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'He never remarried?'

'No. He's an extremely private man. I have no idea if he has any particular lady friend or not. I was raised by competent nannies and, as I grew older, housekeepers tended to my needs.'

'He wasn't around much?'

'No. I think I reminded him too much of Maude—I have her green eyes and blonde hair. Don't get me wrong. He's a nice man, he's just not... the spend-time-with-the-daughter type of father. I think if I'd been a boy, it might have been different.'

Her words were said without any malice or regret—just good old British matter-of-factness. Mitch chuckled.

'What? What's so funny?'

'You're just... so different.'

'Different from whom?'

'From girls I'm usually attracted to.'

'I
think
that's a compliment.'

His smile grew. 'It is.' Mitch leaned closer, cupping her cheek with his free hand.
'Very
attracted to.' His lips were soft and gentle on hers and she opened her mouth willingly, her need for him mounting with every passing second. She let go of his hand and shifted slightly to face him, her fingers plunging deep into his hair.

His hand followed her lead and soon he'd pulled the band from her hair and was fulfilling his fantasy of running his fingers through her silky locks, his mouth turning hot and hungry on hers. Elizabeth couldn't shrink from the most passionate kiss she'd ever received in her life but instead matched him. She wanted this more than she'd wanted anything in her life and, surprisingly, the thought didn't scare her. She felt...safe with Mitch.

The emotions seemed to swamp her, one after the other, and she welcomed them. She felt alive in his arms, with his mouth firmly on hers, their torsos pressed together. His hand fisted loosely in her hair, ensuring her head stayed in place as he gently eased her backwards.

He shifted slightly, his masterful mouth never leaving hers for a second as he continued to drug her senses. She slid her hands lightly over his shirt, edging down until she found the hem of his shirt. Putting her hands beneath it, she groaned as her fingertips made contact with his hard, muscled back. It was smooth and warm and firm and she wanted him closer...much, much closer than they were now.

Mitch groaned as she lightly trailed her fingernails down his back, arching like a cat. He broke his mouth free from hers, both of them panting wildly as he buried his face in her neck, breathing in the scent of her hair. It was so amazing to finally be able to give in to his desire to touch her this way. To have the silky strands of her hair brush lightly against his face as he nuzzled her neck.

Elizabeth smiled and slowly opened her eyes, the bright stars all blurring into twinkling lights. She still moved her hands up and down his back as they both started to come back to earth, loving the feel of him.

'Lizzie,' Mitch breathed, and slowly sat up, bringing her with him, his gaze firmly on hers. 'I don't want to hurt you or rush you or confuse you, but I can't help how much I want you.'

'I know. I want you just as much but we can't.'

'No,' he confirmed. 'We can't because there are still a lot of obstacles in our way.' He shifted closer, his arms protective around her. Elizabeth looked out into the early morning, her face set with concentration. He knew she was gathering her thoughts and he waited patiently.

'Have you ever been in love?'

He raised his eyebrows at her question. It wasn't what he'd expected her to say. 'Er...yes.'

'What happened?' She didn't look at him but leaned her head on his shoulder, snuggling in.

He took a deep breath and slowly let it out. 'She died.'

'When?'

'Four years ago. Her name was Sonja and she was a tree surgeon.'

Elizabeth pulled back to look at him. 'A tree surgeon?'

'Yes.' He smiled at the puzzled look on her face. 'We didn't meet at a medical conference, if that's what you're thinking.'

'Oh, no, no. I wasn't thinking anything of the sort,' she quickly protested, and he pressed his lips briefly to hers.

'Sonja was passionate about the outdoors. We met when I was forced to take leave from the hospital. I went to Tasmania and ended up doing a nature hiking tour. Sonja was there to treat some of the trees and we started talking. The rest, as they say, is history.'

'Did you want to marry her?'

'Yes. I transferred to the hospital in Hobart and we were planning our wedding. Two weeks before the big day she was killed. She was heading home, it was raining and...and her car ended up wrapped around a tree. She died instantly.'

'Oh, Mitch.' Elizabeth caressed his cheek. He looked deeply into her green eyes and was thankful he didn't see sympathy, only heartfelt compassion. She reached up and pressed her lips to his and he felt...reassured somehow. It was amazing.
Lizzie
was amazing.

He put her from him, knowing there was more to be said. 'Don't you want to know what happened next?'

'Do you want to tell me?'

'Yes. I hit the self-destruct button, took a year's leave from the hospital and drank myself stupid.' She nodded. That explained why he no longer drank alcohol. 'After that year, things started to get better—very slowly but still, better. I wasn't settled, though. I worked in most of the major hospitals around the country and finally ended up in Adelaide. I still couldn't settle because everywhere I went...' He paused and shook his head. 'It's ridiculous...you'll laugh.'

'I won't.' And he knew she wouldn't.

'Everywhere I went, there were trees. I was constantly reminded of Sonja and her love for them and the fact that one had ultimately claimed her life.'

'And then you found Coober Pedy.'

'Yes. A place practically devoid of trees. He landscape looks more like the surface of the moon—as you said—and for the first time since her death, I felt...relaxed. The headaches I'd had stopped and I started to feel alive again.'

Elizabeth smiled at him. 'I'm really happy for you. It must be...amazing to feel that way. Liberating.'

'Are you seriously telling me you've
never
felt that way before?'

Elizabeth looked down, wondering how to tell him she'd only ever felt that way when she'd been with him, in his arms, with his mouth firmly on hers. She shook her head. 'My life has been...controlled is the best way to describe it. Getting on the plane, coming here to meet Maude, is the most adventurous thing I've ever done and even then it was after great and tiring debates with my father and Marcus.'

She felt Mitch's body tighten and knew she shouldn't have mentioned Marcus. Any woman should know never to bring up an old boyfriend when she was with a man who made her feel so...special.

'Marcus?'

'Yes.'

'The... fiancé?'

'He's
not
my fiancé.' Elizabeth pulled away to look at him. 'I've already told you that, and before I left England I told him I wanted a break. I didn't want to have to explain anything to him or my father.'

'Anything?'

'Maude.'

'Your father doesn't know you've come here to see Maude?'

'No, and I'd rather he didn't know. I don't need that complication in my life.'

'Has...Marcus called you again?'

'Yes.' She sighed heavily.

'You don't
want
him to call you?'

'I just want time out. I want to find out who I am.'

'And who are you?'

She chuckled without humour. 'How can I tell?'

'Are you happy?'

She thought about Maude, about finding the opal, of sneaking into the hospital to feed choc-pops to two little boys. She thought of Mitch and she smiled. 'I like it here.'

'And Marcus?'

She shook her head. 'I don't want to think about him.' Elizabeth wrapped her arms around Mitch and held him close. 'Not now.'

'What's his surname?'

'Who?'

'Marcus. What's his surname?'

'Wetherby.'

Mitch shook his head and put her from him. 'Unbelievable.'

'What is?'

'Marcus Wetherby.'

Elizabeth looked closely at his face, her eyes slowly growing round with shock. 'You
know
him?'

'More than that.' Mitch stood and brushed the dirt off himself. He held out his hand to Elizabeth and helped her to her feet. 'He's my little brother.'

Elizabeth
was stunned beyond belief. 'Your...your
brother!'

Mitch turned and stalked back to the ute. Elizabeth couldn't move. She was glued to the spot and watched him, his words slowly sinking in. He reached the vehicle, climbed in and thumped the steering-wheel.

Shaking his head, he called out, 'Are you coming, Lizzie, or are you walking back to the hospital?' As though to prove his point, he started the engine. Elizabeth finally found the impetus to move her legs and walked over to the ute. She climbed in and the instant she shut her door he reversed, swinging the car more forcefully than was necessary.

'Well, if you're going to drive like an idiot, perhaps it
would
be safer for me to walk.'

That haughty tone of hers was back and although he didn't appreciate it, Mitch was thankful for her words. Somehow they'd managed to penetrate the fog of unrealistic disbelief and anger which had been clouding his thoughts. He checked himself and drove off in a more sedate manner.

They were back at the hospital in next to no time and Elizabeth turned in her seat to look at him. 'Are you sure?'

'Of course I'm sure. I know my own brother's name, Elizabeth.'

That stung. When she'd first met him, all she'd wanted had been for him to call her by her given name, yet now...it meant he was upset with her. The light-hearted 'Lizzie' was all she wanted to hear from his lips. She forced her mind to concentrate. 'But your surname is O'Neill.'

'My mother's maiden name. After my father divorced her, she reverted back to it and I changed my name by deed poll as soon as I was old enough.'

'And Marcus kept your father's name,' she mumbled. It made perfect sense—a family torn apart. It also explained quite
a bit about Marcus and why he had never, in all the time she'd known him, mentioned his mother.

'Your father is Sir Iain Wetherby.' Her words were soft and she'd said it more to herself than to him.

'So he finally got his title. I hope he's finally satisfied,' Mitch said bitterly, and glanced out the window. 'I hope it was really worth the break-up and loss of his family.'

'Mitch.' Elizabeth placed her hand on his arm but he shrugged it off. She recoiled as though he'd slapped her, her eyes widening in bewildered hurt as they started to fill with tears. Her throat went dry and a lump started to form but she drew in a breath and worked hard to regain her composure. Now was not the time to fall apart. Mitch would probably think she was doing it on purpose to manipulate him and that was the last thing they both needed. Later...much later, she'd let herself fall apart, but not now. Crying had always been frowned upon by her father and so she'd always done it in private.

She cleared her throat and tried to speak to him again, but this time she made no effort to touch him. 'Mitch, I know this has probably come as a shock to us both but let's just settle down and discuss this calmly.'

'Calm!' he spluttered. '
You
be calm. You're
always
calm! It would never do for the poised little princess to lose control now, would it,' he asked rhetorically.

'Why is this
my
fault?' she demanded, her resolve to remain calm disappearing in the face of his attack. 'Don't take your family frustrations out on me, Mitchell O'Neill. The fact that I know your brother—'

'Know
him! Lizzie, the man thinks he's
engaged
to you,' Mitch said with rage. 'That's a heck, of lot more than just knowing him.'

'Well, he's never
asked
me to marry him,' she responded, her own voice rising with mounting anger.

'And if he did?' Mitch challenged. 'What would you say?' he demanded, turning to face her.

Elizabeth stared at him, unable to think clearly. She shrugged and spread her hands out. 'I don't know.'

'You don't
know?'
he said in disbelief. He glared at her, his usual laughing blue eyes now as cold as steel. 'You
don't know
!' With a shake of his head he opened the door, climbed' from the vehicle and slammed the door shut. He stalked up the ramp to the hospital.

'Mitch,' she called, and followed him. He didn't stop. 'Mitch, you're being irrational and immature.'

He spun around and stared. 'And why can't I? Why, Miss Hospital Corners? Why can't I be irrational and immature if I feel like it?'

Elizabeth shrugged. She had no comeback to his question. He had every right in the world to behave however he wanted.
She
was the one who'd been restricted by rules and regulations all her life, and in that one second she envied him because he was giving his emotions free rein and he didn't seem to care what anyone thought. She sighed, feeling her anger beginning to dissipate.

'And besides,' he said, his own tone more calm although it still held a sting, 'at least I'm honest with myself.'

'What's that supposed to mean?'

'If you can't figure it out, then you're in bigger trouble than I thought.' With that, he turned and walked away—again.

Elizabeth couldn't follow him and not only because the tears in her eyes were blurring her vision. She was a very private person—mainly because she'd had no one to share her emotions with for most of her life—and right now she needed to regain her self-control and composure before she faced anyone.

Well, perhaps she could face Maude, but her mother was inside. Although she wanted nothing more than to run to her, to be held tightly and to cry her heart out, she couldn't do it— especially with Mitch and the rest of the hospital staff watching.