Midsummer's Eve

I tried to wriggle free but he would not let me go. Then he bent his head and kissed me firmly on the lips.

I was furiously angry. I had been very frightened, almost on the verge of despair, and my relief had been intense when he had ridden out of the mist, and now here I was out here ... in this mysterious land, and he had dared to do what I knew he had been threatening to ever since we met.

I freed myself and stood a few paces back from him.

"I'm glad you came, but ..." I began.

"Well that's a nice start," he replied, mocking me I knew.

"How did you know I was lost?”

"The horse came back. He had more sense than some.”

"He ... came back?”

"Thank your stars he did. Otherwise you'd have been in for an uncomfortable time, young Annie.”

"I have told you I don't answer to that name which is not mine.”

"You're in no position to give orders now are you, Annie? You've got to knuckle under now and do what dear kind Greg tells you.”

"Take me back to the house.”

"Say please, Greg.”

"Please.”

"All right. That'll do. Come here.”

"Please do not attempt to do that again.”

"What if you were to ask me to?”

"That I can assure you will never happen.”

"Don't be too sure of that.”

"Do my parents know I'm lost?”

"No. No one knows. They would have been out of their minds to link their little daughter was lost in the outback. You're a precious little chick, you know.”

"Perhaps you should remember that.”

"Oh, I do. I do. Otherwise I wouldn't be handling you with the cid gloves. I'd be giving you something to remember me by.”

"What would that be?”

"Would you like me to show you?”

"I really don't know what you are talking about.”

"You will, Annie, One day you will.”

"Are we going back?" He nodded.

"You'll have to ride with me. I don't know if that will offend your ladyship’s finer feelings ... but there is only one horse.”

'I realize that.”

'Come on then." He leaped onto the horse, then leaned over to lift ne up beside him.

He kept his hands on me longer than necessary. "You'll have to hold me round the waist," he said. "Hang on ... |tightly.”

"I know.”

"All right. Let's go.”

My relief was intense. Soon I would be home. The mist would not deter him.

He walked the horse through the scrub.

"You must have felt very pleased to see me," he said. "You were getting scared, weren't you? And you were right, too. It's no picnic I spending a night in the outback, I can assure you, unless you are in jthe right company. That was a pleasant night we spent on the way lout. Do you remember how I guarded you? Well, you wouldn't have [had me there if I hadn't come out to look after you, would you?”

I was silent.

"Hold tighter," he said. "Don't want to fall off, do you? Do you f know, I am really rather enjoying this. Riding to the homestead with my Annie's arms around me.”

I took them away.

"Hey! Be careful," he said. "A sudden jolt and you'd be off.”

I put my arms back. He patted one of my hands. "Do you know, Annie," he said. "I'm very fond of you.”

I said: "How far are we from the house?”

"Far enough to give us time for a little chat.”

"There is nothing to be said which cannot be said in the house. Let's go faster.”

"Trust me to know how we go," he retorted. "I could see you becoming a fair dinkum Aussie ... in time. This place will grow on you like it has on me. You're free out here. You've done with most of the rules and regulations ... you go your own way ... you're a real person.”

"I feel I am a real person at home," I said.

"Oh, so polite ... saying the right thing or what's expected of you. How do you know what people are really feeling?”

"Sometimes it's better not to know.”

"That's something I don't agree with. Annie, let's get to know each other. You're so standoffish. Sometimes I think you don't like me very much. But that's not true, is it? That's just your English hypocrisy.”

"In the language of the fair dinkums, it's true," I said.

He laughed.

"You and I would get along fine, Annie.”

"Let us at this moment concentrate on getting back to the house.”

"Tell me, do you have a lover in England?”

"You are being impertinent.”

"I just wanted to know. It's important to me.”

"As far as I'm concerned this conversation is over.”

"As far as I'm concerned it's still on. I give the orders at the moment, Annie. Where would you be now without me?”

"I daresay I could find my way back.”

"Shall I put you down so that you can do so?”

"Don't be absurd. Just go on ... quickly.”

"I must say you are the most ungracious maiden in distress I ever rescued.”

"I suppose the others were eager to repay you for your services?”

"That's just about the case, Annie. Let's be serious. I like you. I like you very much.”

I was silent. How much farther had we to go? I wondered. I was a little afraid of him and the alarming thought came to me that I was at his mercy.

"Just suppose that you and I got together ...”

"Got together? What do you mean?”

"Suppose we married.”

"Married! Are you sure you are feeling quite well?”

"Never better. It's been a dream of mine ever since I saw you to have your arms round me like this.”

"Of necessity.”