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‘I wish I could see a little better.’

‘Are you going to have a crack at it or not? Make up your mind. We can’t spend the night here.’

Katriona’s chin went up. ‘Don’t bully me. Tell me what to do.’ She was scared to death, and so intent on watching the road and gripping the steering wheel that she did not see the slow satisfied smile of triumph spread across Carla’s face. She followed Carla’s instructions exactly, and the car moved slowly forward ... it seemed too wide for the road, but Carla leaned across and guided it through the gateway. As they crept along the flat road, ever so slowly, Katriona managed to keep the centre mark in the centre of the road and felt she was not doing too badly.

‘Great! You’re doing fine. Now, push the accelerator down a bit more. Don’t be frightened. I’ll take over if need be.’ The car surged forward and Carla’s hand shot out again to steady the wheel. ‘See, it’s quite simple really. All you need is confidence. Ross and Morgan will be so pleased with you.’

Katriona was thrilled that she had got this far without mishap. She also was feeling guilty for not trusting Carla. She was really being very patient and kind.

‘Okay, now here’s the hill. We’ll need a bit more speed. You’ve got to gun her a bit to make it. Stick your foot down or you’ll stall the damned thing.’

Katriona instinctively obeyed, trusting Carla completely, and the next few seconds became a nightmare. She heard Carla laughing wildly as the powerful car leaped forward, spurting gravel, and she fought desperately to hold it on the steep narrow metal road. As they topped the rise of the hill, the yard was full of men, trucks, children, motor-bikes, dogs and the sheep streaming from the sheepyards. There was nowhere to go, and she had no idea how to stop the car. She felt sick with the thought of what was going to happen. In that instant she knew Carla had done this to her deliberately.

Carla grabbed the wheel, deftly flicking it one way and then the other to dodge the sheep, dogs, vehicles, and people. With consummate skill she seemed to be going to drive right through the confusion without accident. Then there was a terrible grinding, wrenching, tearing sound as they ran over a hastily abandoned farm bike, and then on to wing an old car parked by the gate, before Carla switched off the engine and applied the brake.

Katriona just sat there shaking with shock until her door was thrown open, and Morgan reached in and jerked her bodily from the seat. ‘What the hell do you think you’re doing, you crazy female? You could have killed someone! You complete idiot, you’ve smashed my car, and young Gary’s—look at them! ’

He shouted and yelled at her, and shook her as if she was a rag doll, but Katriona did not care. She wished he would kill her. She had been such a fool.

‘That will do, Morgan. She’s had enough. Let’s get to the bottom of this.’ Tay’s voice was quiet, yet it stopped Morgan, and he released Katriona. She would have fallen except that Tay put his arms around her. ‘Okay, you guys, the excitement is over. Get those sheep away, Murray. Tim, clear the bike away and tow Gary’s bomb out of here. Nobody’s hurt, so back to work.’

As if viewing him from a distance, Katriona saw Morgan through the tears which slid down her cheeks walking round his car examining the damage. She saw Nivvy standing by the gate, her hand to her mouth, and she saw Carla smiling.

Morgan’s voice cracked like a whiplash. ‘Carla. You have an explanation?’

Wiping the smile from her face, Carla turned to face Morgan, her expression contrite and pleading. ‘Oh, Morgan, please forgive me for being such a fool. I shouldn’t have listened to Katriona. Honestly, when I told her that Ross was sending up a new car for her, she nagged me all the way to Hanmer and back to teach her to drive. She nearly drove me crazy. She insisted that you wouldn’t mind her learning in your car ... But I did have my doubts, really I did.’ The lying smooth voice went on and on, and Katriona buried her face in Tay’s comforting shoulder trying to blot out the pain of knowing how badly she had been tricked.

‘Well, she finally pulled rank, and said she was Ross’s daughter and that you were only the manager and that you’d been instructed by Ross to see that she had everything she wanted while she was here. Okay, so I was foolish to give in, but she’d been on my back for hours. I thought she couldn’t do much damage between here and the gate if she just crawled along, and I could steer if I had to ... Damn it all, Morgan, she wouldn’t listen to me. She knew it all. I’ve had a fright too. We nearly went over the bank coming up the hill.’

‘Oh, stop crying, Carla. I hate crying women, so you can turn off the waterworks. They don’t impress me.’

Katriona immediately scrubbed the tears from her face and pushed herself away from Tay. She must stand on her own feet, and take what was coming to her. It took courage, but she turned to face Morgan, her chin held high, but defeat in her blue eyes.

‘Have you anything to say for yourself, Katriona Carmichael?’ Morgan was blazing mad, his grey eyes flashing fires of fury. It was obvious he believed Carla. Anything Katriona said would sound pathetic against that carefully planned story. Against the anger and accusation in his face, she quailed.

‘Nothing.’

‘Not even an apology?’

Katriona swallowed nervously, feeling perspiration beading her forehead. ‘You believe Carla’s story?’

‘Have you got a better one?’

‘No.’

‘You risk the lives of almost everyone on the station and you’ve got nothing to say. As long as you had your fun it doesn’t matter if sheep or dogs or people are hurt. You’ve smashed my car, and young Gary’s, you’ve wrecked a farm bike which is worth hundreds of dollars and you stand there like Joan of Arc, apparently considering yourself above suspicion, above criticism. Well, you aren’t. Even if you are the boss’s daughter I’ll tell you what I think of you. I think you’re a vain, stupid, frivolous female, who puts her own pleasure ahead of people’s lives, and that you’re behaving exactly as your mother did when she was here. You disgust me. God help Ross Carmichael!’

Morgan turned on his heel and strode away.

Katriona felt herself floating, swaying gently backwards and forwards like a young poplar in a breeze, the sun bright, then fading into blackness and the sensation of falling.

‘Drink
this.’ Amber was sitting beside her on a couch.

‘What is it?’ Katriona half sat up, brushing her curls back from her face.

‘Whisky.’ Amber put her arm around Katriona’s slender shoulders. ‘Tay said I was to give you a whisky straight, and if you don’t look any better I was to give you another. Now drink it.’

It was easier to swallow it than argue, so Katriona downed it with a grimace. She felt the spirit bum her mouth and throat, but it failed to warm her. She could not stop shaking. She handed the glass back to Amber. ‘Thanks.’

‘You don’t look much better to me, I’ll go and get a refill.’ Amber hurried off in spite of Katriona’s protests.

‘Tay said you had to have it.’ Amber was implacable. ‘Down the hatch! ’

‘No,’ Katriona refused stubbornly from between chattering teeth.

‘If Daddy say we have to do something, we got to do it.’

Katriona looked up to find Tania, Eden and Jordan watching her with interest. She did not know which one had spoken.

‘House rule,’ said Amber with a smile. ‘If Daddy says ...’

Katriona drained the glass silently.

‘Good, you’re starting to get a bit of colour back. When Tay marched in with you in his arms I thought he had a corpse for me! ’

Katriona stopped shaking and knew the whisky was warming her. ‘Does he often bring corpses in?’

‘Oh, frequently, always young and beautiful ones, but you’re the first redheaded one. Makes for a change. I often wonder where he finds them all.’

‘This one isn’t used to neat whisky. I may end up walking around on the ceiling.’

‘Teach the children how to do it. It will keep them amused on wet days.’

Katriona laughed. Amber was very special. ‘What does it take to throw you?’ she asked.

‘Nothing can as long as Tay loves me.’ Amber’s face creased into a radiant smile.

‘I can believe that,’ Katriona said as a swift pain of Morgan’s hate and anger arrowed through her. She would never know the joy that was so evident on Amber’s face.

‘Tay’s orders were, one whisky, followed by a second if needed, no talk, or even thinking until he gets back. He won’t be long. Tania and Eden, finish your homework then do your chores, you can talk to Katriona later. Now, how do I stop you from thinking? Jordan, go and get your play school work and show your paintings to Katriona.’ She watched the small boy rush off. ‘I defy anyone to think when Jordan demands their attention! He’ll be back in a second, so I’ll get on with dinner.’

Katriona nodded, happy to be left on her own. The room had a warm, loved feel to it, a family room, reflecting Amber’s exciting personality as well as Tay’s more steadying influence. The books and record collection would be Tay’s, the furniture and furnishings were Amber, so was the cascade of colour from the jar of peacock feathers, the paintings were Amber, the wall plaques Tay, the spinning wheel and the Aran sweater on needles . . .

‘Me paintings.’ Jordan had a sheaf of papers in his hands. He put them in a pile on the floor and took the first one. ‘Woolshed.’ He glanced up at Katriona on the couch, then bounced to his feet and caught her hand to pull her down beside him on the carpet. ‘See me paintings.’

The invitation was irresistible. Katriona took the large square of white newsprint covered with a mess of black paint. ‘Tell me what it is.’

Jordan, spread-eagled on the floor, studied it carefully, then gave her a pitying glance. ‘Sheepyards. Daddy ’ere. Jordan ’ere. Mummy way over ’ere. Tania ’ere. Eden ’ere.’ His grin was appealing and his laughter contagious.

'Where’s the woolshed?’

‘Sheep ’ere.’ Jordan’s hand swept the middle of the painting. ‘Woolshed ’ere.’

He went through the rest of the paintings the same way. Katriona wondered if he could really see what he had painted, so she picked up the discarded black painting. ‘Where’s Daddy?’

Jordan leaned over it with intense concentration. ‘Daddy ’ere. Eden ’ere. Tania ’ere.’

He did know. Katriona giggled. It must be the whisky, because suddenly she felt happy again, infected by this small boy’s delight in his work. ‘Where’s Mummy?’

‘Mummy gone ’ome,’ Jordan stated flatly.

‘Mummy over there,’ Katriona argued, touching the painting.

‘Mummy not ’ere. Mummy gone ’ome. Truck ’ere.’ Tania and Eden ran in. Eden was always first to speak. ‘Do you want to see our pets? We’ve finished our homework.’

Katriona stood up. ‘I’d love to see them. What pets do you have?’

‘Canaries, budgies, goats, deer, sheep, pigs, a rabbit, a calf ...’ Eden stopped for want of breath.

Tania slipped her hand into Katriona’s hand. ‘Come and see Taffy first. He’s my budgie, and he can talk.’

Katriona walked through to the kitchen where Amber was using the cake mixer on the bench and busily wiping down an array of preserving jars filled with golden pears. On the room divider were pot plants and some choice pieces of pottery from the Hanmer shop. Katriona admired Taffy and was about to speak to Amber when she saw Somali, the big grey gelding, through the kitchen window. Her face went still with hurt. It must have been about this time last evening that Morgan had saved her from the bull, and he had kissed her. There was no joy in the memory ... so close then, so far apart now. He despised her.

‘No thinking,’ Amber commanded sternly.

‘Daddy not ’ere.’ Katriona gave a wan smile.

‘Daddy soon ’ere. Go and see the rabbit.’ Amber also used Jordan’s speech pattern.

Outside in a roomy rabbit hutch was an enormous fluffy white rabbit called Cottontail and he belonged to Tania too. When she had made sure Frostee, the white cat, was locked up, she let the big bunny out and he hopped around enjoying his freedom, posing in among the marigolds in the garden as if he was auditioning for a Walt Disney film. Back in the hutch, he consoled himself on carrot sticks, while they all went out to the gate to see Eden’s calf.

The sun was going down but the air was still warm and sweet from the heat of the day. The golden hills looked just as lovely, but nothing seemed to hold the same pleasure. How Katriona wished that she had not given her father her word to stay here a month! He would not want her to stay once he had heard Carla’s version of the mess today.

‘Daddy ’ere!’ Jordan’s shriek made her look up as Tay drove up to the gate, and all the animals in the park came racing across to get fed. Three magnificent red deer stags with spreading antlers came first, followed by the slender sleek hinds, and the big-eyed spotted fawns mingled with the goats, and further back were the geese with their strange curly feathers. Away back by the pines marched a straight line of Canadian geese in single file. The evening call of the kea came thin and clear just as the big stag threw back his head and gave a loud full-throated roar, the mating call, and then another, loud and long and vibrating. Suddenly the magic was back. She could still submerge herself in the beauty of this place and learn to love it and ignore Morgan Grant.

She met Tay as he stepped from the truck. ‘Daddy ’ere.’

Tay grinned, ‘You’re okay, then.’ He scooped Jordan up. ‘Enjoy my kids?’

‘I loved them.’

‘I knew you would. Whisky worked, then?’

‘Fine,’ Katriona replied with a laugh. ‘I think Amber must have poured a full bottle into me. I feel I could jump clear over that high deer fence and skim over the plantation and fly to the mountains.’

‘How about the moon? See it up there, before the sun has had time to set.’ Tay gave her a searching look. ‘Carla lied.’

‘If you say so.’

‘I say so. Why didn’t you?’

Katriona shrugged her shoulders. ‘What was the profit in doing that? He wanted to believe her.’

She watched Tay feed the animals and tie his dogs for the night, marvelling at the patience of the man with his children, with his stock. He was strong and sure and yet gentle. Morgan was strong and sure too, but not gentle. Morgan was cruel.