The Outback Engagement

by Margaret Way

With every trip he was becoming more and more sensitive to the land’s primal splendour and its changing moods. Across the quivering Spinifex plains phantom hills thrust up towards the sky, long enticing chains of billabongs at their feet. This was a fascinating region, a riverine desert, irrigated by a maze of waterways that ran into three great rivers, the Diamantina, the Georgina and Cooper’s Creek which in turn flowed into the inland sea of salt, Katitanda, Lake Eyre in the remote desert lands. The desert tribes feared Katitanda and never went near it.

  For most of the way—they had been travelling for about thirty minutes—the two of them were silent each seemingly lost in their own thoughts. Now Courtney pointed to a line of sandstone hills that as they approached began to go through the alluring colour changes that were so unique to the Interior. The bluish-purple turned to salmon pink then closer to fiery red.

  Fascinating! Adam was captivated by the wonders of nature.

  “Have you ever seen our rock paintings?” Courtney asked.

  “To be honest, Courtney, I didn’t know Murraree had any. I know about the galleries on Sunset Downs.”

  She nodded, expertly steering the jeep across rough ground, littered with polished gibbers that sparkled in the sun. “Of course I’ve seen those when I was small, but I don’t really remember. Some station owners like to keep the galleries secret if only to protect them. Sunset’s are more important than ours. Would you like to take a look? I should warn you. It’s not easygoing.”

  He couldn’t prevent a laugh escaping. “Then how are you going to manage?” He was visualizing her petite dancer’s body climbing the rock face. At university he’d been a top athlete, track and field, but he didn’t tell her that.

  “I’m a lot tougher than I look,” she replied composedly. “I was born here, not that I was wonderfully athletic like Darcy. There was nothing she couldn’t do. I expect you’ve heard I was terrified of horses. Still am. Not terrified exactly but I like to keep my distance.”

  “I expect your father didn’t handle you as sensitively as a father should,” he said dryly.

  “Gosh no!” Courtney shuddered in memory. Some things one never forgot. Her father she often thought at such times had to be mad. “He threw Darcy on a horse and she rode. He tried to do the same with me and I screamed and screamed. Horses are so big and dangerous and so unpredictable. I remember some pretty wild ones.”

  “I could teach you how to ride if we had the time,” he said, his tone casual.

  Courtney turned her golden head in surprise. “You can ride?” He looked the ultimate sophisticated city slicker.

  His brilliant eyes mocked. “I can ride as well as I can walk. My grandparents owned a pastoral property in Central Queensland. Sheep and cattle. Not a vast station like you have here in the Channel Country but big enough to get in a lot of riding.”

  “Well, well, opportunity knocks!” she laughed. “Are your grandparents still alive?” Courtney turned her head briefly. It felt strange to be in such close proximity to him. Strange and a little scary. Exciting too. This man she knew would give her no quarter.

  “No, Courtney, I’m an orphan.” His expressive voice was a touch hard.

  “So you’ve experienced a lot of sorrow?”

  “And a lot of love.” He gave another one of his elegant shrugs. “My grandparents were very cherishing and protective. I loved them dearly. I guess my grandfather wanted me to take over the farm but he could see I needed to spread my wings. I was a good student. I did well. I decided on the law.”

  “Are you glad? Do you find it fulfilling?” She allowed her blue eyes to touch on his profile. Good forehead, good nose, good chin. His story had touched on her heart.

  “Yes and no,” he murmured. “Sometimes practising law can be a dirty business. Your job is to look after the client. The richer the client the harder the job. The rich can be very greedy. They don’t like to part with their money. It’s my job to help them hold on to as much of it as possible and still keep within the letter of the law.”

  “Sounds like you don’t admire a lot of them?”

  “Sometimes I don’t admire myself,” he said wryly. “One or two I’d like to kick out and tell them I don’t want their blasted work.”

  “I can understand that. It must be a battle to keep them honest. Curt said you have a splendid financial brain.”

  He turned his dark head, giving her such a mocking look she sucked in her breath. “I’ll look after you and your sister, Courtney.”

  “Surely you want this work?” she asked a shade tartly.

  “Yes I do, though it was more or less Curt who got me the job. Your father didn’t like me.”

  “Maybe you made him feel uneasy,” she replied. “It’s no secret my father was a rogue. The only one in the family I might add.” She pressed the only home.

  CHAPTER SIX

  THOUGH she and her flat-mate Lisa attended a gym a couple of times a week, Courtney was unashamedly puffing by the time they’d reached the first line of sandstone caves. She had to blink rapidly to keep the sweat out of her eyes. He on the other hand had climbed as lightly and skilfully as a mountain goat. Now he stood above her like Hillary at the summit of Everest, offering a hand.

  “I suppose you expect me to say thank you,” she panted, so close to him she had to grasp the front of his shirt. “You’re doing it on purpose aren’t you?”

  “Doing what?” He stared down into her enchanting face, flushed like a rose. “It was your idea, Courtney. I’ve taken it as slowly as I could.”

  “For my sake, you mean. Heck, let’s get out of the sun. It could burn a hole right through me.”

  “Do you know where you’re going?” he asked mildly enough though it struck her as sarcastic.

  “Sure I do,” she lied. Though any goose could find the hill country in thousands of kilometres of open plain, the rugged terrain was nowhere near as familiar as she had imagined. It was almost time to face it. She wasn’t sure where they were. Precisely. Heavens she’d only been ten when she left. And not an adventurous ten either. Her father had seen to that.

  Maynard was wearing one of her father’s collection of akubras and he looked sickeningly good looking, like a professional hunter out on safari. She dragged her eyes away from him looking fixedly ahead. “See that cave opening left of centre?” She played a hunch. “The one with the tree growing out of the rock face.”

  “The yellow flowers?” he questioned. Even as he spoke some gorgeous little birds arrived with fluttering wings, thrusting their beaks into the fluffy yellow balls.

  “I’m almost certain that’s one of them.” She wasn’t. The red cliff face stretched up and away like the ruins of an ancient civilisation. Thousands of building blocks glowed orange and red and salmon pink. They appeared unbroken on either side except for some horizontal cave openings that could prove to be deep or shallow.

  “And how do we go about avoiding snakes?” he asked, turning to question her. “Isn’t this the land of the reptiles, large dangerous snakes and alarming lizards?”

  “Look,” she said kindly, “the lizards might look alarming but except for the big goannas they’re quite harmless. As for the snakes, you’re a man. You do something.”

  “Right.” He bent to picked up a stout stick that was lying on the rocky ground and brandished it. “I’m no Indiana Jones.”

  “Actually he was frightened of snakes too.” She had seen all the Indiana Jones movies.

  “If I rescue you I might have to charge,” he warned her. “I’m a lawyer, don’t forget.”

  For a lawyer he looked pretty darn good in the Great Outdoors she thought wryly grateful he took the lead. He was laughing at her. Of course he was, the conceited so and so. On her mettle, Courtney scrambled after him, regretting she was no Darcy, but he laid a restraining hand on her arm. “Steady. We won’t rush into it. Surely rock wallabies take shelter in these caves?”

  “Anyone would think it was a lion!” Impulsively she started forward, trying to prove sh
e was a McIvor when a split second later an animal flew at her from out of the cave. It was snarling ferociously, yellow coat bristling, eyes golden in the dazzling sunlight.

  “Hell!” Adam breathed harshly, putting himself with remarkable speed between Courtney and the vicious predator. With one arm he swung her out of the way. She went down like a doll, legs collapsing inelegantly under her, scraping an elbow on the jumble of sharp stones.

  “Get!” Adam yelled at the snarling menace, swinging the branch at the dingo that looked like it was about to charge and fasten its teeth into some point on Adam’s long legs. He stood his ground, fixing those yellow luminous eyes with a glare of his own. “Go on, get. Scat!”

  It was obvious the cunning wild dog was in two minds. It continued to snarl, at close range a frightening and dangerous opponent. It was only a foot away muscles bunched, then seemingly in answer to Courtney’s frenzied prayers, it abruptly backed up, skidded, righted itself, then took off like a rocket. Its fast passage threw up stones and red dust until it reached the plain where it continued its mad flight. Adam helped it on its way by pelting the branch after it, his aim so accurate it hit the dingo’s flanks.

  “I wonder if it’s got mates,” he said tersely, turning to jerk Courtney to her feet. “That was damned silly! Have you hurt yourself?”

  She gave a little wail. “A bit of wounded pride, I think.”

  “Show me that.” He examined her scraped elbow. “Well there is a saying: Pride comes before the fall. That wants cleaning and some antiseptic.”

  “I’ll live.” She made a face. “Don’t tell Darcy okay?”

  He smiled, his dark face suddenly full of light. “You’re fine. You didn’t cry.”

  Her antipathy returned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  He studied her face lingeringly, something that thoroughly disconcerted and exhilarated her at one and the same time. “Not much, Courtney.” He hunched a shoulder so elegantly she began to wonder if he had French blood. “Just a passing remark.”

  “Someone told you I used to cry a lot when I was a little girl?” she questioned in an aggrieved tone.

  “So what? When your father’s idea of fun was throwing you up screaming onto the back of a horse? Well that’s it, we better go back.”

  She brought her hands to her hips. “Where’s your sense of adventure? We’ve only just arrived. That was quite a climb even if you didn’t feel it. You’re not apprehensive about meeting up with another dingo, are you?”

  “I’d be a fool if I weren’t,” he clipped off. “I’ve never seen any dog so menacing even pit bull terriers. Dingoes are killers. The truth is, I don’t want any more harm to come to you, Courtney.”

  “I thought you already had me cast as a troublemaker?” She gave him a challenging look.

  “Maybe it’s going to take me a little while to realize how truly innocent you are. Now, if you’re hell-bent on seeing whether or not you’ve led us on a wild-goose chase, which I’m beginning to think is a distinct possibility, I’ll take a look inside. You stay here.”

  “Take care you don’t bump your head,” she called sweetly, giving in to the temptation to taunt.

  “At least that won’t happen to you,” he returned.

  Smartass! It would be wonderful to grow another couple of inches. Short people were taken less seriously. She watched him bend his dark head slouch his shoulders, then disappear into the mouth of the cave.

  Moments passed. She began to feel alarm. Let’s face it, she’d sent him in there. He might meet with some harm and it would be her fault. If so she hadn’t meant it. The trip had started out to offer comfort and conciliation after his tragic disclosure.

  “Adam?” she called, sniffing the air for animal scent and staring into the cave. “Are you okay in there?”

  Silence.

  Had something awful happened? For some reason she started to think of the famous Australian story Picnic at Hanging Rock that had been made into a movie where a number of school girls had disappeared into a cave never to be seen again. Hard to think that would happen to a hard nosed, super efficient lawyer like Adam Maynard who was turning out to be rather amazing.

  She sank down a little and ventured into the cave. “Adam?” She heard the quiver in her voice. This was insane! He couldn’t just disappear.

  A hard muscular arm came around her. Held her tight. “You were a damned long time coming.”

  She collapsed against him like a souffle, feeling the thrill and the danger. At close range Adam Maynard was lethal. “Why didn’t you answer?” She gritted. Given she didn’t like the man it was bizarre how being locked in his arms turned her on.

  “I wanted to see if you’d come in after me or hotfoot it home,” he said bending his head until his mouth was close to her ear. Her hair and her skin, her whole body gave off the scent of wildflowers.

  “Only a worm would say a thing like that! You think I’m a coward?” She spun, ready to do battle only her eyes had become adjusted to the gloom. “Oh goodness!” she broke off, hostility forgotten. Still cocooned in his arms she lifted her marvelling gaze to the ceiling. “I told you. Isn’t this wonderful? And I found it.”

  “All the more incredible because I’m sure it was a fluke,” he murmured, a mocking smile on his lips.

  She ignored him. “I’m absolutely certain I’ve never been in this cave before. I’ve never seen those rock drawings.”

  “Well we’ve got that sorted out. They’re extraordinary, aren’t they?”

  “Oh yes!” she whispered, craning her neck. “Darcy must know about them.”

  “She probably does, although there must be hundreds of caves in this area. A lot could be galleries. I read somewhere they could run to tens of thousands over the country which means there must be hundreds of sites not yet seen or recorded. Some of them could be extremely important.”

  “Exactly. Listen…are you going to let me go?” she enquired sweetly, shifting her gaze to his face.

  “What man in his right mind wouldn’t let you nestle against him?” he responded, although he dropped his arms immediately. “It’s amazing, Courtney, how very enchanting you are.”

  “That sounds more than a tad sarcastic,” she said, flushing and moving away. Next he’d accuse her of trying to seduce him.

  Courtney began to wander about the softly glowing interior. The floor of the cave was yellow sand imprinted with the footsteps of small creatures. “I don’t have a clue what they mean though I can spot the mythical beings and over there the hunters with their spears.”

  “That can’t be a crocodile in the middle of the desert,” Adam examined an incised drawing.

  “Sure looks like one,” Courtney said drolly, daring to return to his side. “The kangaroos are ten times as big. Giants. Maybe they’re dinosaurs. They found the fossilized bones of a huge dinosaur not all that far from here.” The paintings were executed in ochres, red, yellow, white, black, a dark charcoal. The ceiling was covered and two walls. “Look, Adam, that’s a fishing scene and those are turtles.” She took care not to pollute the drawings with her hands.

  “Such a wealth of aboriginal culture!” he murmured, pondering the drawings. “These drawings must be incredibly old.”

  “Yet the colours are so bright you’d think no one had ever seen them or disturbed them.”

  “Apart from the likes of our dingo friend and a few assorted lizards and snakes.”

  All in all the cave was a mass of drawings. To Courtney’s mind they gave off a curious energy. There were stick people in hunting scenes, mammals, birds, fish, what appeared to be a crocodile and the long undulating outlines of many snakes including the legendary Rainbow Snake.

  “This is quite an experience,” Adam said, after they had given the cave a total inspection. “What’s the betting we can find it again?”

  He was wearing that mocking smile again. “As far as I’m concerned, you’re a dark horse, Adam Maynard,” she said. “I had you pinned as a city slicker but I b
et you know your way around the bush.”

  He made a mock bow. “That depends on whether I’m following you or not, Courtney. You’re a wonderful guide and it’s not just your driving.”

  “I’m a good driver,” she bristled. “I’ve never lost a single point.”

  “Congratulations. Me neither. But then I’m a lawyer. Lawyers have to be on their best behaviour. Especially when they’re your lawyer.”

  “When you’re really yearning to be something different,” she said quietly

  There was a short somewhat charged silence. “Ah, you’ve found me out.”

  “Just a thought.” His brilliant gaze made her restless. “You’ve no wife to worry about.”

  “A huge saving!” His voice was infuriatingly sardonic. “I’ve seen too many people make mistakes and pay for it. Which is not to say any day now I couldn’t find myself madly in love.”

  “I doubt that will happen,” Courtney eyed him critically. “You’re too comfortable with yourself. And your skills.”

  “Nothing I’m sure a good woman couldn’t change.”

  His eyes rested on her. In the heat her gilded curls clung to her scalp, emphasizing the perfect shape of her skull. The glow within the cave lent her skin a pearl like luminescence. It would be difficult indeed for any man to resist her charms, he thought soberly. He found himself understanding how her father had derived such comfort from her presence. Had she worked it that way? The last light he saw. There were so many questions that would never be answered.

  You know what you’ve got to do. A voice inside his head said. You have to get out of here before some kind of madness overtakes you. Remember your position of trust and responsibility.

  Adam took her arm lightly, on the surface utterly self-possessed, but his fingers had a life of their own. For a mere instant they traced her creamy skin, savouring the satiny texture.

  Courtney’s breath caught. Her blood turned to steam. She hadn’t planned on anything like this. Events were slipping beyond her control. She didn’t like that. No less than her sister she had been strongly influenced by her parents’ traumatic breakup.