A Masterful Man

occurred to her that he had a dilemma on his hands. How were they going to go on? But what kind of a fool would she be to allow herself to be rushed into marriage like this when in her heart of hearts she still had some question marks?

'I know what I said.' All of a sudden his hands eased on her body. 'And I'm not reneging.' His lips twisted. 'Just rushing my fences. Why don't we remove this discussion to our bed? I feel I-say things with more fluency there.'

And she was helpless as he moved his hands on her through the thin material of her dress.

He insisted on undressing her himself this time. Nor did he say a word as he took her clothes off item by item, until she couldn't help smiling as she said, 'I thought this was supposed to be a discussion?'

He looked up with a wicked little light in his eyes but kept his hands cupping her breasts-there remained only one thing to dispense with, her panties. 'Perhaps that was a misnomer-a body poem might be a more appropriate term for this. Which I was hoping might speak for itself.' And, so saying, he laid her on the bed and drew the last wisp of lace and silk away, his fingers lingering on the soft skin of her inner thighs, and other places where the lamplight turned her skin to gold and rose.

And she lay naked and quiet beneath his hands for a while, then raised her hands and curled her fingers in the rough, springy hair of his chest. 'I have to say I love your body poems,' she said, but that was the last coherent thing she said for quite a while as he bent his head and began to tease her nipples with his tongue.

And later, when she was lying drowsily and dreamily in his arms, she thought he might have been right. Some things between them did speak for themselves, and always had. So why was she holding back? Was it too soon? Well, it was only a bare fortnight but… Did she honestly believe he was the kind of man who would marry her simply to get over the awkwardness of things? No, but… Well, this dot in the South Pacific with its small, interwoven community, not to mention his grandmother and his stepmother, was probably about as awkward a place to choose to have an affair as you could find, but… How to know if this emotion was going to last them a lifetime, how to know… It popped into her mind with a suddenness that caused her to stir briefly, then hold herself deliberately still so he wouldn't notice. But she couldn't hold her thoughts still… Such as- how to know whether she hadn't happened along when Steve Warwick was thinking about who he was going to hand his empire down to, was being beleaguered by his grandmother to the point of driving him round the bend, was uncomfortably conscious of being the object of another woman's dreams-in other words, needed a wife.

'What?' he said into her hair.

'I-what do you mean?' she whispered.

'You feel as if you've gone away from me again.'

Oh, God, she thought, he's so…he knows me so well; why don't I just put an end to this and say yes? But she said instead, 'I was thinking that your female relatives are being uncharacteristically-reticent.'

She felt him laugh soundlessly. 'That's because I threatened them with total banishment from Lord Howe if they were any other way. You know, I don't know what's worse, Lavinia and Loretta at loggerheads or in cahoots.'

Davina ran her fingers through his hair. 'I'm surprised that Loretta didn't know who I was,' she said, as that, too, just occurred to her.

'She does.'

Davina's fingers stilled. 'She told you?'

'No. She refused to tell me. She was also of the opinion that the least said about it, the better.'

'But-' Davina digested this slowly '-how did it even come up?'

'She was the first one to recognise Paul Grainger at the party. She came and told me it could be a problem for you-she'd noticed him staring at you, apparently. When I asked her why, she said, 'I'll leave her to tell you that herself if she wants to, but, if she does, don't be shocked and if I were you I'd keep it to yourself.' I didn't get a chance to tell her I already knew… most of it. She also said she felt as guilty as hell. I wasn't sure why but I guess-I could guess,' he said drily.

'For almost forcing me to go to the party and wearing that dress; I must have been mad,' Davina whispered. 'So…why did she think the least said about it the better?'

'You'd have to ask her that yourself, but I should imagine she thought you wouldn't want it broadcast about, which you've just told me you don't and of course I can understand it, but-' he paused '-it was obviously bound to come out sooner or later.'

'Yes,' Davina said very quietly, but wondered why she felt unsure, wondered what was niggling at the back of her mind but refusing to surface. She didn't get a chance to wonder long because the phone rang, splitting the night with its jarring jangle. They both jumped and her heart started to pound as

Steve sat up swearing. 'I told them-'

'Maybe it's not them,' she whispered. 'Why would they ring you up at about midnight?'

'You don't know Lavinia as well as I do,' he said grimly, but thrust the covers aside and padded out to the kitchen.

Davina pulled the sheet round her as she heard him answer and say, 'Hello? Lavinia, I warned you… what? OK. Yes, got it. I'm coming right now. Uh, Davina? I'll bring her back to you.' He put the phone down.

'What is it?' Davina asked anxiously as he came back in and started to pull his clothes on.

'Sydney Radio has picked up a may day call from a yacht in this area. They're co-ordinating a search and want us to help.' Her eyes widened. 'Help? How?' 'By plane; there's nearly a full moon. And by boat as soon as daylight comes.' 'What will you be doing?' she asked fearfully. 'I'll be going up in the plane-don't worry,' he said with a brief smile, 'I have an instrument rating for night-flying, and I won't be alone. Look-' he sat down on the bed '-this could take days. You'll be better back with them.'

'I didn't know you flew,' she said inconsequently.

He grimaced. 'There are probably a few other things you don't know about me, either. I've had a licence since I was twenty, but to get back to you-'

'Steve, I think I'd rather stay here.'

'No, Davina. It's not practical. For one thing you'd have to chop your own wood; just do as I say, there's a good girl.' He stood up and continued to dress.

Davina stared at him in the dim light of the kerosene lamp they hadn't doused, and realised with a tightening of her nerves that this was one of the times when to argue with Steve Warwick would be like knocking her head against a brick wall. That it would be quite useless to tell him that she felt totally unprepared to face his grandmother and Loretta, straight out of his bed. She did say tentatively, however, 'I could go in the morning.'

'That would only be putting off the evil moment. Look, I've got a few calls to make while you get ready and pack.'

It was surprisingly easy.

Both Loretta and Lavinia were up and looking anxious and they welcomed Davina quite naturally, even offhandedly as they gave Steve more details.

'Two adults, three children and a dog!' Lavinia said immediately. 'Sydney Radio says the transmission was very broken up, but apparently they're taking water, they're a bit confused about their exact position and they don't have an EPIRB.' Steve swore beneath his breath. 'Where are they from?' 'New Zealand. On their way to Brisbane.' 'Right. I'm off.' He took a padded jacket from the hall stand and turned back to them briefly. 'Er-look after each other, girls. I'll check in whenever I can.' And he was gone.

It was Loretta who broke the sudden silence his departure caused. 'What on earth is an EPIRB?'

Lavinia came to life. 'It's some sort of an emergency radio beacon; it's quite small and portable so if you have to take to a lifeboat or a dinghy you can take it with you, and when it's activated it transmits on a frequency that can be picked up by aircraft or satellites in the area giving them its exact location-something like that and no one on an ocean-going voyage should be without one,' she said sternly. Then her expression softened. 'Let's have a cup of tea. It's so good to see you, my dear Davina.

Are-?'

'Davina!' Candice came into the kitchen in her pyjamas looking like a little owl. 'You're back! I thought you'd forgotten me.'

'Not so, Candice,' Davina said with a warm smile. 'Steve and I were going to take you to Ball's Pyramid tomorrow but now-well, I'm sure there'll be other days.' As soon as she said it, she noticed Lavinia and Loretta exchange a look that she interpreted as being one of relief mingled with complacency, and she thought