A Masterful Man

'That could be true,' Loretta said slowly. 'I must say it amazes me that the actual fact of motherhood doesn't automatically equip one with all the right responses. Still, I do keep trying. You know, I would love to dress you, Davina,' she added, changing the subject completely. 'You have the most divine figure, you're tall enough to carry most clothes-how tall are you?'

'Five foot eight-I thought one had to be a bit taller-'

'No, no, there aren't many Jerry Halls out there; five foot eight is fine. For what I had in mind for you,' she said mischievously.

'The problem would be paying for them,' Davina said wryly.

'Did you not get anything from your ex-husband?' Loretta enquired curiously.

Davina smiled. 'Not a cent. He was declared bankrupt, you see. I was only lucky I wasn't involved in any of his ventures, otherwise I could have met the same fate, so-‘

'Oh, I wouldn't expect you to pay for them! Just wear them, as an advertisement kind of thing.'

'That's very kind of you-'

'No, it's not!' Loretta protested vigorously. 'Believe me, it happens all the time and it's good business sense.'

'Well-' Davina hesitated, a bit taken aback as she perceived that Loretta was deadly serious '-but then there's the problem that I don't go anywhere where anyone would see me.'

'Ah.' Loretta lay back and chewed her lip, but not for long. 'People will see you here, though.'

'Here?' Davina regarded her quizzically.

'It's amazing how many very interesting people come to Lord Howe, despite its laid-back aura, Davina,' Loretta said seriously. 'Because it's so unique, you see. In fact, it's a seriously trendy sort of place to come if you want to prove you're into the untrendy… if you know what I mean. World heritage stuff and all that kind of thing. I've seen premiers and even one Prime Minister here, television, film and radio stars-you'd be amazed how many well-known people come here-'

'Stop!' Davina said with a laugh. 'I believe you. But you seem to forget, I'm only the housekeeper, so I'm still not going to be seen where all these seriously untrendy trendies gather-'

Loretta sat up. 'You don't know Lavinia!' she said earnestly. 'She is, among all the other things she is, a great socialiser. I think she also regards herself as the Queen Mum of Lord Howe. Give her a few more days and she will have winkled out enough people to have a party, if not many parties!'

'Oh, God,' Davina murmured with genuine reverence. 'The mind boggles.'

Loretta chuckled. 'I know what you mean.'

'But all the same-' Davina stood up '-I'm still only the housekeeper and I don't suppose you came armed with a wardrobe full of clothes for me, so, look, thank you,' she said warmly, 'I appreciate the thought, but it just couldn't work.'

Loretta subsided. 'A problem,' she admitted.

'Well, I think I better take myself to bed, it sounds as if I'm going to need to conserve my strength. Goodnight.' Davina got up and stretched, but asked then, curiously, 'Why doesn't Lavinia live here if that's how she feels about the place?'

'The winters are too severe for her; it can be pretty cold and windy. She lives in Queensland now, where they're very mild. She also likes to terrorise some of the other family operations on the mainland.'

'So…' Davina stopped, but Loretta read her thoughts.

She said, 'Yes, Steve's father left him quite an impressive empire and Candice a slice of it all, too. There are also a couple of manufacturing plants that Lavinia actually brought into the family, which is why she regards them as her prerogative.' Loretta grimaced. 'I often think that's why Steve lives here, although he has to spend a lot of time over there, of course. But this is undoubtedly his favourite home. His father used to tell me how he loathed being sent away to school. And that's another thing.' She sat up again. 'They're great believers in higher education, the Warwicks-the finest schools and so on, and I can feel the pressure building up for me to send Candy away to boarding-school soon. I can't help feeling,' she said with a sigh, 'that that might alienate Candy from me forever. You know it really would solve a lot of my problems if Steve married and had kids of his own-I'm sure Lavinia would get off my back then!'

'I'm definitely going to bed now,' Davina said ruefully.

'Oh, well, there are other contenders, and one right here on the island, I'll have to get to work on her,' Loretta said humorously. 'Night!'

But bed wasn't what she really wanted, Davina decided, once she was in the privacy of her chalet, because once again she felt restless and keyed up-probably from all the revelations of the evening-and would toss and turn for a while, she just knew. She sighed, then took her trusty torch from her camera-bag and decided to see if a walk would help.

It was a magnificent starry night and she crossed the road and walked through a paddock to its grassy edge above the beach on the lagoon side where the tide lapped gently against the sand and rocks. She'd noticed a bench there from the road during the day and swung her torch to locate it. She did, about twenty feet away, but there was someone there before her, someone who stood up and revealed himself as Steve Warwick.

'Oh, no,' she said wearily. 'I mean-sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you. I'll go-'

'You aren't. Disturbing me, and there's no reason for you to go. I always find it's particularly relaxing to have a stroll before bedtime and to enjoy the peace and quiet. I should imagine it's been quite an evening for you.'

'You're not wrong there,' she murmured, but still standing as if poised for flight.

He smiled slightly in the torchlight. 'Put it out and sit down, Davina, I'm not going to eat you.'

She hesitated then sat and he sat down beside her. But she was as taut as a piano wire and it was impossible to project any other image.

'What's wrong?' he said after a few moments.

'I…nothing really.'

'Sure?' He raised an eyebrow. 'You haven't been having any further discussions with my grandmother on your suitability as-a bride for me?'

Davina shuddered and turned to him. 'You knew,' she accused. 'And laughed!'

He shrugged his broad shoulders. 'I have to confess I found it rather amusing in the light of what had happened between us. Wouldn't you-if you could be a fly on the wall?'

'Would that I could,' Davina said bitterly. 'I still don't understand why. She must make your life hell if she… goes about doing this all the time.'

He grinned briefly. 'I have a thick hide-if it's any consolation she was probably spurred on this time by Loretta's presence. She has an absolute horror of… that happening. So you have been talking to her again?'

'No.'

'Then how did you work it all out?'

'Loretta told me.'

'Ah.' He said no more.

'What does that mean?' Davina asked reluctantly.

'Loretta's no fool,' he answered almost absently. 'What else did she tell you?'

Davina blinked. 'Nothing much. Well, she asked me to advertise some clothes for her but we were able to sort out that it wasn't practical or indeed possible-I feel,' she said, with a sudden tremor in her voice, 'a bit like Alice in Wonderland. Yes, as if I've fallen down a hole.' And she put her hands to her face suddenly.

Steve Warwick made a slight movement but stilled it. 'Perhaps you ought to go to bed,' he said rather drily then. 'Come, I'll walk you back.' And he stood up and held his hand out to her.

Davina dropped her hands and looked up at him but his expression was unfathomable. Then she looked at his hand, but instead of putting hers into it, stood up unaided. 'Sorry,' she said very quietly as they turned and started to walk towards the house. 'I'm not usually this… whatever it is.'

'I should imagine there's one thing that's not helping,' he said, and his voice was dry again.

'What?' she asked uncertainly.

'When two people know they could find-solace and a release in each other's arms, to have to cope with denying that as well…' He shrugged.

'You…you promised,' Davina said huskily and stumbled so that this time he just took her hand with an impatient sound. They weren't far from the bottom of his driveway.