I'm starved for what we had. In fact I think I'm heading for some sort ofcrackup. ""Not you. Marsh. You forgot me for years."

His beautiful mouth twisted in a smile.

"I thought that was what you wanted. You couldn't tell me enough you'd stopped loving me."

"Love wasn't enough!"

"You wanted marriage. Well, you've got it. So why make it sound as ifthere's a big question hanging over the whole thing?""It's my suspicious nature. You'll have to pardon it.""More like you want to turn me inside out.""Whatever it takes! I've learned the hard way it's much better to play hard to get. You taught me that."He caught her hand, carried it to his mouth."You're a cruel little cat, which makes me wonder why I want you. I could think of at least a dozen women who wouldn't act this way. Kim Petersen included."

"I thought maybe you'd slept with her.""Sleeping with a woman is easy. Loving her is an entirely different thing.It so happens I'm crazy about you. Emotions tend to obscure the mind. Itwas a terrible mistake letting you get away from me."

She put out her slender arms, rested them on his wide shoulders.

"I'm amazed it wasn't forever."

"Will you ever forgive me, Rosa?" There it was, the flash of vulnerability

in the stunning self-a.s.sured ness She could have said no. Instead her extraordinary topaz eyes filled with

tears. She didn't lift a finger to wipe them away. They gathered and fell,in shining crystal drops."Rosa... darling!" He drew her in utter tenderness against him, his sensitivity as always disarming her. "Why can't we end this futile war?

We've been happy

since your return, haven't we? So Dianne arrived to createa few problems. She's not behaving well. But I'm not going to let her getaway with it for long. On the other hand, why don't we simply tell themwe're getting married? The limbo has to end."

"Oh, I know, Marsh." She allowed him to gently dry her tears."It's just that your family scramble me up so much."' "When will a wounded little girl accept her womanhood, her own worth?""When your family play fair.""You have Justine's vote. That's a beginning. Frankly I don't think you need anyone's vote but mine and you have it overwhelmingly."

"I still won't sleep with you." She smiled. She was feeling so much better.Kisses were ravishing. Comfort was important.His fine white teeth showed in an ironic grin."I hope you don't fancy yourself as another Anne Boleyn?""Her end was too unattractive. How did Dianne get to know Dame Agatha paid for my piano lessons?"

Marsh shrugged.

"You know what an avid eavesdropper she was as a girl.

Aggie would never have told her. Nor Dad. I certainly didn't. Does her

knowing bother you so much? "

"In a way it seems to undermine my self-value. Maybe I wouldn't feel likethat if Dianne wasn't so unkind.""Then someone has to tell her. That someone is me!""She'd see it as a betrayal. I don't want you to say anything unless it all gets too intense. I should be fighting my own battles. A line has to bedrawn somewhere with Di. You realise why she jumped up from the table? Shewas furious Mumma was sitting down with us."

"That makes her look an appalling sn.o.b. I can't defend her. On the other hand, don't let it get to you. It's Dianne who has to iron out that particular unattractive kink. It sure as h.e.l.l would help if you and I got engaged before Chris gets here. Married or not, you're the sort of woman he loses his cool over."

"And I'm a total innocent!" Roslyn frowned at the prospect.

"As far as I'm concerned, Chris is a" -- "Don't say it!" Marsh begged, holding up two palms.

"Lord knows I was only going to say 'twit."

" Whatever. You can handle it. "

"Of course. The one I can't handle is you." She leaned closer and pressed a b.u.t.terfly kiss on his mouth.

The girls were scarcely home before Kim Petersen flew over, piloting her own single-engined Cessna, a birthday present from her father.

"I thought I might stay a day or two," she announced unnecessarily.

Down in the driveway Ernie was bowlegged under the weight of her two suitcases.

"That will be lovely!" Dianne looked overjoyed to see her.

"I've missed you so much!" She threw her arms around her friend, kissing her Euro-style.

"Good to see you, Kim!" Justine smiled in turn, swishing cheeks.

"Roslyn is here to join us." She turned to include Roslyn in the group.

"Yes, I know. How are you, Roslyn?" Kim's large grey-green eyes examined Roslyn from head to toe. Kim was as tall as her friends, but. far better looking. Her sun- streaked, dark blond hair was precision cut to swing in a thick, medium-length pageboy. Her clear, tanned skin was innocent of make-up, except for a natural, dark pink lip gloss. Her ultra-slim body, fit and tightly muscled was encased in a white linen shirt and matching wide N legged pants, stylish leather sandals on her feet, a handsome leather belt around her trim waist. She looked what she was. A rich young woman, super confident and competent. Unlike Marsh's sisters, she had always taken a deep interest and active part in the running of her father's cattle and sheep chain.

"I'm very well, Kim. And you?" Roslyn went forward, prepared to take Kim's hand, but it wasn't offered.

"Couldn't be better!" The tanned face smiled, but the eyes held their familiar condescension.

"Why don't I show you up to your room?" Dianne was quite pink with pleasure.

"It's not your usual one. For some reason Roslyn's got that, but we've prepared another."

Just as Roslyn thought. It had all been arranged.

"Any other changes I should know about?" Kim laughed as she and Dianne walked from the veranda into the cool of the s.p.a.cious entrance hall.

"I'll go, too. See she's settled." Justine turned i: vaguely apologetic face to Roslyn.

"It's nice to have Kim here. We've always been great friends."

"Yes, I know." Roslyn smiled, but a kind of sadness moved through her. She would never be accepted in this multi-layered world, where friendships went back generations. Better get used to it, she thought.

Cultivate your own inner strengths. Build your own dynasty if you have to. Fifteen minutes later all three young women returned to the veranda whereRoslyn was still sitting. She had committed herself to a course of action. She was prepared to see it through.

"Still here, Ros?" Kim asked casually, as though Roslyn might have soughtrefuge in the kitchen.

"I hope that's okay?"

"But of course!" Justine sounded dismayed.Dianne, however, settled herself back comfortably in a planter's chair."Still suffering morning sickness, are you, poor angel?" Kim flopped rather gracelessly into a wicker armchair facing her.

"Strangely enough not for the past two days. It must be something inMac.u.mba's air. The purity and the wonderful, comforting scents."Dianne glanced across at Roslyn, still wearing the elegant riding clothes that became her so well.

"Ros, do you think you could ask your mother to bring coffee and tea outhere?"Justine immediately jumped up."Don't worry, Ros. I'm going back inside for a minute. I'll ask."Kim looked hugely surprised, "m that case, stay and talk to us," she invited."I've got to hand it to you, you've certainly got yourself together. You look marvelous. So what brings you back to Mac.u.mba? You haven't been here

for a couple of years surely?"Roslyn adjusted her chair so she could join the circle. "Mumma, of course.Then Marsh wanted me to be here." She held Kim's faintly scornful glanceunwaveringly, watching it dissipate into ludicrous shock.

"Marsh?" Both young women cried out together, making it almost a shout."You sound surprised?" Roslyn kept her expression cool and polite."Well, / am, dear." Kim ran a strong hand through her thick fall of hair."Considering Marsh never once mentioned you.""You wouldn't have been all that interested in news of me, would you, Kim?"Kim lifted a linen clad knee then stamped one of her sandals on the floor, rather like a horse.

"I certainly

would! I don't want anyone trying to muscle in on my man. Andthat includes you, young Earnshaw. Not that you'd be in the running," sheadded in her insulting fashion.

"Is that a joke?" Roslyn asked.

"Joke?" Kim looked at the younger Roslyn as though she'd gone temporarilymad."It's a plain statement of fact.""As you see it?""I'll say!" Kim looked to Dianne for confirmation and support."Then forgive me if I take exception to the implications. You have an embarra.s.singly large ego. As far as I'm concerned, we're all equal."Kim eyed her contemptuously."Come off it, Ros. I have a pedigree.Surely you don't expect me not to take pride in it? ""You're a horsewoman. You know pedigree is secondary to performance.Call it character if you like. Distinguished people are generally egalitarian. "

"It is dreadfully hot," Dianne suddenly said.

' "Give your mother a shout," Kim told Roslyn firmly.

"She'll be here presently. Would you like a fan, Di?"

"I'd like you two to stop sc.r.a.pping at one another."

"I'm sorry," Roslyn apologised.

"I don't want any unpleasantness, either, but I can't sit quietly while Kim

makes me the target for her somewhat brutal putdowns. I endured too much of that in the past. Now I want things to be different. I'd be glad of alittle civility, not this absurd pulling rank. Take it from me, the Colonialera has pa.s.sed."

"So the word's got around?" Kim barely controlled a supercilious smirk.

' "After many discouraging setbacks. Please remember I'm here as Marsh'sguest. Maybe a great deal more."

There, she'd almost put it in a nutsh.e.l.l!

As a consequence Dianne gave a little cry of alarm and Kim braced herself as though for battle.

"Now you've got us utterly befuddled.

What do you mean, exactly? "

"I mean, the situation has changed," Roslyn said calmly.

"Interesting!" Kim said grimly.

"I had the feeling you were up to something."

"So you lost no time in flying over?"

"My dear, I had advance warning."

"She means me." Dianne looked as though she suddenly detested herself.

"The fact you've always had a thing going with Marsh hasn't bypa.s.sed us

entirely," Kim said with an insolent lift of her brows."You are beautiful in a cloying sort of way."Dianne looked thoroughly startled."Cloying?" she blurted."Is that what you'd say of a bouquet of red roses? I've always wanted to look like Ros. Naturally I loathed her when I didn't. I still haven'tlearned to live with it.""Dearest, what the devil are you babbling about?" Kim cried.

"It's this pregnancy," Dianne laughed weakly."I wish it would get a move on. Ros, do you think you could be a pal andgive your mother a call? You've no idea how I'm longing for a cup of tea."

"No problem!" Roslyn responded. And it wasn't, put like that.

"It's fairly obvious your mother has got a bit slack,"

Kim began severely, but was interrupted by the sound of the trolley being wheeled through the hallway.

Roslyn stood up immediately trying to control her quick temper, but it was Justine who eventually appeared.