a similar look of laconic good humour.
‘You’ve brought visitors then, Holt?’ she asked, looking at Marissa and Riley with considerable interest. ‘Alike as two peas in a pod.’
He smiled. ‘Isn’t that the truth! I must have brought hundreds of visitors over the years, Olly, but these two are here to earn their keep. I’d like to introduce Marissa and Riley Devlin. Marissa has just signed on as the new governess. She wouldn’t come without Riley and Riley wouldn’t come without Dusty, his faithful Blue Heeler. Riley will be joining Georgia for lessons. Dusty who hasn’t arrived yet—he’s in their ute driven back by Bart—is also in need of a job.’
‘You’re serious, Holt?’ Olly flashed a glance at him, her expression comical.
‘When am I not serious, Olly?’ he appealed to her.
‘When you don’t care to be,’ she said. Evidently she wasn’t in awe of the great man. ‘So, Marissa, Riley …’ She shook hands with each in turn. ‘Welcome to Wungalla. We haven’t had a governess here for a while, but we do need one. Is this your first time out West?’ she asked Marissa, her eyes dwelling rather worriedly on Marissa’s porcelain skin.
‘Yes, and we’re fascinated by what we’ve seen.’ Marissa was enormously relieved Wungalla’s housekeeper was so kind and welcoming. ‘I have good qualifications, Ms …?’
‘Olly will do, love,’ the housekeeper said, sounding very much like Deidre. ‘That’s goes for you, too, young fella. Now come in. I expect you’d like some morning tea, or you could wait for lunch. It’s not long off?’
‘Lunch will be fine, Olly,’ Holt McMaster said, settling the matter. ‘Meanwhile you and Marissa can sort out which rooms they want? Where’s everyone?’
Olly sounded faintly sardonic. ‘Mrs McMaster is in her room. It’s not one of her good days I’m sorry to say. Miss Lois is out riding but should be back soon. Georgy is out in the garden somewhere playing with Zoltan. That’s her imaginary friend.’ She gave Riley a wink.
Riley lifted fascinated eyes. ‘She has an imaginary friend? Isn’t that funny? So did I. His name was Nali. He was a member of the Emu tribe.’
‘So what happened to him?’ Olly asked, seemingly with genuine interest.
Riley shook his head with regret. ‘Nali wanted to stay with me, but the rest of the tribe wanted to go walkabout. He was just a boy like me but his uncle was a tribal elder and a powerful medicine man. Nali had to do what he was told.’
‘I should think so. Disobeying a powerful medicine man isn’t exactly a laughing matter,’ Holt said. ‘We have an ex-kadaicha man on Wungalla, although I don’t believe he’s completely shut up shop. I’ll introduce you one day.’
‘Oh, that would be great!’ Riley regarded Holt McMaster with such a look of approval and respect. Marissa felt a momentary pang of ignoble jealousy. ‘May I go find Georgia, sir?’ he asked.
Marissa shook her head. ‘You’ll meet her soon, Riley.’ She didn’t want to curb his high spirits at the same time she thought they should take time to negotiate their way.
‘Don’t worry about him, he’s fine,’ Holt decided. ‘She’s out in the garden somewhere.’
Riley laughed happily. ‘I really want us to be friends.’
Marissa forced herself to stay quiet. Making friends with a little person given to profligate tantrums might be easier said than done. On the other hand Riley could have a calming effect. His was the sunniest of natures when his short life had been full of troubles.
‘Then off you go.’ Holt McMaster gave him the okay. ‘You’ve got plenty of space to play in. Don’t go outside the compound wall?’
‘Yes, sir!’ Riley called, his small figure already flying down the steps.
‘Right, I’ve got things to do,’ Holt clipped off, ‘but I won’t say no to lunch. Make it 1:00 p.m., Olly. Meanwhile you can get Ms Devlin settled.’
‘No problem,’ Olly answered in the way that made Marissa feel very much at ease. So far so good. She thought she could even get used to Holt McMaster’s sardonic ways. ‘Come on love. Follow me,’ Olly said. ‘Where’s your luggage by the way?’
‘Hal is bringing it in,’ Holt turned back to remark. ‘What there is of it. Marissa believes in travelling light.’
‘Never mind, love,’ Olly said comfortably. ‘There’s a really good store in Coorabri,’ unknowingly echoing her boss’s comment, ‘where you’ll be able to buy a few outfits for yourself and the boy. Beautiful child, I must say.’
Marissa prepared herself for yet another explanation of their relationship. Olly, like most people, probably assumed Riley was hers. ‘He’s as beautiful inside as out,’ she said proudly.
‘Let’s hope some of it brushes off on Georgia,’ Holt McMaster said before taking off down the steps.
He had all the grace of a natural born athlete, Marissa thought, looking after him. It was difficult not to. And something of a dancer thrown in. He was without question the most stunning looking man she had ever seen outside her own beloved father.
When she turned around, Olly’s shrewd blue eyes were studying her. ‘Come along now, love. Let’s get you settled before lunch. You won’t be meeting Mrs McMaster, Holt’s grandmother, today but Georgia’s aunt, Lois Aldridge, as I expect you know, will be back soon for lunch. You ride yourself?’ Olly asked, not sounding terribly hopeful the answer would be in the affirmative.
‘Yes, I do,’ Marissa said, her eyes moving irresistibly all around the spacious entrance hall. The most transcendent feature was a very grand divided staircase with a huge stained-glass panel towering above the landing. The colours in the panel were simply wonderful! Graceful black wrought-iron balustrades encased the mahogany staircase. The floor was a traditional black and white marble. A circular library table stood on a circular Persian rug, centred beneath a huge crystal chandelier. The table displayed to advantage a stunning flower arrangement of masses of yellow roses, pine and dried twisted vines in a large Byzantine-gold container. There were paintings, as well. A console with a tall gilded mirror above it, two matching antique chairs with gilded bronze winged panthers supporting the arms, there just wasn’t time to take everything in. Obviously this was a house of serious collectors.
‘That’s a blessing,’ Olly was saying, sounding relieved. ‘The last lass never could get the hang of it. One simply has to be able to ride on a station. What about young Riley?’
‘He’s a natural,’ Marissa told her.
‘Like mother, like son.’
Marissa had to make the relationship plain. ‘He’s my brother, Olly. Half brother really. He’s my late father’s.’
Olly swung about, clasping her hands together as though in prayer. ‘Then where’s his mother, child?’
‘She’s gone and she won’t be coming back,’ Marissa said, her voice matter-of-fact.
‘Good Lord! This must be very hard for you, Marissa.’ Olly paused, one hand on a newel. ‘You’re what, twenty-two, twenty-three?’
‘Nearly twenty-four. It is hard, but I have a big consolation. I love Riley. He’s my family.’
‘Of course he is, love.’ Without further comment Olly began to mount the staircase, taking the left hand side to the upper gallery also balustraded in the same decorative wrought-iron.
Whether Olly believed her was anyone’s guess. With Riley constantly addressing her as Ma, it was becoming increasingly difficult to be believed. Yet she couldn’t break him of the habit. Having a stable mother figure in his life loomed very large in Riley’s mind.
The long corridors had polished