by Margaret Way
Darcy was shown everything, samples of this and that, colour charts, beautiful swatches for draperies and sofas, so many she was dizzy. The major rooms were to be tackled first. Hugh with his all-seeing creative eyes took in the crumbling beauty, the genteel shabbiness and the mad jostling of paintings and furniture without comment. Darcy expected he would be dismayed with what he saw, but to her surprise he expressed the opinion they were really going to like the homestead when he had finished.
“You have so many marvellous things!” Harriet was heard to murmur.
“We’ll need painters, plasterers, plumbers, and I would suggest you might like to think of hiring a good landscape designer to begin certain clearing and restoration of the home gardens which could look magnificent,” Hugh said, not seriously expecting they would disagree. “I know an excellent design company should you decide to include the garden as well. I think you should.”
“And spend more money?” Darcy whispered to her sister as they walked out onto the verandah that morning. Darcy was rapidly coming to the realisation she had grown up with Scrooge.
“Curt gave us a free hand.” Courtney reminded her, accompanying Darcy to the station jeep. “I know you’re a bit apprehensive but nothing has been done for years and years. Look at it this way, it’s not as though money is tight. Father left a fortune. He might have set a limit to our personal spending but that’s not going to stop us from bringing the homestead back to life. Did you know there are some wonderful chandeliers in the attic? Big antique mirrors, Persian rugs all rolled up with mothballs. Furniture.”
“Goodness, I thought we had enough.” Darcy commented wryly.
Courtney’s face was full of light. It was obvious she was having a lot of fun. “We’ll only use the best. Hugh wants to bring back the homestead’s soul. He’s a sensitive man. He must have felt the house had lost it. And oh, the ideas when it’s time to get around to the kitchen!” She stood there smiling up into her sister’s face.
“I’m so glad you’re here, Courtney,” Darcy said, feeling she would never have the time to oversee such an operation. “I can see you’re getting a thrill out of it. So am I. Don’t think I’m not. It’s very pleasant and informative to listen to creative people talk, but I have to keep doing my job which is taking care of the station.”
“So what’s on the agenda today?” Courtney asked.
“A burn off,” Darcy said, staring up at the brilliantly enamelled blue sky. “Murraree carries huge areas of spinifex. Tom and I have picked out some areas for the burn. The cattle love the spinifex short and green so the place will benefit from a selective burn.”
“You’ve got men to control it?”
“Of course.” Darcy nodded calmly. “The big muster in another month. All the clean skins have to be brought in. They like to hide away in the swamps.” She nibbled her bottom lip. “I have to talk to Curt about replacing the Bell helicopter. It’s had its day. We want the muster all over by Christmas.”
“Most of the work on the house will be finished by then,” Courtney said, her blue eyes kindling with excitement. “Have you time to fit in another riding lesson this afternoon, or too busy?”
“I’ll make it,” Darcy tipped her akubra further over her eyes. “You should be very happy with your progress. You’ve done the groundwork. I know Zack usually has the horses ready and waiting but I feel tacking up is all part of the learning process.”
“And it’s fun,” Courtney said. “Every lesson is fun. It was the exact opposite with Father. I’ll never to able to ride like you though. You look marvellous in the saddle.”
“It takes time to achieve excellence. I’ve had enough practice,” Darcy said, but in truth she was a natural with an inbuilt love and understanding of horses. “By the way,” Darcy turned back. “There are excellent carpenters and jack of all trades on the station to help out. I’ll round them up and send them up to the house. Hugh can speak to them. See if they can handle what’s required.”
“Great!” Courtney gave a delighted little laugh. “We’ll have plenty to report to the men when they show up.”
“Curt will be a week or two in the Territory,” Darcy reminded her. “He’s pretty heavily involved in a take-over.”
“But he’ll be back.” Courtney waved happily. “And won’t he see some changes! That superior being, Adam, too. I can’t wait to surprise him.”
Over the following six weeks workmen swarmed all over the ground floor of the homestead. Painters. Plasterers. Carpenters. Electricians. The two magnificent matching chandeliers went up in the drawing room. A little harassed after the quietness of her life Darcy found herself tripping over drop sheets. They lay everywhere. There were constant loud noises what with workmen calling to one another, machines in operation, ladders being shifted, and clanging buckets. Darcy found she was quite pleased to go off on her rounds and leave her sister to it.
It worked extremely well that Courtney was the domesticated one. She thrived on it. She liked to talk to the workmen, very pleasantly as Darcy always noticed, but still ensuring she got the best out of them. Courtney was a great communicator which was probably why she’d won her former job. Now and again Darcy asked her if she missed it, but the answer was always a resounding, no!
Harriet, a little more talkative without her boss, had returned with all the new drapes. They were hung in the drawing room, the formal dining room and at the French doors of the adjoining library. Without question, they instantly transformed each room. This was before the new custom made sofas arrived and the furniture was rearranged. Many pieces were ruthlessly dispatched to the attic while other pieces were brought down.
When Curt arrived back on Sunset from the Territory he only took a day to fly over to check out progress. “Well I’ll be damned!” He stood staring around the drawing room, clearly impressed. “What a transformation! My mother just has to see this.”
“She will, she will!” Darcy promised while Courtney stood there smiling to herself.
The elegant Harriet who thus far hadn’t given the impression of much joie de vivre, now surprised the sisters with a dramatic sea change. She trailed Curt wherever he went, her face tilted to his, eager and expectant, savouring all his comments as if they were meant only for her.
“I think she’s met her perfect man,” Courtney whispered to Darcy behind her hand.
“If she keeps it up I think I’ll throw something at her,” Darcy returned, half amused, half outraged, by Harriet’s flirtatious manner with her man. “I don’t know whether you realize it but it seems Hugh—never mind us—had very little input.” Harriet now had hold of Curt’s arm steering him through to the library.
“Can you believe this woman?” Courtney was reduced to the giggles. “She’s hardly had two words to say to us, but she’s all over Curt. I suggest we get in there.”
Darcy only nodded, wondering if any woman could keep a man like Curt entirely to herself.
Later on she and Curt took the jeep down to one of the yards where Charlie Big Hawk, the best of the aboriginal stockmen was breaking in the pick of the brumbies. Horses are not inherently rideable. Horse breaking is a highly skilled task involving mouthing, riding and educating. When they arrived at the yard Charlie was transmitting instructions in a soft melodious voice to a fine looking chestnut. “Slow down, stop, turn left, turn right, back up.” It was all done via the reins to the bit in the mouth.
“There’s one out of a station mare that got away,” Curt said instantly.
“I can tell you which mare,” Darcy said. “It was Lady Luck. She never did come back.”
“It’s behaving well for a wild horse.” Curt narrowed his eyes against the dust and glare.
“Charlie has streamlined his job. He’s a master. And no you can’t have him. Charlie always hands over well mouthed horses that can be easily handled. We’ve both seen plenty of wild horses who won’t let anyone get near them.”
Curt nodded absently. “The rogues. Bite, rear, strike out savagely. Ev
ery station has had occasional serious injury. Terrified horses wild or not are very dangerous creatures. How’s Courtney going with the riding lessons?” He turned to face her. She looked beautiful, aglow with health and nowhere near as vulnerable as she had been with McIvor around.
“She’s doing quite well,” Darcy said, smiling. “She sits correctly. She’s got good balance and she’s mastered all the basic aids. The great thing is she’s getting pleasure out of it and I’m getting pleasure out of seeing how well she’s doing.”
“So you’ve bonded?” Curt asked gently.
She raised her head and looked at him. “Marvellously well. She is my sister after all. At first I was determined to keep my distance, but it didn’t work out that way.”
“Because you’re a generous person,” Curt said. “I know there are lots of things going on in your life at the moment, but what about us?” She could see the powerful feeling in his green eyes.
“You won’t believe how I’ve missed you,” she said.
“So what are we going to do about it?” He lifted a farewell hand to Charlie then drew Darcy away to the shade of the trees. “I need you, Darcy. I’ve waited long enough. When I lost you I thought there was something that had gone bitterly wrong. You’ve as good as admitted that yourself. I know your father was somehow to blame but even a father shouldn’t be able to come between a man and woman in love.”
“He’s gone now, Curt,” she said the old feelings of guilt and grief abruptly rolling over her.
“I wish you could talk about it.”
She looked back at him helplessly. “I just can’t.” Her mind veered away from direct confrontation. Not now when things were going so well.
“All right,” he sighed. “I don’t know what your father could ever have said or done for you to change your mind about me.”
“It’s over, Curt. That part of my life is over.”
“My poor sweet Darcy!” He lifted her hand and kissed it. “Just as well I want you so desperately.”
She looked up at him gravely, her aquamarine eyes blazing in the gold of her face. “You want to marry me?”
“Don’t you agree with marriage?” he asked with a twisted smile. “I don’t want you for my mistress, Darcy. I want us to be together always. I want you to be the mother of my children.”
That shook her badly. The emotional tears welled into her eyes. If she could have changed anything in the world it would have been not to have lost their child. “If only we could go back in time,” she grieved.
He stared at her, a puzzled man for a very long time. “You talk in riddles, Darcy. I’ve never learned that skill. It troubles me there’s so much left unspoken. Sometimes I think I can’t endure it. All I know is, one day things were perfect for us. I remember I had to take a trip to Brisbane for Dad. When I came back you were in one hell of a state. You told me you didn’t want to see me any more. My sense of emptiness was profound. Can’t you understand that? Didn’t you owe me some kind of explanation.”
Vivid rose stained her skin. “I promised you. One day I’d tell you the full story.”
“And I have to be content with that?” he asked in utter frustration.
“I’m begging you,” she said, feeling too heavily at peril.
He stared at her, his handsome face suddenly losing colour. “I couldn’t have got you pregnant, could I? No, of course not.” He shook his head, half closing his eyes at the very idea. “You would have told me.”
It was her moment, but at the sheer disbelief in his expression, she lost her nerve. “Yes,” she said, when she meant: Yes, I should have told you.
“Don’t make it another long wait, Darcy,” he warned. “I’m tired of waiting.” He shifted his hands to her shoulders. “Do you love me or do you only love me when you’re locked in my arms?”
She turned ardent eyes on him. “I’ve always loved you, Curt. There’s never been anyone else for me.” She stared up at him intently. “Are you sure there hasn’t been someone for you?” Someone with a waterfall of smooth dark hair and a delicate coltish body.
He answered quite matter-of-factly. “I’ve had my affairs, Darcy,” he said not shifting his gaze. “You know that. It was only because I couldn’t get any love out of you. For that matter you allowed a couple of guys to come courting.”
“Maybe, but it was always you,” she said softly. “Always you.” She didn’t care who was watching. She wrapped her arms around him.
“That’s good, because you’ll never be free of me,” Curt vowed. “What if we announce our engagement at Christmas? That will give everyone a little time to figure out their plans. You’ll want to tell Courtney though I don’t think she’ll be in the least surprised. Married before June because I have to tell you I can’t hold out any longer.”
It was a struggle to recover her breath. It was pretty miraculous to have a second chance. “But Christmas is almost upon us,” she laughed.
“All the better. I need to get a brand on you, don’t I?” he purred. “My woman.”
“Darcy Berenger.” It wasn’t the first time she’d tried that name out on her tongue. “Dad knew this was going to happen.” The irony of it when he had laboured to keep them apart.
“I’d say he was banking on it.” Curt had an edge to his voice. “I wasn’t to have you when he was alive, but he was perfectly agreeable to my having you after he was gone. By the way I’ve never been able to keep secrets from my mother. She’s always known how I feel about you. Once I’m married she wants to go and live with Aunt Patricia. They want to travel. Mum has a big itinerary lined up and so has Pat. She has a very clever granddaughter living in New York. Pat adores her.”
“But what of Courtney?” Darcy suddenly came down to earth. She wouldn’t be unable to live happily ever after if Courtney were left on her own. “I’ve only just found her. I can’t let her go.”
“Of course not,” Curt tutted. “I don’t want you to let her go either. But she can’t come on our honeymoon. Besides, I don’t think Courtney will be on her own long,” he added, a smile in his voice.
“Do you know something I don’t know?” Darcy searched his face.
“She and Adam have something going haven’t they?” he asked, with a lift of one brow.
“Adam? Are you mad? She doesn’t even like him.”
“Oh really?” Curt put his arm around her shoulder, feeling a near primitive sense of possession. He led her back to the jeep. “It seemed to me there’s a lot of unfinished business there. I could be wrong. We’ll see. I’ve already invited him for the polo weekend. You and Courtney are staying over, of course. We’re the hosts.”
“That’ll be lovely,” Darcy breathed, her emotions running at full throttle.
He looked down at her, “What do you say we go somewhere where I can kiss you senseless.”
She coloured and touched his cheek. “That sounds wonderful. What about Crystal Creek?”
“Perfect!” His voice had the deep seductive tones of a lover.
The polo crowd was out in force. Many had been invited to the gala ball in Sunset’s Great Hall, others had come from near and far to watch the fastest game in the world and enjoy the lavish nonstop refreshments. Kath Berenger was a marvellous hostess—It was something at which she’d had plenty of practice so the day went wonderfully well.
Unlike tennis where no novice would ever be paired with a champion, polo was different. Teams were generally matched according to the aggregate handicap of individuals so newcomers to the game often found themselves competing with seasoned performers like Curt, a very colourful player indeed and several of his friends, scions of the various stations.
So it came to happen Curt’s team against every probability lost. If he was disappointed—Curt liked to win—he didn’t show the least bit of rancour and was notably kind to the lanky six-foot-three novice who would one day develop into an excellent player.
“Don’t they look gorgeous! Absolutely superb!” A showy young brunette with a chee
ky short haircut gushed. Barbra Vaughn had attached herself to the McIvor party although she’d been invited by Lara Rankin of neighbouring Cobalt Downs.
To her great surprise, if not pleasure—they had not been friends—Courtney had met up with Barbra outside one of the marquees. Barbra had lost out to Courtney for the public relations job and been pretty spiteful about it afterwards. As chance would have it Barbra had been invited out for the long week-end by Lara. It appeared they had gone to boarding school together. Courtney was sure it was Barbra who kept up the friendship. Barbra had been quite a name dropper. Courtney remembered she had once remarked when all the girls were out to lunch she only wanted to know people who were “on the up and up.” The Rankins were a well known family in the Channel Country.
Barbra remained with them for quite a while playing up to Adam who was looking like some exclusive ad for men’s designer clothes, expressing surprise and delight he was going to be at the ball. Barbra was too.
“You’ve made a conquest there,” Courtney told him afterwards, watching her sister go up to Curt and kiss him on the cheek. She was feeling keenly it wouldn’t be all that much longer before Darcy and Curt decided they couldn’t remain apart. So where did that leave her? The sheer strangeness of life hit her. She had only found her sister to lose her. But no matter what she was going to stay on Murraree. It was her home. She was praying Darcy might eventually come around to allowing their mother to visit.
“What’s the matter?” Adam asked, a questioning lift to his brow. The sun shining through the trees turned Courtney’s hair to spun gold. She was wearing a luminous yellow outfit that looked perfect on her. A sleeveless top with a low round neck, the bodice adorned with little bows down the front, the skirt gently flowing. There couldn’t have been a more feminine woman. Was she aware of the picture she made, so exquisitely beautiful people automatically smiled when they looked at her. Aware of it and clever enough to exploit it?
“Why nothing,” she evaded, unwilling to share her thoughts with this enigmatic man.
