Hugh Drummond’s smile was warm. ‘Hello, Alice. I’m very pleased to meet you.’
‘Yes, it’s lovely to meet you.’
‘Jackie’s thrilled with the mirror,’ Hugh added as they shook hands.
‘That’s great.’
‘I – er – ran into Alice in Mareeba,’ Seth said. ‘We got chatting and . . .’ He gave a shrug, and left the sentence unfinished.
Alice hoped her surprise didn’t show. She’d assumed Seth’s parents would have known about Joanna’s visit.
‘I’m sorry I’ve intruded.’ Hugh was already diplomatically retreating to the open door. ‘I’ll be off.’ He gave Alice a quick smiling wave. ‘Catch up with you in the morning, Seth.’
‘Yeah, okay. I’ll be taking another look at that bore at Big Bend. I think the pump’s still playing up.’
His father nodded. ‘I was meaning to speak to you about that.’
‘Pum-pa!’ Charlie cried again, clearly disappointed to see his grandfather leaving so soon.
Hugh gave his grandson a wave. ‘See you in the morning, too, Bruiser.’
Then he disappeared.
Now it was Seth’s turn to look apologetic as his father left. ‘I wasn’t expecting that. I know you’re trying to stay under the radar. Mind you,’ he added with a smile, ‘it’s almost impossible when you live in a country town.’
‘I’ll cope,’ Alice said. She was actually surprised by how unfazed she felt. Some of Seth’s cool must have rubbed off on her. ‘How do you want to serve Charlie’s egg?’
Seth grinned, clearly relieved. ‘There’s a plastic Humpty Dumpty dish in the cupboard next to the sink. I’ll just throw his pyjamas on, and we’ll be back in two ticks.’
He was as good as his word. In no time Charlie was dressed and in his high chair, seriously concentrating as he scooped the scrambled egg and steered it precariously towards his little mouth.
‘I should probably save his bath till after his dinner, now that he’s feeding himself,’ Seth said. ‘He ends up in such a mess, but I’ve got this bedtime routine happening that seems to work.’
‘If it works, I guess you should probably stick to it. Not that I’m an expert. I know next to nothing about little kids.’
‘I suppose I shouldn’t get too hung up on routine.’ Seth shrugged. ‘We’ll work something out.’
‘You’re wonderfully relaxed with him.’
‘He’s broken me in.’ Seth chuckled. ‘You should have seen me at first. Scared shitless.’
‘I don’t doubt it. How on earth did you manage at the start?
Seth shot her a boyish grin. ‘I’ve nursed a baby wallaby and plenty of orphaned calves, getting up to feed them at all hours, so I had a vague idea. And there’s all kinds of info on the internet.’
‘I’m not sure I could have done it.’
But Seth, having no idea how seriously she meant this, merely waved her comment aside. ‘Course you could. Anyway, it comes naturally to sheilas, doesn’t it?’
Fortunately, he grinned, as if he didn’t expect her to answer this, and as Charlie munched on a finger of Vegemite toast, Seth went to the fridge. He held up a beer. ‘Like a cold one?’
Alice shook her head. ‘I’m okay, thanks. I had a tonic water.’
‘Hell, I guess you prefer wine. I should have stopped at the bottle shop.’
‘It’s okay, Seth. Honestly. You have plenty of tonic water and I love it, and I still have to drive home tonight.’
The flash of disappointment in his eyes surprised her. Had he expected her to stay?
He was probably quite at ease about having a girl sleep over within sight of his parents’ place, but for Alice it was too much like announcing they were ‘serious’.
‘Your father doesn’t know about Joanna and Nigel,’ she said, needing to change the subject. ‘Didn’t you tell your parents?’
Seth shook his head. ‘I thought about it, but I knew they’d want to rally around me. Show their support. They probably would have expected to come along to the meeting today.’
‘You don’t want their support?’ As a girl without a family, she found this surprising.
‘I knew it would freak Joanna. That’s why she wanted to meet in town and not out here. Anyway, it’s my problem, not theirs. And Mum’s got enough on her plate at the moment with this party for Dad. She’s running around like a headless chook. Invited half the district.’ He sent Alice a lopsided grin. ‘You watch. You’ll probably get an invite tomorrow.’
A reaction somewhere between alarm and pleasure rippled through her. ‘Would you want me to come?’
He didn’t hesitate. ‘Of course.’
Dinner was as delicious as Seth had promised.
While he put Charlie to bed, Alice peeled sweet potato, then drizzled it with olive oil, sprinkled it with salt and pepper and wrapped it in foil before popping it in the oven.
She found fresh beans in the fridge and prepared them for steaming with a dab of butter, and by the time this was done, Seth had reappeared without Charlie.
‘Fingers crossed,’ he whispered.
He nodded towards the deck, and they took their drinks outside and sat on the deck’s edge, watching as the dusk deepened the shadows between the white-trunked gums along the creek bank, and the evening star appeared.
It was very quiet and peaceful, with no sound from Charlie, and only the occasional distant bird call. Alice thought how comfortable and happy she was. Here. In this setting. With this man.
She searched her memory, trying to recall a time when she’d felt this same pleasant mix of calmness and excitement, and she knew this evening’s happiness was different from anything she’d felt before. Deeper. Sweeter. So close to perfect it was scary.
As darkness fell, they went back inside. Seth had dipped their steaks in a mix of Worcestershire sauce and mustard and now, while he seared the meat and then finished it off on the small barbecue on his deck, Alice set the beans to steam. They ate outside by candlelight, with Ralph sprawled at their feet.
It was wonderfully quiet, with only a background buzz of insects. Alice encouraged Seth to tell her more about his life here on Ruthven Downs, and he told her about his dream to breed stud bulls.
‘I can’t really interest Dad in my breeding schemes, though.’ He looked frustrated as he told her this. ‘But I reckon the market is ripe. Buyers are getting really picky and there’s a strong interest in really top-quality bulls.’
‘I take it you don’t mean buyers like me choosing beef at the butcher’s?’
‘Well, yes, you’re important too.’ He smiled across the table, his blue eyes sparkling. ‘And now you’ve eaten this beef, you’ll be much more choosy.’
‘I believe I shall be,’ Alice rejoined with a sparkling smile of her own. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever eaten steak quite so delicious.’
‘But if I had a cattle stud,’ Seth continued more earnestly, ‘I’d be selling to other cattlemen who were looking to buy bulls with a high breeding value. The local beef producers want cattle bred in the north that have already adapted to our conditions – ticks and buffalo fly and the tropical heat.’
Alice could see this was something that really mattered to Seth, and she was surprised by her own flare of interest. There was something extra-attractive about a guy with ambitions.
‘So I guess you’re looking forward to when your father retires and you can do your own thing,’ she suggested carefully. ‘Is that likely to happen any time soon?’
‘Mum’s busily planning his retirement for him.’ Seth smiled. ‘I reckon she’d get Dad back to Europe in a flash if she could, but I’m not sure that he’s actually ready to let go of the reins.’
Perhaps he’s waiting for you to get married, Alice thought, and then she hastily switched her thoughts elsewhere. Anywhere . . .
‘Anyway . . .’ Seth reached across the table and briefly touched the back of her hand.
So ridiculous the way a simple brush of his fingers could set
off hot flashes all over her skin.
‘There’s no hurry,’ he said softly.
She supposed he meant there was no hurry to get the cattle business sorted, but already her mind was rushing on a completely different tangent and she was thinking about his rather marvellous, unhurried lovemaking skills.
Perhaps it was just as well that a large moth chose that same moment to dive-bomb their candle flame, snuffing it out.
‘A kamikaze moth,’ Seth said quietly and, without a hint of flirtatiousness, he rose and began to gather up their plates.
Alice followed him inside.
‘Your veggies were great,’ she said as he put the dishes in the sink. ‘I’ll have to remember to bake the sweet potato in foil.’
She smiled and stood a little awkwardly in the middle of his living room, looking around as she tried to remember where she’d left her phone and car keys.
‘Coffee?’ Seth asked. ‘To keep you alert for the trip home?’
Alice was sure she should leave now, before she had more errant thoughts about staying. And yet, she nodded. ‘Yes, coffee’s a good idea.’
‘Plunger? Instant? I don’t have a fancy machine.’
‘Instant’s fine.’
Crazily, she found herself watching his every move as he filled the kettle, selected mugs, spooned in coffee. His hands were big, squarish and tanned. Outdoor hands. And she was helplessly fascinated by the sight of them performing simple kitchen tasks.
‘Do you take sugar?’
Alice blinked. ‘Sugar? Um – no – thanks.’
Seth’s smile was quizzical and she hoped he couldn’t guess that her thoughts had taken off again.
There were only two armchairs, beautiful old, upholstered things, with carved silky-oak arms and cane inserts in the sides. They took a chair each and Alice told herself she was grateful there wasn’t a sofa.
She sat rather demurely sipping her coffee, while Seth sprawled, legs comfortably apart. They talked about safe topics like Burralea, and the people she’d met. Tammy, Ben in the pie shop, Brad Woods and his wife. Her customers. They discussed the possibility of a walk together with Charlie, following the rainforest track around one of the lakes. Some time.
They didn’t talk about taking Charlie to England. Well, of course they wouldn’t.
Alice finished her coffee and rose, holding out her hand for Seth’s mug.
‘Thanks.’
She set his empty mug with hers on top of the plates in the sink. ‘I can stack the dishwasher.’
‘Don’t you dare.’ Seth was still in the armchair, supposedly relaxed, but the guarded watchfulness in his eyes couldn’t quite hide the smoulder of desire.
He wanted her.
A thousand tiny wings fluttered in Alice’s chest. He wanted her. She didn’t want to leave. She spied her keys and phone beside the fruit bowl on the kitchen counter. ‘I’d better get going,’ she said, but she made no move.
Seth smiled a little sadly.
She felt a little pang.
Go, Alice. Get out of here. You’re not right for him.
As her hand closed around the car keys, he said, ‘All week I’ve been checking your photo on my phone, to make sure I didn’t just dream how lovely you are.’
She felt suddenly as fragile as a soap bubble, pretty and shiny, suspended in the moment before vanishing into thin air. In the next heartbeat, she was crossing the room to him. Another beat and she was astride his thighs.
She saw the surprise in his eyes and knew it was the same surprise reflected in her own. She’d never done anything remotely this brazen before, not even at a drunken party, and now she was stone-cold sober. Her heart was thundering as she felt his solid denim-covered thighs beneath her. He lifted a hand to a curling tendril of hair, let his fingers trace a shiver-sweet trail down her cheek to her chin. At last, he leaned in and by the time his lips touched hers, she was already lost to reason and common sense.
To her relief, he didn’t ask if she’d changed her mind about leaving. He knew her answer and he rose from the chair, bringing her with him, her legs locked around his waist, his strong arms wrapped around her. And he didn’t stop kissing her lips, her jaw, her throat, as he carried her down the short hallway.
The lights in the homestead were out when Alice left around midnight. At least there were no barking dogs and she prayed that the sweeping arc of her headlights didn’t reach the window where Seth’s parents slept.
As she made her bumpy way down the track, moonlight painted the paddocks bright silver. She saw the distant silhouette of a row of huge pine trees. Closer, she saw owls with big white faces perched on fence posts, no doubt on the lookout for mice. She saw the moon hanging in the sky like a shiny metal plate, and she thought how special it was to see all these secret midnight things. So different from driving home in the city.
For half an hour or so, she drove happily, wrapped in the warm afterglow of making love with Seth. It was only as she turned onto a back road that skirted the little village of Tolga that she came back to earth and remembered how foolish she’d been.
She’d let the day’s success go to her head, and somewhere in the mix, she must have convinced herself that she could handle a relationship with Seth, and with his son. But of course, caring for Charlie had been easy today with Seth there to back her up every step of the way.
In reality, she’d done little more than push the boy on a swing and scramble an egg. She hadn’t actually fed him or bathed him or read him a story. She hadn’t even been required to change his nappy. Joanna had happily taken care of that.
And yet, if she continued to see Seth on a regular basis, the day would surely come when she would have to mind Charlie on her own.
Then she would panic.
Just thinking about it brought hot flurries of terror now, so much so that she forgot to dip her headlights from high beam, causing the driver of the truck coming towards her to flash his bright lights in her eyes and give a loud blast of his horn.
Alice jumped and almost swerved off the road into a ditch. Her heart raced and her palms were damp as she drove on, super-carefully.
She was still on edge when she reached home, and she took ages to get to sleep. When she did, she dreamed about Charlie, but somehow he became Humpty Dumpty and he fell off a wall and the doctors couldn’t save him. She woke at dawn in a cold sweat.
22
Jackie was up early, pottering in the garden, pulling a few weeds and doing a little pruning before it got too hot. She loved the cool quiet of the mornings with only the bird calls for company. She noticed a couple of pot plants that needed watering and attended to them, filling a watering can from the side tap.
By the time she’d pulled off her gardening gloves and stowed them with her secateurs on a shelf in the laundry, Seth and Charlie were in the kitchen. Seth was accepting Hugh’s offer of coffee, and pouring Charlie a tumbler of milk.
Jackie beamed at them. She’d been thrilled last night when Hugh had come home to report that Alice Miller was in Seth’s kitchen, scrambling an egg for Charlie, no less. However, she refrained from mentioning this immediately. ‘Dad says that bore pump’s still playing up,’ she said instead.
‘Yeah. I’m going to take another look at it.’ Seth touched his coffee mug to his father’s. ‘Cheers, Dad. Might need you to cast your expert eye over it.’
Hugh grinned. He’d always been better with mechanical issues than Seth. ‘Yeah, that’s okay, son, but I might get you to do something for me.’
‘What’s that?’
‘Bring that nice girl of yours along to my party to brighten the place up a bit.’
‘Yeah, sure.’ Seth concentrated on setting his mug on the table and helping himself to a little extra sugar.
Jackie remembered that Seth had been guarded and offhand when she’d previously raised the subject of Alice. She was sure it meant he cared, and he didn’t want his family stuffing things up for him.
As Seth finished stirring his coffee
he sent her a sharp, searching glance. ‘Have you managed to take another look at those things Alice found behind the mirror, Mum?’
Jackie felt a flash of sharp panic. She’d been meaning to warn Seth against raising this subject.
‘What things?’ asked Hugh.
Seth shrugged. ‘Some sort of diary that Gran kept during the war.’
‘Excuse me? A diary? My mother kept a diary?’ Hugh frowned as he turned from his son to his wife. ‘Did you know about this, Jackie?’
Jackie wished she could disappear. Sink through the floorboards, go up in smoke, or at the very least, faint like a heroine in an old-fashioned romance novel. Instead, the floorboards stayed solidly beneath her and she remained inconveniently upright, while her husband and son stared at her. Waiting for her answer.
What could she say? She couldn’t tell Hugh everything. Not now, in front of Seth. Her heart hammered so loudly it seemed to be banging in her ears.
‘I – I’ve only glanced at it,’ she said, avoiding Hugh’s puzzled frown.
‘But – you’ve found a diary of my mother’s?’
‘Alice found it,’ Jackie corrected. She knew she was splitting hairs, but she was fighting for time, trying to think. ‘Alice found it when she re-silvered the sideboard mirror. But it’s not a proper diary, just a few pages of notes.’
‘So? Why didn’t you tell me about it?’
‘I’m sorry. I’ve been distracted. You know – with the party and everything.’ This was almost true.
Hugh didn’t look the slightest bit convinced. ‘You obviously had time to tell Seth.’
‘No. Alice told Seth – when she brought the envelope out here –’ Jackie stopped, knowing she was digging a deeper and deeper hole for herself.
Hugh had set his mug on the kitchen table, as if he’d lost all interest in drinking it, and he stood facing Jackie squarely with his arms crossed over his chest. His expression was uncharacteristically wary and watchful, his eyes narrowed.
Jackie could tell that he was thinking hard, trying to work out why she might keep such a significant find to herself.
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