Chapter One

 

“Come on, Laurie, let’s go for a walk, I’ve got something important to tell you.” Danny Williamson’s white teeth flashed against his tanned cheeks as he swept off his hat and dropped it on the shop counter. His excitement was tangible, glowing eyes and a grin from ear to ear.

“I don’t know,” Laurie answered cautiously, remembering her father’s tirade from yesterday about the wild company he had been keeping.

“Please, Laurie, I want you to be the first to know. Uncle Alf doesn’t even know yet.”

Staring into his brown eyes, she was dismayed to see the look of expectancy and excitement beginning to fade.

“All right, just a minute. Dad, would you look after things here for me? Danny wants me to go for a walk with him.”

Matthew Cunningham stomped through the curtain separating the shop from their private residence. He glared at the young man who lounged against the counter. “What are you doing here? Haven’t you got anything better to do?”

“No.” Danny straightened himself and stood stiff-legged with his feet apart. Laurie knew his sudden belligerent stance covered up his inner turmoil. “I’ve got something private to tell Laurie.”

“Please, Dad,” she implored, willing her father to let her go. “It’s important, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.”

“All right.” Matthew gave them a suspicious stare. “Remember what I told you. You’re seventeen now and should start acting like a young lady.”

“Good afternoon, Mr. Cunningham.” Danny smirked as he picked up his hat before following Laurie out of the general store.

“Why do you keep on goading my father?”

“He asks for it.” A scowl marred his boyish good looks “Doesn’t like me, thinks I’m not good enough to be seen with his precious daughter.”

“Don’t say that.” She touched his arm quickly withdrawing it as they passed old Miss Munro, dressed in her habitual long black coat and matching velvet hat.

“Silly old cow,” Danny said. “It will be all over town in five minutes about us touching in public. Wonder what the old biddy would say if I’d been kissing you?”

Laurie’s cheeks burned with embarrassment. “Danny, please, Dad says people have been gossiping about us. I have to be more ladylike from now on.” She tugged agitatedly at one of her long auburn curls.

As they made their way to the creek, a weak August sun tried to part the clouds. When they came to the bridge, they stopped. Danny stood with his back pressed up hard against the rail, his feet apart, while she leaned on propped elbows staring down into the fast-flowing water.

He shocked her by saying. “You’re beautiful, the only person in the world I care about.”

She edged closer to him. He was a good eight inches taller than her five feet two inches. Slim but muscular, his skin gleamed like polished teak from working out in the open so much.

“I love you.” A calloused brown hand covered her soft white one.

After recovering from the shock, the only words she could murmur were, “Do you?” This was a different Danny from the boy she had grown up with, who had taught her to climb trees and ride as well as any man. She had flirted with him now and again, made him jealous by feigning interest in Wally Bryson, or goaded him into losing his temper sometimes.

“I’ve joined up, Laurie.”

“Joined up? You didn’t!” Oh, he might get himself killed! Her mouth dried up and her heart constricted.

“Yes, I did.”

“Why? You’re only eighteen. Is it because I let Wally walk me home from the church social?”

“No. I want some excitement, a chance to travel.” He punched the rail with a clenched fist. “I want to get away from Uncle Alf, the miserable old bastard. This is an opportunity for me to make something of myself. To save up so we can get married. I love you.” He kissed her fiercely.

She returned his kisses, liking the feel of his lips moving against hers. When his tongue started a probing exploration of her mouth, she trembled and clung more tightly to him.

As soon as he lifted his mouth away, she pleaded with him. “Don’t go. I couldn’t bear it if something happened to you.”

“Don’t be silly,” he scoffed. “I’ll be all right. Let’s go to our secret place for one last time.”

“If you want to.” She slipped her hand into his.

“You’ll have to write. I won’t be much good at answering, though. I’ve joined the Australian Imperial Force with Wally and Jim Bryson. We’re leaving on the evening train for Melbourne.”

“Of course, I’ll write. You will be back again? I mean, before you go overseas?” She shivered, her limbs turned icy cold she literally felt the warmth draining out of them. The papers had been full of it, England declaring war on Germany and the Australian Government pledging its support to the mother country. To the last man and the last shilling, the Prime Minister had vowed.

They ambled along following the course of the creek, and Danny’s fingers tightened on hers every now and again. They were heading for a small cave a mile or so up from the bridge. It was so well hidden no one else had ever discovered it.

When she was about thirteen, she remembered camping overnight here with him. The excitement of doing something so daring was ruined by the specter of her father somehow finding out. She did not venture there again at night, although after a row with his uncle, Danny often stayed there to save himself from one of Alf’s vicious thrashings.

The cave had become so overgrown she couldn’t find the entrance. Danny let go her hand and shoved the thick spiky bushes aside, holding them with his body so they would not spring back and scratch her.

She inched her way in, as the ground was rough underfoot. After venturing a short distance into the hillside, the cave opened up into what was almost a room of solid rock. Light filtered in from somewhere high above them, and she craned her neck to catch a glimpse of the sky.

She jumped when he came up close, knowing full well, they should not be alone together like this. If anyone ever found out her reputation would be in tatters. Fear shivered all the way through her.

“What’s wrong?” His warm breath caressed her cheek. “Are you cold?”

“Yes.”

“I can warm you up.” He gave a soft intimate laugh.

“I’m frightened.”

“Don’t be.” He put his arms around her. “You’re my girl, aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

“You do love me, don’t you?”

“Yes.” His mouth closed over hers. This kiss was different from any others they had shared, fiercer, more desperate. He moved his tongue inside her mouth, probing, exploring. When she entwined her tongue with his he moaned and trembled. His hand slid up to cup her breast. An unfamiliar fluttering sensation stirred deep within her stomach, butterfly soft at first yet quickly gaining momentum. Only when his fingers started pulling and squeezing did she try to push him away.

“Please, I mightn’t see you for ages. Let me touch you. I love you so much. I’d never hurt you.”

He moved his body frantically against hers and she was shocked at what she felt. Things had never reached this stage before.

“We should go home.” Her voice rose with agitation.

“No, no, not for a while. Oh, Laurie, touch me,” he begged.

He pushed her hands up under his shirt. The feel of warm, hair-roughened skin against her fingertips made them tingle. This could not be wrong when they loved each other.

He fumbled with her blouse and, when the buttons gave way, lowered her to the ground. The sandy floor felt soft against her heated back. He rained kisses all over her eyelids, the warm soft flesh of her throat and around her earlobes, until she became a mass of trembling need. He caressed and suckled her breasts until the nipples blossomed, his passion now out of control.

She tried grabbing his hands as they fumbled with her skirt.

“Please, I’ve got to.” He almost sobbed the words out. “I can’t stop now, it will kill me.” He trembled so much and sounded so desperate she could not refuse to give him what he wanted, not when he was marching off to war.