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Authors: Kathryn Blair
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pointed out .
“ Oh, sure, but I don ’ t care about them. ”
“ Does Ross know that? ”
His smile flickered, his regard became a little more intent "You know, I ’ m beginning to wonder what I ’ ve dropped into—and to rather like it Would you care to take me on, and stay in the house? ”
“ Take you on? ” she asked blankly.
“ Marry me, ” said Gregg.
“ For a moment I thought you were serious about my staying in the house, ” she said, relieved. “ You ’ d better be careful with your proposals. Someone may call your bluff ! ”
He kn ocked ash into the tray she had pushed near him, sighed and murmured, “ I ’ m no capture for any woman. It ’ s such a long time since I ’ ve met anyone remotely like you that I felt quite dizzy for a moment with hope. ”
“ You ’ re still light-headed from fever, ” she said severely. “ What are we going to do with you tonight? ”
He listened to the rain hammering outside, bent to put on his shoes. He looked up and his face was drawn. “ I suppose there ’ s a garage; you must give me the key to it. ”
‘ It ’ s dusty and full of junk—you can ’ t sleep out there. I think you ’ re the most improvident man I ever met! ”
“ I could wade back to my car and spend the night in it . ”
“ That ’ s impossible. Please let me send for Mr. Gilmore. ”
He sto o d up quickly. “ Not on your life. I ’ ll face Ross in daylight after I ’ ve had a bath and a change of clothes. I ’ ll manage. ”
“ And catch a chill, if you haven ’ t got one already! Mr . Allwyn .”
“ Call me Greg. And stop fretting. I've slept out in all sorts of weather. ”
“ But I haven ’ t known about it , ” she said firmly, “ and this time I do know. Where ’ s your luggage? ”
“ In the car. ”
“ Then you must stay here till the ram stops. She looked about her, thinking quickly. “ Spend the night here in this room, I’ll lock the door on the other side and you can sleep on the couch. Do you think the rain will last much longer? ”
“ Two or three hours, perhaps. ”
“ Well, all I ask is that you disappear before the servant comes into the house—at about six-thirty. You ’ ll be quite shut off from the rest of the house. Will that help? ”
“ Tremendously. You ’ re such a sweet little Goldilocks that I wouldn ’ t dream of putting you in a spot . I ’ ll go just before dawn. ”
Lou hesitated, with her fingers on the tray handles. “I’ ve a feeling that you need a doctor. Will you promise to find one when you leave here? ”
He smiled easily. “ Yes, I promise. You ’ re quite a girl Lou Prentice. ”
“ You could be quite a man, ” she said quietly, “ if you liked yourself a little better. Can I get you anything? ”
“ No more whisky? ”
“ Only the spot in the bottom of the bottle. ”
“ I ’ m afraid I ’ ll have to rob you of it, but I ’ ll make it up to you some day. ”
“ You ’ re welcome to it, but I do hope it won ’ t make you oversleep. ”
He smiled and winked. “ My system is hardened to it— won ’ t cave in to less than half a bottle. I ’ m not sleepy, anyway; only a bit whacked. ” He moved and patted her shoulder. “ Sorry I had to be way below normal the first time we meet, but I ’ ll put in a few days ’ rest with friends, and come back fit I ’ ll leave the room tidy in the morning. ”
“ Th anks . Goodnight . ”
She slipped out with the tray, set it down while she turned the key in the lock and then took it along to the kitchen. She listened at Keith ’ s door, went into her own room but was too disturbed to get into bed at once. She stood near the window and imagined the look of the garden, with the rain still tumbling into the lake it had become. She could feel moisture bouncing through the wire screen, and she thought of all the rivers forming in the gulleys and their headlong race over grass and boulders and hillsides into Lake Nyasa.
She went to
“ Oh, sure, but I don ’ t care about them. ”
“ Does Ross know that? ”
His smile flickered, his regard became a little more intent "You know, I ’ m beginning to wonder what I ’ ve dropped into—and to rather like it Would you care to take me on, and stay in the house? ”
“ Take you on? ” she asked blankly.
“ Marry me, ” said Gregg.
“ For a moment I thought you were serious about my staying in the house, ” she said, relieved. “ You ’ d better be careful with your proposals. Someone may call your bluff ! ”
He kn ocked ash into the tray she had pushed near him, sighed and murmured, “ I ’ m no capture for any woman. It ’ s such a long time since I ’ ve met anyone remotely like you that I felt quite dizzy for a moment with hope. ”
“ You ’ re still light-headed from fever, ” she said severely. “ What are we going to do with you tonight? ”
He listened to the rain hammering outside, bent to put on his shoes. He looked up and his face was drawn. “ I suppose there ’ s a garage; you must give me the key to it. ”
‘ It ’ s dusty and full of junk—you can ’ t sleep out there. I think you ’ re the most improvident man I ever met! ”
“ I could wade back to my car and spend the night in it . ”
“ That ’ s impossible. Please let me send for Mr. Gilmore. ”
He sto o d up quickly. “ Not on your life. I ’ ll face Ross in daylight after I ’ ve had a bath and a change of clothes. I ’ ll manage. ”
“ And catch a chill, if you haven ’ t got one already! Mr . Allwyn .”
“ Call me Greg. And stop fretting. I've slept out in all sorts of weather. ”
“ But I haven ’ t known about it , ” she said firmly, “ and this time I do know. Where ’ s your luggage? ”
“ In the car. ”
“ Then you must stay here till the ram stops. She looked about her, thinking quickly. “ Spend the night here in this room, I’ll lock the door on the other side and you can sleep on the couch. Do you think the rain will last much longer? ”
“ Two or three hours, perhaps. ”
“ Well, all I ask is that you disappear before the servant comes into the house—at about six-thirty. You ’ ll be quite shut off from the rest of the house. Will that help? ”
“ Tremendously. You ’ re such a sweet little Goldilocks that I wouldn ’ t dream of putting you in a spot . I ’ ll go just before dawn. ”
Lou hesitated, with her fingers on the tray handles. “I’ ve a feeling that you need a doctor. Will you promise to find one when you leave here? ”
He smiled easily. “ Yes, I promise. You ’ re quite a girl Lou Prentice. ”
“ You could be quite a man, ” she said quietly, “ if you liked yourself a little better. Can I get you anything? ”
“ No more whisky? ”
“ Only the spot in the bottom of the bottle. ”
“ I ’ m afraid I ’ ll have to rob you of it, but I ’ ll make it up to you some day. ”
“ You ’ re welcome to it, but I do hope it won ’ t make you oversleep. ”
He smiled and winked. “ My system is hardened to it— won ’ t cave in to less than half a bottle. I ’ m not sleepy, anyway; only a bit whacked. ” He moved and patted her shoulder. “ Sorry I had to be way below normal the first time we meet, but I ’ ll put in a few days ’ rest with friends, and come back fit I ’ ll leave the room tidy in the morning. ”
“ Th anks . Goodnight . ”
She slipped out with the tray, set it down while she turned the key in the lock and then took it along to the kitchen. She listened at Keith ’ s door, went into her own room but was too disturbed to get into bed at once. She stood near the window and imagined the look of the garden, with the rain still tumbling into the lake it had become. She could feel moisture bouncing through the wire screen, and she thought of all the rivers forming in the gulleys and their headlong race over grass and boulders and hillsides into Lake Nyasa.
She went to
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