up in time. I try to give Georgia the best life I can. Her aunt Lois, my ex-wife’s sister, is fond of her. She visits often.’
I bet! Marissa thought. She was ashamed of such a thought in the next second. Probably the unsatisfactory governesses had fallen in love with him, as well. He was very sexy. She had to concede that. The dominating, sweep-you-off-your-feet lover of an overly romantic bodice ripper. She, however, would require tenderness, sensitivity, compassion in a lover. She hadn’t met a man with all of those qualities yet. That would bring a nice change to her life. She thought Holt McMaster very tough indeed. Tough, self-contained, utterly self-assured, an intensely masculine man. Getting involved with a man like that could leave a woman emotionally scarred.
Not a lot one could do about attraction, however, she thought. Attraction was something else again; something one had no control over. It transcended common sense. She had to give him full marks for coming very swiftly to her aid and miracle of miracles he appeared to be considering giving her a job, or at least a trial.
She waited nervously on his decision. If he said, no, a few tears might just roll down her cheeks. It took a lot of strength and a lot of character to be a good mother. God, she was even thinking the same as everyone else. A good sister.
‘Okay, Marissa.’ He gave her a sardonic smile. ‘I’m willing to give you a trial run which may or may not work out, quite apart from the fact Georgy is the quintessential little terror. I have to be up-front about that. From time to time you’ll be required to read to my grandmother whose eyesight isn’t good anymore. Perhaps keep her company when she requires it. She’s an extraordinary woman so you won’t find it a chore. The children, Georgia and Riley can study together. The long summer vacation is coming up, but you have a point about their keeping ahead. Whether this works isn’t up to you entirely as I’ve said. Georgia isn’t an easy child, but she is smart. She’s given to spectacular tantrums when I’m not around and I’m not around a lot.
Making sure Wungalla and the outstations operate successfully keeps me busy. It’s a dawn to dusk job. Add to that I have other business interests that require I spend a fair bit of time away from home. You won’t be required to do any domestic work. We have a housekeeper, Olly, short for Olive, who has been with us for thirty years and deserves an Order of Australia. Olly manages the household staff, part aboriginal girls who enjoy working at the Big House, which is what they call the homestead. How does that sound?’ He sat back regarding her sardonically.
‘It sounds like the miraculous answer to my prayers.’
‘Don’t think about it like that.’
It sounded like a warning. ‘May I ask how much you’re thinking of paying me?’ She tried to appear composed and business like.
He sat back, considering. ‘You can hardly expect pay until we get to know you.’
He liked doing this. ‘You’re joking, of course.’
‘Of course.’ He nodded. ‘I was hoping you might smile. I’m not quite the ogre you think I am, Ms Devlin.’
Her heart started to beat so fast she might have run up ten flights of stairs. ‘I think no such thing.’
‘That’s good, because you’ve been looking at me very critically.’
Oh, my God, he’d noticed! ‘I certainly wasn’t conscious of it,’ she said, dismayed that it came out quite haughtily.
‘That makes it all the more noteworthy,’ he said. ‘But I suppose we should get back to talking business. Full board, of course. What did you make at your girls’ school?’
Marissa told him with faint trepidation. She had been well paid. Far above anything she expected as a governess.
Yet he confounded her. ‘You couldn’t have been too comfortably off on that, you and the boy?’
‘It’s good money actually,’ she said, taken aback. ‘You’re a rich man!’
‘So?’ He stared straight into her eyes.
She could feel herself flushing. ‘I have a little money left from a family trust. It’s very important Riley receives a good education. It’s my intention to send him to boarding school when he turns ten.’
‘And a very laudable ambition it is, too,’ he said, that maddening glimmer of amusement in his eyes again. ‘There is of course the possibility you might marry money.’
Clearly he was having his idea of fun. ‘Money doesn’t resolve all problems,’ she said in a heartfelt way.
‘I couldn’t agree more. Now what about—?’ He named a sum that was more than fair given that he had offered them full board.
‘I’m happy with that,’ she said, betrayed into giving him his first real smile of the day.
‘Wonderful!’ he feigned a gasp. ‘That smile has taken some time!’ But it was so magical it even squeezed his hard old heart. ‘Now what about that dog of yours, Dusty?’
‘He’s a wonderful dog,’ Marissa said, always ready to sing Dusty’s praises. ‘He’s really looked after us. Could you possibly take Dusty on, too? He’s a working dog. I’m sure you could put him to good use. Riley loves him. So do I. I desperately need this job but I’ll have to turn it down if we can’t bring Dusty.’
He laughed out loud. It was an extraordinarily attractive sound, one that took her unawares. ‘Could you repeat that, Ms Devlin?’
‘I said—’
‘I know what you said. I have to tell you I find it very touching. You’re going to insist I take your dog?’
‘I’m afraid so.’ She nodded, but her expression was tinged with worry.
‘Then aren’t you fortunate you’re talking to a dog lover. Okay, Ms Devlin.’ He put his two hands down on the table, ‘I’m prepared to take you, Riley and your dog, Dusty, on board on the condition I put you and Dusty to work. Riley will have plenty of time to see him.’
So kindness did lie beneath that tough exterior! ‘That’s awfully good of you, Mr McMaster.’
His handsome mouth quirked. ‘Whether I’m being awfully good or not remains to be seen,’ he said, dryly. ‘But I do like to see young people with a special attachment to their dog. People don’t often confuse me, Ms Devlin, but you do.’
‘How could I confuse you?’ She was finding it increasingly difficult to resist the glittering magnetism of his eyes.
‘To start with you’re extremely out of place in the Outback. This really is the sun burnt country. You look like you’d be more at home in dewy Ireland. How are you going to protect that skin?’
‘You mightn’t believe this but I don’t burn and I’m used to very strong sunlight.’ She was surprised her voice sounded so normal when she was fighting an avalanche of sensations; all of them quite inappropriate. ‘Brisbane is sub-tropical. I’ve coped up to date. In fact Riley and I are surprisingly sun proof. Besides, there’s always sun block and a hat.’
‘When you remember to wear it,’ he said, looking pointedly at her bare head.
‘We forgot this morning,’ she explained. ‘When would you want me to start?’ She could scarcely credit their good fortune.
He sat back, wide shoulders squared, looking very much the Outback cattle baron. ‘I suppose today makes sense,’ he said. He was obviously a man long accustomed to making on-the-spot decisions. ‘I’ll take you and the boy in the chopper. My overseer can drive your utility back to the station. That is your bright red ute with the panther displayed so prominently on the side?’ His mouth twitched.
‘Yes.’ She felt defensive, but the ute was hard to miss. ‘I got it for a bargain. The panther was rated a big selling point. How did you know it was our ute anyway?’