South of Capricorn by Anne Hampson Page A

this is what he’ll spread around in explanation for your departure. This is what you’ve just told me.’
    ‘I said it was guesswork in the main. Kane must explain why I’ve gone. And I surmised he’ll just make the briefest of explanations. The simplest will be that I can’t stand the loneliness and so I’ve gone away.’
    ‘Leaving your child?’
    She shrugged a trifle impatiently.
    ‘There are many difficulties, but they’re not my concern. For me - well, I promised to do a job, as it were, by posing as Kane’s wife. He’s paying me well, but in fairness to myself I must mention that it was Leta’s plight that influenced me more than anything else. For if Kane had refused to have her then she would have had to go into a children’s home on her arrival back in England. And that would have driven the child to dis-traction.’
    He had to smile, although a little grimly.
    ‘And she would have driven many others to distraction.’
    ‘She isn’t improving at all.’ Gail was glad that the introduction of Leta had led the conversation on to safer lines.
    ‘She isn’t being chastised, so how can she improve?’
    ‘You know why Kane allows her to continue as she is. I’m very sure that when his stepmother has gone then he’ll do something about his child.’
    ‘I could do something with her,’ he returned musingly. ‘There’s something about her that attracts me ...’ He seemed to be far away - dreaming almost. ‘I can’t say what it is, but all I know is that I like the kid!’
    ‘You were becoming impatient with her when We were travelling here,’ she reminded him with a grimace.
    ‘I agree. But on that sort of a journey one’s nerves are never all they should be. There are so many things which can go wrong - such as breakdowns with the car, or someone taking ill. Just supposing one of us had taken ill? So you see, Gail, I was not quite myself. But now - well, whenever I’m with Leta I’m strangely happy.’ He was in a confiding mood, a young mood that did not seem to fit in with his tough and rugged appearance.
    ‘We must be getting back,’ she urged at length. ‘We’ve been out here ages!’
    ‘Yes, indeed we have.’ He glanced at his watch; Gail saw the luminous fingers and gave a small gasp.
    ‘Heavens, I didn’t think it was that time!’
    ‘Almost ten! Oh, well, there’s nothing to hurry for.’ And he walked leisurely back to the path which they had left over an hour and a half ago. The distance from the homestead seemed longer than Gail remembered it and she was more than a. little agitated when at last they arrived back. Mrs. Farrell was in the sitting-room and her dark and hostile eyes narrowed to mere slits as she said,
    ‘Kane was looking for you, Gail. I told him you and Dave had gone for a walk.’ Her eyes strayed significantly to the clock. ‘You’ve been gone for over two hours.’
    Gail coloured, much to her annoyance; Dave’s face was dark and angry. But he made no comment and Gail realized that he must of course show some respect to the wife of the one-time Boss of Vernay Downs.
    ‘I’m off to bed,’ was all he said and, with a smile for Gail, he left the room.
    ‘Kane was not too pleased at your absence.’ Mrs. Farrell spoke with undisguised antagonism and her glance was one of contempt as she looked Gail up and down from her head to her feet and back again. ‘You and Dave appear to have had plenty to talk about.’
    Gail’s eyes glimmered.
    ‘Is that a question?’ she inquired, adopting the haughty manner which on occasions she found necessary.
    The woman shrugged, her mouth curved in a sneer.
    ‘What you and Dave do out there in the darkness has nothing to do with me.’ A pause and then with slow deliberation, ‘Tongues will wag and scandal flow, but then why should you care? You’ve been separated from Kane once, so it’s more than likely that you’ll be separated again.’
    ‘You think so?’ The slow but dangerous drawl came from the door,