Secrets Of The Outback

“I thought every woman wanted to marry a millionaire,” he murmured.

“Finding a millionaire would be the easy part. Marrying him and living happily ever after would be a lot harder,” Jewel answered dryly.

“You could do it, I’m sure.” Skinner narrowed his eyes as though thinking deeply. “Anyway, Keefe rarely comes in. He’s a very busy man. Quite brilliant. Extraordinarily responsible.”

“So they say.” Jewel nodded her head with mock solemnity. According to everyone in the know, Keefe Connellan was guaranteed to become the future executive chairman of Copeland Connellan.

“It’s in the genes, of course,” Skinner said, as though no one in his family had ever been accused of being an idiot. “My family’s always mixed with theirs, socially and in business. There was no finer man than Keefe’s grandfather, Sir Stafford Connellan. Compared to him, Julius Copeland was a very dodgy character.”

“Who knew how to forge an empire,” Jewel pointed out. Everyone had heard the saga of Julius Copeland and his great achievements, despite the dodgy bits.

Skinner widened his gray-blue eyes. “You don’t hold any brief for the Copelands, do you.”

“Blair, I don’t know any of them. As you’ve frequently pointed out, I was a girl from the Deep North, and before that the bush. I don’t mix in your…distinguished circles.”

“Nooo…but you could,” he said thoughtfully. “You’ve got what it takes. I’m absolutely sure there’s an interesting story in your background. Something very unusual.”

He made it sound as though she’d been switched at birth. “Sorry, Blair. Nothing to discover. I had a very ordinary childhood. My father was an overseer on one of the Copeland cattle stations, if you want to make something of that.”

Skinner looked like a man who’d missed out on important information. “Really? This is news.”

“Considering that Sir Julius left a legacy of nearly five-hundred thousand hectares in Outback Queensland, it’s not so unusual. My father died when I was six, going on seven. My mother and I went to live with my aunt almost immediately after. My father’s early death left my mother a very sad woman. There wasn’t much money and she wasn’t always able to work. My aunt half-supported me until I could support myself. As you know, I won a scholarship to a very good girls’ school. And I worked my way through university.”

“From whence you graduated with top honors.” He inclined his head in a gesture of exaggerated respect. “I have to say I’m surprised to hear there was any connection to the Copelands. You kept that from me.”

“I didn’t know you well enough then. You’re not onto something here, Blair. Don’t get excited. My father was an employee. A fairly lowly one at that. No real connection at all.”

“So where did you get your brains?” Skinner asked, his tone suggesting her family had to be a bunch of morons.

“My father and mother helped out,” she countered, her voice dry. “In addition, my aunt isn’t exactly stupid.”

“Which leaves me with one question—who do you look like?” Skinner asked. “Is your mother beautiful?”

“She is to me,” Jewel said quietly, remembering her mother before grief and depression overtook her.

“Does she have that golden hair, the black brows and sapphire eyes?”

“Blair, this interest is bizarre,” Jewel said. “Not to mention inappropriate. No, my mother doesn’t have my coloring. I believe I resemble my grandmother, Eugenie.” Though she’d never actually seen a photograph of her grandmother.

Skinner brooded a while. “I know you’re considered a warm, attractive young woman, an excellent mixer, everyone seems to like you—and that’s not always the case, believe me—but you tend to keep things to yourself.”

“Perhaps I picked that up from you,” Jewel said smoothly, making him laugh.

“It might seem strange, but when I met you I wondered where I’d seen you before.”

“Maybe we met in another life?” Jewel suggested flippantly. “Otherwise our paths would never have crossed. I lived and worked over a thousand miles away.”

“True,” Skinner said, almost wryly. “All the same, something about you seems familiar. Anyway, if you’re very good and handle all the work I give you—for which you know I’ll get the credit—I’ll take you along to a function or two. Lady Copeland doesn’t do as much entertaining as she used to, but Travis loves to splash out. Since his divorce, his beautiful daughter, Amelia, acts as hostess for him. Leaves Travis free to pursue…other interests. He loves the ladies, does Travis. Makes no secret of it. The Connellans are far more private. So much tragedy there.”

Jewel looked up, liking Skinner a little better for the soft note in his voice. “Keefe Connellan’s father was killed in a mining accident, wasn’t he?”

“He wouldn’t have been,” Skinner answered somber, “except that he was a hero. He went back to save some of the men trapped underground. Freed quite a few, but in the end he was trapped himself. It was a tragedy. None of us really got over it.”

“How terrible.” Jewel bowed her head, thinking events like that could never be forgotten.

“Rebecca—that’s Earle’s widow—was very nearly destroyed, but she had her son to think of. She and Lady Connellan, Keefe’s grandmother, held the fort until Keefe came of age. Splendid young man. It’s an open secret that he has his troubles with Travis—just as everyone knows Travis is trying to land Keefe for a son-in-law. A marriage of dynasties, so to speak.”

“It usually works that way.” Jewel shrugged. “It’s a tough life. I’ve seen photographs of Amelia Copeland and Keefe Connellan in the papers. Both very glamorous people.” Connellan was every woman’s dream. A young Sean Connery.

“My dear, you could brush her aside,” Skinner surprised her by saying. “She is beautiful, as you say, but there’s not a lot of sparkle. I like sparkle in a woman. So, I fancy, does Keefe. There’s nothing doing so far, despite Travis’s best efforts. When I take you to one of their parties, I’ll go with you to pick out your dress. Or I’ll send you off to a friend of mine. She’ll know exactly what’s required.”

Jewel stared at him, a little dazed. “Blair, I’m overcome.”

“That’s nice.” He smirked. “There are perks to being one of my protеgеes, my dear. Of course, it’s not my intention to marry again,” he reassured her, quite unnecessarily. Christy, one of her colleagues, had always thought Blair was borderline gay. “It’s glorious to be free. Now, enough of the chitchat. We must get down to business. I’m expecting Keefe at three, although if something important crops up, he might have to cancel. He has a law degree, did you know? Brilliant legal skills he puts to good use, as well as being a mining engineer. At thirty-two he has more presence than most of the big names in the state. And I believe he intends to take over the whole group eventually. He’s developed a reputation as a man with a mission. That mission, so far as I can see, is to get rid of Travis Copeland.”

“Sounds like you’re a bit in awe of him, Blair,” Jewel slipped in gently. Blair Skinner rarely spoke so highly of anyone.

“I consider it an honor to call Keefe my friend,” Skinner admitted with a modest smile. “I like to think my maturity and experience has left its mark. I hope so. By the same token I often partner Travis at golf. He’s an excellent player. So’s Amelia. She could give most of the men a run for their money. Do you play yourself?”

“Nope.” Jewel smiled. “Never had the time. Nor the money for expensive clubs. Tennis is my game.”

“Don’t be ashamed of tennis. If you’re good enough, I’ll give you a game. I can see you now!”

“Another Anna Kournikova?” Jewel asked blithely.

“Women’s tennis was in the doldrums before her,” Skinner said in a brisk voice. “I’m with Cash and McEnroe. The best woman player can’t match a man. Couldn’t come close. Now, you’ve got your legal pad, haven’t you?”

“Open, ready and waiting,” Jewel said and held up her pen. She didn’t bother to tell him about her cupboard full of tennis trophies. That could wait.

ALMOST TWO HOURS LATER, Jewel made it back to her office, so small that some days she thought she’d faint from claustrophobia. She was about to enter, when Anthea, one of the receptionists, all but bolted down the corridor to speak to her.

“Jewel!”

“Hi, Anthea, anything up?” Jewel turned.

“I wanted to catch you.” Anthea spoke a little breathlessly. “They don’t have an appointment or anything, but two teenage boys are out front asking for you.”

“Are they respectable?” Jewel grinned. “No shaved heads or outrageous tattoos?”

Anthea laughed. “No, they’re just kids. Nice-looking, actually. They say they know you.”

“Names please, Anthea,” Jewel said patiently, desperately wanting to get on with her workload.

“Harry and Josh Hungerford.”

“Good Lord,” Jewel said. “I have to keep reminding myself that kids grow up. Show them through, Anthea. I grew up in Hungerford country. I can spare them a few minutes, though we’ll all be knocking heads just trying to fit in my office.”

A few minutes later she was shaking hands with two young men she could easily identify, even if they’d both outgrown her by many inches. “This is a wonderful surprise.” She smiled at them warmly, as pleased to see them as they apparently were to see her. “Take a seat. Tell me what’s going on in your lives. How’s your mother? I hope you’ve got some good news.”