Cassandra winked at Nesta, but underneath she was beginning to fume. Once they were off down the driveway, she was tempted to say something about his attitude toward his housekeeper, but his hard profile made her hold the words back.
She would pick her battles.
Nonetheless, as she glanced behind to check on Nicole, a slither of apprehension appeared as she remembered him watching her strap her daughter into the infant seat. He’d been remote then, too. Would he continue to ignore his new stepdaughter? Would he merely supply the material things but not offer Nicole more than that?
Of course, she had to admit he had only ever seen his niece a handful of times since her birth. And some men were quite indifferent to children, especially when they were small. Then perhaps she was getting ahead of herself, she decided, taking a calming breath. She couldn’t imagine that a man so concerned for his niece’s well-being would be so heartless as to ignore the child entirely.
Feeling better, she breathed easier now, and they drove south for a while without talking. Periodically she checked on Nicole in the back, happy to see her little girl playing with one of her stuffed animals.
The next time she looked, Nicole’s eyes were shut. “She’s asleep,” she murmured, more to herself than anything, her heart melting with motherly love.
“That was fast.” He sounded bemused.
She felt more cordial toward him now. “You obviously don’t know children,” she said lightly.
He gave a wry smile. “No doubt I’ll learn.”
Her heart bounced. His comment said he fully intended to get to know Nicole. Thank God!
Quickly she turned to the front and rested her head back against her own seat, not wanting him to know she was such a marshmallow over her child.
“Take a nap if you want.”
She glanced sideways at him. “No, I’m fine.”
“You look exhausted to me.”
Her lips twisted. “Gee, thanks.”
There was no smile on his lips now. “This break will do you and Nicole good.”
Something more tender stirred inside her. “Thank you.” She wouldn’t let herself linger on that, though. “But please don’t let me stop you from coming back to the city and working. I can look after myself and Nicole for the week.”
His jaw set, and they seemed to be back to square one. “Adam can run the place without me for a week.” He paused, then admitted, “I could do with a break myself.”
The admission took her by surprise, and in spite of herself, compassion inched its way through her. He might try to look like he didn’t feel things too deeply, but she suspected he did. His younger brother’s death would have been a tremendous loss to him.
“Have you heard from your parents?” she asked for something to say, her heart going out to Laura and Michael.
“No, and I don’t expect to. I want them to forget all about us while they’re on the Lady Laura.”
“I’m glad they took the time for themselves,” she said softly, receiving a sharp look from him in return. She sighed to herself. Did he have to believe she was incapable of feeling compassion?
After that they drove without talking. Nicole woke up cranky just as they were driving onto the ferry at Sorrento, but a diaper change and a bottle of formula soon had her returning to her sweet self.
Then they went up on deck and enjoyed the sunshine and brilliant views of Port Phillip Bay as they journeyed across to Queenscliff, but it was the dolphins swimming alongside the ferry that was the highlight of the forty-minute trip.
Cassandra felt refreshed by the time they were driving again, and she could see that Dominic was looking less strained around the eyes, as well.
Eventually they joined the Great Ocean Road, a magnificent marvel of a road built with picks and shovels by returning servicemen of the First World War in honor of their fallen comrades. It was a stunning drive, challenging and exhilarating, with rugged coastline on one side of the road and the natural bush on the other.
When they came around another bend and more spectacular sights greeted them, Cassandra couldn’t help but exclaim anew every time.
“I can’t believe you haven’t been down this way before,” Dominic said, giving her a curious look before concentrating on the windy road ahead.
“I wish I had. It’s breathtaking.” And that was all she said. She still wasn’t sure what Dominic knew about her childhood, but he must not know about her father being in the nursing home or he would have said something. If Dominic suspected anything amiss, she would know about it.
And they were married now, she told herself, so surely she could relax a little. She’d done what he’d wanted. Only if she decided to leave him might he discover the money Liam had paid her.
It was around seven that evening when they drove through Lorne, a seaside resort town set between the sparkling waters off its beautiful beach and the lush forests of the Otway Ranges. It was a lovely town dressed up with Christmas decorations, reminding her that Christmas was only a few weeks away. She didn’t feel like celebrating the festive season, but she would make the effort for Nicole’s sake.
“We’ll take a look around tomorrow,” Dominic said, slowing down and peering out his side window at the street signs.
“What are you looking for?”
“I can’t remember which road I’m supposed to take.”
“Why not stop and ask someone?”
“No need.”
She pointed to the small café and suggested, “Pull over there and check with someone in one of the shops.”
He shook his head absentmindedly. “No, I’ll find it.” He continued to drive, and she gave a small snort. He glanced at her. “What’s that for?”
“You’re a typical male. You’d rather chance getting lost than ask for directions.”
His eyes were amused. “Why ask someone when I can find it myself?” He looked back at the road, then put on his indicator to turn right. “Like now.”
She blinked. “How do you know this is the right one?”
“I just do.”
She smiled and rolled her eyes, but decided not to say anything more until they reached their destination. Or not.
It was quite a few miles before they turned into a meandering dirt driveway. And there, hidden behind towering gum trees, was the two-story cottage in a tranquil bush oasis. He’d found it like he had some sort of mental tracking device.
“Pure luck,” she quipped.
Okay, so she’d been wrong back there. This man wasn’t typical at all. Not only would he always find his way in the world, but he would do it his way.
He chuckled and she laughed and a rare moment of ease slipped between them as he parked. They got out of the vehicle, and she unbuckled Nicole from her seat while Dominic removed some of the luggage.
“There’s a woman who comes every second day,” he said as they made their way up the wooden steps. “She’ll tidy up and make sure we’re stocked up on food.”
Cassandra hadn’t needed to do housework since before her marriage to Liam, but that wasn’t the case growing up. Her parents had believed everyone did their fair share, and she’d had no problem with that.
She adjusted Nicole on her hip. “I’m sure I can manage to cook and clean for the week.”
“No. You’re to rest,” he said, spurting warmth through her. It had been a while since a man had been concerned for her welfare.
He opened the front door, putting the suitcases down inside before keying in some numbers on a high-tech security pad. The place was evidently alarmed to the hilt, and Cassandra supposed that made sense, seeing there were no other houses close by.
It was a delightful “cottage” and bigger than it looked, with a welcome sense of space. The rustic living room had cathedral ceilings, and the country kitchen was outfitted with the latest appliances. There was even a fully equipped study-cum-office. A deck at the back led down to a swimming pool with a forest backdrop.
A set of stairs at either end of the house led up to the bedrooms, and as they climbed one set, she tried not to think too hard about the coming night. The first couple of rooms were sizable and charming. The third one held a double bed and shared a bathroom with the next room, as well as even having a small refrigerator with tea and coffee facilities in one corner. A child’s crib had been placed on one side of the room.
Dominic put the suitcases down beside the bed. “I thought you might like to share this room with Nicole,” he said, gob-smacking her. He paused. “It makes sense for you to sleep with her.”
Cassandra couldn’t help it. She stared at him. She’d never expected this. All at once she wondered if he didn’t want to make love to her, then rejected the idea. She could feel his desire every time he looked her way.
“I’ll leave you to change into something more comfortable. Nesta packed what she thought would be necessary.” His eyes rested on her, sliding down over her black dress, the top of which was covered by the black cashmere cardigan. “No more black, okay?”
She cleared her throat and tried to switch gears in her mind. “Er…I like black.”
“You weren’t wearing black the other day.”
She realized he was talking about when he’d dropped by the other day with the letter from Liam. “I was at home then, that’s why.”
“No more, Cassandra. Nicole should have her mother dressed in bright clothes, not dark.”
He had her there.
She nodded. “You’re right.”
He left with a satisfied look in his eyes, but she didn’t mind. He was, after all, thinking of Nicole.
He shut the door behind him, and she let out a sigh of relief. She had no idea why he was allowing her time to get used to him, but she was very grateful for it. Who’d have thought he’d be so caring?
There wasn’t time for further introspection. She changed out of her wedding dress and cardigan and into slacks and a knit top, then took Nicole down to the kitchen for dinner. She could hear Dominic talking on the telephone in the bedroom across the hallway. No doubt it was about business.
Her daughter was usually a good eater, but after only a few mouthfuls Nicole decided she didn’t want to eat tonight. She clamped her bow-shaped mouth shut, the look in her dark eyes reminding Cassandra of Liam, as if she were trying to gauge how far to push. Of course, that was more a Roth trait than not, Cassandra admitted, thinking of Dominic, as well.
“Come on, sweetie,” she coaxed. “You need to eat.”
Nicole didn’t budge. She started to get whiny, becoming really out of sorts now.
“Need a hand with anything?”
Cassandra looked up to see Dominic stepping into the kitchen. She groaned inwardly. An upset demeanor wouldn’t exactly endear Nicole to her new stepfather. Then she winced at her thoughts. A child wasn’t for show only. Dominic would need to learn to accept these moments.
“Thanks, anyway,” she said, wiping Nicole’s hands with some paper towel. “But it’s past her bedtime, so I might just put her straight to bed with a bottle. She’ll feel better once she’s had a good night’s sleep.” She was starting to feel the effort of the day herself now.