steered right for the rocks. Just as she was wondering what on earth he was doing-they looked as if they’d bump hard into the granite rock face-she saw that they were heading for an opening.
Luke didn’t pause. Catching a wave which ran them right in, he steered inside-into an underwater cavern that had to be seen to be believed.
It was utterly magic. Wondrous.
The first cavern was big and dark and gloomy, and Gabbie clutched Wendy, and Wendy clutched the two babies-dog and Grace-but there was no need to worry because they were all as still as church-mice. The canoe glided forward into the darkness-and then there was another opening…
‘Oh…’
Wendy’s breath was let out in a long sigh of discovery and delight. This, too, was a cavern, but instead of being gloomy it was lit by a hundred fissures leading up through the rock to the brilliant sky beyond. The sun glimmered and streamed from above, down into the shallow water. The sea beneath them was no more than three feet or so deep, the bottom was sandy, and a thousand little fish of every conceivable colour flitted and darted around their boat, in and out of the sunbeams.
‘Oh…’ It was all she could think of to say. She sounded inane, but there seemed nothing else, and Luke sat back and beamed like a genial genie who’d produced this miracle out of a bottle.
‘This is
He was talking to Gabbie. He must be.
But Wendy, glancing up from the wonder of the water below the boat, saw that Luke’s eyes were resting on hers.
‘I’m sharing it with you,’ he said again, more softly, and she knew, suddenly, his words were meant for her alone.
It was like a kiss, she thought. More. It was like a declaration made right there and then, and it took her breath away. Like a fool, she blushed crimson and started to stammer.
‘I…it’s wonderful. Like…like a pirate’s cave.’
‘Full of treasure,’ he said gently, and his eyes were still on hers.
Good grief! This man had seduction down to a fine art! Wendy was feeling heat rising from all sorts of places she had no idea heat could rise from. Totally bewildered, she held close the nearest object-Grace-and held her over the water. Grace’s small hands reached out for the darting fish while Wendy fought wave after wave of mounting colour and emotion.
‘We can beach the boat here,’ Luke told them, steering the boat into the far end of the chamber where the water shallowed out to a wide stretch of soft sand. The sun glimmered down here, too-not in a steady stream but rather as individual slivers of silver, like a light show that would have cost thousands if it were man-made, but here it was done for them for free.
Up above, there were fern fronds casting their shadows over the fissures in the rocks, and the dappled light had the fronds indented into the sunbeams, and waving and shimmering in the warm sea air so the sunbeams danced and glimmered and cast a spell that was almost unbelievable in its beauty.
Wendy could hardly take it all in. She was speechless and some of the sensations she was feeling had nothing to do with this place. It had everything to do with the way this man was looking at her-the feel of his hands as he helped her out of the boat, and the way his eyes glinted down at her as if he sensed exactly what she was feeling.
Thank heaven for the children. Without them…oh, without them, who knew? But they were there. Thank heaven…
‘It’s…it’s fantabulous,’ Gabbie said, awed. At the sandy end of the cave, the chamber roof was maybe eight feet above their heads, making a comfortable and easy place to unload their boat. ‘Can we paddle in the water with the fishes?’
‘You can do more than paddle,’ Luke told her. ‘This is the very best swimming place in the world. The fish here are only tiny-the little ones seem to know it’s a safe, safe place, and the water is never over your head. I persuaded Wendy to bring bathers and towels-and a picnic lunch-so the day is ours, and the magic cubby is ours and the rest of the world might well not exist.’
‘You didn’t bring your mobile phone?’ Wendy asked and for the life of her she couldn’t keep a note of bitterness from her voice, but Luke didn’t appear to take offence. Not today. Not with Wendy.
‘No, Miss Cynic, I did not bring my mobile phone,’ he told her. ‘Nor did I bring my computer. I am having a day off.’
‘And yet the world will survive?’ Why was she doing this?
‘I hope it does,’ he said gently, watching her face. ‘Today’s a try-out. If the world manages to get along without me today, then who knows how long I might take to get to know my family?’
‘He’s staying for
‘I don’t know. Weeks.’ Wendy’s voice was a panicking wail down the phone, and Shanni blinked. ‘He’s set up his office in a spare bedroom. He spends a couple of hours in there every morning but the rest of the time…’
‘The rest of the time he spends with you?’
‘He spends with the children,’ Wendy retorted.
‘Yes, but
‘I know.’ Wendy tried to get a hold on herself and failed completely. Luke had been here for a week now, and she was getting more unsettled by the minute. ‘This wasn’t in the original agreement. Shanni, I don’t know how to handle it.’
‘Most nannies have to work in the same house as an employer,’ Shanni said cautiously. ‘It’s not unreasonable for an employer to stay.’
‘But he said he wasn’t-’
‘You think it’s a bad thing for the children?’ Shanni interrupted. Wendy wasn’t making much sense.
‘No. Of course I don’t. Gabbie’s in love with him. The puppy adores him. He’s bonding with Grace.’
‘Well, where’s the problem?’ Shanni said reasonably.
‘I…’
‘You’re not falling for him yourself?’
‘No. Of course not.’
‘Then you just need good employee-employer guidelines,’ Shanni said brightly. ‘A contract. You want Nick to draw you out a nice legal agreement?’
‘We have a contract.’
‘Days off? Holiday pay? Employer staying at his end of the house between dusk and dawn?’
‘Shanni-’
‘You can’t be too careful.’ Shanni chortled. ‘It sounds to me like this man has you badly rattled.’
‘He has.’ Wendy took a deep breath. ‘Shanni…’
‘Yes, love.’ Her friend heard the worry and reacted accordingly. ‘Okay. I’ll be serious. Something’s really worrying you?’
‘He’s…he’s taken them all for a ride.’
Silence. Not many people would have known what this meant to Wendy, but Shanni did.
‘In his sports car?’
‘Mmm.’
‘You’re going to have to get over this, my dear,’ Shanni said in her best schoolmarm voice, and her tone was almost enough to make Wendy chuckle.
‘Quoth the greybeard.’
‘Yes, well…’ Shanni laughed too, but her concern remained. ‘You need to learn to trust.’
‘I know. But Gabbie-’
And there it was in a nutshell, Wendy thought as she replaced the phone. This was the perfect job. She should just relax and ride with the punches.
