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Authors: Kathryn Blair
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asked.
The unexpectedness of his query made her pause and consider, but she kept her tone level as she replied, “The other evening — the one before last. Roger Bailey and I met him as we were coming from the club, and he invited us to dinner last night.”
“You also lunched with him today, didn’t you? I discovered that by mistake, not by spying. I went over to your place at about three to make sure that Melia Ducros was regularly serving the necessary mepacrine or quinine tablet with your breakfast and taking one herself; women are often slack about such things, and slackness can prove fatal. She told me where you’d gone.” A shrug. “Claud was never one to let the grass grow — except in his plantation.”
“As a matter of fact,” she stated, her gaze still upon the impenetrable trees, “I enjoyed lunching with Claud. I’m seeing him again tomorrow.”
“To be taken in by his type is nothing to boast about. I thought you had more intelligence than to squander your time on a wastrel. That’s all he is.” Before she could retort he went on, “I know the hours are long for women in these outposts but it’s safer to be bored than to plunge into a friendship which will ultimately make you unhappy. He’s not your kind.”
“You can hardly be the judge of that.”
“On the contrary!” he answered sharply. “I’ve known Merrick for a number of years, and he’s never been any different. I’ve seen him run through his father’s money and neglect the plantation which his father left him. He’s the wrong type for the tropics — too easily swayed, too willing to give in.”
“Surely the weak need friends more than the strong?” she countered, adding at once, “Not that I’ll admit Claud is weak. I don’t believe he is in the way you mean. I found him a splendid companion.”
“I don’t doubt that,” he conceded drily. “He can be charming and complimentary, he can also be tenacious when he’s engrossed with a woman. He has all the obstinacy of the inherent philanderer. If he had the moral backbone of his sister he’d be a man in a thousand.”
“You know his sister?”
“Quite well. She came to Palmas for three months some two or three years ago.” Not to be sidetracked, he said deliberately, “I brought you from Cape Bandu. While you’re at Denton I am, in a measure, responsible for you. I’d rather you confined your friendships to the people here, at the settlement.”
A minute elapsed.
“Is that all you had to say?” enquired Lyn politely.
“Pretty well.” He sounded exasperated. “I guessed you’d take it like this. I suppose you’re annoyed because I got the tennis match over before you came. You probably won’t believe that I did it for your sake.”
“For my sake? Really?” in the same tone of restrained politeness.
“Yes, really!” he returned tersely. “Everyone here had spent the afternoon sensibly in their bedrooms. After passing the hottest part of the day in the company of Claud Merrick you’d have made a poor show and felt like hell into the bargain.” He stood up and looked coldly down at her, took a further moment to light a cigarette and toss away the match. “If you’d make a determined effort to get along with Rosita you wouldn’t need the attentions of a man like Claud.”
“Why should I bother to placate Mrs. Baird? She doesn’t want me around and you know it.”
“You’re a guest at Denton, and Rosita is always the perfect hostess.”
“I’m not remotely connected with the growing of your rubber and she resents me as an interloper. You see so much that I’m sure her attitude to me hasn’t passed you by. Besides,” her voice lowered and she took an interest in her finger-tips, “I remind her of everything she’s missed by marrying a man who was already married to his job in the jungle.”
There was a silence. The persistent noise of the crickets came suddenly loud and harsh and the whining of a pie dog shivered over the
The unexpectedness of his query made her pause and consider, but she kept her tone level as she replied, “The other evening — the one before last. Roger Bailey and I met him as we were coming from the club, and he invited us to dinner last night.”
“You also lunched with him today, didn’t you? I discovered that by mistake, not by spying. I went over to your place at about three to make sure that Melia Ducros was regularly serving the necessary mepacrine or quinine tablet with your breakfast and taking one herself; women are often slack about such things, and slackness can prove fatal. She told me where you’d gone.” A shrug. “Claud was never one to let the grass grow — except in his plantation.”
“As a matter of fact,” she stated, her gaze still upon the impenetrable trees, “I enjoyed lunching with Claud. I’m seeing him again tomorrow.”
“To be taken in by his type is nothing to boast about. I thought you had more intelligence than to squander your time on a wastrel. That’s all he is.” Before she could retort he went on, “I know the hours are long for women in these outposts but it’s safer to be bored than to plunge into a friendship which will ultimately make you unhappy. He’s not your kind.”
“You can hardly be the judge of that.”
“On the contrary!” he answered sharply. “I’ve known Merrick for a number of years, and he’s never been any different. I’ve seen him run through his father’s money and neglect the plantation which his father left him. He’s the wrong type for the tropics — too easily swayed, too willing to give in.”
“Surely the weak need friends more than the strong?” she countered, adding at once, “Not that I’ll admit Claud is weak. I don’t believe he is in the way you mean. I found him a splendid companion.”
“I don’t doubt that,” he conceded drily. “He can be charming and complimentary, he can also be tenacious when he’s engrossed with a woman. He has all the obstinacy of the inherent philanderer. If he had the moral backbone of his sister he’d be a man in a thousand.”
“You know his sister?”
“Quite well. She came to Palmas for three months some two or three years ago.” Not to be sidetracked, he said deliberately, “I brought you from Cape Bandu. While you’re at Denton I am, in a measure, responsible for you. I’d rather you confined your friendships to the people here, at the settlement.”
A minute elapsed.
“Is that all you had to say?” enquired Lyn politely.
“Pretty well.” He sounded exasperated. “I guessed you’d take it like this. I suppose you’re annoyed because I got the tennis match over before you came. You probably won’t believe that I did it for your sake.”
“For my sake? Really?” in the same tone of restrained politeness.
“Yes, really!” he returned tersely. “Everyone here had spent the afternoon sensibly in their bedrooms. After passing the hottest part of the day in the company of Claud Merrick you’d have made a poor show and felt like hell into the bargain.” He stood up and looked coldly down at her, took a further moment to light a cigarette and toss away the match. “If you’d make a determined effort to get along with Rosita you wouldn’t need the attentions of a man like Claud.”
“Why should I bother to placate Mrs. Baird? She doesn’t want me around and you know it.”
“You’re a guest at Denton, and Rosita is always the perfect hostess.”
“I’m not remotely connected with the growing of your rubber and she resents me as an interloper. You see so much that I’m sure her attitude to me hasn’t passed you by. Besides,” her voice lowered and she took an interest in her finger-tips, “I remind her of everything she’s missed by marrying a man who was already married to his job in the jungle.”
There was a silence. The persistent noise of the crickets came suddenly loud and harsh and the whining of a pie dog shivered over the
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