She felt the tenseness leave her as he abruptly turned his back and walked away. Shivering, she reached out for her pitiful heap of clothes, thinking how ludicrously little could stand be
tween a feeling of fear and
of security. Yet a few garments were certainly not going to protect her from Steve Gascoyne, particularly on this beach where she was completely
and helplessly alone with him.
She fastened her bra with trembling fingers, pulled her shirt over her head and wriggled into her panties, keeping her eye on his retreating figure as she did so. With a final gasp of relief she got into her jeans, zipping them up as she straightened. He stood waiting for her now on the edge of the sand below where the two cars were parked, and clenching her fists she began to walk towards him. Steve watched every step she took as she picked her way across the dry white sand, her sandals in her hand. At least she didn't have to suffer the indignity of plodding, for the sand was firm and smooth under her feet, and if it hadn't been for Steve Gascoyne waiting menacingly ahead, she'd have enjoyed the sensual pleasure of it a whole lot more.
`They say that well chosen dress can arouse a man's desires more than nudity,' he said conversationally as she drew near. 'I'm undecided about that where you're concerned, Ellis. I've seen a good few naked women, but you, in a state of complete undress, I find distinctly dangerous.'
`Really? Well, I'm not interested,' she said stiffly. `No? If that's so, then you're not human,' he said with a faint smile.
`All right—then I'm not human,' she retorted.
`Oh yes, you are.' His arm reached out and he whipped her body against his. Whether by accident or design she didn't know, but they both collapsed on the sand and she was wrestling with him, but he had captured her and held her helpless within seconds. He kissed her mouth, he bit her shoulder through the cotton shirt, his lips found the most sensitive part of her breast and despite the stuff of her clothes, she was aroused. She felt herself clinging to him, as her inhibitions gave way, and it was Steve who called a halt to
the play with agonising abruptness. Ellis rolled away from him and scrambled to her feet, crimson-cheeked and undignified.
He got to his feet too and looked down at her mockingly. 'You're human all right—and it wouldn't be rape, would it?' he remarked, and fury cut through her.
`You're—odious—despicable ! You're—you're like a cat playing with a mouse ! '
`Perhaps I am,' he agreed after a moment. 'But you aren't quite like the mouse that's being played with. You were enjoying the game too, weren't you?'
`I was not,' she said violently, because he had hit on a truth of which she was utterly ashamed. 'I—I hate you even touching me. I hate you! All I want on this island is to—'
His hand covered her mouth smotheringly. 'If you mention that word I'm forcing you to swallow down just one more time, I think I'll throttle you, Ellis. You've been bleating it out all morning to Leanne, haven't you?—meanwhile washing shirts and cleaning bathrooms and busying yourself about the house like some industrious little domestic. It's no wonder you fell asleep on the beach. But you won't fool anyone, you know—not Leanne, and not Charl
ie.
'
Ellis hated him all the more. She didn't understand how he could be embracing her on the sand one minute and the next, attacking her about something so mundane. Yet if she stopped to think, she shouldn't be surprised. It wasn't as if he felt anything more than sheer animal passion where she was concerned. His instinct was to mate, to have children, and from her angle he had a most unpalatable way of trying to persuade a woman to live with him She was not to be won with tactics like those, yet what he had already persuaded her into she was far from certain. Tears stung her eyes
and she had a strong desire to bite the hand that still covered her mouth. It was only by reminding herself that to do so could have drastic consequences that she managed to refrain. Steve Gascoyne clearly believed that might was right.
And on this island it looked as though it was. He already kept Leanne and Charlie here against their will.
She was staring at him furiously and he dropped his hand from her mouth.
`Why didn't you bite me?' he taunted, but Ellis didn't answer. She snapped out instead, 'You like to be the lord and master, don't you? I'm beginning to understand why you prefer to live here instead of in the Goulburn Valley. Here you can really have everyone at your mercy ! '
He put a hand in his pocket and produced cigarettes and lit one unhurriedly. 'Such as who?' he asked as he shook out the match.
`Such as Leanne,' she flung at him. `And—and your brother Charl
ie.
'
His brows came down over eyes that glittered dangerously. 'So the confidences have begun. Well, let me tell you this—Leanne and Charlie are at liberty to leave this island at any moment of any day they like. And the same goes for you. I wouldn't lift a finger to stop any of you.'
`I don't believe you,' Ellis said flatly, though she felt somewhat nonplussed.
`And I don't damned well care what you believe. Are you having visions of yourself as a missionary, rescuing the oppressed and the downtrodden, by any chance? If so then I'm afraid it's not an aspect of your personality that I'm prepared to find particularly attractive.'
`And I don't damned well care what you find attrac-
tive,' Ellis said heatedly. In a moment she was going to burst into tears. She was shaking with nerves already, and she didn't think that a woman's tears would engender anything but .contempt from Steve Gascoyne. She moved away from him. 'I'm going ho—back to Warrianda to—to '
`To cook the dinner,' he said derisively.
`Yes. You hired me to do that.'
`I suppose I did. But since we got here, I've changed my mind. You're more stimulating in the role of woman than as anything else. In effect, I don't give a damn if we eat tonight or not. I'd rather the relationship between you and me was waxing and growing fat.'
`I'm afraid I find it wearing thin,' she said through her teeth, and she leaped up the sandy bank and reached for the safety of the car.
She had to wait till he'd started his car up and moved out of the way ahead of her before she could get going, and it wasn't long till he'd left her far behind.
When she arrived back at the homestead she found, to her chagrin, that Leanne, aided apparently by Charlie, had already cooked the dinner.
Mustering the sheep for shearing was in process for the next few days, and Ellis began to breathe more freely. Steve had stopped pestering her, and when she asked if he'd like her to tidy up his aunt's belongings, he had agreed, somewhat to her surprise. As well, she quietly took over most of the tasks about the house from Leanne, who was talking about flying over to Melbourne to visit her mother.
`Oh, Lee, not while shearing's on,' Charlie had protested when she mentioned it, and Ellis took it for granted that Leanne would stay. But obviously there was more to it than the idea of an ordinary visit, for the
very day before the shearers were coming, Leanne packed up her bags and announced over breakfast that she was going. Charlie, who presumably knew already and had said whatever he had to say in private, was silent, and though Ellis thought Steve would have something to say for sure, he made absolutely no comment. She felt acutely uncomfortable herself, and didn't at all relish the idea of being left here alone with the two men. Yet Steve had been so unobjectionable since that evening on the beach that she really had no grounds for alarm.
Charlie came into the kitchen to speak to her before he left the house to begin work.
`Ellis, would you mind running Lee in to Pat's River to get on the plane this afternoon? I'd do it myself, but I can't afford to take time off today with shearing beginning in the morning'
`That's all right,' Ellis said pleasantly. 'I'll drive her there. Is she—is she staying away long?'
`I shouldn't think so. She's just a bit homesick,' Charlie said, though not very convincingly. 'We haven't been married all that long, you know.'
`She—she doesn't like it here very much, does she?' Ellis suggested tentatively.
`Only because it's different from what she's used to. And Steve doesn't handle her right. He's inclined to be hard on women.' He smiled as he said it, and Ellis could see he wasn't really making a criticism of his brother. She was not so tolerant herself. A new marriage should be helped along, and Steve's attitude was surely making difficulties. She asked on impulse, 'Why don't you take her to the other place the Gascoynes own—the one in Victoria?'
His frown told her he didn't really think it was her business, but he told her civilly, 'Steve needs someone
here—and I can learn a lot from him. Don't you worry your head about it anyhow, Ellis, and don't feel too sorry for Lee, she'll have a great time in Melbourne and come back fighting fit. It's tough on you to be landed with the shearers, but Lee wouldn't be all that much help if she were here, I'm afraid. Anyhow, Steve seems to think you'll make out, and it's good experience, isn't it?'
Ellis coloured and glanced away to give some attention to the dishwasher. She knew what Charlie meant. Good experience if she were contemplating marrying Steve. She said a noncommittal, 'I guess so,' and thought rather guiltily of that emerald ring still lying in its box on her dressing table. She hadn't returned it to Steve, but not because she'd forgotten about it. She saw it there every time she went to the mirror. The fact was, though, that she didn't want to reopen the subject while Steve was leaving her alone. She didn't trust him, of course. Something was going to happen some time, but they would all be working so hard while shearing was on that she told herself she was safe for a while yet.
She took Leanne to the airfield after an early lunch and found her rather defiant. 'I've taken the wind out of Charlie's sails this time, he'll be running after me before I have time to turn round,' she told Ellis as they waited in the tiny administration building. He'll begin to see I really mean it about not staying at Warrianda. I'm just miserable here, and I know I'd be perfectly happy at Koolong ... Well, looks like it's time to go. Thanks for bringing me out.' She smiled briefly, then went to join the four other passengers who were making their way to the small six-seater plane that would take them on the hour and a half flight to Melbourne.
Ellis stood at the glass door ready to wave, but
Leanne didn't look back. Unlike Charlie, she hadn't apologised for leaving Ellis to do all the work, but that was excusable on the grounds that she was very much wrapped up in her own problems.
When the plane had taken off, Ellis went back to the old car rather slowly. This would be her last day of freedom, she suspected, until the shearers were finished, though so far no one had seen fit to tell her exactly what her duties would be. No doubt Steve or Charlie would brief her tonight, but just now—she decided to drive the extra few kilometres in to Whitemark. She could think of a few odds and ends she wanted in the kitchen, but mainly she wanted to enjoy her freedom—and to have a look at Whitemark.
It was a very tiny settlement, she soon discovered. The one hotel dominated the main street, and behind it were the sea and the jetty. Ellis parked the car and discovered a supermarket attached to a garage, and went inside to emerge some time later with butter, a tin of pineapple, a tube of toothpaste and a block of chocolate. Head slightly lowered as she came into the sunlight, she ran slap bang into her cousin, Martin Webster.
Ellis nearly dropped her purchases in her surprise, but it was nothing to Martin's complete astonishment. He stared at her for, a moment, then hugged her briefly.
`Ellis! What in the name of fortune are you doing here? And what have you done to yourself?'
Ellis blushed vividly, remembering as he spoke how her appearance had changed. She was fond of Martin, and the sight of his familiar face, his untidy red hair and his friendly blue eyes made her feel just a little weepy so that she had to blink quickly.
Martin put his arm around her shoulders. 'Don't try to answer yet—let's find a quiet spot where we can talk.
That is, if you have a moment.'
`Yes—yes, I have.' She gestured towards the old car she'd parked at the kerb. `I'll put this stuff in the car first.'
`Good lord ! ' he exclaimed. 'Doesn't that old wreck belong to the Gascoynes? Don't tell me Jan's around —she can't be. I had a letter from Dad only yesterday. Look, let's find somewhere fast. Come up to my room. I'm staying at the Hotel for a few days.'
Ellis shut the car door, her head buzzing with confusion. It was, marvellous to see Martin, but what on earth was she going to tell him He was going to think the whole thing very strange indeed.
Once in his room, he settled her in a chair and told her firmly, Now—give, young Ellis ! ' His blue eyes were full of admiration as he added, 'You've had something done to your hair, haven't you? In fact—you look so bella-bella I'd say you must be in love, if I believed all I read.'
`Well, I'm not in love,' Ellis said rather anxiously. Martin was thirty, but he looked so boyish he could have been twenty-two, and he was about the kindest man she had ever met. He used to help her with her homework when she was still at school, and later, when she took over the house, he did all sorts of thoughtful things to help. That was until he'd moved into a flat of his own, and nowadays, as he spent a lot of time away from Melbourne doing research, they didn't see a great deal of each other.