Mystic Mountains

by Tricia McGill

  Welcoming his heavy weight she circled his body with her arms, returning the kiss in full measure.

  "It's been so long," he said, dropping kisses all over her face.

  "Aye." It had. It seemed a lifetime since she'd known the ecstasy of his lovemaking.

  "I'm dying for you. I need to be inside you. Can I please make love to you, Bella?"

  Speechless, she pulled back to stare hard at him. Her head moved in a small nod of acceptance. That was the first time Tiger had ever asked for anything. It was her undoing.

  Silently he made love to her beside the fire, while a short distance away the men laughed and talked. One of them played on a makeshift pipe, and the haunting melody wove itself around Isabella's heart, imprinted itself on her memory as the taste and feel of Tiger had and always would.

  He caressed her with a kind of reverence, his strong hands tracing a path over her body as he unclothed her. How sweet it was to feel his touch again; to share in the wonder only he could conjure.

  Night birds called above them, and the air was filled with the scents of wild blossoms as he touched her, kissed her, gently at first, then with growing passion. The surroundings dissolved, leaving just the two of them in a world of their own making, a world where the senses ruled.

  Without being conscious of when or how it happened they were naked in each other's arms. Tiger's hands and mouth sought out every pleasure point, making her moan and writhe as he brought her slowly to a wondrous pinnacle of desire. Their lovemaking was fiery and wild, tender yet fierce. Only Tiger could excite her so, bring every sense alive. Their bodies fitted together like two parts of a whole.

  "Touch me," he insisted, taking her hand and pressing it to where he throbbed with blatant need. Isabella obeyed, thrilling again to the excitement of sharing such intimacies with the only man she would ever love. Perhaps tomorrow she would have doubts, but for this one moment out of time she was his. And he was hers alone.

  With a groan, he pressed his hand over hers. "Enough," he whispered hoarsely, rolling her onto her back and sliding inside her. "I never realized what I was asking of you. You drive me to insanity with your touch, my sweet witch."

  If she drove him to insanity, it was nothing compared to the effect he had on her. As he rose and fell with an exquisite rhythm, she met his every thrust, abandoning herself to the supreme joy, the absolute pleasure gained when two hearts soared to the place only lovers ever reached. To where the world dissolved and all cares were cast aside.

  When Isabella returned to earth, they lay staring wordlessly at each other for what seemed like an eternity, each stroking the other's face. He seemed reluctant to separate their bodies, still keeping her imprisoned with his weight as he brushed back her damp hair, dropping small kisses on her nose, cheeks and eyelids. Isabella sighed. It had been a long time since she'd known such peace; perhaps she never had known it before.

  But then Lily's coarse laughter invaded the idyll. The sharp sound grated on Isabella's nerves, bringing her back to her senses. Remorse and shame hit her. She tried to push Tiger away, but he refused to budge, holding her imprisoned with his body.

  "What is it?" he asked, a note of uncertainty clouding his tone.

  "What is it? How can you ask? I'm no better than Lily," she snapped. "Get off me." She thumped at his arm, but he still would not allow her up.

  "Don't ever lump yourself in with that doxie." He went onto his elbows, relieving her of most of his weight, and gave her an exasperated look. "I told you long ago that I changed my ideas about that."

  Isabella made a soft sound of derision, then forcefully pushed again at his shoulders. This time he rolled away.

  "Bella, don't go," he begged, catching hold of her by the wrist. With his thumb he traced a circle on the place where her pulse thrummed.

  "You took advantage of me while I was in a low state," she shot at him in a fierce whisper, knowing she talked nonsense.

  "I took advantage?" With a soft curse he let her go. She felt around for the clothes she'd so carelessly discarded. "You were as eager for me as I for you. It's always been so between us and always will be."

  Isabella pulled her dress over her head. "No, Tiger. Don't touch me again, do you hear? Why is it you do this to me?"

  "I do nothing to you that you don't desire as much as I. Stay Bella, please."

  Isabella knew she must ignore the thread of pleading in his voice, or be lost again. She could not let him own her body as he already owned her soul. How could she let him take her over every time he so decided?

  For one brief moment she stared down at him, at his magnificent flesh gleaming in the moonlight, then, clutching the rest of her garments to her breast, she ran.

  He was tugging his breeches on as she went into her tent. She ignored his soft call, pressing her palms to her ears as she lay beside Tim and Agnes.

  In the name of heaven, what was wrong with her? The answer to that was simple. He was in her blood same as he swore she was in his. How could she ever fight something as inevitable as day following night?

  * * *

  Tiger was at her side the moment she emerged bleary-eyed from the tent the next morning. She'd had little sleep.

  "You can't ignore me forever, Bella." He stepped closer until she could feel his breath, warm and sweet, on her face. Abruptly she turned away. He pulled her around with a gentle hand on her chin. "You may think you can pretend nothing happened between us, but eventually you'll have to face up to it, we were meant to be lovers, always were."

  "Nothing much happened between us. We lay together like a pair of rutting animals, that's all." Isabella pulled away, turning to avoid his penetrating gaze. Hands on hips she watched Tim as he helped Agnes to prepare his morning meal of wheat cake spread with butter and honey. "You do something to me that makes me lose my commonsense, but it'll not happen again, I assure you."

  Tiger sighed roughly. "That's what you said last time. Time you faced up to it same as I have, Bella. We were meant to be together." He touched her arm, but she pulled back sharply.

  "Nonsense. I feel so ashamed of myself I want to scrub and scrub my body until I've got rid of every trace of you."

  Tiger ran a finger down her cheek, and she jumped out of his way as if touched by a hot poker.

  "You never will. I'm part of you same as you're part of me. Without the other we're nothing. Why not admit it. I have. And I'm not ashamed." He gave her a half smile.

  "You don't know the word. You have no shame. How could you take advantage of me with Dougal just dead?"

  "Don't be a hypocrite, Bella. Dougal hadn't been a proper husband to you in years and you know it. Perhaps he never was a proper husband. He certainly wasn't a good one. And never accuse me of taking advantage of you. You were with me every step of the way."

  "Yes, proving I'm no better than the whore you think me," she said tightly.

  Tiger sighed. "Let's not go over the same boring path again and again. I gave up thinking that of you long ago. You're my woman, always have been, so just own up to it." Tiger grasped her upper arms

  "Never." She struggled until he freed her.

  "Now that's a long time." He glanced about. The wagons were almost ready to move, everybody watching the two of them with interest. "We can't talk with this mob eyeing us. We'll sort this out later."

  "There's nothing to sort out. Will you never learn? You gave up all rights to me on the day you let me wed Dougal. Just leave me be."

  Isabella went to get some tea and damper. Thelma gave her a look that said she knew exactly what had gone between her and Tiger last night, but said not a word about it.

  "Looks like the weather's clearing up," she said instead, looking to the sky.

  "Aye." Isabella nodded absently. Why did the infuriating man have to set her emotions on such a seesaw? Only a fool would believe him when he said he'd faced up to his feelings for her. No, it would be better for her by far to imagine their passionate loving last night had been brought on by his need to sl
ake his lust on any woman.

  There was no time for talking the rest of the day or the next as they went up and down steep hills that seemed never ending, the going so slow they managed only about eight miles each day. Everyone was so worn out at nightfall that once the food was eaten they all went off to their tents to sleep.

  Isabella made certain she wasn't alone with Tiger for a moment, and when she saw him eyeing her, scurried to the tent she shared with Agnes and Tim.

  They began to climb what Tiger assured them was the last hill. It was so steep and long it took hours to get to the top, the horses having to help the bullocks once again. How this trip would have been managed without them Isabella didn't know. More small trees were lopped to wedge beneath the back wheels as they'd done before to prevent the drays and wagons sliding backwards.

  The view when they reached the top made everyone gasp in awe.

  "Now, wasn't it worth it?" Tiger asked as he gazed at the vista before them, the light of the conqueror filling his eyes. "This is the Sidmouth Valley. Have you ever seen such beautiful country?"

  Isabella had to admit she hadn't. Lush pastures stretched to the horizon, shimmering green after the rains, with more hills in the distance, trees marching up their slopes.

  But instead of telling him what she thought, she asked, "When will this awful journey be over?" She was sick to her bones of the jolting and wearisome hours spent on the wagon. They'd been on the road for eighteen days.

  "Not long now. Our journey over the mountains is over, Bella. Soon we'll be on our land. Imagine it."

  He gave her one of those beguiling smiles that always managed to send her insides into a spin. But she refused to let him see how he affected her.

  "Your land. Mine is further on."

  "Our land," he repeated before he rode off.

  She shrugged. Let him pretend she would stay with him if he so wished, but her mind was made up. The land was Tim's now Dougal and Dougie were gone. She would work it if she died in the attempt, ensuring Tim's future.

  "Beautiful country," she said scornfully to Johnny a short time later when they reached the foot of the incline into the valley and met a swamp they had to cross to reach a place where they could rest up. The bullocks struggled through the morass, and flying insects plagued the humans. As Isabella wiped sweat from her face she called Tiger Carstairs every horrible name she could summon for dragging them here.

  Then they went up and down so many hills their bones began to feel as if they would break with the jolting.

  But at last they came to country where the tree-covered hills sloped gently. They went over the plains named after Governor Macquarie, before crossing the Fish River and onto the Plains of Bathurst.

  It rained again and turned cold. Isabella shivered as she pulled her coat about her.

  "Soon be all over, missus, then we'll laugh when we remember all the trouble we had," Johnny said, grinning, as they neared Bathurst.

  "Something tells me that our troubles have only just begun, Johnny," she argued. "At least we had a roof over our heads back in Sydney. We'll be living in those blessed tents until a house is built. I'm sick to death of living like a shepherd."

  "Chin up, missus. It's gonna be a good life once the boss gets it all sorted out, you'll see."

  Johnny had immeasurable faith in Tiger. Isabella pursed her lips. Yes, Tiger would sort it all out. Didn't he solve all their problems?

  Sweet heavens, but didn't he make more for her as well.

  * * *

  Disappointment filled Isabella. The township of Bathurst was nonexistent. The town site was inaugurated in 1815 but so far had not been surveyed.

  "So, we'll be the only ones here, apart from the ten who were given grants back in 1818," she said when her first shock waned.

  "No, Bella, of course we won't," Tiger insisted. "Cox got a grant for building the road, and there's Thomas and Elizabeth Hawkins who came over last year. He took charge of the commissariat. George Ranken, I heard, has just finished building his home on his two thousand acre grant. These folk will be our neighbors. Once we get settled in they'll be only too glad to have us visit them."

  "It sounds quite crowded."

  Tiger grunted at her sarcasm.

  While they made camp for the night he crossed the Macquarie River to report their arrival to the Commandant.

  His eagerness when he returned was palpable as he strode back and forth. A flame, far brighter than the fire, burned in his eyes. Long after Isabella went to her tent she heard him pacing about.

  At daybreak he urged the men to get the horses and bullocks into harness so they could be on their way.

  * * *

  "There, that's my grant." Pride filled Tiger's voice when they stopped at the boundary of his land. Studying the map once again, he nodded, breathing in deeply as he looked about him. "Have you ever seen such fertile pasture?"

  Lush meadows stretched before them, a fresh and verdant carpet. Along the horizon behind them the mountains shimmered in their haze of blue. Isabella found it hard to believe they'd crossed their mighty heights. If not for this proud and stubborn man it would have been impossible.

  Tiger dismounted, reverently patting the smooth silvery trunk of a ghostly eucalyptus tree. He bent to run his fingers through the grass, seeming to savor its feel as if praising the Lord for the good fortune that brought him here.

  "We'll build up yonder, away from the river flats," he declared, grinning up at her as he gestured to a plateau on a gently rising slope. "Then we need not fear that the river will flood us when it runs high. Right, we'll make camp there." He pointed to a rise. "It's not too far from the river to make hard work of carrying water. I'll dig you a well, Bella, as soon as we get settled."

  Her heart dropped; she would remind him later she had no intention of staying with him long enough for that eventuality.

  The men set to straight away erecting the tents, unloading the drays and wagons. Fortunately the weather stayed fine while temporary shelters were built to store the provisions.

  Two days later the teamsters left with their bullocks and drays to return to Sydney.

  There was a shortage of heavy timber within easy reach. Undaunted, Tiger had the men cutting slabs of sod and turf for the walls of the huts they built. Reeds grew in abundance along the banks of the river. These were used for thatching the roofs.

  Every hour was filled with activity and the days sped by. By sundown each day everyone was exhausted. Isabella retreated at nightfall to the hut she shared with Agnes and Tim. And kept out of Tiger's way as much as possible.

  Chapter Thirty One

  By the time the first land was cleared to plant crops Isabella knew for certain she was pregnant. They’d celebrated Christmas and just started the New Year of 1824.

  "Oh Thelma, what a fool I am," she bemoaned to her friend. "Why do I let him do this to me?"

  "Perhaps God intended it," Thelma said, unsurprised by the news, it seemed. "A new life to take the place of the little one you lost. You need a baby to care for, Bella. You've only been half alive since little Dougie went."

  Isabella knew that was true. The only time she'd been truly alive was in Tiger's arms.

  Tiger was hard at work with the men each day, clearing land, planting crops, overseeing the care of the flock and herd. The cows they'd brought with them were in calf, and he planned to buy a stud bull so he could start building a dairy herd. So, it wasn't until one day near April he noticed Isabella's changing shape.

  "My God, you're with child," he exclaimed in a rare moment when they were alone. Grasping her shoulders he stared at her, demanding, "Why didn't you tell me?"

  "It has nothing to do with you." Fidgeting, she tried to get away, but he tightened his hold, shaking her gently. "I intend to take Tim and be off to my own place just as soon as you can spare some of the men to come along with me."

  "Nothing to do with me?" He swore fluently. "What is the matter with you, woman? 'Tis mine and it will stay where it bel
ongs, same as you will."

  "Oh no I will not. You don't own me any more, as I pointed out before. I will go off as Dougal and I intended. I'll need to stay here until the baby's born for I need Thelma's help, but then I'm going, Tiger, and you'll not stop me." Tossing her head she scowled down at her bonnet when it fell to the ground.

  "We'll see about that. Why do you fight me all the time? Ye gods—you're a thorn in my side, that's what you are."

  "In that case you won't mind seeing the back of me."

  Isabella glanced at him then quickly looked away. Sweat streaked his bare chest. With so much heavy labor his body was more powerful than ever, his muscles well honed, his skin tanned. The golden hairs on his chest glinted. Isabella licked her lips as she tried to conceal the emotions that forever sizzled inside her when he was near.

  Tiger saw the small movement of her tongue over her lips and stifled another groan. She was driving him mad with wanting. The woman wouldn't let him within ten feet most of the time. Being so close to her and not being able to take her in his arms was a kind of torture. He should just ignore her arguments and take her to his bed regardless of what she thought.

  She wanted him, he knew it. Damn her pride, and damn himself for making her like this.

  "You'll not get any men to go with you. They have no wish to set out again to start building when they're comfortably settled here. And I wouldn't allow them to go with you anyway. The convicts have no say in it and the free men are happy where they are. Agnes is the only one who's likely to want to go with you, and the two of you can hardly set out on your own. Tim stays with me, and the new baby's mine too. So that settles it. Unless you want to go alone, just you and Agnes after this one's born, then you're free to go."

  "Damnation on you, Tiger. I'll go, and I'll take Tim, just you see if I don't."