Anne Hampson South of the Moon (pdf)

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upon desertion. I'd bring you home, and when I did I'd tan your
backside until you begged for mercy - and then I'd give you a bit more
for being a coward."
Swift colour fused Clair's cheeks. She wished she Could find some
acid retort, something that would burn into him, but as she could not
find anything she remained silent.
"I only want a drink of tea," she was saying five minutes later when
Shane asked her if she would like some cakes as well as the tea. "I'm
not hungry."
"You've upset your nervous system." He gave the order and
continued, "No more worrying over your parents. They'll come to me
as arranged."
"You're very kind."
"I'm not. I'm brutal and demanding. You had proof of that at the
barbecue."
"Please," she implored, colouring again, "don't ever remind me of
that!"
"You want to shrink right into yourself just because you responded to
my lovemaking. Foolish child! You ought to be thanking your lucky
stars that I didn't go any further No," he said shortly, holding up his
hand in a gesture of admonishment, "don't you dare tell me I couldn't
have gone further or I might find an opportunity of showing you that
you're wrong. You were in the mood for love, my sweet, and looking
back now I realise I would have gained more by taking you
completely. You'd have been so scared you'd have married me within
a couple of days!"
"Oh, I wouldn't!"
"Let's get on to a less personal subject," he advised gently. "You're
such a baby, and are so easily disconcerted. I've said I'm a brute and
it's true. When are your parents coming ?" he then asked, keeping to
his word and changing the subject.
She told him the date, and the time of the plane's arrival. He nodded
and promised to meet them.
"I want to go too," she began.
"Of course you do. I shall call for you at nine o'clock on the morning
of their arrival. Don't keep me waiting or we won't be there on time."
"I'll be ready," she promised, and then, after a small hesitation, "Is
Jean's friend staying with you as well?"
"Jean asked me to have the girl, so I'm doing so. It'll save you all a
good deal of trouble."
"Yes, and especially as Sharon's wedding is so soon. She's having to
have time off to see to her clothes and to do things at her new home."
"Jean's selling out to me, as you know. I'm sorry she's leaving; she
could h^ve made a good thing out of Ngumi Farm."
"But aren't you pleased that you're going to get it, after wanting it all
this time?"
"I'm pleased at acquiring it, but I didn't want to acquire it from a grand
person like Jean. Mr Lumley, yes, undoubtedly I'd have been pleased.
He was a nuisance to have for a neighbour; for one thing his cattle
were always in my maize and his poultry scratching up the vegetable
garden which was, at that time, the pride and joy of one of my most
trusted boys. When he threatened to leave me I naturally went over to
Ngumi and played hell with its owner."
"It was because you were sworn enemies that he refused to sell out to
you. You should have tried to apply a little more patience and tact."
"No, I should not. I'm glad he refused to sell out to me." Picking up
his teacup, he took a long drink. .
"Glad? But why?"
"I should never have met the girl who's going to become my wife."
"Oh ... I see."
"You see that you're going to be my wife?"
"No - you know very well what I meant!"
"Are you going to be sensible and marry me?"
"You have my answer. It stays."
"And you have my assurance that we shall be married - and that
stays."
Clair shrugged her shoulders.
"It's time I was going," she said. "It's my turn to make the evening
meal."
He glanced at her hands and frowned.
"I should have sent you a boy to do the chores. It's not too late now,"
he added, and promised to send over Joseph, who was used to being
inside the house rather than outside. Clair protested, saying they
could not take one of his boys when they were perfectly capable of
doing the work themselves; she was answered without delay, and in
that imperious tone she had heard him use on several previous
occasions. "You'll have him all the same. I don't want my bride to
come to the altar with hands that are disfigured by hard work!"
She gave a deep sigh, opened her mouth to remind him "that she had
no intention of marrying him, but closed it again. He'd never be
convinced until she left Ngumi with her parents, bound for England
and her home.
He called for her as promised and they drove in quiet companionship
for several miles, traversing what was for Clair entirely new terrain,
although it was often similar in aspect to the bushveld around Ngumi
Farm. But this was sometimes more like a wilderness, its silence and
its loneliness, the sort of dreary solemness that pervaded the valley
where flowed the tributary river now that the rains had come ... all [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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