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had?’
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘Quite a change. What made you decide on that?’
    ‘Just that, I guess. I wanted a change.’
    They reined in their horses as they reached the start of the rainforest. Trees and vines grew thick to the water’s edge and the track veered sharply to the right to skirt the dense growth.
    Mark’s face lit up as he surveyed the thick tangle of tropical greenery ahead of them, extending back from the river as far as they could see. ‘Wonderful. I’d love to have rainforest like this on Binbin.’
    Cassie felt surprised at his enthusiasm, expecting him to be more concerned with the number of cattle he could run, rather than the beauty of the country. ‘I love it, but you can’t use it for cattle, you know.’
    ‘I know, but there are other uses.’
    ‘Such as?’
    Without answering, Mark pulled his horse around, flicked the reins and urged it forward along the track. He called back to Cassie over his shoulder. ‘Come on. I’ll race you to the bottom of the hill.’
    Cassie set off immediately in pursuit. Tango seemed to fly over the ground, but Mark pulled up a little ahead of her. Short of breath but laughing, she reined in alongside him.
    ‘You see, I knew I could beat you,’ he teased.
    ‘You had a head start,’ she replied, catching her breath. ‘And besides, I haven’t ridden for nearly a year. But that was fun, anyway.’
    ‘Great fun. You’re a good horsewoman. I have the feeling you’re good at most things you do.’ He smiled down at her. ‘You should laugh more often. It suits you.’
    Cassie sobered, remembering her earlier worries. Her voice lost its gaiety. ‘Not so much to laugh about just at the moment.’
    Mark looked concerned. ‘Anything you’d like to talk about?’
    His sympathetic voice encouraged her to confide in him, forgetting her earlier dislike. ‘Oh, it’s just, well, the drought really, I suppose.’ His solicitude made her relax her normal reticence. ‘Financially, it’s been a bad year. Of course, I know everyone’s suffering, not just us, but…’ Taking a deep breath, she shook her head, ‘That doesn’t make it feel any better.’
    She looked down at her hands, tight about the reins now. ‘It makes me feel so…so inadequate. How am I going to pull us out of this? I wonder if I’m really capable of running things.’
    Mark leant over and lifted her chin with a finger. When she raised her eyes, she saw compassion in his face, his eyes warm and gentle.
    ‘Cassie, you mustn’t take it so personally. Hard times hit every property at times. And a drought really is hard, you know. We’re all feeling it. Besides, you haven’t been personally running things, you haven’t been here.’
    ‘That’s just it.’ Her voice faltered, then she expressed the guilt that had been niggling at her. ‘Maybe I should’ve been here, instead of down in Sydney.’
    Mark shook his head. ‘It wouldn’t have changed the drought. And you’d have had to leave your mother without help. I don’t think you’d have done that.’
    Cassie took a deep breath while she considered his words, and then spoke again in a calmer voice. ‘You’re right, of course. You must think I’m a fool.’
    ‘No, just upset. And, conscious of your responsibilities.’
    Encouraged by his understanding, she voiced the main reason for her worry. ‘I suppose, really, it’s the thought of having a mortgage on Yallandoo that worries me so much.’
    ‘You mustn’t let that upset you, Cassie. Most properties have a mortgage on them. I have one on Binbin. It makes sense to borrow money to free up your capital, or to tide you over a rough patch, like this. That’s why banks are in business. There’s nothing wrong with that.’
    ‘When you put it like that, I can see it’s not quite so bad. After all, my mother borrowed money when she started her business, and paid it back when she could.’ Cassie relaxed her tight grip on the reins and sat erect again. She smiled. ‘Thank you,