A Question of Love (5 page)

`
You're so intense in everything you do, Ros. You'd enjoy making love if only you'd let yourself go.’ Her sister’s words echoed in her memory.

`
I'll let you know when some man tempts me enough,’ she always retorted lightly. Robinia, on the other hand, had been a model since she was in her teens, dressed in everything from Ski suits to the briefest bikini's. She had travelled to all sorts of interesting places, and with any number of interesting men and although she never went into detail Roseanne knew she had had her fair share of casual affairs.

But casual was not her style and she was intensely aware of Euan
's lean body hard and muscular against her own and her treacherous response as she felt his arousal. Her knees felt weak and for the first time in her life Roseanne wanted the kiss to go on - and on.

Four

It
was Saturn restlessly pawing the ground who brought Roseanne down to earth.

`
We’d better get back,’ she gasped when she found the strength to draw her mouth away sufficiently to get her breath. Euan released her reluctantly. He was breathing hard. He couldn’t remember wanting to make love to a woman as much as he wanted Roseanne Fairfax at that moment.

`
Pity,’ he sighed, `but you’re right – this time.’ He clasped her arm as she turned towards Bella. `Don’t go back today, Roseanne. Please?’ He rarely pleaded but he needed time; he longed to explore this side of her. She was so different to the reserved, efficient Miss Fairfax she presented to the world of Kershaw & Co., and even there she intrigued him.

`
I must go. We have a busy week ahead at work and I have to pack ready for moving next Saturday.’

`
We could leave straight after breakfast Sunday morning. We’d be back before lunch. I’ll help you to pack. Have you got boxes?’

`Oh yes?’
She began to laugh. `I can’t see you packing underwear or folding dresses.’

`
Oh I don’t know,’ he grinned. `I wouldn’t mind seeing your underwear.’ His eyes sparkled when he saw the twin flags of colour mount her cheeks. `Seriously I’m sure there’s other things. I’m a dab hand with books and I could manage the pots and pans and ornaments. Please Roseanne? You said spending time at the farm re-energises you. Anyway you haven’t shown me the animals yet.’ She hesitated, chewing her lower lip. He drew a finger down her cheek and under her chin, lifting her face. `Or the boundaries.’

`
The – the boundaries?’ Her green eyes widened.

`
To the land?’ He grinned, his eyes more blue than grey in the morning sun and glinting with laughter. `I’m hoping there’ll soon not be any other boundaries between us. Please stay?’ He looked faintly surprised. `I’ve never said please so often in such a short time in my life!’ he confessed.

`
I admit I do love it here.’ Roseanne agreed with a soft sigh. `All right, we’ll stay, but only if you promise we’ll leave here by eight thirty in the morning, as soon as we’ve exercised the horses and had our breakfast.’

`
It’s a deal.’ His spirits soared.

Euan
was a little ahead as they cantered back into the yard. The milk tanker had arrived to collect the day’s milk. It was an articulated lorry with a long silver body. The driver was experienced but the farm yard had been designed in the days when cows were milked in byres with the dairy adjoining and a stand for the milk churns at the end of the drive. It took several manoeuvres in the confined space to position the monster tanker close enough to the dairy to connect a hosepipe between the farm milk tank and the road tanker so that the milk could be pumped from one to the other. The morning sun shone brightly on the curved expanse of silver metal. The sudden glitter startled Saturn. He reared in panic, whinnying and pawing the air. Euan was unprepared and Roseanne’s heart thundered as he struggled to regain his balance and grip the horse with his knees. She was sure he would be thrown onto the unyielding surface of the concrete yard before he could control the frightened horse. Bella danced sideways, alarmed by her stable mate’s reaction but she was used to Roseanne so it was not too difficult to calm her and turn her around, heading her out of the yard, away from the tanker. The driver switched off his engine, staring in dismay at the rearing horse, but it was not the noise of his engine which was alarming Saturn it was the reflection. Jock Macintyre stood motionless at the dairy door. Roseanne screwed her eyes shut but she couldn’t not look. Horse and rider warred with each other. Euan’s knees were locked against the sweating Saturn but he stayed in the saddle and managed to turn the big strong horse towards the yard entrance where Roseanne waited with Bella. Saturn galloped straight past them, over a hedge and across the field without a pause. The panic was over in minutes but it seemed an age to the anxious watchers. Euan rode back slowly across the field towards them, unwilling to admit, how much his knees were trembling as he slid to the ground and leaned on the gate where Roseanne and Bella were waiting.

`
My word, laddie, ye handled that well,’ Jock said with relief as he joined them. `Ye’re no novice on a horse, that’s for sure. The horses aren’t usually in the yard when the milk tanker comes but the driver is early this morning. He’s going to a wedding. And…` his eyes moved from Euan to Roseanne, ‘and maybe ye took a bit longer ride than usual, eh?’ He grinned when he saw Roseanne’s colour rise. `That’s better lassie. Ye looked like a wee ghost before, but ye needna worry, Saturn knows he’s met his master.’

`
It was a near thing I must admit,’ Euan said, glancing at Roseanne. `He took me by surprise.’

`
We’ll wait here until the tanker has collected the milk and departed before we lead the horses back to the stables,’ she said. `Your uncle would never forgive me if I allowed you to get injured on your first day here. We’ll take no more chances.’

`
It’s not the first time ye’ve ridden a spirited horse though is it?’ Jock said knowingly. `I dinna think ye need worry about him lassie. He’s a man who can look after himself, if I’m not mistaken.’ He grinned and strode back to the dairy. Roseanne‘s eyes followed him. She nodded slowly.

`
You misled me about your riding experience, Euan Kennedy,’ she said accusingly, fixing him with that steady green gaze and he knew she was thinking as much about the forfeit he had demanded as about the near catastrophe.

`
I learned to ride at boarding school and we had a pretty tough teacher, but for a minute or two I was not so sure I could control Saturn and stay on his back.’ He turned and patted the horse’s neck. `I’ll groom them if you like while you cook breakfast.’

`
No, I’ll see to Bella then I’ll cook breakfast while you soak in the bath. It will help to ease your muscles when you haven’t ridden for a while.’

`
That’s considerate of you. Dare I hope you’re offering to scrub my back as well?’ he asked, his eyes dancing.

`
Don’t push your luck!’ Roseanne muttered but she couldn’t prevent the tell-tale colour staining her cheeks at the thought of Euan in the bath. He chuckled as though he had read her mind.

They
enjoyed a hearty breakfast and Euan helped clear the dishes.

`
I didn’t have you down for the domesticated type,’ she told him frankly.

`
We have a lot to learn about each other, I guess. I don’t get much opportunity to be domesticated. I do a lot of travelling. I’ve built up a company and a good team but there’s a price to pay for success. Before Uncle Simon telephoned to say he was going to Australia to visit my mother I had been toying with going back there and staying in one place for a while. When I knew Mother would have company I thought it would make a change to spend some of the time in Scotland instead. A man can get tired of living in hotels however comfortable they may be. This…’ he allowed his gaze to roam around the large sunny kitchen,’ this is more like home. Sometimes I’d sell my soul for a plate of creamy scrambled eggs, or homemade strawberry jam with newly baked bread. You don’t get that sort of choice when you’re continually moving around.’

`
No, I suppose not.’ He was standing close beside her and he had changed into slim fitting jeans and a white open necked shirt which showed off the tanned column of his throat down to the first fuzz of dark hairs on his chest. She glanced up and blushed when she found his eyes on her and an amused smile curving the corners of his mouth. He quirked an eyebrow.

`
Takes some getting used to.’

`
Wh-what does?’

`
Seeing the efficient and immaculate Miss Kershaw as a blushing maiden in skin tight jeans and…’

`
They’re not skin tight! They’re…’

`
Oh I’m not complaining,’ he grinned, `I just can’t take my eyes off them, especially the worn patches on your thighs and around here.’ He patted her derrière, then jumped out of reach, grinning as she swiped out with the dishcloth.

`
You’d better watch your step or I shall be taking the next train back,’ she warned, but her eyes were sparkling. He had no need to talk about her jeans being tight when his own left so little room for expansion.

They
spent a companionable morning looking round the animals, particularly Mr K’s specials which were either rare or more uncommon breeds.

`
This is almost like a farmstead on its own,’ Euan reflected as they entered a square shaped yard with stone buildings all the way round.

`
It was the old original farmstead. The two areas can be separated for working with the beef cattle by the long iron gates at the top side of the house. They’re not so docile as the dairy cows. The stables and the big cubicle shed where the cows sleep, the dairy and milking parlour were all built shortly before your uncle bought Ashburn. That’s a long time ago now and the parlour was never meant for milking a hundred and twenty Jersey cows.’ She turned to look at him and her eyes were thoughtful.

`
Come on Roseanne, out with it. Were you going to tell me my uncle has not moved with the times? I’ve already guessed that as far as the factory is concerned.’

`
I was not going to criticise. The farm still makes a profit, but it could make more. I was thinking about the workers. Jock is well over sixty and Mr Lennox is heading that way so there will be changes whether we like it or not. There are so many modern aids now in farming as well as in other industries, but most of them need people who understand them, as well as being good stockmen. Did you know there are robots to do the milking now? The cows come to the stalls when they want to be fed their cake and get milked. Each one has a number so it gets the correct allocation of cake controlled by a computer which can be set according to the yield of milk the cow gives.’

`
Are you pulling my leg?’ He stopped walking and took hold of her shoulders, frowning at her upturned face.

`Of course not!
I’m serious. Honestly. Robots aren’t common yet but you ought to know about such things. I thought they were more in your line of work when they’re operated by computers. You have to train the cows to come in to them of course but I'm told they learn very quickly.’

He looked at her, still sceptical. `For a start
I should think it's impossible to train cows like that to come and get themselves milked.’

`
Of course it isn’t,’ Roseanne argued. `When the cows were milked in byres they all had their own stalls and they never forgot which was theirs. If you watch the herd now you will see there’s always a leader cow and an order of precedence amongst them, and most of them have a preference for which side they like to stand in the milking parlour to have the milking machine put on.’

`
Honestly?’ He looked at her suspiciously. `You’re not – you’re not trying to “roast” me, are you? Because if you are, Roseanne Fairfax I shall…’

`
Truthfully,’ Roseanne said hurriedly. `I’m telling you the facts. This is too important to me to risk sending you up a gum tree.’

`
So you admit you might tease me about something of less importance?’

`
I might.’ She chuckled and her green eyes danced. She sobered. `Robots are still very expensive. I haven’t mentioned them to your uncle, nor discussed modernising the existing parlour but we shall have to consider changes before long. Younger workers want modern working conditions. It is proving difficult enough persuading him we ought to mechanise the labelling and packaging lines at Kershaw & Co, but that is a priority now we’re producing larger quantities and there are so many regulations about listing ingredients. I think he is coming round to the idea.’

`
So was it your idea to send for me?’

`
No, I didn’t know anything about you until Mr K mentioned he had a nephew who was supposed to be a whiz with computers.’

`Supposed to be eh?
’ Euan scowled. `Is that what he said? Still, he hasn’t seen me since I was a toddler and Mother doesn’t really understand much about my work.’

`
Well,’ Roseanne shrugged. `Let’s hope Mr K will listen to your advice for the factory.’

`
I’ll try to persuade him, but tell me more about the use of computers on the farm?’

`
I’d like to see some of the robots working myself before planning any changes. They require a lot of capital so we can’t afford to make mistakes. We already have computers for feeding the cows as they come into the milking parlour. Ours have collars which identify them as they pass so they get the right amount of cake according to the quantity of milk they’re producing. Eventually they will probably have a chip inserted under the skin to identify them. I haven’t shown you the farm office yet but we have a computer in there too. All the milk yields are recorded in the parlour and transferred back to it.’

`
That’s interesting. I shall look forward to seeing the milking parlour in operation.’