o 53f50dedf5bfd441

by Ria

  accuracy of his statement. It was uncanny the way he quite often appeared

  to read her thoughts, leaving her with the faintly disturbing sensation that

  there was nothing she could hide from him.

  She remained in the attic for some time after Rudolph had left, her glance

  returning repeatedly to the portrait of Portia de Waal, as she now knew her

  to be. It could only be coincidence that there was such a physical

  resemblance between them, she decided. But how could she explain away

  the fact that her surname was de Waal? Was it possible that they could be

  related somehow?

  She would have to question her parents about it, she decided as she went

  down to Rudolph's study to find him on the telephone to her parents, but he

  interrupted the conversation instantly and extended the receiver towards her.

  Janey's voice was stilted as she spoke to her mother and, despite the fact

  that Rudolph kept himself busy with the papers before him, she was certain

  that he noted every word she uttered.

  'My mother insists that Andrew remains with them during our visit,' Janey

  told Rudolph when she eventually replaced the receiver and turned to face

  him.

  'It's understandable that they would want to see as much as possible of

  him,' he remarked with surprising amiability as he put down his pen and

  rose to his feet. 'It will give you more time to look up all your old

  acquaintances.'

  'I haven't many acquaintances in Cape Town.'

  Rudolph leaned against his desk and lit a cigarette. 'What about Alison

  Peters?'

  It surprised her that he should have remembered her friend's name so

  accurately, but she refrained from remarking on it. 'Alison is teaching in a

  small Karoo town which is close to her father's farm. Besides, she must be

  pretty busy at the moment making arrangements for her wedding.' He raised

  his eyebrows questioningly, and she hastened to explain briefly the contents

  of Alison's letter. 'She sent her regards.'

  Rudolph nodded absently and turned away from her as if the conversation

  was beginning to bore him. Perhaps he wanted her to leave, she thought as

  she glanced at the important-looking documents on his desk. It was evident

  that he had brought work home, but it was futile trying to deny that she was

  reluctant to leave.

  'Thank you for—for inviting me to come with you,' she murmured

  haltingly, hating herself for showing him so clearly that she needed to be

  near him, when she was certain that he wanted her to go.

  'It would have looked strange if I hadn't taken you with me.'

  The bluntness of his statement mattered her illusions and sparked off an

  anger which she found difficult to control. 'I should have known your

  invitation wouldn't have been issued out of consideration for me.'

  'Don't be so damned prickly, Janey.' His voice was harsh as he rounded on

  her. 'You've been away from home several weeks now, and your parents

  would surely like to see you, if only to reassure themselves that I haven't

  harmed you in any way.'

  'What makes you suppose they might need reassurance?'

  'Think for yourself, Janey,' he snapped, pushing his fingers through his

  coppery hair in a gesture of agitation she had not noticed before. 'What do

  they really know about me? They saw me for a few hours, and before they

  could form an opinion, we were married and I was on a flight back to

  Johannesburg.' He drew hard on his cigarette as he paced the floor. 'A month

  later you followed me and, although I've assured them on the phone that

  you're well, they'll want to see for themselves.'

  His reasoning made peculiar sense, but there was something else about this

  proposed trip to Cape Town that made her unhappy. 'Why can't we stay with

  my parents?'

  'My dear Janey, I'm going to Cape Town on business, not pleasure,' he

  replied cuttingly as he stood for a moment towering over her. 'I can't afford

  to waste precious minutes commuting between the suburbs and the city, and

  you, Janey, will remain with me at the hotel.'

  She lifted her chin in a gesture of defiance. 'And if I tell you I would prefer

  to stay with them?'

  Rudolph raised his eyebrows mockingly, and she felt a quiver of

  apprehension coiling through her. 'Then I shall be forced to stay with them

  as well, and you'll find it rather embarrassing trying to explain why we don't

  share the same bedroom.'

  Flushed with humiliation and anger, she sustained his level glance. 'I

  suppose you think you're very clever!'

  'No, I'm merely approaching the problem from a logical viewpoint,' he

  replied with an arrogance that left her shaking with helpless rage. 'At the

  hotel we shall have a two- bedroomed suite to ourselves, and no questions

  asked. Which do you prefer?'

  The undeniable mockery in his voice heightened the colour in her cheeks,

  and she lowered her glance instantly. 'You know very well you leave me no

  choice.'

  'I'm glad to see you're being sensible at last.'

  Janey bit back a sharp retort and, casting an angry glance in his direction,

  she turned and left the study as fast as her unsteady legs would carry her.

  She regretted bitterly that she had been so eager to accept the invitation. To

  change her mind now would disappoint her parents and rob her of the

  opportunity to find out more about Porda de Waal. She was trapped by her

  own decision and her certainty that her parents held a vital clue to the

  mystery that plagued her.

  There was a car waiting at the D. F. Malan airport to drive them to the hotel,

  and Janey's excitement increased at the sight of familiar landmarks, with

  Table Mountain towering supremely above the city. This was Cape Town,

  where the fresh south-easterly breeze could whip your hair to a frenzy and

  lay the taste of salt on your lips, while the restless ocean appeared to stretch

  on into infinity.

  'We're almost there,' Rudolph remarked as Andrew became restless in her

  arms.

  The flight from Johannesburg had not been as tiring as she had expected it

  would be. Andrew slept most of the way on the seat which the stewardess

  had prepared for him, leaving Janey free to relax and enjoy the experience.

  Rudolph had spent almost the entire flight with his briefcase on his lap,

  poring over papers and making notes. Perhaps it was just as well, she

  decided afterwards, as they nearly always ended up arguing when they tried

  to make conversation.

  The hotel they had been driven to was one of the most expensive in the

  city, and Janey held her breath as they were escorted through the thickly

  carpeted foyer and into the lift. She glanced surreptitiously at Rudolph, but

  he appeared unaffected by his surroundings. Their two- bedroomed suite

  was equally decorative, with a small private lounge. Glass doors opened out

  on to a verandah, giving them an excellent view of the mountain, while the

  ornately carved chairs and magazines oh the small table between them

  suggested an intimacy that brought a swift ache to her throat. These few

  days at the Cape with Rudolph could have been idyllic, if only ... She drew

  herself up
sharply, and the wriggling bundle in her arms altered the.

  direction of her thoughts to more practical matters as she went through to

  the bedroom which Rudolph had indicated would be hers.

  While Rudolph changed into a fresh shirt, Janey saw to Andrew's

  immediate needs before unpacking.

  'I've ordered lunch to be served up here,' he said, entering Janey's bedroom

  some minutes later as if it was a natural occurrence for him to stroll into her

  bedroom unannounced. 'I have to go out for a while, but I shall be back

  before lunch.'

  'Where—where are you going?' she asked nervously, dreading the thought

  of being left alone in these imposing rooms even for a few minutes.

  'Do you really want to know?'

  The faint suggestion of mockery in his voice made her shake her head in

  the negative. 'I don't particularly want to know,' she lied, turning away to

  hide the delicate flush that stained her cheeks. 'I merely asked out of

  politeness.'

  Strong fingers gripped her shoulders and turned her relentlessly to face

  him. 'I can do without politeness from you, Janey. However, I haven't the

  time to enter into a lengthy discussion at the moment.'

  There was a smouldering anger in his eyes that sent a flicker of fear

  through her, but, to her intense relief, he released her and stalked from the

  room. Seconds later she heard the door to their suite closing behind him and,

  nursing her shoulders where his fingers had bruised the soft flesh, she

  expelled the air from her lungs and proceeded to unpack her suitcase while

  Andrew played quietly on the carpet beside the bed.

  Rudolph had been away for almost an hour when Janey walked through to

  his bedroom and glanced at the opened suitcase on the bed from which he

  had taken a clean shirt. Draped over the chair beside the dressing-table was

  the shirt he had discarded. A smile flickered across her lips as, without

  stopping to consider, she unpacked his suitcase and stored it on top of the

  wardrobe. A squeal of excitement made her turn suddenly to see Rudolph

  entering the room with Andrew in his arms.

  'I unpacked your suitcase,’ she stated the obvious, steeling herself mentally

  for his cynical reply. 'I hope you don't mind?'

  'Why should I mind when you've saved me the arduous task of doing so

  myself?' he asked with mock innocence, turning away from her at the sound

  of a loud knock on the door to their suite. That must be our lunch.'

  It was as Rudolph had supposed, and Janey blessed the timely interruption

  as a table was wheeled in and their lunch was served. Andrew, quite

  unimpressed by the decorative display of food, settled for a bowl of fruit

  salad.

  'He appears to have definite ideas about what he wants,' Rudolph remarked

  with a touch of wry humour, his glance curiously intense as it captured hers.

  'Just as I do.'

  That last remark had a personal quality to it that made Janey's pulse flutter

  as she withstood his scrutiny for interminable seconds. She would not be

  taken and discarded when he no longer needed her, she argued with herself,

  fighting against the growing desire to weaken. When she finally spoke, her

  voice sounded clipped with the effort to maintain her rigid control.

  'Life can't be compared to the selection of a bowl of salad.'

  'What's that supposed to mean?' he demanded, his eyes flashing a danger

  signal she was becoming well acquainted with.

  'It means simply that life is far more complicated,' she replied, applying

  herself to her food, while at the same time making sure that Andrew did not

  spill any of his salad on' the expensive carpet.

  'Have you ever considered the possibility that we complicate our lives by

  our own actions?' Rudolph asked, picking up the threads of their

  conversation as she sent Andrew off to play with the selection of toys she

  had brought with her before she poured their tea.

  To a large extent I suppose we do,' she admitted, somewhat surprised by his

  remark.

  'Why?'

  'Because, quite often, our actions are motivated by our emotions,' she

  retorted after a moment's hesitation.

  Those heavy-lidded eyes mocked her mercilessly. 'Would you suggest that,

  to overcome this problem, one should think only with the mind, and act

  only upon what it dictates?'

  'That would be impossible.'

  Those heavy eyebrows rose a fraction higher. 'Do you think so?'

  'One would become inhuman,' she stated adamantly.

  'But life would be less complicated without the emotional tangles.'

  There was an undercurrent to their conversation which, to Janey, felt like a

  vibrant, pulsating thing in the palm of her hands. It was as though they were

  carefully circling a vital subject, but neither of them had the temerity to

  bring it out into the open. Instead, they played a peculiar fencing game that

  led nowhere.

  The mind can't dictate happiness,' she heard herself say in a lifeless voice.

  'But it can lead you to a reasonable facsimile of it.'

  'It would never be successful,' she argued.

  'Do you think not?'

  Words, she thought while she sustained his glance. Meaningless words they

  were shovelling back and forth, while deep down in her heart there was a

  voice crying out to be heard.

  'Most people desire complete happiness, and not a facsimile of it,' she

  exclaimed angrily, smothering the voice of her heart as she gestured

  effectively. 'And that brings us back to the emotional angle.'

  'It's a vicious circle, isn't it?'

  The glimmer of humour in his eyes fanned her anger. 'You're mocking me,'

  she accused, pushing her cup aside.

  'No,' he shook his head slowly, those lazy eyes suddenly thoughtful. 'Let

  me give you my considered opinion. Circumstances sometimes create

  problems which we are mentally and emotionally incapable of solving, and

  time is the only solution I can suggest.'

  He was right, she thought with a touch of cynicism. Time was the only

  solution to their problem, and even then she was not sure that it would

  succeed.

  'I think we have exhausted the subject,' she stated flatly as she rose to her

  feet. 'Will you please order a taxi for me?'

  'There's no need for that,' he replied, his expression all at once inscrutable

  as he pushed back his chair. 'I shall drive you out to your parents' home.'

  'Are you sure you can spare the time?' she asked sarcastically as she

  recalled his remark that he would be in Cape Town on business and not for

  pleasure.

  A flicker of anger flashed across his face, but he controlled it instantly.

  'Sheath your claws, Janey. I refuse to be baited.

  'CHAPTER EIGHT

  THE journey out to Bellville was completed in strained silence, except for

  Andrew who lessened the tension by giving them a running commentary, in

  baby fashion, on everything that took his fancy. Nevertheless, Janey heaved

  a sigh of relief when they pulled into the familiar driveway beside the rose

  garden her father took so much pride in.

  A few moments later Rudolph stood aside and observed the boisterous

  family reunion with a hint of humour on his harsh face. When
Janey met his

  glance over her father's shoulder, there was an unfathomable expression in

  his eyes that faintly disturbed her. Could it be that he was feeling excluded?

  Rudolph followed them inside, but remained only a few minutes before

  announcing that it was time he left for his appointment. 'I’ll send a car for

  you at five-thirty.'

  'That won't be necessary,' Janey argued as she accompanied him out to the

  car. ‘I’ll take a bus back to the hotel.'

  'Suit yourself,' he said brusquely, 'but don't be late. We've been invited out

  for dinner to the home of a friend of mine in Rondebosch.'

  Her gasp of surprise was drowned by the sound of the engine and, without

  giving her the opportunity to question him, he reversed the Chevrolet down

  the drive and disappeared down the street without a backward glance.

  Rondebosch! The most fashionable residential area in Cape Town! She

  had never dreamed that she would one day have the opportunity to see the

  interior of one of those fabulous houses, and she silently blessed Esme for

  helping her select a wardrobe for this trip. She would need something that

  projected simplicity and elegance, Esme had said, for Rudolph's friends and

  associates in the Cape would be taking particular note of the wife he had

  acquired. 'They're a critical bunch,' Esme had added, 'but you'll love them.'

  Janey found her parents in the kitchen. It was their favourite place for

  drinking tea and having discussions. Andrew sat on her mother's knee,

  delighting in the fuss that was being made of him, while his unintelligible

  discussions made her father smile with amusement as he lit his pipe. It

  presented such a relaxed, homely atmosphere, that her throat tightened with

  longing as she stood watching them for a moment.

  'It's a pity that Rudolph couldn't have stayed a little longer,' her father

  remarked with considerable regret as she joined them for tea. 'I would have

  enjoyed getting to know him better.'

  'Rudolph has rather a tight schedule to follow,' Janey apologised hurriedly,

  'but tell me, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company this afternoon?'

  'Well, I have been more or less coming and going as I please this last

  month,' her father explained, a lazy smile in his tired eyes. 'I'm due for

  retirement at the end of this year and, with the younger chaps taking over

  from me, I find myselfv in the position of instructor with time on my hands.'