The Man From Ti Kouka Page 8

  She had liked Dave Forrest, she reminded herself. He hadn’t said much about the big boss, she remembered, possibly he believed in people forming their own opinions.

  The beach drove the worrying thoughts of her future husband’s employer out of her mind. The children were already swimming and she joined them, meeting Dave Forrest’s two youngest at the same time. The children explained that their father was busy helping S. Jay, and Trudy felt guilty again. With relief she remembered the long hours Dan had spent for his employer the previous day.*

  Afterwards they lay on the sand, and it was only as the sun dropped that she realised that Dan would visit the camp again to remove the rubbish and clean the place. Hastily she said goodbye to her friends, then sped off down the shore. She ran past Rangitira, noticing automatically that his head was covered, and realised that she was becoming more conscious of the tides and their movements.

  Her smile drooped comically when she saw the truck at Bell Bay and could make out Dave Forrest. She changed from her sticky suit and began to cook a light tea. She lit the fire for a drink of tea as she was sure that Dave would wander down and she wanted to be able to offer him a cup. Her friends had returned and the Forrest children had rejoined their father and were helping too.

  The fire was crackling well, so she edged her pots forwards. With the aroma of food she found that she was hungry and when she had completed her meal the tight awareness of her shorts decided her that her holiday was doing her too much good.

  She had just cleared away the meal when Dave Forrest dropped by and he had a drink of tea. Listening to his tales of earlier times at Ti Kouka was fascinating. The children were tired, though, so he reminded Trudi about visiting them the following afternoon with Dan, then left.

  After waving goodbye she fossicked around till she found the piece of wood she had carefully selected earlier. The shape was quite clear and she felt sure that Dan would like it. The outline of the swaying cabbage tree was so familiar from Dan’s horse blanket to the sign on the truck and jeep. No doubt at the homestead everything would have a similar design. He loved Ti Kouka so much, she felt sure the small carving would delight him.

  Dave had told her that Dan wouldn’t be down that night and she felt a little hurt, then chided herself for feeling that way. She wished she could have her hair done properly, before meeting Mrs. Forrest. The cold water showers and salt swims hadn’t improved its looks. Idly she puzzled over whether she would look very different if she had her hair cut short, and if Dan would approve.

  She could almost hear Maria’s voice saying, ‘See, I told you once you fell in love you’d understand.’ She grinned at herself and brushed her hair all the longer, thinking how she had changed since that first day at the creek. Then she hadn’t even wanted to give the man a drink, now she wanted to share everything with him. As she lay in her sleeping bag she could admit that Dan had washed away all her bitterness and past disappointments. Life on Ti Kouka would hold its challenges and joys.

  Trudi woke in the cool light of early dawn and walked over to the water tap with her bucket. A fisherman was busy cleaning the fish he had just caught and invited her to join his wife and himself for breakfast. She chatted as she was handed a welcome cup of tea. The couple told her they came each year for part of their holiday and spent the other part in Fiji, Tonga or the Cook group in winter. Trudi listened enviously as they spoke of different places, but they both agreed that Ti Kouka had a special charm. Again they seemed to like the wonderful Mr. Jay enormously.

  ‘Of course, Trudi, he’s been everywhere,’ the fisherman’s wife commented. ‘He’s got a big responsibility in Ti Kouka, but he’s got a great staff. Mind you, he works as hard as any of them.

  ‘He’s trying out some original ideas for farming too, as well. He’s most interested in crop research and is doing some highly specialised studies in conjunction with the Lincoln University,’ added the fisherman.

  ‘Here’s your breakfast, Trudi.’

  Her nostrils had been aware of the aroma of fish cooking for some time, so she was prepared to see that the white flesh on her plate looked like the fish she ate at home. There the similarity ended. The meal was superb and Trudi decided that there was nothing quite so delicious as freshly caught fish, providing someone else did the catching!

  She felt wonderfully relaxed and carefree and more than ever glad she had returned to Bell Bay. As she went through her morning routine she wondered if she would have ever met Dan again if she had not come back. The thought was at the back of her mind and she acknowledged that subconsciously she must have wanted to see him again. She hung up a polyester silky dress she had flung in at the last moment. It was a pretty pale pink turning to a dusky rose colour and she knew it suited her. She would wear it in the afternoon to meet Mrs. Forrest. After setting her hair in a few clips, wishing she had such a civilised piece of equipment as a three-pin power plug to run her hair-dryer, she lay lazily on the warm grass soaking up the sunshine.

  The sound of the truck coming along the road made her raise her head. Joyfully she recognised the jeep and saw Dan’s distinctive large figure swing down.

  She ran over to him and he kissed her, his hand immediately freeing the curl of hair she had clipped earlier.

  ‘You have beautiful hair, Trudi,’ he said softly. ‘We’re not expected at Dave and Anne’s till later on, so I thought I’d take you round to Seal Bay. Put some old shoes on your feet, the rocks can be sharp.’

  His eyes were gentle and Trudi smiled back at him, her breath catching as his hand held hers. He swung on a back-pack, announcing that they would have another picnic. They made their way over to the now familiar beach and followed the sand to the cliffs. Trudi could see that the tide had exposed the giant rocks at the base of the cliffs.

  Dan climbed easily, checking her footsteps several times. She was glad, as with the spray flying towards them it was not a trip she would have liked to have tried on her own. When at last he released her hand she was relieved to see the golden sand again.

  ‘Well done, Trudi,’ Dan approved. ‘It will be easier after lunch, when the tide is fully out. You’ll have no difficulty then.’

  Trudi felt as pleased as if she had been decorated. Dan’s broad figure blocked her view and he smiled at her.

  ‘Welcome to Seal Bay!’

  He moved to lift her down the last rock and she gasped at the beauty. A tiny crescent bay lay before her, surrounded by enormous cliffs. Only a small strip of sand was in the centre, the rest rocky, with the wave spray forming a misty veil, pierced by a rainbow of light.

  ‘Over here, Trudi.’

  Gratefully Trudi followed Dan’s lead. Stepping gingerly, she found herself on a small perch made from an old tree. Dan sat beside her and their eyes met in instant communication. Below and around them the sea met in an orchestra of sound. It took Dan’s nod to divert her eyes towards the dark little blobs in the sea. A group of seals swam towards the rocks. With an awkward jump and a wriggle the first sleek black head peeped around and a moment later the other joined it.

  Dan squeezed her hand in warning as two smaller shapes joined them. Each young seal was scarcely big enough to flipper their way up on to the rock, and Trudi bit back a sigh of relief when a larger wave gave them an extra push, sending them up safely. As they watched the seals play Dan told her the young would have been born in June or July. He pointed out their coats of olive grey covering a brown layer of thick underfur. The adults had much darker coats, and their sleek beauty as they dived and slid down the rocks delighted Trudi. One particularly venturesome pup slid towards them lifting his tiny black snout and wriggling his whiskers. His moist black eyes looked round for a moment, then he turned and lolloped his way back to the water. Where he had been awkward before, he now made them smile as he jumped and dived and cavorted, bullying the other pup into the game.

  As they watched Dan handed her sandwiches and a thermos flask of tea. Conscious of the need for quiet, they scarcely spoke. At last Dan
pointed to his watch and reluctantly they stood up. Instantly the seals dived into the water and their dark heads showed how swiftly they could move.

  ‘Dan, that was a wonderful experience. How did you know?’ she asked.

  ‘They had to be,’ he smiled. ‘Everything has to be perfect for you, my true one.’ Seeing her look, his smile became wider and he shook his head.

  ‘Disbelieving woman! All right, I’ll admit it. They’re usually to be found in or near Seal Bay. From their point of view it’s ideal. A boat would get smashed to pieces, unless it was loaded the same way we came, and I can’t see anyone doing that with a load of sealskins. In the old days this would have been a natural sanctuary. And Sheridan Jay will see it remains one,’ he ended.

  ‘I’m glad,’ said Trudi simply.

  Dan helped her down and she bent and picked up a tiny green stone which caught her eye. She threw it to Dan and, laughing, he put it in her jacket pocket, telling her it was a present from Seal Bay.

  ‘Why, thank you, kind sir. I shall treasure it as one would the finest of diamonds,’ she said with a smile, hiding the instant thought that poor Dan would hardly be likely to buy her such stones.

  ‘And when you’re seventy-five I’ll ask for it,’ he teased. ‘So mind you keep it.’

  ‘Oh, Dan, I love you!’ she exclaimed.

  ‘Of course, but it’s nice you know it.’

  ‘You conceited...! I’ll ... I’ll...’

  ‘Ssh, kiss me instead! ‘Cause I love you.’

  Trudi willingly put her arms around him, feeling the enchantment of his touch again as his mouth met hers in a long kiss. At last they looked at each other in deep seriousness and their hands locked together. There was something awe-inspiring about the moment, and Trudi knew instinctively that they would never forget it. This was a moment of pure love, they were both aware of a trust for each other.

  Scrambling over the rocks was child’s play now the tide was right out and soon they ran along the little curved beach together and back to the camp. Even as they slowed Trudi became aware of Dan’s frown. ‘What’s wrong, Dan?’ she asked.

  ‘The shepherd’s come down—it’s probably a message. He hasn’t been here long.’

  ‘How on earth do you know that?’

  ‘Elementary, my dear Watson! The truck’s still got a damp patch on the side and on the tyres from the creek. Five minutes in this heat and it would have gone.’ Trudi’s smile acknowledged and she released her hand from his.

  ‘I’ll go and get changed while you see him.’

  ‘O.K., sweetheart.’

  She veered away to her tent, her heart singing with happiness. She washed and brushed her hair, then changed into the pink dress, taking pains with her makeup for the first time since leaving the city. Then she went to Dan.

  ‘A call from your boss, Mr. Maugh,’ he told her. ‘He’d like you to consider going back to help. Apparently they have some big deal you were working on and the Australian buyer’s flying over today. He said you can have a couple of weeks off later.’

  ‘The Syd-Church deal? That’s fantastic! If the man is coming to us we really do have a chance.’ Trudi flung her arms round Dan. ‘I’ve been sending this firm some of our material and designs and we’ve been close to pulling off a deal all December. Then over Christmas the whole thing flopped. I thought we’d missed the boat. Oh, Dan, this could be really big!’ Her mind was humming with the exciting possibilities the new deal opened. ‘Of course, we might not get it,’ she cautioned, remembering some of their opposition. ‘But I’ll do my darned best. Oh, Dan! It’s the end of my holiday for a while. Help me pack up?’

  ‘Whoa! Not so fast, Trudi! Mr. Maugh said he’d meet the guy and look after him today. You won’t need to go till late tonight. There won’t be any action till tomorrow.’

  ‘Oh, Dan! I’ll have to go like the wind to see that every detail is organised, this is too big to leave to maybe! If only I’d been at the office this week I’d have it all in order.’

  She saw Dan’s smile and laughed at her own enthusiasm.

  ‘All right, you might think it’s not important, but really it is to the factory.’

  ‘Trudi, you look so pretty with your eyes sparkling. Don’t forget the Forrests, though.’

  Trudi thought rapidly. The boss knew how to deal with the situation, she admitted to herself. He’d been drawing up contracts for years, but this particular one ·she had conceived. She looked at the campsite and realised that it would take her a while to clear it, even beginning immediately. Courtesy demanded she keep her appointment with the Forrests.

  ‘You’re right, Dan. We can call on Mrs. Forrest on my way out.’

  ‘I’ll help.’

  Surprisingly it took little time to repack everything. She didn’t have time to be nervous about meeting Mrs. Forrest.

  ‘You’re beautiful,’ Dan whispered as he kissed her very gently. ‘I daren’t make a mess of that make-up,’ he grinned. ‘I haven’t seen you in your warpaint before. Darling, I’ll follow you in a couple of minutes, so you won’t have to eat all my dust.’

  ‘Thanks, Dan. I’m glad you’re coming with me.’

  ‘You’ll be fine, sweetheart. Just remember I love you.’

  Trudi felt her eyes mist suddenly and she was glad Dan opened the door and she was forced to turn on the key and concentrate on driving. She was absurdly conscious of Dan’s tall figure watching as she turned the car and headed out on to the beach road. This time she negotiated the track more expertly and seeing the dust cloud following her was glad of Dan’s foresight. She turned into the bungalow’s drive. It was set among trees, and Trudi loved it at first sight. It was a modern brick home and, from the roofline, quite large. Dave Forrest came out to meet her and she felt a flutter of nervousness, realising how important this meeting was to Dan, as well as herself. She parked the car and Dave came over to lead her towards the house. Dan’s jeep rolled in beside her and he swung out easily, his hand clasping hers. Mrs. Forrest waited by the steps, a smile on her face, and Trudi realised with surprise that the other woman was just as nervous of meeting her as she had been meeting them.

  The introduction over, Trudi was shown into the lounge which had large ranch sliders out on to a terrace overlooking a lawn. She couldn’t restrain a gasp of admiration at the scene in front of her.

  ‘It’s beautiful!’ she exclaimed.

  ‘We think so. Dave and I chose this spot only after a lot of thought.’ She smiled at Dan, including him in the conversation. ‘Even S. Jay thinks we couldn’t have done better unless we moved to Ti Kouka point, and the prospect of climbing there is enough to put anyone off!’

  ‘I’ve been there. Dan and I had a picnic. Great view, but oh, my muscles!’ Trudi chuckled.

  The ice was completely broken and they began to talk easily. Trudi felt relieved seeing the good humour that Dan and the Forrests shared. She felt herself welcomed with an open mind and was grateful that the Forrests were prepared to like her for Dan’s sake. Anne told her about her first arrival on Ti Kouka and her meeting with Mrs. Jay and Sheridan Jay. As she was about to question her hostess further on this all-important point, their conversation was interrupted by the children who pushed in a tea wagon, positioning it carefully. Evidently Mrs. Forrest had taken great pains as the silver tea service and the fine bone china and the dainty cream cakes showed.

  The children were obviously on their best behaviour and Trudi smiled, remembering the happy little beach urchins she had seen earlier. Both were very like their mother in appearance and Mrs. Forrest explained that the two eldest ones were busy fixing up a fence, as the boys were anxious to earn some money of their own, and Sheridan Jay had promised to pay them. Smiling, Trudi agreed that it was a good idea to let the boys help, although it seemed tough on their holidays. She saw the swift flash that passed between Dan and Mr. Forrest.

  ‘Trudi, the boys have always helped out, that’s how they learn to run the farm, the same way as Dave and I did. Sure the
y’ve got to go down to the city for high school, but I bet both boys would say that the real fun comes from working at Ti Kouka in the holidays.’

  ‘I have to agree,’ put in Anne. ‘The boys think S. Jay is the greatest! He’s subsidising a scheme to get them new bikes. Last year he helped them with a mechanics course and the equipment he set up in the garage is wonderful. I just wish more youngsters had the kind of life our children lead.’

  ‘Anne, you sound like a commercial,’ chuckled Dan. ‘Give us a chance! We only met a few days ago.’

  ‘Well, you never were one to let the grass grow where it shouldn’t!’ Anne riposted. ‘I just want Trudi to know how happy she would be here.’ She glanced towards her husband and he crinkled up his face into a myriad smile lines. Their joy was obvious.

  ‘Where did you live before you built here?’ queried Trudi.

  ‘At Ti Kouka, of course. You haven’t been there yet?’

  ‘Dan wanted me to go at two o’clock the other morning, but I didn’t think I looked my best.’

  Both women chuckled and Trudi knew that she had found a friend.