by Anne Hampson
‘May I say you look charming?’ Satirical his tones, but lacking the coldness that had characterized them since that day when Teri had deliberately snubbed him. ‘White suits you, Teri, you should wear more of it.’
‘Thank you.’ She was aware of her brother’s gaze, and of his anxiety. Clearly he half expected her to forget her promise not to allow her dislike of Brand to be revealed.
‘Brand, you’re right!’ exclaimed Linda, coming into the big square entrance hall. ‘Teri, where did you get that ravishing thing? Not here, that’s for sure!’
‘I brought it with me.’
Much to her surprise Teri found herself deriving a certain degree of pleasure from this flattery - but only from that of Linda, she decided obstinately.
After drinks on the stoep they entered the diningroom, decorated in the modem style in white and gold. The wall and centre lights had been switched off, leaving only the flickering amber glow sent out by the candles on the table - tall slender candles set in silver candlesticks. They were served a delicious meal by a tall impassive Bantu, whose face broke into a smile only at the end when Brand thanked him before asking for coffee and brandy to be served in the lounge.
Conversation throughout the meal, and afterwards, was light, and for this Teri was thankful. It would seem that, by common consent, both Brand and Jon had decided to avoid a discussion on farming, and the consequence was that for the first time Teri and Brand threw off their armour of hostility.
After a while Linda suggested a stroll and they all readily agreed. Teri attached no importance to the fact that Linda should walk on ahead with Jon; nevertheless, the fact did register for the simple reason that she was left alone with Brand, and she did wonder what on earth they would find to talk about. However, to her surprise no strain rose up between them and when Brand inquired conversationally how she was liking Africa she replied with a new enthusiasm.
‘I’m beginning to love it. It undoubtedly has a spell - but you know that, of course.’
They were walking along a flagged path, with the other two a fair distance ahead. The vast dome of the sky was thick with shimmering constellations - the silver powder of the Milky Way and the dazzling Southern Cross flaring through a canopy of deep purple. Lording it over all, the full moon poured forth its reflected brilliance, showering the landscape with light which threw into relief the silver trees and sentinel-like poplars fringing the garden.
‘I suppose I’m used to it,’ Brand murmured after a long and companionable silence. ‘But I agree, it has a spell. It’s a mystic country, a dark country — and dangerous.’
‘How long have you been here?’
‘I was born here, and my parents before me.’
‘You’ve always farmed?’
‘Farming is my life.’
‘It satisfies your every need?’ Unthinking words and as she glanced up at this giant walking beside her she saw his brows lift in a gesture of amusement.
‘What, exactly, do you mean by that?’
Swiftly she glanced away, his question disconcerting her.
‘You just said that farming is your life.’
‘So I did.’ They strolled in silence for a second or two and then, ‘Work can never mean everything, either to man or woman. One needs diversions.’
Abruptly she changed the subject.
‘How long do you think it will take us really to become productive?’
Brand laughed and said,
‘You’re rather good at evasion, Teri. Were you afraid of inquiring about the diversions I mentioned?’
She glanced up again, astounded by the impact that had suddenly thrust upon her the knowledge that she was aware of Brand as a man, that she was actually noticing his lean and sinewed strength, was inhaling the elusive drifting smell of newly-laundered linen which emanated from his clothes. She shrank from these admissions - but they persisted.
Brand was waiting, as he had waited once before, and she half expected him to stop. He merely slackened his pace; Teri felt he would insist on a reply to his question and at last she said,
‘Perhaps the diversions are too personal for discussion,’ and again he laughed, this time with unconcealed amusement.
‘Would it surprise you to know that my diversions usually take the form of holidays - breaks from work when I go off to visit my relatives and friends?’
A frown touched her brow. She wanted to say straight out that his diversions, no matter what form they took, were of no interest to her, and yet she refrained, for some reason not wishing this pleasant walk to end abruptly in a curt announcement from Brand that it was time they were turning back. Jon and Linda, she noticed, had disappeared altogether; they were somewhere behind the little grove of trees that rose darkly in front of the indistinct silhouette of the mountains.
‘I hadn’t really thought much about it,’ she answered truthfully, and this time Brand himself changed the subject, answering her question about the farm.
‘Karunda has been neglected for over three years, and that is fatal in any country but much more so here, where weeds spring up overnight after the rains. It will take a great deal of work, and of patience, to get your place running smoothly again. But it has flourished in the past and can do so again.’ He paused a moment as they reached the bend in the path along which Teri surmised her brother and Linda had gone. ‘How long are you staying here?’ he then inquired abruptly.
She glanced up in surprise, then remembered that he probably thought she was engaged to be married. And yet, if he did think that, he must be wondering how she could leave her fiancé and come out to Karunda with her brother.
‘We’re here for good, as far as I know. Mirrie made us a present of Karunda, and we’ve both vowed we’ll make a success of it. She loves it and for that reason she refused to sell, although Father wanted her to do so, and invest the money.’
‘And you? Did you not feel she should sell Karunda and invest the money?’
Teri nodded.
‘We did at first - and in fact we refused to accept it as a gift unconditionally. After two years we intend sharing the profits with her.’
‘There won’t be any big profits for three or four years,’ he stated emphatically. ‘However, with that bushveld cleared your potential will be increased considerably and as I’ve said, Karunda can be prosperous again - and will be, if you’re willing to take my advice.’
At that Teri bit her lip.
‘I expect we shall continue to take your advice,’ she said reluctantly at last.
‘You’d rather be independent, though? You still hanker after cattle?’
‘To be truthful, I don’t know anything at all about farming—’
‘That’s obvious,’ he cut in, because he had to, she thought, her chin lifting. He just could not help demonstrating his superiority.
‘I worked in an office and so did Jon. Naturally we know nothing about farming.’
Silence dropped between them; Brand seemed to be deep in thought.
‘Wasn’t it a big break for you to leave your father and your friends?’ he asked, glancing around as if he too had suddenly missed Jon and Linda.
‘It was.’ At the brevity of her reply he seemed to frown.
‘You puzzle me,’ he owned frankly. ‘I’m thinking there were reasons for your wanting to leave England?’ A question and yet a statement. Teri hesitated. Was it the night, and the stillness and peace which were responsible for her lack of resentment to these inquiries? That she had no snub ready surprised her and she wondered if it surprised Brand too.
‘There were reasons, yes.’
‘But you don’t want to talk about them?’
They’re private.’ Her manner was faintly apologetic.
‘Perhaps in your brother’s case it was just that he wished for a complete change. His wife’s death must have been a dreadful blow to him.’
‘It was.’ For some inexplicable reason she hated deceiving Brand. Surely he would learn the truth some day and wha
t would he then think of her? But why should she care what he thought of her? Hadn’t she told herself, several times, that his opinion was of no importance to her?
‘Were they very devoted?’ His persistence was most odd, she thought.
‘Very….’ Suddenly she stopped, and glanced up at him, a pleading expression in her eyes. ‘Brand, please don’t ask me about these things. They - they hurt too much for discussion.’
He also had stopped and his eyes stared into hers. He noted the little hollows in her cheeks, accentuated by the golden tan she had already acquired from exposure to the fierce African sun; he seemed unable to take his eyes from her lips, wide and generous and softly curved. Her lashes fluttered down, for she was acutely conscious of his scrutiny, and of the swift appearance of apology in his gaze.
‘I’m sorry, Teri, I shouldn’t have intruded. I shan’t do so again.’
‘Thank you.’ They walked on, presently meeting up with Linda and Jon as they emerged from the shadows of the grove. How small and slender Linda seemed beside Jon, Teri thought, for Jon was every bit as tall as Brand, although he was not quite so slim. The result of working in an office, she decided. Another few months on the farm would give him the toughness and leanness of Brand.
‘I suppose you’ll be leaving soon,’ Teri said conversationally, smiling at Linda who hesitated, fluttering a glance at Jon.
‘I’m not in any hurry,’ she replied, and Teri noticed the look of surprise with which her cousin regarded her. Linda turned her face away and in the shadows there was nothing to be learned from her profile. Linda had already been at Candida Lodge for almost five weeks.
‘Surely Alec will be wanting you?’ Brand commented quietly.
‘He’ll ring or write if he does,’ returned Linda in an expressionless voice, and Teri found herself again experiencing that disturbing flutter of nerves which had caused her some unease on the occasion of Linda’s asking how long Jon had been widowed. This time, as then, Teri could find no explanation for it.
‘You are supposed to be employed by him.’ Brand regarded his cousin curiously through narrowed eyes.
Linda forced a laugh and glanced up at him.
‘Do you want to be rid of me, you crusty old bachelor?’ she exclaimed lightly. ‘I expect you want the house to yourself - is that it?’
‘You’re welcome to stay as long as you like.’ Crisp accents, yet edged with puzzlement. ‘You always come and go when you feel like it, so I fail to see any reason for that remark.’
‘Sorry.’ She bit her lip, hesitating. ‘I suppose I must be going soon. I’ll go next week, then.’
‘I’m not pushing you off—’
‘I never said you were.’ Linda sounded sulky all at once and her pretty mouth drooped in a pout.
‘What’s the matter with you?’ snapped Brand, clearly having the greatest difficulty with his patience.
‘Nothing, but you’re so bad-tempered. I’ve said I’ll go, so what more do you want? I can’t pack up right now and leave.’
‘It’s high time you were in your bed, my girl,’ retorted her cousin with swift asperity. ‘For some reason best known to yourself you’re having the greatest difficulty in being civil. I don’t know about my temper, but yours is certainly frayed!’
Linda’s mouth trembled; she looked ready to weep and both Teri and Jon were becoming uncomfortable. Realizing this, Brand changed the subject and the conversation remained light for the rest of the evening.
CHAPTER FOUR
THEY rode alongside the river - Jon, Teri and Wendy, the child on her small pony looking as though she had been born in the saddle. It was the enchanted hour before sundown. Jon had finished his work and after taking a rest he succumbed to the persuasions of his daughter who, during the last three weeks, had bitterly complained that he had not once ridden with her since she had learned to ride the pony.
‘You should make an effort to be with her more,’ Teri had said when her niece had left the room. ‘She needs you, Jon.’
‘Yes, you’re quite right. We’ll all go together, before dinner.’
And so here they were, riding by the river which separated their land from that of Brand, the dark river that sluggishly transported its amber-coloured load down to the confluence where it would join the Limpopo, the stream that drained a great part of the interior plateau - the bushveld - discharging into the Indian Ocean after meandering through the wooded interior highlands of Mozambique. It was a mysterious river, with many a grove offshooting its banks, and it was to one of these that Jon directed his horse, his daughter and sister following, for the path had narrowed and it was no longer possible for them to ride three abreast. They dismounted on reaching the outer edge of the trees; there was some metallic quality about the atmosphere, with the sky becoming dark indigo and the evening storm-lit. Thunder was in the offing; it would be followed by a violent storm with the consequent springing up of weeds almost overnight.
‘What a delightful place!’ Teri entered the grove and stood in a tiny clearing. A cascade of diminutive proportions cut a way through lichen-covered rocks as it progressed towards the stream that wound through the grove on its way to the Sakubu. Dense undergrowth covered most of the ground, watered by the spray from the waterfall and the smell of damp vegetation pervaded the whole area. Lavender-blue flowers caught the clear crystal reflection and changed to palest mauve as they swung in the slight movement of air; flashes of light passed along the leaves of cactus and ignited its orange-rose flowers. From the ground white flowers peeped shyly from the verdure of thorny scrub and succulents and vine tangles, while above this tropical agglomeration the blossoms of the bohenia trees deepened from creamy-white to purest gold as the slanting sunbeams dropped lower in the sky. ‘I’ve noticed this grove many times and promised myself a visit. It’s like fairyland.’
‘Delightful,’ agreed Jon briefly, his eyes scanning all before him. He seemed at peace, a smile hovering on his lips. The tranquillity of his surroundings was beginning to take effect, Teri realized, just as Mirrie had believed it would.
‘I shall keep this for my own secret den,’ declared Wendy and, with immediate inconsistency, ‘I’ll bring Auntie Linda here—’ She began jumping up and down on the damp vegetation. ‘She’s coming on Friday! That’s what she said in her letter, isn’t it, Auntie Teri?’
‘Yes, darling, she’ll be here in three days’ time.’
‘I didn’t think she’d come while Uncle Brand was away, did you?’
‘No, dear, I didn’t.’ Teri had considered it most odd, the moment she had read Linda’s letter.
Jon smiled down at his daughter.
‘You’re very fond of Auntie Linda, aren’t you?’
‘Yes, of course I am.’ The child’s animated little face was turned upwards and a tender light entered her father’s eyes. ‘She doesn’t look like my mummy, but she feels like her. I love her next to Auntie Teri.’
A familiar prickling sensation touched the nerves of Teri’s spine; her eyes were drawn to her brother’s face. It had become taut, and a drift of white crept up under the tan at both sides of his mouth. As for Teri herself, she was aware of something in her subconscious straining for attention, demanding an acceptance, and she closed her eyes as fear and anxiety shot through her. She recalled several incidents - the amount of time Linda spent at Karunda, and her reluctance to go home even when Brand had practically told her it was time she did so, the way Linda would look at Jon, and the way they had gone on ahead that evening, disappearing into the secluded grove. And now Linda was coming again to Candida Lodge ... even though her cousin was away on holiday.
‘It’s strange that Linda should come to Brand’s place in his absence,’ she murmured, watching Jon’s face closely.
‘I expect she likes being here; it’s far preferable to the town.’ His tones were mild, expressionless, and yet ... ‘She’s often told me she loves the scenery round here, and she delights in the peace and the loneliness.’
�
�You’ve been talking to her quite a lot, it seems?’ Was Jon deliberately avoiding her gaze - or was it merely her imagination? He shrugged and said noncommittally,
‘Not a lot, Teri. We’ve chatted together, as one does with one’s friends.’
Teri’s fears grew in spite of the apparent disinterest in her brother’s voice. Was he falling in love with Linda? Perhaps the attraction was only on Linda’s side, which must mean that she would be unbearably hurt. If only Jon had not begun that deceit! Had Linda known he was still married she would assuredly have guarded against becoming too attached to him. Teri considered her own position. She had become extremely fond of Linda and envisaged a firm and lasting friendship developing between Brand’s cousin and herself despite the animosity existing in her own relationship with Brand, an animosity which she felt would endure indefinitely. Teri’s thoughts switched entirely to Brand. During the past few weeks there had been no doubt about his growing interest in her. To what extent she did not know, or to what end. She felt somehow that he was hankering after an affair with her. He knew about Kemp; he must also be aware of his own attractiveness as a man, for had not Linda asserted that women ran after him? So he was planning to catch Teri on the rebound, optimistic of an eventual surrender. Teri could not give him credit for anything more sincere because men weren’t sincere, they weren’t to be trusted. Jon of course was different, and her father. That this conclusion was wholly illogical eluded her simply because she wasted no time dwelling on the matter. Potential suitors were in a different category from her relatives; they were in Kemp’s category - shallow, insincere, unfaithful. Teri’s thoughts continued to focus themselves on Brand, who at times had adopted a charm which to any woman in a receptive mood must have proved devastating, and there was an odd quality of persuasion about him, as if his one object was to stir her feelings so that she would become aware of him as a man. All this should have left her cold - in fact she assured herself that it did leave her cold, but in an honest moment she admitted that he did affect her in some small way, for it was impossible to ignore his power and the magnetism of his personality, or to make light of his superlative qualities of efficiency and wisdom. His mastery also repeatedly made itself felt and on several occasions Teri found herself obeying an order he had given. This assertiveness had registered, of course, but although her hackles had risen she had been quite unable to put up any effective show of defiance. It was for Jon’s sake, she told herself, but once again in an honest moment she owned that it was no easy thing to run counter to a man with Brand’s particular type of authority. On the farm she had already given up the struggle; he and Jon talked together and arranged the work and the future of Karunda between them. The rough veld was rapidly being cleared and following the preparation on the land the citrus trees would be planted; they would soon send out bright green shoots but these would be cut off completely, leaving only a bare stump. Almost immediately another set of shoots would spring forth, and these would be allowed to grow. Within a short while the bright citrus fruits would hang like fairy lanterns against the polished foliage.