Ivy looked around, hoping that neither Brian nor the others had noticed. Everyone was still talking and joking, and fortunately Brian was busy pouring her brandy into a balloon glass. Ivy felt very upset on his behalf, and made a mental note to tackle Owen as soon as possible. Surely her brother wasn’t cuckolding his partner? How ironic, she thought. Not long ago, she hadn’t wanted Brian to have a partner; now she was angry that his partner was cheating on him!
Smiling, Brian returned with two brandies and sat down beside her again. Thanking him, Ivy anxiously scanned the darkness outside, but there was no longer any sign of either Owen or Charmaine. Just at that moment, the two of them reappeared on the stoep – holding hands! Ivy’s jaw dropped until it dawned on her that perhaps she’d made another wrong assumption …
As they approached, Owen slipped an arm around Charmaine. “This wonderful woman has just agreed to marry me, so we’re going to Johannesburg next week to buy the ring!” he told them, his voice filled with joy.
Happily, Ivy embraced them both, inwardly sighing with relief. Thank goodness she hadn’t been offhand with Charmaine, since she would soon become her sister-in-law!
“Congratulations!” said Ivy, smiling at them both. “It’s wonderful news – Mum and Dad will be thrilled!”
Everyone was now milling around, offering congratulations and making joking remarks.
Ivy pulled her brother aside. “You sneaky old devil!” she whispered. “You never told me you were seeing anyone! How long have you and Charmaine been dating?”
Owen grinned. “Not that long, really – just a few months. But I knew straight away that she was the woman for me.”
He looked over at his fiancée, who was still being hugged and congratulated.
“And luckily, she seems to feel the same way.”
Gradually people began leaving to go back to their own homes, and Ivy was struck, yet again, by how early everything closed down in South Africa. Perhaps the rapidly descending darkness was a factor. Although it was only around nine o’clock, Owen and Charmaine excused themselves and left, leaving just Ivy and Brian sitting alone on the veranda. Nevertheless, she felt so relaxed that no conversation was necessary, and she closed her eyes and began to drift off into a pleasant reverie …
Suddenly, the phone rang in the distance and, excusing himself, Brian went off to answer it. Within minutes, he was back, looking puzzled.
“There’s someone on the phone for you, Ivy –”
Guiltily Ivy rose to her feet. It was probably Danny. Other than letting him know she’d arrived safely, she hadn’t bothered ringing him since.
Hurrying to the phone, Ivy picked it up, expecting to hear her husband’s voice. Instead, the voice she heard shocked her to the core.
“I can find you anywhere,” it whispered menacingly. “Just stay away from the lake!”
Then the line went dead.
In an instant, Ivy’s relaxed mood had evaporated. Since she’d arrived in South Africa, she’d forgotten all about her problems. Now, she was shaking like a leaf, although she did her best to hide it. Nevertheless, she didn’t fool Brian.
“You’re very jumpy,” he said, a look of concern on his face.
“I’m fine,” she replied brightly. Then she stretched exaggeratedly. “If you don’t mind, I think I’ll head off to bed – I’m exhausted.”
Brian looked disappointed. “But you haven’t finished your drink –”
“I’ll take it with me,” Ivy said, smiling as she deftly grabbed the glass and turned on her heel. She desperately wanted to be alone with her fears, because she didn’t want Brian to see how frightened she was.
“Then goodnight, Ivy.”
“Goodnight, Brian.”
Ivy knew Brian would be watching her as she climbed the central staircase, so when she reached the top, she turned and gave him a cheery final wave.
Alone in her room, Ivy turned the key in the door, her heart thudding painfully. She’d never felt the need to lock the door before, but now she was terrified. How could the caller know where she was? She’d travelled 6,000 miles, yet still they’d managed to trace her.
Chapter 26
“Hello, Danny.”
“Oh – hello, Ivy.”
Danny appeared deep in thought as he walked along the main street of the village, and he’d almost collided with Ivy as she made her way in the opposite direction.
Ivy felt awkward speaking to him, but right now she had a problem, and there was only one way she could hope to make it right.
“Are you okay? You look a bit preoccupied –”
“No, I’m fine, honestly.” He gave her a quick smile. “But Dad’s been giving me grief over breaking up with Rosa – Hannah is his customer and friend, and he’s furious that I’ve made things awkward between them. I must admit it was a bit of a shock – I never expected Rosa to react so badly …”
Rosa’s departure from the village the day before had the girls’ school buzzing with the news. Somehow, word had got out that Hannah’s daughter was so devastated by Danny’s rejection that she’d packed her bags and left on the train to London.
“That behaviour’s a bit extreme,” Ivy’s mother Eleanor said worriedly when she’d heard the news. “I know being rejected can be devastating, especially when it’s your first love, but people usually manage to get over it and move on. I hope Rosa will be all right. I mean, London isn’t all glamour, you know –” She’d looked pointedly at Ivy. “I hope you’d never be such an idiot – you need an education before going places like that. Cities can be dangerous places for unwary young girls …”
Ivy assured her mother that she’d no intention of leaving Willow Haven for London until she’d secured a place at RADA. Thankfully, her mother had no idea she’d already tried to escape from the village – and failed.
Danny interrupted her thoughts again. “Are you alright? You look a bit preoccupied yourself.”
“I’m fine thanks – really,” Ivy replied, a blush returning colour to her cheeks.
“That’s better!” said Danny, smiling. “I suppose you’re going to miss Rosa too,” he said kindly. “She was a lot of fun, wasn’t she?” He sighed. “I just wish I could have felt about her the way I feel about you –”
Ivy took a deep breath. If she didn’t say it now, she’d lose courage.
“Danny – I’ve been thinking about what you said.”
Danny looked at her, shy and uncertain. “What do you mean?”
“Well, I’ve always really liked you, and now that Rosa’s gone away – well, I mean, if you still want me to, I’d be happy to go out with you.”
Ivy’s last words were drowned out as Danny began whooping joyfully.
“Oh Ivy, you’ve made my day – I mean, you’ve made my life! I swear you’ll never regret it –”
Suddenly, she was in his arms and he was spinning her around, and they were both laughing.
When he put her down on the ground again, Danny looked earnestly into Ivy’s eyes. “I’ll never stop loving you. I fell for you a long time ago.”
Ivy smiled mischievously. “It can’t have been that long ago – you’re only seventeen!”
“I fell for you in junior school!” Danny told her solemnly. “There’s never been anyone else for me – I was getting up the courage to ask you out when I got cornered into asking Rosa. Anyway, you were always hanging out with Joe, so it wasn’t easy to get close enough to ask you!”
Ivy’s face coloured. “That was because Joe and I were both keen on History and Science,” she lied.
Danny kissed her lightly. “At one stage, I was worried in case you fancied Joe, and I was terribly jealous of him.”
Ivy’s heart was pounding, but she gave him a convincing smile. “Never! I’ve already told you – I liked your brother – I like all your family – but I never fancied Joe, not even for a minute.”
She experienced a pang of guilt at denying her feelings for Joe, and felt equally guilty for deceiving Danny.
But there was too much at stake to tell the truth.
“I’m so glad to hear that,” said Danny, holding her tightly, and Ivy felt sick inside as she returned his embrace. How easy it was to fool poor Danny.
“I adore you, Ivy – so you better get used to it!”
Hugging her new boyfriend, Ivy should have felt happy. But all she felt was fear.
Now, she was embarking on yet another deception. Her period was a month late, and she knew without a shadow of doubt that she was pregnant. With Joe’s baby.
She’d briefly considered an abortion, but decided against it. She didn’t have the money, and even if she had, it would mean travelling alone to a clinic in a city she didn’t know. She’d thought of telling Owen, but what could her brother do? She didn’t dare tell her parents because they’d want to know who the father was, and she could hardly tell them he was lying dead at the bottom of Harper’s Lake.
Ivy sighed. Anyway, this baby was a part of Joe, the man she’d loved, and was all she had left of him. It would be wrong to destroy a life that had been conceived in love. By delivering this baby, she’d also be giving something back to Joe’s parents. While she couldn’t give them their beloved eldest son, at least she’d be giving them a grandchild to replace him – even though they’d believe it was Danny’s. Ivy sighed. Yes, this was the best way. Now, she needed to have sex with Danny as soon as possible, and in eight months’ time, she’d deliver an ‘early’ baby.
“I love you, Ivy Morton!” said Danny, swinging her in the air again.
“Put me down, you great oaf!” she laughed, disguising the fact that she couldn’t say ‘I love you’ back to him.
Not yet, anyway. Maybe someday she’d feel that way, because Danny was the most decent boy she’d ever met, and the most deserving of someone’s love. But for now, he’d be content with making love to her.
“There’s one thing I want you to promise me,” Ivy said as he put her down on the ground again.
“Of course – anything you want in the whole world!”
“You said you were leaving Willow Haven after your exams – I hope you still mean that.”
Danny looked surprised. “Of course! I’ve already told you I have big plans – and they don’t involve working for my dad!”
“Well, I’m just saying. Things change, people change, and your father is a very persuasive man. I want your word that we’re going to get out of here.”
“Of course – you know I want to be my own boss.”
As he kissed her again, Ivy knew what she had to do next.
“Oh Danny, let’s go somewhere private,” she whispered.
Danny grinned happily. “I know a great spot, down beside the lake.”
Ivy smiled to cover the dart of pain she felt. She knew that spot – she’d often gone there with Joe. Now she and Danny would be making love within feet of where Joe lay trapped in the car beneath the lake’s murky waters. Would she ever escape from the agony of Harper’s Lake?
“Let’s go, then,” she said, smiling up at him and taking his hand.
Chapter 27
Since she’d paced the floor for much of the night, Ivy slept late the following morning. She was unable to eat the breakfast Pumila had kindly brought to her room, and she didn’t go downstairs until lunchtime. Brian was in the kitchen and offered to take her on another game drive, and Ivy was happy to agree, reasoning that her mystery caller could hardly pursue her across the wilds of the Eastern Cape. Besides, she enjoyed Brian’s company, and Owen and Charmaine were on duty at the animal clinic all day.
Making a special effort to forget about the previous evening’s phone call, Ivy turned her attention to the wonders of nature all around her. By now, she was becoming more adept at spotting the different animals, and recognising the habitats where they were likely to live. She was thrilled when they came close to a family of warthogs out foraging, the babies staying close to their mother’s side and eyeing the jeep warily. A few miles further on, they spotted two rare black rhinos. Ivy was also intrigued by the vast numbers of termite hills, many of them eight feet or more in height.
“The termites design their towers to cope with fluctuations in temperature and the changing direction of the sun,” Brian told her. “Inside, there’re lots of chambers, and the top is left open like a chimney, to keep the interior cool.”
Ivy smiled. “And we dare to think that humans are the most intelligent animals!”
Brian smiled back. “Certainly, termites could teach us a lot about architecture!”
The mention of architecture suddenly reminded her of Joe’s dream career and the life they’d planned together, and her good spirits suddenly evaporated. Even here, thousands of miles away from Harper’s Lake, she was still affected by what had happened there twenty years ago. Would she ever escape the lake’s siren call?
As they drove along, they could suddenly hear a series of loud anguished roars, and Brian brought the jeep to a halt.
“That doesn’t sound good. Stay here, Ivy,” he warned, alighting from the jeep.
He disappeared into the trees, in the direction of the noise, then returned a few minutes later, a grim expression on his face.
“It’s an old bull elephant – he’s badly wounded, so please stay in the jeep.”
“W-what are you going to do?”
“The only thing I can do – put him out of his misery.”
Brian went to the rear of the jeep, and Ivy watched as he took out what looked like a high-powered rifle.
“Can’t anything be done for him – I mean, to make him better?”
Brian shook his head. “He’s old, and the hyenas are quick to spot any weakness. They’ve already injured him badly, and he could wander around in pain for days, but they’ll get him in the end. It’s better to let him die with dignity.”
Ivy watched as he strode back into the trees once again, feeling an overwhelming sense of hopelessness. The death of such a majestic creature seemed so tragic. Her heart thudded painfully as she waited for the sound of the bullet and, when she eventually heard it, she felt bereft.
After several minutes, Brian appeared from among the trees and traversed the grassland to the jeep. He replaced his gun in the back, and climbed into the driver’s seat. For a few moments they both sat in silence, then suddenly it all proved too much for Ivy, and the tears began to run down her cheeks. She clenched her teeth together in an attempt to stop her jaw from trembling, but a wail escaped from her throat, and finally she gave in to her emotions. Leaning towards her, Brian took her in his arms, letting her cry against his shoulder until she felt she’d no more tears left.
Leaning against him, Ivy wished she could stay in the comfort and protection of his arms forever, but eventually she sat up, her eyes red, and looked earnestly at Brian.
“C-can I see him?”
“Sure.”
Climbing out of the jeep, Ivy felt her knees almost buckle beneath her. But Brian was there to steady her. Gripping his hand tightly, Ivy walked with him through the trees to where the magnificent creature now lay motionless. She hadn’t been able to bear the thought of seeing him in pain but, now, reaching out, Ivy touched his tough and wrinkled grey skin. It was still warm, and she desperately wished she could will him back to life. She’d never felt so powerless in this cycle of life and death as she did now. But at least he was at peace.
“W-what will happen to him?”
“The scavengers will be here by nightfall, and gradually they’ll devour him. But he’s beyond pain, and that’s the way nature does its work. Within a week, there’ll be nothing left but the bones.”
Ivy shuddered. In one way, nature seemed so cruel, but in another way it was the ultimate conservationist. Nothing was ever wasted. The vultures, jackals, hyenas and other assorted creatures would dine well that night.
They drove back to Siyak’atala in silence, Ivy subdued by the tragedy she’d witnessed. She was also feeling embarrassed about her outbreak of crying, and guilty about t
he large wet patch that her tears had left on Brian’s shirt.
“I’m sorry about your shirt.”
Brian smiled. “Don’t give it another thought – it’ll be dry in no time. You’ve been through a lot today, Ivy – that wasn’t a situation we’d want any tourist to see.”
Ivy felt stung. She didn’t want to be thought of as a tourist! Yet, in essence, that was what she was. She wasn’t hardened to the necessity of taking life when it couldn’t otherwise be saved, and she could only admire the people who had the moral gumption to do it when the need arose.
Back in Siyak’atala, Ivy was relieved that no one else was around. She didn’t feel like talking to anyone, and was thankful that after finishing their shift at the animal hospital, Owen and Charmaine had gone into Port Elizabeth for supplies, and were stopping off to visit friends on their way back. Lumka had the day off, so Brian made them both a sandwich in the kitchen, which they then ate silently at the large kitchen table. Then he led her out to the stoep, where he poured them each a large brandy. Already, the light was fading, and Ivy shuddered as she thought of all the creatures that were probably now feeding on the old elephant’s carcass.
Brian sat down beside her. “Poor Joe – you’re never going to forget him, are you, Ivy?” he said softly.
Ivy blanched. “W-what did you say?”
Brian looked directly at her. “I said, you’ll never forget poor Joe. We’re linked forever to those whose deaths we’ve been part of. Don’t you agree, Ivy?”
Ivy’s heart was doing a somersault at the mention of the man who’d been her first love. How could Brian possibly know about him? Suddenly, her mind was filled with pictures of Joe in his watery grave, his hair weaving in the water, terror in his eyes as he fought in vain to escape the murky depths of Harper’s Lake. And for a frightening split second, Ivy wondered if Brian could be a hired assassin, sent by the mystery caller to finish her off? Then common sense intervened – he was her brother’s business partner, for heaven’s sake! She was just tired and emotional and unable to think straight.
Still Waters Page 13
