the thorn birds colleen mccullough

explained.
"Ye gods, Rain, you flaming secretive bastard! How long have you
had it?" "About a month."
"And you let me go through that idiotic charade the other night and
said nothing? God damn you!" She was so angry she couldn't speak
properly. "I was going to tell you, but I got such a kick out of your
thinking I was flying over all the time that I couldn't resist
pretending a bit longer," he said with a laugh in his voice.
"I could kill you!" she ground from between her teeth, blinking
away tears. "No, Herzchen, please! Don't be angry! Come and be
my hostess, then you can inspect the premises to your heart's
content."
"Suitably chaperoned by five million other guests, of course! What's
the matter, Rain, don't you trust yourself alone with me? Or is it me
you don't trust?"
"You won't be a guest," he said, answering the first part of her
tirade. "You'll be my hostess, which is quite different. Will you do
it?" She wiped the tears away with the back of her hand and said
gruffly, "Yes." It turned out to be more enjoyable than she had
dared hope, for Rain's house was truly beautiful and he himself in
such a good mood Justine couldn't help but become infected by it.
She arrived properly though a little too flamboyantly gowned for his
taste, but after an involuntary grimace at first sight of her shocking
pink slipper satin, he tucked her arm through his and conducted her
around the premises before the guests arrived. Then during the
evening he behaved perfectly, treating her in front of the others with
an offhand intimacy which made her feel both useful and wanted.