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Authors: Kathryn Blair
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women, yet she felt she could trust him.
“ I honestly don ’ t beli e ve Mr. Gilmore will mind your arriving rather early, ” she said. “ He has spare rooms at his house and can put you up right away—even tonight. ”
He felt in the top pocket of his bush shirt for cigarettes. “ I ’ ll be honest too, ” he said. “ The way I ’ ve been feeling, a house of my own sounded like heaven. A room in Ross Gilmore ’ s house, on the other hand, sounds like a rather different place! I ’ d sooner live in a tent. ”
She was curious. “ Do you know him very well? ”
“ Let ’ s put it that I know him. ” It seemed as if he might leave it at that; then he looked at her, let his glance rove the slender shoulders, the short brown hair streaked with gold. “ If you ’ re partners with him in the care of this child you must be finding out things about Ross. How do you get along with him ? ”
“ He ’ s maddening, but quite kind. ”
“ Friendly? ”
“ In an armed way—yes. ” She paused. “ If you don ’ t like him why did you take on the job? ”
“ For me, ” he said jadedly, “ it ’ s a leg-up. I was in forestry with Ross for about a year—just before he took this place. Being the sort of guy I am I just stayed in forestry. It ’ s a good life if you ’ re keen on timber and scenery, but I was sated with both after about six months. I stayed because I hadn ’ t fitted myself to do anything else. ”
“ So this is a new start for you? ”
“ That ’ s right. I ought to be straining at the leash. ”
“ But you ’ re not—because you ’ ve been ill? ”
He lay back and crossed his khaki-stockinged feet, had the appearance of a man who longed to relax. “ You ’ re awfully maternal for your age. For heaven ’ s sake stop looking as if you ’ re sorry for me, or I shall unload. ”
With a business-like movement Lou placed the cups back on the tray. “ I only put questions because I couldn ’ t understand a man being so down in the dumps. You ’ re free to do as you like; you didn ’ t have to come to Mulera if you don ’ t get along with Ross Gilmore. ”
“ I get along with him. I haven ’ t his ruthless outlook and unlimited energy, so it makes me tired just to think ahead. ” He offered the cigarettes and was lighting one for each of them now, with a match. “ In the past few years I haven ’ t seen much of Ross. We ’ d meet occasionally at the club in Zomba, but I never came this way and Ross hardly ever came back to see the forestry types. The weekend after the Westons were killed Ross saw the lawyer in Zomba, and I ran into him. He asked me if I ’ d been working without a contract, so I gave a month ’ s notice, but half-way through it I hooked a dose of fever and had to finish . Actually, I gave up my quarters too soon. I ’ ve been kicking about for several days. When the rain came I had to make some sort of decision, and it seemed wiser to come here and settle in. Never occurred to me I’ d find a pretty girl installed. ” He livened a little. “ If I believed in anything I ’ d take you as a good omen. One of my most troublesome dreams is about a girl who could easily be you! ”
She laughed. “ Now you ’ re being obvious. And you haven ’t made it cl ear why you aren ’ t keen to work for Ross.”
“ Did I say that? ” It ’ s not really true. ” He paused. “ Have you ever envied someone who ’ s thoroughly adjusted and successful? Maybe not, because you ’ re adjusted yourself and success wouldn ’ t mean much to you—worldly success, I mean. Ross is a positive character; he knows where he ’ s going and he expects others to b e the same. He came to Africa in a pioneering spirit, and I ’ ve heard him say that wherever a man lives he should create something permanent or perennial—like trees and industries. He ’ s never seriously thought of anything else since he ’ s been here. ”
“ You ’ ve created trees, ” she
“ I honestly don ’ t beli e ve Mr. Gilmore will mind your arriving rather early, ” she said. “ He has spare rooms at his house and can put you up right away—even tonight. ”
He felt in the top pocket of his bush shirt for cigarettes. “ I ’ ll be honest too, ” he said. “ The way I ’ ve been feeling, a house of my own sounded like heaven. A room in Ross Gilmore ’ s house, on the other hand, sounds like a rather different place! I ’ d sooner live in a tent. ”
She was curious. “ Do you know him very well? ”
“ Let ’ s put it that I know him. ” It seemed as if he might leave it at that; then he looked at her, let his glance rove the slender shoulders, the short brown hair streaked with gold. “ If you ’ re partners with him in the care of this child you must be finding out things about Ross. How do you get along with him ? ”
“ He ’ s maddening, but quite kind. ”
“ Friendly? ”
“ In an armed way—yes. ” She paused. “ If you don ’ t like him why did you take on the job? ”
“ For me, ” he said jadedly, “ it ’ s a leg-up. I was in forestry with Ross for about a year—just before he took this place. Being the sort of guy I am I just stayed in forestry. It ’ s a good life if you ’ re keen on timber and scenery, but I was sated with both after about six months. I stayed because I hadn ’ t fitted myself to do anything else. ”
“ So this is a new start for you? ”
“ That ’ s right. I ought to be straining at the leash. ”
“ But you ’ re not—because you ’ ve been ill? ”
He lay back and crossed his khaki-stockinged feet, had the appearance of a man who longed to relax. “ You ’ re awfully maternal for your age. For heaven ’ s sake stop looking as if you ’ re sorry for me, or I shall unload. ”
With a business-like movement Lou placed the cups back on the tray. “ I only put questions because I couldn ’ t understand a man being so down in the dumps. You ’ re free to do as you like; you didn ’ t have to come to Mulera if you don ’ t get along with Ross Gilmore. ”
“ I get along with him. I haven ’ t his ruthless outlook and unlimited energy, so it makes me tired just to think ahead. ” He offered the cigarettes and was lighting one for each of them now, with a match. “ In the past few years I haven ’ t seen much of Ross. We ’ d meet occasionally at the club in Zomba, but I never came this way and Ross hardly ever came back to see the forestry types. The weekend after the Westons were killed Ross saw the lawyer in Zomba, and I ran into him. He asked me if I ’ d been working without a contract, so I gave a month ’ s notice, but half-way through it I hooked a dose of fever and had to finish . Actually, I gave up my quarters too soon. I ’ ve been kicking about for several days. When the rain came I had to make some sort of decision, and it seemed wiser to come here and settle in. Never occurred to me I’ d find a pretty girl installed. ” He livened a little. “ If I believed in anything I ’ d take you as a good omen. One of my most troublesome dreams is about a girl who could easily be you! ”
She laughed. “ Now you ’ re being obvious. And you haven ’t made it cl ear why you aren ’ t keen to work for Ross.”
“ Did I say that? ” It ’ s not really true. ” He paused. “ Have you ever envied someone who ’ s thoroughly adjusted and successful? Maybe not, because you ’ re adjusted yourself and success wouldn ’ t mean much to you—worldly success, I mean. Ross is a positive character; he knows where he ’ s going and he expects others to b e the same. He came to Africa in a pioneering spirit, and I ’ ve heard him say that wherever a man lives he should create something permanent or perennial—like trees and industries. He ’ s never seriously thought of anything else since he ’ s been here. ”
“ You ’ ve created trees, ” she
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