A Masterful Man

CHAPTER EIGHT

After the barest hesitation, Steve said, 'Well, you'd better join us, Mary.'

'Oh, no! I didn't mean that-'

But he said with a grin, 'Don't be silly. I'm sure Davina would like to meet you.'

'Of course,' Davina agreed with a smile, because there was really nothing else to do; the restaurant was small and she couldn't help feeling sorry for Mary Hargreaves, anyway, who had unwittingly given so much away the moment she'd laid eyes on Steve…

So they watched the mutton birds returning and Davina took some photos, then they sat down to eat. Davina discovered that Mary worked for the island board, that she was basically a bright, cheerful person, intelligent and cultured, probably in her late twenties, as well as being attractive and forthright. What she hoped in her heart was not so was that the four years Mary had spent away from the island had been spent changing herself into a more suitable person for Steve Warwick- perhaps not altogether consciously, but with it at the back of her mind. Because she couldn't help remembering what Steve himself had said about how Mary had changed.

She found that she was exerting herself so that it would be a pleasant meal, and saw Steve look at her strangely once, but pushed on regardless. Until Mary, who had rather carefully made no reference to Davina's position in the Warwick household, did say with a frown, 'You know, I'm sure I know your face, Davina.'

'That-' Davina stopped and bit her lip.

'That would be from when she was married to Darren Smith-Hastings,' Steve said, and as Mary's eyes widened with shock he went on, 'Would you like to come back to the cottage with us for a nightcap?'

'The…cottage?' Mary said uncertainly and Davina winced inwardly for her.

'Yes. We're eluding Lavinia and Loretta for a few days.'

'I-no, thanks, Steve, but I'll take a raincheck.' And, to her eternal credit Davina couldn't help thinking, Mary Hargreaves did battle with her emotions briefly-she swallowed visibly-and came up smiling. 'In fact, I think I'll leave you two alone right now! I've taken up enough of your time as it is. Thanks for a lovely evening-I'll get them to split the bill-'

'No, Mary.' Steve stood up as she did. 'This one's on me,' he said quietly.

'You're upset,' Steve said a while later when they were back in the cottage.

'I…' Davina stood in the middle of the lounge and twisted her hands. 'Yes.'

'Why?'

She closed her eyes. 'I can't help feeling sorry for her. I thought it was a little public and brutal to kill her dreams stone-dead like that.'

He came to stand in front of her and, as her lashes lifted, for a moment he was like the old Steve Warwick she'd first seen at the airport. Impatient, dangerous, big and worldly. He said evenly, 'My dear, I only wish I could have done something about Mary years ago. But how do you? I have never, I repeat, led her on.'

Davina sighed and shrugged. 'I don't know but…why did you tell her who I was, as well as making it so obvious we were… together? And I mean that from my point of view as well as hers.'

'Because we are together. Are we not?'

'Yes, but-'

'And because everyone will know it anyway and you can't change who you were.'

'But I've spent years-'

'I know, but while you're with me there's no need to hide.'

'How-' her throat closed but she made herself go on '-long will I be with you, though?'

He gazed down into her eyes. 'That's up to you, Davina. Do you want to-have it out now? I'm quite happy to. Do you want me to tell you that I'm falling in love with you? I am, so-'

'Steve,' she gasped.

He smiled a little grimly. 'What's so impossible about that?'

'I…well, how can you be sure?' she whispered.

'There are certain quite uncompromising signs. I can't help feeling you might have noticed them yourself, and in yourself,' he added with lethal gentleness and a pointed look down her figure.

'Steve, why are you angry?' she said barely audibly and with a tightening of her nerves.

'Am I? Could it be because I get the feeling you don't want to discuss this? You don't want it known we're sleeping together-'

'You're right,' she flashed suddenly, then frowned in exasperation. 'What I mean is I don't want it broadcast the way you did-'

'You mean, in other words, you'd rather pretend it's not happening?'

She took a breath. 'Of course not-I'd rather it was just between you and me,' she said flatly.

'Davina-it can't be, unfortunately. Not here.'

She bit her lip and looked up at him with shadowed, wary eyes.

'And what,' he said after about half a minute, 'is your reaction to the fact that I've fallen in love with you?'

She licked her lips. 'I have to tell you that this afternoon I nearly said the same thing to you, but-'

'So, what the hell are we arguing about?' he murmured and pulled her into his arms suddenly.

'Where it's going to lead, probably,' she whispered.

'If it's wedding-bells you want-'

'No!'

But he suddenly held her harder. 'Why not? OK, perhaps I could have phrased that more delicately, but what were you planning to do-come back and work out your month as both my housekeeper and my mistress? Stay here and hide yourself away until we proved it was only a passing attraction? Tell me, Davina?'

'You said…you said-' She stopped abruptly as a sense of fright and a new sense of anger took hold of her, as well as what she thought might be a grain of truth… Anger and fright because Steve in this masterful kind of mood made her feel vulnerable and made her remember her resolution never to allow another man to dominate her, even one who had brought her so much pleasure and delight. Truth, because it suddenly 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 incredulously-of course, they didn't know what was going on but now they think it's… in the bag, so to speak. And she sighed inwardly.

She was up with the dawn the next morning and relieved to see it was a beautiful, clear day again.

So what do I do now, she thought, as she hugged her knees and pushed her hair off her face. Go back to being a housekeeper? Well, there's no harm in making breakfast, is there…?

Lavinia was the first to come downstairs but she went straight into the study and put a call through to the airport.

'He's still out,' she said briskly, coming into the kitchen. 'They've been back once to refuel but they've made no sightings.'

Davina poured her a cup of tea. 'Daylight will help, surely.'

Lavinia grimaced. 'It's a huge ocean out there. And if they've abandoned the yacht and are floating around in a tiny dinghy, well, it can be like looking for a needle in a haystack. Thank you, my dear. You're looking very well, I must say!'

Davina could think of nothing to reply other than, 'So are you, Mrs Warwick.'

'Do call me Lavinia,' Lavinia immediately responded.

'Everyone does-er-' she said delicately, but Davina was saved by Loretta who came in yawning and wearing the most marvellous housecoat, causing her mother-in-law to turn her attention to her. 'Loretta! I don't think I've ever seen you up this early.'

'I don't think I've ever been up this early,' Loretta said glumly. 'But I couldn't stop thinking about three kids and a dog.'

'Ah, well, Steven has been involved in a few of these searches, if anyone can find them, he can.'

To which Loretta replied, 'You're probably right. Is that bacon and eggs, Davina? Do you know, I think I might break my golden rule and have some if you've got enough.'

To which Lavinia then said a shade tartly, 'They're fattening.'

'And I'm well on the way-is that what you're trying to say, my dear Lavinia?'

Davina turned away and hid a grin. It was obvious some things would never change between these two, but it might give her a bit of breathing space, she reflected.

Fortunately, too, in some respects although not others, it was one of Maeve's days and she greeted Davina like a long-lost friend. 'Glory be! Am I glad to see you, Davina! Now I'm not sure what you're back as, I mean to say, well, never mind, shouldn't have opened my mouth, but the last time I was here, the day after the party when you weren't, do you think Mrs W. didn't give me a hard time? She had me washing windows and walls. Not that she didn't get stuck in herself, I will give her that but that's not the easiest thing to live with either! Er… you in charge here again?'

'I… think so, Maeve.' Davina was only too conscious of the embarrassment in her voice, so she forced herself to sound more positive. 'Would you like to start with the ironing this morning?'

Maeve's wide beam was all the answer she needed.

But, indeed, Lavinia took herself off to the airfield just after Maeve's arrival and stayed there.

'Glory be!' Loretta echoed Maeve's sentiments, coming upon Davina as she sat on the terrace with a cup of coffee and watched Lavinia drive away. 'You're not still playing housekeeper, by any chance?' she enquired.

Davina looked at her ruefully over the top of her mug. 'I don't quite know what else to do.'

'So…it hasn't resolved itself?' Loretta said carefully, sitting down herself. 'Do you mind me being a sticky-beak?' she added with her own brand of forthrightness that, in Loretta, was hard to resist.

Davina thought for a bit, staring down at her cup then she lifted her eyes to Loretta. 'Steve told me you know who I was.'

'Yes. I twigged pretty early-when you said you'd worn my clothes, in fact. Not that I meet everyone who buys them, but I like to keep track of who wears them.'

'Why did you tell Steve the least said about it the better?'

'Darling,' Loretta said slowly, then gestured. 'Well, for one thing, I didn't think you'd want it bandied about-' She stopped.

'But there's more, isn't there?' Davina said quietly, with that little niggle at the back of her mind surfacing again.

Loretta sighed. 'Your ex has been pretty active lately. I happened to see him on Paul Grainger's show which was why I nearly died when the bloke showed up here. He… the bastard was incredibly clever,' she said coldly. 'He contrived to make you out as a scheming little bitch who'd walked out on him in his hour of need and he also didn't stop there. I've seen two magazine interviews along the same lines.'

Davina breathed deeply. 'And you thought Steve would be shocked and wonder about me?' she said, in an even quieter voice.

Loretta shrugged. 'Men can be…let's face it, I'm sure it's only human for men to side instinctively with men and women with women, but no, I'm not accusing Steve of that, although I certainly copped enough flak from him about his father, but then I did take his mother's place. But the real thing was, I didn't want vow copping any flak. People talk here-people talk everywhere, but here… well, I was afraid that because it's such a small community you might find people looking at you strangely and I thought, heaven knows, what's between you and Steve seems to be complicated enough without that, yet.' 'So it could always be a complication?' Davina suggested.

Loretta said strongly, 'Not to those who matter, Davina. And if you think that's just easy wisdom, believe me, I know what I'm talking about.'

Davina put her cup down and wrapped her arms around herself. 'Thank you for believing in me, by the way, but I'm not sure why you do.'

'Ah, well, I happened to meet him once, your ex. Very attractive et cetera but he struck me as being incredibly full of himself. He also,' she said gently, 'tried to make a pass at me while you two were still married. If Steve knows all about it, though,' she looked at Davina queryingly before she went on, 'you must know if he believes you.'

'He does. He… does.'

'So, what's the problem?'

'Me,' Davina said barely audibly. 'He's asked me to marry him but I don't know if it's too soon, I don't know if it's just one of those intense physical attractions that will fade, if he's decided he needs a wife-I have all these doubts. I'm racked by them,' she said and wiped away a foolish tear. 'You see, I swore I would never be forced or rushed into anything again, but what's almost worse is I've got the feeling that if I ever saw Steve Warwick fall out of love with me, I think I'd die. Although I sometimes also think he's a hard man to love; he's so determined and-'

'Arrogant-one of those masterful types, not to mention downright bloody-minded sometimes,' Loretta supplied. 'And too much of a sheer male to know he's rushing things,' she added with an exasperated look.

'Well, it is a bit difficult,' Davina said awkwardly.

Loretta smiled. 'At least you've got Lavinia on your side.'

'If she ever sees Darren doing his bit, she might have second thoughts. Not-'

'No, it really is none of her business,' Loretta said ruefully. 'Not that that's ever stopped her. Well, pet, I think you're just going to have to take a stand. If you don't want to be rushed, dig your heels in-not that that will be easy; there's an awful lot of Lavinia in Steve, but I guess I don't have to tell you that.'

Davina smiled briefly.

Steve came home for a short while that evening, for a meal, a bath and a few hours' sleep. Davina cooked the meal and they all ate together and discussed the search, so once again there was little embarrassment. For one thing, it was too sobering to think of five people and a dog adrift in a dinghy.

But before he took himself to bed, he came into the kitchen and took her into his arms with no regard for whoever might wander in.

'I'm sorry about this,' he said, rubbing his chin on her hair, 'but I'm out on my feet.'

She looked up into his eyes and touched an unsteady finger to the blue shadows on his jaw, unsteady because she was suddenly weak with love. 'Don't be. It's not your fault.'

'How are they treating you?'

'Just fine,' she said wryly. 'I took Candice for a swim this afternoon and they actually both came with us. And I took some interesting, I hope, photos of the three Warwick ladies, together.'

He grimaced then his eyes narrowed on her in a way that made her pulses start to hammer. 'I don't suppose you'd like to come and… soothe me to sleep?'

'No.' Her lips curved into a smile. 'What you need is pure sleep, Mr Warwick.'

'Pure sleep?' He lifted an eyebrow.

'You know what I mean,' she said ruefully.

'Do you mean-put us in a bed together and I might not get much sleep?' he suggested gravely.

'That's exactly what I mean,' she replied equally gravely.

He laughed and kissed her. 'You'd be quite right.' Then he sobered and sighed. 'You've no idea how frustrating it is to know they must be out there somewhere…' He shrugged. 'So there's been no more radio contact?' 'No. Which makes it seem highly likely they've had to take to a dinghy or-' He stopped.

'Go to bed,' she said softly. 'Things will look better when you're not so tired.'

But the next day and night yielded nothing and most people began to believe the yacht had sunk with no survivors, although the search continued.

It was on the third morning of the search that Lavinia picked up the post and brought home two letters for Davina-one from her mother and one in a type-addressed envelope. She put her mother's in her pocket and opened the other one with a faint frown, only to go white and feel dizzy as she read it.

My dear Davina, so that's where you're hiding? I don't suppose I need to tell you how I found this out; he really is a little germ, isn't he, although quite useful? But the big news is, by a happy coincidence, I've fought my way out of all my financial difficulties and paid back all my debts. I won't bore you with the details, but I found someone to go into silent partnership with, who believed I was the unlucky victim of the recession, fiscal policies and so forth, which I was, and because my ideas made him a lot of money, quite a lot of it has now come my way and I'm respectable and wealthy again. What, you may be wondering, has this to do with you? I'll tell you. I'm now in the position of not having to stand by and watch you marry another man. Thanks to Paul, I know a lot about Steve Warwick and his quiet but substantial empire, I know all his companies that are public with him as chief shareholder and, on the day you accept his ring, I would begin to attempt to shoot down every one of them, like sitting ducks. Would I succeed? I like to think so, and even make myself some more money in the process, but if I don't, I'll still have a hell of a lot of fun along the way while causing him merry hell. You see, my dear, there are some things I can never forgive or forget. And you shouldn't forget what a genius I was at takeovers in my heyday…

Davina let the letter flutter to the kitchen floor then stooped to pick it up hastily as Candice came in. 'Davina-are you OK?'

She swallowed and tried to pin a smile to her lips. 'Fine. Did you want something?'

'You don't look too good, but I just came to talk to you,' Candice confided. 'Mum's going through a stage of trying to be a better mum, probably just in case I get spirited on to a yacht and drowned and then she'll have to feel guilty all her life.'

Davina couldn't help but laugh and then found herself saying curiously, 'Is she such a bad mum?'

'Well, what she was trying to tell me was that she might not be a con…' Candice paused and looked to Davina for help. 'Conventional?'

'That's it, a con-ven-tion-al mum, but she does love me. Do you think you'd be one of those?'

Davina looked at her affectionately. 'I don't think you can know until you become a mum. But there are worse things than having an unconventional one; I think that all that matters is that she really loves you. And so does Lavinia, and so does Steve, and, while they may sometimes argue about you, it's because you're such a special person to them.'

'Like you are to Steve?' Candice looked at her enquiringly.

Davina returned that clear, innocent gaze and wondered how on earth to answer. But all she could come up with was, 'Perhaps.' And knew it sounded lame but Steve himself walked in at that moment.

And the way he said, 'Hi, ladies!' made them both look at him searchingly.

'Have you found something?' Davina asked. 'Just as we landed, a report came in from another plane that they'd made a sighting. Not quite sure what it is, there's a lot of low cloud cover in the area, but at least it's something. I've just come to grab a cup of tea and take some sandwiches back.'

'Right.' Davina shoved Darren's letter into her pocket and turned towards the counter. 'Candice, you can help me, you can butter the bread-why don't you have a quick shower?' she added over her shoulder.

'Will do,' he said, paused, his gaze on her, then he smiled briefly and walked out.

He came back in ten minutes and drank his tea thirstily. By this time Lavinia and Loretta had been apprised of the news and were discussing the possibilities eagerly, but Steve stayed only minutes then took Davina by the hand and said, 'Come outside with me for a minute.'

She went reluctantly and as soon as they were out of sight and earshot, he said, still holding her hand, 'What's wrong?'

'Nothing,' she said quickly, perhaps too quickly, because he frowned immediately.

She tried again. 'I think we're all a bit uptight. I know I've never been involved in a sea search this closely and it-gets to you.'

'Sure?'

'Yes, Steve,' she said quietly. 'Look, don't even think about me; you need all your energy to concentrate on finding them.'

'It's very hard not to think about you,' he said with a slight smile at the back of his eyes. And as her hand trembled in his, he lifted it to his lips and kissed her knuckles. 'I'm off.'

She watched him drive away, then went to her chalet and locked herself in.

It was only after she'd reread Darren's letter a couple of times that she remembered her mother's and was horrified to discover that her mother had read the magazine articles Loretta had mentioned and was distraught and disturbed. 'I don't know why he's doing it,' she wrote, 'but the way he's telling it makes him come out smelling of roses and you, well, like some cheap girl who only married him for his money.'

'Which I did,' Davina murmured with irony, and looked unseeingly at the wall. And she thought of that old saying about women scorned with a bitter little smile.

Then she sighed and forced herself to think about Steve and the whole situation she now found herself in. Of being in the position to bring possible ruin to a man she loved. Was it as simple as that? she wondered. And discovered that a lot of things had become curiously simple, such as finally admitting to herself that she loved Steve Warwick far too much to do that to him.

Sounds so dramatic, she thought, and noble! Only I don't feel noble; I feel frightened, helpless, exposed as if I've been hung up on a line like dirty washing-will Steve think of me that way one day? Could a relationship survive that kind of strain? He did say to me once that I should never have done it, married Darren… And I know Darren too well to disregard his threats. But there is one thing I can do… and the sooner I do it, the better.

But it was a good few minutes before she stirred, and made a phone call. Then she started to pack. And when that was done she looked around and swallowed, hating herself a little for leaving as she was hoping to be able to, like a thief in the night, and decided to write a brief note which she would leave in the Land Rover at the airport. Nor did she feel any better when she was able to get her bags into the Land Rover and drive away unseen. But, at the airport, things changed…

'I'm sorry, Mrs Hastings,' the girl behind the counter said nervously, 'but we've discovered we've overbooked the flight.'

Davina frowned and opened her mouth but the girl rushed on, 'What with so many aircraft being diverted for the search it's been…we've had to cancel quite a few flights, although they've found them!' she said, brightening. 'All alive and fairly well.'

'That's wonderful news,' Davina said with relief but added, 'Are you sure there's no room for me?' She looked out at the plane waiting on the apron and bearing the distinctive emblem of Steve's airline, which she'd hoped to be able to avoid but the urge to be gone had overcome that-then around the little terminal where there appeared to be only two other passengers waiting just five minutes before take-off.

'Well.' The girl cleared her throat, then brightened. 'There are only a few passenger seats on it. The rest is freight.'

'But you must have known that when I rang,' Davina pointed out, suddenly feeling a cold, sinking sensation.

The girl looked confused, miserable, then blurted out, 'The thing is, Mr Warwick left strict instructions that we weren't to fly you out in any circumstances, only I didn't know it when I took your call-Sam,' she called over her shoulder, 'could you come out, please? I think I need help.'

Sam turned out to be the airport manager and he looked both sheepish and harassed.

'Is this true?' Davina demanded coldly.

' 'Fraid so, Mrs Hastings.'

'But you don't even work for him! There's absolutely nothing you can do to stop me going on another flight on another airline-he doesn't own the airport!'

'That's what I told him,' Sam said eagerly but his face fell. 'There is no other flight today, though. We put on a couple of extras this morning to clear the backlog but- that's it. Incidentally,' he added, as a plane zoomed into view down the strip, 'that's Mr Warwick, he's just landed. So you can have it out with him.'

Davina closed her eyes, feeling about as trapped as she'd ever felt. Where to run? Where to hide? On Lord Howe? Nowhere…

'Then will you tell him that I'm waiting for him in the Land Rover-as I've no doubt you'll tell him everything else,' she said sardonically and swung away on her heel.

Mount Gower and Lidgbird had never been more beautiful, with some lazy cloud touching their peaks as she looked at them from the place she'd first photographed them.

Steve had come out of the terminal with his face grim and set and simply climbed into the Land Rover, slammed the door and driven them off. Not home, she'd prayed and indeed, he'd turned off the road and driven across the grass to the point above Lovers' Bay, as she now knew it was called.

'OK,' he said through his teeth, as the engine died. 'Want to go first? I presume you're going to tell me all the stupid, cowardly reasons you've come up with as a bar to us being right for each other.'

Davina took a breath and tried to control the anger that rushed through her but it was useless. 'No,' she said tautly, 'but I'm going to ask you this-how dare you do that to me?'

'Because I know you too well, Davina. You're still wearing your crown of thorns and loving it-do you think I couldn't see it? God knows what triggered it today but something as sure as hell did. I can only assume you've been moralising on things, such as…' He held up a hand and ticked off his fingers, and it was the most curiously insulting gesture she'd seen for a time. 'It's too soon, it's too awkward because of Lavinia, Loretta, Candice, Mary, probably, and the devil alone knows who else you have in mind. It's too… physical?' He glanced at her with so much irony in his eyes she flinched, and he went on with searing mockery. 'Too hot to last-is that what you think, Davina? You're going to have to go a long way before you find a man who will fall in love with you without wanting to sleep with you, my dear, and possibly even a longer way before you find a man you want to sleep with as much as you like to do it with me.'

She gasped and went white before she could speak, he said, 'Sound a bit crude to you? Believe me, it's true, and I think you should know better than most what a crucial thing it is in a marriage. You didn't exactly practise passive resistance with me. You didn't, for example, seem to mind it when I-'

'Stop,' she whispered, still white to her lips. 'If you expect me to believe a marriage to you could last when you can say things like those you've just said to me, you're mad!'

'Not mad, just a realist,' he said quite gently. 'You want me to tell you we'll love each other madly until the day we die? Well, there's no way I can prove it and you can't either and we could prolong this argument for six months and still be unable to prove it. But to run away because it's a possibility we mightn't? Well, you know what I think that is.'

'Yes. And I have to tell you I'm happy to be a stupid coward, Steve, and I'm going to go.' She stared at him, her mouth set, her eyes angry and determined. 'I told you once before about the aversion I have to any man dominating me the way you're attempting to, and whether I have that aversion rightly or wrongly is not the point. The point is I can't stand it and again, whether I like to go to bed with you or not doesn't change that. But the most important point of all is that, when you know a marriage is unlikely to last even six months because of it, you'd be crazy to even contemplate it.'

'All right,' he said abruptly and switched on the engine. 'You've got it.' He drove the Land Rover round in an arc towards the road, so fast that she clutched the door.

'Where?' she said furiously. 'Would you mind telling me that?'

'Wherever the hell you want to go. The plane I just landed in is going back to the mainland, and you can go with it. Actually, Pete is the pilot. Remember Pete? Now, doesn't that add quite a twist to our little saga, Davina?'

She could have hit him, but there was worse to come.

At the airport he was coldly businesslike as he arranged for Davina's departure, and he totally ignored everyone's unspoken embarrassment. Then he stood back and said with a dry smile and quite audibly to all in earshot, 'You were an excellent housekeeper, Davina. It's a pity we didn't just confine ourselves to that, isn't it? Remember me when you're lying alone in bed at night.'

She stared into his eyes disbelievingly, then turned away and walked out on to the tarmac.