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she did think, later as she made her way back to the stoep, that fate
had been more than obliging when it kept her from writing to Keith.
Yes, the snakebite had been a blessing in disguise and no mistake,
since, had she written to Keith, she would now be on her way home
and her parents would have been robbed of their trip to Africa.
Reaching the stoep, she sat down. Sharon had made a pot of tea and
she instantly began to pour a cup for her cousin. But she stopped, the
pot in midair, and stared into Clair's eyes.
"You're - very - happy," she faltered, lowering the pot without
pouring out the tea. She glanced at Jean, whose gaze was also fixed
on Clair's radiant face. Jean merely nodded, while Bill, naturally
puzzled by all this silent by-play, and aware that something of
unusual importance was going to be mentioned, quaffed the last of his
tea and rose at once. Clair, faintly puzzled by Sharon's manner,
suddenly realized what she was thinking. And Jean too. They had
both concluded that her glowing look was the result of something
contained in her former fiance's letter.
"Yes, I'm happy," she said swiftly. "Mum and Dad are coming over
for a visit."
Silence. Bill broke it with a cough.
"I'll be going," he said.
"Okay," from Jean, whose relief could be felt. "We'll see you at this
barbecue, I expect?"
"Of course." He said goodbye and was gone. Sharon had poured the
tea and Clair was helping herself to sugar.
"I thought at first that it was Keith," began Sharon. "For one awful
moment my heart sank right down into my feet."
"I'm sorry. I didn't realise I looked so delirious," added Clair ruefully.
"Father won a prize in a lottery - the first prize of a thousand pounds."
Clair went on to say what else was in the letter; when she had finished
Jean and Sharon spoke together.
"They must stay here. We'll make room somehow."
The last sentence came from Jean, whose brow was already creased
in thought.
"Your friend's coming as well," Clair reminded her. "We've only one
spare bedroom."
"Two of us could share," said Sharon without hesitation. "The only
problem is beds. We need a double and a single."
"It'll be expensive to buy them," said Clair, troubled. "I think I must
make inquiries in town "
"No such thing!" broke in Jean emphatically. "Your mum and dad are
more important than Christal, who's only coming for pleasure,
anyway. Your parents are coming to see you - and they're staying
here!"
And so it was agreed that Sharon and Clair shared a bedroom. Jean's
room was very small - she had insisted on taking the least attractive of
the bedrooms despite indignant protests from her two partners - and
so it was impossible for Christal to share with her, as there was room
for one single bed only. Clair's room was also small but large enough
to take a double bed.
"I'll buy a kaross when I'm in town," decided Clair excitedly. "Then
Mum can take it home when she goes."
"One of those lovely fur rugs made from the skins of dassies and
other animals," inserted Sharon. "Yes, that would be nice for them to
use and then to take away as a souvenir. We'll also buy a new lamp for
beside the bed; yours is just about on its last legs, Clair. I noticed that
it doesn't always stand up straight."
Clair laughed. She was happy, and excited. She said after a while,
glancing from one friend to the other, "If I show you Keith's letter you
won't require any further explanation of how I now feel about him."
She withdrew the ball of paper as she spoke, and held it on the palm
of her hand. "He's offering me - at some future date, mind - a large
house with a swimming-pool and tennis court " Clair frowned and
shrugged and put the letter back into her pocket. "I was disgusted. I'll
throw this in the stove when I go into the kitchen."
"It really is all over, then?" from Sharon, and her indrawn breath of
relief could be heard. "You were so sure you still loved him that I was
afraid you'd just have to go back."
Jean was drinking her tea, and regarding Clair from over the rim of
the cup. Meeting her rather amused gaze, Clair smiled and said,
"Yes, Jean, you were right when you said I didn't love him."
"I'm glad you found out before you'd made a mistake, though."
"So am I?" rejoined Clair with a shudder. "How dreadful it would
have been had we married!"
"And then found out you couldn't get along. Oh, well, for those that
do make such mistakes there's always the divorce court." But there
was no lightness in Jean's tone. She had always maintained that
prevention was better than cure. She was also old- fashioned about
marriage, believing that people should make sure - should even live
together before marriage if there was any doubt at all in either of their
minds. Clair's parents were also old-fashioned about marriage, [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]