Bride at Briar's Ridge Read online

  ‘Can I give you a lift back into town, Daniela?’ Lilli asked, suddenly remembering she was there. ‘I can easily drop you off at the coffee shop.’ Obviously she thought shoving Daniela down the social scale was the way to go.

  ‘There are a few more things I want Daniela to see,’ Linc intervened.

  A lengthy pause. ‘Okay,’ Lilli managed, her sparkle visibly dimmed. ‘How long are you staying in town?’ she asked Daniela. It wasn’t conversation. She really wanted to know. ‘A country town can’t be much fun after London. Alana told me something about your career. You’re a cook, aren’t you?’

  ‘Wake up, Lilli,’ Linc drawled, thinking this had gone far enough, although Daniela didn’t appear in the least bothered. ‘The word is chef. Daniela has made it to the top of the tree.’

  Lilli’s laugh fell a little flat. ‘It’s great you’re interested in such a career.’ She made it sound an unacceptable one. ‘I would have thought it would be very tough going, even dangerous, with all those sharp knives around and those volatile temperaments. I can’t even boil an egg.’

  ‘Why do eggs figure so largely on the “can’t manage” list?’ Daniela laughed. ‘You’d soon learn if you didn’t have someone to do things for you.’

  ‘Actually, I’ve better things to do with my time,’ Lilli trilled. ‘Could you walk me out to my car, Linc?’ she asked, training her blue eyes on him.

  ‘Sure.’ Lean cheeks creased in a smile.

  Lilli interpreted that as a very good sign. She tethered herself to his arm.

  No question—Lilli Denby had Linc Mastermann well and truly in her sights.

  Left alone, Daniela brooded for a moment only. What am I doing here? she thought. I’ve fled one bad situation. I’d be crazy to walk into another.

  Perhaps you’re a little jealous of Lilli? asked a voice in her head.

  She rejected that. She didn’t blame Lilli for being so powerfully attracted to him. She was herself. But she wasn’t going to let it go to her head. She had always prided herself on her common sense. Yet wasn’t it true she’d been the last one to know Gerald Templeton had developed an intense fixation on her? In the early days she’d thought—if she’d bothered to think about it at all—that he fancied her.

  It had been something of a joke with the other staff, but she had always kept her distance from customers—even when she and Tim, her talented offsider, had catered for the rich and famous. Besides, Gerald wasn’t the only man who had endeavoured not only to chat her up but to ask her out. Eventually she had accepted one of Gerald’s dinner invitations. It had gone well. He was good-looking, of good family, highly educated, clever. In short, a real catch. They had talked aimlessly and pleasantly about art, the theatre, books, people, travel, although she had steered clear of talking about his circle of friends who came frequently to the restaurant. Gerald was very much the man about town, with enviable connections.

  Nothing dramatic had happened for quite a while. He’d taken her to lots of places, and she had even met his parents, at their beautiful country home—though not in a formal, girlfriend-meeting-the-parents sort of way. The young women of Gerald’s circle always came from his own world. But what had started out in such a pleasant civilised fashion had turned into something else. It had grown darker and darker until she had fled.

  ‘Daniela?’

  Carl’s voice pulled her out of her troubled thoughts. ‘Carl?’ Somehow Carl seemed more natural to her than Linc. She turned. ‘Back again?’

  He laughed briefly, something inside him tightening at the use of his real first name. He wasn’t going to stop her. Maybe he even had a fierce necessity of the heart to hear his Christian name again? ‘Do you think there was a damned thing Lilli didn’t want to change? Next time she might come with a tape measure and take notes.’

  ‘So there’s going to be a next time?’ She shot him a wry look.

  He met those lustrous dark eyes. ‘Tell me, is there a way to prevent it?’ It was said with amusement, but a lick of bitterness escaped, too. It wasn’t only men who did the chasing.

  ‘I can only say Lilli appears to find you special.’

  ‘Put it down to New Man in Town syndrome,’ he returned.

  ‘So modest? I think Lilli and her sister Violette meet plenty of men. They’re on the social circuit, and both of them spend a lot of time in Sydney and Melbourne. Violette even implied she and Guy were once an item.’

  ‘That must have been before Alana.’ Linc spoke very dryly.

  She nodded her strong agreement. ‘I’d say so. I’ve never seen two people so much in love.’

  They moved slowly into the large living area, with its pairs of French doors, shuttered on the outside, opening onto the wide covered verandah that offered refuge from the intensity of the sun.

  ‘So how did you meet Alana?’ he asked. ‘Your face lights up when you talk about her.’

  ‘I imagine a lot of people’s faces light up around Alana,’ Daniela said with a smile. ‘She’s a lovely person. Very endearing. No guile. No side. And she wears her beauty so gracefully.’

  ‘As do you,’ he said, allowing his eyes to feast on her.

  She took in a deep, slow breath, not answering. The truth was she was feeling the intense heat of his masculinity—the height, the shape of him, the width of shoulder that tapered away to a narrow waist, lean hips, long legs. His aura was so magnetic she felt she had to stand a distance from him, just as she needed to stand a distance from her own emotions. She had never imagined anything so explosive as the effect Carl Mastermann was having on her.

  ‘I think I need platforms around you.’ She tried a joke, tilting her head as though it hurt her to look up at him.

  He laughed, glancing down at her sandalled feet. ‘I’d feel bad if you toppled over. So, how did you meet Alana?’ he reminded her.

  Daniela walked a few paces to the next set of doors, looking out. A bird was singing in the garden, its song plaintive but very sweet. She thought the sound came from an ornamental tree with a thick circle of pink flowers beneath it. ‘She and her cousin Rose came into the bistro about a week after I arrived home. We got talking. You could say we were immediately drawn to each other. I like Rose as well—she has a sweeter nature than her sisters—but Alana is my clear favourite. We met up a number of times after that. And of course I had to meet her wonderful Guy. It was easy to see why Alana fell in love with him. Guy was very interested in the fact I had a couple of Cordon Bleu diplomas, and I’d worked in London’s top restaurants. I’ve been to his Winery Restaurant and met the chef. He’s extremely good. He’d get a top job anywhere. Guy was keen on sounding me out—whether I’d ever be interested in taking over the running of the Winery Restaurant at some time in the future. The money he was talking was certainly an inducement. I understand the chef has been there a good while and regularly gets tempting offers from all over—especially Hong Kong, where he has family. I got the impression there was a good chance he might move on.’

  ‘Would you consider it if that happened?’ Linc asked, his mind flying to what that would mean.

  ‘I can’t think that far ahead,’ she said evasively, though in actuality she had thought about it.

  ‘Really?’ He had his own trip wire to the truth. ‘It sounds to me like you’ve given Guy’s offer a lot of thought. I could be wrong, but I don’t think you have a mind to return to London any time soon. Did you quit your job?’

  She continued to stare out at the shimmering dreamscape. The heat was like a pulsing white fire. A fountain would look lovely in the centre of the driveway, she thought. One always needed a fountain in this kind of dry heat.

  ‘I’ve taken leave,’ she said, not altogether truthfully.

  ‘If you took the job at Guy’s would you feel you had taken a step backwards in your career?’ he asked, fully understanding that she might. ‘After all, London is one of the great cities of the world—a far cry from the Hunter Valley.’

  She turned to face him, a sudden flash
in her dark eyes. ‘You’re forgetting I love my country. My family is here. I love everything about Australia—the peace and freedom, the friendliness, our whole way of life and for God’s sake the climate! It’s claimed not many Australians can settle in a cold, wet climate, and I believe it. Don’t forget I’m also Italian.’

  ‘I realised that right off.’ He gave her his dimpled smile.

  ‘Couldn’t miss it.’ She shrugged wryly. She would never hide her Italian heritage. She had no wish to. She was proud of it. ‘What you mightn’t be aware of is that Australia has some very important chefs, food writers and teachers. All of them have done stints in London and elsewhere. But in my view Australians can dine as well as anyone for a whole lot less, with the finest natural ingredients readily to hand, especially seafood.’

  He admired her enthusiasm. ‘So now we’ve got that sorted out. Anyway, I wasn’t about to give you an argument. I’ve done my share of travelling.’

  ‘But your roots are here?’

  He extended his long arms as though to encompass his world. ‘I have this amazing idea I’m going to start a dynasty of my own.’

  She could see he was serious. ‘Then I wish you every success. But you’ll need a wife to bear your children, and before you marry you should consult your future wife about your plans for this dynasty. What did you have in mind? Twenty children, like Johann Sebastian Bach?’

  He laughed. ‘Four should be enough. And I think you’ll find Herr Bach fathered all those children by two different women.’

  ‘I knew that,’ she replied, a tiny bit surprised that he did, too.

  ‘So you want to marry, have children? Or are you a career woman?’

  ‘I have to find a man I can love first,’ she said, weaving her way elegantly around the living room.

  ‘Can love? You sound a tad off men.’

  ‘Good! You’re learning that early,’ she commented, moving into what would be the dining room.

  ‘Okay, you’re complicated. I understand complicated.’

  They exchanged a brief glance. ‘Both of us appear to have unresolved conflicts.’ There was a brittle edge to Daniela’s voice she couldn’t control.

  ‘Why do you want to keep yours secret?’ He could see the struggle on her beautiful face.

  ‘Carl, I don’t know you.’ She paused, her accent suddenly more pronounced. ‘Not well, anyway. And I’m not the only one with secrets. There are things you don’t want to talk about.’

  ‘That’s true.’ He watched her stroke back a thick strand of hair that seemed to give off its own light. ‘I like to keep a distance from my own emotions. Yours seem to be right there. I can’t pretend I don’t see your bruises.’

  He had an uncanny knack to go to the heart of things. ‘On my arms? Where?’ She reacted sharply, turning out her slender arms, pretending to inspect her glowing golden skin. ‘I see no bruises.’

  ‘They’re all inside. Okay—I can see it’s necessary to change the subject, get onto something safe. Why don’t we go through the house again now that Lilli has said her reluctant goodbyes?’

  She stood framed by an open white timber archway. ‘It seems a shame to waste her suggestions. Sorry, I didn’t mean that.’ She detested herself for sounding a touch cruel.

  He laughed. ‘I think really she wanted the house knocked down. I’m desperate to hear from you. I’m not going in for grandeur, like Wangaree. A laid-back style of living is what I have in mind. This is a country homestead.’

  She nodded. ‘But you’ll want it to be comfortable and attractive, light and airy, a happy, welcoming place. I’d suggest a few unusual, possibly unique things. A light palette for the walls and furnishings. That should integrate the rooms. Thai furniture would work well, don’t you think? Surely you brought things back from your travels?’

  He studied her petite figure in an unabashedly sensual, brooding way. Being with her alone was making it hard to keep his attraction to her in check. ‘As a matter of fact I did—especially from Southeast Asia. I’ve always been drawn to Balinese and Asian artifacts and antiques.’

  ‘A touch of the exotic?’ She smiled. It was a beautiful smile, glowing. That didn’t make it easy for him either.

  Did she have the faintest idea how much he wanted to kiss her? Only the last thing he needed was to fracture what was at the moment a fragile relationship. More to the point, he didn’t want to spook her. He could see someone in her not too distant past had already done that. He found he hated the thought—hated the guy.

  ‘I have quite a lot of stuff stored at Gilgarra. I can get Chuck to send it to me.’

  ‘You don’t want to go back and get it?’ She, too, was picking up on the vibes.

  ‘No,’ he said briefly.

  She walked towards the filmy curtains that had been left in place, putting out a hand to finger them. ‘What about white interior shutters instead of curtains?’ she suggested. ‘They could look good—control the light—and you wouldn’t have to worry about constantly getting the curtains washed. I love the polished floors. I love that dark honey colour. But you’ll need rugs and a few paintings—prints, botanical or ornithological, whatever.’

  ‘Your vision is pretty well the same as mine,’ he said with satisfaction. ‘Let’s go upstairs,’ he said, doing a slow turn and extending his arm. ‘The master bedroom is a good size. I’ll settle for that for myself.’ He waited for her to precede him.

  Neither of them spoke again until they were inside the spacious main bedroom. Daniela looked about her. ‘I really like this room,’ she said. ‘It has a very serene feeling and the view is wonderfully soothing. You could easily fit in a huge bed—maybe Balinese, custom-made for your height. I see it already. Sofa, tub armchairs, low table, carved chest at the foot of the bed. And I’d change the ceiling fan to fit the décor you work out.’

  She walked past him out onto the verandah, staring out at the marvellously peaceful view. Linc followed.

  ‘This is magnificent!’ She lifted a radiant face, breathing in the fragrant aromatic air. ‘You have it first thing in the morning, last thing at night. Nothing and no one to spoil it. I love the smell of the eucalypts.’

  ‘So do I,’ Linc said. ‘But we can never forget their fire danger. The oil is highly inflammable and it hangs in the air. Fires have broken out up there from time to time, so I’ll be on high alert from now on in. I’ve always been strict on fire prevention methods. I’ll be much stricter here than we ever were in the New England highlands.’

  ‘So what do you intend to do?’ Born and bred in Sydney, Daniela had little knowledge of rural life—apart from recognising that for all the rewards it was very tough, to the point of heartbreaking.

  ‘Plough firebreaks around the perimeter of the property,’ Linc told her. ‘It mightn’t be all that popular in some quarters, but with global warming!’ He shrugged. ‘Some superfine farmers don’t like the dust in the air. It gets into the fleece and dirties the wool. I certainly don’t want to do it—it will be one hell of a task, given the size of the place—but it has to be done. We’ve missed out on the spring rains, and last year the fire season started early in the Southern Highlands, around the Hawkesbury and the Hunter Valley regions. Major drought always brings the threat of severe bushfires. It’s in everyone’s minds. The end of last year—you wouldn’t have been back in Australia then—bushfires raged in the Blue Mountains.’

  ‘I did see some TV coverage,’ she said. ‘And I heard all about it from the family. The most horrifying aspect is that some of the fires were lit by arsonists.’

  ‘They’re murderers,’ Linc said starkly. ‘They seem to rejoice in death and destruction.’ He reined his tone back. God help any pyromaniac who got onto his property. ‘There’s a great Rural Fire Service in the valley. I made it my business to meet up with them.’

  ‘So you’ll be well prepared?’

  ‘As much as I can be,’ he said. ‘With bushfires, all the wildlife in the hills suffer. If the fires eventually sweep down i
nto the valley we’ll lose stock, but hopefully no lives.’

  ‘There must be lots of wallabies and kangaroos up there?’ She looked towards the rolling hills that stood watch over the station.

  ‘Bound to be. Wallabies, kangaroos, possums, bandicoots, snakes and lizards, wedge-tailed and whistling eagles, lyrebirds and a phenomenal number of parrots. I plan on making a trek into the hill country some time soon. Want to come when I do?’

  They were standing quite close. Too close. Hands spread on the balustrade, little fingers almost touching.

  ‘Go up into the hills with you?’ She felt a frisson of something like alarm. How could she possibly put herself in the way of temptation?

  ‘No need to make it sound like a foreign country. You haven’t been in hill country before?’

  ‘I haven’t been in the bush before,’ she said wryly. ‘I lived all my life in Sydney, forever drawn to the beach. The bird life here is wonderful, isn’t it? They shriek, whistle, sing, and they’re hardly invisible. I’ve never seen so many brilliant colours.’ As she spoke another wave of rainbow lorikeets, flashing their showy plumage, dived into a blossoming stand of bauhinias. ‘So many things in the garden are fruiting and flowering. I envy you, Carl. You can do such a lot with this place.’

  ‘And I intend to do just that,’ he said, pleased by her reactions. ‘When we go up into the hills we’ll have to get you a sleeping bag. You can discover the stars. In the wild bush they’re so big and beautiful, so close they could be hanging from the branches of the trees. Can you ride?’

  She shook her head with regret. ‘The only horses I’ve been anywhere close to have been at the races.’

  ‘You’re not frightened of them?’

  She laughed that away. ‘No. Horses have to be the most beautiful of animals.’

  ‘Then I can easily teach you.’

  She was caught completely off guard. ‘Why would you want to? Why do you want to take me with you up into the hill country?’ She turned to face him fully.