The 4th Lady McKenzie

"Five hours."

"Oh spare me. The things I do to try to get my mother married off."

The truck lurched and Alec said "Whoopsie" and grinned at Fiona who frowned and told him to get on with his monologue and not to forget to thrown in what the woman were like in bed. "I'm young and need to know these things."

CHAPTER 3

The guy was only a little taller and a little wider across the shoulders than Fiona. Lean, dark and handsome, conforming to the cliché she thought.

"Dad! Great to see you," he said, as the two back-slapped from a hug and looking at Fiona said, "Who's the babe? Cute."

"Come over and meet Fiona. Fiona this is my son Craig."

"Hi Craig. Nice trip without incident?"

"Yes thanks."

"Where are the yearlings and have you completed the paperwork."

"Ah yes. Dad?"

"Please tell your father where to place the float for loading?"

"Just here is okay dad. Open the doors. They will come out one at the time in their crate on a forklift. They are travel weary and sick of being cooped up so don't be disappointed they're listless. They've come 12,000 miles with just the two stops."

"I have been warned. We are taking them to Tikitiki and will house them in the barn for a few days in stalls, letting them out in the day."

"Good idea. What's your surname Fiona?"

"Phelps."

"I went fishing with a guy Phelps a couple of times when a student. I think he died. Any relation?"

"Yes, he was my dad."

"Oh sorry Fiona, I intended no disrespect."

"It's okay."

"Christ, that means you're the daughter of the infamous Iona MacDonald, dad's old flame."

"I'm not sure about infamous, famous perhaps."

"Well what are you doing here with dad? Are you a trainee vet or something?"

"Your father wanted you to meet me. He thinks you may need a date but I think although you have been away two years, old flames will still be around. I came to humour him. He's actually my landlord so I thought greasing up to him might help if there are complaints about us having wild parties. I'm into my final year, completing an LLB with honours. This follows on a BSc."

"So that makes you twenty-five."

"In a couple of months, yes. What do you have?"

"I completed a B.Ag Science with honours at Lincoln almost four years ago. I'm twenty-seven."

"And coming back home to work for your father?"

"Taking charge of his livestock interests, yes Fiona. I did some post-grad studies into stock improvement while in England and received very expert advice on making these selections. Here's the first now. Where's dad?"

"In the cab listening to the radio. I had not seen a discreet side to your father before. I'll fetch him; he should see where his money has gone."

Craig looked at her steadily. "You are different, not running with the pack. Headstrong I should think and pretty, just short of being beautiful. My father would have seen all that in you."

"While you wax on Craig I'll fetch your father."

They set off on the five-hour return journey, Alec driving. In the back here was a seat for three people with seatbelts attacked through to the cab. Fiona saw at once they could easily see the heads of the yearlings, three on each side of the central passageway. They stopped almost and hour and a half later for lunch at Ashburton. When they went to resume after checking the stock Fiona said Craig looked whacked so he must take a nap in the sleeping cabin behind the driver.

"No, I'll be okay."

"You need a sleep. I don't want you taking me out to dinner yawning and falling asleep over the table."

"Are we going on a date tonight?"

"Yes, so get sleeping. I'll use my phone to call Alec if any problems arise here."

"You call dad Alec?"

"I'm that sort of girl Craig. Now off you go."

Fiona winked at Alec, having seen his initial disappointment at Craig and her apparently not falling over each other but Alec mounted a big smile when Craig mentioned 'date.'

Craig was staying with his father who'd looked very tired after they returned from Tikitiki station after unloading the very expensive young bulls.

At the station everyone had come into the barn to pass opinions on them. Alec had been behind the wheel for almost eleven hours. Fiona invited him to come to dinner with them but he declined with a yawn and a wink she only just caught.

The meal was a disaster. Craig barely touched his before he pushed his plate away. Fiona noticed his attention wandering so she said, "Go home, you're exhausted. I'll stay and finish."

"I'll pay."

"Okay."

They said goodnight and he left but returned a couple of minutes later. "My wallet is on my bedside table."

"No problem. Off you go."

"This date has been a disaster. Sorry."

"Believe me, I've had worse," Fiona grinned.

"You're a good sort Fiona. Good night; I'll tell them you'll be paying. God, I'll now be known in Dunedin as the jerk."

"Don't worry Craig. I know you're not a jerk but I've not had time to find out what you really are like. Perhaps that will happen. Good night."

* * *

Just before dawn Iona, cleaning her teeth, heard a vehicle. She went out to investigate, thinking of taking the rifle but decided it had been a vehicle driven normally, not creeping up.

"Oh hello," she said, allowing delight into her voice to let Alec know he was welcome. "What's in the float?"

"One of my horses, Sinbad."

"The big black stallion."

"Yes. How did you know that?"

"I'd asked Midge if you still rode and she said would a guy have three great horses without riding regularly. She told me about Sinbad, Banjo and um."

"I don't have a horse called Um."

"Stop teasing you fool or I'll go back inside and bolt the door."

"Thor."

"Oh yes. My memory is not like it was."

"Yes it is. You're not old. You memory is rusty because you're not interactive enough and having you memory constantly challenge. But I must say you related well at the function the other night. You were the outstanding female there and most of those American women just adored you."

"Bullshit."

"Okay, please yourself."

Iona's expression changed. "I'm sorry Alec. That was stupid rebuttal. I accept I may have been a standout women as far as you were concerned."

"Whenever I see you Iona I yearn and hope."

"So you want to marry me, definitely."

"Yes, and I'm going to woo you until you fall to my romantic assault."

"All right, I'll marry you."

"What?"

"All those American women and a number of local women at that cocktail party assumed you and I were living together. Neither of us care for being talked about in that way."

"It doesn't worry me."

"Oh in that case..."

Alec shouted, "That was a mistake. I didn't mean that. People talking like that upsets me greatly. Iona, please allow me to make your life complete, marry me."

"Well if you a sure."

"I am, very sure. Ask you daughter."

"What does this have to do with Fiona?"

Alec, now standing close to Iona said, "She went with me to Christchurch yesterday to pick up six steers I've imported from breeders in Aberdeenshire and to meet my son Craig. I talked to her about you and whether you would yield to my proposal of marriage, if I delivered one, and I asked if she would approve and her answer was something like it would be okay."

"I see."

"So you have accepted?"

"Yes of course. But we need to discuss things."

"Yes of course, like what?"

"I want you to have a new home built down by the beach over there. I'll contribute cash..."

"It will be my wedding present to you. I was thinking of settling on Tikitiki Station."

"But I wasn't"

"Okay, then that's settled. This was MacDonald land. I'll also give you back this land, in fact I'll give you all of Kincaid station."

"That is a sweet thought and very generous of you dear Alec but the offer is declined. Just our new house will do at that special place overlooking the spot where my grandfather toiled to establish his family on New Zealand soil, rebuilding that fishing boat."

"God Iona, I can't think of any female turning down the gift of Kincaid Station."

"Well I'm not just any woman Alec. If I were you wouldn't be interested in me; go on, admit it. Your maternal grandmother was a distinguished pioneer, your mother a doctor was elected to the national Parliament and each of your three wives had special qualities."

"All right I admit it. But how did you know this and have those women in my life categorized?"

"I note notable people Alec. I didn't miss the opportunity of being drawn to you all those years ago, sacrificing my belief that adultery was wrong. I had a feeling you and I would come together one day, although this is much earlier than I envisage."

"But why me?"

Iona said, "The idea was planted in me by your late mother. When she was slowly dying I visited her occasionally because she and my mother had been friends. She was gazing out the window to the garden and she said, "Lassie, you would have made a fine wife for Alexander." That's all she said and I was too astonished to speak. You had not long been married to Colleen."

"My god, how remarkable. And mother never mentioned that again?"

"No. And way back then I thought it might be my destiny to marry you but my romantic notions I later put down to the romantic notions of a teenager."

"That is simply amazing Iona. I'll catch your horse. We are riding to breakfast with Allan and Midge. They are agreeable to a late breakfast but it's quite a ride so we ought to be off."

They returned mid afternoon and after taking care of the horses Alec asked Iona to find him a piece of white cloth. She came out with one of her old singlets to find him sharpening the end of fence batten. He grinned at being handed a singlet and going into the garage nailed it to the top of the batten and put that on to the back of the Land Rover along with the axe and asked to be driven to the beach.

"This house of ours. Where do you want it?"

Iona pointed to their right, just before the reef.

"Where do you want the centre of the house to be or perhaps the windows of the main lounge."

"Down there is where granddad had the wreck off that reef hauled up."

"Right stand there and I'll fetch the stake. I need to know this when I come out with an architect and you might have wandered off somewhere."

"What's the rush?"

"We marry when the house is ready unless you have objection, so I'm in a rush to have the house built."

Iona smiled, "I have no wish to object."

She watched Alec drive in the stake. "Stay the night. We can discuss house details."

"Good idea."

"But before we go back Alec, have you ever seduced a woman on a beach."

"No. The sand..."

"Oh come on, where's the romantic thought. I keep a chair, my book and spare pair of reading glasses and a rug down here in a old trunk that was in the house. It's remarkably waterproof. I think it was a cabin trunk."

"I could be your grandfather's?"

"I had thought that but there is no sign of identification."

"So you want me to seduce you on the beach now?"

"Yes, I have often thought about it down here reading."

"With me?"

"Yes, and only with you."

"Good god. I like you having thoughts like that. Um, what if I can't get an erection under pressure like this?"

"Alec McKenzie. If I can't get you stiff and ready at a moment's notice then I'm not the woman for you."

"Come on Alec, I want everything stripped off."

"But I'm no spring chicken."

"Nor I. Strip and let me see if I remember it."

Alec undressed quickly and found Iona already nude.

"God Alec, were you crossed with a horse?"

Alec beamed and held his inflating erection.

Iona survived being under a man almost 6ft 6in tall with breadth to match and Round 2 she was on her hands and knees and Alec really liked that and that pleased her.

He said later, "I'll be ready to go again in a few minutes."

"Alec, what's the hurry? You are staying the night remember? Come throw your clothes into the tray and we'll sit over a whisky and sketch a ground floor layout."

"But what about getting dressed? Someone might see us nude."

"If that happened, would the sky fall in?"

Alec grinned sheepishly and said Iona was going to be good for him.

When Iona was in the bath Alec called Fiona.

"Hi it's Alec. What are you doing?"

"Walking home from Varsity."

"Look your mum has shot past the idea of courting so I'm staying with her tonight. Go to my house and eat with Craig. My housekeeper Mrs Stewart will cook before she goes home at 7:00. If you get that far with Craig you are welcome to stay the night with him in my bed."

"Craig doesn't appear very interested in me."

"Look here young woman, are you a MacDonald or are you not? If you don't know the right moves I'll attempt to set out the steps you need to take."

"No thanks. You moves might be too evil for a young lady like me. I accept the challenge."

CHAPTER 4

Mrs Stewart answered the door. "Oh hello, are you Craig's young lady friend?"

"Yes Mrs Stewart. I'm Fiona MacDonald."

Sir Alec said last night to expect you dropping in. Will you stay for dinner?"

"Oh how lovely. Yes please. You said Sir Alec said that to you last night?"

"Yes, he said your dinner with Craig was unlikely to go well because Craig was exhausted after all that travel and remaining vigilant with the young bulls."

They had late afternoon tea, Mrs Stewart saying Craig expected to be home at 6:00.

"Mrs Stewart, my mother Iona is a great friend of Sir Alec's.

"Iona... of course. Why didn't I think of that when you said you were Fiona MacDonald? Your mother accompanied Sir Alec to the cattle breeder's cocktail party the other night. He told me he felt he had a princess on his arm."

"I can understand the sweet talk. Men get like that when they are bullish."

Mrs Stewart shrieked with laughter and then, "I can confide, Sir Alec has gone a little soft on your mother."

"Yes, he talked to me about that yesterday on the drive to Christchurch. Mrs Stewart I'm not really a nosey-parker but are there pictures of Sir Alec's previous wives."

"Would you like to view them? They hang in his home office."

"Yes please."

"Well this is Lady McKenzie the 1st, Craig's mother. Bonnie died..."

"Within hours of Craig being born. Yes I know. She looks sternly beautiful."

"It is a painting dear. I didn't know her but No 2, I knew her. She's Caroline who was hired to be Craig's governess. She really was beautiful and hugely sexy. Sir Alec became smitten but she asked for a divorce two years after their marriage. A rich guy with coal mines took her back to his hometown in America. And this is Maggie, not as pretty as the other two, but a really beautiful soul. She had taken relatives who were visiting us to Queenstown and driving back was killed when she drove her car into a bridge abutment during a snowstorm. It was very tragic and Sir Alec swore never again would he marry. But renewing contact with your mother may bring a change of mind. Your mother will look beautiful in oils."

"Oh thank you. What a lovely thing to say Mrs Stewart."

"I prefer having a Mistress in the house dear."

Craig arrived and his face lit up when he spotted Fiona after he'd greeted Mrs Stewart.

"Oh it's lovely seeing you Fiona. I have been thinking about you."

"In that case I merit a kiss, surely."

"Um Mrs Stewart is in the room."

"I was only asking to be kissed Craig, not seduced, at least not yet."

Craig kissed her, unabashed.

* * *

Seven months later Craig and Fiona married in Dunedin where they set up house pending Fiona's completion of her degree and her desire to be admitted to the bar. They then would move to the homestead on Craig's father's Perth Station where Craig would be strategically placed to shorten the distance between the various properties for which he controlled and from where Fiona would commute each day to the city.

Iona by that stage was engaged to Alec but they continued living separately although Alec usually stayed with her at least twice a week when he went out to supervise construction of the new house.

For those four people it appeared the uncertainties in their lives had unravelled. Fiona was delighted to see her mother happy again and with purpose in life and even Alec appeared to had lifted his interest in life up a couple of notches. At the family meal on the night Fiona graduated with her law degree she and Craig made their parents very happy with the announcement Fiona was pregnant.

"Ah, I'm so delighted," Alec enthused. "I must reward you. What would you like?"

Fiona looked at Craig who said, "We anticipated you may feel generous about this news dad. What we'd like is for you two to take us to Scotland for a couple of weeks to visit relations and learn about family roots and your family and Iona's parents grew up.

"Yes Alec," Fiona said softly. "Craig and I regard ourselves as New Zealanders totally but we have pride in being of Scottish descent and would like the opportunity to pay homage."

"That is a grand idea. I am long overdue for a return visit," said Alec, pulling the young couple together and kissing their heads affectionately.

"Well, I'm not going to shame our relations by travelling with you not married Alec." Iona said. "Let's forget about waiting for the house to be finished' that will take another year with all that stone work. I'd like to marry you next month and go to Scotland on our honeymoon if the timing suits Fiona who is only just into her new job."

"Just make the bookings mum. No job is worth delaying your honeymoon. You may not have many more. You are also forgetting I'm employed in the legal department of your fiancé's holding company. "

"Well this timing is really great for me," Alec said. "Next month would be a grand time to be visiting Scotland on my honeymoon. We can attend the Perth Bulls Sales at Hill o' Drip outside Stirling."

That comment seemed acceptable to everyone. Even Iona was interested in bulls, her so-called 'dying' bull now weighed almost 1000lbs and he was less than half grown.

THE END