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leaps became less spectacular, finally stopping altogether. Head down, flanks heaving, it stood still while the horseman patted its neck to reassure it.
    As if he felt her scrutiny, the rider looked up and their eyes met. Keri's breath caught in her throat. She hadn't recognised Ben under the battered bushman's hat, although she should have known his style. She dropped her gaze first and fancied she heard his mocking chuckle as she walked on.
    It was pure fantasy, but she felt a sudden surge of empathy with the wild horse he had ridden into submission. Her breathing quickened in sympathy and she felt chokingly hot, as if the dust of the breaking-yard had penetrated her nostrils. She shook her head to throw off the image. If Ben had any notion of breaking her as he had just done the brumby, he was in for the fight of his life.
    'If looks could kill, he's a dead man,' said a voice behind her.
    She swung around to find Rick jogging to catch up with her. 'Who is?' she asked, feeling her tension grow as he approached.
    'Big Ben,' he said. 'I saw you watching him just now. It was him you were thinking of, wasn't it?'
    'No, it wasn't,' she denied, unwilling to agree with Rick about anything and especially not about Ben. 'I could have been thinking about you.'
    He rolled his eyes expressively. 'I should be so lucky.'
    'Did you want something?' she asked, tiring of the game.
    He draped an arm around a fence post and appraised her thoughtfully. 'You know what I want. What I've always wanted from you.'
    'Stop it,' she ordered, shaken in spite of herself. 'You're engaged. If Persia's grandmother hadn't been taken ill, you'd be married by now.'
    'Married isn't dead,' he informed her. 'I intend to go through with the wedding all right. How else can I get my hands on Casuarina?'
    'Surely that isn't the only reason you're marrying Persia?'
    He shrugged. 'It's as good a reason as any. It will be worth it if it persuades Ben to sign the outstation over to me. It's what our father wanted. Ben told me.'
    'Why are you telling me this?' she asked uncomfortably. 'I could go straight to Ben.'
    'But you won't because of what I'd do in return,' he said nastily. 'My parting shot about the birthmark got to Ben, didn't it? I could tell him much more.'
    'Why are you doing this?' she asked. 'You've got what you want.'
    'Not quite. Title to Casuarina is the most important thing, of course, but Persia won't satisfy me for long.' She started to move away but he caught her wrist. 'Don't rush away. I haven't had a chance to tell you my proposition yet.'
    Held fast, she averted her gaze. 'I'm not interested. I'm engaged to Ben and you're going to marry Persia, so there's nothing for us to discuss.'
    'I wasn't proposing marriage,' he contradicted. 'When I'm in control of Casuarina, I'll be able to give you everything you want. It won't be like last time, when you went away because I couldn't take care of you. This time it'll be better. You don't have to settle for second best.'
    'Second best? You can't mean Ben?' she asked, her tone incredulous.
    He nodded. 'You only turned to him because I was cut out of Jake's will. It's all right,' he added when she jerked away in protest at his monstrous assumption, 'I'd have done the same. But there's no need this time. I can give you everything your heart desires.'
    The glare she gave him would have melted a block of ice. 'The only thing I desire from you is to be left alone,' she said, forcing the words between clenched jaws. 'Now let me go.'
    Still he refused to give up. 'You were mine before Ben had any claim on you.'
    Her head swung back. 'Not in the way you mean.'
    'Ben doesn't know that,' he reminded her.
    'You made sure he would think so, didn't you?' she said angrily.
    'So he was interested in how I knew about the birthmark,' he speculated. 'He must feel something for you after all.'
    She kept her gaze haughtily averted. 'It's really none of your business.'
    He swung her around so she was forced to look at him. 'I