It made her feel strange to hear him decide to buy something like two cars on the spur of the moment, especially on top of talking about getting them both desktop computers. No need to save up for anything. You just went out and got what you needed. Would she ever grow used to that?

She thought suddenly of the money she was expecting from the sale of her old car. Ben had laughed at her for even bothering about selling it.

Perhaps she could buy something for her aunt and uncle with it? Later. If things worked out for Ben and her. If she didn’t need to keep a nest-egg, just in case. Oh, please, let them work out, she prayed desperately.

After a few hundred yards of rocking slowly along the rough track, they arrived at the house.

Megan stared at it in stunned silence. ‘Is it… real?’

‘What do you mean by that? Of course it’s real.’ He put on an injured expression, hand on heart. ‘Don’t you like my country mansion?’

They got out, each leaning on a car door. ‘It looks like a child’s playhouse,’ she said at last. ‘I mean, no builder would dare admit to putting up that thing, because he’d lose all his customers if he did. It’s all bits and pieces stuck together with glue, and that tin roof’s so rusty I bet it leaks.’

‘I believe the original owner built the house himself. People used to do that quite often in Australia. This place is about eighty years old, ancient by local standards.’

‘Is it safe?’

‘Oh, yes. I had the electricity checked.’ He pointed to a row of old wooden poles with wire strung along the tops that followed the line of the track. ‘There isn’t any phone line yet, though I’ll have one run in now and get the electricity put underground at the same time. Oh, and there’s no scheme water, either, but I had new water tanks installed and filled.’

‘You mean – we don’t have running water here?’

‘Well, when you turn on the taps, water runs out of them, but if you run too much of it, you’ll empty the tanks.’

They walked towards the house together and he stopped. ‘Stay there a minute.’ He crossed the tiny veranda in one stride and unlocked the front door, then, to her surprise, he swept her off her feet and carried her over the threshold.

She clung to him as he set her down, feeling tears start in her eyes at this gesture.

He put his hands on her shoulders and looked at her face. ‘You know, I think you’re quite a romantic at heart.’

‘I am.’ She looked at him expectantly. Surely now he would say something a bit more loving? But he only smiled and took her hand.