Harvey was steadily watching her, drinking in her every feature. 'She's still a very beautiful woman,' he thought.

'Hey you two, come over here. Hazel's brought drinks and supper will be ready shortly,' Win called. Ellie had never spoken of Harvey after they had broken up. Win knew her sister had buried her feelings for him, and now here he was after all these years. Judging by the look on her sister's face, those feelings may have resurfaced!

'What a glorious Christmas this will be. You must stay with us, of course,' Emmie told them, mentally allocating a room to the visitors.

'Oh no, we don't want to inconvenience you in any way,' Mary protested. 'We thought we would find a motel.'

'Nonsense, we won't hear of it. We have plenty of s.p.a.ce. It won't take Hazel long to prepare a room for you,' Dave insisted. 'I won't hear of you goin' anywhere.'

Harvey smiled at his wife. 'See dear, I told you how determined Dave could be.'

They decided that they would spend Christmas together with the Masons. Karl and Digger made the decision to make half hour checks on the property in preference to sitting down by the shed. This way they too would be able to enjoy most of Christmas Eve with the family. After the meal, they had a few drinks while catching up on what Harvey and Mary had been doing with their lives. After filling them in about the firebug along with more carol singing, Christmas Eve came to an end.

They all laughed when Emmie told them Santa wouldn't come until they were all in bed.

Christmas Day would be hectic. The whole family would be spending it together. That meant an early rise to open gifts and a few refreshments with whoever dropped in. Win and Ellie always helped Hazel prepare Christmas lunch. They said their goodnights and Hazel showed Harvey and Mary to their bedroom. Kia-Ora was finally silent.

Outside in the orchard, a figure lurked among the fruit trees. He had been listening to the carols sung by the family. He savagely ground out a cigarette.

'b.l.o.o.d.y b.a.s.t.a.r.ds. Hate 'em all,' he muttered, angrily flicking his zippo lighter. He strode off towards the creek.

Gradually, the lights of each house around the valley went out.

Christmas in Hamilton Valley meant visiting each other for drinks on Christmas morning. Neighbours would pop in to wish each other a Merry Christmas and drinks would start rather early in the morning. This meant everyone would be up with the birds, especially those with younger kids. The new pushbikes 'Santa delivered' would be unwrapped to squeals of delight and then peddled along Centaur Road to show everyone.

Ellie was too uptight to sleep. She had gone to bed but tossed and turned so much she decided to get up again. Slipping on her lace brunch coat and slippers, she padded silently downstairs to the secluded side veranda.

She quietly opened the French doors onto the veranda. She went out to sit in her favourite cane chair. Here she would be able to think in peace and privacy. Covered in creeping ivy, anyone sitting there was not easily visible. Thoughts of the firebug didn't enter her head.

Harvey was foremost in her mind. After all these years, he still had the same effect on her emotions. There was no use denying it, she still had very strong feelings for him, she always would. She had loved Denby, but the deep pa.s.sionate love she had for Harvey had not been there for Denby. It had hurt terribly when he died but Harvey had always been number one in her heart, and he was here now in the flesh and just as handsome and s.e.xy as ever. What was she going to do? Mary was a lovely person and, from what Ellie could see, they were a happy couple. Ellie felt emotions stir in her that had been kept in check for many years. She had to try to turn them off somehow.

'Penny for them?' a voice spoke softly behind her. Ellie jumped and almost cried out. She spun around and looked into Harvey's face.

'Harvey! Heavens, you startled me!' she gasped.

'Can I sit down?' he asked.

'You seemed to be in deep thought just now,' he murmured as he pulled a chair up near hers.

'Oh, I just needed some fresh air. It's quite warm tonight and sometimes I come out here to catch a quiet moment alone.'

'You're lookin' good Ellie,' he murmured. 'Ellie... I had to come when I heard you were back in the valley... I've thought about it for months!'

Harvey reached out and took her hand.

'Harvey, don't say anymore.' Ellie paused and then added, 'Please.' She removed her hand from his.

'Ellie, I have to. I've stayed away all these years but I've never forgotten you.'

'Harvey, please. Mary's your life now, she's your wife, and I have my own life too.'

Harvey was persistent though. He had never forgotten his lovely Ellie. He had waited out here in the shadows tonight, knowing she wouldn't be able to sleep.

'Ellie, just seeing you again has brought it all back. It's been such a long time. I've thought of you all these years I never stopped!'

'Harvey, stop it. You mustn't talk like this. What good will it do, dragging up our past? It's over! Has been for years and years.' She sighed. 'Mary's just upstairs. Our voices could carry. It would be dreadful if she heard you talking this way.'

'Mary won't hear a thing. This veranda is secluded and the room we're in isn't directly above. How can you say our past is over, Ellie? I know it's a shock to you, my comin' back unannounced, but if I had let you know, would you have been here tonight?'

Ellie sighed deeply. 'How can I answer that...? Oh Harv, we must leave the past where it belongs. We both have different lives now.'

Harvey moved closer to her. 'Ellen, you can't deny what you felt when you looked across the room at me earlier. I know what you felt. I felt it too.'

Tears sprung to Ellie's eyes. Harvey always called her Ellen when they were a couple all those years ago.

'Why did he have to come back?' she thought. Ellie had her life in control until tonight!

She stood up and walked to the edge of the veranda. Harvey followed and placed a hand on her shoulder.

'Ellie, Mary and I live together. We share the Winters name, but that's all. We don't even share the same bed anymore. We haven't for years! Our marriage is in name only. I care for her as I would a sister. She depends on me but that's all.'

Ellie turned as he spoke and looked into his face.

'Harv, Mary's your wife. She wears your ring and has your name. She has all claim to you. I lost that years ago.'

'You never lost me. I've always loved you, only you! I'm not askin' you to be the other woman. You are the only woman!' Harvey searched her face for a sign he was getting through to her.

'My G.o.d, Ellen, you chose for us to go our separate ways, not me! I'll never love another woman the way I love you!'

He purposely neglected to mention all the affairs he had indulged in over the years.

Ellie didn't answer. She couldn't. She knew she still loved him.

'I came here to buy a property. We'll be livin' here in the valley permanently and we will be seein' a lot of each other. Can you deal with that, Ellie? I can't divorce Mary, her religion doesn't condone divorce. She's adamant about that, so I'm tied to a woman I don't love!' he ran his fingers through his thick hair.

'Ellie, I had to come back. I've stayed away long enough. This valley is home and this is where my heart is!'

They stood, silently looking into each other's eyes. Against better judgment, Ellie swayed towards him. Harvey wrapped his arms around her and, reluctantly, she melted against him.

She knew she should walk away from him right now but she couldn't. Her whole being wanted this man. She wound her arms around his neck and his lips met hers. His tongue explored her mouth, caressing and probing. Ellie clung to him as wave after wave of desire shot through her. Harvey slid the shoulders of her brunch coat down. His hand deftly untied the ribbon at the front. His hands at each side of her waist slowly slid up, caressing her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. In one swift movement, he flicked down the straps of her nightgown and it slid from her shoulders. When he cupped her breast in his hand, a tiny gasp escaped her parted lips. He drew back to stare at her, his eyes flashing as he took in the sight of her naked b.r.e.a.s.t.s with their rigid pink peaks.

'Ellen, I love you so much,' he whispered. 'I want you. I need you. Let me love you!' His whisper was almost a plea.

A burst of longing went through her, the temptation to abandon all sense of morale, but she knew it would be so very wrong.

'Harv, Harvey... I can't... We can't.'

'Ssh...' he whispered, kissing her again more deeply.

'No, Harv!' Ellie pulled away, grabbing the straps of her nightgown and pulling them into place. 'Stop, now! This is insane! You can't waltz back into my life like this and expect to pick up where we left off so many years ago!'

Ellie spun around and walked to the edge of the veranda. 'You can't expect to show up out of the blue and think I'll fall into your arms. d.a.m.n it Harv! What sort of woman do you think I am? You know me better than that!' Ellie's words had a sting to them.

Harvey moved to stand beside her. She wiped tears from her eyes, sniffing.

'Ellie, I'm sorry,' he said softly.

'Harv, this must never happen again. You have to go up to Mary now! It would be just terrible if she found out you were out here with me, especially with me dressed like this!' She stared hard at him. 'And you are never to bring our past up again. We are over, understand? ...Over!'

'Harvey, are you listening to me?' She moved back in front of him, but he didn't seem to be paying attention to what she was saying.

'Harvey, what is it?'

'Look up there.' He pointed across to the hill directly behind Dawn's place. 'There's a light up there, look.'

'Yes, I can see it. It looks like it's moving!'

Upstairs, Mary was lying in bed. She couldn't tell the family that she and Harvey usually had separate rooms. She wondered how they would go sleeping in the same bed. They hadn't been intimate for years. Mary knew Harvey had been with other women; people talked and she got wind of his affairs years ago. It upset and infuriated her. She kept all this to herself, seeking solace in the church. She hadn't missed the exchange of looks downstairs earlier, between him and Ellie. How was she going to spend the next few nights in here with him? He was probably downstairs now, putting off coming up until, hopefully, she was asleep.

Mary knew Harvey didn't love her. What Harvey didn't know was that Mary had loved him deeply at first, and she had been broken-hearted when she found out about his affairs. Despite this knowledge, she still cared for him, although not in the way she had when they were first married. They had discovered she could not have children. This broke her heart as well. Harvey never made advances to her for s.e.x, hadn't done so for many years. That part of their life just dwindled away. She never mentioned it to him, she had her pride. She also clung to the thought that no other woman would step into her shoes as long as she still lived. Her religion did not condone divorce and Mary could handle his affairs knowing no other woman would have the t.i.tle of Mrs Winters! It also gave her a deep sense of satisfaction knowing that Harvey would never be free of her. She had this hold over him. He also financially depended on her and there was not anything he could do to change that. It was Mary's revenge on him for his infidelity.

She also knew about him and Ellie all those years ago, and now here she was smack bang in the middle. Well, this time she wouldn't put up with his betrayal and let him humiliate her, not right in front of her face and not in the place they were intending on calling home. She promised herself that.

Sighing deeply, she got up and crossed to the window. The view was lovely. Looking out across the orchards to the hills, Mary let her gaze sweep around.

'Someone must have a camp up there,' she thought. A bright glow had formed in the hills. She turned away from the window then looked back again. 'I'll swear that light's getting bigger and brighter. Oh, heck, the firebug thing! I'd better see if I can rouse someone to check on it.'

Downstairs, Harvey and Ellie watched the light grow brighter.

'Flamin'h.e.l.l! That's no torch! It's a b.l.o.o.d.y fire! Ellie, ring the fire brigade, hurry!' Harvey ran around to the other end of the veranda, calling out as he went. 'Tell them to get there on the double! That'll go up in no time!'

Harvey instantly thought of the firebug they had discussed earlier.

He spotted the cow bell that Dave and Emmie kept on the old wash-stand ready to be rung in emergencies. Grabbing it, he rang the bell as hard as he could!

The rest of the family, woken from their slumber by the clanging of the cowbell, dragged on dressing gowns and trousers. They stumbled down the stairs.

Mary was on her way to wake Dig and Win when she heard the bell. Now she joined the others downstairs.

'h.e.l.l, Harv! What the blazes is goin' on?' Karl rubbed his hand across his tired eyes. As he did, he saw for himself what the reason for the din was!

's.h.i.t! Ring the brigade, someone!'

'Already have, Karl. They're on their way.'

'What's the trouble down here?' Dave asked. Emmie was tying the belt of her dressing gown along with Dave, still clad in his striped cotton pyjamas, as they descended the stairs.

No one bothered to answer because Dave and Emmie could see for themselves. Even as they spoke, the telephone jangled inside. Ellie answered it.

'Sam's on his way up the hill with Des and Eric. He said Des was up late and he saw the blaze start and woke them. They won't wait for you and Dig, Karl. They have to get on it before it spreads. Try to stop it reaching Dawn's. He said he rang Arthur and he's jump-starting that water tanker he just bought from Roly Patterson. The battery went dead on it. As soon as he gets it going, he's heading up with that.'

'C'mon Dig, grab your boots and jacket, put 'em on in the ute,' Karl said, s.n.a.t.c.hing his jacket from the hook and hurrying out the door.

'See ya's all later.' Dig kissed Win and he and Karl jumped in the ute, spraying gravel as they sped off.

'I can't stay here and do nothin'. They'll need everyone they can get up there.' Harvey looked around at them.

'Well, if you hurry you can catch Arthur as he goes past,' Ellie said. 'Jump in with him.'

'Good, I'll just race up and throw on some old things.'

'Apparently Arthur's worried about young Robert. He's still not home, so Sam said,' Ellie recalled.

'We saw him earlier this afternoon,' Tammi replied. 'He should've been home hours ago.'

'That young man is headed for trouble, mark my words,' Emmie said.

Hazel and Ted appeared in their dressing gowns.

'A bad un I reckon, Dave,' Ted said, coming to stand beside him.

'Yes, I think Frank left it a bit late to do that burn this year. It's potentially a catastrophic combination up in those hills!' Poor old Dave stood, watching helplessly.

'Look... the fire's breaking out closer to Aunty Dawn's!' Kathy yelled.

Sure enough, the flames had sprung further up the hill. As they watched, the whole hill seemed to ignite. Bright orange flames licked high into the night sky. They could hear the faint shouts of men's voices mingled with chugging of water pumps as they discharged gallons of water onto the inferno.

'A bloke feels b.l.o.o.d.y helpless just standin' here watchin.' Dave stood on the top step of the back veranda watching as the fire snaked its way up the hill. 'That's got a h.e.l.l of a go on! They've got a battle on their hands with this one!'

'You silly old fool, you know you can't go fighting fires. I'm not losing you to this d.a.m.n lunatic on top of everything else.' Emmie took Dave's cold hand in hers. 'It's no good upsetting yourself, come on, sit down. I'll get Hazel to make us a cuppa.'

Francis went to his mother who was standing on the edge of the veranda watching the blaze.

'Mum, Uncle Arthur's just pulled up I'm going up with him and Harvey.'

'Oh, Francis, if anything happened to you... Just be careful son!'

Francis gave her a quick hug and raced out to leap in the truck with Arthur and Harvey. The old water tanker heaved and groaned, then chugged off in a cloud of exhaust smoke.

's.h.i.t, Arthur, what'd you pay for this thing?' Harvey asked, holding on to the dashboard for support as the truck bounced and shuddered along the road.

'You sure we'll make it up the hill in this thing?' Francis added.

Arthur roared with laughter. 'Never fear, we'll make it alright, just hold on!'