'It's an eyesore!' Hunter observed. 'One good wind and that cottage would disappear.'
'We can't all live in mansions,' Kate replied stiffly. 'I've spent every holiday here for the twenty-six years of my life and I love every rusty nail!'
'I'm surprised your father hasn't considered selling. The land itself is worth a fortune. I should know, I paid handsomely for the property next door.'
'Dad would never sell,' she said, scoffing at the very idea. The cottage would only be knocked down and replaced with a hideous brick structure.'
'Like mine, you mean?' he enquired with a sweep of his brows.
'Something like yours,' Kate returned sweetly. Suddenly she laughed and held out one arm. There was a wild flapping of wings as the rosellas fought for position. Several perched on her arm while one landed on her outstretched finger. She offered this to Mr Hunter, but he was in no mood for the sport. Instead of accepting the offered prize he merely glanced impatiently at the gold watch on his wrist. Kate shook her arm and the birds flew down to join the others still at the pan. She sat back down on the swing and gazed expectantly up at him. He returned her openly curious gaze with a brooding darkness.
'I came to see how you were,' he answered her unspoken question.
Her eyes widened in astonishment. 'You did?'
There was a shrug of broad shoulders and Kate saw this wasn't coming easily to him.
'Yes.' Blue eyes clouded as he met and held her own. 'I might have been a trifle unfair earlier.'
'A trifle, yes,' she agreed quickly, knowing this was as close to an apology she was likely to get but enjoying it all the same. 'I accept your apology, Mr Hunter,' she added generously, thinking she might invite him to stay for a cup of coffee.
Blue eyes glittered with frosty lights. 'Don't mistake me, Miss Chalmers, I'm not apologising, I'm merely implying that I might have overreacted to Matthew's disobedience. He has been warned frequently not to go anywhere near the water without supervision.' Again, there was that mysterious grief in his eyes. He shoved his thumbs into the waistband of his jeans. 'I had a doctor examine him. There's a bit of fluid in his lungs.' His, eyes rested briefly on hers. 'Perhaps you should see a doctor yourself.'
'No, it's all right ... I feel fine,' her voice sounded strained. Mr Hunter was far more worried over his son than he was letting on, and Kate had the distinct impression he was more concerned over Matthew's emotional than physical wellbeing. The man was troubled, deeply troubled, Kate could see that. A picture of Matthew flashed before her as she remembered how utterly alone the boy had looked.
It came as a shock to realise the father was the same. Despite the tall, powerful frame, the arrogance and ruthlessness, Kate knew she was looking at a man who had given everything . . . and lost!
CHAPTER TWO
He was watching the rosellas, but Kate knew that he didn't really see them. His eyes held a haunted, faraway expression and she wondered if he even remembered he was standing in her garden or that she was sitting in the swing only inches away from him.
'Have the rosellas visited your garden yet, Mr Hunter?' Kate enquired casually, hoping to distract him from his troublesome thoughts.
He swung abruptly towards her. 'What?' He lifted his hand and dragged it roughly through his hair. 'I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound rude.' A faint smile appeared briefly on his lips. 'Was your question worth repeating?'
Kate chuckled. 'No, but it served its purpose. It brought you back from the pixies.'
'I. . . have a lot on my mind,' he muttered.
'I know,' Kate agreed sympathetically, 'but I'm sure Matthew will be all right.' Her voice was gentle, her concern for the child sincere. Hunter turned towards her. Large hazel eyes gazed up at him, her faultless skin entirely without make-up, adding an appealing softness to her natural beauty.
He nodded. 'He's on medication. The doctor will check him again tomorrow.'
'Children are remarkable creatures,' Kate said softly, wondering what it could be that was really eating at the man's heart. 'They always seem to bounce straight back.'
The man's eyes blazed down at her. 'Not always, Miss Chalmers, not always.'
'But usually,' Kate said firmly, her hands tightly gripping the ropes of the swing. Matthew's problem, and therefore his father's, ran deeper than the man was letting on. Kate knew she could hardly expect him to confide in her but his hurt seemed so raw that she felt she could feel it in her own heart. 'How about a cop of coffee?' she asked cheerfully, rising to her feet.
'No, thank you, I must be getting back. Matthew was feeling pretty miserable when I left, but I knew he was concerned about you. I think he considers you the true hero in his rescue.'
'Poor little boy,' she sighed, looking up at Mr Hunter, 'I don't think I'll ever forget the terror I saw in his eyes when he first surfaced.'
He held her eyes for a brief tortured second before he turned abruptly away. 'He'll get over it,' he muttered, almost savagely.
'I'm sure he will,' Kate said softly, placing her hand on his arm, 'but sometimes it helps to talk these things through. Matthew had a dreadful experience and he might even suffer a nightmare or two.'
The man glared down at her. 'Are you always so free with your advice, Miss Chalmers?'
Kate's eyes widened. 'Yes, when it's warranted.'
His laugh was bitter, 'Oh, to be so young and yet so wise,' he remarked sarcastically.
'Better that than old and foolish,' she returned evenly, meeting his frosty glare.
Suddenly Kate felt ashamed of herself. She didn't want to antagonise this man, she wanted to help him in whatever way she could. Perhaps she could do this by taking Matthew off his hands for a couple of hours each day. She loved children and would enjoy the company.
'I would like to visit Matthew if that—'
'No!'
Kate blinked. The ferocity of his tone completely startled her. She ran her tongue quickly over her lips, feeling the blood rush to her face.
'Very well,' she managed in a quiet tone. 'I realise he must need plenty of rest.'
'Yes,' he answered, obviously relieved that Kate found nothing unusual in his refusal to allow her to visit his son.
'But when he's feeling better,' Kate continued softly, 'perhaps then I could—'
'Are you hard of hearing, Miss Chalmers?' he snarled, 'Or just plain meddlesome? I don't want you visiting my son. I don't want you anywhere near our place. Is that clear?'
'Perfectly,' Kate said stiffly, thinking she had never met anyone as rude as the man standing in front of her.
'Good.' He took a last look around the garden, his manner indicating that he found it hard to believe anyone could tolerate such a jungle.
Kate smiled with satisfaction. She was enormously pleased that he didn't like it. When his eyes returned to her, she smiled sweetly and said, 'Plant a few trees, some shrubs and vines and you too can have a garden like this.'
He snorted. 'No, thank you very much.' He raised an inquisitive brow. 'Aren't you afraid of snakes and spiders?'
'Some snakes, some spiders. Why?'
'Because it seems to me you've created a perfect breeding place for both. There must be hundreds of the things creeping and crawling around in that bramble.'
'If I see any I'll give you a shout,' Kate returned flippantly.
His eyes hardened on her face. 'If any escape into my garden I'll call the council.'
Kate laughed. 'The council? Good heavens, Mr Hunter! If you're that terrified of the things you need only call me. I'll lure them back here.'
He wasn't amused. 'My son likes to play in the garden. When he's there I like to think he's safe and I'll go to any lengths to protect him, even if it means getting the council to force you to clear away this rubbish.'
Kate gasped at his threatening tone. On top of this he was viewing her as if she was a dangerous criminal, or at the very least, a threat to the environment.
'I'll have you know, Mr Hunter,' she said scathingly, 'that in all the years I'
ve been coming here I have not seen a single snake, and the spiders I have seen have been perfectly harmless. Furthermore, I doubt if the council would force me to get rid of my plants. None of them are poisonous, nor do their roots interfere with plumbing or drainage. They'd think you were some kind of nut if you complained to them,' she added heatedly.
He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans and scowled down at her. 'You've been warned, Miss Chalmers, I can't do more than that.'
'Oh, yes, you can!' Kate snapped angrily. 'You can mind your own business for a start.'
He straightened and sighed. 'More advice! Very well, I accept. I'll stay on my side of that rickety old fence and you stay on yours—that way we should see precious little of each other. Now, if you'll excuse me, Miss Chalmers, I must go, I've already stayed much longer than I intended.'
'I guess that's what happens when you're having a good time,' Kate said baitingly. But he ignored her taunt, brushing past her to enter the little cottage, his broad shoulders almost touching the sides of the narrow hall as he made his way through to the front door.
Kate followed him half-way down the hall, but stopped when he crossed the small verandah and down the steps to the white sand. He didn't turn round to wave goodbye, but then she didn't expect him to. 'Arrogant fool!' she muttered, her cheeks a fiery red as she fumed quietly.
During Kate's walk on the beach the next morning she came across Matthew's fishing rod which had been washed up and trapped by the huge volcanic rocks. She picked it up and wondered what she should do with it. The rod was obviously an expensive one and she felt it should be returned.
She wondered how she should go about this. Her presence wasn't wanted; Matthew's father had made that abundantly clear, but the fishing rod was like an open invitation. A grin spread slowly across her face. She had found the fishing rod, she knew it belonged to Matthew, therefore it should be returned to him.
But still she hung back. The Hunter home wasn't designed to welcome or encourage visitors. She was only too conscious of the high brick wall facing her own cottage. Also the windows were tinted, which she suspected was for added privacy, rather than to keep out sunlight.
It was well into the afternoon before Kate became impatient with herself and decided that enough was enough, and that she should return the rod post-haste. Earlier in the day she had contemplated making a batch of fudge for Matthew, but decided this would make it seem as though she had planned the visit. Better to make it look spontaneous, something unforeseen. She shrugged out of her pale blue sundress and exchanged it for a pair of shorts and halter top. She picked up the fishing rod, flung it over her shoulder and raced across the beach to the Hunter mansion. Look what I found while I was walking along the beach!
The flagstone steps leading up to the Hunter home were wide and hot under her bare feet. The structure was even more imposing than it appeared from the beach. A magnificent tiled patio stretched the whole width of the house, while gleaming white pillars supported the overhang. Kate stepped on to the cool patio shaded from the hot sun. A massive oak door loomed in front of her, its size and thickness seeming impenetrable. There was a silence so complete that Kate felt surely that no one was at home. She lifted her hand to bang the knocker and wasn't in the least surprised to see that her hand was shaking. The silence seemed to cling heavily in the air and she felt wrapped up in it. Not even the sound of a bird chirping or a bee buzzing. Kate had never known such stillness.
The door swung open so unexpectedly that she gasped. Mr Hunter stood there, his expression far from welcoming, and Kate found herself wondering what it would take to remove the chill which always seemed to be a permanent factor in those deep, almost violet blue eyes. He was immaculately dressed in pale grey slacks and open-necked navy blue silk shirt.
'Miss Chalmers,' he growled in a low voice, his eyes moving from the slightly defiant expression on her face, down to her bare feet planted firmly on his patio. 'I thought you agreed to stay away from here.'
Kate flushed at his rudeness. 'Don't worry,' she said, 'I'm not here to visit, if that's what you think.' She held out the fishing rod. 'I found this on the beach—the waves washed it up. I thought Matthew would like to have it.'
He didn't even glance at the rod she held out to him. Instead his eyes remained focused on hers. 'I guess finding the rod was as good an excuse as any to come over here,' he drawled sarcastically.
Kate's embarrassed flush gave her away. 'I considered a batch of fudge,' she said laughingly, adding quickly, 'for Matthew, of course. Somehow I don't think you're the type to have a sweet tooth!'
His eyes still held hers, causing Kate to feel oddly uncomfortable. 'Oh, and why would you think that, Miss Chalmers?'
Kate wanted to drag her eyes away, but found she couldn't. It was as if she was being hypnotised by him. 'There's just nothing sweet about you, that's all,' she answered weakly.
A sardonic smile twisted the handsome curve of his mouth. Slowly, he reached for the rod, deliberately covering her hand with his, while his eyes remained fixed on her face.
She gasped, jerking her hand away so quickly that the rod almost fell. Hunter grabbed it and placed it against the wall of the house. His eyes were gleaming when he turned back to her.
'Is there something wrong, Miss Chalmers?' he asked wickedly. 'You don't seem nearly so confident today as you did yesterday.'
'N-No,' Kate stammered, rubbing her hand as she stared down at it. Her eyes swept up to his and 'I ... I . . .' she swallowed hard. 'Would you please tell Matthew that I was here, and that I hope he's feeling much better?'
'I'll pass on the message,' Mr Hunter agreed. 'Anything else?'
Kate shook her head. 'No, no,' she stammered helplessly, wishing he wouldn't look at her in that manner. It was almost as though he was deliberately trying to unnerve her. If this was his aim he was certainly being successful. Kate could hardly believe the effect he was having on her nervous system.
Hunter picked up the rod and examined it. 'It's a pity you wasted your time returning this/ he drawled. 'The reel's missing.' He placed it against the wall and stared at it thoughtfully. 'It's really quite useless.'
'Yes, I noticed the reel was missing,' Kate acknowledged, feeling her strength returning now that he was no longer staring at her, 'but it looked such an expensive fishing rod that I felt the reel could be replaced.'
'Is that what you thought?' he asked softly, once more turning to pin her with those incredible blue eyes.
'Y-yes,' Kate whispered, feeling her knees growing weak again. Damn the man! she thought, as she fought for her usual calm composure. He's deliberately doing this to me, trying to make a fool of me, hypnotising me with his charm and his virility. At these unexpected thoughts, Kate's complexion burned a fiery red. Even her scalp felt as though it was on fire.
'Matthew's fishing days are over, I'm afraid,' Mr Hunter said calmly. 'I'll put this somewhere out of his reach and when he's older, perhaps then I'll give it to him and have the reel replaced.' He smiled charmingly down at Kate. 'You've done your good deed for the day, now be a good girl and run along home.' Leaving nothing to chance, he placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her towards the steps. 'Go!' he commanded roughly.
Kate went, nursing her injured pride. Never before in her whole life had she suffered such humiliation! At any other time she would have paused and reflected on the almost stunning beauty that stretched in front of her. Golden sands sweeping down to the sparkling blue waters under a cloudless blue sky, while coconut palms rustled gently in the faint sea breezes. Under her feet, purple flowers marched smartly across the dunes, their glossy green leaves vibrant atop the bleached sands.
She turned and looked back at the house, almost expecting to see Mr Hunter watching her from the patio, a gloating, triumphant expression on his handsome face. But the patio was quite deserted and she breathed a sigh of relief. She was about to turn away when something made her look up to an upstairs window. She could plainly see the small figure of a
child. Matthew was watching her, his elbows perched on the window-sill, his small chin tucked in his hands. Kate smiled and waved. The child didn't budge, although his solemn blue eyes followed her every inch of the way back to her cottage.
Try as she might, Kate couldn't stop thinking about the intriguing dark stranger and his lonely little son who had suddenly become her neighbours. She was desperate to learn everything there was to know about them, but from whom? Certainly not from Mr Hunter, that was for sure, and she almost smiled at the mere thought. Little Matthew was out of the question. She couldn't very well quiz a small child, even if she did manage to break through the protective wall his father had obviously built around him.
Kate didn't have to wait long. Her source of information arrived unexpectedly that same evening. She was in the kitchen washing up after tea when Mrs Abbott, a woman Kate had known meet of her life, appeared on her doorstep. The elderly woman looked tired and worried. Kate was amazed to see her dressed in a white maid's uniform. Kate quickly dried her hands on a tea towel before putting her arms around the woman and giving her a big hug.
'Come in, come in,' she said cheerfully, steering Mrs Abbott to one of the kitchen chairs, 'how lovely to see you! I've been meaning to drive out to the farm, but things have been rather hectic here.'
Mrs Abbott sighed and nodded. 'Yes, I know,' she agreed wearily, 'and that's why I'm here.' She leaned forward in her chair. 'Oh, Kate darling!' she exclaimed, 'how well you look! I've seen you walking along the beach and I've been dying to talk to you, but this is the first chance I've had.'
Kate frowned and sat down at the table. 'You've seen me walking along the beach? But how?'
'I'm working for Mr Hunter.'
'You're what?'
'I'm working for Mr Hunter, Mr Gerard Hunter,' Mrs Abbott repeated, smiling at Kate's astonishment.
'But I thought you'd retired. Only last year you said you were too old to do housekeeping any longer. You said you were going to relax and enjoy your farm.'
Time to Trust Page 2