think I would let you go alone on this one?’ the American growled. ‘Your mother would hunt me down and skin me alive if anything happened to you.’
Matthew grimaced at the mention of his mother. Foryears he knew she had accepted her only son’s wanderlust and thirst for the dangerous as something he had inherited from his father, Luke Tracy. Matthew knew that as a young woman his mother had faced danger every day of her life forging her fortune on the wild Queensland frontier. And he guessed she had accepted that exposure to war had changed her son, and had expressed gratitude for the fact that, for a couple of years upon returning from South Africa, he had at least worked one of the family cattle properties in Queensland under the watchful eye of her chief manager, Randolph Gates. Eventually, Matthew had gone to her and begged for a substantial allowance to pursue a life travelling the world. He knew that his mother had agonised over his plea to be set free to wander. At first she had resisted but after a year she relented, setting one proviso: Matthew could only travel in the company of Randolph Gates. Matthew gladly accepted the condition. Over the years he and Randolph had formed a mutual respect for each other. That had been the first step on Matthew’s path to roaming the world and learning how to fly in Egypt, and Randolph had honoured his promise to his employer that he would keep in touch by letter informing her of Matthew’s welfare.
‘I promise that I will see Mother before we go on this little job for the colonel,’ Matthew replied.
A knock at the door alerted the two men to the fact that the porter had delivered their bottle. Matthew thanked Harry and slid a note into the grateful man’s hand. When they were alone again, he poured the whisky neat into tumblers, handing one to Randolph. Matthew raised his glass in the manner of a toast. ‘Here’s to beautiful women, a long life and the success of our mission,’ he said.
Randolph responded in silence by raising his glass. He had been thinking about Fenella Macintosh and couldnot get her out of his mind. He also felt uncomfortable as he was aware of Matthew’s romance with her some years earlier. Taking a long swig from his glass, Randolph said casually, ‘You must have been pleased to be able to meet again tonight with one whom you must be very fond of.’
Matthew stared blankly at his friend in the flickering light of the room. ‘Who . . . oh, you mean Nellie,’ he replied with a knowing grin. ‘That was a long time ago and I was surprised at my feelings towards her tonight when we were together. I have to confess that all I felt was a very strong affection for my cousin, but nothing more than that. Nellie was merely a school boy crush.’
Inwardly, Randolph felt his spirits soar. So only that effeminate actor, Guy Wilkes, stood in the way of him convincing Miss Macintosh that he would like to see more of her. Randolph’s opinion of the actor was low. As a man of action, he considered all men who could not rope a steer and brand a cow to be pansies. He doubted Guy Wilkes could do those things. ‘I am sorry,’ Randolph said.
Matthew blinked. ‘You old devil,’ he chuckled. ‘I was right when I thought you had a bit of a thing for Nellie tonight. I could see the way you were hanging on to everything she said and the way you were looking at her with cow eyes.’
‘I think that Miss Macintosh is one of the finest ladies I have had the honour to meet, that’s all,’ Randolph answered, dismayed that his interest in Matthew’s cousin was so obvious.
‘Well, you have a bit of competition for Nellie’s affections,’ Matthew continued. ‘Guy Wilkes is very popular with the ladies.’
Randolph did not reply immediately but took a swig of his whisky. ‘What do we do next?’ he asked, changing the subject.
‘We have six weeks to get matters organised before we are due to steam from Sydney in company with my cousin Captain Alex
Matthew grimaced at the mention of his mother. Foryears he knew she had accepted her only son’s wanderlust and thirst for the dangerous as something he had inherited from his father, Luke Tracy. Matthew knew that as a young woman his mother had faced danger every day of her life forging her fortune on the wild Queensland frontier. And he guessed she had accepted that exposure to war had changed her son, and had expressed gratitude for the fact that, for a couple of years upon returning from South Africa, he had at least worked one of the family cattle properties in Queensland under the watchful eye of her chief manager, Randolph Gates. Eventually, Matthew had gone to her and begged for a substantial allowance to pursue a life travelling the world. He knew that his mother had agonised over his plea to be set free to wander. At first she had resisted but after a year she relented, setting one proviso: Matthew could only travel in the company of Randolph Gates. Matthew gladly accepted the condition. Over the years he and Randolph had formed a mutual respect for each other. That had been the first step on Matthew’s path to roaming the world and learning how to fly in Egypt, and Randolph had honoured his promise to his employer that he would keep in touch by letter informing her of Matthew’s welfare.
‘I promise that I will see Mother before we go on this little job for the colonel,’ Matthew replied.
A knock at the door alerted the two men to the fact that the porter had delivered their bottle. Matthew thanked Harry and slid a note into the grateful man’s hand. When they were alone again, he poured the whisky neat into tumblers, handing one to Randolph. Matthew raised his glass in the manner of a toast. ‘Here’s to beautiful women, a long life and the success of our mission,’ he said.
Randolph responded in silence by raising his glass. He had been thinking about Fenella Macintosh and couldnot get her out of his mind. He also felt uncomfortable as he was aware of Matthew’s romance with her some years earlier. Taking a long swig from his glass, Randolph said casually, ‘You must have been pleased to be able to meet again tonight with one whom you must be very fond of.’
Matthew stared blankly at his friend in the flickering light of the room. ‘Who . . . oh, you mean Nellie,’ he replied with a knowing grin. ‘That was a long time ago and I was surprised at my feelings towards her tonight when we were together. I have to confess that all I felt was a very strong affection for my cousin, but nothing more than that. Nellie was merely a school boy crush.’
Inwardly, Randolph felt his spirits soar. So only that effeminate actor, Guy Wilkes, stood in the way of him convincing Miss Macintosh that he would like to see more of her. Randolph’s opinion of the actor was low. As a man of action, he considered all men who could not rope a steer and brand a cow to be pansies. He doubted Guy Wilkes could do those things. ‘I am sorry,’ Randolph said.
Matthew blinked. ‘You old devil,’ he chuckled. ‘I was right when I thought you had a bit of a thing for Nellie tonight. I could see the way you were hanging on to everything she said and the way you were looking at her with cow eyes.’
‘I think that Miss Macintosh is one of the finest ladies I have had the honour to meet, that’s all,’ Randolph answered, dismayed that his interest in Matthew’s cousin was so obvious.
‘Well, you have a bit of competition for Nellie’s affections,’ Matthew continued. ‘Guy Wilkes is very popular with the ladies.’
Randolph did not reply immediately but took a swig of his whisky. ‘What do we do next?’ he asked, changing the subject.
‘We have six weeks to get matters organised before we are due to steam from Sydney in company with my cousin Captain Alex
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