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Tactfully he showed no surprise at Robyn's infirmities, taking the hand she waved at him in greeting and kissing the back of it with exaggerated courtesy. Robyn's smile widened and spots of colour appeared on her cheeks.

'You have wonderfully expressive eyes,' he said softly. 'It is a pleasure to meet you.'

Robyn giggled again and looked away. Then she tugged at Keri's arm and made an eating gesture.

'Robyn wants you to come to dinner at Kinga Downs,' Keri interpreted. 'Will you come tonight, after you finish here?'

'I would be delighted,' he agreed. 'Maybe I'll finally get to meet your Ben Champion.' His eyes sparkled. 'I hear that good wishes are in order, Keri. I must also congratulate your fiancé tonight.'

She stared at him. 'How did you find out?'

He regarded her gravely. 'You should know I have my resources. You must tell me what you'd like for a wedding present.'

'There's no need,' she demurred, horrified that the news had managed to reach his ears.

'Nonsense. This time you have no reason to refuse a gift from me. What shall it be? A beach house in Darwin? The use of my private plane for your honeymoon?'

The mention of honeymoon made the ring on her finger feel uncomfortably heavy. It was guilt, she supposed. She hated deceiving people and the story had spread far wider than she ever intended it should. Surely Ben knew by now that she wasn't going to interfere in Rick's marriage plans. So he should let her off the hook. She resolved to take it up with him at the next opportunity.

'I can see I've given you a difficult choice,' Theo said graciously. 'I'll leave you to think about it and tell me what you'd like over dinner this evening. Until then.'

He bent over her hand and then Robyn's, then returned to Rick who had been pacing up and down, watched impassively by Theo's men. She assumed that one of them was the ever-present bodyguard and the other two were business associates of some kind. Lawyers? Accountants? He said today's visit was business-related, but in what way?

His refusal to give her a clue wasn't unusual. When they were going out, he seldom discussed his work. Normally, she accepted his reticence, but this time she was burning with curiosity about his presence here. There was also a feeling of apprehension which seemed to be with her all the time lately, as if something terrible was about to happen. But what?

During the preparations for dinner, she managed to ignore her feelings of anxiety. After her day off Jessie Finch was glad to have a guest to fuss over. She and Robyn threw themselves into planning the menu, spending a good hour hunched over Robyn's computer as they went through her files.

'You could run a restaurant with the information stored on that thing,' Keri told them as she went past, her arms filled with flowers from the homestead garden.

'Sometimes it feels as if we already do,' Jessie acknowledged. 'With all the staff and visitors to this place, there isn't much of a difference.'

With the food preparations in hand, Keri busied herself setting the table with Robyn's beautiful Georgian silverware and the Crown Derby dinnerware which had belonged to Ben's grandmother.

'It looks lovely, dear,' Jessie told her when she finished. 'I hope your Theo appreciates all your work.'

'He isn't my Theo, we're just friends,' Keri asserted. 'But Theo is used to having the best, so he will appreciate what we've done.'

All the same, it wasn't Theo she found herself waiting for as the day progressed. Several times she found excuses to go out to the veranda, where she had a clear view of anyone approaching the homestead. On her fourth such visit, she caught sight of a broad-shouldered figure sitting tall atop his work-horse and her heart gave an uncharacteristic leap. Ben was on his way back.

They were in the living-room enjoying a pre- dinner drink when she joined them. His hair was slick and dark from his shower and he had changed into a white silk shirt and impeccably tailored black trousers which moulded his muscular legs like a second skin.

Her eyes roved over his tall figure. He had only been gone a day but it felt longer. It was becoming more and more of an effort to remember how much he had hurt her once, and how foolish she would be to let it happen again.

'Scotch and ice?' she anticipated his choice. When he nodded she went to the bar to make the drink, needing the activity to quiet her racing pulses and fast-beating heart. Even though she knew all the reasons why she shouldn't let him disturb her, his very presence was enough to banish them from her mind.

'What's the occasion?' he asked as he accepted the drink. Their fingers brushed for an instant and she felt a jolt like electricity arc through her.

'We have a dinner guest, Theo Strathopoulos,' she said, her voice unsteady. She saw his eyes narrow as he concluded that Theo's arrival was the reason for her nervousness. 'He's staying in the area and Robyn wanted to invite him,' she added. 'I hope you don't mind.'

At the mention of Theo's name, his gaze had hardened but he said, 'Why should I? This is Robyn's home too.'

Promptly at seven, Theo arrived. This time he was accompanied by just one man, who Keri guessed was his bodyguard. The man declined their invitation to join them for dinner and went outside. From the windows, they saw him prowling around the homestead. Theo took no notice of him and gave all his attention to Robyn who was enjoying the chance to play hostess to someone new.

Theo was particularly interested In Robyn's paintings since he already owned some of her work. He eagerly accepted her invitation to visit her studio. But when Keri moved to accompany them, Ben touched her arm. 'Let Robyn show him around. Unless you object to him spending time with 'another woman.'

He was watching her, waiting for her reaction, she saw. 'Of course I don't mind,' she said. 'I've told you, Theo and I are just friends.'

'Then why is he here, if not to see you?' Ben asked with a hint of steel in his voice.

She glanced towards the door, tempted to tell him her suspicions about Theo's presence on Casuarina land. But Robyn could come back at any moment and, without more to go on, she couldn't risk upsetting her friend in her present state of health. She bit her lip. Ben would just have to go on thinking the worst for now.

FOR Keri, the dinner was a tense affair, despite the efforts of Robyn and Jessie to make it enjoyable. Most of the food had been grown or raised on Champion land. The centrepiece was a huge sirloin of beef spit-roasted to mouth-watering tenderness and served with a vast array of home-grown vegetables and salads.

The menu included Jessie's famous pumpkin soup and a fish course of Moreton Bay bugs, miniature lobster-like crustaceans which were barbecued to crisp succulence. Then followed the traditional Australian dessert of Pavlova, a frothy meringue filled with tropical fruits and freshly whipped cream.

It was a meal fit for a sultan but Keri was too preoccupied to do it full justice.

'Not hungry, Keri?' Theo asked, finally noticing her lack of appetite.

She pretended to be full. 'I've eaten so much since I came here that I'll have to go on a diet when I leave.'

She recognised her slip of the tongue as soon as she saw Ben frown. If she was really marrying him, there would be no question of her leaving. But Theo didn't appear to notice the slip. He patted her slim stomach with a familiar gesture. 'What nonsense. A voluptuous woman is all the more desirable, don't you agree, Ben?'

'Perhaps.' Ben's face was as dark as thunder. He wasn't to know that Theo communicated as often by touch as by speech. Fleetingly she wondered why he should care what went on between her and Theo, then she realised that he wanted to keep up appearances for Robyn's sake.

Feeling guilty that she had momentarily forgotten how important their relationship was to Robyn, she deflected her interest on to Ben. 'What do you think is the ideal shape for a woman?'

'Perhaps you should look in a mirror to refresh your memory,' he said with such intensity that she was startled. If he was play-acting for Robyn's sake, he was excelling himself.

Theo lifted his wine-glass in a toast. 'An excellent suggestion, Keri.'

She glared at him. Why was Theo deliberately flirting with her in front of Ben? He knew as well as she did that there was no romance between them. She was relieved when Theo announced that he would have to take his leave.

Following him into the hallway, she grabbed his arm. 'What were you playing at in there?'

Her angry whisper left him unmoved. 'I don't know what you mean.'

'Yes, you do. You were trying to make Ben jealous—and succeeding,' she added grimly.

He smiled. 'After tonight, maybe he will show you the appreciation which you deserve. You see, I do love you, Keri, as a cherished friend. I want the best for you.'

'Ben is the best,' she hissed back, glancing over her shoulder. But he was still in the dining-room talking to Robyn.

'In that case, I apologise.' Theo lifted her hand and kissed the back of it, his eyes dark as they met hers.

It was unfortunate that Ben chose that moment to walk into the hall. His sweeping glance took in their joined hands and Theo's smouldering gaze. At once, Keri snatched her hand back and realised how much worse the gesture made things look. 'I was just saying goodbye to Theo,' she gabbled.

'I can see that,' Ben said coolly.

'Forgive me for taking liberties with your bride- to-be;' Theo said, not sounding in the least apologetic. 'I claim the right as an old friend, to thank you for a superb evening and wish you both every happiness in future.'

Ben muttered a response and Theo left. No sooner had the door closed behind him than she caught the force of Ben's simmering rage. 'That was a very touching scene. Watching it, one could easily forget you were engaged to me—or is that what you were trying to do?'

'Actually, Theo was trying to make you remember it,' she said tartly, stung by his attack. 'He thought you weren't paying me enough attention. Of course, he doesn't know that the whole thing is a sham.'

A frown darkened his features. 'Thank you for the timely reminder. But you needn't worry, it won't be necessary for much longer. Persia Redshaw came home yesterday.'

'Yes, I know,' she volunteered then could have bitten her tongue off. She hadn't told Ben about meeting Rick and Theo at the crocodile farm.

He was quick to pick up her slip. 'You saw Rick today?'

She could hardly deny it. 'He came to the crocodile farm while we were feeding Fang and Matilda.'

His eyebrows tilted upwards. 'We?'

'Robyn and me,' she supplied. 'Did you think I arranged to meet Rick alone at the crocodile farm?'

'Why not? You knew I would be tied up all day.'

'Well it wasn't like that,' she denied hotly. 'I didn't know Rick would turn up. As it happens, the first thing he told me was that Persia was back. I could hardly seduce him while we were talking about his fiancée, could I?'

He shook his head. 'I suppose not. Anyway, it explains why you wanted to see Theo again.'

'Explains what?' she asked, confused now.

'You know there's no chance of reconciliation with Rick, so you asked Theo here out of pride.'

'Then you know more about my motives than I do,' she threw at him. Then she shot a guilty glance towards the dining-room, and made an effort to lower her voice. 'I asked him here as much for your sake as mine, to find out what he's doing in the area.'

He frowned, deep in thought. Then in the next bewildering minute, he caught her in his arms and pulled her against him, moulding his lips to hers in a fiercely passionate kiss. Instantly, her body yielded to his mastery and all her plans to be aloof and distant with him blew out of the window. She felt a fiery warmth surging through her and she began to respond almost against her will, when she heard a chuckle close behind her.

With seeming reluctance, Ben tore his mouth from hers. 'Oh, Robyn, I didn't see you there.'

Disappointment shafted through Keri. His sudden display of passion was purely for Robyn's sake. He must have heard her wheelchair approaching and decided to silence Keri in the most practical way.

She cursed herself for a fool. In another split second, she would have responded to his kiss as if it had been real, giving away the dangerous attraction he exerted over her. Realising how narrow had been her escape, she stepped away from him but the prim movement brought a fresh grin to Robyn's face. 'I didn't know you had voyeuristic tendencies, Miss Champion,' she said with mock severity. Over Robyn's head, she glared at Ben. He had no right to fuel Robyn's belief in their supposed romance when they would have to tell her the truth soon.

Outside, a car horn sounded and Ben straightened. 'I'll let you help Robyn to bed,
darling,'
he said with heavy emphasis on the endearment, his eyes defying her to contradict him. 'That will be Nugget. I promised I'd go with him to make sure the new stock is safely bedded down for the night.'

The horn sounded again. He opened the door and called out, 'Coming,' through the opening, then looked back at her. 'Don't wait up, I may be late.'

This last was said for Robyn's benefit, she felt sure. He didn't know that Keri wanted to talk to him about Theo's visit to the crocodile farm. Since she couldn't tell him now without alarming Robyn, she said lamely, 'I won't. Goodnight.'

Left alone with Robyn, she became aware that the other woman was simmering with excitement. She found out the reason as soon as she wheeled Robyn to her bedroom.

Before the wheels of her chair had stopped turning, Robyn headed straight for her keyboard and began to type. In her excitement, her words were half-finished, leaving Keri to guess their meanings. 'Theo wants to buy your paintings?' she hazarded. When Robyn nodded vigorously, she queried, 'All of them?'

'All,' Robyn typed, adding, 'he likes Escarpment series.'

Keri also liked the series of watercolours which Robyn had been assembling for the next exhibition. Working from photographs, she had managed to capture the majesty of the Arnhem Land Escarpment in all its changing moods and hues. She hugged Robyn. 'It's wonderful news. Congratulations.'