‘You spoke to Todd?’
‘He’s the only one in this family who seems to care about keeping me in the loop.’
‘Todd is not part of this family, Mum.’
‘For the moment, at any rate. I’m sure you’ll come to your senses eventually.’
‘Me? Todd had an affair, Mum! What should I have done?’
‘All men dally, Hannah. It’s in their genetic code. We can’t let that stop our living successful lives.’
‘I can’t accept that. I want more than that. Don’t tell me Dad—’
‘Of course not! Your father is hardly aware that the world is still turning. He’s only vaguely present in the relationships he already has. It would never occur to him to take up with another woman. But I digress. Hannah, what were you thinking, abandoning your life in Cape Town for some grubby little town in God knows where?’
Hannah’s fingers tightened on the receiver as her mother continued: ‘I can’t believe you would give up on all the work you have put into your thesis. Research is for the long haul – it’s exhausting, but you have to stick to it. Persevere, Hannah.’
‘What for, Mum?’
‘What do you mean, what for? You can’t get anywhere in the academic world without a PhD, you know that.’
‘What if I don’t want to be in that world?’
‘Hannah, stop this indulgence at once. You are thirty years old and without even a foothold in the university. Once you get through this PhD, you’ll take on a lectureship and start publishing, and everything will fall into place. How soon can you get back to Cape Town?’
‘I’m not going back anytime soon, Mum. I’m happy.’
‘Happy? What has that to do with anything?’
Hannah had put the phone down quietly, knowing her mother would be sputtering with rage and also knowing she didn’t have Hannah’s number in Leliehoek.
Now Hannah was in the shop when the doorbell tinkled and Kathryn popped in with two take-away coffees.
‘I needed a break from the shop – I haven’t looked up since half-past four this morning. I hope Maisie can cope. She only started last week.’
Hannah smiled and looked over her shoulder from where she was selecting the more valuable books to photograph and auction online. ‘Things getting busier now that it’s holidays?’
‘Hell, yes. Town is filling up and holidaymakers are gorging.’ Kathryn slouched in one of the chairs at the fireplace, closing her eyes. ‘I can’t keep up. At least tomorrow is a public holiday. But Christmas is coming far too soon.’
Christmas. Hannah hadn’t thought about it much. The idea of Christmas didn’t thrill her. In fact, the last few years had been dismal. Coming back from London and leaving Todd had meant an end to the glamorous parties. All that fake Christmas cheer which just covered up everybody’s selfish agendas. Hobnobbing in that crowd was all about being seen with the right people, wearing the right clothes, and getting some kind of thrill from flirting with other people’s spouses. Then Hannah was left with Christmas at her parents’ house, which wasn’t much better. How do two atheists celebrate Christmas? The tree, the fairy lights, and the stockings had all disappeared when Hannah and Joseph had got older. That nefarious character, Father Christmas, had never been subscribed to, even when the children were little. All in all, Christmas in the Harrison household had been a non-event. For Hannah, it had always been a morning associated with disappointment.
‘What are your plans for Christmas, Hannah?’ said Kathryn.
‘The shop will close, I suppose – I hadn’t really thought further than that.’
‘Can I book you to come for lunch at our house?’
‘You hardly need to book me. I would love to come.’
‘Don’t get your expectations up, though – we have a lot of fun, but it’s not in any way civilised.’
Hannah smiled at her friend. ‘It sounds perfect.’
‘And tomorrow, too, if you want to. You will close the shop for the day, won’t you? Why don’t you come over, hang out at my house for the day.’
‘I’d love to. But let me bring lunch.’
‘Nah. We’ll forage in the fridge. Throw something together.’
Just then, the shop doorbell jingled again and both girls turned to see a tall, rangy man walk in. He was wearing dusty boots and creased cargo pants, his T-shirt printed with the silhouette of a dinosaur riding a bicycle, ET like, across an enormous moon. As he turned his unshaven face, Kathryn took a breath. ‘Oh my goodness,’ she said, goggling.
Hannah dropped her books and flew across the room into a hug which swept her off her feet and swung her around.
‘What are you doing here?’ she said, when he had released her onto her feet, breathless from his squeeze, her face alight with pleasure.
‘I could ask you the same thing,’ he said dryly. He looked over her shoulder to Kathryn, raising one eyebrow. ‘But first, how about an introduction?’
Hannah rolled her eyes. ‘Kathryn, meet my brother, Joseph, who remains the same, regardless of how many years go by.’
Kathryn, for the first time that Hannah had witnessed, remained speechless. A wide grin lifted her brother’s mouth and crinkled his eyes, taking him from gorgeous to devastating; Hannah knew Kathryn would be thinking the same.
‘You didn’t answer my calls,’ said Hannah.
‘I thought I’d answer in person,’ said Joseph casually. He pushed the door to the stoep open to pick up an enormous duffel bag which he heaved back into the shop. ‘May I put this down somewhere?’
Hannah pointed down the passage towards her apartment and, once he had jostled his bag past her, she turned to pull a face at Kathryn. Kathryn had yet to string two words together and now she merely flapped her hands at Hannah, gesturing for her to follow her brother.
Joseph had dumped his duffel in the passage and was looking into each room. Hannah, as a reflex, turned on the kettle.
‘How long can you stay, Joseph?’ she said.
He sank into a chair at the table. ‘I’m taking a few weeks in South Africa, letting some things settle in Cambridge.’
Hannah dropped a rooibos teabag in a mug for him. ‘Still plagued by women?’
He shrugged. ‘She got a bit possessive, a bit neurotic. Better if I’m not around. Hopefully she’ll realise her husband is a nice guy, really. She should turn her attentions to him.’
Hannah shook her head in disbelief. ‘Josey, your rock-like heart. Does the trail of destruction you leave in your wake not bother you at all?’
He grinned at her over the rim of his cup. ‘It’s because I have a rock-like heart that I can walk away unscathed. I can recommend it, actually.’
Hannah ignored him. ‘Where will you stay?’
‘Here.’
She looked up sharply. ‘I only have one bedroom and I’m not giving it up, not even for you.’
‘Good for you. This place suits you, Hannah. You seem different somehow.’ He frowned at her, his head tilted to the side. Then he shrugged the thought off. ‘I’m happy on the floor or the couch. Do you mind if I crash right now? I haven’t slept since I left Cambridge two days ago.’
Hannah glanced across at him and realised his eyes were shadowed with fatigue beneath the mischief. She softened. ‘Take my bed for the afternoon. I’ll wake you up for supper.’
As he unzipped the duffel and began rooting for a change of clothes, Hannah stood in the passage doorway, watching.
‘How come Mum didn’t know where you were? I thought she would be seeing as much of you as she could.’
‘I told you already, she got a bit possessive, a bit neurotic.’
‘The woman you were fleeing was Mum? Joseph Harrison, you are too much!’ Hannah couldn’t help the laugh which gurgled to the surface. She left him stripping off his shirt in the bathroom and turning on the shower. Throwing a clean towel into the bathroom doorway, she pulled the passage door closed behind her.
‘Phwoar!’ said Kathryn as Hannah returned to t
he reading room.
‘Stay away, Kathryn. He is a piece of work where women are concerned. He has had a perpetual string of women since he was sixteen, and probably broken every single one.’ Catching sight of Kathryn’s smile, she added, ‘And don’t think you’ll be the one to change him, either!’
Hannah resumed her sorting as Kathryn lay back in her arm chair. ‘Don’t worry. He reminds me of Chris when I first met him – astonishingly good-looking with all the confidence-slash-arrogance that goes along with it. Consider me severely burnt in that regard.’
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The next morning, Alistair opened Hannah’s garden gate, the squeak of the hinges rousing a sleepy tortoiseshell cat from its nap on a deck chair. It stretched its front paws out and yawned, giving Alistair a sceptical look, before beginning to clean itself. He climbed the steps and rapped on the kitchen door. Everything looked quiet through the glass doors. His scarred reflection stared back at him, and he wondered if he still had time to escape back to his car. He’d barely made it back to the deck steps when the door opened behind him. With a nervous smile, he swung around, then stopped, paralysed at the sight of a good-looking man, sleep tousled, wearing only tracksuit bottoms.
‘Hi,’ said the man casually, reaching his arms above his head, his torso rippling in a stretch very like the cat’s.
‘Hi …’ said Alistair, his brain stumbling for words, ‘I was looking for Hannah, but I’ll try her later at the shop, I think.’
‘Who are you?’ said the man, his tone friendly.
‘I was wondering the same …’
‘I’m Joseph.’
‘Okay …’ Alistair waited for Joseph to add anything which might explain who he was, but Joseph just stood looking at him, completely at ease.
‘What should I tell Han when she gets back?’
Wanting to get away from this awful encounter, Alistair could only mumble, ‘Don’t worry,’ before turning to the gate just as Hannah came through it. Her face was flushed, her running gear damp with sweat. Her hair had escaped the ponytail to curl in moist wisps in her neck and around her face.
‘Hi, honey, how was your run?’ Alistair heard Joseph call from the deck.
Hannah shot her brother a confused look. Alistair turned back to the deck where Joseph was grinning down at them. ‘You know, I was missing Han so much, I just had to come and see her. She’s so damn gorgeous, isn’t she?’ He yanked her ponytail as she came past him and pulled her into his side.
‘Shut up, Josey,’ said Hannah, wresting herself away from him. ‘What can I do for you, Alistair?’
‘It’s obviously not a good time,’ said Alistair in a rush to leave, ‘Thanks. I mean … bye.’ He stumbled down the path. Damn. He knew he shouldn’t have come. Agreeing to be friends didn’t mean he could expect her to be single. Of course she’d choose a man like Joseph. Laid back, good-looking, affectionate. No way to compete with that.
Hannah punched Joseph on the arm. ‘You are such a bastard!’
Joseph, laughing, turned back into the house, rubbing his arm.
‘Wait, Alistair!’ Hannah jogged out the gate and reached him as he unlocked his Toyota, catching his arm. She felt him jolt and he pulled away, putting some distance between them. Her heart stammered for a moment and she blinked. What on earth was that? Awkwardness hovered.
‘Sorry. My brother is a complete idiot. He loves messing with people, especially me.’
‘I thought—’
‘I’m so sorry. I’ve spent much of my life apologising for my brother. I love him, but no one can infuriate me like he can.’ As she smiled up at Alistair, she could see the tension dissipate from his face. He let out a breath and leant against the side of his car.
‘I came to ask if you would like to go and see Surrender Hill?’ He looked up at the sky. ‘It’s a beautiful day. Maybe this afternoon?’
‘What’s Surrender Hill?’
He smiled. ‘A battle site, relatively close by. It’s where a large portion of the Boer army surrendered to the British. I’m taking Douglas to show him. And today is Day of Reconciliation – seems appropriate somehow.’
In more ways than one, she thought, wondering if they would ever figure out a relationship which wasn’t fraught with emotion. She nodded. ‘I’d love to come.’ Then her face fell. ‘But I made plans with Kathryn.’
‘Bring Kathryn.’
When she came back into the house, Joseph was sitting at the table eating an enormous bowl of cereal. Patchy sat next to him on the table, watching him adoringly and purring.
Hannah shook her head in disgust as she passed him on her way to the shower. ‘Even cats? Really?’
‘I can’t help it.’ He shrugged.
‘What are you doing today?’ she yelled from the bathroom.
‘I’ve got some calls to make, emails to send. I probably need to let some people know where I am. You?’
‘I’ll be out this afternoon.’
Later that afternoon, they set off from the bookshop. Hannah and Kathryn rode in Kathryn’s car, her twins strapped into their seats. Douglas and Alistair drove ahead in Alistair’s Hilux.
Alistair dropped his speed so that Kathryn could follow. She was either a very cautious driver, or she was distracted. Alistair would put his money on the latter. He glanced in his rear-view mirror again, and could see Kathryn gesticulating wildly as she told a story. Hannah threw her head back, laughing with an abandon which made him envious. There was always tension between him and Hannah. Even though they were no longer openly fighting, Hannah was still a long way from being as relaxed with him as he would like.
Douglas turned his body to face Alistair and leant against the passenger door.
‘What’s going on with you and the beautiful Hannah?’
Alistair felt his brows shoot up. ‘Nothing. Why would you ask that?’
‘It’s certainly not nothing. There’s enough spark between you to warrant carrying a fire extinguisher. Whether it be lust or anger, it’s not nothing. Have you seen anyone since Marilie’s death?’
Alistair shook his head, really not wanting to go down this road. ‘You’re not shy of getting straight to the point.’
‘No one? Not one? And it’s been what, five years?’
‘Eight,’ said Alistair, feeling his hands begin to clench on the steering wheel.
‘Eight years is a long time to be alone. I’ve been married and divorced in half that time, and even I’m thinking it’s time to move on.’
Alistair grasped this shift in conversation away from himself. ‘To someone local?’
‘Maybe,’ said Douglas, a smile curving his mouth.
‘Someone local to the car following us?’ said Alistair, raising an eyebrow.
‘Maybe.’ Douglas’s smile now widened into a grin.
‘You do know that Kathryn’s not a simple case? There’s a husband somewhere. The twins. If you’re going to get back into the dating game, she’s not the one to play around with.’
Douglas’s good humour didn’t falter. ‘Do I look like a player?’ Alistair glanced across at him, choking on a laugh when he saw Douglas’s exaggerated leer. Douglas composed his face and continued: ‘Anyway, we’re talking about you.’
Alistair looked away. ‘It’s complicated. Hannah’s not a simple case either. She’s not an open book.’
‘Your book,’ said Douglas, ‘is glued shut, my friend.’
To Alistair’s relief, the brown sign to Surrender Hill appeared on the side of the road, and they slowed to turn into the grassy field which was signposted as parking. Kathryn followed. As soon as her car had pulled to a stop, the twins piled out and galloped up the slope. They made straight for a stone plinth with a brass plaque cemented onto the top. The children ran their fingers over the raised letters and traced the circular medallion marking a national monument. Climbing onto the plinth, they both balanced on the top, turning in a circle and looking around at the grassy hillside. The sky met spectacular sandstone formations
and hilly grassland in all directions.
Alistair pulled a wide-brimmed cricket hat from behind the seat of his Hilux. He unlocked a farm gate with a key from his pocket and led the others up the hill. The sun was hot on their backs but a slight breeze lifted the heaviness. The children followed, picking grass and chasing each other to and fro. Halfway up the slope, Alistair turned, his voice carrying on the breeze.
‘Let me give you a bit of background.’ He cleared his throat. ‘By July 1900, the war had been going on for nine months. The Boers had won significant battles in the early stages but British troops were pouring into the country and most of the towns in the Free State were occupied. The British General Hunter began advancing south towards Bethlehem. The great Boer General De Wet decided to abandon Bethlehem, and took to the hills of the Brandwater Basin.’ Alistair stopped to pick up a stick and sketch a diagram in a patch of sand. ‘Brandwater Basin is a kind of horseshoe shape – we are standing on the right prong, looking inwards.’ He stood up again, and pointed with his stick at the mountains surrounding them in every direction. ‘The Witteberg to the west, the Drakensberg behind us, and the Rooiberg, which we are looking at. This basin is a natural fortress where the president of the Free State thought his commandos could rest. General Hunter soon made it a giant trap. There are only six ways in and out of this basin, some of them only narrow paths. General Hunter planned to take each pass, trapping the Boer army inside.’
The others, who were now sitting in the grass, looked around with new insight at the view.
‘De Wet, astute as he was, realised the danger. He divided the commandos and planned to get everyone out over a couple of days, in different directions. He took President Steyn and two and a half thousand men, and escaped on the first night. He managed to get four hundred and sixty wagons and carts within a mile of a British camp, moving in silence.’
Kathryn shook her head. ‘That’s incredible.’
An Unquiet Place Page 13