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Davina was silent, alarmed by the feeling of excitement at hearing Rex’s soft drawl once again. She had forgotten how pleasant his voice could sound and she shut her eyes in sheer delight until he said, ‘I hope you’ve not hung up. Are you there, Davina?’

‘Yes, I’m here.’ She took a firm hold on her emotions and trying to sound brisk said, ‘I only got back this morning and was trying to remember if I’ve anything in the way of loose ends I ought to settle before I leave.’

‘I should have thought you’d have done all that before you left for your grandmother’s. You knew as soon as the sale was completed I’d be off. If you only got back this morning, I shouldn’t think you’ve even unpacked. Look, I’ll pick you up at nine tomorrow morning.’

This was certainly rushing things and Davina said contrarily, ‘Now wait a minute. I haven’t said I can be ready by then.’

If she thought Rex would offer to await her convenience she was mistaken. ‘Then you’ll have to come by train. But after your all-night journey, I should have imagined you’d have seen enough of trains for a while,’ he ended slyly.

Davina let out a spurt of reluctant laughter. He had her there! She rubbed her back which still ached and capitulated. ‘All right, tomorrow at nine. I think you have the address.’

‘Yes—I’d mislaid it, but your cousin supplied it when the final negotiations were completed this afternoon. Don’t keep me waiting in the morning,’ and without so much as a goodbye Rex had rung off.

Davina stared at the telephone, then ran trembling fingers through her hair. She would have to hurry if she were to be ready in time and Rex did not strike her as being a patient man. The launderette kept open late tonight, thank heavens. She’d do her laundry and while it was drying off in front of the electric fire, she’d bath and shampoo her hair. What a mercy the trunk was ready 1 She ran upstairs two at a time to turn out her suitcase on to the bed.

Next morning she awoke early and after putting her clean laundry into the suitcase, she dressed in jeans, a clean blue shirt and a denim waistcoat, for despite the drizzle of rain the day was not cold. She had drunk a cup of coffee and eaten a slice of bread and butter when she heard the door bell, and a hasty glance at her watch showed her that the hands stood at a minute to nine.

Trust Rex to be punctual to the minute I she thought, running downstairs. Well, at least she was practically ready. There were only her toilet articles and cosmetics to slip into her capacious shoulder bag, and since Rex was sure to have bought a luxurious car, there was no need for more than a nylon raincoat should they stop for lunch.

But when she threw back the door, Davina saw with a feeling of dismay that instead of a comfortable saloon car, a serviceable Land Rover stood at the curb. Without waiting for an invitation, Rex walked past her into the narrow hall and when she turned to speak, Davina glimpsed a hint of impatience in the hard eyes.

‘Where’s your luggage? I’ll get it loaded. And you’ll need more than what you’re wearing once we’re moving. You’d better get a sweater or an anorak on.’

‘But they’re all packed in my trunk. I’ve got my raincoat— that’s warm enough. And the trunk and my suitcase are in the room.’

As he followed her Rex said simply, ‘Suit yourself, but don’t complain if you feel cold later on.’ It was not a good beginning and rather to her surprise Davina found herself making excuses.

‘It simply never occurred to me that I might be cold on the journey,’ she began, then angry with herself for apologising so meekly she added sharply, ‘You didn’t give me much notice, when all is said and done—and in any case, why didn’t you warn me we’d be travelling in a utility vehicle?’

He grinned as if her acid protest amused him. ‘I warned you the place was at the back of beyond, you can’t deny that, so what did you expect? A Rolls? What use would an ordinary car be on a farm?’

He had her there, Davina had to admit. She simply hadn’t given the matter serious thought. Perhaps at the back of her mind she had supposed Rex would have arranged to have two vehicles at his disposal, since if the farm was as remote as he suggested there would surely be occasions when she herself might require transport to shop in the nearest town. Apparently
her
convenience had simply never crossed his mind, so that if and when shopping had to be done, she was expected to wait until he saw fit to take her into town himself.

Ten minutes later, the trunk and suitcase loaded, her goodbyes said to Mrs Styles, Davina found herself in the passenger seat as Rex manoeuvred the vehicle into a line of slow-moving traffic. Silence hung like a visible obstacle between them as they crept slowly out of the suburbs towards the north-bound motorway, for Davina felt obstinately reluctant to be the first to speak.

Her normal good-tempered nature was surprisingly ruffled by their initial altercation, yet she had to be honest with herself. She could as easily have asked Rex on the telephone last night whether to dress warmly as he to advise her to do so. Almost as if he read the thoughts jostling through her mind he said, his eyes on the road ahead, ‘I guess you’ve never been a Girl Guide. Isn’t their motto “Be prepared?” ’

Davina smiled reluctantly, relieved to have the ice broken even if by doing so Rex aimed yet another dart of criticism. She leaned back in her corner, turned to smile at his profile and say, ‘You must be already regretting your generosity in giving me a job, especially as you’d someone else in mind. I promise I’ll try and do better.’

She turned away, so missed the curious twisted smile with which Rex responded to her last remark. After a few moments she turned to him again. ‘You’ve never given me a hint of exactly where we’re going. What sort of a farm is it you’ve brought?’

‘It’s in Cumbria—the other side of Alston. Do you know it?’ When Davina shook her head Rex went on, ‘It’s a hill farm for running sheep. I’m giving myself a sort of sabbatical to try out a bit of experimental work. My ambition is to try and find a better breed to suit our needs.’

Davina’s smooth brow wrinkled in puzzlement. ‘But I’ve always been told Australian sheep are second to none.’

‘Most of them are, I agree. But we could still use a breed more adaptable to our long droughts. Have you any idea how many acres are needed in some parts of Australia just to support one animal?’

‘I don’t know much about your country at all, and very little about sheep,’ Davina admitted.

‘You’ll learn.' There was a grim note of amusement in Rex’s soft voice, but as soon as she turned questioning eyes on his face he went on slowly, ‘But I thought you’d been to Australia. I’m sure your aunt told me you’d been out there not too long ago.’

Davina laughed, real amusement in her voice as she replied. ‘What Aunt Marjorie means is that I’ve seen Sydney and Adelaide. I don’t call that the real Australia. I went there on a trip with them paid for by Grandmother and when I suggested we went to look at Alice Springs or the Barrier Reef, both Uncle Martin and Aunt Marjorie nearly had a fit. While Uncle Martin saw his business connections, Aunt and I like most visitors toured the cities. Very beautiful, I grant you, but a city’s a city if you see what I mean. I’d have liked to see further afield. I’d always been told the outback is pretty inspiring. Maybe one day I’ll get the opportunity to see, if not the whole of Australia, at least more than just two of its main cities.’

Rex gave a sort of grunt by the way of reply, then silence fell again as he put his foot down and drove as fast as was permitted along the six-lane motorway northwards. Davina was aware of feeling increasingly cold as the drizzle became a proper downpour and began to wish there’d been time to have more than a slice of bread and butter before setting out.

As she stirred restlessly, Rex glanced at his watch, then asked, ‘Would you like to stop for something to eat? It’s a bit early for lunch, but we could have sandwiches and coffee.’

‘You must be a mind-reader. I’m simply ravenous!’ Davina smiled, but it died out of her eyes as Rex cut her down to size. ‘Nothing of the sort. I know women, though. Complete idiots when there isn’t a man around to cook for,’ he said briefly as he turned into the slip road leading to the transport cafe.

As she climbed out Davina shivered, as much from the intolerance of his remark as from the rain beating relentlessly on to her bare head. ‘Well, go on, get in out of the rain. What are you waiting for?’ Rex asked, and coming round the bonnet he took her arm and ran her into the shelter of the building.

There was an empty table beside the window, and with a terse, ‘Sit here,’ Rex went over to collect a tray and walk along the serve-yourself counter, stopping several times to add another item to his tray. When he returned Davina gave a gasp and looked up to say, ‘We’ll never eat all that. There’s enough food there to feed an army.’

A smile just touched Rex’s firm lips. ‘What’s left is for later on. Just eat what you can, the rest we’ll take with us. You’ll see drinks too. Those are for the journey. The coffee’s for now. Sugar?’

Davina shook her head and in silence opened one of the packets of sandwiches. The bread tasted as if it was made of a composition of felt and cardboard, but she was too oblivious to care. All her thoughts were taken up by Rex’s uncompromising manner. Where were the beautiful manners now? Had they simply been put on for the purpose of impressing her family?

It was not until she was getting back into the passenger seat of the Land Rover that, turning to watch Rex stow the food and cans of Coke and beer, Davina noticed the portable Calor gas stove and the two camp beds. When Rex climbed in and put his key in the dashboard she asked, ‘We are going to get there today, aren’t we?’

Rex looked surprised. ‘Of course. Why do you ask?’

Davina jerked a thumb over her shoulder. ‘Why the camping gear, then?’

‘Oh, that!’ Rex smiled, though it wasn’t a particularly reassuring smile. ‘I don’t intend to bed down on the roadside, if that’s what you’re wondering. Now I was a Boy Scout,’ he turned his head and smiled ironically down into Davina’s bewildered face. ‘The farmhouse hasn’t been lived in since the late owner died and I understand he wouldn’t let anyone over the threshold to clean. As far as I can make out all the trustees of the estate have done is clear out the old man’s papers and clothing, so it’s possible the beds aren’t fit to sleep in. I didn’t want to be caught napping, hence the camp beds.'

As he drove out of the car park Davina digested this latest piece of information. It all sounded vaguely sinister—and come to that, wasn’t Rex himself behaving in a very strange manner? He was treating her with what could be described as the minimum of courtesy and was making no effort at all to set her at ease by making friendly conversation. If Catrin were here, what would be her summing up now? Davina wondered.

She glanced sideways beneath her long lashes at the profile of the man behind the wheel. He was watching the road ahead, a slight furrow between his straight brows. Her eyes dropped to the shapely brown hands lightly holding the steering wheel. Had he got so used to having a large staff under his command that he had decided views on the way employees should be treated? If so, Davina thought grimly, Rex Fitzpaine was in for some surprises! A fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay he was entitled to, but he was not going to trample all over her as well.

Having reached a decision, Davina settled herself as comfortably as she could and gazed out of the nearside window, letting her thoughts dwell on plots for short stories and ignoring the remote attitude of the man at her side. Not that he was exactly easy to ignore, she realised, because he took up so much of the seat that his thigh touched her own every time he changed gear. It was a relief when eventually he pulled into a layby so they could stretch their legs and eat another snack mead before setting off once again on what Davina hoped was the last leg of the journey.

It was tea time when Rex turned off the motorway at Scotch Corner and headed in the direction of Barnard Castle. The rain had stopped, but the temperature had dropped steadily as they travelled north, and Davina would have given a great deal for a cup of hot tea. But Rex had said he didn’t intend another break, so she tried desperately to hide the increasing discomfort she was beginning to feel, realising that in any case it was unlikely there was a cafe within twenty miles.

They were now travelling bleak mountain roads, unfenced apart from occasional dry-built stone walls or rows of fence posts set at intervals to guide travellers in snowbound weather. They had passed Alston and though it was much larger than her home town of Llantarwyn, Davina saw that it was no more than a market town of probably some two thousand souls.

As she tried to stifle a yawn Rex pointed ahead. ‘There’s Camshaw, our nearest village.’

Peering into the distance, she could just see a huddle of grey houses with the short square steeple of a church rising above the slate roofs. Five minutes later Rex drew to a standstill before a shop which from the variety of goods displayed in the window catered for the needs of everyone for miles around. It was also the village post office, for a red letter box was set in the shop wall.

With a brief ‘Wait here’ Rex got out and strode into the shop, and Davina was too tired to do anything but obey. She was thinking how cold, empty and unfriendly the place looked; even the door of the inn opposite was firmly shut. Rex returned carrying a large carton of groceries. He dumped it on to the luggage piled behind Davina’s seat and with a, ‘Hold on to that. It’s our provisions for the next few days and I don’t want to arrive with our eggs already scrambled,’ he got quickly into his seat and restarted the engine.

He turned the Land Rover on to a road leading out of the village which was even narrower than the one they had travelled and for about a mile they passed only two cottages, both of which would have seemed deserted had it not been for the thin spirals of smoke coming from their chimneys. The moors stretched out in every direction, broken here and there by a gorse bush or a stubby tree bent by the wind into grotesque shape. A solitary house a little larger than the cottages loomed ahead, but Rex passed it by and at last, unable to keep quiet any longer, Davina burst out with, ‘Where are we going? If I didn’t know the earth was round I’d swear we’d be driving over the edge any minute!’