The question was purely rhetorical. `I do like to sleep next to a window I Must admit.' She tested the springing, then got to her feet and wandered across to the dressing-table. 'Is this your father?' she asked, picking up the framed photograph.
`Yes.'
`You're a lot like him.'
`Yes,' Sara said again, `so I'm told. Shall we go and get your luggage out of the car? You'll want to unpack.'
`Oh, there's plenty of time for that.' Jill was at the window now, looking up towards the bluff. 'What do
you find to do with yourself 'all day? Surely entertainment is a little restricted?'
`Not noticeably before your brother arrived,' Sara replied dryly. 'I'm sure he'll find time to take you around once your friends have gone.'
`It's to be hoped that he'll find time to take us all out with him,' came the ready reply. 'Don brought his cine equipment.' She paused, her tone changing subtly. `There's another unusual character. Outwardly he always appears so uncaring, yet underneath . . .' She stopped there, added obliquely, 'He was married once, but his wife ran off with another man.'
`Did Diane live with them then?' ventured Sara.
"I don't know. I suppose so. They're brother and sister, and like Steven and me they don't have any other family. Mind you, Diane is pretty self-sufficient. I don't imagine it would worry her if she did have to live alone for any reason.'
But it would worry Jill, Sara surmised, and the other girl recognized the fact that Diane Milson would not want any other female claiming too much attention' from the man she had set her sights on. If she married Steve his sister could quite well find herself pushed to one side. And it was for Jill's sake alone, Sara told herself swiftly, that she felt so concerned at the thought of that marriage taking place.
Njorogi brought in Jill's case some few minutes later. Sara left her to unpack on her own and went out again to the living-room, to find Don Milson the sole occupant. Steve had taken Diane on a brief tour of the compound, he informed her.
`Didn't you want to go with them?' Sara inquired innocently, and received a satirical grin in reply.
'Never heard the saying two's company? Di would have chopped my legs from under me if I'd even looked like getting up. Have you and Jill got yourselves sorted out?'
`Just about. She's unpacking. Can I get you another drink, Mr. Milson?'
He looked amused. 'What's wrong with Don?'
Her own lips tilted involuntarily. 'All right then, would you like another drink, Don?'
`I'd rather have your company.' He patted the seat beside him. 'Come and tell me about yourself.'
`I thought I already did that.'
'Air, but that was a basic rundown-in company. I want to know about the girl who came stalking round the corner of the house with a man hot on her heels. Had Steve been doing something he shouldn't?'
`No.' The denial was too quick; she could see that by his smile and the flick of his eyebrow. 'We'd just been having a few words, that's all,' she tagged on hastily. `He thinks I'm still in rompers!'
`Short sighted of him. I'd say that you'd a whole lot more poise and sense than many girls your age I could think of. The life you've led out here for the last few years is bound to have made you more independent, for one thing. That's probably what he objects to,' on a dry note. 'In Steve's book women do as they're told when it's for their own good.'
`Including your sister?' she asked after a moment.
`Sure. Di's no fool when it comes to playing up to male vanity. She'll accept things from Steve York that any other man would get flattened for even attempting
to put across.'
Sara said with care, 'Does that mean she's in love with him?'
Don laughed. 'About that now I wouldn't exactly know. Di got past the habit of confiding her feelings in me a long time ago — if she ever did it. I'd say she's definitely attracted, and interested enough to make this trip against her natural instincts. My sister is more of a hothouse type than an outdoor
`Yes.'
`You're a lot like him.'
`Yes,' Sara said again, `so I'm told. Shall we go and get your luggage out of the car? You'll want to unpack.'
`Oh, there's plenty of time for that.' Jill was at the window now, looking up towards the bluff. 'What do
you find to do with yourself 'all day? Surely entertainment is a little restricted?'
`Not noticeably before your brother arrived,' Sara replied dryly. 'I'm sure he'll find time to take you around once your friends have gone.'
`It's to be hoped that he'll find time to take us all out with him,' came the ready reply. 'Don brought his cine equipment.' She paused, her tone changing subtly. `There's another unusual character. Outwardly he always appears so uncaring, yet underneath . . .' She stopped there, added obliquely, 'He was married once, but his wife ran off with another man.'
`Did Diane live with them then?' ventured Sara.
"I don't know. I suppose so. They're brother and sister, and like Steven and me they don't have any other family. Mind you, Diane is pretty self-sufficient. I don't imagine it would worry her if she did have to live alone for any reason.'
But it would worry Jill, Sara surmised, and the other girl recognized the fact that Diane Milson would not want any other female claiming too much attention' from the man she had set her sights on. If she married Steve his sister could quite well find herself pushed to one side. And it was for Jill's sake alone, Sara told herself swiftly, that she felt so concerned at the thought of that marriage taking place.
Njorogi brought in Jill's case some few minutes later. Sara left her to unpack on her own and went out again to the living-room, to find Don Milson the sole occupant. Steve had taken Diane on a brief tour of the compound, he informed her.
`Didn't you want to go with them?' Sara inquired innocently, and received a satirical grin in reply.
'Never heard the saying two's company? Di would have chopped my legs from under me if I'd even looked like getting up. Have you and Jill got yourselves sorted out?'
`Just about. She's unpacking. Can I get you another drink, Mr. Milson?'
He looked amused. 'What's wrong with Don?'
Her own lips tilted involuntarily. 'All right then, would you like another drink, Don?'
`I'd rather have your company.' He patted the seat beside him. 'Come and tell me about yourself.'
`I thought I already did that.'
'Air, but that was a basic rundown-in company. I want to know about the girl who came stalking round the corner of the house with a man hot on her heels. Had Steve been doing something he shouldn't?'
`No.' The denial was too quick; she could see that by his smile and the flick of his eyebrow. 'We'd just been having a few words, that's all,' she tagged on hastily. `He thinks I'm still in rompers!'
`Short sighted of him. I'd say that you'd a whole lot more poise and sense than many girls your age I could think of. The life you've led out here for the last few years is bound to have made you more independent, for one thing. That's probably what he objects to,' on a dry note. 'In Steve's book women do as they're told when it's for their own good.'
`Including your sister?' she asked after a moment.
`Sure. Di's no fool when it comes to playing up to male vanity. She'll accept things from Steve York that any other man would get flattened for even attempting
to put across.'
Sara said with care, 'Does that mean she's in love with him?'
Don laughed. 'About that now I wouldn't exactly know. Di got past the habit of confiding her feelings in me a long time ago — if she ever did it. I'd say she's definitely attracted, and interested enough to make this trip against her natural instincts. My sister is more of a hothouse type than an outdoor
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