To Tame a Vixen

by Anne Hampson

  ‘I’ve thought a lot about that lately,’ put in Jo, glancing through the window to see where Sara was. She saw her in the vegetable patch, picking peas. ‘If I were in Rosa’s shoes I wouldn’t be at all comfortable—’

  ‘Don’t be silly,’ protested Beth, an uncontrollable little quiver in her voice. ‘Rosa has nothing to fear from me.’

  ‘If he was so smitten with the girl he’d have asked her to marry him before now.’

  That seemed reasonable, thought Beth. She had often wondered about it herself, since to her way of thinking Chad was not the kind of man to dally if he found he wanted anything—or anyone. But against this was the fact that if he were in love with her, Beth, then he would undoubtedly ask her to marry him. In love—It was ridiculous even to think that he was in love with her!

  ‘His concern’s only because of the promise he made to Uncle Jack,’ she said firmly. The other two looked at one another but let the matter drop. Carole began unpacking another shopping bag and all three girls busied themselves in putting the provisions away in the cupboards.

  It was much later when Beth, looking out over the dusk-tinted gardens, prophesied there would be a violent storm.

  ‘It’ll be worse than anything we’ve ever known,’ she said. ‘Just take a look at that sky.’

  ‘Oh, lord! The flowers will suffer!’

  ‘They always do,’ returned Beth sadly. ‘I wish there was some way of protecting them.’

  Beth stayed by the window, her eyes wandering over beds of oleanders still in bloom, of lovely speckled canna lilies. Further away on the border of the grounds euphorbia and prickly pear rose, grotesque against the pearl-grey shades of an African dusk. Her attention pivoted and she was staring away to the drowsy veld, and to a scattering of huts that were the homes of the men working on the farms—Jacana and Mangwe. Already she could hear the ominous rustling among the branches of the trees, could see the flurry among the branches. Bamboo stems-quivered as if afraid of what was to come, and nearby there was a fluttering of rose-pink confetti as blossom, helped by the morning frost, relinquished its hold on the bush which held it. The light was fading swiftly now, invaded by a slate-dark eeriness that swept across the bushveld and thrust itself up the mountainsides. A brilliant blue flash was followed by a distant rumble of thunder; leaves crackled as the wind gained power, and small boughs snapped off to swirl without direction to the ground.

  And then the deluge came, torrential rain that made you think the very heavens had split right open and that every drop of water in them was concentrated on this very spot. Beth swung the window closed and turned.

  ‘I love these storms,’ she said, ‘but I hate the damage they do.’

  She had no idea, as she said it, just how serious the damage would be. It was a particularly savage storm, and it raged unabating for hours and hours, far into the night and the first grey colours of dawn were rising behind the hills before the last of the rain had fallen.

  ‘What a mess!’ The girls had been up in the night, awakened by a crash that rent the very air, a crash that was obviously made by something close to the homestead. Their dairy roof had split, and half of it was on the ground, several yards away. Another crash was when the roof of one of the other buildings was damaged and part of it carried away. Trees had come down, sadly broken by the vicious onslaught of the wind. ‘What on earth are we going to do?’ It was Carole who spoke, her voice sad as she gazed out across a lawn littered with leaves and branches and other debris tossed on to it during the night.

  ‘I suggest the first thing is to let Chad know ...’ Beth’s voice trailed away and her cousins turned to see what had caught her attention. ‘He’s here already,’ finished Beth.

  ‘Now isn’t that good of him,’ said Jo. ‘The damage to his own property must have been as bad as ours, and yet he can come here.’

  He was in his car, which came to an abrupt halt on the gravel and within seconds his long lean frame was out of the car and he was standing, shaking his head slightly as he surveyed the damage.

  ‘It looks as if a bomb’s hit it,’ he commented on coming into the house, into the sitting-room where all three girls were in dressing-gowns. A pot of coffee had just been brought in by the houseboy and was on the table along with the crockery and the spoons. ‘Mine’s the same.’

  Beth looked at him; she had never seen him as grim as this. His face was set, harsh almost, and his eyes were narrowed and cold as they moved from her face to the window.

  ‘You suffered a lot of damage, then?’ she asked.

  He nodded.

  ‘Yes. It’s a long time since we had a storm of this

  Magnitude—’ He shrugged resignedly and the harshness left his face. ‘We can expect one now and then, though. It’s all part of living here and we always get over the inconvenience and manage to forget all about it until the next time.’ He paused, realising that Jo wanted to offer him coffee. He nodded, then sat down on the chair which Beth was indicating. He was in black corduroys and a polo-necked sweater, also black. He looked like Satan himself, thought Beth, yet his attractions were there just the same, the handsome features, so firm and strong, the thrusting chin that spelt inflexibility. She dwelt on Rosa’s optimism about becoming his wife and wondered if she had considered the life she would have to live, a life where her husband would be the master, his will dominating hers, his forceful personality ascending over her own.

  Jo gave him his coffee. Beth asked if he had had his breakfast and although he said no he declined her invitation to join them. She thought that perhaps he was not at all enamoured with the idea of sitting down to the breakfast table in the company of three girls in dressing-gowns. However, when he spoke it was to say that he wasn’t interested in breakfast at the moment. He had come over to see the extent of the damage and to calculate how many of his men would be needed. Beth protested, saying that he needed all his men himself.

  ‘Perhaps we can get help from somewhere else,’ she added optimistically.

  Chad slanted her a glance, his eyebrows raised.

  ‘Everyone needs help,’ he pointed out. ‘No, Beth, you must have some of my men. I’ve a lot more than you have, so I’ll send about half a dozen over. Get yours on to clearing up right away.’ He looked at Jo who, he knew, looked after everything outside. ‘Tell them that they’re to have help within the next hour or so.’

  ‘Yes, Chad, I’ll do that.’

  ‘We can all help,’ said Carole. ‘We can clear the lawn if nothing else.’

  ‘It’ll take all day,’ observed Jo, glancing through the window and frowning heavily.

  ‘Are we likely to have another storm soon?’ Beth looked at him, her coffee-cup poised midway between saucer and mouth. ‘Today, I mean, or next week?’

  ‘It’s unlikely.’

  He drank his coffee and got up. A few moments later the girls saw him moving about by the damaged buildings, a notepad in one hand and a pencil in the other.

  ‘I wonder what we’d have done without him,’ murmured Carole, and at the wistful note in her voice Beth turned swiftly. ‘He has just about everything, that man,’ added Carole. ‘It’ll be a lucky woman who eventually gets him for a husband.’

  Although they worked hard all day on the clearing of debris from the lawn and part of the gardens, the three girls decided, in spite of the tiredness, to go to the Club dance.

  ‘I don’t think I could stay in,’ said Jo with a grimace. ‘I feel that if ever I earned a pleasant break it was today!’

  ‘I’ll not be dancing much,’ added Carole. ‘But the buffet will be welcome after the snacks we’ve made do with for lunch and tea.’

  Beth had bought a new outfit in Warrensville and she decided to wear it. It consisted of a smock and full-length skirt in cerise cotton, with a simple hooded cloak to match. Chad was at the bar as the three girls entered and his attention was immediately focused on Beth. Carole glanced sideways at her, but Jo was giving her attention to Alex who had come up at once to gree
t her. Rosa was on a high stool next to where Chad was standing, and Beth could not possibly miss the hostility in her eyes as they flicked over her attire before coming to rest on her face. Chad came forward, looking very different from what he had done earlier, as this time he was in white, which suited his dark colouring much more flatteringly than the black he had been wearing that morning. Beth fluttered him a smile and said, ‘Good evening, Chad,’ in response to his greeting.

  ‘You look charming,’ he told her with a smile. And then, more briskly, ‘How did it go? I did come over once to take a look at what was happening, but you girls were not about. It was lunch time and I expect you were indoors. I didn’t stay as I’d all my own supervising to do. Your men and mine are doing a good job, and Joshua’s an excellent head man. We should be able to see a difference within a week.’

  ‘We cleared the lawn,’ she told him, aware that her two cousins had departed in the direction of the powder-room. ‘And we managed to spare an hour or two for the borders before it got too dark.’ Her eyes were drawn from his handsome face to the scowling one of the girl at the bar. Rosa turned away sharply, though, the instant Beth’s eyes found hers. ‘I must go and take my cloak off,’ she murmured, thinking that she had never been shy with Chad before and debating on whether or not he knew she was shy. His eyes were laughing; that crooked smile lifted one corner of his mouth. Yes, he knew she was shy. The man was too perceptive by far!

  He later asked her to dance, but did say that if she was too tired they would sit it out. Rosa was with Neil, flirting as before, but now Chad seemed not to be troubled in the least about what was going on.

  ‘I’ll sit it out if you don’t mind,’ said Beth with a little deprecating laugh. ‘My back’s killing me! I feel about eighty!’

  ‘And look about eighteen.’

  She coloured and glanced away from his close scrutiny. It was too disconcerting; she would not have minded if she could read his expression, learn whether or not he was beginning to find her attractive, just as her cousins seemed to believe he was. She had to say, in response to his remark,

  ‘Flattery will get you nowhere, Chad.’

  ‘You’re immune to it? I don’t believe that you are. You’re all woman, Beth, even if a shrewish one for most of the time.’

  She laughed, surprising herself.

  ‘You once accused me of seizing every opportunity of getting in a dig at you.’

  He took her elbow and shepherded her over to the high alcove leading from the ballroom to the lounge.

  ‘There’s a vacant table over by the window,’ he said, and they walked towards it. ‘What can I get you?’

  ‘Can I have a nice long drink, please. I’m dying of thirst.’

  He had seen her seated and was now standing looking down at her, his eyes flickering with an unfathomable light.

  ‘Lemonade?’

  She nodded, and her golden hair swayed like a silken cloud caressed by the wind.

  ‘Yes, please, and some ice in it.’

  He went off, because all the white-coated waiters were busy, run off their feet, in fact. He was at the bar a little longer than Beth expected and when he returned to her he explained what had kept him.

  ‘Poor Doug has suffered so much damage that he’s thinking of giving up—selling out and going back to England.’

  ‘Oh ...’ Distress shadowed Beth’s lovely eyes. ‘He loves that little place, Chad. Can’t we do anything for him?’

  ‘We? I can spare some of my men in a day or two, but you ...?’

  ‘I was thinking of financial help,’ she told Chad seriously. ‘I’ve some money of my own which I’d be more than willing to lend him if you think he’d accept?’

  ‘I doubt it, Beth. I could lend him all he needs, but from past experience I’ve found that Doug has that brand of foolish pride which seems to be peculiar to you English.’

  She gave a small sigh.

  ‘I hate to think of him being forced to give up,’ she said.

  ‘Well, we’ll see what can be done. As you say, he’s extremely attached to his little farm and had hopes of adding more land eventually. There’s some scrub he could get for practically nothing from his neighbour, land which in my opinion could be made exceedingly fertile with the application of nitrogen and other necessities—’ He broke off, shrugging his shoulders. ‘I’ll have a word with him tomorrow.’

  ‘Tomorrow? You’ll go over and visit him?’ The relief in her voice was not lost on Chad, who quirked her a smile which set her heart all of a flurry.

  ‘I shall make it my business to go and see him,’ he promised. A small pause and then, ‘It was generous of you to think of lending him money, Beth.’ Chad picked up his glass, holding it to the light. Little sparks of colour shot out from it and they seemed to be absorbing his entire attention. Or was he merely deep in thought? He seemed different lately in some intangible way. Beth sometimes had the impression that he was playing a sort of waiting game, and yet when she dwelt on this she could find no explanation for her idea and she tried to cast it out of her mind—tried, but never quite succeeded.

  A few minutes later Alex and Jo came into the lounge and joined them. Alex was deeply concerned about the damage which Doug had sustained to his property, his trees and his crops. Alex and Chad talked about it while the girls listened without comment, merely exchanging glances and looking troubled, since they both had an enormous admiration and liking for Doug who, it seemed, had overcome a great many difficulties since venturing into farming in South Africa. They knew that it would break his heart to let it go and Beth only hoped that Chad’s visit on the following day would be fruitful, and that Doug could be persuaded to accept a loan. Beth rather thought that if he did, it would come from Chad who, she felt sure, would not even mention her own offer of a loan. However, it was unimportant who made the loan; what was important was that Doug would be made to see the sense of accepting it.

  Chad went off to dance with Jo, who said she would exhaust herself in two minutes; but for all that she was game, she told him with a laugh.

  Alex said, when they had gone,

  ‘When are Jo and Carole leaving?’ His dejection could be felt but not seen. His smile was there as usual and his voice was light and fully controlled.

  ‘There’s nothing settled yet. They’ve written to Uncle Jack to see how he’s going to take it.’

  ‘Everyone knows why you all came here,’ he said after a slight hesitation. ‘Your uncle had to find some explanation and he decided to produce the truthful one.’ Another pause as he looked at Beth, obviously waiting for some kind of reaction. When there was none he continued, ‘Is it because they’re missing their fiancés that they’ve decided to go home?’

  What a question! Beth could scarcely answer him truthfully, telling him that Jo was going home because she had no intention of allowing herself to fall in love with him, that the reason why she did not want to fall in love with him was because she hated the idea of working in the shop.

  Alex was looking at her and she gave a small sigh.

  ‘I can’t answer for Jo and Carole, Alex,’ she said apologetically at last. ‘It’s none of my business and I’d prefer to keep out of it.’

  To her relief he nodded understandingly, and when next he spoke it was not about her cousins but about Beth herself.

  ‘How will you manage on your own? It isn’t very nice for you to be at Jacana Lodge at night with only the two servants. The house is so large, for one thing.’

  ‘Chad’s insisting I sleep at his place,’ she told him after thinking about it for a moment or two and then coming to the conclusion that there was no reason why she should keep Chad’s decision to herself. In this small closely-knit community the news would travel fast anyway.

  ‘He—!’ Alex looked astounded at this piece of information. ‘We all knew that he’d promised to keep a watch on you, but—well, this does surprise me, Beth. You see,’ he went on just as if he had to, ‘he and Rosa are almost engaged ...’ Hi
s voice faded and Beth turned swiftly as she noticed him flush.

  Rosa stood there ... and it was plain by her expression that she had heard the last few sentences spoken by both Alex and herself. But it was also plain that she was not intending to cause herself any humiliation because her voice was quite friendly when she spoke.

  ‘So you’re staying with Chad when your cousins are gone?’ She sat down without being asked and crossed one leg over the other, revealing a lacy white underskirt as the slit in her dress came open. ‘That’s kind of Chad, but not unexpected. He is like that, always thinking of others no matter what the inconvenience to himself.’ The bite was taken out of these last words by the smile of sheer charm that followed them. Alex flashed Beth a glance but said nothing. Rosa spoke again, but this time it was to say something inconsequential, naturally making no reference to what Alex had said about her and Chad being almost engaged. Beth was vaguely aware of joining in the conversation, with Alex’s having spoken about the damage done to various properties and to Doug’s in particular.

  ‘He’s the one least able to afford it and yet he’s suffered more damage than anyone else—proportionately, that is,’ added Alex finally.

  ‘We haven’t suffered very much at all,’ said Rosa, appearing to be indifferent to what Doug had suffered. ‘We’re sheltered from the worst of the winds by the hills which always seem to protect our property.’

  ‘Yes, you’re always more fortunate than most,’ agreed Alex, glancing up as Neil came to the table. He was a tall, slender young man immaculately dressed in a formal dinner jacket, his sleek black hair brushed back from a forehead that was so high that he seemed already to be balding. That he was attractive, though, there was no denying. He had a ready smile and a pleasant voice, cultured and low. He chatted for a short time before taking Rosa off to dance.

  ‘He seems suddenly to have become interested in Rosa,’ was Alex’s comment when the couple were out of earshot.

  ‘Has he been living here long? I don’t remember meeting him when I was here two years ago.’