Chapter 1 - Alice

Alice sat by herself on the veranda, still in her pyjamas, eating her breakfast. Everyone else was busy at work. She'd been up until 3.00 a.m. monitoring the recovery of a leopard cub whose broken leg she had pinned earlier in the evening. Danny had offered to stay up with her, but he'd looked absolutely exhausted after a difficult operation on one of Mara's giraffes, so she declined. In some ways, Alice was glad he hadn't stayed with her – she was finding it harder and harder to be in his company because of the way she felt about him.

Alice had only worked with him for a few months but she known from the very first time they'd met that Danny was special. Every man she'd had a relationship with previously: her dad; her brother, Rowan; Charlotte's father and her most recent ex, Terry - they'd all been selfish, critical and domineering. Danny was so different, he was a gentle giant of a man, totally devoted to his family and his friends, and his dedication to his job as a veterinary surgeon was unparalleled. There was however one thing that was stopping Alice from telling Danny how she felt and, unfortunately for her, it was a major thing – he was still openly grieving for his second wife, Sarah, who had been killed in a terrible fire, here at Leopard's Den, just six months ago. Her love was unrequited.

Alice felt the hairs on her neck rise, as her thoughts were disturbed by the familiar tones of his northern accent.

"Morning! How's the cub?"

Danny's smile floored her in one move. He looked at her with his deep green eyes and she felt totally in his power.

"She's fine. I think she'll make a full recovery," she replied in her soft Scottish lilt.

Alice smiled back at him, desperately trying to hide the fact his presence was having a major impact on her. Her heart was beating rapidly and she could feel her face begin to redden.

"We've no patients at the moment, so why don't you take it easy for a bit. I know it was late when you got in last night," he continued, caring as ever.

Danny hurried down the steps. She watched him head towards the wood pile and begin to chop some more logs. After a few minutes, he removed his outer shirt. The red t-shirt underneath clung to his muscular body. As he swung the axe, she watched mesmerised. His greying hair confirmed that he was ten years older than her but he had the taut physique of a much younger man. She was transfixed watching the muscles flexing and relaxing in his arms. She couldn't stop herself imagining what it would feel to have those strong arms wrapped around her. To have those skilful surgeon's fingers tracing the curves of her body…………………………

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Du Plessis had been watching his two friends for several weeks now. He couldn't understand what the problem was. They were two lonely people who would make the perfect couple. They were both obviously in love with the other and yet both seemed to be oblivious to the fact. He would have to give them a nudge in the right direction. If he didn't, Vanessa (the beautiful owner of the Mara Reserve) would intervene. She'd been turning up more and more frequently at Leopard's Den, fluttering her eyelids helplessly at Danny. Although Danny was currently blind to her advances, it wouldn't be long before she went for 'the kill'.

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"Are you alright, Alice?" Dup asked kindly in his gravelly Afrikaan voice, "You look a little fed up."

"It's nothing, I'm just a little tired………" she replied despondently.

Alice was glowering at Vanessa, who was at that moment arm-in-arm with Danny, walking towards the house. How could she, Alice, compete with someone so stunning and elegant as Vanessa. Here she was dressed casually in t-shirt, jeans and the remains of some animal's bodily fluids, whilst Vanessa was dressed head to toe in designer clothes with perfect make-up and hair. Alice felt huge pangs of jealousy as she saw Danny laughing, openly enjoying Vanessa's company. Alice was just Danny's work colleague….. nothing more.

"It's Danny, isn't it?" Dup stated, interrupting Alice's thoughts.

"What!" Alice exclaimed, surprised at Dup's perception.

Her face flushed with embarrassment. How did he know? She'd been so careful not to give her secret away, or so she thought.

"Don't be so silly," she continued, a little too tersely for Dup's liking.

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The whole family was sat round the kitchen table eating breakfast in silence. Dup had only been gone a few hours, but it was as if the heart of Leopard's Den had been ripped away. He'd left South Africa to be with his fiancée, Caroline (Danny's mother-in-law), in England. Alice had grown to love all of Danny's family and couldn't bear to see them all so glum.

"Now what would Dup say if he could see you all just now?" she asked no-one in particular.

The whole family looked at Alice slightly puzzled.

"He'd say: 'Get off your backsides and do some bledy work,'" she continued in a mock 'Dup'Afrikaan accent.

They all smiled at her for reminding them of Dup. She sent them off one by one to undertake a task in his memory.

Finally there was just Danny left. He looked particularly down. The last year or so had been very hard on him. First he had lost his wife, Sarah. Then his beloved step-daughter, Olivia, had moved back to Bristol with Caroline to be with her real father. Now, Dup, his best friend, has abandoned him to be with his love. Alice wanted Danny to know that she was still here for him.

"And as for you, go and do what you do best!" Alice teased giving Danny one of her most radiant smiles.

Danny looked at her and half-smiled before obeying her like a chastised puppy.

A few seconds later, Alice followed Danny out of the house. She was surprised that he was still standing on the steps. He turned to face her, a shy grin on his face.

"Thank you," Danny said earnestly.

"What did I do?" Alice replied, slightly confused.

Danny continued, his voice full of genuine emotion, "You came to Leopard's Den just when I needed you the most."

Alice turned away, unsure of how to react to Danny's outpourings. He reached out for her. Her heart began to beat faster as he gently took her arm and pulled her towards him. Their faces were just centimetres apart.

"You've helped me so much, Alice…."

Alice couldn't believe it. He was going to kiss her. She'd waited so long for this moment…………………………

The magic was disturbed by the sound of a car horn. Vanessa - she always managed to spoil everything! Danny looked at Alice, slightly embarrassed. He couldn't finish what he had started with Vanessa watching. Alice watched sadly as Danny walked away towards her rival. She wondered if the opportunity would ever arise again.

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They'd gone out in the jeep to release all the remaining animals before the storm set in. Dup had insisted they go without him. He was hoping the time they had would be the catalyst they needed to make them see they were meant to be together.

The old male giraffe, which Alice had bought against Danny's wishes, had remained in the enclosure which was unusual. On closer examination, they'd spotted a piece of fencing wire digging deeply into one of its front legs. Together they cut the wire away and treated the wound with iodine. As they worked, they accidently brushed one another's arms. The electricity that resulted had nothing to do with the forthcoming storm.

The rain began minutes after they had finished treating the giraffe. A deluge quickly ensued. They ran for cover in the jeep, pulling an old tarpaulin over them to keep as dry as possible.

On the way to the enclosure, Alice had told Danny about her father's death. There was something about the way he listened to her: non-judgemental, sincere and caring. She felt safe discussing these personal things with him, things that she hadn't discussed with anyone - ever. Danny pressed her gently to continue the conversation whilst they sat in the vehicle. He'd sensed rightly, that she needed someone to talk to. She told him about the difficult relationship she'd had with her father and her ill-fated liaison with Charlotte's dad. It was the first time in a very long time that she'd opened up so freely. She trusted Danny like no-one else.

They needed to get home, quickly. It was dark and the storm was at its zenith. They drove back down the path towards Leopard's Den. After driving for about a mile, they came across a fallen tree, blocking the road. They'd have to go cross-country.

By now the storm was raging furiously. Visibility was virtually non-existent. There was no warning as the lightning bolt hit the tree. It landed directly on top of their jeep.

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They both lay out cold for several minutes. Alice eventually came round and was terrified by what she saw. Danny was lying unconscious in front of her. She'd tried to wake him, but there was no response. He was bleeding heavily from an injury to the right side of his chest and it was more than likely that he had broken some of his ribs. She packed the injury with wadding from the vet box, but she couldn't stop the flow of blood. Alice had to do something. Danny was in a bad way: he was cold, wet and haemorrhaging badly - it was possible that he could die, if he didn't get help soon. She couldn't bear that thought, even temporarily.

The radio had been smashed in the crash. She'd set off a flare several minutes ago, but no-one had come to find them. She'd have to go and find help. Alice didn't want to leave him, but she felt she had no choice. Alice was crying desperately as she took off her mother's locket and placed it around Danny's neck. She'd given him the most precious thing she had to protect him and to let him know how much she cared.

"Good luck," she uttered as she covered him with his coat, "I love you."

Alice's heart was breaking as she kissed Danny gently on the lips. She loved him more than anything in the whole world. She wasn't sure if she would ever see him alive again.

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Rowan and Vanessa had spotted him from the helicopter, lying lifeless some distance away from where the jeep had crashed. When Alice, Dup and Evan (Danny's stepson) arrived, Vanessa was cradling Danny's head in her lap. He was unconscious, his pulse was weak and he was very dehydrated. Alice was so envious watching Vanessa nurse him, gently stroking his face and whispering words of encouragement into his ears. Alice wanted to push her away - it was her that should be caring for Danny. No-one could love him like she did.

Vanessa glared intently at her, so Alice remained passive, in spite of her instincts to do otherwise. Vanessa was angry with her because she'd abandoned Danny, but also because she knew Alice cared about Danny, too and she didn't want any competition for his affections.

Danny opened his eyes gradually. He was going to be alright! They just needed to get him home as quickly as possible. Dup and Evan helped Danny into the jeep. Vanessa followed immediately, maintaining her role of concerned lover with the utmost ease. Alice remained with her brother, Rowan.

"He's a lucky man…………………….in more ways than one," Rowan said looking longingly at Vanessa.

Alice stared at her brother. Rowan thought Vanessa and Danny were a couple, too.

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Both Alice and Danny had been given the 'all-clear' by the local doctor. Georgina (Danny's mother-in-law's sister) was fussing around Danny, like a mother hen, and had demanded that he spent the next few days recuperating in bed, much to Danny's chagrin! He'd cracked a couple of ribs but he had come out of the ordeal relatively unscathed.

Alice spent the rest of the morning at Mara, re-capturing a valuable Black Leopard that had escaped during the storm and had been trashing the kitchens in search of food.

Vanessa walked with Alice back to the jeep.

"Thank you for all you've done for Danny," Vanessa said not completely sincerely. It was if she was leading up to something.

"I just left him in the middle of the storm," Alice replied, not sure of what to say in return.

Vanessa continued with a fake coyness, "I don't think I could have borne it if anything had happened to him. You see we…….I'm not meant to say………If I don't tell someone I'm going to burst."

"Tell me what?" Alice replied, half-anticipating the answer.

Vanessa had been building up to this moment. She wanted to make it very clear to Alice that she had lost the 'competition' for Danny, even if it wasn't totally true. If Alice believed she had no chance of a relationship with Danny, Vanessa would be free to pursue Danny unhindered. Vanessa always got what she wanted and Danny wasn't going to be an exception.

"Danny and I….we're sort of an item. We've had feelings for each other for quite some time…….." she lied.

Alice gazed open-mouthed at Vanessa. Her face was etched with the pain she was now feeling. It was if someone had removed her heart, shredded it into thousands of pieces and strewn the bits the length and breadth of South Africa.

"I didn't know…" Alice uttered, trying to regain some composure, "….Congratulations!"

Alice couldn't get away from Vanessa fast enough. She felt as if her whole world had collapsed in on her. She climbed into her jeep and sobbed uncontrollably for several minutes.

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As soon as she got back to Leopard's Den, Alice began to pack her and her daughter, Charlotte's things. She was crying as she thought about leaving. This place had really got under her skin - Charlotte and her had felt like they really belonged here; she adored her job and she really cared for Dup, Georgina, Evan and Nomsa (the housekeeper), but she couldn't stay here knowing Danny loved someone else. She had been so sure that he was the 'One', her soul-mate and true-love. She had been convinced that one day he would learn to love her the same way as she loved him. It was too late now, she'd been wrong – he loved Vanessa. She couldn't bear to see him be intimate with anyone else. The pain was too excruciating for her. She and Charlotte would leave tomorrow evening when everyone else had gone to bed. She wouldn't tell any of them that they were going.

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