Bogus Bride by Elizabeth Duke

Author:Elizabeth Duke
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 1993-03-15T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

Thankfully, she didn’t see Rafe for the rest of the day, and at dinnertime there were others mercifully present, Rafe having invited his stockmen and their ladies to join them for a casual barbecue at the Mia-Mia to discuss what needed to be done before their VIP guests arrived.

‘Helen and I will be driving into town in the morning to stock up on provisions,’ Denise told Rafe. ‘Anyone who needs anything, let us know before eight in the morning.’

‘Are they bringing any attendants or officials with them?’ Dan asked.

‘No, it’ll be just the prince and his wife,’ Rafe said. ‘An official from the foreign affairs department in Sydney is arranging their flight here and back to Sydney afterwards, but they’ll be coming alone. Apparently they’re used to travelling in the West, though the prince has never brought his wife to Australia before. Their stay here at Goonagulla is a private visit—they want it to be completely informal.’

‘You mean we won’t have to bow to them?’ Bluey piped up, pursing his lips in mock-disappointment.

‘There won’t need to be any bowing or scraping, but a bit of politeness wouldn’t go amiss, if you can manage it,’ Rafe chided.

‘Will they be in robes and veils and all that?’ Merry wanted to know.

Rafe laughed. ‘Sorry to disappoint you, but no. They’ll be wearing Western clothes, I’m told. But that doesn’t mean they’ve adopted all our Western habits. I’ve been warned that they don’t drink and they don’t smoke, though they will tolerate it in others...but we won’t overdo either in their presence, OK?’

‘Do they ride?’ Pete asked.

‘Probably better than you do—which is saying something,’ Rafe said with a grin. ‘At least the prince does; I’m not sure about his wife. I’m told the prince has a stable of magnificent horses at his palace, and he’s a superb horseman.’

‘Some of his racehorses are trained here in Australia,’ Sophie put in. ‘One of them won the Brisbane Cup only the other day. That’s one of the reasons they came here—to attend the Cup.’

‘And to look for a cattle property, didn’t you say?’ Skye put in, recalling what Rafe had told her.

‘That’s right,’ Sophie answered for Rafe, adding proudly, ‘Which is the reason they’re coming to Goonagulla—to get an idea what to look for. Goonagulla is considered a model cattle station—a model for others to follow.’

‘And its success is all thanks to your husband and your son,’ Dan said warmly, and Sophie blinked and nodded.

‘Mind you, the location has helped,’ Rafe said, wanting to be fair—or perhaps, Skye mused, reluctantly giving him credit for diplomacy, he had deliberately steered the conversation away from his father to spare his mother’s feelings, the mention of Uncle Byron having brought a faint mistiness to her eyes.

‘Sure is a great location,’ Dan agreed. ‘Goonagulla is virtually disease-free, and well protected weather-wise, thanks to those mountain ranges running down both sides.’

‘And there’s plenty of water too—natural water as well as our two big dams,’ Pete put in. ‘I’ve never been on a property with such huge dams.

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