The Pride of the Peacock (18 page)

“It’s always the best way. That’s so, eh. Joss ?”

“I believe it to be,” he answered.

‘now come on . bring the chairs up . one of you on either side of me. There. Thafs what I’ve been wanting for a long time. Now I’m going to be sentimental. It’s allowed for a poor old man who hasn’t got much time left to him. There’s two people who mean more to me than anything eke in the world, and I’ve set my heart on one thing and that is that I want them to be together . work together . “

I could feel Joss Madden’s eyes on me, assessing me in a way I felt offensive. No man had ever looked at me like that before. It made me strangely aware of myself. I had expected him to be arrogant and offensive, but I had not guessed he would arouse such hitherto unexperienced feelings in me. I found myself remembering that there was a strongish breeze which had made my hair untidy and that my alpaca was not in

very becoming. I must have looked quite terrible yesterday when I had emerged from the pond.

I heard myself say shrilly: “Work together … I Whatever do you mean, Ben?”

“Well, that’s something I’m coming to. I can see Joss here thinking it’s a bit soon. I reckon he’s thinking you and he ought to get better acquainted first. Is that it. Joss?”

“It may be that Miss dave ring would find the shock too great. Give her a day or two to get used to me.”

This is all rather mysterious. “

“Ifs really very straightforward and practical,” said Joss Madden.

“Are you practical. Miss Clavering?”

“Now what did I say,” interrupted Ben.

“No formality.”

“Are you practical, Jessica?” asked Joss Madden.

“I think I am,” I answered.

“Yes. You have that air. I would say you take a pride in being a sensible young woman.”

“It seems a sensible thing to take a pride in,” I retorted.

“Brisk,” he said.

“No nonsense. That’s going to be very helpful, I can see.”

“Look here,” said Ben.

“I’m rushing things. I begin to see that. I’ll tell you what we’ll do. Tomorrow we’ll have a good talk. The three of us together, eh?”

That seems a good idea,” said Joss Madden.

All right, then,” said Ben. That’s settled. We’ll just chat now, eh?

Tell me how things are back home. “

“I’ve told you the essentials already,” said Joss with a laugh.

Things-are running as smoothly as they can be expected to. There are no dire problems. We struck a rich vein near Deny Creek. “

“Good black opal, eh? And not too much potch. That’s what I like to hear. Jimson Laud coming along all right?”

“He’s all right.”

“You sound lukewarm.8 ;

“Jimson’s the one who’s lukewarm.”

“Can’t expect everyone to blow hot like you. Joss. Jimson’s a figure man. They don’t get exdted-but accounts arc important to the business.

And Ulias? “

The same as ever. “

“And Emmeline?”

The entire family has changed little since you last sa’ them. “

Ben looked into space, murmuring: “Oh, I’d like to Peacocks once more

before I went. Mind you, I’ve got a clear picture in my mind’s eye. I’ve loved every brick of that place . every blade of grass on those lawns. Not the same as here … of course … that sun, that burning sun … all those months of drought. What was it like when you left?”

“Dry as a bone. There were some forest fires a few miles away.”

“It’s a perpetual danger, Jessica,” said Ben to me.

“You’ll find it very different from here. Won’t she. Joss?2 ” If she decides to accept your terms. “

Terms? ” I demanded.

“What terms?”

“I thought you said it was too soon to talk,” said Ben.

“So it is,” replied Joss Madden.

“If we did, I reckon we’d get a blank refusal. You’ve got to give Miss Clavering time … er, I mean Jessica. You’re not the puppet master, Ben, simply because neither Jessica nor I are of the stuff which puppets are made of. Don’t you agree … Jessica ? You wouldn’t want to be jerked round on the stage. Go this way … go that way … because that’s the way the master’s twitching the strings.”

“I can assure you that I would not and that you are talking of something of which I know nothing. I think you ought to let me into the secret without delay.”

Ben looked at Joss, who shook his head. Then Ben said:

“There’s something I have to tell you first, Jessica. Joss knows it already. I’ll tell you when we’re alone and then you’ll understand.”

I looked at Joss meaningly, because their mysterious talk was giving me a burning desire to discover what it was all about.

“I see,” said Joss, ‘that that’s a sort of hint. I’m going to have another look at your stables, Ben. I want to see if there’s anything good enough to ride here. “

“Impertinence,” laughed Ben.

“We breed good horses here, I might tell you. You’ll find several there as good as that one you hired to travel on.”

“I hope so. I had to take him because he was all they had. Then shall I leave you? You can have your talk. You and I will meet again soon… Jessica.”

He went out, and Ben turned to me at once.

“What do you think of him?”

be asked eagerly.

“He’s exactly what I expected.”

“So I gave you a good description of him, did I ?”

“I based my judgement on the little anecdotes you told me.”

“And you like him, Jess ?”

I hesitated. I didn’t want to hurt Ben by telling him that ii3

the more I saw of Joss Madden the less I liked him.

I said cautiously.

“I don’t fed I know him.”

Ben shook his head.

“You’ll soon get to know him. I wish I’d asked him to come earlier.”

“Ben,” I said, ‘you were going to tell me what you and he have been hinting at. What is it? “

He hesitated.

“I hardly know where to begin. I’ve been very wrong, and I’m sorry for it. But it’s a good thing really. You’ll see that and understand, I’m sure. It’s to do with the Green Hash at Sunset.”

That seems to be at the centre of our lives,” I commented dryly.

That was all true . what I told you about how I won it. I’d got the stone and it made a difference to my life. Funny how the possession of that opal changed everything. It was true that those who had owned it had been dogged by bad luck. I knew that everyone was watching me . waiting for the ill luck to hit me. There were those who wished me well. There were others who had seen it, felt its fascination and wanted it. Men are strange creatures, Jess. A girl like you . a sensible girl. Joss called you . wouldn’t know about this. And you’ve never seen the Green Flash either. Perhaps it you had seen it you’d understand more. That flashing blue and the red of the sun . it just bewitches you. So where was I? There were those who watched me and others who sought to steal it. I reckoned my life wasn’t worth what it was before I had the stone. There were some who would have cut my throat or put a bullet through my heart for the sake of it. I’d got a red hot property on my hands and I was going to bum myself pretty badly one way or another.

Then there came the day when they were all here and I showed them the stone. This is going to hurt a bit, Jessie. I didn’t want to tell you.

I know you have a beautiful picture of your father and his love for your mother, and it’s right for young ladies to have these feelings tor their parents. But it wasn’t quite like that. Your mother was a sweet pretty creature. She was like you . oh, very much . but different. You’ve got your feet more on the ground, that sensible quality, eh? She could be gay, a bit wilful; she was a bit of a gambler too. It’s in the family. You can’t escape it. I bet you’ll be ready to take a gamble when the time comes. I hope you will be, and I’ll tell you you’re going to come out a winner. I was more than a bit in love with your mother. “

“Yes; I said.

“I know that.”

“I thought it would be a nice rounding off if I married her and brought her back to her old home. I thought we’d have children and my name would be on that family tree in the hall. I couldn’t see her in Australia, though … not like I can you. She was more delicate, fragile-like. Well, then Desmond came aong. A handsome young fellow he was, with what I call the gift of the gab. A bit of a rogue too. Oh yes, I’ve got to tell you the truth. He’d roamed the world a bit and learned a few tricks. He was dead serious about his Fancy, though, and he’d got opal fever as bad as the rest of us. He was always one for the ladies and when he came down here to stay for a while to persuade me to invest in the Fancy and we waited for David Croissant to join us, he took up with your mother and in his way he was in love with her. She was innocent and believed all he told her. He might have married her. I reckon he would have, but he couldn’t, the way it turned out.

“I was mad with him … mad for his being young and handsome and having his way with women. Joss was here … home from school, agitating about not going back there, and he was learning a lot about opals. That brings me to the night when I showed them the Green Flash.

I saw the way it had got Desmond. He couldn’t take his eyes from it.

He picked it up, and I remember now how his fingers curled round it.

Desire! There’s no other word for it. Mad, demanding desire . like thirst in the desert, like food to the starving. You look sceptical, Jessie. That’s because you haven’t experienced it. But I saw it and I knew what the result would be, so I was ready. When I went to bed that night I left my door open and I sat fully dressed listening. Then I heard the sound of creeping footsteps so I came down to the study.

“He was there at the safe. He had the Flash in his hands. I said:

“What are you doing, Desmond Dereham?” He Just stared at me . white as these sheets. I said: “You’ve seduced little Jessica Clavering and now you’re trying to steal the Green Bash. And when you’ve got it what would you do? There’s only one thing you could do. Get out of here .. sharp … and leave her, eh. You’d desert her, wouldn’t you, for the sake of the Green Flash? Do you know, I. reckon you’re not fit to live.”

“Oh Ben,” I cried, ‘you killed my father! “

He shook his head. TNo . no . not that. Though I had a gun in my hand and would have done it too. But I thought, No. I don’t want this man’s life on my hands. It’s not worth

“5

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it. So I said: “I’ve caught you red-handed. You’ll put that opal back in the safe where it belongs and you’re going to get out of here fast.

You’ll never show your face here or at the Fancy, for if you do I’ll expose you for the thief you are. Get out. Leave my house . now.

I’ll swear you’ve got your bags packed and are ready to leave. ” Oh, I was mad with him. I can’t tell you what restraint I had to put on myself to prevent my pulling the trigger. That would have been silly . messy … and wouldn’t have done me any good. So he put the opal back in the safe and I marched him back to his room. Sure enough, there were his bags … already packed. He planned to get the opal and clear out … like a thief in the night… which was what he was.”

“So you sent him away … away from my mother.”

“He would have been no good to her. He knew he’d have to keep out of the way if he’d got the Flash. He’d planned it all. He was going to take the opal and get out.”

“My poor mother!”

There’d been women in his life. Nothing had lasted. I knew this. I wanted him out of the way . for her sake. 1 didn’t know you were on the way then. That could have been different. “

“You said he had stolen the Green Bash.”

Thafs what I want to tell you. It was a pretence on my part. He’d gone . disappeared in the night. He wasn’t coming back. He wouldn’t dare face me for I’d let it be known that he was a would-be thief.

We’re very rigid in Australia. We have to be. There’s a rough and ready justice. We don’t tolerate thieves and we don’t tolerate murderers. We can’t. There’s too much to take care of. He was finished for the Fancy when I found him at the safe. He knew that and he had been ready to risk everything for the Green Flash. That was the effect it had on people. I thought then:

I’ll make people believe he’s got the Green Flash, then no one would seek to rob me of it. No one would ill-wish me with that certainty that misfortune was going to overtake me. I left soon after for Australia . taking the Green Flash with me. “

“Does ]oss know this?”

“He does now because I’ve told him as I’ve told you. Believe me, Jessie, I’d have acted different if I’d known you were on the way … You don’t speak.”

“I fed so shocked.” “It’s in the past. Your life is about to open

out. You’re going to be happy. You’re going to have all your mother didn’t have. I promise you you’re going to find life a great adventure.”

I can’t think of the future. I can’t stop dunking of my mother. “

“You’ve got to forget all that.” - “I wonder where my father is.”

He’d fall on his feet. he always did. “

“All those years you have allowed him to be suspected, and my poor mother…”

She should never have done what she did. “

“She was driven to it.”

No, Jess, we’re none of us driven. We act on our own free will, and if we find life too much to be borne, then dearly there’s no one to blame but ourselves. “

I turned my face away. I was going over it all, my father caught at the safe, Ben forcing him to get out. His belongings already packed, so he had meant to go with the Green Hash and leaving my poor little mother to bear me and then destroy herself.

Ben was caressing my hand.

“Don’t think badly of me, Jessie,” he said.

“I’ll not be here much longer, you know. I couldn’t bear there to be bitterness at the end.

I’m a violent man. I’ve lived dangerously. I don’t belong in a historic manor like this. I’ve had to fight throughout my life and it’s made me hard and strong and ruthless. Perhaps I don’t set so much store on morals as I should. In the Outback there were men who were ready to kill me for the Green Flash. Do you understand? Tell me you do understand. “

“Yes, I do understand, Ben.”

“And we’ve loved each other, haven’t we? Didn’t your life change when we met and wasn’t it for the better?”