Cattle Baron: Nanny Needed by Margaret Way Read Free Book Online

very clever, very gentle man. He likes to keep an eye out for me.”
    “You must feel good about that. He couldn’t have approved of you know who.”
    “I don’t have a clue who you’re talking about,” she said airily, gazing out of the window at the glittering cityscape, above it a starry sky.
    “Right. I admire the way you’ve disposed of that problem.”
    “Where are we going, by the way?”
    “The best establishment in town. Where else?”
    Where else, indeed? It dawned on her that she was looking forward to spending a few hours with the Cattle Baron. In fact, she was excited. Didn’t that underscore her poor judgement about Sean?
    The restaurant was seriously good. Wonderful ambience, excellent, discreet service. She had dined there a number of times. Always as a guest, not the one footing the bill. No one in their right mind could say the price was right. But the food—inspirational stuff—was superb, the wine list a long selection of the very best the world’s top vintners could offer, the upper end pricey enough to give even the well-off a heart attack.
    “Tell me what wine you like?” the Cattle Baron asked, looking across a table set for two. One of the best positions in the room. How had he managed it on a Saturday night?
    “And put you at my mercy?” she joked. “You’ve seen the prices.”
    “We can forget the prices for tonight,” he told her calmly. “What if we start with a nice glass of champagne? Can’t go past Krug. You have to celebrate your lucky escape.” His cool green eyes glittered.
    “Let me make it perfectly clear that I’m still upset.”
    “Of course you are. But the Krug will help.”
    It was all too tempting.
     
    She had thought she never would again, but she laughed. Really laughed. She hadn’t expected him to be so entertaining, but he was a born raconteur. He kept telling her wonderful stories about Outback life—hilarious incidents, interposed with the tragic and poignant realities of life in a harsh, unforgiving land. It was what gave him the heroic image, she suddenly realised. It was emblazoned all over him. Hero figure.
    From the arrival of the amuse bouches , tempting little morsels to tease the palate, the starters, a carpaccio of tuna and swordfish garnished with a delicious little mix of green herbs, the main course of fillet of barramundi with a sweet-and-sour pepper sauce over risotto, the rim of the plate decorated with baby vegetables, he kept her enthralled. So much so she was eating with abandon. It struck her that they liked the same food, because independently they came up with the same choices. Even to the bitter chocolate mousse with coffee granita and gingered cream.
    “That was superb,” he said, laying down his dessert spoon.
    “I know it. Good thing you’re paying. There’s a poor soul over there choking over the bill.”
    He laughed. “I daresay it takes a lot to run a three star restaurant and make a nice profit. Coffee?”
    “Absolutely. I need to sober up.”
    “You won’t be wanting a liqueur, then?” There was a twinkle in those mesmerizing green eyes.
    “I didn’t say that.”
    “So, feel ready to tell me a little about you,” he said, settling back to enjoy his coffee.
    “I knew there was a catch.”
    He leaned forward slightly, aware that they had been underscrutiny since they had walked into the restaurant. She was obviously well known. He wasn’t. But he was wearing wedding gear. A big clue. “I didn’t ask if I could sleep at your place.”
    “Where are you staying?’ She circled the rim of her coffee cup with a forefinger, not daring to look up and perhaps give her living dangerously self away.
    “Why, with Grandpop, of course.”
    “He does have a mausoleum.”
    “And he insisted I stay over. I know it’s not a nice thing to say, but I do my level best to avoid Rosemary.”
    “Look, I don’t blame you. As soon as I got home I had to lie down to recover from her evil eye. So, your uncle and aunt and