was waiting outside her flat exactly thirty minutes later, sitting on the grass and making the most of the last of the day’s sun, when a shiny black sports car screeched to a halt beside her.
‘Why it’s an MG!’ she exclaimed delightedly.
‘Sure is,’ Craig replied proudly as he opened the passenger door for her. “You’re not worried about your hair, are you! I can always put the roof up.’
‘No fear,’ said Kate firmly. She scrabbled around in her bag and produce an elastic band. ‘I can easily tie my hair back with this. Personally, I can’t think of anything nicer than driving with the roof down on such a warm evening.’
‘I agree,’ said Craig. ‘It took a lot of time and trouble to get this little gem shipped out all the way from England—but she’s been worth every penny.’
The powerful car roared off. They drove at speed along the wide, straight roads until they reached the outskirts of Dampland. Darkness was falling as they came into sight of the sea.
Huge cargo boats, like great hulking animals, lay in the dock, waiting for their loads of iron-ore from the local mine. Lights glittered along the quayside. The air was warm with the tangy scent of salt, and Kate chuckled with the delight of it all.
Craig parked the car and helped her out.
‘We’re going to a little restaurant a few streets away,’ he explained. ‘It’s a fairly basic place but, believe me, they do the fattest, juiciest prawns in the State, and you won’t eat a better steak anywhere else in the world!’
‘Good! I’m absolutely starving,’ said Kate fervently.
They made their way past the small modern shops which mostly contained goods relating to the port and fishing industry.’
The restaurant was tiny and named The Witches’ Cauldron. Inside, it was dark but cosy with small wooden tables, each lit by a candle. Netting was festooned over the ceiling and walls and a replica Jolly Roger flag hung over the small bar.
A young waitress showed them to a table for two at the back of the restaurant right beside a gaudily painted pillar. Kate looked around the corner at the other tables. It was still early and there was only one other couple, apart from themsleves.
‘It gets packed out later,’ said Craig as he handed her the menu. ‘Half the hospital seem to eat in here. Would you like to try a glass of our superb Australian wine, Kate?’
‘Yes, I’d love to,’ she replied. ‘And I’ll accept your recommendations on the food too.’
‘Good,’ He grinned disarmingly at her. ‘In that case we’ll start with the garlic prawns, followed by a pepper steak and salad. If you’ve any room left after that, which I doubt, you can have your pick of the dessert trolley.’
‘That sounds wonderful,’ she said enthusiastically.
Craig gave the waitress their order and she brought over a bottle of white wine in an ice-bucket, which she placed on their table. When he had poured them both a glass, and Kate had given her approval of the chilled, fruity wine, Craig leaned back in his chair and looked at her speculatively.
‘So what brings a nice English girl like you to a place like Dampland, or musn’t I ask?
‘Oh, you can ask, all right,’ she teased him. ‘But I don’t have to tell you!’ She certainly wasn’t going to be accused of husband hunting again! ‘Seriously though, I needed a break, let’s just say from a number of things.’ She twirled the stem of the glass between her fingers. ‘I have relatives in Perth and it seemed an ideal time to pay them a visit. I’m specifically here in Dampland because I fancied a change from the city, and because I want to see some of the Australian bush.’
‘And boyfriends?’ he queried.
‘Straight to the point, aren’t you?’ laughed Kate. ‘I’m young free and single at the moment.’ She saw his eyes light up. ‘But that’s precisely how I want it to stay just now. Hard work and sight seeing is what I’m after.’
‘Well, we’ll have to see about that,’ he replied. ‘We Andersons respond well to a challenge.’
At that moment the waitress appeared with two steaming bowls, which she placed in front of them.
‘Dip your bread in the sauce,’ advised Craig. ‘It’s delicious.’
‘Thank heavens I shall be wearing a mask in theatres tomorrow,’ giggled Kate, as she speared a gigantic prawn. ‘All this garlic wouldn’t make me very popular with the other staff!’ She took a sip of wine. ‘How long have you worked at Dampland, Craig?’
‘Only six months,’ he replied. ‘It’s like a year’s sabbatical for me really, while I make up my mind what I want to do. My father wants me to join him in general practice in the city, which would guarantee me a secure future, but I have a hankering to do paediatrics. I love kids. I’ve been using my time here to study for the paediatric membership.’ He smiled at her. ‘It’s quite a friendly little hospital, really. Although in theatres you’re fairly cut off from the rest of the world, of course. There’s a good little staff club with a games room. About twice a month they organise a treasure hunt in the late afternoon, which is set by one of the doctors. Afterwards there’s usually a party. It’s good fun.’
‘It sounds it,’ said Kate, mopping up the last of the sauce with a hunk of bread.
The waitress replaced the empty bowls with two steaks.
‘My goodness!’ exclaimed Kate. ‘There’s hardly enough room on the plate—I’ll never manage all this!’
‘Just wait until you try it,’ promised Craig.
Presently, warm and replete, Kate sat back in her chair. ‘That was absolutely delicious, Craig. I couldn’t eat another mouthful.’
She smiled at him and, on impulse, he reached forward and took her hand.
‘It’s going to be great having you here, Kate.’
She gently disengaged her hand from his. She didn’t really want to encourage him to start making romantic overtures.
The room was beginning to fill up. Kate looked up to see a couple standing at the door and realised, from the squeal of recognition uttered by the female, that it was Tessa Hetherington, a proprietorial gleam in her eye as she linked arms with Grant Kershaw.
It was hard to believe that this was the same Sister Hetherington who had looked almost forbidding in the severe lines of her immaculate theatre uniform. Her hair, which had been hidden by a cap, now cascaded down her back in a froth of raven curls. Her dress was of a swirly black material, shot with gold, and her lips gleamed scarlet.
Kate, wearing a simple navy silk dress, her hair pinned into a soft chignon, felt almost gauche and unsophisticated in comparison to the glamorous creature who was picking her way through the tables towards them.
She wondered if Tessa had seen Craig Anderson holding her hand. Grant Kershaw had glanced dismissively at their table and was now ordering a drink at the bar.
‘Hello again!’
