Australian Outback Kings / The Cattle King's Mistress / The Playboy King's Wife / The Pleasure King's Bride (19 page)

She gave a wry smile. “Since I've just benefited from that principle, I'm hardly likely to criticise it, Nathan.”

He returned her smile. “Well, just remember what I'm telling you happened almost thirty years ago, and the justice meted out was for the ultimate good of the community.”

“You're warning me it was harsh?”

“More…primitive. But then the outback is primitive.”

“Go on,” she urged.

“To teach the man respect for the race he belittled, my father ordered that he be taken out to the most barren section of the King Leopold Range in the middle of the Kimberly, where he was to be left to survive on his own, as the Aborigines had for thousands of years.”

“Did he survive?”

Nathan shrugged. “The story goes he's still wandering around the wilderness. There have been sightings of a feral white man over the years.”

“Cast out of Eden,” Miranda murmured.

“He'd destroyed his right to stay. There's a lot of greys we can accommodate, but once the line of respect is abused, appropriate action has to be taken.”

“So that's Lachlan's law.”

“And mine,” he said quietly.

“I know. And Tommy's. And Jared's. Your father passed it on to all of you, didn't he?”

“As it was passed to him.”

Family lore…survival built on support and integrity
.

“It's good, Nathan,” she said in a burst of heartfelt belief. “I like your world.”

His face lit with a smile that grew in warmth as he crossed her sitting area to where she still stood by the door. “I like…
everything
about you, Miranda Wade.” He lifted a hand and stroked his finger down the slight cleft in her chin. “Do you feel okay about Hewson now?”

“Yes. He can't win. He won't want to invite more defeat.”

“So you feel safe again.”

“Very safe.”

“I'd better go and let you get on with your work.”

“Yes.”

“I'll call you tonight.”

“Please.”

“I hope you keep liking my world, Miranda.”

How could she not with him in it? But he kissed her before she could speak, kissed her with slow, beguiling sensuality, with the simmering promise of much more to come…for both of them.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

“A
WEDDING
!” Elizabeth King repeated, trying to contain the delight swelling her heart.

“Yes. Seven weeks from now,” Nathan instructed. “The weekend after the resort closes. Will you do it? I know Miranda wouldn't ask but I want it for her. The whole big production…a marquee on the lawn by the river…”

“Nathan, I haven't even heard of an engagement yet. Have you asked Miranda to marry you?”

“Not in so many words. I've been waiting on the ring. Jared brought it with him today.”

“You're sure of her answer?”

“Absolutely.”

His eyes flashed with an indomitable arrogance that was pure Lachlan, and for a moment Elizabeth was transported back to the night when her husband-to-be told her she was
his
woman, and not to give him any runaround about it because that would just be wasting time better spent together.

“I want you to stand in for her mother, since Miranda no longer has one,” Nathan went on. “Do all the wedding arrangements, take her to buy the dress, make her feel like a bride planning her big day. She's had none of the family support we take for granted. I want you to offer it to her tonight, convince her it's what you want, too.”

“It is!” Elizabeth laughed in a burst of elation. She'd got it right…bringing Miranda into Nathan's life. It had worked! “My first daughter-in-law…”

“So you'll do it?” Nathan pressed.

“Of course. Any dream Miranda has I'll do my best to fulfil.”
Because she will fulfil mine
.

“Good!” Nathan's face lit with satisfaction. “Then what I plan is this…”

Miranda felt increasingly nervous as she drove over to the station homestead for dinner with the King family. She hadn't seen Elizabeth or Jared since the night early in May, when she'd revealed her own lack of family. That was five months ago…five months of learning everything about King's Eden, and loving every minute of it.

But they hadn't witnessed that, hadn't seen as Tommy had, how much she'd taken to this outback life. However, they surely knew of her current relationship with Nathan and Nathan was not about to hide it. Nor did she want him to. Jared's reaction didn't worry her, but Elizabeth's…

Miranda couldn't help wanting her approval. Not that it would change her feelings for Nathan. It would just be so much nicer if his mother could readily accept her as part of Nathan's life. An integral part, Miranda hoped.

He must have been listening for the Jeep to arrive. Miranda had no sooner pulled up beside the bougainvillea hedge, than Nathan was striding down the path. She simply sat and watched him, her man coming to claim her, emanating the force of energy that always entranced her. He collected her from the Jeep, swept her with him onto the verandah, but instead of taking her into the house, led her around to the west side of it.

“What are we doing? Is something wrong?” she asked, apprehension skittering through her.

“Absolutely not.” He grinned, the sparkle in his eyes denying any trouble whatsoever. “Just wanted a few private minutes with you. I find that lemon dress very fetching.”

She laughed, relaxing against him as he drew her over to the verandah railing. This side of the house faced the river, which was shining like a ribbon of yellow glass, reflecting the last vibrant rays of the sun as it slipped below the horizon. Nathan slid behind her, curling his arms around her waist, rubbing his cheek against her hair.

“A golden river, a golden sky, a golden woman,” he murmured.

“And you said you were never romantic,” Miranda teased.

“Ah, but I am, when I truly feel it in my heart. Look what I have in my hand, Miranda.”

He held it out as she glanced down. It was a grey velvet jeweler's box—a ring box!

Her heart stopped, then catapulted around her chest. Was this it…the commitment of forever?

“Open it!”

The soft pulse of his words in her ear made her dizzy. Her hands trembled as they moved to obey his command. For a moment, the spring lid of the box seemed to resist the pressure of her thumbs and fingers. Then it opened and she gasped at the splendour of the ring twinkling up at her—a huge oval yellow diamond surrounded by smaller white diamonds, set on a band of gold.

“Wear this and the sun will never set on my love for you, Miranda,” Nathan murmured as he lifted the ring from its satin slot. “Will you marry me?”

“Yes,” she whispered, spreading her left hand so he could slide the ring onto her third finger. It fitted perfectly. She couldn't stop gazing at it, stunned by the sheer magnificence of his choice for her.

“Do you like it?”

Her heart too full to speak, she whirled around and let her eyes speak for her as she flung her arms around his neck and pulled his head down for all her feelings to be expressed in a kiss. She loved him so much, unequivocally, had done for a long time, and for this proposal to come now, before the season was over…and such a fabulous ring would have been ordered even earlier. Nathan had to believe they were truly made for each other and nothing would ever break the bond they shared.

“I take it that means yes,” he said happily, his eyes shining into hers.

“The sun will never set on my love for you, either,” she promised huskily. “I'll die with your ring on my finger, Nathan.”

He laughed. “I'd rather you marry me first. If it's okay with you, that will be a week after the resort closes.”

“Anything you arrange is okay with me,” she said blissfully. “

“Then let's go and get my mother moving on it.”

“Your mother?”

“She never had a daughter. You're it, Miranda. Her first bride in the family. She can hardly wait to arrange a wedding to remember.”

“Really?” Miranda had never allowed hope or imagination to zoom that far. “I was worried she might not approve of us.”

“
Big
wedding!
Huge
celebration to welcome in the new mistress of King's Eden. Brace yourself for the inevitable, my love! No escape from it.”

She didn't want to escape from it. At long last she truly belonged somewhere…to this man, this place, this family…and their wedding would put the final seal on the sense of belonging.

Elizabeth watched them enter the sitting-room, hand in hand, their faces aglow with happiness…a very well-matched couple, she thought with satisfaction. The party of people Nathan had invited to celebrate the engagement thronged around them, showering congratulations and good wishes—all the station community and the friends Miranda had made at the resort, most of them radiating pleasure in the announcement.

Though not quite everyone…

A wistful look on Sam's face, Elizabeth noted. And a touch of envy on Tommy's. Nothing like seeing two people really getting it together to bring home one's lack of success in that area. Perhaps Nathan and Miranda's wedding could be used to promote the match that should have been made years ago, but for two very stubborn and proud personalities.

Tommy as best man.

Sam as chief bridesmaid.

The goodwill of the day rubbing off on them.

Some discreet meddling.

Oh, yes, this was going to be a
big
wedding.

Elizabeth had the next generation of Kings right in her sights!

* * * * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE

The story you have just read is the first of three revolving around the Kings of the Kimberly—all of them set in outback Australia.

I trust you have enjoyed the journey of love taken by Nathan and Miranda in
The Cattle King's Mistress
.

I hope you will be thoroughly entertained and touched by Tommy and Sam's bumpy road towards marriage in
The Playboy King's Wife
.

Emma Darcy

THE PLAYBOY KING'S WIFE

CHAPTER ONE

A K
ING FAMILY
wedding…but it wasn't hers and Tommy's as she'd dreamed of so many times.

Even as Samantha Connelly told herself it was a terrible thing to envy people she really liked and wished well, the feeling would not go away. In another hour or so, Miranda Wade would be exchanging marriage vows with Nathan King, their love for each other would be shining out of them, and Sam just knew she was going to be sick with envy.

The worst of it was, there was no way to avoid seeing this wedding through at close quarters. As the one and only bridesmaid, she couldn't wander off and lose herself amongst the crowd of guests. She had to be on hand, performing her duties as helper of the bride, and the whole time she would have to suffer being linked to Tommy King, Nathan's brother and best man, wishing she was the bride and he was the groom.

Tommy…who still treated her like a kid sister to be petted and teased and taken for granted as a background part of his life.

Tommy…who'd probably be eyeing off every attractive woman at the wedding. But not her. Never her. And she'd end up saying something mean and bitchy to him out of sheer frustration, when what she truly wanted…

A knock on her door and Elizabeth King's call, “Are you dressed, Sam? May I come in?” forced a swift change of expression from gloom to the expected pleasurable excitement.

“Yes. I'm ready,” she replied, preparing herself for the all too discerning scrutiny of Tommy's mother.

Elizabeth stepped into the room that had been allotted to Sam years ago when she'd first come to work on the great cattle station of King's Eden. Those days were long gone, but the sense of being at home here with Elizabeth filling the role of her stand-in mother still lingered. Comfortable familiarity and affection poured into both their smiles as they viewed each other in their wedding finery.

“You look wonderful, Elizabeth.” Sam spoke first, admiring the graceful silvery grey tunic and long skirt the older woman wore with distinction. The outfit was made of a soft, fine knit and trimmed with satin ribbon, and it was set off with the beautiful pearls she always wore. Even in her sixties Elizabeth King was still a very handsome woman, tall, white-haired, with the brilliant dark brown eyes Tommy had inherited.

“So do you, Sam,” came the warm reply. “More beautiful than I've ever seen you.”

The compliment stirred a self-deprecating laugh. “The miracle of cosmetics. I hardly recognise myself. No freckles on show, my hair done up…” She turned to her reflection in the dressing-table mirror. “It's like looking at a stranger.”

“That's because you've never bothered making the most of yourself,” Elizabeth commented dryly, walking over to stand behind her. Their eyes met in the mirror. “Sometimes it does a woman's heart good to see herself at her best.”

Would Tommy see her as sexy and beautiful today? Sam wryly wondered. The lilac satin strapless gown certainly emphasised every curve of her figure. Not that she was lushly curved like Miranda. All the same, she was generally satisfied with the shape of her body and it was in proportion to her average height. The slim-line gown gave her an elegance she'd never attached to herself before, but sexy?

“Well, at least I can't be seen as a tomboy in this dress,” she commented, trying to ease the tight, hopeless feeling in her chest.

“You shouldn't
feel
like one, either. Why not let yourself enjoy being a woman today? Don't fight it. Just let this image you see in the mirror take over and be you,” Elizabeth quietly advised.

“But it's not really me. All this clever make-up…”

“Brings out the lovely blue of your eyes and highlights the fine bone structure of your face.”