Margaret Way The Cattleman (pdf)

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.""Who exactly was Hughie?" Jessica asked abruptly."What relation?""Look-" His brilliant blue eyes flashed."Cyrus." She grasped his arm."I don't want to upset you, but this whole business, the Mokhani Mystery,has never been laid to rest.It haunts Lavinia.It haunts your father.It haunts you, fifty years later.Theremust be something more to it than the tragedy of someone becoming lost in the bush and perishing.Iknow it's happened many, many times over the years, but with Moira there appear to be so manysuspicions.That's why journalists can't leave it alone.Now by some truly bizarre twist of fate, I'minvolved in it.""I don't disagree with that," he said somberly."Simply because by some freak of nature I look extraordinarily like her," Jessica went on to say.His brow furrowed in puzzlement."But how would you actually know that? You can't rely too much onwhat Livvy says.""I'm not," Jessica answered quietly, turning her head away.It was about time she told him about theportrait Tim had uncovered, no doubt increasing his lack of trust."You still haven't told me who Hughiewas."The question did nothing to ease his somber expression."He was Hugh Balfour, my grandmotherCecily's cousin.Livvy told you about him?"H.B., of course."She told me Hugh liked to paint Moira.""Maybe he did," he answered curtly, "but I've never seen anything he did outside the portrait of mygrandfather.""You're certain?""Of course I'm certain." Cy's temper flared."Finding a portrait of Moira would be a major discovery.""One has been found," Jessica said, watching him snap to full attention."It was bought at a Sydneyauction by my uncle's partner simply because it reminded him of me."Cyrus's strong hands grasped her shoulders."What the devil are you talking about? I think you'd betterlevel with me.""I'm trying to, if you let me.Tim attended a Christie's art auction a short time back.So did Lavinia,apparently without your aunt Barbara's knowledge.Tim's interest was captured by the uncanny likeness.Lavinia would have recognized it right off.Who knows seeing the portrait after all this time hasn'tdisturbed the balance of her mind? She didn't tell your aunt because she thought it would upset herfile:///E|/My%20Library/books/ROMANCE/margaret%20wa.tback/2%20the%20cattleman%20TXT/the%20cattleman.txt (59 of 132)11/05/2010 14:37:51file:///E|/My%20Library/books/ROMANCE/margaret%20way/men%20of%20the%20outback/2%20the%20cattleman%20TXT/the%20cattleman.txtgreatly.According to Tim, he had a confrontation with Lavinia afterward.She offered to buy if off him,but he refused.Lord knows what she intended to do with it.Probably confront your father with it forreasons of her own.At the moment, it's hanging in the foyer of our design studio in Brisbane."Cyrus's hands dropped away.He wheeled to calm himself."What's the time frame here?" He turnedback to face her, looking quite daunting."When did this mysterious portrait turn up? Before or after Dadhired you?"She reacted to the hard flare in his eyes."It would have been put up for auction some time before yourfather offered me the job.Please don't take your anger out on me.I know nothing about any behind-the-scene machinations, if indeed there are any.""Of course there are.You're not stupid." Stern blue eyes stared down at her.She shrugged."I admit it all seems very odd.My uncle and I were discussing the project the same dayTim returned from Sydney with the portrait.At that time I had absolutely no idea who the subject was.Why should I? None of us did.It was simply a portrait given to Christie's for auction.Tim only bought itbecause it reminded him of me.""And there's no connection?""Absolutely not!" She reacted sharply to his tone."I wonder you ask.Lavinia hasn't laid eyes on Moirafor over fifty years.It's coincidence, the whole thing.Chance rules our lives after all." So why, then, wasshe so perplexed and confused?"Lavinia's brain might be a little skewed as to time, but she obviously recognized Moira.She wouldhave known it was Hugh Balfour's work.Who put it on the market.Can you find out?""Tim tried, in fact, but got nowhere.A solicitor handled it for a client.The solicitor is not saying.""I suppose we've all got a double," he said doubtfully."So they say.But the portrait gave us all a shock.It would shock you if you saw it.""Oh, I will see it," he said grimly, beginning to walk toward the Jeep."All right, I've had about enoughof Moira for today."Jessica was glad she was fit and took regular exercise, because they had to walk up the track, which wastough going but infinitely rewarding.To one side of them lay rugged bushland, to the other magicalglimpses of the lagoon and the multicolored walls of the canyon.By the time they neared the highplateau, her hair was damp with sweat and her pink cotton shirt stuck to her back."You okay?" He stretched out a hand to her.The spark where their hands touched wasn't just a physicalthing."Fine.""You're doing well.Pretend a dingo is chasing you.""I think I can make it under my own steam, thank you."He looked back at her.The flush of exertion in her cheeks only served to enhance the flawlessness of herskin and the clear green of her eyes.She was a beautiful woman.He had to assume her lookalike Moirahad been beautiful, too.Hadn't his grandmother Cecily been a little naive bringing a beautiful youngwoman into the household? The family had lived in such isolation, but paradoxically in close proximityto one another.Beauty made waves.It disturbed the very air.He reached down with fluid ease and liftedthis maddening young woman up the rest of the way."We're here!" he announced, finding it nigh on impossible to release his hold on her.Her head had sunkagainst his left shoulder and she was moaning softly at the exertion.file:///E|/My%20Library/books/ROMANCE/margaret%20wa.tback/2%20the%20cattleman%20TXT/the%20cattleman.txt (60 of 132)11/05/2010 14:37:51file:///E|/My%20Library/books/ROMANCE/margaret%20way/men%20of%20the%20outback/2%20the%20cattleman%20TXT/the%20cattleman.txt"It better be worth it." Jessica straightened, laughing, until she saw the expression in his eyes.Was itdesire?The raucous cry of a bird broke the spell of the moment."I should have brought my camera." She busied herself retying the lace of her shoe, shocked at howquickly he could stir her body to arousal."We've got hundreds and hundreds of photographs.""I'd love to see them.""And so you shall.We can fit in quite a bit before Dad gets home."Jessica let out a shaky breath.She started to move off toward the edge, feeling slightly light-headed."Jessica, no!" His voice cracked out, loud and urgent.He caught her up swiftly, pulling her back."Thelip could crumble at any time.Those rocks and boulders down there in the canyon have come from uphere.Never, ever go near the edge.""It's okay." She tried to soothe him."I wasn't going to.It's a pretty vertiginous drop, anyway." His cry ofno! had had the velocity of a bullet."I just wanted a better look at the lagoon.""Stay with me." He drew her back against his chest."You're the boss." She could have remained there forever."It must be wonderful to preside over yourown kingdom," she murmured, filled with a piercing exhilaration."This is fantastic.It's like we're onanother planet.It's daunting, too, all that empty vastness without end.It would be so easy to die outthere.""Just you remember it," he said, the harshness still evident in his voice."Don't go wandering off on yourown [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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