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Dishy!' with lots of exclamation marks.
    Keri laughed. 'You're incorrigible.' But she was relieved that Robyn was coping so well. She felt much better as she left the hospital and returned to her parked car.
    She had been looking forward to an evening to herself and had made plans to enjoy it. Suddenly none of them appealed any more, and she faced the fact that she missed Ben. At Kinga Downs she could watch him ride by from the homestead veranda, or catch a glimpse of him bent over his desk in his office. The eyes which met hers in the driving-mirror went wide with surprise. Surely she wasn't falling for him all over again despite the hazards? He still thought of her as a gold-digger. The ring she wore which he had offered her as payment for her cooperation was ample proof.
    In annoyance, she slammed her palms against the wheel. Why did he insist on casting her as the villain? She understood why he was so anxious to have Rick married and settled. Jake's will had left him more or less responsible for his half-brother, but Ben must know by now that she wasn't going to sabotage Rick's plans. There had to be another explanation for Ben's behaviour towards her.
    She steered carefully in the gathering dusk but her mind was only half on the driving. Ben had offered her a businesslike marriage, so he wasn't afraid of commitment. What else could there be?
    Still lost in thought, she parked her car outside, ready to visit Robyn later, and took the lift to her floor. The doors had barely closed behind her when she became aware of a man lounging outside her front door. 'Rick! What are you doing here?'
    'Surprise, surprise,' he drawled. 'Ben told me you were bringing Robyn for her check-up. I couldn't leave you alone in the big city at night, so I've come to take you out to dinner.'
    'Ben needs you at home,' she said, her mind whirling.
    'Ben doesn't need anyone. Besides, he thinks I'm still at the muster camp with the men.'
    She made no move to open her door. 'You were sure I'd welcome you, but I don't. You're the last person I want to see.'
    He looked pointedly around the hallway. 'Ben isn't here now, you don't have to pretend.'
    'I'm not pretending,' she said, enunciating each syllable with great care. 'I don't want to have anything to do with you. Is that plain enough?'
    He straightened, his eyes dark with anger. 'It's plain enough all right, but it's a different tune from the one you used to play with me. I intend to find out why.'
    'Maybe I grew up and saw you as you really are,' she said tiredly. 'You're totally irresponsible. Your behaviour today proves it. And you still haven't learned how to take no for an answer.'
    Rick seemed about to say something more when they both heard the phone start to ring inside her flat. 'Aren't you gong to answer it?' he queried.
    Rather than open her door while he was still here, she was tempted to let it ring, but it could be the hospital calling about Robyn. She had given them this number in case of emergency. Reluctantly, she unlocked her door.
    She wasn't quick enough to prevent Rick from following her inside. To her dismay he beat her to the phone and picked it up. 'Hello? Yes, this is Keri Donovan's number. Who is . . .' He stared at the instrument for a moment, looking puzzled. 'He hung up.'
    A feeling of dread assailed Keri. 'He? Who was it?'
    'It sounded like Ben.'
    Her heart sank. It probably was Ben. He had said he would call this evening to make sure they had arrived safely. He would have recognised Rick's voice and thought they had arranged to meet in Darwin. 'How could you?' she said to Rick, cold fury in her voice.
    'Steady on, I didn't know it would be Ben. You're not the only one in the soup. Now he knows I've skipped out on the muster.'
    'You would think of yourself first,' she seethed. 'Get out of here before I call the police and have you arrested.'
    Ben's call must have rattled him more than he was admitting because he agreed to go, asking only to use her bathroom first, which