The Socialite and the Cattle King by Lindsay Armstrong Page A

visitors’ comments and press cuttings.’
    ‘Oh, thank you! I will,’ she said eagerly, but didn’t miss the ironic little glance he cast her. In fact, it caused her to bridle as she stared back.
    But he only shrugged and drew her attention to a drawer in the table that contained pens and paper, if she wanted to make notes.
    ‘Thank you,’ she said stiffly. Feeling foolish, which didn’t sit well with her, she waved her hands and recommended that he go away and leave her alone.
    ‘By all means, Miss Harding,’ he said with soft sarcasm. ‘By all means.’
    Holly ground her teeth.
    An hour later she looked up as he came back into the library area, then put her pen down and stretched.
    ‘Finished?’ he enquired.
    ‘No. They’re fascinating—I could go on for hours, but I won’t. Thanks very much.’ She closed the album she’d been working on and stood up. ‘I think bed mightbe a good idea. I seem to have done an awful lot today,’ she said with evident humour.
    ‘I’ll walk you to your cabin,’ he murmured.
    ‘I can walk myself.’ But she paused, feeling recalcitrant and juvenile. What could happen between here and her cabin? ‘OK. Thanks.’
    They called goodnight to Sarah, who was watching a DVD, and set off. In the event, there were no snakes, but there was a flying fox. As Brett opened her cabin door and reached in to switch on the light, it swooped down on Holly.
    It startled her so much she dropped her torch, gave a yelp and with an almighty shudder sought refuge in Brett’s arms.
    The creature flew into the cabin, then straight out again.
    ‘It’s only a flying fox,’ he said, holding her close, though, and flipping off the light. ‘It was the light.’
    ‘Only a flying fox!’ she repeated incredulously. ‘Aren’t they responsible for the Lyssa virus or the Hendra virus—or both?’
    ‘It didn’t actually touch you, Holly.’ He passed a hand over her hair then closed the cabin door.
    She shuddered again. ‘Can you imagine it getting caught in my hair? Yuck!’
    ‘Some people love them.’
    ‘Not in their hair, I bet they don’t. Look, I’m not keen on them; snakes, spiders, rats and frogs I can manage to stay sane about—flying foxes, not!’
    He laughed down at her then bent his head to kiss her.
    Holly was taken completely by surprise, but it feltso good, she was immediately riveted and all her fears seemed to melt away.
    Then some common sense prevailed and she drew away a little.
    ‘We shouldn’t be doing this,’ she whispered.
    ‘We’ve been wanting to do it all day,’ he countered.
    ‘I…’ She swallowed. ‘The thing is, I’m here to do a job and I really need to concentrate on that. So.’ She managed to look up at him humorously. ‘Thanks for being here, otherwise I could have really freaked out! But now I’ll say goodnight.’
    He released her promptly, although with a crooked little smile. ‘All right. Don’t switch the light on until you’re closed in.’ He turned away and left her.
    Holly closed herself into the cabin and stood in the dark for a long moment with her hand to her mouth.
    The next morning, after breakfast, he had a surprise for her.
    She’d greeted him cautiously, but he’d been casual and friendly and they’d eaten breakfast companionably.
    Then he recommended that she bring a hat and sunscreen, along with her camera, and meet him at the holding-paddock gate.
    When she got there, there were two saddled horses tied to the fence.
    ‘I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘I couldn’t rustle up a camel or a donkey.’
    Holly groaned. ‘Thank heavens! But I have to tell you that, although I have ridden horses before, I’m not much of a rider—I usually get led.’
    ‘No problem.’ He produced a long rein out of hissaddle bag and attached it to one of the horses’ bridles. ‘Up you get.’ He put his hands around her waist and lifted her into the saddle.
    ‘Where are we going?’
    He mounted his horse with ease and clicked his tongue. As