me to get him to meet them.”
“It wouldn’t do any good. It so happens,” with her chin well up, “that we’re arranging to send copra to a man in Singapore.”
“ We ?”
She lifted her shoulders. “Everyone else has forsaken him. I suppose they’d come to the house if we invited them, but if they can’t drop in as they used to, they can stay away. We’ll manage to ship and sell the copra, and if we have to take a loss over the first few months it will be better than giving in to a bunch of plutocrats who haven’t a man-sized soul between them.”
“That includes me, I suppose?”
“You know whether or not it includes you.”
“Get this straight. I’ve actually pleaded that your father should be allowed to carry on as long as he wishes and that the company should continue to buy from him on the old basis, with the understanding that when Jim retires he’ll sell to the company at two-thirds of the price he’d get now. They were sorry, but they couldn’t consider it.”
“Well, you tried.”
Heat entered his voice. “And you’re quite unimpressed, apparen tl y. What’s going to happen to Jim when you leave Motu? Have yo u considered that angle?”
“I won’t leave till things are settled.”
“And what’s the security type in England going to say about that?”
By now, Peg was so strung up that she had to flare at him or be flippant. In self-defence she chose flippancy. “He’s nothing like you, Steve, so he’ll probably be very understanding about it.” She paused, looking for a few seconds at his dark drawn brows and compressed lips. Having turned the point of a knife towards her own heart, she drove it a little way in. “I was quite shattered when you kissed me at Nabanui, but not for the reason you thought. I tried to imagine it was Paul, and received a jolt.”
“Go on,” he said, with deadly quiet. “Get it said, and then perhaps we’ll be able to converse like normal human beings.”
“That’s all. I just wanted you to know that if it hadn’t all been so sudden I’d have told you I’m not free for an affair.”
“You’re not even capable of one,” he said savagely. “I knew that the moment I met you in Zanzibar. I suppose you think you love this man Paul?”
“I know I do. I’ve adored him since I was a child.”
“How old is he?”
“Your age, or perhaps a year older.”
That stopped him. He stared at her across the table, and then quickly tossed off his drink; the empty glass met the bamboo with a thwack. He leaned towards her, eyes glittering.
“Do me one favour. When you sorrowfully confess to him that you’ve kissed another man, forget my name. Do you feel better for having taken a stab at me?”
“Slightly.”
“Good.” He spoke the word as if it were an expletive. “And now, about Jim. I saw him a day or two ago here in town and he drove right past, without a nod. Did he mention it?”
“No. I suppose you think he was being childish?”
“I think he feels alone - and that’s not like Jim. He’s always been a great mixer. Before you came he hardly spent an evening alone, and every weekend he came to my place for dinner and a game of cards. He and I were the best of friends. This change in him worries me.”
Peg looked down at the sliver of ice that was fast disappearing at the bottom of her glass. “It has nothing to do with my coming here,” she said, a little unsteadily. “He thought he had ten friends among the planters, but finds that because he happens to care more for his plantation than for cash, he’s become a sort of odd man out. I know it’s not their fault, but you can’t blame my father for feeling let down. And maybe,” after a pause, “it’s pride, not childishness, that’s made him decide to go it alone. If you spoke to him now you wouldn’t be sorry for him, I can assure you. He’s not in the least downhearted.”
“That’s good news, anyway.” But Steve sounded grim. “If he remains stubborn, heaven
“It wouldn’t do any good. It so happens,” with her chin well up, “that we’re arranging to send copra to a man in Singapore.”
“ We ?”
She lifted her shoulders. “Everyone else has forsaken him. I suppose they’d come to the house if we invited them, but if they can’t drop in as they used to, they can stay away. We’ll manage to ship and sell the copra, and if we have to take a loss over the first few months it will be better than giving in to a bunch of plutocrats who haven’t a man-sized soul between them.”
“That includes me, I suppose?”
“You know whether or not it includes you.”
“Get this straight. I’ve actually pleaded that your father should be allowed to carry on as long as he wishes and that the company should continue to buy from him on the old basis, with the understanding that when Jim retires he’ll sell to the company at two-thirds of the price he’d get now. They were sorry, but they couldn’t consider it.”
“Well, you tried.”
Heat entered his voice. “And you’re quite unimpressed, apparen tl y. What’s going to happen to Jim when you leave Motu? Have yo u considered that angle?”
“I won’t leave till things are settled.”
“And what’s the security type in England going to say about that?”
By now, Peg was so strung up that she had to flare at him or be flippant. In self-defence she chose flippancy. “He’s nothing like you, Steve, so he’ll probably be very understanding about it.” She paused, looking for a few seconds at his dark drawn brows and compressed lips. Having turned the point of a knife towards her own heart, she drove it a little way in. “I was quite shattered when you kissed me at Nabanui, but not for the reason you thought. I tried to imagine it was Paul, and received a jolt.”
“Go on,” he said, with deadly quiet. “Get it said, and then perhaps we’ll be able to converse like normal human beings.”
“That’s all. I just wanted you to know that if it hadn’t all been so sudden I’d have told you I’m not free for an affair.”
“You’re not even capable of one,” he said savagely. “I knew that the moment I met you in Zanzibar. I suppose you think you love this man Paul?”
“I know I do. I’ve adored him since I was a child.”
“How old is he?”
“Your age, or perhaps a year older.”
That stopped him. He stared at her across the table, and then quickly tossed off his drink; the empty glass met the bamboo with a thwack. He leaned towards her, eyes glittering.
“Do me one favour. When you sorrowfully confess to him that you’ve kissed another man, forget my name. Do you feel better for having taken a stab at me?”
“Slightly.”
“Good.” He spoke the word as if it were an expletive. “And now, about Jim. I saw him a day or two ago here in town and he drove right past, without a nod. Did he mention it?”
“No. I suppose you think he was being childish?”
“I think he feels alone - and that’s not like Jim. He’s always been a great mixer. Before you came he hardly spent an evening alone, and every weekend he came to my place for dinner and a game of cards. He and I were the best of friends. This change in him worries me.”
Peg looked down at the sliver of ice that was fast disappearing at the bottom of her glass. “It has nothing to do with my coming here,” she said, a little unsteadily. “He thought he had ten friends among the planters, but finds that because he happens to care more for his plantation than for cash, he’s become a sort of odd man out. I know it’s not their fault, but you can’t blame my father for feeling let down. And maybe,” after a pause, “it’s pride, not childishness, that’s made him decide to go it alone. If you spoke to him now you wouldn’t be sorry for him, I can assure you. He’s not in the least downhearted.”
“That’s good news, anyway.” But Steve sounded grim. “If he remains stubborn, heaven
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