by M. M. Kaye
‘Lisa’s got something to say that I think you should hear at once. She——’
Em threw up a hand in an imperious gesture and checked him. Her shrewd old eyes went from one face to the other, and then to the silent figures of Zacharia and a house-boy who were laying afternoon tea in a corner of the verandah. She said coldly: ‘If it is important – and I take it that it is? – then we had better go back into the drawing-room. Goodbye, Drew. Thank you for collecting my niece. It was kind of you. I’ll send Eden over tomorrow to look at those calves.’
She nodded at him and turned away, and Victoria said a little stiffly: ‘Goodbye, Mr Stratton. Thank you for all your trouble.’
‘It wasn’t any trouble,’ said Drew shortly. ‘I happened to be in Nairobi and this was on my way back.’
He went away down the steps to his car, leaving Victoria, who possessed a healthy temper of her own, with an itching palm and an unmaidenly desire to box his ears.
Em was speaking peremptorily to her grandson:
‘My dear Eden, if this is something that concerns us, it must also concern Victoria, since she is now one of the household. By the way, Lisa, you will not have met my niece, Miss Caryll. Victoria, this is Mrs Markham——’
Victoria shook hands and found herself looking into a pair of large violet eyes, expertly enhanced with pencil and mascara and as unmistakably hostile as Drew Stratton’s had been. And then Em said: ‘Lend me your arm, dear,’ and led the way to the drawing-room with a firm step. But her weight pressed heavily upon Victoria’s arm as though she really needed that support, and her bulky body was trembling with fatigue.
She lowered herself into the wing-chair once more, and Eden said: ‘Look, Gran, Lisa didn’t want to worry you with this, but it seems to me that it’s something you should know. She says——’
His grandmother turned a quelling eye upon him and said firmly: ‘Let her speak for herself, please. Well, Lisa?’
Lisa flumped down sulkily on to the window seat and rubbed resentfully at the marks that Eden’s ungentle grip had left on her bare arm. ‘I only thought that Eden ought to know, and then he could decide what to do about it. I wasn’t going to tell anyone else. Not even Gilly! Though of course everyone’s bound to know sooner or later, as Wambui’s sure to tell someone else, and once the servants know it – well, you know how they can never keep anything to themselves.’
Em gave a short bark of laughter. ‘How little you know this country, Lisa. They may not be able to keep a secret from their own people, but they can always keep it from us. Make no mistake about that! What is it that you have to tell me? If it is just some servant’s gossip, you may be fairly sure that it is unimportant.’
‘It wasn’t gossip,’ said Lisa angrily. ‘It was serious.’ There was a sudden flash of spite in her violet eyes: ‘Very serious! That’s why I thought I ought to discuss it with Eden first. But if he prefers it this way, it’s his own look out. It was Wambui, if you want to know. My ndito. She’s been behaving very oddly the last day or two. Dropping things and forgetting things, and jumping as if she’s been stung if anyone made a sudden noise. So this afternoon I tackled her about it, and it all came out. She’s in a state about Kamau.’
‘You mean my Kamau?’ demanded Em.
‘Yes. It seems he’s been courting her, and they’ve been meeting every night in the bushes on the far side of the knoll.’
Em stiffened where she sat, and her expression was no longer one of bored patience. She said sharply and a little breathlessly: ‘You mean they saw something? Is that it? They know who did it?’
Lisa shook her head. ‘I don’t know. You see Wambui couldn’t get away on Tuesday evening, but it seems that Kamau waited for her for quite a time, and now he’s hinting to her that he knows something about – Alice’s murder.’
There was a sudden silence in the room, and in it Victoria heard a soft sound that was something like the click of a latch and seemed to come from the direction of the door that led out of the drawing-room into the hall. But the next moment her attention was distracted, for Em was speaking again:
‘But the police questioned all the servants!’ said Em. ‘They’ve seen them half a dozen times already. Surely they would have told us if they’d got any information out of them? Why, Greg Gilbert has been here half the afternoon.’
‘Wambui says Kamau told the police that he didn’t know anything.’
Em made an angry, impatient gesture. ‘Then I don’t suppose he does. He’s probably only showing off for Wambui’s benefit.’
‘But we know there was someone in the bushes that night,’ insisted Eden. ‘Why couldn’t it have been Kamau? In fact why couldn’t Kamau have been the poltergeist? – and the murderer, for that matter!’
‘Don’t talk nonsense, Eden,’ said Em crossly. ‘Kamau’s father was one of your grandfather’s first servants, and Zacharia is his uncle. He would no more harm me than – than Zacharia would! And you seem to forget that he was the one who killed Gitahi. If that isn’t proof of loyalty, I’d like to know what is!’
‘Oh, all right – all right. I know it’s useless to try and persuade you that any of your darling Kukes might be anything but a hundred per cent loyal. But what about the man in the bushes? It squares with that, you know. Someone was there!’
‘If it was Kamau, it is proof that he was not Alice’s murderer,’ said Em stiff with anger. ‘Whoever was there had not approached the body. You know that quite well.’
‘Of course I do. But he could have seen something, couldn’t he? He could be telling the truth there.’
‘If you think that,’ snapped Em, ‘I suggest you ring up Greg Gilbert immediately and tell him exactly what Lisa has told us. Then the police can deal with it – and with Wambui!’
‘But you can’t do that,’ gasped Lisa leaping to her feet, her eyes wide with dismay. ‘They’d take her away and hold her for questioning. You know what they’re like. She might not be back for days, and I simply can’t manage without her. Oh, I wish I hadn’t said anything! I wish I hadn’t.’
Her eyes filled with tears and she sat down abruptly and began to search blindly and without success in the inadequate pockets of her linen suit.
‘Here,’ said Eden, handing over a handkerchief. He patted her shoulder awkwardly and said: ‘Don’t cry, Lee.’ Lisa dabbed at her tears, and groping for his hand, clung to it, looking up at him with eyes that were openly and helplessly adoring.
Eden withdrew his hand with more speed than gallantry, and Em said dryly: ‘You would have done better to come straight to me, would you not, Lisa. Although I am aware that as a confidante I am likely to prove less sympathetic than my grandson! However, you are right in one thing. Unless they resort to violence the police will get nothing out of Kamau. And I will not have my servants intimidated. I will talk to him myself. He can do the rounds with me this evening after dinner. That will be the best way. I often take one of the boys with me, so it will arouse no suspicion; and he will talk better in the dark. They always do. And now let us have some tea.’
Lisa could not stay, but Eden did not offer to see her home, and after lingering for a few moments she turned from him with a petulant toss of the head and walked away down the long garden path, and he came back to his chair, and subsiding into it, stared moodily into space while his tea grew cold. He made no attempt at conversation, and Victoria sat silent, covertly studying him.
The passing of the years had not detracted from his spectacular good looks, and although he looked older and thinner, and there were frown lines on his forehead and fine lines at the corners of his eyes that had come from screwing them up against strong sunlight, there was no denying the fact that in appearance at least he was, if anything, more attractive now than he had been six years ago.
It’s not fair! thought Victoria resentfully. How can anyone tell what he is really like when they can’t get beyond what he looks like? What do I know about Eden? What did I ever know? Am I still in love with him…?
Eden said: ‘You’ll only tire yourself out, racketing round in the Land-Rover, Gran. Why don’t you stay here and put your feet up for a change? I’ll go. Victoria can come with me if she’d like to.’
Em shot a quick anxious look at her niece and said obstinately: ‘I don’t wish to put my feet up, thank you. I wish to get out of this house and into the fresh air.’
‘What you mean,’ said Eden, ‘is that you’re feeling upset. And whenever that happens you work it off by going out and driving round the countryside far too fast. Shooting for dog meat is just an excuse, and you know it.’
‘It’s nothing of the sort,’ snapped Em. ‘You know quite well that they get through a buck in about four days – what is left of it after the servants have had the best cuts. And fresh meat doesn’t keep in this weather.’
She stumped off down the verandah and Eden turned to Victoria with a rueful grin. ‘You’ll have to make allowance for us, Vicky. We’re all rather badly shaken up by this. It’s a pity you had to arrive just now and get involved in it all. I wish I could have kept you out of it.’
Victoria said soberly: ‘Eden, I haven’t had time to tell you before how sorry I am about – your wife. But——’
‘That’s all right,’ said Eden hastily. ‘You don’t have to say anything. Listen, Vicky——’ He hesitated, flushed, and then said abruptly: ‘I suppose this is quite the wrong time to mention it, but I know you must think I behaved pretty brutally to you in the past. I did, of course. There were reasons why— Oh well, there’s no point in going into them now. But what I wanted to say is that I’m damned glad that you’re here. I had no right to expect that you’d come, but we need a bit of sanity in this place. And you’re right about Gran needing you. She’s cracking up, and if we don’t watch out she’ll end up by having a stroke or running off the rails. Try to see if you can’t get her to ease up a bit – on the work, if nothing else.’
Victoria said: ‘I’ll do what I can. You know that.’
‘Yes, of course. But it isn’t going to be easy. As you can see, you’ve landed right into the middle of a really nasty situation. Gran will have it that everything is over now, and I wish I could believe it. But I didn’t like what Greg said about “only the first killing being difficult”. Supposing he was right, and that Alice wasn’t the end, but the beginning? Look here, Vicky, if you feel that you’d rather not stay, you – you don’t have to, you know. I could always arrange a return passage for you.’
Victoria said: ‘Aunt Em said that too. Are you trying to frighten me, Eden? Or merely get rid of me?’
‘Good Lord, no! From what I know of you, you don’t frighten easily, and thank God for it! Believe me, it’s going to be a nice change to have someone about the house who doesn’t jump every time a door opens or a leaf drops! But I don’t want you to feel that you have to stay. That’s all.’
He put out a hand and touched the tip of her nose lightly with one finger. It was a familiar, caressing gesture that he had used so often in the past, and which had been peculiarly their own, and Victoria stepped back as swiftly as though it had been a blow, and turning from him went quickly away.
Em and Eden were both waiting for her in the Land-Rover when she reappeared ten minutes later, and they had driven out on to the ranges, where Em had shot a kongoni and a Thomson’s gazelle.
It had been dark by the time they returned, and Em had pronounced herself too tired to change for dinner that night, so they had dined as they were, in the candle-lit dining-room where portraits of dead and gone DeBretts and Beaumartins looked down from the walls. But afterwards, as Zacharia was leaving the drawing-room carrying the coffee tray, Em spoke briefly to him in Swahili.
Victoria did not understand what she said, but Eden turned sharply: ‘Kamau? You aren’t really going to see him tonight? You’re far too done up! For goodness sake, Gran, leave it for the morning! He won’t run away.’
‘How do I know that?’ enquired Em morosely, moving towards the door. ‘Of course I’m going to see him. Besides, Zach says he told him after tea that he was to go round with me tonight, so he will be waiting. I said he was to bring a lamp and meet me at the gate into the shamba, as I wanted to make sure that the hippos haven’t broken the wire again. It is too good an opportunity to miss: I have been told things after dark that I would never have heard by day, and I know these people better than you do – even though I’m not Kenya born!’
‘For Pete’s sake, Gran!’ said Eden, exasperated. ‘You’re surely not going to do the rounds tonight?’
‘Why not? I’ve never missed it yet.’
‘But you’re tired out! And anyway, it’s not necessary any longer. Oh, you needn’t remind me about what happened to Alice! Do you think I need reminding? But even Greg doesn’t think that was anything more than an isolated attack, and if the Emergency is over – and we keep being told that it is – then what’s the point of going round the place every night to see that the labour are all in and the place is properly locked up, and all the rest of this Commando nonsense? We can’t keep it up for ever. Look here, I’ll go instead. And what’s more, I’ll talk to Kamau for you.’
‘No dear,’ said Em gently but quite definitely. ‘He wouldn’t talk to you as he will to me.’
‘Then I’m going with you. You know I’ve never liked you wandering around alone after dark, but you would do it. It’s quite time it was stopped. Victoria——’
He turned towards her as though for support, and Em said crisply: ‘Victoria has nothing to do with this, and it’s quite time she went to bed. Don’t be silly, Eden. You’ve never tried to stop me doing it before, and I can’t imagine why you are doing it now.’
‘I did try, but——’
‘But your wife wouldn’t let you go instead of me, and she wouldn’t allow you to go with me because she was afraid of being alone in the house. I know, dear. But you must see that this is no time to relax our precautions. If you really want to take over doing the rounds we’ll discuss the matter tomorrow, but if we want to get anything out of Kamau it’s important that I see him alone. So don’t let’s have any more argument about it. Victoria dear, go to bed. You must be tired out. And you too, Eden! There’s no need for you to wait up for me. Good night, dear.’
The door closed behind her with decision, and Eden took a hasty step forward as though he would have followed her, and then looked at Victoria and shrugged his shoulders.
‘Now you see what I meant when I said you wouldn’t find it an easy job – helping Gran! You’d better do what she told you and get off to bed. I expect you could do with a bit of sleep. Good night.’
He turned and went out by the verandah door, leaving Victoria alone in the silent drawing-room.
8
Despite the anxieties and disturbances of the previous day – or perhaps because of them – Victoria slept soundly and dreamlessly, and awakened feeling refreshed and invigorated and capable of coping with any and every one of the problems that life at Flamingo might offer.
Breakfast had been laid on the verandah, and Eden, wearing riding breeches and a thin tweed coat, was sitting on the verandah rail and drinking black coffee. He was looking tired and heavy-eyed and as though he had not had enough sleep during the past night – or for several nights.
He slid off the verandah rail and said: ‘Hullo, Vicky. No need to ask how you slept. You look offensively well. I hope the dogs didn’t worry you? They’re apt to be a bit noisy at intervals.’
‘They did wake me a couple of times,’ admitted Victoria, seating herself at the table, ‘but I was too sleepy to bother. What was all the noise about?’
‘Nothing. Or anything! Tro
uble is, they usually run loose about the grounds at night, but the Markhams’ spaniel is on heat, and Lisa asked us if we’d keep ’em locked up for the duration, as apparently they sit under her window and serenade her all night. So they’ve been shut up in one of the spare godowns, and they hate it. Have some coffee. Gran’s having her breakfast in bed. She said to tell you she’d like to see you as soon as you’re through with yours. I should take your time if I were you. She’s not in the best of tempers.’
‘Why? Nothing else has happened, has it? I mean – nothing else has been broken, or——?’
‘No, nothing like that. It’s just that Kamau never turned up last night, and she hung about waiting for him and got chilled to the bone, and lost her temper into the bargain. She doesn’t like being kept waiting and she doesn’t take kindly to having her orders disobeyed. He probably had an assignation with his girlfriend. Or else he’s lost his nerve and gone A.W.O.L. for a few days! Gran’s livid, and I can clearly see that this is going to be one of those days when nothing goes right.’
Zacharia appeared with a dish of buttered eggs and bacon, and Victoria helped herself and enquired if Eden was going out riding.
‘I’ve been,’ said Eden briefly. He rejected the eggs with every appearance of loathing, and pouring out a second cup of black coffee, returned to his seat on the verandah rail. ‘When you’ve finished I’ll take you along to Gran’s room. With any luck she may have simmered down a bit, and it mightn’t be a bad idea if we ganged up on her and tried to see if we couldn’t persuade her to spend the day in bed.’
But neither hope was to be realized. Em was already up, and in an exceedingly bad temper. They found her seated in front of her dressing-table, wearing a pair of grey corduroy trousers topped by what appeared to be a fisherman’s jersey in a painful shade of orange.
‘Oh, it’s you,’ said Em without turning, addressing their reflections in the glass. ‘Good morning, Victoria. I trust you had a good night – it’s more than I had!’
