by Anne Hampson
‘In the cafe it was,’ she broke in, and shook her head at the same time. ‘They were private then, too.’ He slanted her a glance that was faintly perceptive, yet questioning as well.
‘They were probably about the same thing ... or the same person?’ Half statement, half question. Beth was startled into saying,
‘You haven’t guessed—? No, you couldn’t have!’
The alert blue eyes were unreadable.
‘Sometimes, Beth, you’re very transparent; at others you’re baffling.’
‘I’m glad I puzzle you,’ she could not help retorting.
‘Because you’re a bitch.’
She only laughed; she was used to him by now.
‘I ought to find a similarly nasty name for you,’ she said.
‘I seem to remember you’ve found plenty, at various times. The names you called me on that first occasion, when you were about twelve years of age, would have done credit to a termagant of sixty.’ He paused, expecting Beth to speak, but she sat quiet, the two little spots of crimson in her cheeks the only sign that his words had gone right home. ‘Something must have happened to your vocabulary since then,’ he added, casting her a quizzical glance.
She looked at him.
‘Are you trying to provoke me, Chad?’ she enquired, at her most acid.
‘It’s been some time since we had one of our little bouts.’
‘So you are provoking me? Well, perhaps now you’ll admit that it isn’t always my fault.’
‘You’ve won a point,’ he said surprisingly.
‘Thanks!’
Chad laughed, his eyes on her face, his expression unfathomable.
‘Here’s the coffee.’ Beth was relieved out of all proportion to see the houseboy coming with the tray. The situation between her and Chad—although apparently light and bantering on the surface—seemed to have an undercurrent of intimacy that was profoundly disturbing to her. She felt that Chad’s teasing manner was superficial, that her own response was a necessary affectation.
Rikuya’s strong white teeth showed in a smile as he placed the tray on the table.
Beth thanked him and shook her head in answer to his query as to whether there was anything else she wanted. She poured the coffee from a silver pot which had been in her uncle’s family for years—the only thing of value he had inherited, he would tell the girls when on their visits they had admired it. She passed Chad’s to him, then held out the sugar-box. He helped himself, his features set in thoughtful lines now, and she knew that he was once again thinking about her and feeling that she ought not to be here on her own. Her assumption was proved correct when at length he spoke.
‘I think, Beth, that when your cousins leave here you’d better sleep at my home—’
‘At—at Mangwe Farm?’ She stared at him in disbelief. Was his concern for her that deep, then?’
‘Yes, at Mangwe Farm.’ His voice was sternly imperious, almost domineering, she thought. ‘You can come back here each morning. It won’t make any difference to the running of Jacana.’
‘But what about the inconvenience to you, Chad?’ Her nerves were rioting uncomfortably; she was remembering her impressions on the night of Doug’s barbecue, when what promised to be a tender scene between her and Chad was interrupted by the appearance of Rosa.
‘Inconvenience?’ he repeated, raising his eyebrows. ‘What possible inconvenience could there be to me?’
‘Well ... I don’t really know,’ she admitted.
‘None, my dear.’ Chad picked up his coffee and took a drink. Beth noticed the fine-drawn intentness of his eyes as he looked at her over the rim of the cup. ‘I promised your uncle that I’d watch over you all, and I feel it’s my duty to take you under my wing as soon as Jo and Carole leave.’
‘Watch over us,’ murmured Beth. ‘Did you really promise that?’
‘You know very well I did.’
‘You said you’d promised to keep an eye on us, but that’s not the same thing. What you are saying now is that you accepted the responsibility of protecting us from any possible danger.’
He said nothing for a moment and, looking at him, searching his face, she suddenly realised that her uncle had made absolutely sure that his nieces would be well guarded while they were at the farm. He had extracted this promise from Chad, and he had full confidence in Chad’s keeping that promise.
Beth remembered all the times she had deliberately quarrelled with Chad ... and she felt small and ungrateful, and ashamed. If he disliked her intensely it would only be what she deserved.
‘When are your cousins thinking of going?’ he wanted to know.
‘They’ve written to Uncle Jack to tell him of their decision. They won’t leave until they have his reply.’ ‘So you’ll be all right for a week or two yet.’
He seemed satisfied, and for the next quarter of an hour he and Beth chatted—throwing a few darts now and then but, as Chad said as he was leaving, they weren’t of the familiar deadly poisonous type.
He had come in his car, because he was going into town, and Beth walked with him to where he had left it, at the top of the tree-lined drive.
‘What are you going to do now?’ he asked, opening the car door but making no attempt to get in.
‘I’ve a good deal of book-work to do. I must get down to it today.’
He seemed faintly amused by the businesslike attitude she had assumed all at once.
‘You’re not finding it difficult?’
Beth shook her head.
‘Uncle had been doing the books, so I just follow his method.’
‘Do you list all your expenses?’
‘Yes, every one. Uncle arranged for us to draw from his account at the bank, but I feel I must let him see where his money has gone. I even list minor expenses, such as things for the house.’ Her voice was low, and serious, her eyes open and looking into his. A tense silence ensued, with nothing but the trilling of cicadas to intrude into it. Chad seemed to be deep in thought, but Beth was suddenly fascinated by the uncontrolled pulsation of a nerve in his throat. What could he be thinking about to be emotionally affected to that extent? When he spoke his tone was curt, abrupt.
‘I must be off—’ He slid into the driver’s seat and snapped the door closed. The window was wound right down and he turned his head towards it. ‘I expect I shall see you all at the Club tomorrow night?’
‘Yes.’ Absurdly Beth felt the prick of tears at the sudden change in his manner towards her. Remorseless pain touched her heart. Perhaps, she thought, it would be more prudent to go home with her cousins
Chad backed the car in a sweeping half-curve that raised a cloud of dust on the forecourt in front of the homestead. He lifted a hand and then he was gone, rolling along the tree-lined drive towards the road. Beth stood there, the tawny dust settling around her. What could have caused that dramatic change? she wondered. This after his unmistakable concern for her that had led him to offer her accommodation in his home. He was unfathomable, an enigma, a man of moods.
She turned at last and walked slowly away from the house, feeling she needed the peace and tranquillity of the garden for a few minutes before she started work on the books. The air was still cool, as it was not yet ten o’clock. A breeze stirred the trees— the lovely flamboyants and high dome palms—and sighed through the foliage in a tenuous thread of mournful sound. A mosquito zipped past Beth’s head, but she scarcely noticed, her mind being on Chad and the change that had so unexpectedly taken place in those last few moments.
She let out a long breath, doubtful now of her own impressions. Had she imagined it—that curtness in his voice and the frown between his eyes? There was no answering her doubts, no knowing whether she had been mistaken or not. But in any case her mind was taken off Chad as she heard another car and she turned swiftly, wondering who it could be. It was too early for her cousins to be returning, and there was no one else.... Beth’s eyes widened, then narrowed slowly. Rosa! What could she possibly want?
She advanced slowly towards where the girl stood, watching her intently for some indication as to the reason for this unexpected call.
‘Good morning,’ she said, managing to produce the vestige of a smile.
‘Good morning, Beth. I was just passing on my way to Chad’s and I thought I’d call in for a few minutes.’ Her voice was controlled and so was her expression; all the same, Beth detected a hint of animosity in both.
‘That’s—er—nice of you.’ Beth supposed this was the thing to say under the circumstances. ‘Would you like some coffee?’
Rosa shook her head.
‘I’ll get some when I go to Chad’s place.’
Beth hesitated about telling her that Chad would not be in, but eventually she decided that she would have to, since it would be too unfriendly altogether to let Rosa go to Mangwe Farm and discover that Chad had gone out.
‘He went to town a few minutes ago,’ she said, moving away towards the stoep, Rosa automatically following. But the girl stopped abruptly as the meaning of the words penetrated.
‘How do you know?’ she demanded, her eyes hardening to points of flint.
‘He called here on his way—’
‘Called here?’ broke in the other girl rudely. ‘Why should he call here at this time of the morning?’ She glanced around. ‘Where are the others?’
‘Jo and Carole have gone to town.’ Beth’s voice was crisp but not yet hostile. She had a strong suspicion, though, that strong words would be used if Rosa went on like this.
‘What did Chad want?’ Rosa’s mouth went tight, her colour had heightened but as yet she was containing the anger that was rising within her.
‘It was merely a friendly visit,’ answered Beth, unwilling to enlighten Rosa as to the real reason for Chad’s calling on her this morning. But she did wonder what the girl would say were she to learn that Chad was intending to insist that Beth sleep at his house, once her cousins had left Jacana Lodge.
Rosa’s eyes flickered, and in their dark depths Beth saw hatred, strong and deep.
‘I can never understand this friendship that appears to exist between you and Chad,’ she said after a long pause. ‘I thought at one time that you hadn’t much time for one another.’
‘You did?’ returned Beth succinctly.
Rosa drew a furious breath.
‘I was given to understand that all three of you were engaged,’ she snapped.
‘I have never been engaged.’
‘You ...?’ Rosa’s glance was arrogantly sceptical.
‘You were engaged before you came here. I know you were!’
Beth’s eyes widened a little.
‘Then you know more than I do,’ she returned, edging a silkiness to her voice because she knew it would rile the girl. And it did. Rosa’s mouth compressed and the colour heightened in her cheeks. Before she could speak Beth said, ‘Why did you call here this morning, Rosa? I’m very sure it was no friendly visit,’ she added finally and with undisguised sarcasm. If Chad were fool enough to marry this girl, she thought, then he deserved all he got! Beth herself might be a vixen in his eyes, but Rosa was a snake, with a particular brand of poison all her own!
‘I called because I’d heard a rumour that your two cousins are leaving Jacana in the near future.’
A frown knit Beth’s brows. She would not have thought the news would be common property for a while yet, but she suddenly realised that Chad had probably told Rosa in the course of conversation. Or it could have been Alex or Doug, as they both knew of the two girls’ decisions to leave Africa.
‘I fail to see,’ said Beth after a while, ‘what interest their departure could be to you?’
Rosa was plainly seething at the attitude Beth was adopting. Rosa had always treated her with a mingling of condescension and arrogant disdain, but now she was being put nicely in her place by the very simplicity of Beth’s cool reserve.
‘I just wondered how you were going to carry on alone,’ admitted Rosa after what appeared to be an interlude of seeking for some casual way of saying what was in her mind.
‘Does it matter to you how I carry on alone?’ enquired Beth, who was quite enjoying the other girl’s discomfiture.
‘You’re insolent!’ Rosa shot at her, resorting to arrogance in an endeavour to re-establish her air of superiority. ‘If I were to tell Chad how downright rude and insulting you are to me he’d be finished with you for ever!’
‘He would? Then why don’t you tell him, Rosa? I’m sure you’d be much happier if he did finish with me for ever.’ Beth was inwardly amused as she dwelt for a space on what would be Chad’s reaction were he to hear words like those. He would undoubtedly call Beth a catty little bitch! Well, she felt like a catty bitch and wished she could think of something equally bitchy to add to what she had already said.
‘Happier! I—!’ Rosa stared in disbelief, then she gave a sneering laugh. ‘You do have an inflated sense of your own importance, don’t you? Do you really believe I’m afraid of Chad’s falling for a girl like you?’ A contemptuous glance at Beth from head to foot accompanied the words. ‘Chad, you’ll find, is particular! That’s why he isn’t married already!’ And without giving Beth an opportunity of saying anything to that Rosa swung away and within seconds she was in her car and driving away—sending up a cloud of dust that was twice as thick as that sent up by Chad a short while before.
Beth turned away, her cheeks burning, her body on fire with the fury that smouldered within her. So Chad was particular, was he?
‘The best of good luck to him!’ she muttered between her teeth as she strode back to the homestead. ‘I wish him joy of her!’
An hour later Jo and Carole returned with the week-end provisions. They had bumped into Chad and had had a quick cup of coffee with him at the Club cafe.
‘He said he’d already had one, but he was very obliging when Jo asked him to join us.’ Carole looked at Beth with an odd expression. ‘He hinted that he considered us to be doing wrong by going home. Did he mention anything to you about it? Both Jo and I had the impression that he’d been talking to you concerning our decision.’
Beth hesitated, then shrugged resignedly.
‘Yes, he did mention that he wanted to speak to you both about it. I told him to say nothing, as in my opinion you ought to do what you wished without considering me.’
Jo gave a small sigh.
‘Although he didn’t say much, he certainly made me feel like a heel—’
‘Oh, he didn’t, surely,’ Beth broke in indignantly. ‘He ought to mind his own business!’
‘Our welfare is his business,’ submitted Carole. ‘He made a promise to Uncle Jack that he’d look after us and that’s exactly what he is doing—At least, he’s looking after you, Beth, because if we go then you’ll be on your own.’
Beth looked at her.
‘Doug’s nice, you know, Carole. I’d much rather have him than Dick.’
Carole coloured and turned away.
‘I like him, but I couldn’t live on a farm all my life—at least, not that sort of a farm. If he had a place like this it might be different—Might, I said. I want to see Richard again and see how I feel about him.’
‘You could wait until the year is up.’ Beth spoke automatically, thinking of Doug and feeling that if Carole gave herself more time then she would surely come to like him a lot. But presently she said, ‘The decision’s yours, Carole. All I ask is that you don’t allow your decision to be influenced by me. I shall
manage fine. I’m not in the least afraid—besides, Chad wants me to go to his place at night—’ She broke off as she saw Carole’s expression change dramatically.
‘He wants you to sleep at Mangwe Farm?’
Beth nodded her head.
‘I don’t think it’s necessary, but he apparently does. I didn’t argue with him,’ she added with a wry grimace, ‘because I wouldn’t do any good if I did. Chad can be exceedingly forceful when he wants.’
Both Jo and Carole were now regarding Beth with curiosity.
‘I wonder what the lovely Rosa will have to say about your sleeping at Mangwe Farm,’ murmured Jo almost to herself. ‘She arrived at the cafe, by the way, but we’d finished our coffee. She’d seen Chad’s car parked on the Club ground. She seemed to be in a furious temper, but purred at Chad as usual.’
‘She called here,’ Beth told them. ‘We had a few words and that’s what put her in a temper.’
Jo’s eyes widened.
‘A few words? What about?’
‘Oh ... it isn’t important.’ Beth wished she’d refrained from mentioning Rosa’s visit.
‘That girl’s jealous of you, Beth,’ stated Jo, turning to take some tins of meat from the shopping bag which she had put on the kitchen table.
‘I wonder why,’ added Carole musingly.
‘If either of you think Chad sees anything in me,’ began Beth, colouring up at the implications, ‘then you’re crazy!’
‘Come off it, Beth,’ chided Jo, turning to her, a tin in each hand. ‘You like him no end and there’s certainly something he likes about you. I believed at one time that you hadn’t an earthly chance against the glamorous Rosa, but now I’m not so sure. He was all anxiety when you were ill—’ Jo pointed one of the cans at her. ‘And he needn’t have kept you there all that time. You were fit to be moved once the fever was passed, but he wouldn’t hear of it, even though the doctor said it would be all right for you to be brought home.’
Beth looked at her, conscious of a little jerking sensation in the region of her heart.
‘The doctor said I could come home, and Chad wouldn’t have it?’
‘That’s right,’ confirmed Carole. ‘He wasn’t taking any chances with little Beth!’
