“During the last few hours I’ve been wondering whether Storr would give me another chance with the Company.”
Ann withdrew slightly. “Why don’t you ask him?”
“I don’t think so—not till Elva’s got whatever’s riding her right out of her system. Storr won’t marry her, but she won’t believe it till he tells her himself in some way. God knows when that will be.”
Her mouth oddly parched, Ann asked, “How can you be sure Storr won’t marry Elva? She has most of the things he needs—beauty, an air of breeding, a sporty way with her.”
“She’s also transparent to a man who’s experienced. Her efforts in the home were a little too late. Besides, I believe there’s someone else Storr’s keen on—in Johannesburg.”
Well, there it was. Ann had probed for it, and reached it. Mrs. Newman had begged her not to mention the subject to Elva and Theo, but is seemed that Theo knew already, or that he guessed. It was possible he even knew the woman who stood between his sister and Storr Peterson.
Theo went on, consideringly, “Marriage is what Elva needs most . Piet Mulder would take her on tomorrow, if she’d have him, but Piet’s a simple soul and he’s never likely to be rolling in cash. Actually, I believe Storr is the only man who’s ever made Elva really look into herself; other men bore her—except Piet who irritates and pleases her in about equal proportions.” He gave a long, comical sigh. “Well, there you have it—the feckless Borlands, both products of instability in childhood and lack of ... love. The psychologist johnnies make fortunes out of people like us.”
“Elva, perhaps, but not you, Theo. You’ve just had rotten luck.”
“I could have handled it better.”
“With your character and background I don’t think you could. You were young when you started worrying about Elva, and I believe you still worry about her. If she’d never come back to South Africa you’d still be a pilot . ”
“Could be. She’s twenty-five, and even more of a problem than when she was a girl.” He took his hand from under hers, gripped her fingers and let them go. With a smile that was too jaded for a man of twenty-nine, he said, “Well, I’ve explained why I fell for your clean and polished innocence and aired a few sins. Don’t hold them against me, will you?”
“I couldn’t . ”
“You’ll stay the full month?”
She looked at him, saw lines beside his mouth that shouldn’t be there. “I’d like to, Theo,” she said softly.
“And you won’t tell my sister about our talk tonight? Let’s keep it between you and me.”
“It’s best that way. Elva’s not a fool; it’s more than likely that she’ll become aware that Storr is interested in someone else and let the whole thing peter out In any case, he won’t be here so very long.”
“Let’s hope not.” He let some time elapse before squaring his shoulders and saying quite cheerfully, “ Shall we go back and grab a drink? There may even be some dancing in the hotel.”
Ann nodded, and he set the old estate car moving. She felt more acclimatized to the Belati atmosphere, and knew that she now understood Theo far better than she would ever have done if they had stayed on the Cape Town footing. There was only one thing he hadn’t covered, and it was something she didn’t care to ask him about. Elva had convinced herself that given the chance, Theo and Ann Calvert would marry. Presumably it would suit Elva to have her brother so conveniently taken care of, but wasn’t there perhaps another angle to it? Theo knew his sister through and through; he knew that she was two people — a raffish, horsey type who had contempt for her own sex, and a well-kept woman, who wanted travel and a husband and plenty of money—and he was also aware of the dark, violent streak in her nature. Wasn’t it possible that Elva, rosily seeing herself installed as mistress of Groenkop and of whatever e s tablishment Storr might set up
Ann withdrew slightly. “Why don’t you ask him?”
“I don’t think so—not till Elva’s got whatever’s riding her right out of her system. Storr won’t marry her, but she won’t believe it till he tells her himself in some way. God knows when that will be.”
Her mouth oddly parched, Ann asked, “How can you be sure Storr won’t marry Elva? She has most of the things he needs—beauty, an air of breeding, a sporty way with her.”
“She’s also transparent to a man who’s experienced. Her efforts in the home were a little too late. Besides, I believe there’s someone else Storr’s keen on—in Johannesburg.”
Well, there it was. Ann had probed for it, and reached it. Mrs. Newman had begged her not to mention the subject to Elva and Theo, but is seemed that Theo knew already, or that he guessed. It was possible he even knew the woman who stood between his sister and Storr Peterson.
Theo went on, consideringly, “Marriage is what Elva needs most . Piet Mulder would take her on tomorrow, if she’d have him, but Piet’s a simple soul and he’s never likely to be rolling in cash. Actually, I believe Storr is the only man who’s ever made Elva really look into herself; other men bore her—except Piet who irritates and pleases her in about equal proportions.” He gave a long, comical sigh. “Well, there you have it—the feckless Borlands, both products of instability in childhood and lack of ... love. The psychologist johnnies make fortunes out of people like us.”
“Elva, perhaps, but not you, Theo. You’ve just had rotten luck.”
“I could have handled it better.”
“With your character and background I don’t think you could. You were young when you started worrying about Elva, and I believe you still worry about her. If she’d never come back to South Africa you’d still be a pilot . ”
“Could be. She’s twenty-five, and even more of a problem than when she was a girl.” He took his hand from under hers, gripped her fingers and let them go. With a smile that was too jaded for a man of twenty-nine, he said, “Well, I’ve explained why I fell for your clean and polished innocence and aired a few sins. Don’t hold them against me, will you?”
“I couldn’t . ”
“You’ll stay the full month?”
She looked at him, saw lines beside his mouth that shouldn’t be there. “I’d like to, Theo,” she said softly.
“And you won’t tell my sister about our talk tonight? Let’s keep it between you and me.”
“It’s best that way. Elva’s not a fool; it’s more than likely that she’ll become aware that Storr is interested in someone else and let the whole thing peter out In any case, he won’t be here so very long.”
“Let’s hope not.” He let some time elapse before squaring his shoulders and saying quite cheerfully, “ Shall we go back and grab a drink? There may even be some dancing in the hotel.”
Ann nodded, and he set the old estate car moving. She felt more acclimatized to the Belati atmosphere, and knew that she now understood Theo far better than she would ever have done if they had stayed on the Cape Town footing. There was only one thing he hadn’t covered, and it was something she didn’t care to ask him about. Elva had convinced herself that given the chance, Theo and Ann Calvert would marry. Presumably it would suit Elva to have her brother so conveniently taken care of, but wasn’t there perhaps another angle to it? Theo knew his sister through and through; he knew that she was two people — a raffish, horsey type who had contempt for her own sex, and a well-kept woman, who wanted travel and a husband and plenty of money—and he was also aware of the dark, violent streak in her nature. Wasn’t it possible that Elva, rosily seeing herself installed as mistress of Groenkop and of whatever e s tablishment Storr might set up
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