South of Capricorn (22 page)

‘Congratulations to you both!’

‘But what wonderful news!’

‘Did you choose her for her beauty or her courage?’

It went on for a few seconds more, with Dave the only one making no comment and with Mrs Farrell and Ertha sidling through the door, hoping to get away unseen. But Kane cut round and said,

‘Well, Rachel, are you now going to accept my offer of a house?’

The woman maintained an obstinate silence, but her daughter, taking her arm, said quietly,

‘Yes, Kane, Mother will accept your offer.’

Gail and Kane were sitting on the front verandah, having come out a few minutes earlier for a sundowner. Into their line of vision appeared two young people, Dave and Georgina, strolling hand in hand. But on seeing the two on the verandah they waved happily and, turning to her fiance, Gail smiled and gave a small contented sigh.

‘Hasn’t it all worked out well?’ she said dreamily. ‘Dave marrying Georgina and their adopting Leta.’

‘It’s worked out very well,’ he agreed. ‘But how strange that Dave should have pieced so many scraps together and produced a picture that none of us knew of.’

‘He knew we weren’t married, of course, he told you that on the night you told your story.’ Kane nodded at this unnecessary statement and Gail continued, ‘He hadn’t connected his second cousin, Kenneth Farrell, with this business until you began talking. And then it all came to him.’

‘But he did appear troubled about something even before I began to relate everything, if you remember?’

‘It could have been because he knew instinctively that he was going to have to admit that he’s known almost from the first that you and I weren’t married.’

‘Yes, it could,’ agreed Kane, and then, changing the subject somewhat, ‘It was a good idea to ask Leta what she wanted - before telling Dave and Georgina that they could have her.’ Kane paused a moment. ‘I had promised to keep her, and as I said when you later asked me - after we were engaged - she could have made her home with us. But for her own happiness it’s better that she goes to Dave. He wants her and she chose to live with him when she was offered a choice.’

‘So I have nothing to reproach myself for where my promise to Sandra is concerned. I couldn’t bring her to her father, but I’ve brought her to another relative.’

‘You do realize that from all this has emerged the fact that Dave and I are cousins several times removed?’

She nodded, but said nothing. She and Kane had talked a great deal during the past three weeks and everything had been carefully straightened out. They were to be married in a week’s time and Gail’s parents would be here to give her and Kane their blessing.

‘Look at the sunset!’ she exclaimed suddenly. ‘Oh, Kane, I’m going to love being here.’

He smiled tenderly at her and, rising to his feet, he pulled her up too, and into the protection of his arms. The sun, falling quickly behind the mountains, was painting the sky with bronze and crimson and gold. The summits were on fire. But over the endless bush- lands the glow was softer, burnishing the casuarina trees growing along the watercourse; and away where the billabong shone like a pool of gold the clustered Red River gums cast gentle shadows as their branches were stirred by the breeze blowing down from the mountains. All was silent; ail was still over this infinite void which for Gail had such charm and character.

‘My darling Gail ...’ The tenderly-spoken words brought her from the delights of nature to the even greater delight of her lover’s kiss. ‘How glad I am that you came to me.’

She said nothing, because of the deep emotion within her heart. It was enough that she drew closer to him, content to be there as, together, they watched the glory of the sunset as it sprayed the endless plains with gold.