The House Called Green Bays

by Jan Andersen

  “Hmm, it’s like that, is it?” Her uncle gave her a sharp look.

  In the end she let the two men go off together, while she stayed at home with her mother. Roger had done nothing to persuade her to come, so she felt vaguely piqued. Watching them cross the yard towards the stables she wondered idly if Uncle George had really seen Roger before. Just one more little mystery.

  She was just beginning to wish she had gone with them after all when Alex telephoned to ask her if she would come out to dinner that night. He had got a sudden free evening and hoped they would be able to go to the Bushman’s Rock Hotel.

  She hesitated, thinking of her uncle so newly arrived. But he had her mother for company and Roger could ... Oh, darn Roger, why did he have to intrude in everything she did and said?

  “I’d love to come,” she said.

  She worked with a will for the rest of the day and left the house before the men returned. At seven o’clock she was turning up the steep slope that led to the hotel on a ridge that commanded, Alex had said, one of the best views in the Lowveld.

  He was there already, waiting impatiently for her, wanting to show her the beauties of the place before darkness fell.

  “You look wonderful, Tracy,” he said as he greeted her. “Much better than when I last saw you, I hated leaving you in Kimberley feeling rotten.”

  “After all I’m glad I did stay,” she told him. “I didn’t tell you on the phone, but after you had gone, I was just dead lucky.”

  “Lucky?” He frowned.

  “I found Uncle George,” she said triumphantly. “You found him? But how could you ... he wasn’t anywhere in Kimberley?” He spoke roughly, and her triumph dimmed a little.

  “He was,” she answered, puzzled that his pleasure did not seem to match hers. “At least he was working at the alluvial diggings outside the town. He’s now back at Green Bays.”

  “Good, well, that’s fine. Let’s go and have a look at the pool.”

  She followed him slowly up the slope to the gardens. He was probably showing a little masculine jealousy. After Alex putting in more than a day’s work on Uncle George she had come in casually and scooped him.

  The pool had been cut from the rock and stood in magnificent gardens filled with flowering shrubs. From the edge of the pool they could look over the bush, more than two thousand feet above it. While she lingered he took her by the hand and led her to an even higher point, the huge flat rock that had given the hotel its name. Here she felt poised above the very heart of Africa.

  “Oh, Alex, it’s beautiful here! I’d like to stay for hours and just take it all in.”

  “Not here,” he grinned. “They say this is a favourite haunt of the leopard by night. Probably a story, but I doubt if you would want to disprove it.” His arm was round her shoulders as he pointed out the places he knew. “See, right over there is the beginning of the Reserve. Quite a few people who think they have to rough it there prefer to stay here and take their game viewing in a leisurely way.”

  He pulled her round gently to face him. “Tracy, won’t you think again about leaving Green Bays? Now your uncle is there they can do without you.”

  “Perhaps they can eventually. But I still don’t think it would be right for me to take a job here until things are more settled. Especially after all the worries we’ve had this season.”

  “I ... wasn’t really thinking about a job.” He plunged on: “Tracy, marry me ... forget all about your problems. Let’s just think of us for a while.” In a less urgent voice he added, “I want to marry you more than anything else in the world.”

  “Oh, Alex,” she whispered, deeply moved, “I don’t know what to say.”

  “You’re not refusing me, are you?”

  “Oh, no! So much has happened lately that I find it difficult to think straight. With my mother arriving and finding Uncle George and the farm. And you know so little about me, whether I could ever fit in with your kind of life.”

  “If we love each other we can do anything together,” he said stubbornly.

  “Yes ... perhaps. But, Alex, you must give me time to think, to get settled in my own mind. Don’t forget, I’ve only been up to the Reserve once.”

  “Then you must come again. Look,” he said eagerly, still holding her tightly, “Julia’s coming up on Tuesday for at least a night and a day. Why don’t you come too?”

  “I’d love to, but I think it’s too soon to leave Mother.”

  “Then bring her as well. She could even look me over ... we could manage to get some time to ourselves. Say you will, please, Tracy.”

  “If Mother will come, then I promise. And I’ll persuade her somehow. You see if I don’t.”

  “Oh, that’s marvellous. And, darling, you’re going to marry me. I’ll make sure of that. You’ll find it darn difficult to shake me off!”

  “I think I will,” she laughed. “You’re much too persuasive.”

  The rest of the evening passed too quickly, with dinner, a walk in the garden with all the scents of the flowers drifting round them and the final kiss beside the pool. After that, Tracy reluctantly decided it was time for her to start for home. She had not done much driving in the dark in this country.

  She had not gone for more than a few miles when she saw red lights across the road. She slowed and found there was a barrier right across and a sign about road works. An arrow pointed up a narrow dirt track leading into the hills. It did not look very inviting in the dark.

  While she was considering whether to return to the hotel, or try to find her way round the diversion, a voice spoke through the open window, making her jump yards: “I had a feeling you wouldn’t notice the warning when you drove down here earlier this evening.”

  “Roger! What on earth are you doing here?”

  He leant on the door and said lazily, “Keeping an eye on you. You don’t race round this country late at night with hardly enough petrol to get you home.”

  She glanced at the gauge. Why hadn’t she seen it was so low? Ungraciously she said, “That’s still no reason why you should act as watchdog.”

  “Well, let’s say that I find you too useful a farm labourer.” In a sharper tone he added, “Everyone—including your escort—knew this road was going to be closed. He must be crazy to think of letting you drive alone up there. I’m afraid we do have a few thugs even in this perfect country. And since you can’t drive at more than ten miles an hour, you could be a sitting duck. Maybe the chances are slight, but no one should let you risk it”

  She swallowed, not knowing whether to be angry or grateful. But she was certain that Alex had not known, or he would at least have warned her. But this was no time to start an argument.

  ‘Thanks for coming,” she said grudgingly, “but you needn’t have bothered.”

  He swept her a deep mock bow. “Why, the lady actually said thank you—and very nearly smiled! I shall treasure this moment.” His black eyes were very close to hers, strangely serious while his voice mocked, and she drew quickly back. .

  “Well, let’s go if we’re going, shall we?” She added sarcastically, “It must be quite amusing for you to try to play the knight in shining armour.”

  His hand hit the top of the door with a crash. “The trouble with you, Miss Tracy Jamieson, is you haven’t worked out yet who your real friends are. You never know—you might even mistakenly be thinking of get ting married.”

  “I am!” she retorted, and saw the flicker of anger in his eyes before he strode back to his car.

  Her victory gave her little pleasure, but she had no time to dwell on anything but the journey back in darkness along a pitted road. If Roger had not known when to slow down and which track to take when the going became difficult she would have been in a very sorry state indeed.

  They were all up when she and Roger came home, tea waiting for them.

  “Did you have a good evening, darling?” her mother asked.

  “The first part was wonderful,” she said, flashing a glance at
Roger. “I can’t say the same for the end.”

  “Never mind,” came the placid answer, “it was a good job Roger came in search of you.”

  Still feeling the need to hit out at Roger, she said, “By the way, Mother, I’m thinking of going to the Reserve next week. Julia Lawson is going and Alex suggested that you and I came too.”

  “What a splendid idea. I think I’ve got over my old dislike of wild animals. We could make it a real celebration.” She turned wide, innocent eyes on Roger and said, “Why don’t we all go? Surely it’s possible to leave Green Bays for a night. You keep saying how reliable your man Dinga is. How about it Roger?” Roger glanced lazily at Tracy and she glared back at him, daring him to accept.

  “I think it’s a grand idea. If it’s only for a couple of nights then I’m your man. I’ll accept with pleasure.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  IN the end Uncle George was persuaded to come too and four days later they set out for the Reserve. Julia had been going to come in their car, but wanted to stop the night with some friends near the Bushman Rock, so had left the day before under her own steam.

  Tracy had cooled down after her first anger that Roger should deliberately decide to come against her wishes. After all, it could be Julia who tipped the scales. Then, on the night before they were due to leave,

  Roger came in search of her when she had gone for a breath of fresh air after supper.

  “Tracy, I’ve been thinking, it was a mean trick to pull on you to say that I was coming too. If you like I’ll stay at home tomorrow...”

  “No,” she said quickly, “I don’t mind, honestly I don’t. I was furious then, I admit it, but—well, now in a funny way I’m really quite glad. And Mother and Uncle George wanted you to come, didn’t they?”

  “They insisted I needed a break.”

  “Well, you do. You make me ashamed how much time I’ve taken off compared with you.”

  “There’s one thing I want to ask you, Tracy, only please don’t jump down my throat.”

  “I promise.” But her voice was wary.

  “Are you really serious about Alex Lawson?”

  “He wants to marry me,” she countered. “I haven’t yet discovered the depth of my feelings for him, so I won’t be rushed. Does that satisfy you?”

  “I suppose so. You’re being honest anyway ... and while we’re being honest there’s something else I want to say. You accused me a few weeks ago of being tempted to sell my soul to the Lawsons for a seat on their board. That wasn’t true, whatever you think you overheard. I’d just like to get that straight. Never, whatever has happened, have I ever wanted anything but the good of Green Bays. And above all I wanted it to be independent.”

  “I believe you, Roger. We’ve got our wires crossed too often, but deep down, whatever I accused you of, I wanted to believe in you.”

  “You’ve made me feel happier tonight. You ... I...” Unusually, he fumbled for words.

  “Yes?”

  “Oh, nothing. I was going to say that your uncle has got ideas for turning the few acres right to the south—where the leopard appeared—over to timber. It could be a good idea, and it looks as if he’s thinking of staying.”

  All four were cheerful and relaxed at the prospect of a couple of days’ ‘truancy’ when they set off for the Reserve after tea. Both Roger and Tracy had been working from dawn to dusk so as to leave everything ready for the crop that would need picking in about a fortnight. Uncle George had lent a willing hand, but most of his time had been up on the ‘wild acres’ going over the prospects of timber up there. He seemed to have finally decided not to go back to Kimberley, but whether Tracy and her mother could persuade him to remain at Green Bays remained to be seen.

  They reached the main camp just as the gates were closing and Alex was waiting to show them to their rondavels. He greeted Mrs. Jamieson politely, but as he walked along with Tracy, muttered, “I can’t remember persuading you to bring Roger Louw as well.”

  “I didn’t persuade him,” Tracy replied with asperity, “my mother did. She felt he needed a break, and I think she’s quite right about that. So, please, Alex, don’t let him spoil our day tomorrow. In any case he’s got Julia.”

  “I still can’t understand why you didn’t stop him coming,” he grumbled as he opened the rondavel she was to share with her mother. Tracy did not reply. Why Alex and Roger always had to be at each other’s throats was beyond her. Couldn’t they ever forget their squabbles for once? Her annoyance must have shown, for Alex apologised, saying, “Anyway, it’s wonderful to see you, darling. We won’t have any dramas like last time, but we’ll make tomorrow a day to remember.”

  They all had supper together, joined by Julia who, for once, let her hair down. She basked in the attention of both Roger and Uncle George. Afterwards Alex excused himself for a while, but said he would join them for coffee as soon as he could. Tracy tucked her arm into her Uncle George’s and walked with him to the edge of the grass where it fell away to the river far below. “How long is it since you’ve been here, Uncle?”

  “Near twenty years,” he replied, “and it wasn’t as smart as it is now. I shall have to learn my wild animal lore all over again!”

  “Listen!” A howl sounded in the distance, echoing across the river. “What do you suppose that is?”

  He cocked his ear. “I don’t know, except that it isn’t a lion. One of the night scavengers. Perhaps a hyena...”

  “It is a hyena.” The answer came from a round smiling man who had come up beside them and was also looking down into the river. “This is a good place to listen to all the cries of the game.”

  Tracy smiled. “Then you know them all?”

  “Well, perhaps not all,” he explained modestly, “but let’s say I’m an enthusiastic amateur. I spend all the spare time I can up here. You sound English—is it your first visit?”

  “No, the second,” Tracy explained, “but the first only lasted two days; but I went up north and saw a wonderful amount of game.”

  “Ah, well, you’ve been lucky. I don’t like to hear of people leaving the Park disappointed in how little they’ve seen. And you, sir?” he said politely to Uncle George, offering him a cigarette at the same time.

  “I’ve forgotten more than I remember,” Uncle George laughed, “but I’ve no doubt that my niece here will prove an able guide.”

  As the match flared between them the round man frowned. “That’s strange, I feel I know you. What part of the country do you come from? I’m from Kimberley. Van Wyk’s the name.”

  “Well, I come from Kimberley, but I don’t think we’ve met...”

  “Ah, but I’m one of those annoying people who never forgets a face. May I ask your name?”

  “George Jamieson.”

  “That’s right,” the other said triumphantly, “I knew I couldn’t be wrong. You were out at the old diggings a few years ago. I might have forgotten all about you, but a young man came to see me only a week or two ago, showed me a photograph of you and seemed to be trying to trace you. A young, fair man. Told him I wasn’t sure, but sent him off to the diggings. Did he find you? I must say I was filled with curiosity?”

  “Well, my niece did, which is much the same thing.”

  While they talked for a few moments about Kimberley Tracy tried to sort out just what he had said. He had described Alex. He must have meant Alex ... yet Alex had sworn there was no clue of her uncle’s whereabouts. She did not understand. Surely he could not have forgotten to tell her anything quite as important?

  ‘Tracy, wake up,” her uncle nudged her, “they’re calling us for coffee.” They bade a polite good night to the round man and walked up towards the terrace.

  “Is something wrong?” he asked her. “He meant no harm by chatting. A bit lonely, I expect.”

  “Oh, no,” she said quickly, “it wasn’t that. It’s just ... it doesn’t matter.”

  Throughout the whole of the evening she did not get a chance to talk to Alex alon
e. Once when he caught her staring at him he looked puzzled and tried to smile, but she looked quickly away, uncertain of her feelings. She badly wanted to ask him, yet she was a little frightened of his answer.

  There should have been an opportunity on the following morning’s game drive. Alex had organised the cars adroitly, putting Julia in the front of the car with Roger, the two older people at the back, and taking Tracy off with him to the truck. But at the last minute one of the other rangers asked for a lift to one of the other camps where they were to have lunch.

  Fortunately he was a talkative man and the morning passed quickly. Tracy had brought her camera with her this time and on their frequent stops took as many photographs as she could. They were lucky with zebra and giraffe, but there was not to be sight of lion or elephant this morning.

  They reached the camp a few moments in advance of Alex’s car and were alone for the first time.

  He caught her arm as they walked towards the little restaurant. “Tracy, what is it? You seem to have been avoiding me since supper last night. Have I said something ... have I done something?”

  “I don’t know, Alex,” she said slowly. “I hope not. More than anything else in the world I hope I’m wrong. You see...” But before they could go on a familiar figure came out into the sunshine—Sally Vorster.

  She greeted Tracy with a cry of delight. “Oh, what a marvellous thing to run into you like this! I’ve never thanked you properly for all you did that night.”

  “I did nothing,” Tracy protested, “but how’s your husband? How’s Ian? He hasn’t gone chasing after any more animals, has he?”