Page 42 of Bride Under Contract

‘It’s miles from the river.’

‘Days,’ Carter agreed. ‘The locals never gave up, though. They were sure I was out there.’

‘How did they know?’

‘Tracks...some ground was disturbed. They know every leaf, every bird. My father’s body was recovered, and there was evidence that my mother had perished. My brother was strapped to her, so—’ He faltered just briefly. ‘The official search was called off, but the locals could find no physical evidence that I had been killed.’

He knew his voice was steady, yet he took a breath. The scent of mangosteen was no longer sweet, but pungent, as it had been back then, and he stood up from the table—not just to join her, but to get away from the scent.

‘They kept looking. And Bashim, Arif’s father, found me.’

They both looked out to where the birds had been startled, and for the first time Carter tried to fathom how an eight-year-old boy had got there.

‘Bashim said I was perhaps running to get help, but that makes no sense. I was headed in the wrong direction.’ He gave a wry smile. ‘It would have been more sensible to wait in the boat, or even head here.’

‘I doubt you were feeling very sensible.’

‘I blame it on this.’ He tapped the scar on his forehead. ‘It would seem I fell on a rock. I used my T-shirt to bandage it.’

‘Resourceful...’ She smiled, but he could see tears glinting in her eyes, and he did not want sympathy, nor to unburden. He simply wanted her to understand the debt he owed to the people here.

‘I was very close to death when he found me.’

‘How close?’

‘Judging from the wounds on my back, they thought I’d been lying there a couple of days...’ He’d never told another person that. ‘My back was a mess...kalajengking—scorpion bites—and fire ants.’

He could see her pallor...he hadn’t wanted that.

‘It took Bashim a couple of days to get me back to his home. He alerted the authorities and I was transferred to hospital. From the little I remember the best care I had was here. Were it not for Bashim and the people here...’

‘You’d have died?’

‘Certainly. Sometimes it’s good not to be able to remember—’

He halted abruptly, recalling how speaking of his grandfather losing his mind had upset her the night they’d first spoken, and not wanting careless words to hurt her again.

‘I apologise,’ he said. ‘I forgot about your mother.’

‘No, no...’ She put up her hand. ‘They’re completely separate things. You can’t remember at all?’

He shook his head. ‘Little bits... But really, I have no desire to. I thought when my grandfather died that I could move on for good—and then I found out my cousin is intent on destroying the place.’

‘You must hate him.’

‘No.’ Carter shook his head. ‘Certainly I don’t approve of him, and I really would prefer to have nothing to do with him.’

‘I’m sure he doesn’t want to completely ruin it.’

Then he heard the doubt enter her voice.

‘Does he...?’

‘I don’t think Benedict gives a damn.’

‘Then your grandfather should have made better provisions—I wish to God my mother had. I never know if I’m doing the right thing by her.’

Grace’s response surprised Carter. He’d thought she’d get where this was leading by now, but if anything the thought of marrying him to save the place wasn’t even on her radar.

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