[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.A sob forced its way into her throat and made a small sound.Beforeshe could realize what was happening his arm slipped about her andhis hand pushed her head hard against his shoulder.Her heartbehaved queerly and her breathing jerked.After a minute or two he took her shoulders and pushed her gentlyfrom him.The hard lines of his face had relaxed."I'm surprised at you," he said softly, derisively.Then, "Good-night,Baby Lou," and he was gone.And Lou was left to face the devastating truth  that she was inlove with Damon, and wouldn't be able to go on living in the samepart of the world for much longer.CHAPTER VIIIT was quiet at Four Winds without Daphne.Not that Daphne wasnoisy, but she was always the first to suggest playing a record on theportable record player Damon had lent them, and invariably keen totalk over the fashion notes in the periodicals which came weekly toMlemba about three weeks after publication in England.Also, asNadine pointed out, Daphne was as good as two people - herself andher diet.One couldn't help but miss them.When the mail arrived bringing only a letter from Lou's father andanother from Daphne's old faithful, Tony Cottrell, Nadine grewquick of tongue and sarcastic.The sarcasm, when directed at anyonebut Lou, became dry and caustic.Now it wasn't that she needed thecash a commission would bring; it must have been the sensation ofknowing herself already forgotten that stung a little.But she was unfailingly sweet to Lou, and it was to please Lou thatshe consented most afternoons to taking a picnic flask and cakes outto where George and Val were working with the boys.The weather was glorious, the night breeze cool and vitalizingwithout being chilly.George said it wouldn't be so long before thebelt of timber was clothed in new greenness, though it would takethe rains to get the grass started.Wednesday was the final day of earth-scorching, and oddly enoughit was the only day on which they had trouble with the flames.Hadthe wind been strong George would have known how to deal with it,but it was fitful; the strips of fire died out only to rekindle muchlater and cause a frenzied race across the land and the beating offlames with sacks and branches.Lou could not sleep that night.She had a horror of the henhousescatching and the hundreds of new chickens being destroyed.Therewas also the risk to the thatch of the house.She tiptoed into Daphne's room to make sure, through the largewindow, that the two boys were on guard.The mountain, the treesand the blackened earth slept under an indigo sky in which a sicklemoon cut a sharp radiance.The insects were not very lively tonight;normally the air vibrated with the shrilling of the singing beetles andcicadas, but smoke and heat had driven them away into the timber.Lou remained close to the window till her feet were cold, and thenshe went quietly into the tiny corridor.A rustling noise swung herround to face Nadine."You gave me a fright," she said."Can't you sleep, either?"Nadine shrugged her slim shoulders in the navy tailored dressinggown.Her hair was drawn back and tied with a ribbon, and withoutmake-up her skin was pale as alabaster ; she couldn't tan."Perhaps it's the beastly smell of smoke.Let's make some tea."Lou followed her into the kitchen, lit a lamp and set the kettle on theparaffin ring.Nadine got out the cups and as she placed them on thetable Lou noticed shadows under the lovely brown eyes, though thenarrow, well-cut mouth was smiling slightly."It's ages since I last had a cup of tea at three in the morning," saidNadine."I was so busy in England that I always slept heavily, butI'm often awake now for half the night.""Why don't you write to them?" coaxed Lou."They love your stuff,really.""To be perfectly honest, I've hardly any desire to work.I only wish Ihad Uncle Simon's convictions about my innate worth; I'd then setabout creating a masterpiece." She gave an amused sigh."FourWinds doesn't inspire me.I'm the cosy armchair and radiogramtype."Lou measured tea into the pot and set it close to the kettle to warm."Do you want to go home?" she asked.There was a pause before Nadine answered, without expression,"Not frantically, but I'm horribly tired of this shanty, and I wouldlike to go places occasionally.There's nothing here for a gal like me,that's all.""Where would you choose to go - Bulawayo?""I'd go up north and see the Falls first and then take a plane to NorthAfrica." Nadine dug a spoon into the sugar bowl."Pipe dreams,darling.I don't fancy doing anything alone, and you and Daphnehave connections here which I won't disrupt."Lou lifted the jug of milk from the ice box and found a few drybiscuits before mentioning casually, "I'd go with you, Nadine.I'vehad enough of Mlemba myself.""You have?" The dark gaze was alert."You mean you're needing aholiday from the place?""If you were leaving permanently I'd do the same.James could stayon in his hut and look after the poultry.And I daresay Daphne.""My dear girl," broke in Nadine, "do you realize what you'resaying?"Lou nodded, and took off the lid of the kettle; the water seemed tobe taking an unconscionable time to boil."I've given it plenty ofthought," she said."We've had some good times here, but as far aswe're concerned the charms of the district are more or less spent.Physically, it must have done you a lot of good, and that's primarilywhy you came here [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]