Page 24 of Bride Under Contract

‘I saw.’

‘They leave this morning, thank goodness. Though they prefer not to travel by river.’ He stared back at Carter. ‘They’re flying in and out from your helipad.’

‘Not this morning.’

‘There’s a boat booked to take them there; they have Benedict’s permission.’

‘Well, they don’t have mine.’ He told Arif what he’d done. ‘I had words with them last night—told them in no uncertain terms that I was in residence and denied them all access.’

God, but he loathed this joint ownership. Carter abhorred anyone encroaching on his space at the best of times.

‘I also made it clear that, whatever Benedict might have told them, I would not be selling.’

‘Good.’ Arif nodded, a touch mollified now.

Carter saw that the groups were starting to return from their trips and knew he and Arif were about to head to the office.

Or they should have been.

‘Are you okay, Carter?’ Arif checked.

‘Of course.’ He nodded, realising Arif had noticed his distraction.

He’d caught sight of Grace helping herself to breakfast.

She poured juice and selected fruit, and as she turned she looked over, just for a second, her lips parted as if she had a question. But then her mouth snapped closed and she turned her back.

Good, Carter thought. Turn away now.

He was leaving for his grandfather’s residence after this day with Arif, and anyway she was by far too sweet for a jaded cynic like him...

Even though things between him and Arif were tense there was a moment of relief as they moved to the office. He heard Arif let out a soft laugh at the sight of the executives mopping their brows as they climbed onto a boat to commence their long journey to the airport.

Carter barely noticed them. He could feel Grace’s gaze on his back, on his scars, and though he was more than used to it, he felt an aching need to turn around.

Instead, he headed into the office with Arif and there stared at maps of the river he’d rather avoid. Heard about the programmes being run, and the disruption his cousin and his contacts were causing...

‘Bornean banded pitta.’ Arif tapped at the map for perhaps the fiftieth time, this time mentioning a rare bird. ‘Abandoned three eggs...’ he told Carter. ‘And Felicity has data on the helmeted hornbill—so rare, but starting to return until the drones went up.’ Arif spoke with both knowledge and passion. ‘It’s a declining species.’

It was late in the afternoon when Arif suggested that they walk.

Carter, though still only in his sarong, nodded. There needed to be no delay for getting changed—it made no difference here.

The grounds were extensive, with a boardwalk that skirted the jungle. And beyond were tens of thousands of hectares—a relative drop in the ocean, and yet untouched and vital and so full of life. And what he was here to discuss.

‘How come you’re still working as a guide?’ Carter asked. ‘I thought you’d be too busy co-ordinating all the projects.’

‘I try to let the scientists do their work.’ Arif shrugged. ‘They don’t need me looking over their shoulders. Anyway, I already know there are two new baby orangutans this month alone on your land.’

Carter thought of Grace and how she ached to see them in the wild—and, while this Felicity might be right about the jungle not being a zoo, he wished Grace could have seen them.

‘Look...’ Arif said, and lithely leapt over the wooden fencing. He glanced back, as if expecting Carter to follow, though he made no comment when he didn’t.

Watching Arif disappear into the thick foliage, Carter felt a curl of dread, though he did his level best to ignore it. He stood scanning the trees, noting the freshly broken branches that had caught Arif’s attention, and then exhaled in relief when Arif reappeared.

‘Anything?’ he asked.

‘Pygmy elephant tracks. The groups saw them last night—that’s why they were late back...’

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