Page 11 of Bride Under Contract

Mindful that they were running late, Grace had a very quick shower, then ran a comb through her newly wild hair—the humidity hadn’t been kind. Her long curls seemed to have doubled in volume and her comb kept snapping off teeth. Giving up on taming it, she tied it up in a messy bun—and then it was time to tackle the sarong.

Grace headed out, walking through the softly lit grounds to the gorgeous alfresco area, slipping off her shoes before entering.

‘Hey, Grace...’

One of the group, Randy, greeted her, as did everyone else, but then they all got back to their conversations.

Selecting a fragrant dish, Grace took a seat at the table. As much as she was loving her time here, she did feel like the odd one out. She knew she was out of practice socially, and her attempts at conversation and even her little jokes all seemed to fall on deaf or bemused ears.

Most in the group were considerably older—retired or semi-retired couples—and were well travelled. There were a few younger ones—a couple on their honeymoon and Corrin, who was German and a keen photographer. The only thing Grace had to take pictures with was her rather basic phone...

‘Wow!’ Randy was looking at some stunning footage Corrin had taken, and they were speaking about apertures and such.

Possibly, Grace thought as she selected dessert, she’d put herself a little on the outside right from the start. When they’d first introduced themselves she hadn’t really wanted to admit how worried she was about her mum, so had been vague with her responses, and had perhaps sounded standoffish—which hadn’t been her intention.

Grace was eating some fruit, the meal almost over, when Randy glanced towards the entrance and rolled his eyes.

‘Late as always...’

She knew who he was referring to—a loud group who neither changed for dinner nor removed their shoes.

‘I swear they’re developers,’ Randy said, standing up, as did his wife. ‘Enjoy the peace here while you can—it won’t last long if they get their hands on it...’

He wished everyone goodnight and left.

‘Do you think they are developers?’ Grace asked Corrin.

‘They are not interested in much.’ Corrin shrugged and, collecting her camera, told Grace she was going to bed. ‘Ich geh ins bett.’

‘Sleep well.’ Grace smiled.

Given the early-morning starts, they all seemed to drift off to bed about nine. Well, except for the newlyweds, who played Uno every night! For Grace, having spent the past couple of years working late into the night, as well as keeping an ear out for her mother, it felt a little early for the day to be over.

She wandered from the dining area, happy to be away from the obnoxious group that had just arrived. Not quite ready for bed, she took a chair beside a low table close to the walkway. There was no internet or phone signal, but Grace scrolled through her phone, trying to find the footage she’d taken tonight.

‘Watch out for the monkeys!’ Felicity warned as she passed. ‘I’ll see you bright and early...’

It was dark and late as Carter approached the resort.

He slowed the speedboat as he passed the longhouses, so as not to disturb the Iban people, as was the custom here.

Usually he arrived at his grandfather’s by helicopter, but he had arranged for his speedboat to be waiting and had travelled by river. He’d made several stops along the way, both at the resorts and sharing meals with the locals, finding out all he could before meeting with Arif. After this he would travel on to his late grandfather’s, but soon, Carter hoped, he could head back to the States—or Janana, given the last-minute cancellation of his meeting with Sahir.

Pulling in to the jetty, he stared at the dark stretch of river beyond, thinking of the turn-off a few miles ahead and the network of tributaries to negotiate before he came to the part of the world he hated the most.

‘Carter!’

As he secured his boat Jamal, Arif’s wife, came down the stairs to greet him.

‘Welcome...we heard you were back.’

‘Word travels,’ Carter agreed.

‘I haven’t seen you for so long. Not since the funeral.’ Jamal met his eyes then. ‘I can’t even remember the last time you visited us here at the resort.’

She pushed out a smile, but he could see the worry behind it.

‘A suite is ready for you, of course, though Arif is not here right now. He’s taking a night group out, but he’ll be back by morning.’

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