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.It was a coolerwind, which at night brought a biting coldness for which they hadbeen unprepared.They had become accustomed to the housesweltering at noon, and grown to look forward to the nights, whenthe corrugated iron creaked and banged as it soaked up what chillthere was in the air and cooled the rooms.But midnight now wasfrigid and the one blanket apiece not nearly enough, though Louinsisted she was never cold because Nadine had to be heaped with atleast a couple of the travelling coats.Lou was terrified of Nadine's becoming ill again.It had taken her solong to get over that last bout in England, and she hadn't really hadmuch will to get well; Lou couldn't think why - except that Nadinehad stood so much alone that perhaps when her spirits were at theirlowest she had felt she would not be missed.You could never get really close to Nadine, thought Lou, as she layshivering in her camp-bed below a cutting draught from thewindow.She was wonderfully good and kind, generous to a faultwith her money and apparently happier with women than with men,though she had often been heard to condemn her own sex asinsincere.Lou had a wholehearted love and admiration for Nadine.That was why she got up in the middle of the night to make sure thather cousin's shoulders were covered, and in a roundabout way it wasalso the reason Lou herself caught a chill.It started with a sore throat and a feeling of slackness on the firstmorning that she was to collect the children for school.She drove upthe road, past the gates to Redlands and on into the wilds.Therewere eleven children to pick up from seven homes, and shemanaged it and got them to the small schoolhouse with threeminutes to spare.Groggily, and valiantly keeping her indisposition to herself, Lou gotthrough the remainder of the week.Because she was young andresilient the sore throat cleared up and the shakiness left her limbs,but the malaise and depression hung on.On Friday night Nadine told the other two that George Marston wasbuying Four Winds, that he had already signed an agreement to sellat a surprisingly good price.She explained as many details as shethought they ought to know and added the information that Georgehimself was going to tell Damon.The sale had to be registered andapproved before she would get the cheque, but she had agreed tocarry on as if the farm were already his.Damon's boys would bewithdrawn from clearing operations and a new lot put on to variousjobs.Native workers' huts would be erected on a spot as far from thehouse as possible and George himself would supervise the men.Nadine's manner, as she doled out facts, was dry and emotionless,but Lou wondered if it stung her a little to be selling up the landfrom which her uncle had drawn inspiration.And why had she soldto George, not Damon?Daphne made a candid declaration."It's the first time I've knownyou to act like an idiot, darling.Damon would have paid you twiceas much, and it was only fair to give him first option.After all, hedid mention buying you out at the very beginning.""He mentioned having offered to buy from my uncle, not from me,and it hasn't cropped up again.We can do with that money as soonas it's available.""Damon's going to hate your hide, my sweet.""It's done," said Nadine."Damon won't say a word, because he dealsin facts, and he'll be faced with an accomplished one.In any case, hewon't be ready to expand till he comes to live here for good, and bythat time George himself may be ready to sell out.In my opinion,we're very lucky, particularly as we can stay on in the house as longas we like.When I've properly realized that Four Winds doesn'tbelong to me any longer and that I have a substantial amount of cashcoming to me instead, I shall be really exuberant."Nevertheless, Lou sensed a sharpness in Nadine that she could onlyattribute to regret.Daphne alone was undisturbed at the prospect ofFour Winds passing from its present ownership; her sole objectionto the sale was based on the fact that Damon would have paid more.It was not till the following afternoon that Lou learned about Val'spart in the transaction.Four Winds was to be registered in his nameand within three months he would be finishing with his presentemployer and transferring to Mlemba.They were walking at the edge of the belt of timber when he cameout with all this, and she could feel his nerviness and excitement, thetension to which he was once again keyed up."You see how it is, Lou," he said in low, urgent tones."The farmwill be my own - two hundred and fifty acres! Once it's planned itwill only need supervision.I'll be able to live as I've never livedbefore.I'll have time to study and play the piano, and to have fun.I'll have what I've always longed for  freedom.""You can't very well relax till you've repaid your brother."He looked at her oddly."George won't take anything from me.He'sso much older that he regards it as his duty to do all he can.Since Iwas a schoolboy he's taken the place of my father.""But he can't go on doing that.He has his own life," she exclaimed."He may not always want to stay at Redlands, and if he's not goingto share Four Winds with you.""He certainly isn't!" Val laughed jubilantly."Don't you worry aboutGeorge.He's so solid he'll always get through [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]