Tasmanian Tangle

by Jane Corrie

  As she signed the letter and addressed it, she found herself shaking her head in silent disagreement with her previous thoughts. Lloyd had loved her mother, and was not the type to seek consolation in that very private area of his life. He had been forty-five when he had met Drusilla Hume, and from all accounts, a determined bachelor. Tanya's lovely mother had changed all that—or would have done, she thought unhappily, if fate had deemed otherwise. There would be no second-best for a man like Lloyd Warren.

  The rest of the day she spent in pure idleness, listening to Connie's cheerful conversation and lending a hand in the kitchen by preparing the vegetables for the evening meal.

  For once, Connie made no protest, sensing her need to keep herself busy, but when she casually commented to Tanya that they ought to ask Kade over to dinner one evening and received a non-committal reply from Tanya, she did not pursue the subject.

  Connie saw things the same way as Kade, Tanya thought as she shelled the peas. They were both determined that she should eventually settle down and were willing to ease up on certain matters to ensure this conclusion. That was what Kade had meant when he had said that he had taken more from her than from any other woman. Seeing that he had taken more

  liberties with her than any other man would have dared, Tanya felt that they were even.

  The following morning she presented herself for duty sharp at nine. She had now reached the stage of wishing for a quiet existence. She was tired of emotionalism and the vagaries of Kade's moody presence, and knew that however hard she tried to remain calm and collected, she would be inwardly quaking and on edge, waiting for the next confrontation between them.

  His abrupt and rather curt, 'Good, now we can get an early start', remark as he opened the door to her did nothing to ease her anxiety. He had sounded businesslike, probably to ease her fears, but she wasn't going to be taken in by that, and her wary grey-green eyes said so as they met his cool blue ones.

  As the morning wore on, however, Tanya received a pleasant surprise. For the first time since that traumatic confrontation in his office, Kade had treated her much as he had done before a few home truths had been aired between them. He was polite, but not overly so, and rather distant in manner, and keen on getting the work in hand over within the shortest possible time.

  While she sat beside him looking at various forms to be filled in, and listening to his instructions as to how they should be dealt with, she found herself wondering what had brought about this swift change of tactics, if it was a tactic.

  Was it possible, she asked herself, that he too had had enough and like herself now sought a more peaceful existence? There was his age to consider, too. At this thought Tanya couldn't help smiling. It was as well he couldn't read her thoughts, or the truce that

  appeared to have been called between them would no longer exist!

  When she caught Kade's steely eye upon her she instantly regretted her lapse into levity and gave the work her studious attention. The look in Kade's eye gave her a nasty feeling that he had some inkling of her thoughts, but whether this was so or not, he did not bring her to task about her lack of concentration, and for this she was very grateful.

  They were on the point of finishing the paper work when the telephone rang and with a frown Kade answered it with a curt, 'Yes?'

  Tanya watched as he stared ahead of him as he listened to whoever it was that was talking to him. She noticed how the dark hairs on his wrist overlapped his gold watch strap and ran partially along his strong lean hand gripping the receiver. Her gaze then travelled to his strong features and rested on those firm lips of his. Once upon a time she had had daydreams about those strong lips, and how wonderful it would be to feel them pressing on hers. She swallowed quickly. How long ago that was! Little had she known then that her dreams would come true, but not quite in the way that she had anticipated or wanted.

  'Do you know a Lloyd Warren?' Kade suddenly asked her, breaking into her reverie.

  Tanya blinked. 'Yes,' she replied in surprise, then gave herself a mental shake. 'Is he on the line?' she asked, and held her hand out for the receiver.

  Kade ignored her outstretched hand. 'Send him over, will you, Linda?' he ordered, and put the receiver down.

  Tanya stared at Kade. 'He's here?' she asked, as if unable to believe it.

  Kade nodded. 'Turned up at the offices asking for you. He's on his way over here.'

  'I'll go and meet him,' exclaimed Tanya, with a spark of happy anticipation in her eyes. It would be good to see Lloyd again. If she had only known he was on his way she needn't have written that letter.

  Her anticipation was somewhat dampened by the fact that Kade had followed her to the door, and she felt an irrational impulse to keep him from meeting Lloyd. Her feelings were irrational, because Lloyd was a match for Kade any day, and there was no reason for her to be afraid that Kade would influence him into his way of thinking where Tanya's future was concerned. Nevertheless, the fear persisted in her thoughts, and she flung Kade a look of indignation that he chose to ignore.

  The sight of the tall bronzed American as he walked towards them very nearly caused her to break down, but she bit hard on her lower lip to prevent the tears she could feel pricking at the back of her lids from escaping. A show of emotionalism was the last thing either of them would have wanted at that time.

  A second later her hand was held in his large one, and being heartily shaken. Then he stood back from her and gave her a critical look. 'A mite thinner, maybe,' he summed up in his soft drawl, 'but still my favourite girl.'

  Tanya gulped. He had always called her that, and memories like that did not help at that particular time. 'You look fine,' she answered quickly, recalling the last time she had seen him when grief had ravaged

  his rugged features. For here was the man she had known before, a man of strength and certainty. Only in his eyes could she still detect the effects of the past. Once they had twinkled with quiet humour, now they smiled at her in lazy tolerance, but it was not the same somehow.

  Lloyd then gave his attention to Kade who stood behind Tanya silently watching the meeting, and Tanya was forced to introduce them to each other. 'This is Mr Player, Lloyd,' she began, and then hesitated as she realised that she would have to explain Kade's position in the firm and this was not going to be easy. 'He was Father's partner,' she added quickly, hoping that that would clarify things.

  'Manager,' drawled Kade unhelpfully, as he took the hand offered to him by Lloyd. 'And now part owner,' he added slowly, giving Tanya a look that defied her to refute this salient fact.

  Tanya was not going to be coerced into playing that game. She knew very well that Kade was trying to give the impression that she was the main partner, deliberately playing down the fact that he owned most of the business and she was not much more than a shareholder. `Kade, this is Lloyd Warren. You'll remember I told you about him,' she went on firmly, refusing to allow the glint in Kade's eye to deter her. She looked back at Lloyd. 'And don't listen to him, Lloyd, when he says he's part owner.' She looked back at Kade now watching her with narrowed eyes. `Kade is Orchard Farm. Father couldn't have managed without him, neither could I,' she added significantly, quite determined to be fair about it. 'He put a lot of capital into the farm, and owns the lion's share.'

  She was quite pleased with herself after this clarification. It was the truth, and had successfully scotched Kade's attempt at clouding the issue by making out that she was indispensable.

  Having, as she had thought, asserted herself, and shown that she intended to run things her way from now on, where Lloyd was concerned anyway, she was furious at Kade's authoritative-sounding, 'Where are you staying? I presume this is not just a flying visit.'

  Lloyd grinned. 'Well, no,' he drawled. 'I was kinda hoping someone would put me right there. I came through Hobart, but it's a fair distance from here ..

  Tanya broke in hastily with, 'You must stay with me, Lloyd, I won't hear of you putting up in an hotel, and we've plenty of ro
om,' she added happily.

  Kade looked distinctly annoyed at this, and again Tanya sensed the protector attitude coming out. As if Lloyd was any threat to her! she thought crossly.

  'Better if he puts up here,' Kade said mildly but firmly, totally ignoring Tanya's glare at this cool intervention, and went on, 'We're within walking distance of the house, and I dare say Connie will do us the honours for the evening meal. That's if you're agreeable?' he asked Lloyd, not really giving him a chance of refusing, thought Tanya, fuming.

  'Why, that's fine by me,' replied Lloyd, in happy ignorance of the sparks flying from Tanya's eyes towards Kade.

  It was then decided that Lloyd's luggage should be collected from the offices where he had left it, having hired a taxi to take him out to Orchard Farm.

  As Tanya listened to Kade offering Lloyd the use of a Land Rover during his stay, after Lloyd had men-

  tioned the possibility of hiring a car, she found it hard to stop herself from shouting out that Lloyd was her visitor, and would Kade Player please get lost. She then remembered the convention he was supposed to be attending. 'Isn't it time you left, Kade?' she asked sweetly, then found herself flushing under his sardonic gaze.

  'I suppose it is,' he drawled, 'but I'll see Lloyd settled in first. You can have your little chat with him later, but first things first.'

  Only Tanya knew what he meant. She would have plenty of time in which to air her grievances to Lloyd, that was what he was saying to her, and her small chin went up in acknowledgement of this subtle thrust.

  Having succeeded in making her feel like a ten year-old child eager to seek consolation for past injustices imposed on her by her harsh tutor, Kade took Lloyd on a tour of his quarters, leaving Tanya to cool her heels in the small study where they had been working. Her temper could have done with a little cooling too, and she was much too incensed to realise that Lloyd's arrival could prove to be a heavensent opportunity for her.

  However, when her temper had cooled, and she was able to think a little more rationally, she was able to appreciate this fact. She not only appreciated it but revelled in it! Her moody grey-green eyes now held a spark of anticipation in them and she was able to meet Kade's narrowed gaze with a limpid look of guileless innocence that quite took his mind off whatever he had been telling Lloyd when they returned to join her.

  His casual 'See you at dinner,' as Tanya and Lloyd

  left the chalet, brought on a relapse where Tanya's temper was concerned. He meant to spend the evening with them, that much was clear—and every evening, if she knew Kade. He was not likely to miss the chance of spiking her guns and ramming home the fact that she belonged at Orchard Farm. It didn't matter to him whether she was happy or not. He had an obligation to fulfil where she was concerned and meant to carry it out.

  Lloyd's comment of, 'That's a nice guy, Tanya,' as they walked towards Orchard House, was not exactly soothing to her ruffled feelings, but she managed to give a placid, 'Yes,' in reply. Kade was a nice guy providing you didn't oppose his wishes, she thought ironically, and the day might come when Lloyd found this out for himself.

  'You said Kade was your father's partner,' Lloyd said as they neared the house. 'Does that mean that your father's now retired?' he asked.

  Tanya gave a start. He didn't know that her father had died, and it was her fault for not writing and telling him. She told him what had happened, and apologised for not writing before. 'There's a letter in the post for you,' she said, 'but of course you won't get it now until you get back.'

  Lloyd's arm came around her slim shoulders in a sympathetic gesture. 'That was a rotten homecoming for you,' he said quietly. 'I only wish I'd known before. I guess you could have done with some help then.' He was silent for a few seconds as they walked round to the back quarters of the house. 'I guess Kade's presence helped, though,' he said half to himself. 'I'm kinda glad he was around.'

  Tanya's soft lips damped together tightly. Little did he know just how much help she had received from Kade at that time, or the reason behind his lack of understanding. He was never to know that, she thought sadly. Losing the only woman he had ever loved was bad enough, without adding the unhappiness of the past to his knowledge.

  If it ever came out, and heaven forbid that it did, Lloyd would have an entirely different outlook where Kade was concerned. As Kade had said bitterly, her father could never be sure that he hadn't encouraged her mother to make a fool of herself over him. She knew that Lloyd's feelings would be exactly the same, and jealousy alone would colour his judgment whether it was true or not.

  As Tanya had surmised, Connie was in the kitchen preparing Tanya's lunch as she knew she was finishing early, and the introductions were duly carried out. When Tanya told Connie that Lloyd would be staying with Kade but that they would be having dinner there each evening, Connie's normally placid expression broke into a smile of satisfaction. As she told Lloyd with a note of happy anticipation in her voice, 'Don't get many visitors these days, and not much chance of doing some fancy cooking.'

  'What she means is,' said Tanya with a smile of toleration in her eyes as she looked at Connie, 'that I'm not much of a gourmet where food's concerned, and now she can show off her culinary talent.'

  'Oh, go along with you!' exclaimed Connie with a faraway look in her eye, already planning the evening meal in her mind. `Kade doesn't like it too late,' she muttered, 'so we'll make it seven-thirty:

  It was infuriating, thought Tanya, how even the mealtimes had to be fixed to accommodate Kade. 'I hope that's all right with you?' she asked Lloyd in an attempt to show Connie that Lloyd was the guest, not Kade.

  'That suits me fine,' replied Lloyd, favouring Connie with a wide grin. 'My views are the same as Kade's. I guess, like me, he sometimes likes to catch up on his paper work in the evenings, and late dinners knock a hole in the evening.'

  If Lloyd had been out to please Connie, he couldn't have chosen a better way than to agree with Kade's views, and Connie's answering smile proved this. Tanya knew that she would have her work cut out to put a dent in Kade's popularity stakes. She looked at Connie, now ascertaining Lloyd's likes and dislikes in the food line, and discovering he possessed no particular fads, he went up in Connie's esteem and joined Kade on that high pedestal that up until now she had reserved for Kade alone.

  As there were now two for lunch, Connie asked Tanya if she would take Lloyd through to the lounge and provide him with a sherry while she laid the table in the dining room for their lunch.

  Connie was definitely impressed by Lloyd, Tanya mused, as she carried out her orders, for usually she ate her meals with Connie in the kitchen, the dining room being reserved for evening meals only when company was expected.

  It wasn't only the fact that Lloyd had expressed his approval of Kade's views. It was more than that, she thought, as she handed Lloyd a glass of sherry. Anyone could have expressed the same sentiments, but

  Connie was not so easily impressed. Tanya had noted the way her sharp eyes had done their own summing up of the tall American, and knew that he came out on the credit side of Connie's theoretical balance sheet.

  'I suppose I ought to have let you know I was coming,' he began apologetically as Tanya picked up her glass of sherry and sat down beside him on the chaiselongue. 'There wasn't all that time, though,' he went on. 'I just made up my mind on the spur of the moment, and here I am.'

  Tanya smiled at him. 'I should have written,' she said. 'It's odd, really. To think I was writing to you only yesterday, and here you are! And I'm so pleased to see you, Lloyd,' she said mistily. 'I'm only hoping you can stay long enough for me to show you around.. I'm sure Kade will understand if I take a vacation,' she added, privately thinking that he couldn't very well refuse her request. The only snag being that he might take it upon himself to do the 'showing around', even though it was Tanya that Lloyd had come to visit.

  'I guess I can spare a few weeks,' he replied with that same tolerant smile that somehow hurt her because she remembered how it
was before. Then he was serious again. 'Of course I'm staying,' he said firmly. 'I want to find out how things are with you. From what I've learnt so far, the situation has changed from what you expected to find when you returned home.'

  Tanya sipped her sherry slowly. She knew she had to be very careful here. Whatever she told Lloyd might inadvertently be passed on to Kade, for Lloyd was going to see a lot of Kade in the next few weeks. Kade was never slow on the uptake and it wouldn't be long

  before he gave Lloyd his version of the differences between them. She could almost hear him saying to Lloyd, 'She needs time to settle down, so don't encourage her to move on,'—or words to that effect, she thought shrewdly, and Lloyd would listen to Kade, and her chance would be lost.

  Her slim forefinger tapped the rim of her glass as she replied slowly, 'That's true enough. But remember that I didn't have much to do with the business side of the firm before. Father always dropped that end of affairs whenever I visited. It's only recently that I've been given an insight into that side of it.' She gave Lloyd a wry smile. 'I don't really know what I expected when I returned. The fact that Father—' she gave a light sigh. 'Well, one never expects that sort of thing, and of course it threw me. Kade,' she said carefully, 'tried to help by throwing me into the business, but the bald fact that it's his business now and not mine makes me feel an encumbrance on his goodwill.' She swallowed here. Goodwill was hardly the word, but she was determined not to give Kade any cause to fight her on this point.

  'There's also the fact that he promised my father that he would watch out for me, and he's got a bit of a thing about it.' She gave a light shrug. 'Oh, he means well, I know, but it still makes me feel a bit awkward about things. But I suppose it will all settle down,' she ended lamely, realising a little too late that in spite of her determination to give Lloyd the chance of backing out of his offer to give her a home, she had done exactly the opposite, and he must now feel compelled to honour his pledge.