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Authors: Barbara Hannay
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Bella’s asleep.’
‘I’d like to take photographs of your grounds, if that’s all right.’
‘Be my guest. But keep to the open areas. Don’t go wandering off into the rainforest, or down the track to the beach.’
Amy frowned. ‘Do you think I’ll get lost?’
‘I’m assuming you’d rather not come face to face with an amethystine python, or a salt-water crocodile.’
The colour drained from her face and he winced. In one breath he’d completely ruined her stay.
‘I’m exaggerating the danger,’ he said more gently. ‘People have been living here for decades quite safely. But I’d rather you didn’t go exploring without me.’
‘Yes,’ she acceded, still looking pale. ‘That might be best.’
‘So promise me for now that you won’t go beyond the garden.’
Amy gave him her word.
CHAPTER FIVE
A S SHE watched Seth stride away, Amy almost changed her mind about setting foot outside the house. The spectre of snakes and crocodiles scared her to death and in a panicky rush she ran back to the bedroom to make sure that Bella was still sleeping safely.
The windows and doors to their room were screened, however, and no creepy-crawlies could find their way in, thank God. Bella was fine.
She knew Seth’s claim was true—plenty of people had lived here and avoided being eaten. Rachel had stayed here for six weeks and she’d never mentioned any special dangers. Then again, Rachel had kept quiet about a lot of things in the north.
Including Seth.
But Amy had already tortured herself enough over that man. All morning, she’d driven herself crazy fretting over his relationship with Rachel, his plans for Bella, and her own giddy pulse rate whenever he was near.
Taking several deep breaths, she swore to put him out of her mind, and she set off, camera in hand, to explore his garden.
Which was lovely. Really lovely.
Again she wondered why Rachel had never mentioned how gorgeous this place was. She’d made so few comments, hadn’t shown any pictures. Nothing. Had she saved it all for her book?
Amy didn’t know the names of many of the tropical plants, but as she walked she recognised hibiscus, orchids and bougainvilleas growing lushly amidst ferns and palms. She loved the showiness and variety of the lavishly hued tropical flowers and leaves.
The butterflies and birds were extra bright and beautiful, too. All living things here were wonderfully vivid. Nature at double strength. As she walked down twisting paths, she felt as if her senses were zapped onto high alert.
She was surrounded by fragrances—the scents of frangipani, of ginger and cardamom, mixed with a pervading smell of damp earth and vegetation. There was a constant peep-peep-peeping sound, which, Seth had already explained, came from tiny tree frogs in the nearby forest.
Here in the tropics there was a sense of life teeming and lush, pushing to the max, and she was aware of an indefinable something that stirred her, a constant pulse-raising excitement and restlessness.
Perhaps that was why her thoughts zeroed straight back to Seth.
She couldn’t help it. He was such a fascinating puzzle.
He’d said he was fine about his mother’s defection, but Amy had been watching him closely, and despite his brave words she’d seen dark pain in his eyes and in the tightening set of his mouth.
Her heart ached for him, but his brave stoicism also frightened her. How could they come to an agreement about Bella’s future when his attitude to mothers and motherhood was almost the polar opposite of hers?
Amy adored her mum and she adored caring for Bella, but if Seth had managed so famously in this remote place without any contact with his mother, he might easily assume that Bella would be fine here, too.
And where, Amy wondered, did that leave her?
It was a relief, on rounding a tall clump of pink ginger, to be distracted by an elderly man wearing a wide-brimmed hat of woven cane and happily hacking at palm fronds with a long-handled
‘I’d like to take photographs of your grounds, if that’s all right.’
‘Be my guest. But keep to the open areas. Don’t go wandering off into the rainforest, or down the track to the beach.’
Amy frowned. ‘Do you think I’ll get lost?’
‘I’m assuming you’d rather not come face to face with an amethystine python, or a salt-water crocodile.’
The colour drained from her face and he winced. In one breath he’d completely ruined her stay.
‘I’m exaggerating the danger,’ he said more gently. ‘People have been living here for decades quite safely. But I’d rather you didn’t go exploring without me.’
‘Yes,’ she acceded, still looking pale. ‘That might be best.’
‘So promise me for now that you won’t go beyond the garden.’
Amy gave him her word.
CHAPTER FIVE
A S SHE watched Seth stride away, Amy almost changed her mind about setting foot outside the house. The spectre of snakes and crocodiles scared her to death and in a panicky rush she ran back to the bedroom to make sure that Bella was still sleeping safely.
The windows and doors to their room were screened, however, and no creepy-crawlies could find their way in, thank God. Bella was fine.
She knew Seth’s claim was true—plenty of people had lived here and avoided being eaten. Rachel had stayed here for six weeks and she’d never mentioned any special dangers. Then again, Rachel had kept quiet about a lot of things in the north.
Including Seth.
But Amy had already tortured herself enough over that man. All morning, she’d driven herself crazy fretting over his relationship with Rachel, his plans for Bella, and her own giddy pulse rate whenever he was near.
Taking several deep breaths, she swore to put him out of her mind, and she set off, camera in hand, to explore his garden.
Which was lovely. Really lovely.
Again she wondered why Rachel had never mentioned how gorgeous this place was. She’d made so few comments, hadn’t shown any pictures. Nothing. Had she saved it all for her book?
Amy didn’t know the names of many of the tropical plants, but as she walked she recognised hibiscus, orchids and bougainvilleas growing lushly amidst ferns and palms. She loved the showiness and variety of the lavishly hued tropical flowers and leaves.
The butterflies and birds were extra bright and beautiful, too. All living things here were wonderfully vivid. Nature at double strength. As she walked down twisting paths, she felt as if her senses were zapped onto high alert.
She was surrounded by fragrances—the scents of frangipani, of ginger and cardamom, mixed with a pervading smell of damp earth and vegetation. There was a constant peep-peep-peeping sound, which, Seth had already explained, came from tiny tree frogs in the nearby forest.
Here in the tropics there was a sense of life teeming and lush, pushing to the max, and she was aware of an indefinable something that stirred her, a constant pulse-raising excitement and restlessness.
Perhaps that was why her thoughts zeroed straight back to Seth.
She couldn’t help it. He was such a fascinating puzzle.
He’d said he was fine about his mother’s defection, but Amy had been watching him closely, and despite his brave words she’d seen dark pain in his eyes and in the tightening set of his mouth.
Her heart ached for him, but his brave stoicism also frightened her. How could they come to an agreement about Bella’s future when his attitude to mothers and motherhood was almost the polar opposite of hers?
Amy adored her mum and she adored caring for Bella, but if Seth had managed so famously in this remote place without any contact with his mother, he might easily assume that Bella would be fine here, too.
And where, Amy wondered, did that leave her?
It was a relief, on rounding a tall clump of pink ginger, to be distracted by an elderly man wearing a wide-brimmed hat of woven cane and happily hacking at palm fronds with a long-handled
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