Alicia had been biding her time in Sydney. Now she had to get back home, and set the last bit up. She called her father, and told him how bad she felt. She would never do anything like that again. She had seen a doctor, and now she felt like a new woman. Could she come home again? She missed him so much. Toms heart melted, and he said he missed her too, "Please come home."
She arrived two days later, in his plane. She had never asked if he had missed it, and he forgot, so happy to see her home again. She had books with her home, and told her father she would finish her study at home, with the help of her computer. Tom was pleased, and could now focus more on running his large station. He felt a very good foreman, was the only reason his place had not been in trouble, when all this stuff started, with his only child. Now it was over.
***
Lydia came home from work. Had a shower, and a nap, still no Leon, she went downstairs and talked to the concierge. He told her, the gentleman had left shortly after her, and had not come back. She went back up to her room, ordered Soup as room service, and bunked in for the night. She had been thinking about Leon's proposal all day, did he mean it? She had missed him, and last night nearly blew her mind. He had been so loving and tender. She had almost decided she would wear his ring, and come home pretty soon...........now he was gone? She didn't know what to think, about anything anymore. Maybe some emergency had happened? At Binna Burra? The next few days would tell what happened. The morning after she woke up with a migraine. She called sick into work, and went back to bed. At lunch time she had a phone call from the front desk. A doctor Cambell, was there to see her, could they send him up? Lydia was just about to say, she didn't know a doctor of that name, when she thought of Ross.
"Yes please send him up." She slid out of bed, and wrapped herself in an enormous dressing gown, just as knocking on the door started. She opened the door, and Ross stood outside looking worried. "Are you ok?"
She smiled, "Yes much better now thank you." She moved back and said, "Come in, if you have time."
He grinned, "Into a lady's bed room?"
She laughed and he went in, she started the coffee machine, and they went out on the balcony and sat down. He looked at her.
"Migraine was it? You look more like someone had hurt you. Where is your sparkle?"
She told him about Leon, he could see how upset she was, but just listened quietly. "Give it some time, maybe something happened. You could just call the station and hear how they are." She nodded, not really feeling up to talking to Mimi. What could she say? He stood up. "What about, we go out for some nice food?" He enjoyed looking at the harbor, while she took a quick shower, and then they found a good place, and had a quiet dinner. Talking about the Harbor Festival coming up, and other light subjects.
***
Leon arrived after sundown at Binna Burra. Ben picked him up. He could see conversation was not welcome, so the short drive back, was done in silence. Mimi looked at her husband, and gave Leon a very subdued welcome home. They all missed Lydia; she was sunshine, even when it rained. Leon was silent, just working, every time he stopped working, Lydia's lovely face came to mind. How she had looked when they made love. He stopped what he was doing. They had made exquisite love to each other..............He could not be mistaking those feelings. He went into his office and found the photos. If you didn't know Lydia, they would say one thing, but knowing her......and he did? They could look very innocent............ He was not sure what to believe, he loved Lydia, but he had loved before and she slept with his best friend. No fiancé and No best friend.....
Was he doing the same again? Or was he a fool to let such a woman go? And then there were the children? Maybe he should go back to Darwin and talk? Maybe not? He really needed to talk to a trusted friend, and get a clearer picture.
He immediately thought about his brother, still in Asia. He had finally managed to make contact with him, when their parents died, but not till days after the funeral. So they had decided he might as well finish his project, before coming home. When was his project finished? Must be soon, maybe he could call him?
***
Alicia had set herself up in a spare bedroom. Computer and printer. Her office.
She used the computer officially for her study, which she had no intensions to actually do. But she could research where to send her articles, about the wedding, she had written two articles. One about the society wedding of two large landowner's children, the other about the merging of two great stations into an empire.
Both would attract great interest. Hopefully Leon would come to his senses, and not deny something like that. It would, could start an avalanche, he could not stop. She sent both articles, to two papers. The Kimberley Bulletin and The Outback Advocate. The wedding date and place would be sent to invited guests only, but she promised the papers, they would be notified, so they could send reporters. That done, she went to Kununurra, the closest town, and bought a beautiful wedding gown. Arranged to have it altered for her, and talked to every person, who would listen, about the society wedding of the year, or the decade. The more she talked about it, the more real it was for her.
***
Leon got hold of his brother, and told him the whole story. He was amazed, but also impressed with their mum's initiative. "Wow, she did that, and now you are having twins? That has to be the Fairy Story of the century."
He laughed, "So when am I becoming an uncle??" Leon continued with the story, and ended with his dilemma. Was he going to believe the pictures or his knowledge of Lydia?? Jason was in no doubt at all; he felt it much easier to judge as an outsider.
"Of course, you should give her the benefit of the doubt, call her or better go back with flowers........I would do that. Then show her the photos, talk about it. You say she has always said he was a good friend? In Alice Springs, when she was all alone, he was a friend. I know you said he was in Alice, and now Darwin, but maybe there is another explanation, or maybe this friend has a crush, and she is unaware of it?"
Leon thought about it. "You are right; I will go to Darwin tomorrow."
Jason thought that was a very good idea, and went on to talk about, when he should come home to be part of the wedding, and the birth of his little nieces or nephews. Leon asked how his project was going. "Another four to six weeks, and I will definitely be done here, if not before. They will have a brand new bridge that will last them for centuries," he laughed.
"Ok that will probably be fine; we can always fine-tune it later." Leon said, feeling almost light hearted. "It was great to talk to you brother, when are you going to come home to work and stay?? It would be great to have you not too far away. Think about it, now you will have a big family."
Jason snickered, "Actually I am in the process of securing, a great contract in Darwin, right now, so uncle will be close by, brother."
The next day he was in the air again, landing in Darwin at dusk, arriving at her hotel twenty minutes later. He had been driving sedately to give himself time to think, stopping for flowers on his way there. Lydia was home feeling low, when there was a knock on the door. She got up slowly, thinking it was Ross or her dinner. She opened the door, and just stood there. Outside were a mass of red and pink roses, and behind them, was Leon looking devastatingly attractive.
"Leon?" she squeaked, and quickly held on to the door. Feeling it like her legs would give under her.
"You came back?"
He smiled, "Yes, will you let me in?" She let him in, and closed the door. Suddenly she was in his arms, and they had roses all around them. His kiss took her breath away. He moaned, "My god, I missed you, darling Lydia."
"What happened?" she mumbled, while he moved her over to the sofa.
"Very Long story, I am afraid. I will just start the coffee machine, and then I will confess everything."
Lydia leaned back in the sofa. She felt it, as if all her stuffing had been taken out of her. He sat down and took her in his arms. "It was me over reacting, I think." He pulled the envelope from his pocket, and Spread the photos on the table in front of her. She stared at them without blinking. "Where did you get them from? We are just friends, having dinner and talking."
She looked at him. "You had me followed?"
He could feel the heat on his cheekbones, "That was before you know, before we made love and I proposed, I had paid him off, and he came back with these. Taken before I arrived in town, I just lost it I think."
She had pulled a little away from him. Now she looked him in the eyes. "So do you believe me or not??"
He took her hand, turned it, and pressed his lips to her palm. "I believe you, will always believe you, from now on, my darling. I have been through a bad engagement that ended with her being unfaithful, and judged you from that. That was so wrong, I am sorrier than I can say. ......Will you forgive me?"
Having gone from happiness to consternation and now realising there was a reason for his reaction. She was happy to just lean forward, and kiss him thoroughly on the mouth. He grabbed her and deepened the kiss, and they lost themselves in each other. Surfacing gasping, she said, "You know where the bedroom is?" And they walked each other in to the bed, Leon stayed a couple of days, Lydia had two week notice, after she resigned at work.
He had brought an engagement ring, a large African Ruby, which he solemnly placed on her finger, and then they went out to celebrate. They had Lobster Mornay, and fruit with ice cream, and talked about their babies and life together till long after midnight. Lydia promised to call him every night, just to talk about their day.
After Leon had gone home, she phoned Ross. He was pleased to hear they were back together again. He had sort of, resigned himself to being the 'old friend.' He wanted Lydia to be happy.