[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
does in moments of stress, she thought inconsequentially;
151
Anita's fingers must be quite strong she'd really made
sure the money would never be used again. But because
it went entirely against the grain to throw away even
shredded dollar bills, Tess dropped the dozens of pieces
into an old envelope and shoved it into the bedside
table drawer.
Inevitably, she went straight downstairs and made some
tea, set about baking plenty of cakes and a sponge sand- '
wich for the men tonight. She felt cold and drained, and
was not a bit surprised to see that the sky had become
overcast and a drizzle had started. The weather was just
right, couldn't have been a better match for her mood.
Anita did not come down all day and Tess did not go
out. The rain came faster, the yard filled with puddles,
the lake became obscured by a grey curtain which Tess
watched despondently from the lounge window. At five
she went to the kitchen and began preparations for dinner.
A quarter of an hour later the men arrived home in the
estate car and, miraculously, Anita came running merrily
down to meet them. Tess heard her, shook a head that
ached and set the vegetables to cook. An easy dinner
tonight; lamb cutlets, green peas, potatoes and grilled
tomatoes with the sandwich and small cakes "to follow.
The soup was canned mushroom.
George, with Anita hovering behind him, brought Tess
a drink, something that tasted like dry sherry. She thanked
him, told him dinner would be ready soon after six and
there was plenty of hot water if he'd like a bath. He smiled
and whistled tunelessly as he left her and went upstairs.
At no time during that evening was she alone with eithe
of the men. Anita saw to that. There was the command
from Steve that Tess eat with them, and her refusal; his
tight-lipped insistence and her mute shake of the head.
He had looked at her pale face and shadowed eyes,
clamped his teeth and let her please herself.
Later, while the radio played in the lounge, Anita had
crept into the kitchen. She was brilliant-eyed and white-
faced, vibrant with nerves.
Tess," she whispered, "I can't forgive myself for the
way I behaved this morning. That's why I stayed away
from you. I was so ashamed. I'll repay the money tomorrow
morning. What was it about sixty dollars? I'll give you
152
a hundred. Don't say anything to the men. You . . . you
promise?"
"I won't say anything."
"The things I said they were so ridiculous. I guess
I was too steamed up to know what I was doing. I'll buy
a new mirror a really good one. And I'll give you
the hundred dollars."
"Just fifty."
"You're proud; I know that. All right. I'll give you the
fifty, and I'll make you a present of a really smart outfit."
"You don't have to buy my silence, Anita. I've no
wish to upset the men. Let's forget it."
"You're sweet, Tess. I'll make it up to you."
She looked tiny and forlorn; Tess was torn between pity
and distrust. "Stop worrying about it," she said. "To-
morrow's a new day."
Something flickered in the topaz eyes, something disturb-
ing. Then it was gone and Anita was just a tired girl
again, contrite and appealing. "Yes, I think I've had
enough of today," she said in thin tones. "I'm going to
bed." But she did not move at once. "Tess, let me go with
you to buy your things tomorrow. Will you?"
"If you want it very much."
"I want us to know each other better. We've been here
together for some weeks, but we don't understand each
other at all. Maybe it's my fault. I've just gone off with
other people when we might have had some good times
the two of us. It'll be fun to go shopping with someone
like you. I've awfully good taste in dress, you know."
"We'll decide in the morning."
"You're a pet. Good night."
Tess answered her, set the breakfast table and decided
to go to bed herself. In the back haU she hesitated. Better
not to behave any differently from other nights. She went
into the lounge, where the two men were immersed in
some outsize sketches.
"I'm going up. The back door is locked. Will you see
to the front?"
"Sure," said George.
Steve was standing, looking cool but watchful. "You all
right?
"Yes, of course."
153
"You looked washed out."
"It's the rain. Oh, by the way, I've had a letter from my
mother. She agrees to everything, but Mr. Nieland has to
sign for her. So it will take time. Shall I leave you to get
in touch with an attorney?"
"Yes. It had better be a local firm who know the set-up.
You'll have to go with me, to give whatever personal
details about your mother they may require. I'll ax an'
appointment for Saturday morning."
"Very well. Good night."
George said, "Good night, Tess."
But Steve went with her to the foot of the stairs.
"You're sure there's nothing wrong?"
"Quite sure."
"Why did you get all tensed up when I asked you to
eat with us this evening?"
"The weather again, I suppose."
"I don't believe it. Have you been thinking about that
letter from your mother and wishing you'd never passed
on my offer? Maybe you're wishing you'd sold outright to
someone else. Is that it?"
"No, it isn't."
She looked up at him, her face pinched and defenceless,
and almost instinctively his hand went out, to take her
arm. But she drew back swiftly to avoid his touch, and
started up the stairs. She heard his sharp-drawn breath,
saw glittering grey eyes and a jutting jaw; and the next
moment she was bounding up the staircase, away from
him. But in her room she felt spent. What a ,day. What
a peach of a day!
Next morning the sun was out again and the lake
looked seductively calm. Tess'looked and felt more normal,
and she actually ate some toast and had coffee with
the men before they left for North Tucket. If Steve
looked at her it was only fleetingly. His whole demeanor
was remote and preoccupied.
Anita rose early; she was downstairs by a quarter to
ten, looking small and lovely in a thin, gaily patterned
sweater and a pencil-slim white skirt. She had just the
figure for zippy sports wear, and the noisy charm bracelet [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl rafalstec.xlx.pl
does in moments of stress, she thought inconsequentially;
151
Anita's fingers must be quite strong she'd really made
sure the money would never be used again. But because
it went entirely against the grain to throw away even
shredded dollar bills, Tess dropped the dozens of pieces
into an old envelope and shoved it into the bedside
table drawer.
Inevitably, she went straight downstairs and made some
tea, set about baking plenty of cakes and a sponge sand- '
wich for the men tonight. She felt cold and drained, and
was not a bit surprised to see that the sky had become
overcast and a drizzle had started. The weather was just
right, couldn't have been a better match for her mood.
Anita did not come down all day and Tess did not go
out. The rain came faster, the yard filled with puddles,
the lake became obscured by a grey curtain which Tess
watched despondently from the lounge window. At five
she went to the kitchen and began preparations for dinner.
A quarter of an hour later the men arrived home in the
estate car and, miraculously, Anita came running merrily
down to meet them. Tess heard her, shook a head that
ached and set the vegetables to cook. An easy dinner
tonight; lamb cutlets, green peas, potatoes and grilled
tomatoes with the sandwich and small cakes "to follow.
The soup was canned mushroom.
George, with Anita hovering behind him, brought Tess
a drink, something that tasted like dry sherry. She thanked
him, told him dinner would be ready soon after six and
there was plenty of hot water if he'd like a bath. He smiled
and whistled tunelessly as he left her and went upstairs.
At no time during that evening was she alone with eithe
of the men. Anita saw to that. There was the command
from Steve that Tess eat with them, and her refusal; his
tight-lipped insistence and her mute shake of the head.
He had looked at her pale face and shadowed eyes,
clamped his teeth and let her please herself.
Later, while the radio played in the lounge, Anita had
crept into the kitchen. She was brilliant-eyed and white-
faced, vibrant with nerves.
Tess," she whispered, "I can't forgive myself for the
way I behaved this morning. That's why I stayed away
from you. I was so ashamed. I'll repay the money tomorrow
morning. What was it about sixty dollars? I'll give you
152
a hundred. Don't say anything to the men. You . . . you
promise?"
"I won't say anything."
"The things I said they were so ridiculous. I guess
I was too steamed up to know what I was doing. I'll buy
a new mirror a really good one. And I'll give you
the hundred dollars."
"Just fifty."
"You're proud; I know that. All right. I'll give you the
fifty, and I'll make you a present of a really smart outfit."
"You don't have to buy my silence, Anita. I've no
wish to upset the men. Let's forget it."
"You're sweet, Tess. I'll make it up to you."
She looked tiny and forlorn; Tess was torn between pity
and distrust. "Stop worrying about it," she said. "To-
morrow's a new day."
Something flickered in the topaz eyes, something disturb-
ing. Then it was gone and Anita was just a tired girl
again, contrite and appealing. "Yes, I think I've had
enough of today," she said in thin tones. "I'm going to
bed." But she did not move at once. "Tess, let me go with
you to buy your things tomorrow. Will you?"
"If you want it very much."
"I want us to know each other better. We've been here
together for some weeks, but we don't understand each
other at all. Maybe it's my fault. I've just gone off with
other people when we might have had some good times
the two of us. It'll be fun to go shopping with someone
like you. I've awfully good taste in dress, you know."
"We'll decide in the morning."
"You're a pet. Good night."
Tess answered her, set the breakfast table and decided
to go to bed herself. In the back haU she hesitated. Better
not to behave any differently from other nights. She went
into the lounge, where the two men were immersed in
some outsize sketches.
"I'm going up. The back door is locked. Will you see
to the front?"
"Sure," said George.
Steve was standing, looking cool but watchful. "You all
right?
"Yes, of course."
153
"You looked washed out."
"It's the rain. Oh, by the way, I've had a letter from my
mother. She agrees to everything, but Mr. Nieland has to
sign for her. So it will take time. Shall I leave you to get
in touch with an attorney?"
"Yes. It had better be a local firm who know the set-up.
You'll have to go with me, to give whatever personal
details about your mother they may require. I'll ax an'
appointment for Saturday morning."
"Very well. Good night."
George said, "Good night, Tess."
But Steve went with her to the foot of the stairs.
"You're sure there's nothing wrong?"
"Quite sure."
"Why did you get all tensed up when I asked you to
eat with us this evening?"
"The weather again, I suppose."
"I don't believe it. Have you been thinking about that
letter from your mother and wishing you'd never passed
on my offer? Maybe you're wishing you'd sold outright to
someone else. Is that it?"
"No, it isn't."
She looked up at him, her face pinched and defenceless,
and almost instinctively his hand went out, to take her
arm. But she drew back swiftly to avoid his touch, and
started up the stairs. She heard his sharp-drawn breath,
saw glittering grey eyes and a jutting jaw; and the next
moment she was bounding up the staircase, away from
him. But in her room she felt spent. What a ,day. What
a peach of a day!
Next morning the sun was out again and the lake
looked seductively calm. Tess'looked and felt more normal,
and she actually ate some toast and had coffee with
the men before they left for North Tucket. If Steve
looked at her it was only fleetingly. His whole demeanor
was remote and preoccupied.
Anita rose early; she was downstairs by a quarter to
ten, looking small and lovely in a thin, gaily patterned
sweater and a pencil-slim white skirt. She had just the
figure for zippy sports wear, and the noisy charm bracelet [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]