The Man at Mulera (20 page)

Keith suddenly appeared, clad in shorts and nothing else, his hair tousled from bed. He stared up at them, smiled engagingly.

“
Are you two going to watch me have a bath?
”

Lou answered hastily.
“
Uncle Ross hasn
’
t time and I
’
m going to change my shirt. Get started and I
’
ll come back. And don
’
t touch any of your Auntie Elinor
’
s things, will you?
”

Keith looked regretfully at a canister of talcum powder.
“
I wouldn
’
t use
much
,”
he said.

“
You
’
ll use none at all,
”
Lou said firmly.
“
White soap and your sponge, that
’
s a
ll.
”

Keith sighed.
“
Did you get me the cowboy belt, Uncle Ross?
”

“
Seems they
’
re out of date, old timer. But I ordered a space outfit
.
”
Ross was outside in the corridor.
“
Like to go out with me this morning?
”

“
Oh, boy,
”
murmured Keith ecstatically.
“
Would I just!
”

But Lou dampened him.
“
Two hours for lessons first, Keith. Then you can do as you like for the rest of the day.
”

The child
’
s expression changed; he scowled.
“
If Uncle Ross wants to take me with him I can go.
”

Lou dropped the bath plug into place, turned on both taps till the central outlet gushed a warm stream and turned to the door.
“
You
’
re not missing your lessons,
”
she said briefly, and went out, closing the door behind her.

Ross was withdrawn and sardonic once more. He looked down at her, said easily,
“
The boy isn
’
t six yet. Your discipline is too rigid—too darned kindergarten altogether.
”

“
I disagree. Two hours is a small slice out of his day and the discipline for that length of time is good for him. A child should be able to read by the age of six-and-a-half, but Keith loses patience even with three-letter words. He
’
s intelligent, but he won
’
t take the trouble.
”

“
It
’
ll come. I believe in getting kids out into the woods and letting them develop in their own way. They
’
re like young trees
—t
hey
’
ll grow straight if there
’
s nothing choking them.
”

“
Such as knowledge?
”
she asked.

“
You
’
re trying to rush it, little one, and with Keith it may not work.
”

“
Well, we
’
ll see. If I could have my own way with Keith
...
”

She broke off as Ali approached along the corridor, carrying a breakfast tray. He managed to bow and smile disarmingly as he passed and entered Ross
’
bedroom, where Elinor Weston was now in possession. Ross drew a sharp breath of exasperation.

“
Women and children,
”
he said, and walked on into the living-room.

For a couple of days an ominous quiet hung over Mulera. Ross was out much of the time and Elinor Weston rested either in her bedroom or on the veranda. There was no discussion about Keith and the bitterness lingered only in the lines of Elinor
’
s face; they had nothing whatever to do with the child. But she ate little; her diet consisted
chiefly of
coffee and cigarettes. Lou
’
s compassion for the woman rose and remained steady. She had never before known anyone who had so little in common with other women, in fact so few bonds with the whole human race. Lou arrived at the conclusion that the blight which had smitten Elinor Weston at the age of twenty-four must have been pretty bad, and that the effects of the ruined love affair in Singapore had been lethal.

Martin Craddock came in, and to Lou he seemed to have altered. She saw that other side of
him
, the keen but human Bwana D.C. who now appeared to consider Miss Weston one of his problems.

He arrived as tea was being served to Mrs. Acland and the two younger women on the veranda, and he accepted with his usual pleasure their invitation to join them. He offered cigarettes, allowed his glance to rest on Elinor
’
s nicotine-stained fingers but made no comment. He was calm and friendly, obliged with an ane
c
dote or two about the rest-houses in which he had to sleep when on tour.

“
They
’
re quite lively after dark,
”
he said.
“
Hordes of insects, naturally, but other visitors as well. Frogs and lizards, tarantulas, an occasional snake. My sister accompanied me just once; it was enough.
”

“
You
’
ll never find an ordinary English woman to share that with you,
”
remarked Elinor, in the bored tones she used to him.
“
A woman only loses her horror of insects and snakes when there
’
s something far more exciting in her life.
”

“
So you
’
ll bet that I
’
ll never find a wife?
”
he asked, smiling.

“
You
’
ll find one,
”
she said, with an indolent shrug,
“
but you won
’
t keep her unless she
rem
ains
head over heels in love with you. And that never happens, I
’
m afraid.
”

“
You
’
re too young to be disillusioned,
”
he said. He thought for a moment.
“
I
’
d like you to come over and see us often. We
’
d find a good deal to talk about.
”

“
I doubt it
.
”
Elinor smoothed the white skirt which had seen many launderings, stretched her thin legs and crossed her ankles.
“
I
’
m hardened against good works.
”

Mrs. Acland said softly,
“
Then you miss a great deal of happiness, my dear. I never cease to be thankful that there are so many charitable organizations in the world.
”

Elinor closed her eyes, and Mrs. Acland got rather slowly to her feet
.
She smiled apologetically at Martin.

“
I still tire rather quickly, I
’
m afraid. Will you excuse me?
”

“
Of course. Let me help you!
”

“
No, Lou will do it. Goodbye, Martin. Come again soon.
”

He waited till Lou had escorted Mrs. Acland into the house before seating himself gazing at the thin sallow face with the dark smudges where the eyes were closed. He leaned forward, said thoughtfully,

“
I don
’
t believe I
’
ve ever met anyone who
’
s so sorry for herself as you are. You pride yourself on being a strong silent woman but it
’
s my guess that you
’
re quiet because you haven
’
t a thing to say.
”

The eyes remained closed.
“
How right you are, Mr. Craddock.
”

Her manner did not deter him.
“
Was it a man who caused you to leave England?
”

Her eyelids flicked back and she gazed at him with distaste.
“
In a way. Is your curiosity satisfied?
”

“
By no means. Were you in love with him?
”

“
Not with the man, very much. His background was attractive.
”

“
Did he let you down?
”

“
How did you guess?
”
with biting coolness.
“
Because you
’
re a man too?
”

“
No. I wouldn
’
t let a woman down, but then I
’
m not one of your handsome heart-breakers. Don
’
t you ever talk about it?
”

“
What
’
s the use?
”
She gave him a straight glance of enmity.
“
I was more to blame than he was.
”

“
You don
’
t really believe that or you wouldn
’
t cling to the persecution complex. What happened?
”

For a second or two it looked as if Elinor were going to close her eyes again and ignore him. Then a faint shadow passed over her eyes, leaving them oddly deep and dark. She sat up straighter, reached for the box of cigarettes and lit a new one from the one she was discarding. Perhaps she was aware that the habit was one which Martin Craddock disliked. Certainly she didn
’
t care.

“
I
’
ll
tell
you, Bwana D.C. It
’
ll make your hair stand on end,
”
she said with bored mockery.
“
I ran into someone
presentable who had a title and large estates. I meant to marry him and managed a number of invitations to houses where he was a guest. Then the lucky moment arrived; I was convinced right through my whole being that during that week he would propose. It was to be the first great climax of my life. Unfortunately, though, we Westons weren
’
t well off. I worked in a bookstore and pretended I did it for kicks and pin money, but actually I needed every penny I earned. I
’
d been spending too much on clothes, but now I needed more and better frocks and certainly a good fur. So what did I do?
”

Martin rubbed his chin and said casually,
“
You had to have money, so you
...
helped yourself?
”

Just perceptibly the hand holding the cigarette trembled, but her expression was as bored and cool as ever.
“
You
’
re certainly a good guesser. I forged my father
’
s name on a cheque which made an
imm
ense
hole in his current account.
”

There was silence. Martin looked down at his tented fingers, and finally said,

“
You were young and a little crazy. You thought you
’
d repay your father a hundred times one you
’
d hooked your man. You weren
’
t fundamentally dishonest, I
’
m sure of that
.
”

Elinor pressed out the newly-lit cigarette, regained the small amount of composure she had lost.
“
Charitable of you to believe in me, but my father
’
s reaction was rather different. By the sheerest bad luck he was in touch with the bank the day after I
’
d drawn the cash. He hit the roof, said terrible things and took charge of my account. I never did get that week among the rich. I went to Italy carrying
a
rucksack instead.
”