The Man at Mulera (22 page)

CHAPTER SEVEN

T
he
houses of the government officials were stirring from their afternoon torpor. Here and there a couple of men were seated on a veranda with drinks on a table between them, and one young man, wearing on
l
y shorts, was standing in his garden while a houseboy hosed him. He must have recognized the car, for he waved cheerily, and called something above the hissing of the hose. But Lou hardly noticed him. She drove on carefully till she reached the largest and most imposing of the houses, and braked just outside the gate.

Lou got out of the car, walked round to the porch and went up the steps. The door stood open but she pressed a bell which rang somewhere at the back of the house. A smart houseboy appeared. Would madam please come in?

She entered the comfortable lounge, told the boy she wished to speak to Miss Craddock. There was a long silence, during which Lou stared at the tank full of tropical fish which Martin must have brought through from the room which he used at an aquarium. They were pretty fish, gauzy and pink, striped in gay colors, flatheads, snub noses,
spear like
and round; every type of tiny tropical sea creature moving among miniature rocks and anemones and plants. Lou went on staring, unimpressed. Her heart was beating unevenly up near her throat and there was a weight behind her eyes, but her course was set.

She heard the rustle of silk and turned towards the door. Paula came in, moving easily in a grosgrain wrap which was sea-blue patterned in black. Long limbs, slim hips and well-built shoulders; red lips smiling, vivid blue eyes utterly self-assured.

“
This is unexpected,
”
she said.
“
Can I do something for you?
”

“
I just wanted a short talk with you,
”
Lou said stiffly.
“
Keith mentioned about an hour ago that he had a secret with you. He didn
’
t tell me the secret and I certainly didn
’
t try to get it out of
him,
but he did mention that it had some connec
t
ion with a boarding school in Durban. I thought I
’
d better come to you and find out what it
’
s all about
.
”

Paula opened a crystal box and took a cigarette which she fitted with some precision into the holder.
“
I don
’
t get it,
”
she said, serene and insolent
“
The secret I had with Keith was only a childish one. I wouldn
’
t dream of trusting any child with something important. You
’
ve been leaping to conclusions.
”

“
Perhaps, but only you can tell me if they
’
re the right ones.
”

“
What about Ross?
”
Paula waved the elongated cigarette. "But you wouldn
’
t go to him, of course, because he
’
d soon put you in your place. Ross won
’
t have interference in anything that concerns him.
”

Oddly, Lou found
n
o difficulty in keeping her temper;
this
problem was far too
big
for petty squabbling. She said evenly,
“
This happens to concern me, too. I have a right to know every plan for Keith
’
s education and future.
”

Paula lifted her elegant shoulders.
“
You make that child too important—in fact, everyone does. He
’
s just a small boy who has to have things arranged for him. Ross feels that the lion
’
s share of responsibility should be his, so I have to go along with the idea. It
’
s ridiculous that we should be saddled with someone else
’
s brat at the beginning of our marriage, and the only sensible course is to lighten the burden at the outset I
’
m willing to admit that I intend Keith to go to a boarding school.
”

“
And
...
Ross agrees?
”

“
He hasn
’
t
disagreed—a man in love isn
’
t difficult to manage, not even when he happens to be Ross Gilmore.
”
This started the pain again, but Lou was determinedly cool.

“
Even if it had to be, there must be schools nearer than Durban! No woman of normal feelings could send a small boy so far away from those he loves.
”

Paula lit the cigarette, blew smoke directly upwards.
“
Children have no capacity for love. Surely Keith
h
imself has proved that, by the way he
’
s recovered from his parents
’
death. You
’
re simply being foolish.
”

“
He
’
s too young to grieve, but every child must have someone near, someone he can always turn to for affection and understanding. There
’
s also the risk of illness. Even by air it might take you two days to reach him down there at the coast
!
”

“
My dear girl,
”
said Paula with condescension,
“
the child will atte
n
d a good school which has a sanatorium
.
He
’
ll get many attentions as the richest child in the continent of Africa. What more is necessary?
”

“
He won
’
t get love, and at his age it
’
s what he needs most.
”

“
Spare me, for heaven
’
s sake,
”
said Paula sharply.
“
Why should it worry you what happens to him? You
’
re unmarried, and the child could only be a handicap to you. In my opinion, you
’
re darned lucky that Ross is so conscientious!
”

Lou let a moment or two elapse before she said,
“
I don
’
t believe you and I talk the same language. You seem to be taking it for granted that I
’
ll relinquish my rights where Keith is concerned, but I don
’
t have to do that if I
’
m no
t
satisfied that the woman Ross Gilmore marries will take as much care of Keith as I would myself.
”

Paula gave a bored shrug.
“
And what do you think you can do about it?
”

“
I can get legal opinion!
”

“
A lot of good it will do you. No one will take any notice of a penniless girl of twenty-two.
”

Lou was unable to suppress the sudden trembling of her body, but somehow she still kept her voice impersonal.
“
I came to you first because I realized that Ross has only half-consented to sending Keith away, and I didn
’
t want you to
think
that I
’
d take advantage of living in his house to
...”

Paula exclaimed swiftly.
“
So it
’
s blackmail now! How dare you! Do you
think
I
’
m a moron or completely blind? Do you think I haven
’
t noticed that smug expression you
’
ve worn ever since Ross cleared you out of the manager
’
s house and let you have a room at his own place? But don
’
t flatter yourself that your sweet character and hypocritical care of that, boy had anything to do with your being allowed to live at the homestead! You
’
re there simply because Ross has a thing about giving his manager a house to himself. He loathes having you there under his roof—he told me so!
”

Lou went white and her eyes were bright with sudden humiliation, but she spoke with a brisk casualness.
“
I doubt whether Ross would have put it as strongly as that, but I
’
m well aware that he dislikes having his house overrun by women. I wonder if he knows how little you care about Keith?
”

“
If you
’
re threatening, you can save yourself the trouble.
”
A thin smile curved her lips.
“I’ve
made friends with your little darling—hasn
’
t he told you? It was an effort and I
’
m glad it
’
s over, but I think it
’
s accomplished something rather important
.
Ross is the big masterful type but he likes a certain softness in his women. Keith has helped me to convince him that
I’
m maternal. It was the last little detail I needed.
”

“
To ... to get what you
’
ve been angling for?
”

“
Exactly.
”
Paula rested her cigarette on a large ashtray, whispered across to the
couch
and sat down, crossing her slender ankles. With a pleased smile she examined the blue kid slipper which dangled from her toe.
“
Waiting for a man hardens you.
I’ve
been in no hurry to get married but I do have my quota of pride, and when I came out to Africa this year I was determined that if Ross was still too immersed in his plantation to think about marriage,
I’
d find some way of jolting him awake to his own feelings. But I didn
’
t have to do it
.
I hadn
’
t been here long when the Westons had their accident and Ross took over the boy. That misty day when the car crashed was quite a milestone in my life!
”

“
That
’
s a ... an appalling t
h
ing to say.
”

“
Is it?
”
Paula slanted a narrow glance at Lou.
“
If I were to die tomorrow you
’
d be glad of it wouldn
’
t you?
”

“
I certainly wouldn't!
”

“
Come off it
.
”
Paula scoffed.
“
I can just see what would happen if I were removed. You
’
ve already shown Ross how well you can manage a child who means nothing at all to you; just
think
how blissful it would be if you could comfort
him
after losing me. The pity of it would be, of course, that Ross could never see you as anything but the ordinary little person you are.
”
A pause.
“
You might remember that next time
you
’
re tempted to hand out warnings.
”

It was only in that moment that Lou realized how hopeless was her errand. She had come here with the intention of appealing to Paula Craddock, but instead she had once more been forced on the defensive and shown, very plainly, how negligible she was in Paula
’
s scheme of things. Paula was not a normal woman; her instincts were strong but selfish, and even her patient love for Ross had something a little evil in it. She was the sort of woman who evoked passion and then evaded it, who promised many things she was not prepared or equipped to give. She had angled and waited for Ross because he was hard to get
.
But when she was married to
him
—what then?

Paula spoke again.
“
Why have you stayed on where you must see you
’
re not wanted? I know my brother advised you to look about for a husband here, but you must have been aware that he was joking. What about that job of yours in England?
”

Lou
’
s thoughts were halted. She looked a little blankly at Paula.
“
Didn
’
t you know that Ross made me resign from it and thought I should settle here with Keith?
”

Apparently, Paula didn
’
t know. She lay back slowly, her beautifully regular features set hard in an angry smile.
“
So that
’
s what has kept you going! How interesting. And what have you been expecting of us—that we
’
ll engage you as a private governess for Keith? Have you imagined yourself remaining for years at the plantation with the boy in your care and Ross very near? What a hope!
”

Lou
’
s teeth went tight.
“
I can stand just so many insults from you, Paula. You
think
you have command of every situation, but this particular scene is not entirely in your hands. You
’
ve decided you
’
ll marry Ross and put up with having the child attached; he can be sent a thousand miles away and forgotten. Well, I won
’
t consent to it, and I
’
ll make that very plain to Ross
—before
he has time to propose to you! And if you
...”

B
ut Paula was on her feet, her face pale with fury, her eyes sapphire-hard and brilliant.
“
You have the nerve to come here and threaten me! Do you think I
’
ll stand for that? I
’
ll blacken you throughout Chekwe. I
’
ll tell everyone that you
’
re casting your imploring little sheep
’
s eyes at Ross, and he
himself
will be the first to know! If you were so keen on the child and on staying in Nyasaland you
’
d
have looked round for a husband. But no, you
’
ve imagined that this co-guardianship with Ross is the kind of relationship which should have a romantic culmination! You
’
ve actually believed yourself capable of attracting a man who has had almost no time for women till this year! How conceited can a nursery teacher become? It
’
s unbelievable!
”

Lou
’
s throat had become so constricted that she found it difficult to speak. She began to say something, but it hurt too much, both physically and mentally. She walked to the door and made another attempt.

“
I
’
m not going to wrestle with you, Paula, nor shall I try to answer your accusations; they aren
’
t worth it
.
I
’
m glad I came here
this
afternoon because it
’
s made me absolutely certain of one thing.
I’ll
do everything I possibly can to keep Keith out of your hands!
”

Paula
’
s head was high.
“
There
’
s nothing you can do. I don
’
t want Keith, but if Ross is determined to keep him I shall have to arrange things as best I can. And let me tell you this.
”
She leaned forward, and spoke through tight
li
ps.
“
If you breathe one word of this
...
discussion to Ross, I
’
ll
te
ll
him what I know about you—that you
’
re in love with
him
and jealous as the devil of me. And I won
’
t choose my words, either!
”

Lou was ashen, even her
li
ps were colorless. She wasn
’
t aware that only now was Paula becoming certain of the truth of her suspicions. She said feebly,
“
It
’
s untrue.
”
Then her voice faded wretchedly into silence and she turned and went out of the house.

Lou s
li
pped into the car and somehow got it started, drove for some distance in low gear before hearing the roar of the engine. She changed up and felt power in her hands, knew a sudden urge to get all the speed she could from the big saloon. She was through the Chekwe main street meeting no traffic, and heading across the savannah towards the coffee trees. A sharp
li
ttle knife stabbed at her temple and then shifted position, to the base of her throat. She drew out to pass a jeep, was quite unaware of the identity of th
e driver till he waved franticall
y as she passed and ca
ll
ed,