by Jane Corrie
`How did you get Ella to come back?' she asked, quickly changing the subject.
Ross's eyes narrowed as he acknowledged her tactic. 'Want some leeway, do you?' he queried silkily, 'or just wanting to know what happened to Noonan?' he asked dangerously.
Vicky managed to give a light shrug of her shoulders. 'I asked about Ella,' she said coldly.
Ross subjected her to a bright blue stare. `That's just as well. We're having no more non-
sense in that direction,' he warned her.
`Noonan came back with her,' he added, and went on to tell Vicky what happened when he caught up with them. 'They hadn't got as far as I thought they would have got,' he said. 'Noonan's old crock had broken down and they were trying to hitch a lift. When things had got straightened out,' he said, giving Vicky a meaning look, 'I made them see sense. They'd nowhere to go, no prospects of a job for Noonan, only a slight chance of a job in Mildura.' He gave a grimace. 'George Waden's a hard man, and he's taken it hard, but he'll swallow his pride rather than see Ella living as a gypsy that much is for sure. When he's calmed down a bit, I'll offer Noonan a job on the station. At least they'll have a roof over their heads. I can't see George making any special provision in that line and would expect them to live at Albury with him That might work later, but not now. He's got to get used to the idea first.'
Vicky's fine eyes glowed as they met Ross's blue ones. 'Thank you for that,' she said quietly.
Ross gave a grimace. 'It's more than they deserve,' he said firmly. 'Noonan, anyway, after the hell he'd put me through these last few weeks. From the rumours that were being put around I wouldn't have been surprised if it had been you who'd skipped off with him.'
Vicky's eyes fell to the floor; she found it impossible to look at him. She sensed that he was still angry with her, but whether it was love or pride, she wasn't sure. It could have been the latter so
easily. 'And now?' she murmured in a low voice, so low that only Ross's sharp hearing caught it and the inflection in it, that said so much yet so little.
`Now,' said Ross, striding over to her with slow purpose in his stride, 'you're marrying me as soon as I can get a licence. You've had as much leeway as I'm prepared to give you,' and he jerked her into his arms, kissing her with a force that lived up to his words.
After a short interval, they took pity on the other members of the household, whose patience by now must be wearing thin as they waited for news.
Vicky heard Ross repeat what he had told her earlier about Pete Noonan and Ella's return to Albury, going over the whole of it for the others. There was no need to give their news; Ross's firm hold on her waist as she stood beside him said all that was necessary.
It was as if nothing had happened, Vicky thought wonderingly. Here was Ross as he used to be in the old days, spending an evening with them and catching up on local gossip, yet everything had happened. She had only to catch a certain look in his eyes each time he looked her way that assured her of this, and that look had never been there before.
Womanlike, she wanted to know when he had fallen in love with her, for she was certain that although he had intended to marry her, his former approach to the marriage had been anything but a romantic one. Love was overrated, was the expres-
sion he had used when she had remonstrated that their feelings for each other were not exactly compatible to marriage.
With a tact that was almost embarrassing, Mary and Jake took themselves off on various excuses, and shortly afterwards Vicky's father, after receiving a few pointed looks from Ross, finally got the message and wandered out to his study.
The minute they were alone Ross swung her into his arms again. 'You're still not sure of me, are you?' he asked her half teasingly, yet seriously.
Vicky raised her brows at this. She ought to have known Ross missed nothing where she was concerned. He had seen those slightly perplexed looks she had thrown him when she thought his attention was elsewhere. 'It's the new you,' she said after a moment's thought, and then cuddled closer to him Not that I'm complaining,' she said softly. 'It's just that it's going to take me some time to get used to it!'
`The woman's never satisfied,' he said with a twinkle in his eye. 'I guess I asked for all I got,' he added with a rueful grin. 'A mite too sure of myself, wasn't I? It took a few backhanders from you to knock me off my pedestal! I'd never felt so damned helpless in all my life when you took up with Pete—or so I thought. And I had to stand by and do nothing. As you so bluntly pointed out that day, it was your choice.' He shook his head slowly. 'There was something else you'd pointed out too. I'd never seen myself in the role of bully before, and there was some truth in what you said.'
His hand cupped her chin and made her look up at him. 'I'd got so used to thinking of you as my girl I simply didn't believe you when you said you weren't going to marry me. When it did finally sink in, I called myself all kinds of a fool for letting you off the hook. I should have gone ahead and named the day. That was my thinking before you gave me my marching orders.' His hand tightened a little as he gave her an affectionate squeeze. 'After that, I had to sit back and do some hard thinking. I realised then how much I'd taken you for granted, and a lot of other things as well,' he added slowly.
Vicky looked up at him, her eyes shining with the light that only love can give. 'I thought you only wanted to marry me because of the agreement,' she said. 'Even your lessons on flirtation didn't alter that. You showed no sign of enjoying them,' she teased him lovingly. 'You gave me no clue whatsoever.'
Ross's white teeth gleamed in a wicked grin. 'I learnt a bit myself that night,' he said. 'I found out that I loved you. I also realised that I was going to have a job convincing you that we should marry. I could have worn you down,' he added, as he traced the outline of her soft mouth with a loving finger. `I hit the jackpot at the first showing, didn't I?' he reminded her, rather cruelly to Vicky's way of thinking, but she forgave him Then his expression sobered. 'If you were shaken by the experience, so was I. I meant what I said about taking a leisurely walk down the aisle. I also knew that I was being unfair to you, taking advantage of you, if you like.
I was almost sure that you felt the same way about me as I did you, but I had to keep my distance until the penny dropped. You were too busy seeing me as the boy next door, weren't you, rather than a husband,' he added softly. 'By the way, when did the penny drop?' he asked with a twinkle in his eye.
`The same time as yours did,' Vicky replied with a grin. 'Well, perhaps not right then. Pete ' she hesitated as she felt Ross stiffen at the name. 'Oh, he behaved himself,' she added quickly, and gave him a swift sideways look. 'Well, Pete did give me a peck,' she admitted, 'before I left him that night. I hadn't expected it, and I think I was a bit shocked, but there was something else that I couldn't put my finger on until I'd given it a lot of thought. I found that I hadn't liked the kiss—I mean peck,' she amended hastily on seeing a spark in Ross's eye. 'Then I suddenly realised why I hadn't wanted him to kiss me,' she said dreamily, `and I knew then that you were the only one for me.
Ross held her away from him and looked deeply into her eyes. 'Why the devil didn't you say so, then?' he demanded.
Vicky sighed and laid her head against his strong shoulder. 'Because I thought you were in love with Ella,' she said quietly. 'Ella hadn't married, and I thought,' she looked up at him 'You used to like her, didn't you?' she added. 'And she's so lovely ' her voice trailed off.
Ross's arms enclosed her in a fierce embrace.
`That was when I was about eighteen,' he said in an amused voice. 'Ella's all right, but she's not my type. I like them soft and cuddly,' he added appreciatively as Vicky nestled up against him.
`And so,' went on Vicky, in a small voice, 'when you went after Ella and Pete, I—we—Mary and I thought that it was Ella you wanted.'
`Where does Mary come into it?' Ross asked in amusement.
`Oh, she'd guessed that I'd fallen in love with you,' Vicky explained. 'I was so anxious to avoid you, you s
ee, after I came back from Jarra. You seemed to be avoiding me,' she added accusingly.
Ross's lips roamed her forehead. 'I had to,' he said ruefully. 'You'd more or less told me to keep away from you, and that you preferred Pete,' and he gave her a little shake.
`Oh, dear, what a mess we made of things!' Vicky sighed.
`We?' queried Ross, one autocratic brow raised.
`We,' confirmed Vicky firmly. 'I know I was stupid, but it only wanted three little words from you and everything would have been fine. You only had to say, "I love you" instead of making me feel like an unwanted legacy you'd been landed with,' she accused him gently.
`Aren't you forgetting a few things?' Ross asked in a teasing manner. 'Such as being given the appropriate moment for such tender communications? I seem to recall being accused of giving you a—"bear-hug", wasn't it? Let alone the accusation of having no time for romance!'
Vicky grinned. 'And you told me to forget marriage—with you, anyway. Told me that you wanted a helpmeet and not someone
Ross's lips effectively cut off the rest of her complaint.
A little while later, he said huskily, 'Now do you see what I meant by claiming squatter's rights on you? I'm in possession, and I'm staying in possession!'
Vicky did see. She also saw that she was the happiest girl in the whole wide world!