The Man at Mulera (33 page)

Then, sickeningly, it came to Lou that if her plan were successful, she would never see Ross again. She felt sharp agony in her throat, her eyes glazed and her fingers tightened convulsively on the wheel. The next moment a huge black shape loomed just beyond the nose of the car. She swung left and braked, felt the terrible jolt which threw her forward against the wheel, and lost consciousness.

The great sable buck did not pause in its gallop across the mud towards the more abundant shelter of the trees.

Mrs. Bain read another chapter, made some tea and gave her husband a cup as he came in from shedding his oilskins. They drank companionably, talked about the effect of unseasonal rain on their crops and upon the thatched huts of their laborers, and agreed that so long as the roads were not too bad there might be quite a crowd searching for light entertainment at the
V
ima
Hotel tonight Mr. Bain thought it might be a good idea to load his projector and screen; the hotel proprietor owned a few old films which were always good for a laugh on a rainy day.

He went off to take a bathe, and Mrs. Bain once more opened her book and lost herself in it; she was an avid reader. So much so that she did not hear the noise of a car above the rain, and when there came a tattoo at the door she jumped alarmingly.

The door opened, and she exclaimed cheerfully,
“
Why, Ross! We thought you were still in England.
”

He dropped his coat outside, came in with the long easy st
ri
de and closed the door.
“
What a day to come home to! Seeing that my two weeks aren
’
t quite up I thought I wouldn
’
t bother to telegraph from
England.
How
’
s everything?
”

“
Fine. Do sit down—I
’
ll get you a drink.
”

He looked about him.
“
No patter of little feet?
”

“
Keith?
”
she said.
“
He
’
s with Elinor and George Randall at the Vima Hotel. They like it better there than at Lakeside. You didn
’
t mind our letting
him
go?
”

“
Of course not
.
Why shouldn
’
t he visit his aunt?
”
Ross took that glass he offered.
“
Thanks. You seem to be alone here.
”

For some reason, Mrs. Bain began to feel uneasy; to give herself time
she
turned to mix herself a drink
she did not want
. “
Bill
’
s taking a shower. Did you arrange for Mrs. Acland to see a specialist?
”

He nodded. I took her myself. She has to take it easy. No more jaunts out here, I
’
m afraid, but there
’
s no reason why she shouldn
’
t live to a good old age.
”

“
I
’
m glad. Did Paula come back with you?
”

“
No.
”
The reply was flat and uncompro
mising. “
Except for the rain, it seems awfully quiet round here.
”

“
Yes, it does, doesn
’
t it?
”
she said hurriedly.
“
We were going down to the hotel for dinner, but if you
...
”

“
Why shouldn
’
t we all go, so long as the road is us
a
ble? There may be some mist down there but my wagon has fog lights.
”
He drank, gave her a brief, impersonal glance, then asked,
“
What
’
s wrong? Aren
’
t I welcome?
”

“
Don
’
t be absurd. I
’
ll tell Bill you
’
re here.
”

“
There
’
s no hurry. But you can call Lou, if you like.
”

“
Lou?
”
she said, and knew she sounded inane.
“
Lou
’
s out.
”

“
Down with the Randalls for the day?
”

“
No, not for the day. She went out at about four.
”

“
Four?
”
Swift calculation went on behind the greenish
-
brown eyes.
“
Was she with someone?
”

Mrs. Bain wished he wouldn
’
t look at her as if it were a crime to let Lou please herself.
“
No, she was alone, in my old car. She had promised to go to Vima. I did tell her they wouldn
’
t expect her on a day like this, but she was afraid they
...
might.
”

His glass met the table with a slight reverberation.
“
I got in at the airstrip at four. It was tumbling down. Why did you let her go?
”

“
I didn
’
t really think much about it,
”
said Mrs. Bain, annoyed with herself because not even her husband had ever made her nervous enough to quiver so foolishly.
“
She seemed to
think
it was necessary because this man would be expecting her.
”

“
What man?
”
he shot out

Mrs. Bain shrugged helplessly.
“
I don
’
t know. She said he doesn
’
t take care of himself. She ran into him yesterday and they made the arrangement for today. You know how it is when you meet someone you haven
’
t seen for some time.
”

“
Apparently I don
’
t
,
”
he said sharply.
“
I can
’
t imagine any date that couldn
’
t be postponed by this kind of rain.
”
He was already on his feet.
“
I
’
m going down to Vima.
”

To Mrs. Bain, this was a relief.
“
Yes, do,
”
she said.
“
Bill and I will follow and we
’
ll all have dinner together. And Ross, if you
...
”

But he was gone, slamming the door after him. Mrs. Bain stood still for a long moment listening to the
rain and the engine of the estate car. Then there was only
the rain, and she went along to the main bedroom, where she found her husband using two hairbrushes in the best military style on the diminishing grey hair at his temples.

“
Ross is back,
”
she said,
“
and I
’
ve a horrid feeling that Paula has turned him down.
”

“
Did he say anything about her?
”

“
No, but he looks fit to ... to hurt someone.
”

Smilingly, Mr. Bain said,
“
Don
’
t fret about it
.
That
’
s what young people are always doing—hurting someone or each other. As a planter, Ross is terribly mature, but he
’
s always regarded women as saplings to be kept free of weeds and protected from the winds.
P
aula may
be too old a hand to care for it
.
”

Mrs. Bain looked her surprise at
him.
“
Why, Bill, how wise you are.
”

He looked complacent
. “I’ll
go one step further. A man like Ross would be far happier with a girl who
’
s
intelligent,
but only just awakening.
”

His wife stared at
him
.
“
Good heavens,
”
she said soberly,
“
I believe you
’
re right
.
I do hope Lou got through to Vima without any trouble.
”

At that moment Lou was driving at crawling pace towards the Lake. There was a contusion high up on the right side of her forehead which smarted pretty badly and she was still a little dazed after the brief spell of unconsciousness, but by concentrating she could keep the car moving at about fifteen miles an hour, and even though it still rained and was misty, she was nearer her goal every minute.

There was no sign of another vehicle, and it was too late for Greg, anyway. Possibly he had come to the halfway point waited a bit and then given her up. It was the sensible thing to do. Her own course was clear. She must reach the Vima Hotel and clean up the mess on her forehead before making her presence known to the Randalls and Keith. By the time the
B
ains
arrived for cocktails she might be feeling almost bright
.
She noticed her hand trembling on the wheel and held it more tightly. You don
’
t lose your nerve over a beastly
cow or something that decides to hurry across the road in front of the only car in a twenty-mile stretch. In Africa, such hazards were common, and it had merely been unfortunate that her first experience of them should happen in a teeming mist
.

Far better to
think
of something else; the best way, for instance, of getting a job that would last a couple of months or longer. Any time now, a telegram would arrive from Ross, and she had to be well away from the Bains
’
and from Chekwe within hours of its arrival. Greg might help her there. He would collect her and her luggage and drive her to Zomba or Blantyre, She really must see him today if she could.

Her eyes closed momentarily against a wave of dizziness, but she forced them open and plugged away with the little old coup
e
. For a while she didn
’
t think of anything. Then suddenly she was aware that the mist had taken a yellow tinge, and golden lights shone blindingly through the rain and threw back a glare in the mirror. A car came level and stayed there, and with an effort she turned her head and looked at the driver. Her heart froze but she braked automatically.

The other car shot ahead and stopped in front of her, and within seconds Ross was wrenching open the nearside door of the coup
e
and sliding into the seat
.
Without speaking, he took off the drenched hat and used a handkerchief over his steaming face, got out of his waterproof. Poised between love and terror, Lou sat absolutely still, staring ahead at the water pouring over the window. She couldn
’
t have spoken first had her life depended on it
.

“
So he turned up,
”
said Ross in a savage undertone.
“
Did you do your petting in this car or in his?
”

She moistened her lips and shook her head, was thankful that her injury was on the right side of her forehead and hidden by the hood.
“
I don
’
t know what you
’
re talking about.
”

“
It was Greg Allwyn you came to meet wasn
’
t it?
”

“
Yes, but I haven
’
t seen him.
”

“
I
’
d rather hear the truth. I happen to know that you left Mrs. Bain at about four!
”

“
You
’
re the first person I
’
ve ever seen since I left the house
.
”

He was silent for a moment Then:
“
It
’
s
nearly six. What have you been doing?
”

“
There was mist and it held me up.
I ...
stopped for a while.
”

Indistinctly he said,
“
Your cousin lost her life travelling by car in a mountain mist
.
Didn
’
t you remember that?
”

Lou didn
’
t answer. Rain drummed
on
the roof of the car and gurgled in rivulets along the road. Lou
’
s fingers were still gripped whitely on the wheel, but she was breathing more easily. She had intended never to see him
again
yet already her heart was wa
rm
ing and thudding, and
telling
her that this was Ross, who had come back after an age in England.

She heard herself saying,
“
You got back a little early.
”

“
I did what I had to, and came on the first plane I could.
”

“
Was your aunt all right?
”

“
Yes.
”
A pause.
“
Why didn
’
t you tell me about that slight heart attack she had before coming to Nyasaland?
”

“
She asked me not to. I did save her all I could while I was at Mulera.
”

“
I know, but you should have told me.
”

“
Your aunt had reasons for wanting it kept quiet
.
”

“
I’
m aware of them,
”
he said curtly.
“
Decent of you to abet her, in such a cause.
Too bad
I’
m going to disappoint you both.
”

She did flicker a glance at him then.
“
What do you mean?"

He. spoke through tight teeth.
“
My aunt wanted to hang on at Mulera till I proposed to Paula. That
’
s why you kept her illness to yourselves, so I hear.
”

Lou deliberate
ly
held her emotions in check, but she could not help asking quickly,
“
You said you
’
re going to disappoint us. Do you mean you ... you
’
re not going to marry Paula Craddock?
”

“
That
’
s right little one
.
”
He sounded fed up and angry.
“
I
’
ve had enough of the subject of Paula. I
’
ve had it for weeks from Martin and my aunt, and I flatly refuse to have it from you. Paula stayed in England
.
Leave it at that
.
”