Beresford's Bride

“I’m not stupid.”

He looked at her, light leaping from his silver-gray eyes. “That makes you doubly dangerous.”

Toni waited until they were airborne before she allowed herself to speak. “I’ve got to say I love the new plane.” She tapped one beautifully manicured nail against the arm of her chair. “What happened to the Beech Baron?”

“I sold it to Winaroo Downs. It was just what they wanted.”

“And this is the Super King Air?”

“Yes. Turbo prop. Averages about two hundred and eighty knots. A jet would have been fairly useless to me, what with trying to find suitable landing strips. This can get in just about anywhere the Baron could, which is what I need. I find I’m doing more flying around the country, checking on other properties, attending meetings, whatever.”

“It must have been hellishly expensive,” Toni said. Millions. Probably five or six.

“It’s not a luxury, Toni, not a rich man’s toy. It’s a necessity. A way of life. It comfortably seats ten passengers, as well as your seat beside me. A lot of the time I have a full complement on board. Especially when I’m carrying fellow cattlemen. They like to cadge a lift on the most comfortable plane.”

“Don’t I know.” She glanced at the earth. “I never grow tired of flying,” she said. “It’s a miracle.”

“You know Kerry had to part with the Cessna?” He shot her a keen look.

“Of course.” She bit her lip. “No matter how hardworking Dad and Kerry were, there were so many reversals.”

“And Zoe wanted a big slice of the pie.” The old bitterness slipped out.

“I don’t know anything about that, Byrne.”

“You had to know. Why lie?”

“Dad didn’t discuss the settlement with either of us. I was thirteen when Zoe left, remember? Kerry had only just finished school. Dad tried to protect us.”

“Then I’m sorry. He wasn’t happy about you going off to join your mother, either.”

“He agonised, then, loving me, gave in.”

“Did she never marry the man she went off with?” Byrne asked after a long pause, “or wasn’t he sufficiently well-heeled?”

She looked out the window. Brilliant blue sky and a streaming wedding veil of clouds. “Something like that.”

“How long were you with your mother before Von Dantzig disappeared?”

“It was all very distressing, Byrne.”

“I bet it was.” He felt a sudden wave of protectiveness. “In fact it must have been a nightmare for a beautiful young girl.”

“I had nothing to fear. I cried a little when Zoe and Rolf split up. Zoe had already met Claude. He decided to convert her to a grand lady. She liked that.”

“Dear, dear.” He clicked his tongue. “How did you keep up with these dreadful affairs?”

“I’m infinitely older than my mother,” she said simply.

“Is that why you stayed? To protect her?” His eyes were shrewd.

“And all the time you thought I was raging back and forth. Into guys. Into parties. Into drugs.” She shot a mocking glance at the hard, handsome profile, which he caught.

“I saw your pals at the hotel.”

“What pals?” She blinked in confusion.

“The two who were anxious to get your address.”

Her shoulders slumped. “Oh, them! You get pleasure seeing me as an air head, don’t you?”

“I know perfectly well you’re not.” She had wit, intelligence, her own apparent strengths.

“Actually I was giving them some tourist destinations on the Barrier Reef. They’re Americans, heading that way.”

“They didn’t invite you?” Hell, he was going out of his way to taunt her.

“All right, they tried. It’s no big secret men are convinced blondes know how to enjoy life.”

“It sounds just about right to me.” He smiled, and it was like the proverbial ray of sunshine spreading radiance across his dark, daunting face.

“Didn’t you have a wild girlfriend at one time?” she countered, trying to fight the punch his smile delivered.

“I doubt it, Toni. Wild women aren’t my style.”

“Yet I seem to remember her. Hettie? Lettie? Tall, good-looking brunette, not shy about spouting off.”

“I think you mean Charlotte Reardon.” The silver-gray eyes sharpened.

“Yes, Lottie. Everyone said she was very fast.”

“What the hell are you up to, Toni?” He raised a brow.

“I just wanted to see if I could take the mickey out of you,” she joked.

“You’d better wait until you know me a little better.”

“I’ve known you all my life.” Not in this way, she thought. Not with all the flash and challenge.

“Not up close,” he told her, eyes narrowing. “Tell me why you really came home.”

As a question it was almost aggressive. “To be with Kerry, of course. To be one of Cate’s bridesmaids. I consider it an honour.”

“What will Zoe do without you?”

“Zoe has made her decision, Byrne. She’s going to marry Patrick. There’s nothing I can do about it.”

“But you’ve got a problem with it?” He glanced at her, trying to pierce her guard.