A Garland of Marigolds (12 page)

Joseph
flashed a look of inquiry at me.

“
You
can
’
t expect to live in your shell forever,
”
he said quite
gently.

“
I
suppose not,
”
I agreed abruptly.
“
But it would be a great deal
more
comfortable!
”

Joseph laughed. He had fully recovered his good humor and was
determined
to cheer me up.

“
Have
you forgotten that we set a seal on our friendship?
”
he
reminded
me.

I blushed
a little, remembering his kiss.

“
No,
”
I said uncertainly.
“
No, I hadn
’
t forgotten.
”

“
Well, then,
”
he began reasonably,
“
how could you even
suppose that
I would desert you in your hour of need?
”

I thought about
it seriously, wondering at my own lack of
confidence.
“
I
’
ll tell you
what it is,
”
I confided in him on a note of
sudden levity,
“
I have
the
feeling
you
’
re a friend to every girl!
”
His mock indignation
amused me.

“
I might flirt
a little, but
I
never hurt anyone, do I?
”

I wriggled my feet
in the sun. The mud had baked hard around
my toes and
it
was
a pleasant sensation breaking out of the cocoon
of sandy
clay.

“
There
’
s
Camilla.
”

Joseph
started guiltily.
“
You ask an awful lot of a guy!
”
he
expostulated.
“
Camilla is a pretty little thing!
”

“
Very pretty!
”
I agreed lazily.

“
But too young for me, of course!
”

“
Oh yes?
”
I
prompted him.

He
put his hand on his heart.
“
What do you want, Suki? A full-blown confession
about
how
I
cast a glance in her direction?
”

I
shook my head.
“
Camilla isn
’
t my business.
You
’
re not, either,
come to that!
”

“
But supposing
she
were?
”
he prompted
me. He rolled over onto
his side
and gazed
at
me with innocent eyes.
“
Supposing we both
were, what
then?
”

I
smiled lazily at him.

“
I
’
d
warn you off, I suppose.
”

“
Because
Camilla is only seventeen?
”

“
I
suppose so.
”

He plucked
an ear of corn and tickled my nose with it.
“
And
would that be your only reason?
”
he asked me.

I
sneezed.
I had
never
played
this sort of game before and I was
surprised
to find that
I
was enjoying it.

“
I don
’
t
know.
It
might be.
”

He reached
over and kissed my cheek.
“
I consider myself duly warned off.
”
He kissed me again.
“
Especially when there
’
s such tempting bait so close to hand!
”

“
Joseph Groton.
”

He
looked very innocent, young and all-American.

“
Are
you warning me off again?
”
he asked with an injured air.
He
was terribly attractive and! didn
’
t think of Timothy at all.
“
I
’
m
not warning you at all,
”
I said.

“
Lakshmi!
”

The
Indian girl came running. She wore a new sari of peacock
blue
edged with white and silver. She looked as bright and as quick
as
a kingfisher flashing through sunshine and water.

“
My,
my!
”
she exclaimed.
“
Where have you been, Miss Suki? I
’
ll
set the fire and
draw you a bath straight away!
”

I brushed the red
dust off my cheeks and laughed.

“
I
’
ve been
talking
to
the
panchayat
about building a dam—
”
Lakshmi gave
me
a bright-eyed look.

“
Did Mr. Joseph help to
persuade them?
”
she asked.

“
He arrived when it was all over,
”
I replied repressively.
“
And very welcome, I
’
m sure,
”
she said in much the same tones that I could remember my mother using.

I met her teasing, feminine eyes as calmly as I could.
“
Perhaps,
”
I admitted.

I was just drying myself when the telephone sounded shrilly in the hall. Annoyed, I waited for someone else to answer it. But Lakshmi was afraid of the telephone and she ignored the sharp ringing of the bell until I could bear it no longer. Pulling my towel around me, I rushed out into the corridor and picked up the receiver.

“
Yes, what is it?
”
I asked testily.

There was a gulping noise at the other end.

“
What
’
s the matter?
”
I demanded.

“
There
’
s been an accident!
”

I pulled myself together and clasped my towel more tightly around me.

“
Where? Who is this?
”

“
This is Julie speaking—
”

“
Oh, really?
”
Despite myself my voice was tinged with ice.
“
Are you hurt?
”

“
No, no! It isn
’
t me. Though I must say I was very nearly hurt as well. It was so careless and unnecessary. Gideon ought to have known better!
”

At the mention of his name I went cold.

“
Julie, has anything happened to Gideon?
”

She gave a quick, nervous laugh.

“
That
’
s what I
’
m trying to tell you. Gideon would insist on playing polo and I told him that the horses were wild—and—and it slipped.
”

I had a terrible vision of Gideon lying, twisted, on the ground while Julie wrung her fingers on the sidelines.

“
The pony slipped?
”
I prompted her hollowly.

“
Yes,
”
she gulped.
“
It was awful! I cried and cried.
”

That I could imagine.

“
And Gideon?
”
I asked dryly.

“
He
’
s broken a leg. And, really it
’
s most peculiar, he wants you to come out immediately and drive him home.
”

“
Me or Joseph?
”
I asked.

“
He said you,
”
Julie answered in the same bewildered tones.
“
It isn
’
t at all necessary. I told him I would drive him and Camilla home and stay on and nurse him, but he said I would be more useful calming my parents. They
’
re terribly upset, naturally.
”

“
Naturally,
”
I agreed.
“
I
’
ll come straight away.
”

I could imagine the scene as I put down the receiver, Camilla sulky and unresponsive, Julie
’
s parents annoyed that such a thing should have happened in their perfectly run Indian retreat, and Gideon, impatient with pain, shouting orders at everyone.

I had only the vaguest idea of my destination, but I was reasonably sure that I could find the way if I started off right, and as there were only two roads leading out of the village, I could hardly go wrong.

The road went through trees full of chattering monkeys. It was difficult to get away from animal life in India. People, monkeys, cattle, birds and insects jostled one another for existence. Snakes came and went, seeking peace and solitude and sometimes food, and terrifying everyone they met. Normally I rather liked to see this teeming life all around me, but today the monkeys became almost intolerable, throwing twigs and stones at the jeep and swinging toward me out of the trees until I really began to believe they were going to leap in with me.

I took the most used track when I came to the first fork. The jeep crashed over a half-concealed stone and the engine faltered. So concerned was I to keep the thing on the road that I failed to catch the faltering spark and the engine died completely. The monkeys came closer and closer, inquisitively watching my every movement. One of them, braver than the rest, jumped down on the hood and made a face at me. I was really scared then. They were so incredibly human in their movements.

It was a great relief when the engine suddenly sprang into life. I blew the horn and started off down the road again, scattering the monkeys as I went. It was farther than I had thought and I was beginning to wonder if I had come the right way. I came to a small village and made inquiries from the only inhabitant I could find.
The directions he gave me were vague, but I gathered I was on the right road.

When I finally reached the entrance there was no mistaking it. Two enormous, concrete lions marked the gates, towering over the sign that said this was the Burnett residence. Beyond this imposing beginning was an avenue of trees, now badly neglected but nevertheless still handsome. I steered the jeep up the rough drive and rumbled over the pitted surface toward what had once been a quietly tasteful and spacious house. Now it was painted violent pink. The roof was overgrown with ivy and a general air of neglect hung over the place.

Halfway up the drive a man leaped out from behind a tree and waved me down. I came to a halt beside him and he jumped into the jeep beside me with a flurry of words.

“
Sahib
Wait very sick man. Better you take him home. This house not welcome to a sick man. One sick man more than enough, don
’
t you say? Miss Julie waits for you on the verandah. The
memsahib
gone to bed.
”