Six Australian Heroes. Margaret Way
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she’s only twenty-two, your sister-in-law,’ Rhiannon said.
‘That’s—what? A whole four years younger than you?’
Rhiannon shrugged. ‘She can’t help it if she hasn’t had some tough times yet. She also,’ she hesitated, ‘well, apparently she doesn’t like it up here.’ She stopped awkwardly.
‘Go on.’
‘No, it’s nothing to do with me. Look, I’ve really got an awful lot to—’
‘You wondered what she’s doing stuck up here?’
‘Well, yes,’ Rhiannon confessed.
‘It suits me to have someone legitimate in residence,’ he said thoughtfully. ‘And, since you’re bound to work this out for yourself, Mary and my brother need something real to settle them into marriage rather than the erratic course Mary had in mind.’
‘Erratic?’ Rhiannon stared at him.
‘She wanted to live in Brisbane or on the coast and continue her career.’
‘I hesitate to say this but most women have that ambition in regard to their careers these days.’
They exchanged glances, hers combative, his amused.
He said, ‘Before you label me a male chauvinist, I agree that’s the way it is these days but—’
‘You don’t have to approve, you were going to say?’ she interrupted tartly. ‘That’s almost the same thing.’
‘Don’t put words into my mouth, Rhiannon,’ he advised coolly. ‘I was going to say that, if Mary had wanted to continue her career and her particular lifestyle, she should have at least taken into consideration Matt’s side of the story before she married him.’
‘Which is?’ Rhiannon raised a cool eyebrow at him.
‘A lot of responsibility and a heavy workload.’
‘Could he not handle that from a milieu she’s more at home in, though?’ Rhiannon queried.
‘Yes, possibly he could, but after he’s taken six months off to take her around the world on an extended, expensive honeymoon by anyone’s standards, wouldn’t you consider that some time spent living where he wants to live and showing some interest in the Richardson side of things would be appropriate?’
Rhiannon rubbed the bridge of her nose.
‘She is also pregnant,’ he murmured.
Rhiannon heaved a sigh. ‘Maybe you’re right—in theory. But theories don’t always work with living, breathing people and I’m just relieved—’ she smiled ruefully ‘—it’s not my problem.’ She gestured a little helplessly.
‘You wouldn’t have that problem yourself?’
She frowned. ‘What problem?’
‘You wouldn’t find living at Southall a penance?’
‘A penance?’ She looked at him as if he were mad. ‘The opposite, if anything.’ She stood up. ‘Be that as it may, about the party.’
He sat up. ‘Yes. About the party. I’m sure your thoughts on the subject are invaluable, Rhiannon.’
She grimaced, then reminded herself she had a job to do, and do it to the best of her ability she would.
‘Well, I’ve got the food under control. Most of it can be prepared this afternoon, so it only needs heating up tomorrow. But rather than using the dining room I suggest we use the east veranda. It’s big enough to dance on and house the DJ.’
‘True. We also have some standard gas heaters to warm it up if necessary.’
‘Oh, good! And Sharon has told me she’s got two extra pairs of hands for tomorrow to help in the kitchen. But what may be a problem with so many people is the lack of waiters. I haven’t worked out how to handle that.’
‘Uh—Cliff used to double as a waiter sometimes for my mother. He also used to set things up, tables and so on, for outside parties. I’m sure he’d be happy to do the same for you. And he has a friend he used to rope in—I’ll organise that. As a matter of fact, I agree to it all on one condition.’
‘What’s that?’ She looked at him abstractedly, her mind on the million things she had to do.
‘That you come to the party as a guest rather than lurking behind the scenes.’
This time she not only looked it but also said it as her gaze snapped back into focus. ‘You must be mad!’
He shook his head.
‘I won’t have a moment to spare!’
‘You will have staff,’ he pointed out. ‘You’ve just told me about Sharon’s arrangements and that most of the cooking will be done earlier.’
‘Mr Richardson—Lee, I don’t want to do this!’
He shrugged. ‘Then we’ll call it off.’
‘The party?’
‘What else?’ he enquired drily.
She stared at him, totally nonplussed and with the distinct impression she’d run into a brick wall. It also caused her to wonder how secure the rest of this assignment would be if she tried to dig in her heels but she made one last despairing effort.
‘I don’t have anything to wear!’
‘Thus work the minds of women,’ he murmured and Rhiannon could have killed herself for making such a feeble objection. ‘I’m sure Mary could help out,’ he added.
‘No, don’t do that! I … this … wfty?’ she asked intently.
‘I feel your influence will be better exerted from the front line rather than behind the scenes.’
‘You make me feel like a sergeant major!’ she said resentfully.
‘Ah, but much better looking,’ he said. ‘No, don’t take it the wrong way. It is part of your job description, after all.’ He paused and summed her up from head to toe.
She’d discarded her blue waistcoat and she looked young and slim but capable and brimming with vitality. You just knew, he reflected, that you were in good hands even if she stayed behind the scenes tomorrow night. So why was he doing this?
‘Scared, Rhiannon?’ he asked as the answer to his question articulated itself, or started to.
‘Scared? What do you mean?’ She looked baffled.
‘That you might not be able to maintain your absolute indifference to me in a partying mode?’
The colour started at the base of her throat. She clenched her fists but it mounted all the same to stain her cheeks pink. She pushed her hair behind her ear almost savagely but her cheeks still burned and she appeared to be lost for words.
‘I just wondered, you see,’ he continued softly, ‘if we didn’t strike sparks off each other when we first met this morning. Well, amend that.’ The ghost of a smile touched his eyes. ‘I know you struck a certain chord with me.’
Rhiannon felt herself go from hot to cold then back again. She swallowed. She knew that never in a million years would she admit to the undoubted frisson he’d produced in her this morning.
But denying it could be another matter. Would he believe her? Had she given herself away in those few moments of confusion? She’d certainly got the feeling at the time that she had. How had it happened to her anyway? It was four years ago since she’d first been affected by this man.
‘Ms Fairfax?’ He interrupted her chaotic thoughts gravely.
She took hold and swept him with a look of scorn out of her sparkling brown eyes that