by Anne Hampson
‘Wonder why he should have business at the bank?’ said Dena musingly after he had gone some distance up the road.
‘Is his business at the bank?’ Loren was not particularly interested and she glanced round eagerly, noting the dusty street and the low straggling shops and stores which seemed to sell everything one could ask for.
‘He mentioned business at the bank - before you came down to breakfast. Could be something to do with Felicity. Oh, well, we shall see, and quite soon, for if he doesn’ t announce his engagement tonight then I don’t think he will do so at all.’
‘How have you reached that conclusion?’ Loren looked curiously at her, noting that the dejection which had hung upon her on first hearing of the trouble Cooper had caused had completely disappeared, and once again Loren dwelt on the probability that Dena was no longer interested in Thane.
‘He’s not in love with Felicity, so if he marries her it’ll be, as I implied, merely to best Gran Amelia. So it’s feasible that he’ll do it quickly. If he doesn’t it means that he’s not going to do it at all. Logical, don’t you agree?’ Loren nodded, trying not to allow her dejection to overwhelm her and ruin her pleasure in coming into town. She had plenty of money to spend and there was a lot she wanted to buy.
‘I expect you’re right, Dena ... but I still can’t see Thane doing anything foolish, just to get one up on Gran Amelia.’ ‘There’s the estate,’ murmured Dena. “You seem to be forgetting that. Felicity’s a darned good catch.’ She shook her head. ‘It wouldn’t be a foolish step for the Boss to take - far from it. However, let’s not think of Felicity. I’ve loads to buy. Sweaters and pants, and shirts and underwear. Are you buying some new clothes?’
‘Of course.’ Loren looked excitedly into the first store they came to. It appeared to have everything. The other shops were small in comparison and Dena told her that she always shopped at Henderson’s. So they went in, moving around in search of the things they required. Dresses were tried on, and blouses, shirts and sweaters and of course, slacks.
‘Gosh,’ exclaimed Loren on staring into an almost empty purse, ‘I’ve never spent so much in so short a time! Thane won’t give me any more, not until next month. ’
‘Will you need any? We shan’t be coming into town again for a while.’
‘I sometimes buy things from the Moonrock shop.’ Shrugging resignedly, Loren closed her purse. ‘I’ll just have to do without; I only spend my money on sweets and chocolates and things like notepaper. ’
Thane met them shortly afterwards and as he had finished his business they flew home immediately after lunch and were back in time to take a siesta, although it was, naturally, later than usual. Thane scarcely ever took a siesta and he merely came into the house to change, which he did quickly, and Loren had not gone to her room when he came from his. Loren had been chatting to Stew on the verandah, listening to his description of the shed, which he had just finished decorating. The lights had been rearranged and now, Stew said, they were much more subdued ‘so that the men and their sheilas could do a spot of kissing in the corners’.
Loren’s tinkling laugh rang out, just to please Stew, who seemed to expect some sort of reaction to what he plainly considered to be a witticism worthy of appreciation. Stew, on seeing Thane coming from the house, moved off, over to the border by the lawn, and continued the weeding which he had left in order to have his chat with Loren. She looked up at Thane as he stopped beside her and she noted the quirk of amusement at the corner of his mouth.
‘Why does everyone run back to work when they see me? Anyone would think I was a slave-driver.’ He leant against a pillar supporting the verandah roof, a low-spoken and husky Australian, his sombrero tipped to the back of his head so that his wavy black hair was revealed in all its gleaming attractiveness. One hand was raised to his mouth, stifling a yawn, the other tucked into the belt of his slacks, with just the thumb showing, and a hairy wrist encircled by a leather watch strap, much the worse for wear.
‘Stew isn’t afraid of you,’ smiled Loren with a glance m the man’s direction.
‘And you?’ he said strangely and unexpectedly. ‘Are you afraid of me, little Loren?’
She sent him a startled look, aware of quivering nerves and disturbed emotions. The vision of Felicity intruded as she said, a trifle breathlessly,
‘Why should I be afraid of you? That’s a s-silly question t-to ask. ’
Humour depicted in the spread of sun-lines at the corners of his eyes; teasing mockery in the curve of his lips.
‘Fear - or shyness, I’m not quite sure which.’ And he added, as if he could not resist, ‘A kick on the shin is at least something definite. The emotions are thrown right into the
open.’
‘Oh,’ she quivered going red, ‘reminding me of that again! ’ He only laughed, and made himself more comfortable against the post, as if he were not in any hurry to move. ‘You swore to hate me for as long as you lived,’ he reminded her.
‘I wanted to kill you with an axe,’ she returned, vaguely wondering where this conversation was leading.
‘An axe! What an untidy way. Strangling, my dear.
It’s silent, quick, and makes no mess.’
He was teasing her in a way that dissolved all her indignation and replaced it with a feeling of pleasure and expectancy. His initial indifference had left her no alternative than to treat him in a similar manner, but as the weeks passed she had wanted to talk to him, and to attract his attention to herself. This longing had reached a high degree of real yearning on that day when they had rested under the trees after riding together; she had desired far more than his attention as she looked up into his dark face. She had wanted to know the feel of that firm mouth on her lips, that thrusting jaw against her cheek, the whipcord hardness of his slender body against her own. Aware of her heightening colour resulting from these back-spinning thoughts Loren spoke in some haste, continuing the conversation despite the fact that that particular incident was one on which she never liked to dwell.
‘You called me a baby. And I wanted to be grown up; that’s why I had my hair-do.’ Petulance crept into her voice and Thane’s lips quivered. But his tones were stern rather than humorous when he spoke.
‘You were a baby. Was that vicious kick the action of a grown-up?’
Loren shook her head, automatically glancing down till her eyes rested on his shin.
‘Did it hurt very much?’ Her question was as automatic as her glance and a rather self-conscious smile touched her lips.
‘It left a nasty bruise.’ A sudden glint flashed into Thane’s eyes at the recollection. ‘You can congratulate yourself on
being the only female to do that. Actually you got off lightly. You’ll really be sorry for yourself should it ever happen again.’ His teasing mood had gone; her wide expressive gaze was faintly pleading, although Loren did not know it.
‘I wouldn’t ever do it again,’ she assured him in a small voice, and was relieved to see the glint go from his eyes and the smile return to his lips. ‘Thank you for taking me to Kouri End,’ she said, eagerly changing the subject. ‘I loved the flying. I was terribly nervous when I had to fly all the way here, but it was wonderful in the small plane.’ She could have added that she had felt so very safe because Thane was at the controls, but she refrained, sure that he would consider such a statement as naive and not a little false.
‘Most people prefer big planes, as they do big ships.’ He paused a while, then said decisively, ‘I shall have to take you to a real town. As long as you don’t mind the flying we’ll go to the Alice. You’ll like that?’
Her eyes sparkled.
‘Alice Springs? Will you, Thane? I’d love to go there. How far is it?’
‘Three hundred and fifty miles.’
‘Only that far?’ she exclaimed, and Thane laughed, saying she was obviously getting used to their distances.
‘In so short a time too,’ he added, his dark eyes sweeping over her in a way that made h
er lower her head, but only because of a sudden shyness, since there was a curious expression in his eyes which was very like a caress. There was also a persuasive quality about him which made her feel pliable and weak and sort of - co-operative; yes, that was how she felt, and now it was Janet’s face which rose between hers and Thane’s. Janet used to shudder in an ecstatic kind of way, maintaining that Thane was so strong that he terrified her, and that he was so big that she felt tiny beside him, and helpless. Recalling her own derisive comments on what Janet said, Loren could not suppress a smile and Thane saw it as she raised her head. His eyes widened in inquiry,
‘What’s so amusing?’
She caught her lip between her teeth to stem a laugh. ‘Janet was once - er - keen on you,’ she answered, impelled by some force to tell the truth without any attempt at prevarication.
‘She was?’ Thane received the information with an air of indifference. ‘I’m afraid I didn’t notice.’
“You did!’ flashed Loren, suddenly brave. ‘Men always know when girls fall for them!’
Silence, long and strange, broken at last by the sleepy chuckle of a jacko on his gum-tree perch. Down at the bottom of the verandah steps a lizard sunned itself on a stone and from somewhere in the vicinity of the jacaranda tree the whirr of crickets fell softly on the warm scent-filled air.
‘Men always know when girls fall for them.’ Musing accents, spoken softly as if to himself, but Thane’s whole attention was on Loren, as she stood there facing him, small and slightly-built, with peerlessly-proportioned features and wide trusting eyes ... eyes still shadowed by her recent loss. Small shapely hands were clasped in front of her, as if they were being unconsciously employed in combating a nervousness that threatened to overwhelm their owner. The eyes of the Boss of Moonrock held the most odd expression in their depths. ‘Always, eh?’ A sudden smile broke; Thane glanced across to where Stew was unobtrusively carrying out his self-appointed task. ‘Off you go to your bed, Loren. Your siesta’s especially important today because you’ll be up very late tonight. ’
Once again the change in Thane was like the first shock of a cold shower; Loren followed his gaze ... and wished Stew a thousand miles away! For she was sure something would have happened had he not been there, so close and, Loren surmised, so attentive even though he did not appear to be. Something.... She lay on her back a short while later, her hands behind her head, going over the conversation in her mind. Something, but what? Felicity had seemed totally unimportant; she might not have existed. Only she, Loren, had existed out there — she and Thane ... and Stew. Loren began to doze at length, and Stew’s was the last face she saw before sleep claimed her. Why hadn’t he found himself some fencing, or branding ... or merely done a disappearing trick!
Tenseness and excitement mingled with anxiety as Loren dressed for the dance. Thane would dance with her ... hold her in his strong arms and tower above her. Perhaps he would tease her, as he had this afternoon, and regard her with that amused expression that sent sparks along her spine and delicious tingles into her nerves. But he would then leave her, to dance with Felicity while she, Loren, watched and tried to read his lips as he spoke to the girl. Every time the music stopped she would hold her breath, waiting for the announcement that she prayed would never come.
Loren was ready when Dena appeared at the door of her room.
‘Smashing!’ she declared; slowly the grin spread until it covered Dena’s face. ‘Shem and Jerry are going to scrap over you tonight. ’
Loren’s eyes widened.
‘Shem and Jerry?’ she echoed, amazed. ‘They’ve scarcely ever spoken to me.’
‘Both in love with you, nevertheless. I was behind them half an hour ago when I went over to the ute to get a bag I’d left in there the other day. They were talking about you, so I listened - yes, of course I did. I love listening in to other people’s conversations and so does everybody else, but no one will ever admit it. Shem said he was thinking of asking you to marry him and Jerry told him to lay off as he saw you first. ’ Dena was laughing as she spoke and her eyes twinkled at the disgust that was fast appearing on Loren’s face.
‘ Shem! He’s got four teeth missing - and at the front! Oh, how could he ever think I’d look at him even! ’ ‘He lost those teeth saving a jackeroo from a charging bull,’ Dena informed her, still amused by the acute disdain on her friend’s face.
‘He might be brave - I’m sure he is, saving the jackeroo’s life,’ Loren conceded, ‘but that doesn’t make the least difference to me. I think those two men are awful, talking about me like that!’
‘Thought you’d be flattered—’
‘Well, I’m not! I’m very, very angry!’
“You look it.’ Dena raised an eyebrow curiously. “Wouldn't be in love with anyone else, would you?’
Swift colour suffused Loren’s cheeks. She tried to avoid Dena’s searching scrutiny, but found herself staring at her instead, drawn by the other girl’s gaze.
‘Wh-what do you m-mean?’
‘The Boss? You wouldn’t be the first. We’ve had many girls here - cooks and land girls, college girls on vacation and others from the farming school doing their practicals. We’ve had tourists stopping for a night’s kip ... they all fall for the Boss. Did myself, if you remember my saying so? Well, you haven’t answered my question?’
Loren could only shake her head, and swallow convulsively. She had not been at all clever, she realized, and in a little moment of perception she knew that Thane had seen as much as his cousin. Had everyone on the station also seen what was happening? They too had known these various girls whom Dena had just mentioned. How amused they all must be at yet another one falling for the handsome Boss of Moonrock.
‘I ~ I must confess that I like him, Dena.’ She glanced unhappily at her friend, whose expression was unreadable. ‘I’m sorry—’
‘Sorry?’ in a rather puzzled tone. “You don’t have to apologize to me. It’s no skin off my nose.’
‘You don’t love him anymore?’
‘ Oh, I see. You’re feeling guilty because you’ve fallen for the bloke I want. Is that it?’
‘ Sort of.’ Loren nodded her head.
‘Then you, Loren, are not as observant as I,’ was the swift rejoinder, and Loren said, her eyes losing their haunted expression,
‘ Ian - are you in love with him?’
‘Things are progressing along those lines,’ laughed Dena, then added after a thoughtful little pause, ‘We talked over the air this afternoon; he and Colin are coming to the dance, as I’ve already told you. We discussed Melville Downs. Colin appears to be getting fed up already, but Ian’s still enthusiastic. He wants to buy it from Colin.’
Loren nodded, expressing the opinion that Colin would never make a good partner, for Ian or anyone else.
‘I can’t see him pulling his weight,’ she added, then paused expectantly for Dena to expand on what she had been saying.
‘Ian’s no fool; he has Colin well weighed up. I reminded Ian of the great difficulties everyone encounters at Melville Downs; I warned him that his optimism over the water could very well be misplaced, but nothing will put him off - at least, I don’t think it will.’ A small undecided pause before Dena continued, a soft flush creeping into her cheeks, ‘Ian suggested that I help him, which means in effect that he’s wanting me to marry him. ’
Loren examined her face critically, and when the grin broke she said eagerly,
‘And are you going to marry him?’
Dena hesitated a moment.
‘ We were quite keen on one another once, when we were in our teens. Then we lost touch a long while before I came to Moonrock, but Ian says he hasn’t ever had anyone else. I told him I’d fallen for Thane, and that’s why I stayed here.’ She looked straight at Loren. ‘I’m not in love with Thane now - haven’t been for a longish time. I did tell you I wasn’t eating out my heart for him, remember,’ and when Loren nodded, ‘Naturally I hated the idea of Felicity coming to Moonroc
k - still do hate it, for that matter - but it was only because I knew I’d be out on my heels. Well,’ she continued thoughtfully, ‘it might not matter so much now—’ She broke off, looking at Loren with a hint of apology. ‘You say you like the Boss. How deep do your feelings go?’
Loren averted her head to hide her embarrassment at this outspoken query. She did not know how to reply to it and for a long moment there was silence in the room.
‘I l-like him very much,’ she confessed at last, and heard an impatient sigh issue from the other girl’s lips.
‘So now it’s your turn to worry about Felicity. I’ll keep my
fingers crossed for you - and as I said, if he doesn’t announce his engagement tonight then it’s a sure sign he isn’t set on dethroning Gran Amelia.’
‘You still seem to think he has no real affection for Felicity, and that if he does decide to marry her it will be purely with the intention of putting an end to Gran Amelia’s interference?’
‘This is my opinion. Felicity would do very well for the Boss. She’d not make demands on him - a lovesick, clinging woman would drive him round the bend. He’d be doing his block all the time. Sorry to say this, Loren—’
‘I am not, and never would be, a lovesick, clinging woman,’ Loren could not help inserting, and Dena made another apology.
‘Well,’ she continued when the interruption had been dealt with, ‘as I was saying, Felicity would do very well for Thane. She comes from good stock herself and so, mated with Thane, she should produce the kind of sons he would like to have—’ Dena broke off and the inevitable grin spread. ‘You certainly blush rather nicely,’ she submitted, and received a speaking glance for her trouble. Her grin broadened. ‘You should be used to me by now. However, let’s drop the subject and get on our way. ’
As they walked along the corridor towards the balustraded stairway Dena said she would have to get a handkerchief. ‘Hang about,’ she grinned. ‘I won’t be a minute.’
Loren laughed and took a couple of paces before stopping to admire a picture by Watteau, a lovely landscape forming the setting for the customary grace and elegance of his brocade-clad lovers, embracing in the twilight, with the musician in the background.