Master of the Game motg-1

by Sidney Sheldon

  "All right. Let's go to the diamant kooper so I can give you your share of the diamonds."

  "No," Banda said. "I don't want it."

  Jamie frowned. "What are you talking about? Half the diamonds are yours. You're a millionaire."

  "No. Look at my skin, Jamie. If I became a millionaire, my life would not be worth a tickey."

  "You can hide some of the diamonds away. You can—"

  "All I need is enough to buy a morgen of farmland and two oxen to trade for a wife. Two or three little diamonds will get me everything I'll ever want. The rest are yours."

  'That's impossible. You can't give me your share."

  "Yes, I can, Jamie. Because you're going to give me Salomon van der Merwe."

  Jamie looked at Banda for a long moment. "I promise."

  'Then I'll say good-bye, my friend."

  The two men clasped hands.

  "We'll meet again," Banda said. "Next time think of something really exciting for us to do."

  Banda walked away with three small diamonds carefully tucked in his pocket.

  Jamie sent off a bank draft amounting to twenty thousand pounds to his parents, bought the finest carriage and team he could find and headed back to Klipdrift.

  The time had come for revenge.

  That evening when Jamie McGregor entered Van der Merwe's store, he was gripped by a sensation so unpleasant and so violent that he had to pause to regain control of himself.

  Van der Merwe hurried out of the back of the shop, and when he saw who it was, his face lighted up in a big smile. "Mr. Travis!" he said. "Welcome."

  "Thank you, mister—er—sorry, I don't remember your name..."

  "Van der Merwe. Salomon van der Merwe. Don't apologize. Dutch names are difficult to remember. Dinner is ready. Margaret!" he called as he led Jamie into the back room. Nothing had changed. Margaret was standing at the stove over a frying pan, her back to them.

  "Margaret, this is our guest I spoke of—Mr. Travis."

  Margaret turned. "How do you do?"

  There was not a flicker of recognition.

  "I'm pleased to meet you." Jamie nodded.

  The customer bell rang and Van der Merwe said, "Excuse me, I'll be right back. Please make yourself at home, Mr. Travis." He hurried out.

  Margaret carried a steaming bowl of vegetables and meat over to the table, and as she hurried to take the bread from the oven Jamie stood there, silently looking at her. She had blossomed in the year since he had seen her. She had become a woman, with a smoldering sexuality that had been lacking before.

  "Your father tells me you're an excellent cook."

  Margaret blushed. "I—I hope so, sir."

  "It's been a long time since I've tasted home cooking. I'm looking forward to this." Jamie took a large butter dish from Margaret and placed it on the table for her. Margaret was so surprised she almost dropped the plate in her hands. She had never heard of a man who helped in woman's work. She lifted her startled eyes to his face. A broken nose and a scar spoiled what would otherwise have been a too-handsome face. His eyes were light gray and shone with intelligence and a burning intensity. His white hair told her that he was not a young man, and yet there was something very youthful about him. He was tall and strong and—Margaret turned away, embarrassed by his gaze.

  Van der Merwe hurried back into the room, rubbing his hands. "I've closed the shop," he said. "Let's sit down and have a fine dinner."

  Jamie was given the place of honor at the table. "We'll say grace," Van der Merwe said.

  They closed their eyes. Margaret slyly opened hers again, so that she could continue her scrutiny of the elegant stranger while her father's voice droned on. "We are all sinners in your eyes, O Lord, and must be punished. Give us the strength to bear our hardships on this earth, so that we may enjoy the fruits of heaven when we are called. Thank you, Lord, for helping those of us who deserve to prosper. Amen."

  Salomon van der Merwe began serving. This time the portions he served Jamie were more than generous. They talked as they ate. "Is this your first time out this way, Mr. Travis?"

  "Yes," Jamie said. "First time."

  "You didn't bring Mrs. Travis along, I understand."

  "There is no Mrs. Travis. I haven't found anyone who'd have me." Jamie smiled.

  What fool of a woman would refuse him? Margaret wondered. She lowered her eyes, afraid the stranger might read her wicked thoughts.

  "Klipdrift is a town of great opportunity, Mr. Travis. Great opportunity."

  'I'm willing to be shown." He looked at Margaret, and she blushed.

  "If it isn't too personal, Mr. Travis, may I ask how you acquired your fortune?"

  Margaret was embarrassed by her father's blunt questions, but the stranger did not seem to mind.

  "I inherited it from my father," Jamie said easily.

  "Ah, but I'm sure you've had a lot of business experience."

  "Very little, I'm afraid. I need a lot of guidance."

  Van der Merwe brightened. "It's fate that we met, Mr. Travis.

  I have some very profitable connections. Very profitable, indeed. I can almost guarantee that I can double your money for you in just a few months." He leaned over and patted Jamie's arm. "I have a feeling this is a big day for both of us."

  Jamie just smiled.

  "I suppose you're staying at the Grand Hotel?"

  'That's right."

  "It's criminally expensive. But I suppose to a man of your means ..." He beamed at Jamie.

  Jamie said, "I'm told the countryside around here is interesting. Would it be an imposition to ask you to let your daughter show me around a bit tomorrow?"

  Margaret felt her heart stop for a second.

  Van der Merwe frowned. "I don't know. She—"

  It was an iron-clad rule of Salomon van der Merwe's never to permit any man to be alone with his daughter. In the case of Mr. Travis, however, he decided there would be no harm in making an exception. With so much at stake, he did not want to appear inhospitable. "I can spare Margaret from the store for a short time. You will show our guest around, Margaret?"

  "If you wish, Father," she said quietly.

  "That's settled then." Jamie smiled. "Shall we say ten o'clock in the morning?"

  After the tall, elegantly dressed guest left, Margaret cleared away the table and washed the dishes, in a complete daze. He must think I'm an idiot. She went over and over in her mind everything she had contributed to the conversation. Nothing. She had been completely tongue-tied. Why was that? Hadn't she waited on hundreds of men in the store without becoming a stupid fool? Of course they had not looked at her the way Ian Travis had. Men all have the devil in them, Margaret. I'll not let them corrupt your innocence. Her father's voice echoed in her mind. Could that be it? The weakness and trembling she had felt when the stranger had looked at her? Was he corrupting her innocence? The thought of it sent a delicious thrill through her body. She looked down at the plate she had dried three times and sat down at the table. She wished her mother were still alive.

  Her mother would have understood. Margaret loved her father, but sometimes she had the oppressive feeling that she was his prisoner. It worried her that he never allowed a man to come near her. I'll never get married, Margaret thought. Not until he dies. Her rebellious thoughts filled her with guilt, and she hurriedly left the room and went into the store, where her father sat behind a desk, working on his accounts.

  "Good night, Father."

  Van der Merwe took off his gold-framed spectacles and rubbed his eyes before he raised his arms to embrace his daughter good-night. Margaret did not know why she pulled away.

  Alone in the curtained-off alcove that served as her bedroom, Margaret studied her face in the small, round mirror that hung on the wall. She had no illusions about her looks. She was not pretty. She was interesting-looking. Nice eyes. High cheekbones. A good figure. She drew nearer to the mirror. What had Ian Travis seen when he looked at her? She began getting undressed. And Ian Travis wa
s in the room with her, watching her, his eyes burning into her. She stepped out of her muslin drawers and camisole and stood naked before him. Her hands slowly caressed the swell of her breasts and felt her hardening nipples. Her fingers slid down across her flat belly and his hands became entwined with hers, moving slowly downward. They were between her legs now, gently touching, stroking, rubbing, harder now, faster and faster until she was caught up in a frantic whirlpool of sensation that finally exploded inside her and she gasped his name and fell to the bed.

  They rode out in Jamie's carriage, and he was amazed once more at the changes that had taken place. Where before there had been only a sea of tents, now there were substantial-looking houses, constructed of timber with roofs of corrugated iron or thatch.

  "Klipdrift seems very prosperous," Jamie said as they rode along the main street.

  "I suppose it would be interesting for a newcomer," Margaret said. And she thought, I've hated it until now.

  They left the town and drove out toward the mining camps along the Vaal River. The seasonal rains had turned the countryside into an enormous, colorful garden, filled with the luxuriant bush Karroo, and the spreading Rhenoster bush and heaths and diosmas plants that could be found nowhere else in the world. As they drove past a group of prospectors, Jamie asked, "Have there been any big diamond finds lately?"

  "Oh, yes, a few. Every time the news gets out, hundreds of new diggers come pouring in. Most of them leave poor and heartbroken." Margaret felt she had to warn him of the danger here. "Father would not like to hear me say this, but I think it's a terrible business, Mr. Travis."

  "For some, probably," Jamie agreed. "For some."

  "Do you plan to stay on a while?"

  "Yes."

  Margaret felt her heart singing. "Good." Then added quickly, "Father will be pleased."

  They drove around all morning, and from time to time they stopped and Jamie chatted with prospectors. Many of them recognized Margaret and spoke respectfully. There was a warmth to her and an easy friendliness that she did not reveal when she was around her father.

  As they drove on, Jamie said, "Everyone seems to know you."

  She blushed. "That's because they do business with Father. He supplies most of the diggers."

  Jamie made no comment. He was keenly interested in what he was seeing. The railroad had made an enormous difference. A new combine called De Beers, named after the farmer in whose field the first diamond discovery was made, had bought out its chief rival, a colorful entrepreneur named Barney Barnato, and De Beers was busily consolidating the hundreds of small claims into one organization. Gold had been discovered recently, not far from Kimberley, along with manganese and zinc. Jamie was convinced this was only the beginning, that South Africa was a treasure-house of minerals. There were incredible opportunities here for a man with foresight.

  When Jamie and Margaret returned, it was late afternoon. Jamie stopped the carriage in front of Van der Merwe's store and said, "I would be honored if you and your father would be my guests at dinner tonight."

  Margaret glowed. "I'll ask Father. I do so hope he'll say yes. Thank you for a lovely day, Mr. Travis."

  And she fled.

  The three of them had dinner in the large, square dining room of the new Grand Hotel.

  The room was crowded, and Van der Merwe grumbled, "I don't see how these people can afford to eat here."

  Jamie picked up a menu and glanced at it. A steak cost one pound four shillings, a potato was four shillings and a piece of apple pie ten shillings.

  "They're robbers!" Van der Merwe complained. "A few meals here and a man could eat himself into the poorhouse."

  Jamie wondered what it would take to put Salomon van der Merwe in the poorhouse. He intended to find out. They ordered, and Jamie noticed that Van der Merwe ordered the most expensive items on the menu. Margaret ordered a clear soup. She was too excited to eat. She looked at her hands, remembered what they had done the night before and felt guilty.

  "I can afford dinner," Jamie teased her. "Order anything you like."

  She blushed. "Thank you, but I'm—I'm not really very hungry."

  Van der Merwe noticed the blush and looked sharply from Margaret to Jamie. "My daughter is a rare girl, a rare girl, Mr. Travis."

  Jamie nodded. "I couldn't agree with you more, Mr. van der Merwe."

  His words made Margaret so happy that when their dinner

  was served, she could not even eat the soup. The effect Ian Travis had on her was incredible. She read hidden meanings into his every word and gesture. If he smiled at her, it meant he liked her a lot; if he frowned, it meant he hated her. Margaret's feelings were an emotional thermometer that kept going up and down.

  "Did you see anything of interest today?" Van der Merwe asked Jamie.

  "No, nothing special," Jamie said casually.

  Van der Merwe leaned forward. "Mark my words, sir, this is going to be the fastest-growing area in the world. A man would be smart to invest here now. The new railway's going to turn this place into a second Cape Town."

  "I don't know," Jamie said dubiously. 'Tve heard of too many boomtowns like this going bust. I'm not interested in putting my money into a ghost town."

  "Not Klipdrift," Van der Merwe assured him. 'They're finding more diamonds all the time. And gold."

  Jamie shrugged. "How long will that last?"

  "Well, nobody can be sure of that, of course, but—"

  "Exactly."

  "Don't make any hasty decisions," Van der Merwe urged. "1 wouldn't like to see you lose out on a great opportunity."

  Jamie thought that over. "Perhaps I am being hasty. Margaret, could you show me around again tomorrow?"

  Van der Merwe opened his mouth to object, then closed it. He remembered the words of Mr. Thorenson, the banker: He walked in here and deposited a hundred thousand pounds, cool as you please, Salomon, and he said there'd be a lot more comtn'.

  Greed got the better of Van der Merwe. "Of course she could."

  The following morning, Margaret put on her Sunday dress, ready to meet Jamie. When her father walked in and saw her, his face turned red. "Do you want the man to think you're some kind of fallen woman—dressin' up to attract him? This is business, girl. Take that off and put on your workin' clothes."

  "But, Papa—" "Do as I say!" She did not argue with him. "Yes, Papa."

  Van der Merwe watched Margaret and Jamie drive away twenty minutes later. He wondered if he could be making a mistake.

  This time Jamie headed the carriage in the opposite direction. There were exciting signs of new developments and building everywhere. If the mineral discoveries keep up, Jamie thought— and there was every reason to believe they would—there is more money to be made here in real estate than in diamonds or gold. Klipdrift will need more banks, hotels, saloons, shops, brothels... The list was endless. So were the opportunities.

  Jamie was conscious of Margaret staring at him. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

  "Oh, no," she said, and quickly looked away.

  Jamie studied her now, and noticed the radiance about her. Margaret was aware of his closeness, his maleness. He sensed her feelings. She was a woman without a man.

  At noon Jamie drove off the main road down to a wooded area near a stream and stopped under a large baobab tree. He had had the hotel pack a picnic lunch. Margaret put down a tablecloth, unpacked the basket and spread out the food. There was cold roast lamb, fried chicken, yellow saffron rice, quince jam and tangerines and peaches and soetekoekjes, almond-topped spice cookies.

  "This is a banquet!" Margaret exclaimed. "I'm afraid I don't deserve all this, Mr. Travis."

  "You deserve much more," Jamie assured her.

  Margaret turned away, busying herself with the food.

  Jamie took her face between his hands. "Margaret ... look at me."

  "Oh! Please. I—" She was trembling.

  "Look at me."

  Slowly she lifted her head and looked into his eyes. He pulledr />
  her into his arms, and his lips found hers and he held her close, pressing his body against hers.

  After a few moments she struggled free, shook her head and said, "Oh, my God. We mustn't. Oh, we mustn't. We'll go to hell."

  "Heaven."

  "I'm afraid."

  "There's nothing to be afraid of. Do you see my eyes? They can look right inside you. And you know what I see, don't you? You want me to make love to you. And I'm going to. And there's nothing to fear, because you belong to me. You know that, don't you? You belong to me, Margaret. You say it. I belong to Ian. Go on. I—belong—to—Ian."

  "I belong—to Ian."

  His lips were on hers again, and he began to undo the hooks on the back of her bodice. In a moment she stood naked in the soft breeze, and he lowered her gently down to the ground. And the tremulous passage from girlhood to womanhood became an exciting, soaring experience that made Margaret feel more alive man she had ever felt in her life. I'll remember this moment forever, she thought. The bed of leaves and the warm caressing breeze on her naked skin, the shadow of the baobab tree that dappled their bodies. They made love again, and it was even more wonderful. She thought, No woman could ever love anyone as much as I love this man.

  When they were spent, Jamie held her in his strong arms, and she wished she could be there forever. She looked up at him and whispered, "What are you thinking?"

  He grinned and whispered back, "That I'm bloody starving."

  She laughed, and they rose and had their lunch under the shelter of the trees. Afterward they swam and lay down to let the hot sun dry them. Jamie took Margaret again, and she thought, I want this day to go on forever.

  That evening, Jamie and Van der Merwe were seated at a corner table at the Sundowner. "You were right," Jamie announced. "The possibilities here may be greater than I thought."

  Van der Merwe beamed. "I knew you were too clever a man not to see that, Mr. Travis."

  "What exactly would you advise me to do?" Jamie asked.

  Van der Merwe glanced around and lowered his voice. "Just today I got some information on a big new diamond strike north of Pniel. There are ten claims still available. We can divide them up between us. I'll put up fifty thousand pounds for five claims, and you put up fifty thousand pounds for the other five. There are diamonds there by the bushel. We can make millions overnight. What do you think?"