The Reluctant Guest (24 page)

“We are, honey,” he said grimly, “but you’re clinging so hard to your civilized upbringing that you can’t recognize plain elemental feelings when they appear. I knew from the beginning that it would be a disaster to fall for you. It would be bad enough to fall in love with any woman, but with you it’s like wanting someone who’s less tha
n
half alive!” He had covered the space which had separated them, gripped her upper arms with fingers of steel. His voice thickened. “I love you, heaven help me. I love you!”

A crisis was precipitated. For an interminable moment she gazed at him with the rapt expression of one who knows she has glimpsed heaven and can’t believe it. Then she was in his arms, and he was kissing her with a passion that had been starved too long; her neck and throat, her hair, eyelids and lips. Wild tremors ran along her nerves, and almost without knowing it she responded, and felt him haul her closer.

It was a long time before he relaxed his hold, and even then he kept her so close that he spoke against her forehead.

“It’s like coming out of a nightmare,” he said, on a queer laugh. “For the last couple of weeks I haven’t known how to get along with myself. I was determined to give you time to get over other things—Elva and Theo—but last night I was on the point of blowing up. So I got out the car and drove through the night and morning to Umbezini.”

“You didn’t go to bed at all?” she asked, her tones still shaky.

“No, but who cares? Now that I’ve got you I could stay awake for ever. You love me, don’t you? It feels as if you do.”

“Yes,” she breathed. “Oh, yes.”

“I tried to believe it, even when we seemed to be enemies. I’ve held out a good many years, but I’ve fallen far worse than normal. To think I’ve only known you a month!”

“I suppose we’re not sure, really, are we? But the sureness will come. Storr, it’s such a relief! I was so convinced you’d marry the Chloe person.”

“No. It had to be tawny hair and clipped speech, my highfalutin, wonderful Ann.”

“But you did think of marrying Chloe?”

“I suppose I did—before I knew you. Chloe’s quite a girl, but too sure of herself. That weekend I went up
—
while you were at Groenkop—she was peeved with me for
not writing. Young Braithwaite had brought me a letter from her, if you remember.”

“Do I remember!”

“Well, in it she said she would fly down the next day. It was the last thing I wanted, so I flew up myself. She accused me of inviting her and her father to Groenkop
—
which I had done earlier—and then backing out of the invitation—which, having met you, was what I wanted to do. I had too much on my mind to quarrel with Chloe, so I stayed out at their place and smoothed her down a bit
.
”

“By making love to her?”

“Lord, no. My method was much easier. She’d learned to fly in Skipalong One, and I told her it could be her very own—that the Company would tra
n
sfer it to her. She was delighted; it was one of the reasons she kissed me goodbye.”

“But
...
but she was your date in Johannesburg the following week, wasn’t she?”

“That couldn’t be helped. Her father is a colleague of mine and I was invited to his wedding anniversary party.
I partnered Chloe, but that was all. As a matter of fact,” he ended calmly, “when we parted that time I told her I was hoping to marry someone I’d met in Belati.”

“Storr!”

“So I was, even though I was still uncertain how you felt about Theo.” He let go of her suddenly, pushed a brown bony hand over his thick dark hair. “To think I should go through hell over a chap like Borland!”

“Theo’s nice. A bit weak in. some ways, but nice.”

“I always liked him myself, till you came. D’you know how I realized I was in love with you? That day Theo came home from Wegersburg I kept feeling uneasy because you were living in the same house with him; in a matter of days the thought was unbearable—I couldn’t ever remember to be grateful to him for the fact that you were in my life at last. I actually telephoned for Braithwaite to bring Skipalong Two so
that
Theo could fly it back, or at least go back with Braithwaite. I just had to get him out of the way.”

She smiled up at him, sighed happily. “It helps, to know you were jealous. You thought I didn’t want you to let
Theo fly the plane because I was anxious for him, but I was so afraid his lack of practice might be dangerous for you!”

“Love is a most foolish thing,” he said.

Ann stood back, and a queer little shudder ran through her, leaving her cold. She moved a little, so that he shouldn’t see her face. “What about that
...
that notion of yours, about being the one who’s loved?
I ...
it would break my heart if I found myself doing all the loving.”

He laughed aloud and flung an arm about her. “I plugged that line for several reasons. At first I almost believed in it, and afterwards it was a sort of link with you; in any case, you’re even prettier when you’re cross, and it was a way of rousing you. You were right about Hazel and Vic. He adores her, but she’d definitely be lost without him. By the way, what about staying with them for a spell? I could come over every day.”

“Perhaps, later. For the next few weeks I’ll have to be with my parents.”

“Few weeks! How long do you
think
we’re waiting to get married for Pete’s sake?”

“We’ll talk about it tomorrow,” she pleaded. “Too much is happening at once—it always does. You can’t realize what it means, just to know it’s me
and not ...
not Chloe or anyone else! Let me get used to it.”

“All right—for a day or two. I hope your folk can find a bed for me, even if it’s only on the verandah. How can we celebrate—had dinner?”

“I
’
m afraid so. Haven’t you?”

“No. Put on a frock and come down with me. You can drink champagne—if this place can run to it—while I tuck in. I’m only just realizing how hungry I am. I haven’t had a square meal since last night at Groenkop.”

“You’ve been travelling the whole time?”

“To get to you,” he said simply.

The kiss lasted about two seconds, for there came a ponderous knocking at the door and a native girl came in, presumably to fold the bedspread and turn down the sheet. She eyed them for a moment with wooden disapproval, and went out.

Ann laughed, weakly. “I wonder what she
thinks
of us?”

But Storr didn’t care. He finished the kiss, very thoroughly, and moved towards the door. “I’ll wash and come back for you in five minutes.”

He did, and he found Ann quite ready, in a green frock that matched the brilliant green in the hazel eyes. Even the tawny hair seemed to have sprung more vividly alive
wi
thin
the last half hour. He took her shoulders, looked into her face.

“I don’t have to be very patient, do I?” he said, a little indistinctly. “I’ve waited so long for this, and I couldn’t be more certain if I’d known you for years.”

Her eyes shone up at him. “Not very long,” she murmured. “I’m already aching to see Groenkop again.” A pause. “What’s going to happen to the cottage?”

“Demolition—it’s best. The land was never transferred into Theo’s name and he’s agreed to take a lump sum in settlement
.
I’ll plant a pine wood there.”

“I’m so glad. I’ll take great care of your house, Storr.”

“Of course you will—it’s as good as yours right now. And we’ll keep the
modern
hideaway at the back. Do you really like those new rooms?”

Before giving an answer she asked, “Who chose everything? You’ve never said.”

“I did it the sure-fire way—gave a furnishing company the dimensions of the two rooms and fold them what I wanted. They had one of these sophisticated middle-aged women to handle it, and I think she did very well, considering she hadn’t even seen the place.”

“So do I,” she said, as another small ghost was laid.

He had slipped an arm about her and they were at the door, when he stopped, switched off the light and asked in the darkness, “Have you already forgotten that night we drove to Umbenizi?”

“I had, for the moment
.
It’s not important any more, is it?”

“No, but you ought to understand. During those couple of days you spent at my house I knew some sort of climax was hovering. You weren’t really fit for it, and there was all the trouble about Elva, so I decided to stave it off till you’d spent a week or so with Hazel and Vic. Then came
th
e
letter from your mother, and my plan had to fall through. You’ll never know how utterly fed up I was about that. I wasn’t sure how bad your father was, nor how much your mother needed you, but I did know that if I was to get things said it had better be before I left you.”

“So you made sure we’d be alone throughout the dark hours? What a man you are!”

“Well, it didn’t work, did it? You weren’t ready for it, and somehow I couldn’t feel tender. I wanted to hurt you into awareness, but with you that kind of thing doesn’t come off. You’re gentle and sweet
...
and how I need you!”

She was breathing rather fast. “I wish we didn’t have to leave this place tomorrow. There are mountains, Storr, and it’s so untouched
...
”

“I know. We’ll come back some time. I’ll get someone to drive your little car through to Durban tomorrow.”

“We mustn’t forget Rusty.”

“If I know dogs, he’ll tag along, anyway. Darling
...”

“Yes?” she whispered.

“Just darling,” he said, with a breathy laugh that she felt. He held her close, without kisses. There were just the two of them, Storr and Ann, in a quiet world lit by the radiance of the stars beyond the window. Then at last he opened the door and let in light, and Rusty got up from the carpet and stretched. They shut him into the room, turned together towards the stairs.

Storr’s hand came under her elbow and for the sheer delight of it she leaned his way. Guests looked round as they passed through the lounge and women smiled at each other as, fleetingly, they were touched by the glow from the girl with tawny hair. But, naturally, it was upon the tall vital man that their glances lingered, though he was arrogantly and possessively aware only of the girl he had chosen to be his wife.

THE END