by Anne Hampson
‘You should be on your way to the dance, not standing here admiring Watteau.’ The soft Australian drawl sent Loren’s nerves all awry; she turned and looked up into the bronzed countenance, her appreciative gaze taking in the snow-white shirt and grey linen suit, the gleaming black hair, waving above a furrowed brow. The wrinkles at the sides of his eyes seemed to match the tinges of grey at his temples.
So mature and distinguished, so superlative his physique ... it really was no wonder she had fallen for such devastating charm. She swallowed and he smiled and lights of amusement flickered in his eyes as they left her face to wander over her slender body.
‘I’m waiting for Dena,’ she managed at last. ‘ She’s gone for a hanky.’
Thane appeared not to have heard; his gaze was now on her face, his eyes piercing and searching in a thrilling sort of way.
‘You look charming, Loren. Did you buy this dress today?’ Shyly she told him she had brought it with her.
‘I’m glad you like it,’ she added breathlessly, aware once again that she desired his attention.
A soft laugh escaped him.
‘I don’t remember saying I liked it, but I do.’
‘You said I looked charming,’ she reminded him, her little chin lifting suddenly because she felt sure he was secretly laughing at her disconcertment, knowing he himself was responsible for it. ‘I naturally thought you meant the dress, seeing that you referred to it. ’
His eyes still held hers as he said, an odd inflection in
his lazy voice, ‘It’s quite possible I meant the girl inside the
dress.’
Enchanting colour fused her cheeks; she was not up to no the ways of men and she wondered if he were playing with her.
‘I expect you say that to all the girls!’ she returned, hoping she conveyed a lightness such as Janet would have used. Thane’s immediate reaction was one of amusement, portrayed in the flicker of his eyes and the slight quiver at the corner of his mouth. But his voice was a little sharp as he told her not to be trite.
‘It doesn’t suit you, my dear ... and it wasn’t what you really wanted to say.’ She averted her head, but it was brought up again by a finger under her chin. It was the touch of mastery, of possessiveness, almost, and strange pulsations began to affect Loren’s heart. She stared up at him in the
warm silence, while the sweet scent of wattles drifted through the open window, swept from the distant plains which slumbered in the mothy darkness of an Australian night. ‘Tell me, what did you really want to say?’ Imperious the tone, yet edged with an unmistakable gentleness that only added to the intoxication of the moment and the turbulence within her.
‘Perhaps I — sh-should have th-thanked you for the compliment,’ she returned a little shakily at last.
‘Correct, you should. And you have done, quite prettily—’ He broke off, withdrawing his finger and letting his hand drop to his side.
‘Ready?’ Dena, emerging from her room, looked from Thane to Loren, an odd expression in her eyes. ‘The whole thing will be over if we don’t get a spurt on.’
CHAPTER SEVEN
Refreshments were served as a running buffet, with the tables set out on the long verandah and chairs and small tables scattered about under the trees on a wide circle of rough grass which was in fact an ancient meander core left when the river had cut it off in a time of flood. Lights shone from lanterns in the trees and the music drifted out from the long low shed where some of the guests were still dancing. Loren was at a table with Dena and the two men from Melville Downs; over at another table Thane was sitting alone with Felicity Bradon. He was opposite to the girl, but his head was close to hers because they were both leaning over the table, talking very quietly, Loren surmised, although she was too far away to be sure of this.
Thane had danced several times with Loren, holding her close and sometimes looking down at her in a thoughtful, preoccupied sort of way. He seemed wrapped in a cloak of indecision which reflected on Loren in bringing about a tenseness and a vague access of expectancy. But of course nothing unusual happened and in between dancing with Thane Loren was claimed in turn by Shem and Jerry, neither of whom, she was thankful to note, appeared to be in the least inclined to put forward a proposal of marriage. True, both
looked rather longingly into her eyes; both flattered her and both put their rough chins against her cheek, but that was the limit of their amorous approaches. Colin was more troublesome and when he held her so close that she became embarrassed, she lifted her eyes to see a darkling scowl on the Boss’s face; Dena also saw it, apparently, because when the dance ended she whispered in Loren’s ear.
‘What’s up with the Boss? He looked ready to do his block a moment ago.’
Loren merely shook her head, then gave a sigh of relief as Ian invited her to have the next dance with him. But for the most part Ian danced with Dena, and there was no mistaking the way he looked at her and the rather possessive manner in which he held her, retaining his hold even when the dance was ended and he and Dena walked off the floor. Dena was happy, if the brightness of her eyes were anything to go by, and already Loren could see them married and proud possessors of Melville Downs. Struggles and perhaps hardships would confront them - and even failure if, as Dena had suggested, water was not available by boring. Ian, though, was confident, and as Loren now knew he was fairly well versed in geology, she felt he might be right in assuming that water could be reached at greater depths than had previously been tried.
‘Is the Boss of Moonrock really in charge of you?’ Colin asked the question as soon as Dena and Ian went from the table to wander by the edge of the billabong, under the trees. ‘He said something of the sort, but he’s not a communicative kind of bloke and I didn’t quite get the picture. He did say, though, that you can’t marry without his permission. Is that right?’
‘Yes; my uncle left it that way. Thane looks after my money. He isn’t in charge of me,’ she frowned. ‘I don’t care for that way of putting it at all. He’s my guardian until I reach the age of twenty. ’
A slow frown gathered over Colin’s face as Loren spoke; he glanced across to where Thane and Felicity were still engrossed in conversation.
‘And how old are you now, Loren?’
‘Nearly eighteen.’
‘So you’ve two years to go.’
‘That’s right.’ She felt uncomfortable, wishing Dena and Ian had stayed a little while longer.
‘Don’t you resent this authority? I mean, suppose you should want to get married?’
She had to smile at this. No possibility of her and Thane falling out over that particular question.
‘I shan’t want to marry for a long while yet.’ Not at all true; she would very much have liked to marry in the near future. ‘I don’t resent Thane’s authority because he doesn’t often exert it.’
‘No? Perhaps you’ve not crossed him. They tell me he has all the old woman’s viciousness and more.’
‘Gran Amelia isn’t vicious! She’s cantankerous, but that’s to be expected at her age. Thane takes after her in some ways, but he’s not so hard as Gran Amelia - perhaps because he hasn’t had the struggles which she’s encountered in her life.’ ‘He’s not struggled at all, from what I can see,’ in a rather resentful tone from Colin as his eyes wandered again to the couple at the far table. ‘ Some are born with silver spoons in their mouths while others have to fight and work and often have to go on bashing away at a brick wall.’
She hesitated, unwilling to continue a conversation which involved Thane. However, Colin was expecting her to say something and she told him that almost always hard work paid off. But he shook his head and in the ensuing few minutes Loren learned that Colin had in fact made up his mind to leave Melville Downs.
‘You haven’t given it a chance,’ she pointed out. ‘It takes years to get a station running smoothly.’
‘I’m not willing to waste years of my life. It’s all right for these rich patriarchal graziers wi
th holdings as big as Belgium, and who’ve had all the spadework done for them by others.’
‘Thane works very hard - and so do all the other graziers -if they love the land, that is!’ Colour fused her cheeks; she glanced up to meet the narrowed gaze of her guardian and it never occurred to her that he might mistake the reason for her rising colour. ‘Are you definitely giving up the place, then?’ she asked, diplomatically veering the subject so that her temper would not be stretched any further.
‘Definitely.’ He laughed a little gratingly. ‘Ian’s buying the place from me. We were considering a partnership, as you probably know, but I’m not cut out for roughing it in this damned wilderness. It wouldn’t be so bad if there was a decent house with the place, but who wants to live in a shack?’
‘The pioneers all lived in shacks,’ she gently reminded him.
‘Different days. There weren’t any luxuries about anyway, so they weren’t forever longing for the comforts of the modern age.’ He looked up to see Thane approaching the table. ‘Here comes Moonrock’s Boss - and yours.’
A moment of silence as Thane stood by the table; he might almost have heard that last remark, for his jaw was tight and his eyes held an icy glint.
‘Shall we dance, Loren?’
A difficult smile broke as she rose from her chair and nodded an ‘excuse me’ to her companion.
‘Yes. ...’ No more was said until they had been on the dance floor for several minutes, and then Thane wanted to know the reason for her blush.
‘Was the fellow flattering you, or tempting?’ Cold tones to match his gaze; Loren looked down at the lapel of his jacket and thought carefully before she spoke.
‘He was telling me that he intends leaving Melville Downs.’
‘And that,’ said Thane in sardonic tones, ‘was the reason why you blushed.’
‘Well ... no,’ she admitted, taken by surprise but not off
her guard. ‘It - it was something quite different altogether.’ ‘Yes?’ he persisted, and she gathered her thoughts in concentration.
‘I was angry with him,’ she owned at length. ‘ He seemed to think that success should come automatically, without working for it. That was why I went a bit red. ’
Thane held her slightly away from him in order to examine her expression.
‘So it was anger? My mistake; I concluded that he was saying something to embarrass you. ’
Her explanation had satisfied him, for he changed the subject, and Loren was exceedingly pleased with herself for the way she had handled the situation.
‘Shall we get out of here for a while?’ Thane suggested when the music stopped. ‘I don’t know about you, but I could do with a breath of fresh air. ’
Her eyes darted to where Felicity was standing, with the partner who had just accompanied her off the floor. Felicity’s gaze was on Thane even though the young man with her was speaking. Wild thoughts pivoted about in Loren’s brain, but all that made any real impression was the fact that Thane had not asked Felicity to go outside with him.
‘Yes, I could do with some fresh air as well.’ She smiled up at him with her eyes and his own twinkled in response. Loren felt her cup was full as, taking her arm, he gently propelled her towards one of the open windows leading out to the back verandah. All eyes were on them, naturally. Dena actually brought down one eyelid as they passed; Felicity seemed merely to stare with hard eyes before turning away to chat with her companion.
Thane tucked Loren’s arm in his and they strolled towards a bush track leading to the dry watercourse where white gums spread their branches and their twisted, mottled trunks shone like silver in the light stolen from a full moon flaring overhead. It was a romantic night, full of sound - laughter and music drifting out from the shed and murmurings of couples somewhere in the shelter of the trees, couples who had left the lights and dancing to steal a few minutes alone.
Gradually, as they lengthened the distance between them and the shed, the music faded and became lost altogether.
‘Where are we going?’ Every nerve was tensed as emotions rioted. Why had Thane brought her out here?
He glanced down; she noticed the seriousness of his face, a face appearing more lean and angular than ever in the shadows cast by the gently-swaying branches of the trees.
‘Afraid of something?’ The gravity faded from his eyes as a half smile dawned. ‘I’m your guardian, remember? - so you can relax.’
His words plunged her into enchanting confusion, but she managed a shaky laugh.
‘I’m not afraid - but we’re going such a long way.’
‘Would you prefer to walk round in circles? We’ve been out less than ten minutes.’ His dark head lifted; he glanced round, searching the darkness between the trees with the alertness of a lifetime out of doors. ‘A brumby or a dingo -can’t see anything, but I heard it.’ His smiling explanation came in answer to Loren’s interrogating glance.
‘I didn’t hear anything.’
‘It didn’t make much noise.’ The brooding silence of the bush dropped again, oppressive and intense. Over the moon a thin veil of cloud writhed and swirled, throwing stealthily-moving shadows across the eucalyptus scrub, intensifying the melancholy, all-pervading impression of isolation from the world. How vast it was! — and how lonely! Instinctively Loren edged a little closer to her companion; releasing his arm from hers, he slid it round her waist and in a little affectionate gesture he lifted her lightly off her feet before bringing her closer still so that her heart thudded against him. He stopped and both arms brought her to his breast; his head bent low over her upturned face and his hard lips touched hers in that first sweet breathless moment of intimacy when a man and a woman enter into the realm of dreams that is the prelude to the dawn of revelation. His kiss strengthened to ardency; Loren gave her lips freely, if a little shyly, for she was far less experienced than he, despite his reputation for having no time for women.
After a long while he released her, putting up a gentle hand to smooth the hair he had disarranged.
‘Sorry to have ruffled your hair,’ he just couldn’t resist saying - and smothered her retort the moment it rose to her lips. ‘Little girl,’ he murmured, close to her cheek, ‘it’s time we were getting back. There’ll be talk enough as it is.’
She nodded happily, sure that this was the beginning of a wonderful adventure that would last for the rest of their lives. How long would it be before he asked her to marry him? Perhaps they would go steady for a while first, and on thinking about it Loren decided this was what she wanted, because she recalled how deliriously happy Janet was during her courtship with Robert.
All eyes were ready when Thane and Loren returned to the shed; Thane’s manner was one of rather arrogant imperturbability; Loren’s one of shyness mingled with surprise, for on the faces of many of the guests there dwelt an expression of faint amusement and, she thought the merest hint of pity. What did it mean? She lowered her eyes, a shade of fear creeping over her.
‘I think,’ Thane was saying to the top of her head, ‘that it would be better if we danced.’
With a sigh of relief she replied,
‘Yes, I th-think it would.’
‘What a delightfully unsophisticated child you are!’ His whispered words were spoken as they danced. ‘And I, I’m afraid, have not acted in the way a conscientious guardian should.’ He paused, but Loren could find nothing to say and after a moment he added, in tones edged with amusement, ‘Do you mind very much that I forgot my role?’
She lifted her face then, and laughed, her vague and inexplicable hint of fear dropping from her and leaving instead a happiness and deep content that was reflected in her lovely eyes.
‘I’m glad you did forget it,’ she quivered, and thrilled to the expression in his eyes. ‘In any case,’ she added reflectively, ‘you haven’t been at all as I imagined you would be.’
‘And what am I to infer from that statement?’ Cool tones, half bantering, half stern in a way she knew was delibera
tely assumed.
‘I thought you’d be - well - sort of bossy. I never expected you to go riding with me and things like that.’ She dwelt for a space on his promise to take her to Alice Springs and excitement grew at the prospect.
‘You had in fact decided that I would beat you. Is that it?’
Loren sent him a speaking glance.
‘You enjoy reminding me of that, don’t you?’
‘Sorry, my pet; I promise not to do so again.’ His arm tightened tenderly as he swung her round, out of the way of another couple.
‘What’s going on?’ Dena wanted to know later when Thane was dancing with a dark-haired girl from a station called Grey River Downs. ‘You and the Boss were out there for ages. Everyone was talking.’
‘They were? Oh, dear—’
‘Never mind the exclamations. What on earth were you doing?’
A prolonged silence followed as Loren fell into a state of indecision. But eventually it dawned on her that as she had nothing definite to tell her friend, she had better just say that she and Thane had been walking, as they both decided they needed a breath of fresh air. Dena frowned strangely, subjecting Loren to a searching scrutiny before she said, in what could only be described as sceptical tones,
‘Is that all? You just walked? You talked, surely?’
Loren glanced in a puzzled fashion at the other girl. All those people in there looking at her, Loren, with a mingling of amusement and pity, and Dena acting in this undeniably strange manner.
‘We talked, yes—’ Loren broke off, sighing inwardly with relief as Ian came up to them.
‘Women’s talk?’ he asked with a smile which embraced them both. ‘Or can I claim Loren for a dance?’
Gran Amelia had been at the shed dance; she had sat with several other elderly people brought by the younger members of their families, and on the Sunday morning she sent for Loren who, having been out riding with Thane and Dena, was still wearing her rather dusty slacks and a yellow-striped shirt. Prim met Loren as she was on her way upstairs to change and the message was given.