Outback Sunset by Lynne Wilding Page B

business-like. ‘It’s quite possible that you and your career will fade into oblivion.’
    Vanessa winced at Kerri’s frankness but, gathering confidence and determination, her chin jutted forward. ‘Well, I can’t expect Bren to give up his station and spend his time in London with me. That wouldn’t be fair and after a while he’d hate it.’
    She had done a lot of soul-searching last night, getting little sleep and, as daylight had pushed through the bedroom window, her decision had firmed. Her career might suffer if she married Bren,but what was she to do? Throw away the chance to be happy and fulfilled? After losing David she thought she might never find that special someone, but now she had. She would be a fool to walk away from him!
    ‘So my career may not reach the dizzy heights we thought it would,’ she rationalised. ‘Gran was the ambitious one in the Forsythe family. It was her encouragement that drove me to stretch my talents in a variety of roles.’ She threw Kerri a sly look. ‘Besides, I imagine that no matter where I live, if I have a good agent who knows my capabilities, I should get ample work in the industry.’
    ‘Don’t soft-soap me, Vanny.’ Kerri waggled a finger at her. ‘Experts have tried and failed.’
    For twenty seconds or so, silence fell over the agent’s office. Vanessa checked her nails, fiddled with her hair, adjusted the folds of her frock, studied the photos adorning the wall again. There was one of herself as well as other famous faces Kerri represented.
    Vanessa took a different tack. ‘I’m not getting any younger. I’ll be twenty-nine next birthday …’
    ‘Your biological clock is ticking over, is that it?’
    Vanessa shrugged elegantly but didn’t give a straight answer. ‘I want a home, a family and, eventually children. It’s still harder for career women, and in most marriages she, more than he, does the compromising. If the trade-off for those things is that I surrender a chunk of my career, well, so be it.’
    Kerri shook her head, her sigh long and expressive. She had never seen Vanny moredetermined than she was right now. Perhaps the tragedy of David’s death was playing a part in what she wanted. Or, maybe she saw the idealistic picture of domestic life passing her by and she remembered too well how happy her parents had been and she dreamed of that kind of happiness for herself. She knew that because Vanny had spoken often of wanting a similar relationship with the man she fell in love with.
    Personally, she had her doubts that someone like Vanny could find permanent happiness on a cattle station in the middle of the Australian outback. She would get bored and frustrated with the life in a couple of years but, for the present Vanessa believed Bren Selby could give her what she needed and, thinking fatalistically, who was Kerri to say otherwise?
    ‘You really want to do this?’ Kerri asked, her tone unusually gentle. ‘With all my heart.’
    ‘Then,’ grudging acceptance brightened Kerri’s voice. ‘I guess all I can do is wish you every happiness, luv.’
    Vanessa gave Kerri a beaming smile. ‘Oh! I thought you’d try to talk me out of it. I was sure we’d end up having a big fight.’
    ‘I’ll be frank,’ Kerri’s reply was swift, ‘I can’t see it working, the two of you are just too different but you deserve your shot at happiness even though it might cost you your career.’
    ‘If I was with another agent I’d say it would,’ Vanessa agreed, ‘but I know that you’ll look after my interests, and while I will live in the outback,there are planes, and communication devices. I still want to act and Bren agrees that I should. What it will take is organisation and planning, something,’ her brown eyes twinkled cheekily, ‘we know you excel at.’
    Kerri nodded her dark head, silently accepting Vanessa’s compliment. ‘Speaking of which, you’ve got the part of Annie in the Australian movie,
Heart of the Outback
. They’ll