getting ready. As she pushed open her door, her hand froze on the handle. Further down the hall, Ben was going into his own room. It took her less than a minute to make the decision. She hurried down the hall after him.
CHAPTER FIVE
WHEN she walked in, Ben gave her a look of irritation. 'Don't you believe in knocking?'
'I need to talk to you. I didn't think you'd open the door if I announced myself.'
He paused in the act of shrugging his shirt over his head. His bare chest looked as if it were hewn from mahogany. 'Too right I wouldn't. You're too expensive for the likes of me.' He completed the movement and flung the shirt on to his bed. 'I have to get ready for the party.'
'It's my party, too,' she reminded him, 'or have you forgotten that we're supposed to be celebrating our engagement?'
'Don't remind me,' he said sarcastically. 'As a means of keeping you away from Rick, it wasn't very successful, was it?'
'It's all cut and dried to you, isn't it?' she demanded. 'Didn't it occur to you that Rick left that cheque behind precisely so you'd think what you did?'
'How could he? He didn't know I was coming to Darwin.'
'He recognised your voice on the phone. He must have put two and two together and decided to get even with me for throwing him out.'
When he remained silent, she added, 'Do you think I would have left the cheque lying around for you to find if it was genuine?'
He pulled stiff fingers through his hair. 'With you, I don't know any more. It did strike me as odd that you left the thing in plain sight.'
'Yet you didn't stick around long enough to discuss it with me.' She let out a sighing breath. 'Why don't you call Rick in here and settle the question once and for all?'
The firm muscles of his chest tautened as he became angry again. 'You'd like that, wouldn't you? Have me fling accusations at Rick when it's your word against his. As it happens he came and apologised for haring off to Darwin. He even admitted that he's looking forward to settling down on Casuarina with Persia.'
'So that's that,' she said dispiritedly. 'Well, at least I know how things stand.'
'Where are you going?' he asked as she turned away.
'To pack. Robyn is in better shape now, as I'm sure her doctor told you when you visited the hospital. There's no need for us to play out this farce of an engagement any longer.'
'I'm afraid there is.'
She froze in mid-step, disturbed by the matter-of-fact way he spoke. 'What do you mean?'
'This came for you today.' He swept an unopened letter off his dresser and held it out.
Accepting it, she saw that the envelope bore the crest of the Conservation Commission of the Northern Territory. 'What is this?'
'When you open it you'll find that you've been seconded to my crocodile farm to help me overcome some problems I'm having hatching the eggs at the correct temperature.'
'But you're not . . .' she began then her voice tailed away as she understood what he was up to. 'You manufactured this so-called problem so I have no choice but to stay.' She gave him a look of appeal. 'What I don't understand is why? I thought you'd be anxious to get rid of me.'
'Robyn needs you,' he said flatly.
The thought that he might have wanted her to stay was quashed as she realised that his concern was for his sister. Voices reached them from the living- rooms, indicating that the party was already under way, and she gave a sigh of defeat. 'I'd better finish getting ready. Robyn will wonder where I am.'
At the door, he stopped her. 'Keri?'
She turned and her awareness reawoke to the fact that he wore only his trousers. She felt an absurd urge to run her hands across his chest, and dismissed the notion as crazy. 'Yes?'
'How would it be if I had a talk with Rick after the party? I know he can be a bastard at times.' He frowned. 'I haven't called him that for years. I used to catch hell from Dad for saying it. He always said it wasn't Rick's fault that we had different fathers.'
She was fairly sure what life must
CHAPTER FIVE
WHEN she walked in, Ben gave her a look of irritation. 'Don't you believe in knocking?'
'I need to talk to you. I didn't think you'd open the door if I announced myself.'
He paused in the act of shrugging his shirt over his head. His bare chest looked as if it were hewn from mahogany. 'Too right I wouldn't. You're too expensive for the likes of me.' He completed the movement and flung the shirt on to his bed. 'I have to get ready for the party.'
'It's my party, too,' she reminded him, 'or have you forgotten that we're supposed to be celebrating our engagement?'
'Don't remind me,' he said sarcastically. 'As a means of keeping you away from Rick, it wasn't very successful, was it?'
'It's all cut and dried to you, isn't it?' she demanded. 'Didn't it occur to you that Rick left that cheque behind precisely so you'd think what you did?'
'How could he? He didn't know I was coming to Darwin.'
'He recognised your voice on the phone. He must have put two and two together and decided to get even with me for throwing him out.'
When he remained silent, she added, 'Do you think I would have left the cheque lying around for you to find if it was genuine?'
He pulled stiff fingers through his hair. 'With you, I don't know any more. It did strike me as odd that you left the thing in plain sight.'
'Yet you didn't stick around long enough to discuss it with me.' She let out a sighing breath. 'Why don't you call Rick in here and settle the question once and for all?'
The firm muscles of his chest tautened as he became angry again. 'You'd like that, wouldn't you? Have me fling accusations at Rick when it's your word against his. As it happens he came and apologised for haring off to Darwin. He even admitted that he's looking forward to settling down on Casuarina with Persia.'
'So that's that,' she said dispiritedly. 'Well, at least I know how things stand.'
'Where are you going?' he asked as she turned away.
'To pack. Robyn is in better shape now, as I'm sure her doctor told you when you visited the hospital. There's no need for us to play out this farce of an engagement any longer.'
'I'm afraid there is.'
She froze in mid-step, disturbed by the matter-of-fact way he spoke. 'What do you mean?'
'This came for you today.' He swept an unopened letter off his dresser and held it out.
Accepting it, she saw that the envelope bore the crest of the Conservation Commission of the Northern Territory. 'What is this?'
'When you open it you'll find that you've been seconded to my crocodile farm to help me overcome some problems I'm having hatching the eggs at the correct temperature.'
'But you're not . . .' she began then her voice tailed away as she understood what he was up to. 'You manufactured this so-called problem so I have no choice but to stay.' She gave him a look of appeal. 'What I don't understand is why? I thought you'd be anxious to get rid of me.'
'Robyn needs you,' he said flatly.
The thought that he might have wanted her to stay was quashed as she realised that his concern was for his sister. Voices reached them from the living- rooms, indicating that the party was already under way, and she gave a sigh of defeat. 'I'd better finish getting ready. Robyn will wonder where I am.'
At the door, he stopped her. 'Keri?'
She turned and her awareness reawoke to the fact that he wore only his trousers. She felt an absurd urge to run her hands across his chest, and dismissed the notion as crazy. 'Yes?'
'How would it be if I had a talk with Rick after the party? I know he can be a bastard at times.' He frowned. 'I haven't called him that for years. I used to catch hell from Dad for saying it. He always said it wasn't Rick's fault that we had different fathers.'
She was fairly sure what life must
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