The man at Kambala by Kay Thorpe Page A

setting up a trestle bed beside Sara's own. He greeted their
    appearance with his usual flashing grin, deftly shaking a pillow into its clean case and laying it neatly at the 'head of the bed.
    `We'll finish the rest ourselves, thank you,' said Sara firmly in Swahili, and started to unfold the sheets as the door closed behind him. `Njorogi makes a bed beautifully, only he takes simply ages getting each sheet and blanket dead centre before he'll even start tucking in. If you find your things arranged in tidy rows along the dressing-table you'll know who's been at work. It's almost an obsession with him. My father sometimes measures the spaces between items Njorogi has tidied up, and he says there's never more than fractional difference.'
    `He sounds quite a character,' Jill laughed. 'Diane is always grumbl ing about her house servants. Yo u'll have to watch her or she'll be stealing him away from you'
    `Have you know the Milsons long?' Sara asked carefully as she tucked in the corners.
    `About three months. Steve met them first, and then they invited both of us to spend a few weeks with them. We'd only been there a week when the Department contacted him about this job.'
    Sara glan ced at the other girl quickly. B ut he didn't have to take it if he was on leave.'
    `Apparently they had no one else available, and Steve always did have a weakness for the highlands.' Jill was sitting on the other bed watching 'Sara work without it apparently having occurred to her to offer to help. 'It's certainly a much pleasanter climate than we get down at the coast. Mombasa is so humid at this time of the year.'
    'Do you like Nairobi?'
    `Very much. As a matter of fact there's a chance that we'll be moving there ourselves quite shortly. Steve has an eye on the farm across the valley from Don and Diane's.'
    Sara frowned down at the corner she had just made. `I wouldn't have thought him exactly ready for settling down just yet.'
    `Oh, I don't know. He's always said that a man should be able to pack enough living into his first thirty-odd years to last him a lifetime, and he's certainly moved around enough.' She grimaced. 'I wish he would buy this place so that we could see a little more of each other. I usually only get to be with him for about a third of each year.'
    `I gather you get along very well with your brother.'
    `Yes.' Jill's gaze was suddenly a little curious. 'Correct me if I'm wrong, but I get the distinct impression that you don't like him very much.'
    Was what she felt for Steve York anything at all to do with liking? Sara wondered confusedly. There was certainly nothing simple about the reactions he drew from her. 'He's only been here a bit more than a fortnight,' she protested. 'I b arely know him. Perhaps I do find him a bit . . . managing.'
    `Yes, I suppose he is,' with a laugh. 'Diane calls him an overbearing brute to his face, but she's the first to admit that it's one of the things which attracts her to him. Don't you think she's gorgeous?'
    `I would have said beautiful in an unusual way.'
    Sara kept her voice carefully expressionless. 'Are she and Steve ... I mean, do you think he'll marry her?'
    `Who knows? He's had plenty of other women friends as good-looking as Diane, but never one who kept his interest as long. She's so cool and casual You're never quite sure what she's thinking.'
    `You really do admire her, don't you?'
    `Yes, I do.' A faint frown touched the vivacious features. 'On the other hand, I'm not at all sure that I'd like to have her for a sister-in-law.'
    `Any particular reason?'
    `Yes.' A grin overcame the frown. 'Vanity. When Diane is around nobody else gets a look in. She's one of those people who only has to walk into a room to become the centre of attention.' She gave the trestle bed a doubtful look as Sara stood back from her task. `It's rather low. Are you sure it's safe?'
    `Quite.' Sara met the blue-grey regard and added resignedly, 'You can have mine, if you like, and I'll take this.'
    `Are you sure?'