Late Harvest

by Yvonne Whittal

  'I have to go away for a few days,' he announced without preamble. 'Do you think you'll manage on your own?'

  Kate's cool gaze took in his lean length in the dark grey suit. 'I'm not a helpless, incompetent fool, you know.'

  'For heaven's sake, Kate!' he snapped harshly, his eyes darkening with anger. 'I never suggested that you were a helpless, incompetent fool. I merely asked if you thought you could cope.'

  'I'll manage perfectly, thank you,' she replied coldly. 'How long will you be away?'

  'I'm not sure.' His expression became shuttered. 'Two, maybe three days.'

  'I presume it has something to do with Barbara,' she remarked with a casualness that belied the pain she felt as she drove the sword into her own heart.

  'That's right.' His eyes burned down into hers, and the next moment he slammed the proverbial door in her face. 'It's a personal matter that doesn't concern you.'

  'I don't think you need to enlighten me into the nature of your affair,' she hit back, careless of her choice of words.

  There was a brief, ominous silence, then he said mockingly, 'It's good of you to take it so sensibly.'

  'Rhyno,' she stopped him on his way to the door, 'I hope I can rely on you to be discreet?'

  Their glances clashed, but Kate did not look away as he approached the desk and placed his hands flat on the surface. 'One day, Kate,' he growled, leaning towards her with a menacing look on his face, 'one day you'll go too far.'

  'Are you threatening me again?' she asked, her voice heavy with sarcasm.

  'Not threatening,' he contradicted harshly. 'Merely warning you that I'm running low on tolerance.'

  'Let's hope that your sojourn with Barbara puts you in a better frame of mind, then.'

  'I've no doubt it will,' his voice grated along her raw, quivering nerves. 'I've never known a more soothing person to be with.'

  Kate flinched visibly when he slammed the door behind him moments later, and she stared at it miserably for several seconds before she made an attempt to concentrate on her work. Fifteen minutes later she heard Rhyno drive away in his Citroen, and after that she found it impossible to make any sense out of the papers before her. All she could think of was the fact that Rhyno was going off somewhere with Barbara for a few days, and the thought of it drove her slightly mad.

  When Aunt Edwina mentioned at the lunch table that she needed a few things in town, Kate was almost relieved at the thought of having something to do and, armed with the list of requirements her aunt had given her, she drove in to Stellenbosch that afternoon. Perhaps there would be time, as well, for that promised visit to Rhyno's mother, she thought. Naomi van der Bijl had that wonderful ability to boost one's morale when it was at its lowest, and that was exactly what Kate needed on that cold, wintry afternoon.

  Meeting Gavin in town was a pleasant surprise, and she did not object when he offered to carry her parcels back to her car for her.

  'I saw you only briefly last night at the wine show, Kate,' he said as he closed the boot. 'Are you free to have tea with me this afternoon?'

  'I was on my way to Rhyno's mother,' she explained.

  'Is she expecting you?' he asked, and when she shook her head he drew her arm through his and said: 'In that case forget about her, and have tea with me instead.'

  Gavin was nothing if not persuasive and, quite frankly, she felt in need of his company that afternoon. He ordered tea and scones, and when it arrived Kate poured.

  'I've been wanting to have a private chat to you for quite some time,' he said at length when he had devoured the last of the scones. 'Would you give me a straight answer to a few straight questions?'

  Kate smiled at him over the rim of her cup. 'This sounds serious.'

  'It is, believe me.' He did not return her smile, but merely watched her grimly from across the small table. 'Will you do as I ask?'

  'I'll try,' she agreed unsuspectingly.

  'Was there something in your father's will that forced you to marry Rhyno?' His glance registered Kate's startled expression, and when she hesitated he added persuasively, 'We're friends, Kate. Surely you can confide in me?'

  Torn with indecision, she stared back at him, then she thought, 'Why shouldn't I tell him? He's my friend, as he said, and what, after all, are friends for if not to confide in?'

  'My father's will did have something to do with it,' she confessed eventually, wondering vaguely where he had received his information.

  'Was that the only way you could get your inheritance?'

  'Yes,' she sighed. 'I have to stay married to him for a year before I can claim Solitaire as my own.'

  She smothered her feeling of guilt and told herself that it was a relief to be talking to Gavin like this. She had thought once that she might marry him, but now, of course, it was quite out of the question.

  Almost as if he had tuned in to her thoughts, Gavin said: 'Will you marry me, Kate? When this year is up, I mean?'

  'I can't answer that at the moment, Gavin,' she evaded his question.

  'Just tell me you'll consider it when the time comes.'

  'Tell him,' a little voice at the back of Kate's mind prompted. 'Tell him not to waste his time hoping.' Kate looked into those serious blue eyes, and somehow she didn't have the heart to disillusion him. 'I'll consider it,' she heard herself say, and she did not draw her hand away when his fingers clasped hers tightly across the table.

  'I love you, Kate.'

  'Please, Gavin… don't,' she begged, shrinking from him inwardly. 'I have enough problems at the moment without you making it worse.'

  'I'm sorry,' he smiled faintly and released her hand. 'There's just one more question I must ask. Is your marriage to Rhyno… well, you know what I mean?'

  Kate hesitated, aware of Gavin's discomfort, and aware too of the danger in saying too much. She had given Rhyno her word that no one would know the truth about their marriage, but Gavin knew so much' already that she decided it would do no harm for him to know it all. She could trust him, she was certain of that, and with this thought in mind, she said: 'Our marriage is no more than a business arrangement.'

  'I see.'

  A peculiar expression flitted across Gavin's face and, filled with sudden anxiety, she said: 'You will keep it to yourself, won't you?'

  'Of course,' he smiled broadly. 'You know you can trust me.'

  Kate sighed inwardly with relief, but when she drove herself back to Solitaire some time later she found herself grappling with a feeling of guilt which she could not shake off. Gavin would keep it to himself, of course he would, she told herself. But if Rhyno should ever find out…! She shivered at the thought.

  That evening, when she sat in front of the living-room fire with Aunt Edwina, she thought about it again, and she wondered suddenly whether it had been a wise thing to confide in Gavin. He would not do anything to hurt her, but… could she really trust him? And Rhyno? What would he do if he should find out that she had told Gavin everything?

  'When do you expect Rhyno back?' her aunt interrupted her thoughts, and Kate glanced up sharply at the mention of Rhyno's name.

  'I don't really know when to expect him,' she replied cautiously. 'Why do you ask?'

  'I'd like to spend a few weeks with friends of mine in Cape Town.' Edwina lowered her knitting and smiled at her niece. 'It's warmer there this time of the year, and I think I need a change of scenery.'

  'You could go any time you want, Aunt Edwina,' Kate assured her. 'You know I'll be perfectly safe here on my own.'

  Edwina shrank visibly from the idea. 'I couldn't do that.'

  'Don't be silly, of course you could,' Kate insisted. 'I'll ring the station first thing in the morning and make a booking for you.'

  'But, Kate—'

  'Don't argue, Aunt Edwina,' Kate interrupted firmly. 'I shouldn't be surprised if Rhyno arrived home some time tomorrow, or the day after anyway.'

  Edwina was not at all convinced that leaving Kate alone on Solitaire was the right thing to do, even if it w
as only for one night, but Kate finally persuaded her to the contrary, and the following morning, after a restless night wondering about Rhyno and Barbara, Kate telephoned the station and managed to get a booking for Aunt Edwina on the train leaving for Cape Town that same afternoon.

  Edwina was still protesting when Kate saw her off at the station shortly after lunch that day, but Kate pretended not to hear. Her aunt went off to Cape Town every year for a few weeks during the winter months, and Kate saw no reason why she should delay her departure because of Rhyno's absence from the estate.

  Kate was home barely a half hour when the telephone rang and, thinking it might be Rhyno, she almost ran to answer it, but instead she heard Gavin's voice asking, 'Did I see you coming from the direction of the station early this afternoon?'

  'Yes, you did,' Kate replied, swallowing down her disappointment, and then, to her dismay, she heard herself explaining that she would be alone on Solitaire until Rhyno returned. She could have kicked herself afterwards, but it was too late, and Gavin was quick to make use of the situation.

  'If you're on your own, then perhaps you would consider having dinner with me this evening.'

  'I… don't know, I—'

  'Come on, Kate,' Gavin persisted eagerly. 'It would be preferable to sitting down to a solo meal this evening, surely.'

  'I admit that, but—'

  'Are you expecting Rhyno to return this evening?'

  'I have no idea when to expect him,' she confessed warily.

  'Well then?' There was a brief silence, then Gavin added persuasively, 'Shall I call for you at seven?'

  Kate hesitated, her subconscious warning against accepting Gavin's invitation, but then she thought, 'Why not?' If Rhyno could be having the time of his life somewhere with Barbara, then why shouldn't she dine out with Gavin?'

  'Very well,' she said at length. 'I'll be ready at seven.'

  The evening out with Gavin was not a success. It was, in fact, a mistake she was to regret before the night was over. Gavin talked at length about leaving the winery and launching himself into his computer business, but Kate barely listened. She felt uneasy and restless, and not at all as relaxed as she had always been in his company.

  'I have a funny feeling that you're not with me,' Gavin grinned at her when they had reached the coffee stage, and she looked up at him guiltily.

  'I'm sorry, Gavin, but—'

  'You're not worried about something, are you?' he interrupted, his expression sobering.

  'No, of course not,' she lied hastily. 'But I think I'd like you to take me home now, if you don't mind.'

  'But it's barely ten o'clock,' Gavin exclaimed in astonishment as he glanced at his wrist watch. 'Darling, you can't be serious!'

  She wished he wouldn't call her 'darling', but aloud she said: 'Please, Gavin, take me home.'

  'If you insist,' he sighed, grimacing as he got to his feet and placed her wrap about her shoulders.

  'Don't be angry, Gavin,' she begged finally when they had driven some distance in silence.

  'I'm not angry, sweetheart,' he laughed easily. 'Your wish is always my command.'

  There was something about his attitude that puzzled her suddenly, but she could not quite decide what it was, and the endearments flowing so easily from his lips were beginning to irritate her intensely.

  'Everything still looks the same as when we left,' Gavin remarked when at last he parked his car in front of the house.

  'Yes,' Kate agreed with him abruptly.

  'Shall I come in just to make sure that everything is all right?'

  The note of concern in his voice made her feel guilty and, against her better judgment, she said: 'You could come in and have a quick cup of coffee if you like.'

  'I was hoping you'd ask,' Gavin laughed, and linked his arm through hers when they climbed the steps up to the heavy oak door.

  The house looked quiet and empty. The lights she had left on earlier that evening were the only lights on at that moment, and it was with a measure of relief that she unlocked the front door and led the way into the living-room.

  'Kate…' Gavin caught her wrist as she passed him on her way to the kitchen. 'Don't go just yet.'

  She glanced up at him in wary silence, not quite liking the look in his eyes, and not quite sure how to handle the situation. He knew too much for her own comfort, and she knew with sudden clarity that it had been a mistake confiding in him, but it was too late now for regrets.

  'I haven't really had the opportunity to tell you how lovely you look this evening, and how much I love you,' he continued, and she disliked that hint of insolence in his eyes as they travelled over her.

  'Gavin, I don't—'

  Her protest was cut short when he pulled her into his arms and silenced her lips with his own. Kate was too stunned at first to react, but when her mind finally grasped the situation she decided it could be dangerous at this point to antagonise. Gavin. She had unintentionally placed a weapon in his hands by confessing the truth about her marriage to Rhyno, and the only way to deal with the situation at that precise moment was to remain passive in his arms in the hope that he would soon realise that she was not responding to his passionate embrace.

  Something, a sound perhaps, made her struggle against the pressure of Gavin's lips and arms, and when she finally managed to free herself she was horrified at the sight of the man standing framed in the living-room door.

  'Rhyno!' his name burst from her lips, and the look on his face was enough to make her wish that the floor would cave in beneath her.

  'I hate to interrupt this tender scene,' Rhyno smiled twistedly, his eyes on Gavin who stood facing him with a mixture of insolence and bravado on his face. 'Someone ought to remind you, Gavin, that you're poaching on my property.'

  'Your property!' Gavin laughed sneeringly, and Kate's eyes widened in absolute terror when he added: 'Kate is no more your property than she is mine!'

  'Shut up, Gavin!' she hissed urgently.

  'No, Kate,' Rhyno smiled at her coldly, his manner stern and authoritative despite the fact that he was dressed only in his black towelling robe. 'Please let him explain his interesting statement,' he added, turning back to Gavin.

  'No explanation is necessary,' Gavin replied, glancing swiftly at Kate when he realised his error.

  'If you refuse to give me an explanation, then you must at least clarify your statement,' Rhyno persisted with an ominous look on his hard features.

  'This is ridiculous!' Kate intervened nervously.

  'Not as ridiculous as you may think, Kate,' Rhyno stated harshly without taking his eyes off Gavin. 'I'm waiting to hear what you have to say, Gavin.'

  Gavin went red in the face, then he blurted out angrily, 'Who the hell do you think you are, talking to me like this?'

  'I'm Kate's husband,' Rhyno reminded him with a terrifying calmness in his deep voice.

  'In name only, yes, and unless you alter your attitude towards me I shall see to it that everyone finds out about it,' Gavin informed him sneeringly, totally oblivious of what he was doing to Kate. 'You don't frighten me, Rhyno van der Bijl. I admit that I don't know all the details, but I'm willing to get that you're not going to come out of this so-called marriage of yours empty-handed!'

  White-faced and wishing at that moment that she could shrivel up and die, Kate saw Rhyno's large fist smack into Gavin's jaw, and the blow sent Gavin sprawling on the carpet with blood oozing from the corner of his mouth.

  Kate's own fears were momentarily shelved as she exclaimed in horror, 'Rhyno! For heaven's sake, you've killed him!'

  'Get up, Page!' Rhyno thundered, ignoring Kate.

  'You'll pay for this, I swear,' Gavin muttered thickly, struggling to his feet, and dabbing lightly at his mouth with his handkerchief which was becoming soaked with his blood.

  'I don't somehow think so,' Rhyno contradicted icily, towering head and shoulders above a rather pathetic-looking Gavin. 'Does the name Geoffrey Princeton ring a bell?'

  Gavin's co
lour came and went, but he scowled at Rhyno and snapped, 'I don't know anyone by that name.'

  'Don't you?' Rhyno's lips twisted into a savage smile. 'What about the name Gary Parkes?'

  'Never head of him.'

  'That's strange,' Rhyno remarked smoothly, taking his pipe out of the pocket of his robe and lighting it with unusual care. 'I happened to be in the office of a friend of mine yesterday. He's in the Cape Town fraud and robbery squad, and it just so happened that he had a very interesting file on his desk.'

  The atmosphere was tense in the living-room, and as Kate glanced frowningly from Gavin's white face to Rhyno's large, threatening frame, she felt she would scream if someone did not explain to her what was going on.

  'For pity's sake, Rhyno,' she cried in a choked voice, 'what are you talking about?'

  Rhyno glanced at her briefly, but it was a look that made her shrink inside with something more than ordinary fear.

  'You know, don't you, Page?' Rhyno persisted in that dangerously smooth voice.

  'I don't know what you're trying to pin on me,' Gavin spluttered, 'but I tell you it won't work.'

  'I don't have to pin anything on you, your file at police headquarters is quite thick enough.'

  'Police headquarters?' Kate exclaimed in faintly hysterical confusion. 'Are you mad, Rhyno?'

  'Stay out of this, Kate!' Rhyno lashed her savagely, thrusting his pipe into his pocket, and returning his attention to the man before him. 'Geoffrey Princeton, Gary Parkes, or Gavin Page—I still don't know which one is your real name, but you've made quite a packet over the years by leading wealthy young women up the garden path, wheedling money out of them with talk of starting your own business in which they would become shareholders, and then dropping them flat once they'd given you all they had to give.' Rhyno's large hands shot out and, grasping Gavin by the lapels of his jacket, he lifted him almost off his feet as he demanded fiercely, 'How much did you get out of Kate?'

  'Nothing—nothing, I swear,' Gavin stammered hastily, confessing his guilt in no uncertain terms, and his features whitened at the savagery locked up in Rhyno's expression.