Outback Angel

by Margaret Way

  “If I were you, son,” the senator told him confidentially, grasping him by the shoulder, “I’d marry that girl. She’s everything you’re going to need in a wife. We have high hopes for you politically.”

  It wasn’t the first time he’d heard it and his general thoughts had been at some stage he might be able to do some good for the man on the land. But Angel? He could never allow her to end the relationship if he had to go down on his bended knee and beg forgiveness.

  He caught up with Dinah as she was walking back to the homestead after a stroll in the home gardens. He was determined to have it out. She gave him a bright smile and a wide-eyed-innocent look.

  “Thank goodness they’ve all gone,” she said, as if they were in perfect agreement, “though we did have a marvellous night.”

  “You certainly did trying to spread mischief.” He came out with it, directly watching her smile disappear.

  “She told you,” she said flatly, colour staining her cheeks.

  “Yes, she did. Seeing her in his arms made me crazy just like you intended. Charlie knows nothing about Angel and me.”

  “And what about Angelica and you?” Dinah spat.

  “I love her,” he said simply. “I loved her the moment I set eyes on her.”

  “You lusted after her, don’t you think?” she retorted with great bitterness.

  “That, too. A man lusts after his woman. But I want her heart and her mind. I want all of her.”

  “God knows there’s enough,” she said roughly, tormenting herself with what might have been.

  Jake looked away from her and her naked jealousy, unhappy it had come this far. “I’ve never wanted to hurt you, Dinah. I made you no promises. What we had wasn’t near enough for commitment. You’ll find someone else if you can fight out of your obsession with being mistress of Coori. You want the house as much as me. Don’t you think I’ve seen you looking at it?”

  “Because I could do so much with it,” she said strongly. “I’m right for you, Jake. Can’t you see that? I’ve loved you all my life. She’ll give you hell.”

  He laughed sharply. “Even if she did it would be worth it, but Angelica is a good woman. I’m the one with the demon. You met him. He was my dad.”

  “Your father approved of me,” she reminded him. “He wanted us to get married.”

  He nodded, his deep-seated anger and resentment of his late father finally spent. “That’s so, Dinah, but Dad’s gone for good. You mightn’t think it now, but we’d have been miserable together.”

  “Not true, Jake,” she protested, touching her fingers to her eyelids to suppress the pain that was starting up, “I love you.”

  “If you do, it hasn’t made either of us happy,” Jake murmured quietly. “I’m sorry, Dinah. My advice to you is to go home. I don’t want you to stay on for the Christmas party. I figure we can have the house to ourselves for a change. I’ve seen you patronising my stepmother and my sister. I’ve never liked it. They don’t like it, either.”

  “But I will see you at Christmas?” she pleaded, seemingly unable to accept rejection.

  “It might be better if you don’t,” he answered. “I’m going to ask Angel to marry me. I want her to forgive me for being such a fool.”

  Finally the magnitude of her mistake got through to her. Face flaming, Dinah turned away, making for the house to pack her luggage. “You are a fool,” she burst out explosively over her shoulder. “And I hate you both. She’s going to lead you a merry dance. She’ll drive you up the wall.”

  “I’ll get used to it. Believe me!” He heard himself laughing. It felt wonderful. Liberating. Now he had to make his peace with Angel. He’d better make it good.

  Dinah, storming into the house, was confronted by the sight of the woman she now hated with a passion. She was stacking even more presents under the towering Christmas tree, her face full of a nauseating maternal tenderness. Quite the Madonna. Dinah, an arch conservative, still thought the Christmas tree would have looked better put to one side, not dominating the entrance hall with its gaudiness and overkill. Just like Miss De Campo herself. With her, apparently the object of her affection, was the aboriginal child Kylee, with the big black eyes, the tousled ginger curls and the woefully cheeky tongue. She was gleefully sitting among the pile of expensively wrapped boxes pulling at a spectacular red-and-gold decoration atop one box.

  “Leave that alone,” Dinah called out sharply, wishing Jake had never laid eyes on this woman. She could have hung in there and become mistress of this house. She could have put everyone and everything straight. She could have been such an asset to Jake. She had the right sort of backbone.

  They both turned to stare at her. Woman and child. “Go away, lady,” the child piped up.

  Angelica shook her head quickly. “No, Kylee. Be a good girl now.”

  “As if she’d know how! And you encourage her.” Dinah dissolved into a sick rage. “You don’t know anything about the way we do things around here. That child has no place in the house. She should be with her mother. She’s the house girl, isn’t she? A domestic.”

  “Well, yes, that’s the way you see things, Dinah,” Angelica said. “I don’t. By the way, your plan nearly succeeded last night.”

  Dinah’s eyes appraised her with hatred. “I know. I’ve been speaking to Jake. He’s disgusted with you.”

  “Disgusted with himself more like it!” Jake appeared in the open doorway, staring across at Angelica for a long moment, his repentant heart in his amber eyes. “It’s time you left Coori, Dinah,” he advised, almost kindly. “I’m in love with Angelica. She’s the only woman for me.”

  “You’ll be sorry, Jake,” Dinah warned, a crazy energy building up in her. Finally she cracked, hopelessness and humiliation taking its toll. She looked around wildly for something to throw. Something to break. Her hand closed on one of a pair of bronze winged figures. She threw it wildly, not at Jake, but at Angelica, who had wrecked all their lives.

  With excellent reflexes, Angelica bent sideways sheltering Kylee with her body. The statue crashed into the Christmas tree, dislodging several ornaments and breaking a porcelain cupid.

  “See what you done!” Kylee cried, already scrambling to her feet. “You’re a nasty lady!” she squealed, bursting into tears.

  Angelica levered herself up, watching Dinah fly up the stairs. “Go after her, Jonathon. She can’t fly anywhere in that condition.”

  “Are you giving me orders?” He spun to face her, heartened beyond words she had called him Jonathon.

  “Yes I am. You said you love me, goddamn it!”

  “You drive me crazy nearly as much,” he retorted, revelling in her response.

  “Luv, luv!” Excitedly, Kylee started to dance, waving her little arms and twisting her knees like the natural dancer she was. “All we need is luv!” she shouted.

  “Kylee’s got the right idea.” Jake strode to Angelica, pulling her to her feet. “I love you. Love you. Love you,” he breathed. “You’re my every want. My every need. I want you to marry me,” he whispered in her ear. “I know this isn’t the right moment. I’m going to ask you again later.”

  “What makes you think I’m going to say yes?” She stretched out a gentle hand to touch his face.

  “We’ll see.” He looked down at her so thrillingly it evoked mental pictures of the two of them in his great bed, locked in each other’s arms.

  “Am I going to get a present for Christmas, Mr. Jake?” Kylee stopped gyrating long enough to ask.

  “Sure you are, sweetheart.” He reached out to muss her curls. “I’m going to send you a Christmas present every year. Wherever you are.” A promise he was destined to keep.

  “Oh, great!” Kylee was overwhelmed with joy, showing it in her smiling little face. “I love Christmas. I love the little Christ child. I love Mary and Joseph and the manger. I love Mummy and you and Miss. And oh yes, Clary. She’s always got something nice for me.”

  “And I’ll have something nice for you,�
� Jake murmured for Angelica alone. “Only you. Only you.”

  To Kylee’s absolute delight Mr. Jake kissed Miss. It was a lovely long kiss that went on and on. Both of them had their eyes closed.

  Exactly a year later they had their first baby. They called her Noelle. She was utterly adored. She had her father’s amber locks and right from the beginning her mother’s melting dark eyes.

  As for Jonathon and Angelica?

  Each new day filled them with fresh wonder. Coori station was once more a happy place.

  All it took was an angel.

  ISBN: 978-1-4268-8208-1

  OUTBACK ANGEL

  First North American Publication 2002.

  Copyright © 2002 by Margaret Way, Pty., Ltd.

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  All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.

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  *LEGENDS OF THE OUTBACK