The competitors rode bulls and unbroken horses, and Laura wondered at the spine-cracking punishment they took. But mostly she was fascinated by the skill of the pick-up riders on their splendid horses, capable of such split-second timing. One in particular interested her, a rider in a green check shirt, reed-slim and lightly built, yet who seemed more deft than any others at darting to the rescue.
‘That young lad is wonderful!’ cried Laura.
‘Mm?’ said Beth. ‘Oh aren’t they all! Sooner them than me!’ And she added something which was drowned in a roar of laughter as the clown was picked out of his barrel and dropped by a passing rider.
Laura remembered having mentioned that she could ride. And she cringed inwardly. This sort of riding was another thing altogether.
They watched the cowboys rope and throw a steer. And Laura’s heart galloped with the thunder of hoofs in the churning dust.
Then Beth said she wanted to see the judging of the cattle. So they left their seats and made for the exit.
Almost at once, Laura found Nate walking beside them.
‘I’m off to take a look at the bulls,’ said Beth. ‘Are you showing anything?’
‘No. I just came to watch my stockmen break their necks.’
‘Take Laura to see the horses,’ said Beth. ‘I’m sure to meet old chums. Bring her on later.’
She bustled off and left Nate and Laura to stroll on together, admiring aristocratic Angora goats, and examining exotic fruits that were all strangers to Laura.
They reached the shed where the horses were being rubbed down and walked along the stalls. Laura thought she recognised some of them, and the certainly recognised a figure in the distance. No mistaking that slim frame in the green check. Laura moved forward, eager to congratulate the clever rider, who at that moment turned towards them.
‘Hello Nate!’
‘Hi Jade!’
Jade! The girl pulled off her hat and a cascade of red curls fell to shoulder length. She was beautiful with a clear skin and green eyes. She regarded Laura levelly.
‘This is Laura,’ said Nate. ‘From England.’
‘G’day,’ said Jade.
‘I saw you in the ring,’ said Laura. ‘You were wonderful.’
Jade shrugged.
‘Laura rides,’ said Nate.
‘Oh, but not like this!’ Laura felt her face flaming. And the more so because Jade was assessing her so keenly.
Nate was speaking. ‘Look, I’m having a bit of a party out at my place in a couple of weeks. All welcome! Why don’t you come, Laura?’
‘Well, I ‒’
‘Ah, come on! It’s not often I get time for entertaining. Better make the most of it. Jade will be there, won’t you?’
He looked towards Jade, obviously expecting her to support the invitation. And after a fractional pause, she did so.
‘Come along,’ she said. ‘It’ll be good fun.’
‘I won’t know how to get there.’
‘I can show her the way!’ The voice came from the doorway.
They all turned to where a figure stood silhouetted against the strong sunlight. He entered the dim shed and Laura realised it was Kyle.
‘How you going?’ he said. Then he put his arm round Laura’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. ‘And how’s our little Pom?’
‘I didn’t realise you were comings to the Show,’ said Laura, easing herself out of his clasp.
‘Suddenly thought I’d like to see all these hunkies pushing the cows around. Remind myself how lucky I am to be in real estate.’
Laura looked quickly at Nate, but he just grinned and murmured ‘Good on you,’ dismissively.
‘Will you take me to Beth,’ said Laura, directing her remark very precisely to Nate.
‘No problem,’ said Nate and guided her to the door.
‘So all right if I drive Laura over to the shindig?’ called Kyle.
‘If she wants to come,’ said Nate.
‘Righto, see you later!’
When Nate and Laura were once more threading their way through the crowds, Nate looked down at her and said: ‘I’d like you to come, Laura. I’d like you to see the place.’
‘I’d love to!’ said Laura.
‘And your friend’s welcome too.’
‘Kyle?’
‘I’ll give you a note of the way.’
‘But if Kyle’s to bring me surely he knows the way.’
‘Why should he? He’s never been.’
‘I thought he was your friend.’
‘I thought he was your friend.’
‘Well, he’s shown me around a bit. My solicitor asked him to make contact. That’s all.’
‘Smart operator,’ remarked Nate. And they both laughed.
‘Anyway, the party’s on a Saturday. Come with Beth. Kyle can make his own way.’
‘And I’ve a feeling he will!’
‘Me too. Not to worry. The more the merrier.’
Laura liked his untroubled style. It was calming.
She felt good walking in the sunlight, surrounded by the laughing, jolly throng by the side of this strong, likeable man. It didn’t entirely surprise her to see heads turn in their direction.
Beth was standing in a small show ring, dwarfed by a giant Brahman bull. They collected her and sauntered off together, to enjoy other attractions.
They listened to the band, watched the fireworks, feasted on juicy meat pies and ice-cream cones dipped in hot chocolate. And they laughed a lot.
At last, Nate helped them find their car. He leaned in the window to Beth and said: ‘I’m coming to town about some gear ‒ and ‒’
‘Say no more,’ said Beth. ‘You know you’re always welcome.’
‘That’s my girl! Be seeing you!’ He looked across at Laura. ‘You too?’
‘I hope so,’ answered Laura, adding helpfully, ‘I’ll be at the shop.’
As Beth and Laura drove homeward in the dark, Laura felt as sleepy and contented as a child.
‘I’ve had the loveliest day, she said, yawning widely.
‘I always feel at home when I come up to the Tablelands.’
‘Why did you leave?’
‘I got a scholarship to Art School, would you believe? Went down to Brisbane. Made a hash of it. But I had a sort of facility for the artistic, I guess. Anyway, I married. We had a good marriage. Then Len had a heart attack. Long time ago.’
Beth lapsed into silence for a while. Then she went on.
‘Well, I settled in Port Duncan and met your uncle and aunt. And he had this endless supply of shells. That’s how it all started. I began designing and making jewellery. And Jim let me sell it in the shop. He was a good feller ‒ your uncle.’
She fell silent again.
‘Will it be a long drive up to Nate’s farm?’ asked Laura.
‘Fair way.’
‘He asked Kyle. Well ‒ Kyle sort of invited himself.’
‘That figures.’
‘I’m puzzled about Kyle, He pays me a lot of attention, but ‒’
‘That’s not surprising, You’re a very pretty girl.’
‘Yes, but although he’s kind and I quite like him, I somehow feel uneasy with him. What do you think?’
They were parting at Laura’s door before Beth answered Laura’s query ‒ and then it wasn’t exactly satisfactory.
‘Your solicitor asked Kyle to take care of your affairs out here, so it’s not my place to interfere with that. But I’ve known Kyle a long time, and I’d just say to you ‒ take care, Laura. Just watch your step with him, my dear.’
She drove away then, and left Laura wondering what she really meant. But when she got into bed, her thoughts were only of Nate. And those were cut short for she fell quickly into a deep sleep.
It was some time in the middle of the night when she shot awake.
Laura listened for what had disturbed her. It came again ‒ a scrabbling sound ‒ among the books. Her instinct was to burrow lower into the bed and quake. Bu
t reason prevailed and she stretched out a hand and groped for the light switch, missing it several times in her nervous fumbling. As light flooded the room, she sat up and stared fearfully about.
Then her eye caught sight of it. A pale gecko clinging to the bookshelf, its bright bulging eyes fixed steadily on her. Thus they stared each other out. There was nothing alarming about the little creature. It looked fragile and dainty ‒ almost transparent.
Laura rose and moved closer. With a lightning dart it disappeared behind the books.
Chapter Four
Next morning, as she helped Beth open the shop, Laura mentioned the gecko.
‘I’ll give those shelves a turn out, ’ said Beth. ‘While you are up at Nate’s.’
‘But aren’t you coming?’
‘He asked me, but I’d sooner keep the shop open over the weekend. The season is short enough. That is if you don’t mind?’
‘Of course not. But, please don’t bother about the bookshelves ‒ the gecko didn’t frighten me.’
‘Oh, you never know ‒’ She stopped, then went on. ‘Won’t hurt to take them down for a clean.’
‘All right,’ said Laura. ‘And if you want any of them at all, just help yourself. Oh, except Uncle Jim’s own books ‒ I’d like to keep those, of course. And leave them on the floor ‒ I’ll sort them out.’
Later, when Laura went to the post, she met Kyle in the street. He at once fell in beside her and they walked back together. When she lightly mentioned the gecko, he looked worried.
‘I didn’t mind,’ said Laura. ‘I found him rather sweet.’
‘They’re no harm,’ said Kyle, ‘but you should watch out for other things. Spiders for instance.’
‘I’m not afraid of spiders.’
‘You’d better be if it’s a funnel-web or a redback.’
Laura was suddenly rather glad the old bookshelves were about to be cleaned out. Happily there was little else behind which creepy-crawlies might lurk.
‘How are you getting on with your sorting out?’
‘Of Uncle Jim’s things? It’s nice going through them. Mind you, I wasn’t too wild about a box of gigantic cane toads I found.’
‘They’re just souvenirs.’
‘But dressed up in hats and coats ‒ with cigars! Beth said she told Uncle not to have them in the shop ‒ and I’m not surprised!’
Kyle laughed.
‘But I love the coral and shells. I plan to go out to the reefs and see for myself.’
‘Let me take you. There’s a cruiser goes out to Green Island and ‒’
‘No! Thanks very much, but I think I want to go alone.’
‘You’d have more fun with someone else along. Especially me.’
‘I’ll see,’ said Laura.
She was aware that Kyle’s pleasant grin was momentarily erased. Perhaps he was less confident than anyone supposed. Perhaps she’d seemed ungracious.
The fact remained that the coral reef was such a part of her uncle’s life that she wanted to see it with no-one to spoil it. Spoil it? It did seem that while Kyle was helpful and appeared to enjoy taking her around, she always seemed to end up feeling anxious.
‘Anyway,’ said Kyle, ‘if you don’t let me take you out on the reef, just see you wear suitable shoes. A cut from the coral can be mighty painful.’
There it was again. This warning, that took the edge off the pure joy she felt in everything about her in this land. Maybe she should be grateful that he was bent on protecting her from unknown hazards. Hadn’t Mr. Montague asked him to watch over her? Well, maybe he took the charge very seriously. That had to be it.
That evening, Nate showed up. He brought an invitation from Beth.
‘Can you make it for supper?’
‘Love to!’
‘Right. She’s busy cooking in all directions, so why don’t we take a walk on the beach?’
They set off. Nothing but pale golden sand, fringed with shrubs and palm trees. A few rocks, a few felled tree trunks, otherwise nothing but sea and sky. Not even people. Then, further on, a couple cycling along, a woman with a child paddling, a sunbather or two ‒ these were all in a stretch of several miles.
Nate and Laura strolled and chatted idly ‒ revealing small details of themselves as they warmed to each other. They joked a lot, splashed each other, threw an odd stone into the water, and Laura found coral. She found pieces bleached white and in many shapes. And there were shells milk-smooth, spiralled, pearl-lined. She collected them till she could carry no more. Mostly she wondered at the coral ‒ its infinite variety.
‘It’s washed in from the reefs,’ said Nate. ‘I’d like to take you out to see it growing.’
‘Oh yes!’
‘Can you swim?’
‘Of course!’
‘Then we’ll take out a boat and scuba dive. Tomorrow?’
‘Tomorrow!’
Laura took a chance and made up a picnic for the excursion and was glad when Nate looked delighted, and added a bottle of wine to the meal.
He’d acquired a small motor launch, and mid-morning they chugged out to sea. Laura even took over the wheel from time to time without fear, for the water was calm.
At last they reached the reef. The deep water that had been a vibrant blue turned to aquamarine, and so smooth now that she could see where fish glinted and the coral lay.
Nate showed her how the mask and regulator worked and put on her air-cylinder for her. They went over the side together and Laura found the water deliciously warm as she followed Nate downwards.
Down they swam to behold the wonders of the coral forest. The myriad designs and formations and colours, wherein shoals of brilliant fish darted. The giant clams with their gaping purple mouths looked alarming, but Nate guided her clear.
When at last they climbed back into the boat, Laura sat still and silent. Then ‒
‘It’s a miracle,’ she said.
Nate wrapped a towel round her, cupped her face in his hand and kissed her lightly.
It brought her back to the present. How good it was to see this place with a man like Nate. With him beside her she felt no fear of those depths, nor that any harm could ever come to her in any way.
For the rest of the day, they dived, had lunch, rested in the boat in easy quiet, dived again, and took a final luxurious swim together ‒ their bodies in harmony.
As they returned home, Nate took one hand from the wheel and put it around Laura’s shoulder and she wrapped her arms about him.
‘Thank you,’ she said, ‘for the most marvellous day I’ve ever had.’
Just then a dolphin surfaced and travelled merrily along with them for a while. Nate and Laura shouted friendly remarks to him till he at last turned back to the open sea. Then they sang together all the way back to shore.
They collected Beth and all three went out for dinner.
‘I’ll come for you the day before the party,’ said Nate as they parted. ‘I’d like to show you around the place before the mob arrive.’
The following days sped by, for the shop grew busy with the holiday trade and Beth welcomed help. Also, Laura found some tools, bought some screws and nails and fixed a few small repair jobs about the place. Other times she walked on the beach and swam and looked out to sea towards the reef. And remembered.
Once Kyle met her coming up the beach in her swim-things.
‘How can you?’ he exclaimed. ‘It’s freezing.’
‘What rubbish! It’s like high summer at home.’
‘If you think this is hot ‒ just remember this is the tropics and it’s winter here right now. In summer you’d bake alive.’
‘Very possibly,’ said Laura, striding on.
‘What time will you be ready on Saturday?’
‘Oh, don’t bother, Nate’s coming for me earlier.’
Kyle looked disappointed. ‘I see. Oh well, fair enough. Save me a dance, huh?’
He looked so lithe and moved with such animal grace that Laura guess he danced wel
l.
‘Of course,’ she said.
Kyle grinned. ‘Or two or three,’ he added.
He looked very attractive with his hair gleaming gold in the sun. Yet he’d wangled his way into an invitation to Nate’s party in the most shameless way. Well, maybe things were more casual out here and she shouldn’t think the worse of him for that. Nate hadn’t seemed to mind.
Laura spent the rest of the day clearing out her uncle’s desk and poring over his possessions. Each one of them was of interest to her, and many brought tears to her eyes. A packet of her own letters, carefully tied up, contrasted strangely with other untidy documents stuffed into odd drawers. She treasured one pile of first drafts of his books, and proposed to save them for the pleasure of reading the corrections in her uncle’s hand ‒ often with little quips at his own expense showing the wit she remembered and had loved him for.
On Friday, Laura packed a small overnight case with her party gear and was ready in the shop wearing a lilac shirt and jeans, and her linen hat. She helped Beth during the morning. Nate had not mentioned what time he would come, but when lunchtime arrived, she began to feel foolish. Had she mistaken him? Was everything so casual here that nothing anyone said was definite?
Perhaps Jade had persuaded him to charge his mind.
‘Who is Jade?’ asked Laura.
Beth paused from rearranging the window-display and regarded Laura quizzically. ‘Her family live on the next property to Nate. Breed horses. Though she spends a lot of time helping Nate. There’s been a lot of romantic smoke around them but nobody’s seen any genuine fire yet. But then every girl in the area has been flung at Nate. And he’s still fancy free ‒ if that’s how you’d describe a man who works as hard as he does. I think it’s more lack of time on his part, because he’s managing the farm alone now his old man’s gone. He needs a wife, that’s a fact,’ Beth paused. ‘But she’d need to be the right type.’
At that moment, in a cloud of dust, a Range Rover drove up and Nate jumped out.
‘Meant to be here earlier,’ he said, ‘but the cook broke an arm last night. Had to organise a replacement. The men need their tucker!’
Laura came towards him smiling. She felt quite guilty that the cook’s plight should make her so relieved and happy.
Nate stared at her, then turned to Beth.
Her Australian Summer: Corazon Books Vintage Romance (novella) Page 3
