‘We’d be mighty pleased if a good man could buy the place,’ the stockman confided within minutes of Rory’s calling out to him. He was only too ready to talk and hopefully hold on to his job. ‘Things have gone from bad to worse since the Boss died and Jack left. Jack Nelson was the overseer here for the past ten years with no complaints from the Boss, but Jack and the Missus couldn’t see eye to eye. Or even half an eye come to that. She never wanted to spend any money maintaining the place. It was a real battle trying to get any money out of her for anything, even paying the vet. Jack reckoned she was only waiting for a buyer so she could sell up. The only one who loves the place is Miss Allegra. Miss Chloe now—I can see her back there in the Jeep—you want to strap yourself in—she won’t do no rough work. Not much of a rider, either, which is pretty funny when to see Miss Allegra in the saddle does a man’s heart good. She can handle most of the jobs on the station, too. Her dad taught her. Chloe, now, always liked to spend her time indoors with her mum. Both of them are bone lazy if you ask me. Hell, don’t tell her that. I could lose my job.’ He shut up abruptly.
Back in the Jeep Rory would have liked to suggest he take over the driving but didn’t want to hurt Chloe’s feelings. She didn’t so much steer as wrestle with the wheel. One of her little foibles was hitting as many pot holes and partially submerged rocks as she could, sniffing them out like a heat-seeking missile. It was almost as if it were her bounden duty. Then she groaned aloud as the vehicle reacted with a stomach churning kangarooing. Excuses ranged from, ‘Whoops, didn’t see that!’ to ‘That wasn’t there last time!’ Maintenance on the Jeep would run heavily to shock absorbers he reckoned.
‘What did Gallagher have to say?’ she asked when they resumed their seats after another bout of catapulting.
Rory thought it better not to pass on Gallagher’s indiscretions. ‘Nothing much. Just saying hello.’
‘It’s a wonder Mum didn’t sack him along with Jack Nelson,’ Chloe muttered, incredibly clipping a branch of a tree.
‘Why’s that?’ Rory wondered how Chloe could possibly drive in a city or even a small town without hitting everything in her path. He even began to wonder if she’d had any proper driving lessons or simply got behind the wheel one day without bothering about lessons or a licence. He recalled he and Jay could drive around the station from a very early age.
‘Cheeky bugger! Not respectful enough to Mum or me.’ Chloe bridled.
‘Who, Nelson or Gallagher?’ Both that voice in his head said.
‘Both,’ Chloe confirmed, her pretty mouth tightening. ‘It would be wonderful if you really liked the place, Rory. No one ever thought Dad would die so young. Mum and I are lost without him. Running a station needs a man. Dad needed a son. Instead he got Allegra and me,’ she said wryly. ‘I stayed. I was the loyal one. Allegra cleared off as soon as she could.’
‘Oh, yes, when was this?’ He tried not to sound too interested when he found himself avid for information.
‘She insisted on going to university while I had to stay at home. Mum needed me. It’s so lonely out here a girl could go ape. Afterwards Allegra landed a magazine job. We all know why. She’s the perfect clothes horse and she does have good taste although it took a few years before she got the big promotion.’
‘Was this before or after she married?’ Rory asked, intrigued Allegra might have kept working when she had married a rich man.
‘The promotion?’ She took such a lengthy look at him, Rory was forced to put a steadying hand on the wheel.
‘Yes.’
Chloe placed her hand gently over his and took a while to take it off. ‘She was fashion editor when she met Mark. She could easily have quit her job and devoted herself to being a good wife to Mark, but she didn’t. I think a man deserves that, don’t you? He’s such a lovely man, too, and she dumped him. I ask you! Dump the love of your life?’
‘Obviously he wasn’t,’ Rory suggested, not trying all that hard to dull the sarcasm.
‘Seems not,’ Chloe sighed and headed into a clump of brambles. ‘Mum and I really took to him. He’s so handsome and clever and rich and he worshipped her. It’s a bit weird isn’t it the way men worship beautiful women? I mean beauty’s only a tiny fraction of what a real woman is all about. I tell you when she left him Mum and I were gobsmacked. We even thought he might top himself.’
‘Surely not!’ Rory groaned before he could help himself. ‘Your father liked him, too?’ He wanted some perspective on the worshipping husband. Not that he exactly blamed him, tiny fraction or not.
Pretty Chloe scowled darkly. ‘Oh, as far as Dad was concerned no one was good enough for Allegra!’ she said, her voice betraying her intense jealousy. ‘You’ve no idea what it was like for me when we were growing up. Allegra always wanting the attention and getting it from Dad. Allegra could be an absolute pig!’ She paused a moment to cool down. She didn’t want Rory getting the wrong idea about her. ‘We’re half sisters, you know.’
‘Allegra did tell me,.’ Rory admitted, surprised they were any relation at all.
‘She would. No matter how much Mum and I tried she would never let us love her and Mum’s the sweetest woman who ever drew breath.’
Rory fought a wry smile.
‘I hesitate to say this,’ Chloe continued with some relish, ‘in fact it hurts me, but it might help you understand. My beautiful sister is pretty shallow. I don’t think there’s a man alive who could make her happy.’ To reinforce her opinion Chloe hit the steering wheel with her open palm.
Sibling rivalry could be absolutely deadly Rory thought. Potentially so could Chloe’s driving. ‘That’s your opinion, Chloe, is it? And what about you?’ Rory kept his eyes glued ahead for more likely obstacles. If he’d only known what going for a drive with Chloe held in store! ‘What are your plans if and when the station is sold?’
Chloe swung her head to beam at him. A woman just waiting to be hit by Cupid’s arrow. ‘I’m going to find myself a man,’ she confessed with a dimpled grin. ‘I’m going to have a Big White Wedding I’ll always remember. And I won’t have Allegra for my damned bridesmaid,’ she tacked on wrathfully, heading towards a solitary gum tree like it was a designated pit stop. ‘You can be sure of that!’.
Rory gently nudged the wheel. ‘Obviously a sore point?’ The reason wasn’t lost on him.
‘Well, I won’t want her upstaging me on the best day of my life.’ Inexplicably she braked hard as if they were coming to a set of traffic lights mysteriously erected in the bush. ‘Can you blame me?’ Satisfied about whatever it was—he didn’t have a clue—she picked up speed again. ‘I won’t even let her meet my husband until after we’re married just to be on the safe side. I won’t be like her, either. Sadly she could only stay married five minutes. Marriage is forever, Rory, don’t you think?’
He must have lost a layer of skin. Either that or it was the way Chloe was affecting him. ‘Absolutely,’ he said, ‘or I’d want my money back.’
They insisted he stay for a late lunch again prepared and served by Allegra who, as far as Rory could see, could get a job at a top restaurant.
‘Great meal, Allegra,’ he complimented her. In fact it was the best meal he’d