Read Online They Met in Zanzibar by Kathryn Blair - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kathryn Blair
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you don’t mind. Goodnight.”
For fully two minutes after he had gone from the room neither Steve or Peg moved an inch. Steve still stood in front of his chair with his hands sunk into his pockets and his chin jutting while his glance was trained on something outside in the darkness. Peg sat in her chair, her muscles tense, her head bent so that the lamplight shone over her short, com-silk curls.
Then, with an effort she pushed to her feet. “ I’ m afraid you’ve upset him,” she said on a caught breath. “Perhaps you ought to go now.”
With a violence underlying his voice, Steve said, “You come outside. I’ve things to say to you!”
“My father closed his door. You can say them here.”
“Very well,” crisply. “Did you have to make that last crack? Do you think I’d have acted as Jim’s acting, even if I hadn’t been going to join the company? You don’t fight progress - you help it. Jim’s not too old to see that. And as for you ... you’re so blinded by your affection for him that you can’t see what’s best for him or for yourself. Jim has to choose between a fat sum of money that will keep him in more than comfort for the rest of his life and wretchedly grubbing along at odds with everybody while his land loses heart and value. And you’re helping him to choose the wrong way.”
She faced him, wide-eyed, bewildered. “Do you really think I have any say in this? Do you think I’d persuade my father to give up something that’s meant more to him than his own family? The way I see it, he has to have what he needs for his own kind of happiness, and even you will agree that he’s nothing without his plantation.” Her tones lowered. “Let him try it out. In a year’s time he may think differently.”
“You can’t play around with big companies. If your father goes to them in a year’s time it will be because he’s defeated, and they’ll base their offer accordingly. It’s soulless, but it’s the way companies are run. Peg, you’ve got to do your utmost to make him see where he’ll stand if he refuses to sell. I’d hate like hell to have to watch him and his plantation disintegrate together!”
She nodded jerkily, with her lips pulled in in case they trembled. Then she swallowed and said, “Can you see how it is for me ... can you? If I persuade him to sell he’ll always hold it against me, and I’ll never know whether I’ve done the right thing. I ... I’ve really only known him a few months, and... ”
“Don’t,” he said swiftly. “I saw all that. You’re just a kid and it’s tough that you should be placed in such a position. Promise me one thing - that though you can’t bring yourself to persuade him to sell, you won’t oppose it.”
“However I may act, it will be for his sake,” she said in a subdued voice. “It’s a ... a terrible thing when a man is faced with such a situation. Years ago he had to choose between Motu and his family ... ”
“He made an appalling choice,” said Steve abruptly. “You adore him and accept him as he is, so you won’t agree with that. It’s all in the past now, but we can do our best to make sure he doesn’t let the plantation win this time. If it does win he’ll eventually lose everything - and I don’t mean money.”
She nodded sadly. “I do see the other side of it. My father’s no dope - he can see it too.”
“For him it’s obscured by a determination to live out his days right here on his own plantation.” He reached over and patted her shoulder. “Sorry I bawled at you just now. You mustn’t distress yourself - I’ve a couple of weeks in which to convince Jim.” He paused. “Been about much?”
“No.”
“ I’ d take you up to the north coast of the island - maybe tomorrow. And perhaps we could go a few miles along the river one day; our river is spectacular.”
She pressed her hands together, more in command of herself. “You don’t have to be especially kind to me.”
He sounded more
For fully two minutes after he had gone from the room neither Steve or Peg moved an inch. Steve still stood in front of his chair with his hands sunk into his pockets and his chin jutting while his glance was trained on something outside in the darkness. Peg sat in her chair, her muscles tense, her head bent so that the lamplight shone over her short, com-silk curls.
Then, with an effort she pushed to her feet. “ I’ m afraid you’ve upset him,” she said on a caught breath. “Perhaps you ought to go now.”
With a violence underlying his voice, Steve said, “You come outside. I’ve things to say to you!”
“My father closed his door. You can say them here.”
“Very well,” crisply. “Did you have to make that last crack? Do you think I’d have acted as Jim’s acting, even if I hadn’t been going to join the company? You don’t fight progress - you help it. Jim’s not too old to see that. And as for you ... you’re so blinded by your affection for him that you can’t see what’s best for him or for yourself. Jim has to choose between a fat sum of money that will keep him in more than comfort for the rest of his life and wretchedly grubbing along at odds with everybody while his land loses heart and value. And you’re helping him to choose the wrong way.”
She faced him, wide-eyed, bewildered. “Do you really think I have any say in this? Do you think I’d persuade my father to give up something that’s meant more to him than his own family? The way I see it, he has to have what he needs for his own kind of happiness, and even you will agree that he’s nothing without his plantation.” Her tones lowered. “Let him try it out. In a year’s time he may think differently.”
“You can’t play around with big companies. If your father goes to them in a year’s time it will be because he’s defeated, and they’ll base their offer accordingly. It’s soulless, but it’s the way companies are run. Peg, you’ve got to do your utmost to make him see where he’ll stand if he refuses to sell. I’d hate like hell to have to watch him and his plantation disintegrate together!”
She nodded jerkily, with her lips pulled in in case they trembled. Then she swallowed and said, “Can you see how it is for me ... can you? If I persuade him to sell he’ll always hold it against me, and I’ll never know whether I’ve done the right thing. I ... I’ve really only known him a few months, and... ”
“Don’t,” he said swiftly. “I saw all that. You’re just a kid and it’s tough that you should be placed in such a position. Promise me one thing - that though you can’t bring yourself to persuade him to sell, you won’t oppose it.”
“However I may act, it will be for his sake,” she said in a subdued voice. “It’s a ... a terrible thing when a man is faced with such a situation. Years ago he had to choose between Motu and his family ... ”
“He made an appalling choice,” said Steve abruptly. “You adore him and accept him as he is, so you won’t agree with that. It’s all in the past now, but we can do our best to make sure he doesn’t let the plantation win this time. If it does win he’ll eventually lose everything - and I don’t mean money.”
She nodded sadly. “I do see the other side of it. My father’s no dope - he can see it too.”
“For him it’s obscured by a determination to live out his days right here on his own plantation.” He reached over and patted her shoulder. “Sorry I bawled at you just now. You mustn’t distress yourself - I’ve a couple of weeks in which to convince Jim.” He paused. “Been about much?”
“No.”
“ I’ d take you up to the north coast of the island - maybe tomorrow. And perhaps we could go a few miles along the river one day; our river is spectacular.”
She pressed her hands together, more in command of herself. “You don’t have to be especially kind to me.”
He sounded more
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