with a wide grin. 'As an author you'd think he could do better than that, wouldn't you?' and he passed on his way chuckling.
Rebecca stood frozen in her tracks. What had he said? Something about a proposal? What had Janus shouted out as she left? Something about staying here and not in the U.K. He hadn't meant—he couldn't have meant—She shook her head. She wasn't going to be taken in by that, and straightening her back she made her way to her room.
Something like a whirlwind passed her before she had got to the door, and that something was a six-footer with the light of battle in his blue eyes, who swung her round to face him. 'Did you hear what I said?' he demanded unceremoniously.
`You don't have to shout!' Rebecca answered, just as furiously. 'And you'd better go down and put your father out of his agony. He thinks you've just proposed to me—said something about thinking you could have made a better job of it!' she ground out.
Janus bundled her into the room and shut the door behind them with a purposeful-sounding click. 'He's dead right,' he said with a twinkle in
his eyes, 'but it's not easy proposing to an ostrich with its head in the sand, and you've had yours firmly embedded in that position since we first met, plus a label round your neck that clearly stated, "Do not disturb". I didn't know whether to pull you out or entice you out. No matter what I tried, it didn't work. One thing. I knew for certain was that if I made any advances you'd run for cover like a fox looking for a hole with a pack of hounds about to descend on him.'
There was a small silence after this, and Rebecca kept her eyes turned away from him, Still not believing what he had said.
`I don't know why you're afraid of emotion,' Janus Went on, 'but I know you are, and I'm pretty sure it's nothing to do with anything that's happened to you personally. Perhaps one day I'll find out. You can't go on running for ever, and I don't intend to let you. I'm also pretty sure that the same sparks that light me up when you're around are playing just as much havoc with your emotions, only you refuse to acknowledge it. I could have waited for ever, but as you've probably noticed I'm a bit short on patience, particularly where my personal needs are concerned. I'm asking you to marry me, tomorrow if possible the day after, if not. What I'm trying to say is, I do not intend to wait for what's considered an appropriate period. After that,' he stated magnanimously, 'you can do as much sightseeing 'as you want with either Dad or me as escort, but you're not going out on the town without my ring on your finger that will tell any interested male that you're booked for life!'
Rebecca was not allowed to reply, even if she had something to say at that point, and whatever she might have thought of was vanquished under a heart stopping kiss that seemed to go on forever, and the sparks Janus had mentioned were not only twinkling away but positively ignited as she answered the call of his ardent lips.
A short while later, after she had smoothed her hair, and tried to look calm, and collected when they went down to confront Janus's father with the news—confirmed, that was—she did think of something, and without looking directly at Janus, for he had not been too keen to break it up, and she had only just managed to get her thumping heart under control, let alone smooth her hair, she said lightly, 'I didn't take that brooch, Janus.' She did look at him then, and was surprised to see a wide knowing grin on his face.
`I know,' he said smoothly, one arm starting to encircle her waist. 'Laura gave me the lowdown. I pumped her for it,' he added, as his arm clamped her to his side.
Rebecca stared at him while she digested this calm statement, then tried to pull away from him. `You knew the whole time!' she exclaimed furiously. 'And you blackmailed me
Janus had no intention of losing out now, and shamelessly used force to gain victory. `All's fair in love and war,' he whispered in the ear of his love after reducing her powers of concentration in the time-honoured way.
When Rebecca was allowed to bring some order to her rather dishevelled appearance, ready to
present herself to her future father-in-law, who must by now be in a fever of impatience, they went to join him in the lounge, Janus keeping a firm hand on Rebecca's, just to make sure she was not overcome by nerves and did not try to make a bolt for it; he knew her a little too well to take any chances.
No such thoughts were in Rebecca's mind, and no fears either. Her ghosts had been laid, she had forgotten that it takes two to make a marriage work, and she loved Janus enough to take a chance on the future—although chance was not the right word, for Janus loved her, and the thing she had wanted most in the world was hers for the asking.
`About time, too!' Janus's father said gruffly, as he embraced his daughter-in-law-to-be, then he gave Janus an appraising look, that plainly said, `Well done! Then he said casually, 'I suppose you want a message sent to Jake out at Goolie telling him to go on a walkabout?'
Janus grinned, and laid a hand on his father's shoulder. 'How did you know?' he asked, then turned to the bewildered Rebecca. 'It's our farm,' he explained. 'It was my uncle's, I used to spend a lot of my boyhood there, and I'll give you one guess where we're spending our honeymoon!'
By now Rebecca had the answer, and knew exactly what the homestead would look like. Janus had described it all that time ago, hadn't he?