Inheritance by Kate Loveday Page A

words.
    ‘I don’t believe Yallandoo’s on the market,’ Mark answered easily, with a glance at Cassie.
    Stella’s hand remained on his arm as she answered. ‘Oh, well, I know you’ll find what you want. You always get what you want in the end. I’ve learnt that about you.’ Her hand squeezed Mark’s arm as she smiled up at him.
    Much to her annoyance, Cassie felt a sudden stab of jealousy. Turning away, she spoke to the young man on the other side of her. ‘Are you a local, Gary?’
    ‘Not really, but I’ve been working up here for about three years now. I came up from Melbourne for a project in Cairns and I liked it so much, I stayed. Couldn’t face going back to the cold down south now, so I guess I’ll stay here as long as I can find work to do.’
    ‘What kind of work’s that?’
    ‘I’m a builder. I’ve done some work here for Mark. That’s how I come to be here today.’
    Rosie looked interested. ‘You and Cassie’ll have to get together. She needs a builder. What did you do here?’
    ‘I built the cabana over there.’ He indicated a long timber structure on the opposite side of the pool with a thatched roof and rooms at each end, open in the middle. At one end was along bar. ‘There’s a kitchen in there,’ he indicated, ‘and the other end has change rooms with showers and a powder room for you ladies.’
    Mark was following their conversation. ‘I’m interested to know why you need a builder, Cassie. I hope you’ll tell me later.’ He removed Stella’s hand gently from his arm. ‘But now I must leave you. Please excuse me. I have a few things to see to, I’ll see you all in a while. Will you come with me, Laurence?’ The two men walked across to the cabana.
    ‘What are you going to build?’ Rachel, a small dark haired woman with bright eyes, asked Cassie. ‘Anything as grand as this?’ She indicated their surroundings with a sweep of her hand.
    ‘Hardly,’ Cassie laughed, ‘something much more modest. I’m thinking of a few cabins in the rainforest on my property.’
    ‘What do you intend to do with them?’ asked Rachel’s husband Ian, paying sudden attention.
    ‘I’m thinking of them as tourist accommodation.’
    ‘Really? You’d better let us have the details then. We run a travel agency in Cairns and there’s a big call for that sort of accommodation.’
    ‘Is there? How fortunate to meet you here. I’ve been wondering who could answer that very question for me and, of course, a travel agent is just the person.’
    ‘There are several travel agents here today,’ Stella interjected. ‘Of course, Mark knows all the prominent business people in the area. Many of us here today are in business in Cairns. It’s where the most successful businesses are.’ Her voice was well modulated and precise.
    Rosie stepped back and rolled her eyes. ‘Well, bully for Cairns,’ she said, making her voice sound broad Australian.
    Stella turned a disdainful look on her. ‘It is the business and cultural centre of North Queensland. You can’t argue with that.’
    ‘I think there are some in Townsville who might disagree with you,’ Gary objected.
    As the merits of Townsville and Cairns were debated, Cassie listened to Stella. How could Mark be interested in such a stuck-up bitch? Skinny, too!
    She studied Stella closely. She was tall, thin, striking-looking and could have stepped straight from the pages of a high-fashion magazine. Her shiny jet black hair, drawn back tightly into an elegant chignon, set off the shape of her head and made her cheekbones stand out. Her face wasn’t beautiful, her eyes were too small and her lips too thin, but her skillful use of makeup disguised the flaws. She looked the picture of elegance, dressed in white linen pants and high-necked tunic top with white high-heeled strappy sandals to match. An elaborate necklace and earrings of jet and silver completed her outfit. There was not a crease or a hair out of place to spoil the picture and her