The Man from Outback: An Australian Outback Romance by Lucy Walker

Author:Lucy Walker [Walker, Lucy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: small town and rural, outback romance, clean romance, clean and wholesome, australian romance, autstralian rural romance, australian author, australian rural novels
Publisher: Wyndham Books (Small Town & Rural Romance)
Published: 2022-11-09T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

Her eyes were smiling over her glass when she saw, across Allen’s shoulders, Kane come into the doorway.

He was looking straight across the dining-room and it was as if Mari was looking into his eyes, not Allen’s.

Her heart thumped. He looked so distinguished, standing there, tall, brown, well-dressed in a dark suit he must have put on since he had come in from that business meeting.

It had been a business meeting, after all! He hadn’t been away an hour and he had come back to have his dinner with her.

Allen saw the startled look in Mari’s eyes, then the slow flush that spread over her throat and cheeks. He turned round, then rose from his chair quickly.

‘Kane ‒ by all that’s lucky!’ he said heartily. He went across the floor and the two men met half-way. They shook hands, Allen talking quickly, volubly, Kane half-smiling, saying so little that Mari wondered if he said anything at all.

They came back to the table together and Allen pulled out a chair for Kane as if he, Allen, were the waiter and Kane the honoured guest. Fortunately for the reputation of the hotel the waiter was there in time to push the chair in.

‘What are you up to, Mari?’ Kane asked quietly. ‘Looks like the poultry stage. What have they got? Duckling? Good, that’s what I’ll have.’

‘But sir,’ protested the waiter, ‘we have some excellent hors d’oeuvre. Or perhaps you like iced rock melon? Madam found it very pleasing. Our own boats brought the crayfish in this morning …’

Kane shook his head.

‘I’m afraid I’m running out of time now. I’m very sorry. We have a plane to catch. Bring me some of that duckling, please.’ He turned to Allen. ‘May I share your bottle of champagne?’

‘Of course. Marriages call for toasts. Believe it or not, that wife of yours has about wrecked the hotel by announcing that champagne is like lemonade.’

Kane turned to Mari.

‘I see you have been in good company,’ he said quietly. His words were so pleasant and so polite Mari knew instinctively he didn’t like Allen Webster. She also knew that in spite of Allen having called Kane an ogre and having spoken of him in that off-hand way when in Darwin, Allen was a little in awe of Kane.

‘Is your business all finished, Kane?’ Mari asked steadily.

‘Quite,’ he said non-committally. The steward served him, and when this rite was over Kane looked up at her again.

‘The plane leaves in an hour,’ he said. ‘It takes half an hour to the airport …’

‘Nonsense, old man,’ Allen Webster said. ‘I have my car. I can get you there in less than twenty minutes. There’s another bottle of champagne in the cellar … we must celebrate.’

Kane was still impeccably polite, irreproachably pleasant.

‘Not with an extra-precious cargo in the car,’ he said. ‘I won’t risk my wife’s neck with your idea of moderate speed, Allen. Thank you for the thought.’ This time he really smiled as he looked at the other man. ‘Besides, you said my wife likened champagne to lemonade.

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