Born of the Wind Read online

  At barely seventeen she had been young to look back over much, but she hadn't found the transition from her former life to this one easy. Yet after a painful period of settling in she began loving this part of Australia quite fiercely. She would have settled quite happily on Googon if her grandfather had given her the least encouragement. Even without this, she never had any thought of running away. Kim had proved the restless one and it had become a habit to think he only needed time.

  John Carey's station, which he had left entirely to Kim, was small compared to that of Scott Brady's. His was huge, covering over forty thousand hectares, and, according to John Carey, there wasn't a better run place! Scott's father had apparently neglected it, but after Scott had inherited he had made a lot of changes. Sherry had heard that the complex around the house was like a small village, while the house itself was well able to take one's breath away. All this Sherry had yet to see, for Scott Brady seemingly didn't issue invitations to his poorer neighbours, especially anti-social ones like her grandfather. She had only met Ellen Brady through Kim, and then it had been on Googon, not Coomarlee.

  Neither Scott or Sherry spoke until they reached Coomarlee. This part of New South Wales, through which ran the meandering Darling River, was hot and barren for most of the year. The winter climate, from the end of March to November, was bracing and pleasant, but otherwise the heat and dust could be trying. For some the monotony of seemingly endless plains and low, rocky ranges interspersed by slow-flowing rivers had no attraction, but for Sherry, each day brought an increasing fascination. If she had been apprehensive over leaving London, now she had an even greater fear of having to leave Googon and perhaps never seeing it again.

  Most of the roads being rough and unsealed, Sherry was used to bumping over them. She was relieved to see the buildings of Scott's property loom in view, chiefly because she had a great desire to get what she guessed might be an ordeal over and done with. Nevertheless, her first glimpse of his home impressed her.

  At Googon and other similar places, the homestead was built on the track with nothing but a width of dusty ground between it and the veranda. Here it was different. The Brady homestead was surrounded by irrigated paddocks which considerably softened the landscape between the house and the red plains beyond it. The house itself was a superb affair, two-storied and gracious, shaded by trees and well laid out gardens which Sherry knew contained a magnificent pool. Ellen had once said they used it a lot to entertain visitors. There would be no hasty dipping in boreholes here as they did at Googon!

  As the last mile or two of track was hard, Sherry scarcely realised when Scott drew up in front of the house. Dazedly she blinked as he quickly dragged her from the car and swept her inside.

  'A conducted tour, I think,' he said curtly, continuing to drag her around.

  Aware that the point of the exercise was to make her conscious of the difference between Coomarlee and Googon, Sherry made no attempt to escape the hand clamped on her arm like a steel trap. He was determined that his total disapproval of any possible alliance between Kim and his sister should be backed by all the evidence he could produce that Ellen would never survive in a less than luxurious environment.

  What he didn't know was that Sherry had once lived in comparable luxury herself. Any one of her father's houses might have easily matched the expensive interior of this. If she ever told him it would only be as a last resort, to convince him it was possible to survive a change from luxury to more basic conditions. If she could do it surely Ellen could, especially with the help she could expect from Kim, as her husband.

  They appeared to have the house to themselves, even the kitchen was empty. Sherry sensed that even after the sheer size and opulence of the other rooms, Scott considered this one of his trump cards.

  'We have a housekeeper,' he said briefly, 'but if we hadn't this is the kind of equipment Ellen would have at her disposal.'

  Sherry glanced at the huge expanse of gleaming tiles and stainless steel, which must be every housewife's dream, containing every piece of modern equipment imaginable. Her eyes suddenly shimmered as she saw her mother discussing with the cook the menu for an important dinner party.

  In the grip of an unexpected wave of nostalgia, she surrendered, whispering unevenly, 'I see what you mean. The kitchen at Googon is nothing like this.'

  'Exactly!'

  Although she flushed with humiliation at Scott's dry disparagement, she refused to drop her head. The kitchen at Googon, in which she had struggled daily for the past three years to feed innumerable men, was a far cry from the one she was standing in now. To begin with, the huge, wood-burning stove had nearly broken her back as well as her heart. Many tears she had wept over it. Still, it did cook wonderfully when it was in the right mood and somehow gave more satisfaction than a modern cooker which worked at the mere flick of a switch!

  The tour ended in the grounds, which proved every bit as impressive as the house. When it was concluded, Scott brought her back to the kitchens again, where for the first time he let go of her to make coffee.

  'I would offer you a drink,' he said, 'but you look as if you have got an empty stomach.'

  Sherry was surprised that he noticed such things of those he considered inferior! Moodily, she rubbed the arm which bore the imprint of his fingers, wondering if she would ever get rid of the burning feeling. It seemed hours since she had served the men their dinner and somehow forgotten to eat herself. There weren't many men left, just old Sam and his son, since Kim had discovered Googon was heavily mortgaged and they had practically no money.

  She didn't realise she was hungry until she began eating the thick ham sandwiches Scott cut, but as she nibbled, she still pondered on why a man like the master of Coomarlee should need the help of a girl like herself over anything. He was obviously a man used to ruling alone and being more than capable of doing so!

  She was driven to comment. 'I can't understand why you should need my assistance. Isn't your so-called problem with Ellen something you could settle yourself?'

  His steely eyes bored into her. 'Believe me, Miss Grant, there isn't much I'm not capable of dealing with myself. I'm not in the habit of running to strangers each time I have a family problem.'

  She made another attempt. 'Have you tried talking to Ellen?'

  His brows lifted tersely. 'Since I discovered she's thinking of marrying your brother, yes.'

  'M-marrying…?'

  As Sherry's voice stammered and faded in sheer astonishment, Scott's deepened in irony. 'Don't tell me you had no idea!'

  Sherry gulped for air. Before Scott's arrival that evening, it had never occurred to her that Kim could be thinking seriously of marriage. She still felt slightly incredulous. 'I hadn't,' she gasped. 'Neither of them said anything to me.'

  Scott's voice hardened perceptibly. 'So you're sticking to the theory that you hadn't a clue?'

  His unfairness had a bracing effect. 'I'm not good at guessing games, Mr Brady. Just because a couple go out together a few times it doesn't necessarily mean they're in love with each other.'

  He ignored this. 'Maybe you were too busy hoping something would come of it to question the wisdom of it? Kim married to my sister and living at Coomarlee might bring comparable benefits to yourself. You might expect to share everything he hopes will come his way if he marries into a wealthy family.'

  'You're ridiculous!' she cried, her face hot with indignation. 'And insulting!' 'I'm merely speaking plainly, Miss Grant.' They stared at each other like enemies, the tall, powerful man, the trembling girl. 'If you've only just noticed Ellen's involvement with my brother,' Sherry choked, 'is it fair to insist that I should have been more observant?'

  Curtly he bit out, 'I've been away a lot lately, Miss Grant, and, contrary to what you might think, when I am here I rarely play the heavy parent. Ellen is my sister, and though I was left in charge of her, we lead separate lives. With Certain stipulations, I allow her to choose her own friends, and I haven't time to vet them all. Her marriag
e, however, is another thing. When it comes to choosing a husband, a girl needs a guiding hand.'

  Sherry spluttered at such arrogance. 'Don't you believe in love?'

  'It soon fades—if such a thing exists beyond mere physical attraction.'

  'Kim isn't that handsome.'

  'He has enough,' the relentless voice went on, 'to blind a girl's eyes to the weakness underneath.'

  'How dare you!' Sherry's eyes blazed. She wished she was a man so she could knock the expression of taunting derision off Scott Brady's face. 'You believe Kim and I are out for all we can get and are no good!'

  'You took advantage of your grandfather's generosity.'

  'You call it—that?'

  'What else?'

  His eyes narrowed again on her face, as if something about it held his attention despite himself. Sherry wasn't a big girl, she could be more accurately described as petite. When she first came to Googon, her cheeks had still had a babyish roundness, but since then her face had thinned, revealing exotic bone structure. Now the delicate lines of her face made her brilliant blue eyes seem huge and, combined with her high cheekbones, gave her an almost Eastern quality. She had become—and it would have been more obvious, had she been suitably dressed—a young woman both striking and unusual. Properly dressed and groomed she would stand out in a crowd, something which suddenly seemed to occur to the man watching her. Her fragile neck supported a proud little head and her slender figure might be nothing less than seductive. She was dark, whereas Kim was fair, but as though something about her reminded Scott Brady of her brother, his hard lips thinned decisively.

  Unaware of his appraisal, Sherry muttered bleakly, 'If Grandfather was over-benevolent we never noticed.'

  'Gratitude didn't blind you,' he retorted sarcastically.

  Sherry shrugged, making no further attempt to defend herself. It was his attitude towards Kim which was causing her anxiety. For all their parents had spoiled him, she was convinced life had given him a raw deal, she didn't know what he would do if things got worse. Scott Brady couldn't know what it was like to have everything you'd grown up to believe in and depend on swept away from you, but she refused to believe that Kim was looking for someone to supply what he had lost.

  As she gazed stubbornly at Scott Brady, a part of her mind became engrossed at the way their eyes sparked together. Only during the last few minutes had she noticed how increasingly difficult it was becoming, when he looked at her, to tear her eyes away from his silvery grey ones. His glance was magnetic, holding hers captive, the results far from comfortable. He seemed to be drawing her towards him, depriving her of a will of her own.

  Incredulous that her feet were actually edging forward, Sherry stumbled as she jerked back. Righting herself, she regained her composure but now levelled her gaze no higher than his shirt buttons.

  With an effort, she concentrated on his oblique accusations. 'We aren't all mercenary, Mr Brady, but I don't intend offering proof. I will say one thing, I would hate Kim to be any part of such a cynical family. Ellen is nice, but if she allows herself to be overruled by you, Kim would be better off without her.'

  'I'm sure he would be,' very smoothly. 'I'm glad you're beginning to show sense.'

  Amazed how he had picked from her heated tirade only what suited him, Sherry dared not raise her eyes from the breadth of his chest to scornfully challenge him. In fact her capacity to thwart him at all appeared to be leaving her. Had he usually this effect on people? she wondered dazedly. 'What must I do?' she whispered agitatedly, soft colour flowing under her skin. 'I haven't a clue—you must forgive me. Interfering in the affairs of others isn't a habit of mine.'

  He ignored her obvious sarcasm. 'I want you to ring me every time Ellen appears on your doorstep.'

  'Just that?'

  'For the time being. You might point out, whenever you get the chance, to both Ellen and your brother, that she is used to better things than he can supply.'

  Scott's eyes penetrated the top of her head and something about his chest was affecting her adversely. Or was it his words that were causing the turmoil? Subduing a returning desire to defy him, she restrained herself to suggesting dryly, 'Why don't you invite Kim here, Mr Brady, and give him the same treatment as you're giving me? Invite a bunch of your friends, too, and let Ellen make comparisons. A few beautiful girls,' she added recklessly, 'might even succeed in diverting Kim's attention from Ellen permanently.'

  She was startled, perhaps because of his air of uncompromising male authority, that he appeared to be listening to what she said. 'Would you come too?' he asked.

  'I'd rather not,' she declined politely.

  He shrugged, as if it was of no importance, it's an idea, as long as we can keep a sense of proportion. I have no intention of allowing this whole thing to be reduced to the level of comic opera. Nor have I the inclination to spend more time than necessary on this unfortunate affair. If your brother doesn't stop pursuing Ellen very quickly, I shall remove her from his immediate vicinity.'

  Such ruthlessness could only be infuriating. Up came Sherry's head. 'Why don't you do that now, Mr Brady?' she asked sharply.

  He met the blaze of her blue eyes without giving an inch. 'Because I would rather she was cured of her infatuation beforehand. Otherwise such an exercise might easily defeat its own purpose.'

  Such logic was again infuriating, but Sherry could see he was a master at pleading his own case. Ramming it down her throat, more likely, if she didn't at least appear to accept what he was talking about! Stiffly she agreed, 'I'll do what I can. Now would you take me home, please?'

  CHAPTER TWO

  The return journey to Googon was conducted as silently as that of the one an hour previously. Scott, his mission accomplished, wasn't bothering with polite conversation. Sherry supposed he imagined the battle over his sister as good as won and was settling contentedly to his own business again.

  Casting a hostile glance at his strong profile,' she allowed that he was a fabulous-looking man. There was a strength about him which must be comforting for those who basked under his protection, but a little too much strength for the unfortunates who choose to make an enemy of him. At thirty-six, Scott Brady was as hard and unyielding as the area he lived in, the charm and great intelligence merely a facade to hide an arrogantly dictatorial personality. Women, it was rumoured, were fascinated by him, and while Sherry was receiving vague telepathic notions as to why this should be, she refused to believe she was anything other than repulsed by him. Her one aim in life, from now on, might easily be to take him down a peg or two. Although she doubted this would be at all possible, even to think of it made her feel better.

  Such flights of fancy had to be curtailed, of course. It was like a beggarmaid threatening a king! Thinking of Scott Brady in such terms might not be sensible, but Sherry's memories of England were still quite vivid and she could never recall seeing anyone to match him. Nor here, for that matter; though imprisoned on her grandfather's station, she hadn't met many men.

  When Scott dropped her off, he said briefly, 'I'll be in touch.'

  She wasn't conscious of being enveloped in dust as he whipped round and drove off. Not until a piece of grit hit her eye, did she realise she was standing motionless, gazing after him.

  After stumbling to the kitchen and extracting the piece of grit, she got on with the washing up that Scott had interrupted. She couldn't help wondering why she hadn't been anywhere as near conscious of him before. True, they had never mixed socially, but his presence on Googon wasn't unknown. Perhaps it was because she was usually in the kitchen that they had so seldom actually met.

  No matter how hard she polished glasses, her thoughts refused to leave him, the reason for his visit, this evening, bringing a frown. She couldn't remember when Kim had begun taking Ellen out. They might have been going out together for a while before she noticed, for Kim often disappeared of an evening without saying where he was going or who with. Not even when Ellen had taken to calling occasionally had
she suspected there was anything serious going on. She had believed Ellen was merely passing an idle hour; certainly it had never occurred to her that the other girl could be falling in love with Kim.

  Was she? Sherry wondered. Mightn't she have said she wanted to marry Kim in order to provoke her brother? Scott probably ordered her round as arrogantly as he did everyone else, and Ellen might have retaliated in a way she knew would annoy him most. Sherry hung up her tea-towel and decided not to worry too much until she'd had a word with Kim in the morning.

  At ten the next morning, while she was still trying to find a tactful way of broaching the subject, Ellen rang with an invitation.

  Kim answered the phone. He was late coming down for breakfast. The men had already left for far pastures after eating the succulent lamb chops Sherry had cooked them at five o'clock. He returned from the phone looking dazed. Immediately Sherry thought of Coomarlee and went tense.

  'That takes some beating!' he muttered, ignoring his half eaten breakfast but picking up his coffee cup, his jerky movements betraying his total surprise.

  'What does?'

  Sherry's voice turned his head in her direction. It was then she saw he had gone pale. 'An invitation to Coomarlee, after all this time.'

  'An—invitation?' She had to pretend she had no idea what he was talking about, to be as astonished as he was. 'What kind of invitation?'

  Kim frowned broodingly, as if he couldn't decide himself. 'They're giving a dinner party.'

  'So?' Sherry had to be flippant to hide her' true reaction. She had never expected Scott to act on her suggestion. 'That's no big deal, is it? You've been to plenty.'

  'Before we came here.'

  Noticing his tenseness, she was at a loss as to how to cope with it. Forcing another smile, she said lightly, 'At least you know better than to eat your peas with a knife.'

  'Sherry, for God's sake!' he snapped, his face darkening morosely. 'Can't you see? Scott Brady's an autocrat who thinks I'm a tramp. Isn't it enough to make a saint suspicious that he should suddenly ask me to his home?'