Harry." He stood her up and wrapped his arms around her. "You're making it difficult for me."
She nuzzled her face into his shirt, and his heart thumped in her ear.
"Don't send me away, please."
"You can't stay here. Be reasonable." His hands caressed her back in a gentle circular motion instilling her with warmth. "It's impossible."
"I could wait for you at the outstation, stay in your hut maybe?"
"No. I'm sorry. The sensible thing for you to do is go to your aunt's place."
It was safe and comforting being held in his arms. She wanted him to kiss her, make her forget the pain of losing Gil. Was she going mad? She castigated herself for caring about such a pig of a man.
Ross saddled a horse for her and they cantered off. She turned around to wave at Jack standing motionless staring after them.
"Goodbye, Gil," she whispered. "You were the best brother in the world."
On and on they travelled through brooding bush land, her cold limbs warmed by the mid morning sun as it filtered through the tree trunks. Her eyes blurred with tears and she stifled her sobs, even though her heart had shattered into a million pieces. Ross rode a little in front of her staring straight ahead, his back ramrod straight, as remote as the mountains of Devil's Ridge.
The town came up suddenly, a clutch of weatherboard buildings set in a peaceful, green valley. They clattered down the cobblestoned main street. She stared straight ahead. Wearing a clean blue work shirt and brown moleskin trousers tucked into black boots, she felt shabby and dirty. Strange how her attire never mattered when she masqueraded as a boy, but for once she wanted Ross to see her dressed in feminine clothes. She shook her head angrily at such foolishness. Why worry about what he thought of her? She already knew. He couldn’t care less about her.
"Do you want to stop at the pub for a lemonade before we see the police?"
"No thanks, unless you want a beer."
"I could down a dozen beers and a bottle of whisky."
"I've caused you a lot of trouble, I'm sorry."
He shrugged. "Let's get this over with."
They filed into the police station and walked up to a dark-haired police constable sitting behind a desk scribbling something in a notebook.
"Who's in charge here?" Ross swept off his hat and swiped the back of his hand across his forehead.
"Me." The constable used a sheath of papers to swat a fly on his desk.
"We've come to report an accident." Ross explained what happened.
"That's suicide."
"Call it what you like. We tried to find the body but failed."
"Are you sure he's dead?"
"He jumped off a waterfall on to rocks a hundred feet below, of course he's dead."
Harry sucked in a noisy breath at how callous the two men sounded?
"I'm sorry." Ross dragged his hands through his hair. "I didn't mean to sound so brutal."
His face was drawn with fatigue, his eyes red rimmed from lack of sleep, he looked to be at the end of his tether.
"Write out what happened." The constable pushed a paper and pen at Ross. "Who's he?"
"I'm Gilbert's sister."
"Sorry, miss, I'm having a bad day. You better make a statement as well. Put down your brother's details, full name and physical description. We'll instigate a search, but I don't think we'll find anything. That waterfall area is full of underground caverns."
With a shaking hand, she wrote down what he asked for. When they were finished, they walked outside into the sunshine.
"That was awful," she whispered.
"I know. I saw a tearoom when we rode in, how about I buy you some lunch?"
"I couldn't eat anything, thanks, but a cup of tea would be nice."
They entered the tearoom and made their way to an unoccupied table. It was set with a pristine white lace cloth, and carved mahogany chairs were upholstered in burgundy brocade. Coach lanterns displayed at various intervals along the walls gave it a cozy feel.
"We'll have sandwiches and a pot of tea," he told the hovering waitress. "Would you like anything else?"
"No thanks."
"Don't
She nuzzled her face into his shirt, and his heart thumped in her ear.
"Don't send me away, please."
"You can't stay here. Be reasonable." His hands caressed her back in a gentle circular motion instilling her with warmth. "It's impossible."
"I could wait for you at the outstation, stay in your hut maybe?"
"No. I'm sorry. The sensible thing for you to do is go to your aunt's place."
It was safe and comforting being held in his arms. She wanted him to kiss her, make her forget the pain of losing Gil. Was she going mad? She castigated herself for caring about such a pig of a man.
Ross saddled a horse for her and they cantered off. She turned around to wave at Jack standing motionless staring after them.
"Goodbye, Gil," she whispered. "You were the best brother in the world."
On and on they travelled through brooding bush land, her cold limbs warmed by the mid morning sun as it filtered through the tree trunks. Her eyes blurred with tears and she stifled her sobs, even though her heart had shattered into a million pieces. Ross rode a little in front of her staring straight ahead, his back ramrod straight, as remote as the mountains of Devil's Ridge.
The town came up suddenly, a clutch of weatherboard buildings set in a peaceful, green valley. They clattered down the cobblestoned main street. She stared straight ahead. Wearing a clean blue work shirt and brown moleskin trousers tucked into black boots, she felt shabby and dirty. Strange how her attire never mattered when she masqueraded as a boy, but for once she wanted Ross to see her dressed in feminine clothes. She shook her head angrily at such foolishness. Why worry about what he thought of her? She already knew. He couldn’t care less about her.
"Do you want to stop at the pub for a lemonade before we see the police?"
"No thanks, unless you want a beer."
"I could down a dozen beers and a bottle of whisky."
"I've caused you a lot of trouble, I'm sorry."
He shrugged. "Let's get this over with."
They filed into the police station and walked up to a dark-haired police constable sitting behind a desk scribbling something in a notebook.
"Who's in charge here?" Ross swept off his hat and swiped the back of his hand across his forehead.
"Me." The constable used a sheath of papers to swat a fly on his desk.
"We've come to report an accident." Ross explained what happened.
"That's suicide."
"Call it what you like. We tried to find the body but failed."
"Are you sure he's dead?"
"He jumped off a waterfall on to rocks a hundred feet below, of course he's dead."
Harry sucked in a noisy breath at how callous the two men sounded?
"I'm sorry." Ross dragged his hands through his hair. "I didn't mean to sound so brutal."
His face was drawn with fatigue, his eyes red rimmed from lack of sleep, he looked to be at the end of his tether.
"Write out what happened." The constable pushed a paper and pen at Ross. "Who's he?"
"I'm Gilbert's sister."
"Sorry, miss, I'm having a bad day. You better make a statement as well. Put down your brother's details, full name and physical description. We'll instigate a search, but I don't think we'll find anything. That waterfall area is full of underground caverns."
With a shaking hand, she wrote down what he asked for. When they were finished, they walked outside into the sunshine.
"That was awful," she whispered.
"I know. I saw a tearoom when we rode in, how about I buy you some lunch?"
"I couldn't eat anything, thanks, but a cup of tea would be nice."
They entered the tearoom and made their way to an unoccupied table. It was set with a pristine white lace cloth, and carved mahogany chairs were upholstered in burgundy brocade. Coach lanterns displayed at various intervals along the walls gave it a cozy feel.
"We'll have sandwiches and a pot of tea," he told the hovering waitress. "Would you like anything else?"
"No thanks."
"Don't
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