by Margaret Way
The gay ringing voice came from further up the bank. They both looked at one another, then turned their heads, Dave with barely disguised frustration, Genny just as empty as she could have been. Sally was making her way down to them, slithering a little on the loose pebbles, Ingo a few feet behind her with absolutely no expression on his face.
‘Sorry, kids!’ Sally said, joining them. ‘We were riding this way, so we thought we’d look in. What a beautiful spot! Makes me sorry I haven’t got my bikini.’
‘Me too!’ said Dave, determined to be friendly.
Ingo didn’t say anything for a minute, and instinctively Genny reached for her jacket and elbowed into it.
It wasn’t really practical even if it was very chic, for it was made of multi-coloured georgette.
‘Hi.‘ Dave said, looking back to him with not the slightest idea of what he was going to say next.
Really, did kissing Genny make all that much difference?
‘You’d better get the kids out of the water, Genny’ Ingo said crisply. ‘I think they’ve had enough sun for today.’
Genny stood up and looked at him, then moved down to the water’s edge calling to the children. They waved and splashed the water at her, but they didn’t make a move to come out. She hesitated only a moment, then plunged in after them, grabbing each by the hand and towing them to the bank. Ùncle Ingo thinks you’ve had enough sun. We’ll dry off and go home for lunch. After Sarah has a little nap we’ll go and look at the caves.’
‘Oh, beaut. ‘ Sean exclaimed, crying out his heart with the expression, then he whooped like an Indian and ran on up to his uncle, pouring out the events of the morning, and all the pretty coloured stones they had found.
Sally made no pretence of listening indulgently to a child’s excited rambling, starting up a conversation of her own with Dave, leading him down the strew to where the beautiful highly perfumed lilies swayed gently in the breeze. She plucked one and held it up to him while he showed a becoming interest. Genny, meanwhile, picked up a towel to dry Sarah off before pulling on her smock, Sarah all the while making big hazel eyes at her uncle, who was something of a fantasy figure to her.
‘There you are, darling!’ Genny said affectionately. ‘Better put your hat on now. Mummy won’t be happy if you freckle that pretty face.’
‘I don’t care!’ Sarah leaned forward and kissed Genny’s nose. ‘I think freckles are great. My best friend Melissa has so many freckles I can’t tell which is her eally skin. ‘
‘Melissa is a redhead, isn’t she?’
‘Yes.’
‘Well, it’s important for redheads to cover up in our hot sun. Sean?’ she turned her head, not looking up at Ingo.
Sean came obediently trotting down to her and she picked up his tee-shirt, pulling it over his head, smoothing back his hair that was curling in damp ringlets. ‘Put your cap on like a good boy. Now the two of you pick up your things. You can use my straw hat to carry all your stones if you like.’
‘Thanks, Genny.’
‘You’re not staying,’ Ingo said in a voice that made her frown, as he came to join her.
‘Is that a questionn or an order?’ she flared abruptly.
‘Why do you always exaggerate?’
‘I know you, Ingo.‘ she said darkly. ‘You’ll frighten poor old Dave away’
‘Sally can take care of him for a moment,’ he said.
‘Your loss?’ she asked sarcastically.
‘My gain!’ he said with mocking contempt.
‘Gosh, what a callous man you are. ‘
‘Certainly. Did I ask Sally to come here? Answer quickly.’
‘I’ll have to. They’ll come back at any minute.’
He was standing in her way and she had to look up at him, moving inexorably a little nearer him instead of away. His eyes seemed to be blazing in his darkly tanned face, coldly accusing her of something.
‘You look as if you’re about to burst into tears. ‘ he said with a kind of soft ferocity. ‘You’ve been looking like that for the best part of two weeks.’
‘Have I really?’ she hurled at him at an equally low pitch, never so urgent as when she was fighting him.
‘Take it easy, Giannina! ‘ he warned her. ‘It’s been a rough day.’
‘Oddly I thought you’d be enjoying yourself. Sally is very attractive. Very obliging.’
‘So are thousands of women. I just don’t want them doing the rounds with me. This used to be a fine, quiet place. Now for some reason I find it well-nigh impossible. I’m going over to Lake Frome to see how Jock is and I’m leaving almost immediately. Want to come?’
‘Why would you want me?’ she asked.
‘As a matter of fact I want to talk to you. It seems as if we haven’t talked in years.’
‘Sally will be pretty much put out. ‘ she said uncertainly.
‘Well, that’s not going to change my mind.’
‘What about Dave?’
‘He can just hang in there with Sally, though it’s a pity to separate you. Let her supervise the kids for an hour or two. It will make a nice change.’
‘I promised them I’d take them to the caves.’
‘Sally knows the way,’ returned Ingo uncompromisingly.
‘I don’t think she’ll want to.’
‘I guess you haven’t heard,’ he said curtly, his face and his lean body oddly taut. ‘I‘m used to getting my own way.
‘I know you act in a certain manner,’ she retorted.
‘Coming?’ he asked, his brilliant eyes resting on her face.
‘Yes.’
‘Why whisper it?’
‘That’s how I feel.’
‘You’re pretty overwrought these days. I don’t know whether to beat you or make violent love to you. ‘
Inexplicably the tension seemed to have died away in him. His hand dropped to her shoulder, unconsciously caressing the side of her neck with the tips of his fingers. ‘You know, I envy your friend in a way.’
‘He’s been busy envying you! ‘ she said wryly.
‘No one would want my job. It’s a twenty-four-hour day, plenty of grinding decisions. I feel jaded, sick to death of it all. I just want to check Jock, then that’s about it. It was a near thing. Young Chris will be in hospital for weeks.’
‘Shall you tell them where we’re going?’
‘Why not? I guess I’m entitled to your company once in a while.’
‘I didn’t know you wanted it lately.’
‘I want it. I just don’t advertise like your friend.’
‘Well, I’m fairly important to him,’ she pointed out. ‘He wants to marry me.’
‘That’s damned nice of himl’ His hand slipped to her nape, turning her head. ‘A pity a no is inevitable.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘You’d better be!’
‘You’re hurting me,’ she complained.
‘Not nearly enough. I’d like to make you cry out!’ She swayed a little under his hand, shivering slightly like the leaves of the trees. She was stirred and excited and he knew it, deliberately tantalising her.
‘What, no protest?’ his voice mocked her. ‘I could mean almost anything.’
‘Well, I know you’re capable of a little primitive action.’
‘And you’ll do just as I say.’
She gave a sad little laugh, blinking her thick lashes rapidly. ‘Don’t I know it. ‘
‘Genny?’ he asked abruptly, not surprised to see the tears standing in her eyes. ‘Genny.’ His voice fell to a level that made her avert her head quickly. There was a charged little silence and his hard cool fingers closed about her wrist. ‘The times you pick! They’re coming back, so act the little heroine. You can cry all over me later.’
Genny lifted her head to see Sally and Dave strolling back towards them, Sally with the lily in tow, obviously kidding Dave about something because he was laughing, a nice friendly laugh, unfeigned and spontaneous. Sally looked towards them and blew a kiss.
‘I like your guy, Genny. When will congratulations be in order?’
‘As it turns out, Sally, they’re just good friends!’ Ingo said lightly.
‘So you say!’ Sally chided him playfully, a small mocking reprimand on her face. ‘I don’t know how Genny tolerates you for a bodyguard.’
‘She hasn’t got much choice.’
‘I’m beginning to believe thatl’ Sally answered seriously. ‘You know, you’re nearly a tyrant with the kid.
What did you used to call him, Gen?’
‘Black Ingo. I still do.’
‘With some motivation. You two are unnecessarily complicated cousins.’
‘Still, we’re very fond of each other. ‘ Ingo said suavely. ‘I’m taking Genny over to Lake Frome this afternoon. Think you two could stand in as fosterparents for an hour or two?’
‘Why, surel’ Dave said quickly, only too anxious to please.
‘You could come, Dave,’ Ingo said smoothly, ‘only I won’t be staying long and it’s not really the time to take you visiting. They’re all pretty much upset. Genny said you were going to show the children the caves. Sally knows the way.’
‘Sally here is not too happy about itl’ Sally announced. ‘No offence, Dave boy.’
‘Come right out with it!’ he invited, smiling, enjoying her slight embarrassment.
‘No, really!’ she smiled back at him, liking the way his eyes crinkled. ‘All right, Ingo Faulkner, since you always get your own way, Dave and I will play it smart and do what we’re told.’
‘You might even enjoy it,’ he remarked.
‘Actually I’m very interested. ‘ Dave said, beginning to resign himself to the idea. Sally dressed in her prettiest gear wouldn’t be a patch on Genny, but he liked her long sable-coloured hair and her thick creamy skin. He wouldn’t be lonely at any rate. He was more in love with Genny now that she had been away from him than ever before.
The children came back and accepted the change in plans without question, whirling about like dervishes when Ingo said they could come back on the horses, Sarah with him, and Sean up in front of Sally, who was an expert horsewoman. Genny and Dave followed in silence; Dave determined not to brood, Genny with her feet flying so that she arrived back at the jeep breathless. Every minute alone with Ingo invited complications, but a subtle excitement was taking possession of her. It would be good to share the few promised hours with him, so good, Dave was left reflecting on the sudden blaze of light that had entered her face, taking. the place of her former faint melancholy. She was beautifully animated now and he desperately wanted to take her in his arms, but he wasn’t so blind that he couldn’t see he wasn’t the cause of it. Perhaps he had misread the whole situation.
When they met again for dinner it was quite an occasion, on two counts. First, Genny seemed miraculously restored to her usual good spirits, and Sally, who was an accomplished and adventurous cook, insisted on preparing the dinner, considerably ruffling Maggie’s feathers in the process but charmingly uncaring.
For a very glamorous and much travelled young woman, Sally was secretly burning for domesticity and was perfectly well able to run the domestic affairs of a great station.
One delicious course succeeded another, each suitably applauded, with Sally showing a characteristic lack of modesty regarding her own skills. Conversation never flagged for a minute, an unthinking compliment to such a beautifully prepared and presented meal and remarkably good wines, red and white. Dave was convinced he was dealing with a family who didn’t live like ordinary mortals, and right at that moment the life seemed eminently desirable.
He had been staring at Genny with unconcealed lavish admiration, as Ingo later put it, ‘devouringly’.
Tonight she was wearing a dress the colour of his mother’s prize hydrangeas, the most beautiful, lambent blue into violet, a smoky, flyaway sort of dress that left her arms and shoulders bare and revealed tantalising little glimpses of the shadowed cleft of her breast. Her huge dark eyes were faintly touched by the same blue above the thick mesh of her lashes and her silky curls formed a brilliant aureole around her warmly tinted face. Dave found himself having a hard time controlling his rapt feelings, not realising how much they were showing. Genny had such a living, breathing beauty, he would have been stone if he couldn’t appreciate her.
Exquisite and disciplined as her mother undoubtedly was-Sally too, glowing with health, her tall svelte figure shown to great advantage in a seamless jersey Genny easily outclassed both of them. Dave wished himself away from the scene and alone with her, preferably in some oasis in the desert, though he was enjoying himself and contributing in no small way to the conversation.
Faulkner, too, seemed to have undergone some subtle change. He was seated at the head of the table, immensely vital, graceful as a big cat and just as dangerous so far as Dave was concerned. There was an arrogant sureness about the man that Dave would dearly have liked to borrow. He was smiling now with lazy appreciation at something Sally had just said, his light eyes quite startling in so dark a face, fairly blazing, really, his crisp, thickly waving hair a true black. He looked, Dave considered, exactly how he should look against such a background, and was struck anew by the dynamic energy that radiated from him like an aura. It didn’t make Dave all that comfortable, but he knew he would just have to suffer it, glad that he was in no kind of competition with Faulkner for Gentry’s fair hand. That would be like pushing a miracle.
No one seemed able to drag themselves away from the table, and discussed various subjects, serious and frivolous; even Aunt Evelyn was seen to smile frequently, to Dave’s astonishment. He had come to the conclusion that she was a very formidable lady, almost unapproachable, like a Russian grand duchess, with a very cultivated voice that made Dave frequently want to check his accent. Tonight she didn’t seem too bad at all, a handsome woman really, even witty in an archaic kind of way. Genny was obviously fond of her, so he would have to watch his step there. There was so much to learn that he was beginningg to lose his confidence like a new ambassador at court, uncertain whether he would be accepted or fired out of the window.
Dan, who actually shared Dave’s opinion of Miss Faulkner, was nevertheless attempting to explain American politics to her, agreeing with her that the world owed an enormous debt to Britain for just about everything. Aunt Evelyn represented in herself the sheer eccentricity and the strength and the reliability that the British were famous for, and Dan just gave up, recognising that the competition was too strong. He looked towards Felicity as though they had some given signal arranged between them.
Felicity smiled at him, then made a delicate little movement of her hand indicating that she wanted silence and cutting short Aunt Evelyn’s examples of British heroism and other much admired sterling qualities, her delicately chiselled face as flushed as a rose.
‘Dan and I have something important to tell you!’ she said in her soft delightful voice, looking about the table. ‘We’ve decided to get married. ‘
Dave reacted diplomatically, moved to mumble something vaguely congratulatory at the precise moment that Genny, exquisitely careful of every last Faulkner possession, knocked over her beautiful wineglass with its long fragile stem. It fell and splintered against the heavy silver centrepiece, bringing Faulkner to his feet.
‘Leave it, Genny. ‘
She didn’t seem to hear him, automatically attempting to gather up the pieces. Blood spurted from a finger and she pulled up her trembling hand, nursing it like an injured bird.
‘I told you to leave it!’ Ingo moved around to her. ‘Melly will clean it up. Ring that bell for me, Sally. It connects with the kitchen. That didn’t work out wonderfully well, did it, Flick? Couldn’t you have waited until lights out?’ While he was speaking he had bound a handkerchief around Genny’s hand, drawing her unresistant out of her chair. ‘Excuse us for a moment. We won’t be long, then you can pick up where you left off, Flick. Genny seems to have sustained some slight injury.’
&nb
sp; ‘Who’s the doctor in the house anyway?’ Sally suddenly demanded, swinging about from ringing the bell.
‘Anyone can cope with a Band-aid!’ Ingo said blandly, as though she didn’t really deserve an answer. ‘I can’t think why you didn’t give us a warning, Flick.’
‘I wanted to surprise you!’ said Flick, her blue eyes concerned and infinitely bewildered.
‘I sure hope you’re pleased about it and all,’ Dan said, like a child not wanting to have his pleasure spoiled.
‘Of course we’re pleased!’ Ingo informed him. ‘We’re on your side, Dan. You may be able to do a great deal of good with her. Flick’s a big girl now. My sincerest congratulations to you both, and my best wishes right from the jump. Ev, what about ordering up a bottle of champagne? Make it two if you like.
The very best!’
‘Well, I won’t say no to it!’ Sally announced gaily, not giving a damn if Felicity got married again or not.
‘Can I get it, Ingo? I know my way around the murky depths of the cellar. Dave, you can come too, in case there’s a spider or two. You haven’t seen the cellar, have you?’
‘Not so far.’ Dave murmured, still unhappy about Genny, but lacking the brute strength to separate her from her cousin.
‘Then you’re in for a treat!’ Sally said, taking him by the hand. ‘It’s better stocked than a lot of our best pubs.’
‘What did she say?’ Aunt Evelyn asked icily.
Nobody answered her, Ingo moving with Genny towards the door. ‘Keep up the conversation, Ev, like a good girl. What about starting off with the Roman invasion and working through to io66? We’ll be back in a moment. ‘ Out in the entrance hall he spoke to Genny sharply. ‘Don’t you faint on me.’
‘I’m not going to.‘ she said in a fierce little whisper.
‘I, hope not. That’s only a very little cut. ‘
‘Am I moaning?’ she inquired.
‘No, you’ve just gone as white as a sheet.’
‘Shocks can be unpleasant.’
‘Certainly, but that was no shock. Only the timing. Flick’s an ass, she always has been.’
‘I can’t even talk about it.’