The man at Kambala (11 page)

The car was coming up the track as she rounded the corner of the house again with Steve a few feet behind her. Ted wasn't alone in it. A dark head showed beside him, and an arm was stuck out through the side window eagerly waving. Sara heard Steve exclaim something, then he was passing her and striding on to greet the slim, vivacious girl who almost fell out of the door into his arms.

`Surprise
she cried gaily. 'They told us this plane was coming through, so we rallied round and made it. Isn't it marvellous that Don and Diane could come too?'

Steve released her and turned his gaze on the couple

who had emerged from the back of the vehicle, his smile altering subtly as his eyes met those of the tall, auburn-haired young woman in the beautifully tailored beige trousers and shirt. 'Unexpected,' he said. `I never thought to find you taking a trip 'out here, Diane.'

Her answering smile was slow and confident, accentuating the planes and angles of her thin, arresting features. 'I never thought to find myself doing it, but curiosity overcame reluctance. We're booked in at the Lodge for a few nights. Do you think you'll be able to spare some time to show us the sights?'

daresay.' He looked from her to the man at her-side. `Are you here because you want to be or because you were dragged?'

`Because I was too idle to think up an adequate getout,' came the easy response. 'How about introducing us to your young friend?'

Until that moment Sara had been unaware that she was standing staring at the small group. Now, as Steve turned his head to glance back at her, she went hot again, with embarrassment this time. She must seem very gauche to these newcomers.

`Sara Macdonald,' he said evenly. `The daughter of the permanent warden here. Come on over, Sara, and meet the Milsons.'

`And me,' chimed in his sister indignantly. She smiled at Sara, blue-grey eyes sparkling. 'We're the same age, I gather.'

`Yes.' Sara could think of nothing further to add. Jill York might be her age, but on first sight that was about the only thing they had in common. She was so pretty

even in jeans and shirt, her dark brown hair layered into a shining pageboy bob which reached almost to her shoulders. Between her and Diane Milson Sara felt shabby, gauche and totally unfeminine.

If Jill was thinking the same she gave no sign of it. `Steve told us you'd lived out here since you left school,' she said. 'I'm afraid you're going to have to put up with almost complete ignorance from me. I can't tell a grass snake from a puff-adder!'

Sara had to smile back. 'It won't matter,' she returned, sticking her hands in her pockets. 'I'm sure your brother can.'

Don Milson grinned suddenly. 'Meaning that you're not going to get far without him, Jill.' His gaze resting on Sara was speculative and amused. 'I gather our friend here has been laying down the law since he arrived. Tends to do that with the fair sex, I've noticed. Keeps 'em under control like the rest of the game.'

`Shut up,' said Diane pleasantly, and then to Sara, `You have to take my brother as you find him, I'm afraid. His manners aren't all they should be.'

So the Milsons were brother and sister. Sara had thought them husband and wife. She could feel Steve's eyes on her, but nothing would have persuaded her to look at him right then. 'Why don't we all go indoors?' she suggested brightly, determined to regain at least a little of the initiative in her own home. 'You must all be ready for a drink.'

`Best suggestion I've heard yet.' Don moved forward to join her. 'Lead on.'

When he set himself out, Sara found over the following minutes, Don Milson could charm the birds
down from the trees. Perhaps two or three years younger than Steve, his attraction lay in the irrepressible humour lurking deep in his eyes, belying the slightly cynical cast of his features. The very fact that a man like this could find her entertaining enough to pay so much attention to was balm to her bruised spirit. She responded sparklingly, ignoring Steve's sardonic observation.

It was Ted who eventually put the suggestion forward that the Milsons should stay on at Kambala for the few days they intended to spend away from the farm they ran together.

`We do have two rooms spare now that Kimani's gone,' he pointed out. 'That is if Miss Milson doesn't mind sharing.'

It was hard to calculate Steve's reaction from his expression. He drew deeply on his cigarette before answering, exhaled slowly into the still air. 'Better if the two girls share,' he said, and to Sara, 'Any objections?'

What objection she could possibly make with the subject under discussion sitting right across from her, Sara quite failed to see and never doubted that he was perfectly aware of it himself. She met Jill's eyes and smiled. 'Not at all. There's plenty of room for another bed.'

`Fair enough.' He nodded to Ted. 'You'd better send Temu across for the baggage. He'll do it before nightfall if he leaves now.' He lifted his glass towards Diane, mouth slanting into an odd little smile. 'We can't offer you all the home comforts of the Lodge, I'm afraid.'

`But I'm sure there are compensations,' was the soft reply.

Sara was sure of it too, and the knowledge was like a sudden lead weight in her chest. When she looked up Don was watching her with a shrewd expression. She gave him a hastily contrived smile, and welcomed the diversion created by Kiki appearing on the windowsill at her shoulder.

Jill was enchanted by the gregarious little animal, and only too eager to have him perched on her shoulder while he ate the banana Sara gave him. Diane watched her young friend tolerantly, shaking her head when invited to touch the soft fur herself.

`Monkeys always make me feel itchy,' she confessed. `I hope it doesn't get into the bedrooms.'

`He doesn't have to come indoors at all while you're here,' put in Steve before Sara could answer. 'I'm sure every effort will be made to keep him under control.' This last accompanied by a glance which challenged Sara to argue with that statement. 'They're amusing little beasts, but they can sometimes become a nuisance. Why don't you take Jill along and show her where she's going to sleep?'

His sister pulled a face at him. 'Trying to get me out of the way already?'

He smiled back. 'Not so as you'd notice. You two can start getting to know one another quicker on your own.'

Sara stood up, avoiding his eyes. 'He's probably right. Come on, Jill, let's make the most of it.'

Ted had obviously looked in on the kitchen quarters while passing, for Njorogi was already at work setting up a trestle bed beside Sara's own. He greeted their

appearance with his usual flashing grin, deftly shaking a pillow into its clean case and laying it neatly at the 'head of the bed.

`We'll finish the rest ourselves, thank you,' said Sara firmly in Swahili, and started to unfold the sheets as the door closed behind him. `Njorogi makes a bed beautifully, only he takes simply ages getting each sheet and blanket dead centre before he'll even start tucking in. If you find your things arranged in tidy rows along the dressing-table you'll know who's been at work. It's almost an obsession with him. My father sometimes measures the spaces between items Njorogi has tidied up, and he says there's never more than fractional difference.'

`He sounds quite a character,' Jill laughed. 'Diane is always grumbl
ing about her house servants. Yo
u'll have to watch her or she'll be stealing him away from you'

`Have you know the Milsons long?' Sara asked carefully as she tucked in the corners.

`About three months. Steve met them first, and then they invited both of us to spend a few weeks with them. We'd only been there a week when the Department contacted him about this job.'

Sara glan
ced at the other girl quickly. B
ut he didn't have to take it if he was on leave.'

`Apparently they had no one else available, and Steve always did have a weakness for the highlands.' Jill was sitting on the other bed watching 'Sara work without it apparently having occurred to her to offer to help. 'It's certainly a much pleasanter climate than we get down at the coast. Mombasa is so humid at this
time of the year.'

'Do you like Nairobi?'

`Very much. As a matter of fact there's a chance that we'll be moving there ourselves quite shortly. Steve has an eye on the farm across the valley from Don and Diane's.'

Sara frowned down at the corner she had just made. `I wouldn't have thought him exactly ready for settling down just yet.'

`Oh, I don't know. He's always said that a man should be able to pack enough living into his first thirty-odd years to last him a lifetime, and he's certainly moved around enough.' She grimaced. 'I wish he would buy this place so that we could see a little more of each other. I usually only get to be with him for about a third of each year.'

`I gather you get along very well with your brother.'

`Yes.' Jill's gaze was suddenly a little curious. 'Correct me if I'm wrong, but I get the distinct impression that you don't like him very much.'

Was what she felt for Steve York anything at all to do with liking? Sara wondered confusedly. There was certainly nothing simple about the reactions he drew from her. 'He's only been here a bit more than a fortnight,' she protested. 'I b
arely know him. Perhaps I do find
him a bit . . . managing.'

`Yes, I suppose he is,' with a laugh. 'Diane calls him an overbearing brute to his face, but she's the first to admit that it's one of the things which attracts her to him. Don't you think she's gorgeous?'

`I would have said beautiful in an unusual way.'

Sara kept her voice carefully expressionless. 'Are she and Steve ... I mean, do you think he'll marry her?'

`Who knows? He's had plenty of other women friends as good-looking as Diane, but never one who kept his interest as long. She's so cool and casual You're never quite sure what she's thinking.'

`You really do admire her, don't you?'

`Yes, I do.' A faint frown touched the vivacious features. 'On the other hand, I'm not at all sure that I'd like to have her for a sister-in-law.'

`Any particular reason?'

`Yes.' A grin overcame the frown. 'Vanity. When Diane is around nobody else gets a look in. She's one of those people who only has to walk into a room to become the centre of attention.' She gave the trestle bed a doubtful look as Sara stood back from her task. `It's rather low. Are you sure it's safe?'

`Quite.' Sara met the blue-grey regard and added resignedly, 'You can have mine, if you like, and I'll take this.'

`Are you sure?' The question was purely rhetorical. `I do like to sleep next to a window I Must admit.' She tested the springing, then got to her feet and wandered across to the dressing-table. 'Is this your father?' she asked, picking up the framed photograph.

`Yes.'

`You're a lot like him.'

`Yes,' Sara said again, `so I'm told. Shall we go and get your luggage out of the car? You'll want to unpack.'

`Oh, there's plenty of time for that.' Jill was at the window now, looking up towards the bluff. 'What do

you find to do with yourself 'all day? Surely entertainment is a little restricted?'

`Not noticeably before your brother arrived,' Sara replied dryly. 'I'm sure he'll find time to take you around once your friends have gone.'

`It's to be hoped that he'll find time to take us all out with him,' came the ready reply. 'Don brought his cine equipment.' She paused, her tone changing subtly. `There's another unusual character. Outwardly he always appears so uncaring, yet underneath . . .' She stopped there, added obliquely, 'He was married once, but his wife ran off with another man.'

`Did Diane live with them then?' ventured Sara.

"I don't know. I suppose so. They're brother and sister, and like Steven and me they don't have any other family. Mind you, Diane is pretty self-sufficient. I don't imagine it would worry her if she did have to live alone for any reason.'

But it would worry Jill, Sara surmised, and the other girl recognized the fact that Diane Milson would not want any other female claiming too much attention' from the man she had set her sights on. If she married Steve his sister could quite well find herself pushed to one side. And it was for Jill's sake alone, Sara told herself swiftly, that she felt so concerned at the thought of that marriage taking place.

Njorogi brought in Jill's case some few minutes later. Sara left her to unpack on her own and went out again to the living-room, to find Don Milson the sole occupant. Steve had taken Diane on a brief tour of the compound, he informed her.

`Didn't you want to go with them?' Sara inquired
innocently, and received a satirical grin in reply.

'Never heard the saying two's company? Di would have chopped my legs from under me if I'd even looked like getting up. Have you and Jill got yourselves sorted out?'

`Just about. She's unpacking. Can I get you another drink, Mr. Milson?'

He looked amused. 'What's wrong with Don?'

Her own lips tilted involuntarily. 'All right then, would you like another drink, Don?'

`I'd rather have your company.' He patted the seat beside him. 'Come and tell me about yourself.'