KATE CARMODY, in a chic black maternity dress—it had to be black and chic for London—clutched a glass of orange juice and tried to control her excited grin.
The boutique gallery in Knightsbridge was overflowing with journalists, editors from glossy magazines and even one or two television producers. Britain’s top photographers and graphic artists rubbed shoulders with her family and friends, and all of them had come for one reason—the opening of her London exhibition.
The gallery’s pristine white walls were lined with the glowing colours of the Australian Outback, and already an exciting number of red dots had been stuck beneath the prints.
The interest in Kate’s photography had happened rather miraculously. A tiny exhibition at the Jindabilla Show had attracted excited attention, and as a result Kate had been asked to exhibit at the Royal Easter Show in Sydney. Then a visiting critic from the UK had been sufficiently ecstatic to set things rolling in London.
‘But that must be an end to it,’ Kate had told Noah. ‘We’ll have the show in London, and then I want to stay put at Radnor and extend our family.’
‘More babies?’ he’d chuckled. ‘Aren’t our two rowdy little boys enough?’
‘I’d like two more.’
So the London exhibition had been carefully timed to be held after Noah and his team had mustered the Radnor cattle, and during Kate’s middle trimester, the safest time for travelling.
And it seemed, already, that this showing would be a success. Kate had received enough praise to make her head swell. And that was before her girlfriends had started gushing about Noah.
‘Cute’, ‘hot’ and ‘sexy’ were high favourites among the adjectives the girls had used to describe her husband.
Well, of course, it was only to be expected, wasn’t it? Noah looked extra gorgeous tonight in his formal evening clothes. The crisp white shirt highlighted his outdoorsy tan, and the lines of the suit showed off his lean, tough physique.
Kate felt a warm glow inside her as she watched him chatting politely to beaming strangers, charming them, no doubt, with his slow smile and quiet, laconic sense of humour.
Nearby was Liv, looking so grown up and tall now in an ankle-length white dress, and full of poise and self-importance as she offered trays of hors d’oeuvres to the guests.
Next year she would be leaving for boarding school and they would miss her terribly. But it was time for her to move on from the little school in Jindabilla, and she would do well. She was a bright student, and some of her friends were already at the same boarding school, including Brad Jameson’s daughter, Meg.
‘Now that is really something. Oh Nigel, I really love it. Let’s buy it.’
Kate turned in surprise when she heard her mother’s voice. She moved closer and said in little more than a whisper, ‘You don’t have to buy anything here, Mum. Just tell me what you’d like and I’ll organise it.’
‘Oh, darling, I love this one. I don’t know why, there’s just something about it that draws me.’
Kate stared at her mother’s choice in surprise. She and Nigel had been to Radnor on several occasions now, and they’d enjoyed themselves tremendously each time. But this was a photo Kate had taken long ago, when she’d first arrived for Angus’s funeral.
It showed part of the front steps and a deep-pink frangipani tree glowing in the sunlight, and then a slice across the veranda past the timber-and-canvas chair to the open front door.
‘See that old hat and the bridle hanging beside the door?’ Kate said, pointing.
‘Yes. They’re part of the reason I like this picture. I expect someone to walk out that door, grab that hat and jump on a horse.’
‘It was Angus’s hat, Mum. That’s just how he left it.’
Her mother smiled, but her eyes sparkled too brightly, and Kate slipped an arm around her shoulders and hugged her.
‘If only he knew how well everything’s turned out,’ her mother said shakily. ‘If only he could see how happy you and Noah are. And he would have loved your dear little Angus and Fred.’
‘I’m sure he knew everything would be fine, Mum.’ Kate gave her mother’s shoulders another squeeze. ‘He knew when he changed his will.’
Kate looked across the room and saw Noah watching them. He smiled at her, a smile so full of warmth and love it started a slow meltdown inside her.
Noah excused himself and began to make his way through the crowd towards her. Watching him, Kate felt as fluttery and in love as she had all those years ago when she’d behaved so rashly at the age of seventeen.
Now she was in her thirties and sensible, a married woman, a mother, and an artist who’d attracted international respect. And this was an occasion that called for decorum, but, as she took two steps towards her husband, he opened his arms, and, throwing caution to the wind, she kissed him passionately in front of all these respectable people.
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