Chapter 79 The Day Christabel

• THE DAY CHRISTABEL had always dreaded through her years of running had arrived. It felt strange not running any more…just sitting, waiting, letting others take charge, trying to hold onto her belief that Jared could take care of everything when the men in suits came. The clock was ticking down. In less than two more hours they’d be landing at King’s Eden.
Christabel found it difficult to keep fighting the waves of panic that knotted her stomach. She felt hopelessly distanced from the King women who emitted the same calm confidence as the men, blithely chatting over the breakfast table in the old homestead’s huge country kitchen, as though there was nothing whatsoever to worry about.
Jared and Nathan had left them some time ago, intent on discussing some plan with the Aboriginal tribe members who lived on the cattle station, but still no note of anxiety crept into the cheerful conversation between Nathan’s wife and Tommy’s fiancée.
They talked of plans for the upcoming wedding to be held in Kununurra at the end of the wet season, progress on the house Samantha and Tommy were having built on a hill overlooking Lake Argyle—exciting things in normal lives-and while most of it floated past Christabel’s tension-ridden mind, Alicia was gobbling it up.
From her five-year-old view, Miranda was a lovely lady who reigned over a cattle kingdom, and Samantha—whom everyone called Sam—so bright and pretty with her copper curls, sky-blue eyes and friendly freckled face, was an exciting adventuress who could fly a helicopter. Both of them happily pandered to Alicia’s avid interest in their activities.
Christabel wondered if the imminent visit of the men from Europe and what they represented seemed unreal to them. Though she recalled that Miranda had been in hotel management before marrying Nathan, so she’d be used to dealing with people from all walks of life, and Sam Connelly, as a charter pilot, would also be familiar with moneyed clients. Even so, Christabel doubted they’d ever met the like of Rafael Santiso, and he and Vogel and Wissmann were not coming here on a pleasure jaunt.
There was no safe place, she thought bitterly. Elizabeth King had been persuaded into bringing them to King’s Eden, just as Christabel had predicted, and only the fact that Tommy was flying them in kept a measure of control in the family’s hands.
“Well, I guess it’s time for me to be going,” Sam announced, surprising Christabel out of her assumption that the whole family was gathering to present a block of support.
“You’re leaving?” It felt like a desertion, rattling what little confidence she had in what they could achieve on her and Alicia’s behalf.
“Have to fly to the house to supervise some carpentry.” She smiled warmly at Christabel. “Since you’ll be occupied with the men today, I thought Alicia might like to come with me. I have a picnic lunch in the helicopter.”
“Oh, could I please, Mummy?” Alicia cried, her eyes agog with excitement.
“You can contact me any time,” Sam assured Christabel, patting the mobile telephone hanging from the belt of her jeans. “It’s only a fifteen-minute flight if you want us back. But it sure would be fun having your daughter along with me.”
“Yes, yes,” Alicia pleaded.
It dawned on Christabel that the reason Sam was here was to take Alicia out of the Kruger equation, at least physically, until the conflict of interests was settled. For the past couple of hours she had been winning the child’s trust and building her liking so the invitation would be accepted quite naturally—no frightening sense of being taken away by a stranger.
“It won’t be a problem,” Sam promised, her clear blue eyes shooting both sympathy and moral support as she pointedly added, “she’ll be safe with me.”
Safe…a weight lifted off Christabel’s heart. Alicia, at least, would not be subjected to any trauma today. “Thank you,” she said with deep gratitude before smiling at her daughter. “Promise you’ll be good and do everything Sam says.”
“I promise.” She was off her chair and dancing around in wild eagerness.
Miranda held out a hand to her, laughing at the childish excitement. “Come and we’ll get your hat from your room.”
As soon as they were gone from the kitchen, Sam addressed the real issue. “I’ve known Nathan and Tommy and Jared all my life. You couldn’t have better men on your side, Christabel. None of them will shy from doing whatever has to be done to ensure you and Jared can make a life together.”
She hadn’t agreed to marrying Jared, or even sharing any more of her life with him. She tried to explain her position. “There are…risks.”
“No risks, no prizes,” Sam lilted back at her as though her own experience had taught her that being passive didn’t get her where she wanted to go. She showed no concern whatsoever over her part in today’s arrangements and seemed intent on soothing Christabel’s fears as she chatted on.
“Tommy will be flying your visitors over the most inaccessible parts of the Kimberly—no roads, no vestige of civilisation, just ancient ranges and big, daunting, uninhabited country. He wants to impress on their minds how challenging it is to survive here, and how the sheer isolation of it can eat into one’s mind and heart and soul. Amazing how quickly it can change perceptions and responses and values.”
“It won’t mean anything to them,” Christabel informed her. Money people were only interested in money, she thought cynically.
Sam cocked her head on one side, apparently considering her assertion. “It can come to mean something in hindsight, Christabel, especially to those who underestimate what they’re taking on when they come face to face with the outback. It’s the land that rules, not men. It changes the terms.”
Christabel looked more sharply at her, sensing she was suggesting how Rafael Santiso might be dealt with. “Are you saying…they may be kept here until they see things differently?” she asked incredulously.
“Well, I expect they will learn something about very basic values on this trip.” She nodded some personal satisfaction. “I think your Mr. Santiso will be considering his decisions very carefully before this day is out.”
Or he’d be abducted and given a learning experience? Christabel was still struggling with this concept. “Jared and Nathan and Tommy…”
“Won’t allow you and Alicia to be victimised,” Sam slid in, obviously delivering the bottom line.
“But…” Her hands fluttered in agitation. “…the repercussions.”
Sam shrugged. “I tend to think it will just end up a different ball game. No repercussions at all. The Kings have their own way of protecting their territory and their people. Believe me, you’re safer with them than you would be anywhere else.”
Jared believed this. Strangely, Sam’s conviction gave his belief more substance, probably because Sam wasn’t quite so personally involved, though she was taking care of Alicia today. Maybe it was being outback bred that gave Sam Connelly this knowing confidence of how this unique part of the world worked.