and her mother — for about four days from Christmas Eve. Jackie here at Mayenga! Can you believe it?"
After a quiet moment of surprise, he laughed indulgently.
"Excites you, doesn’t it? You were always fond of Jackie — attraction of opposites, I suppose. She used to be a little monkey, yet everyone liked her."
"I want her to come, of course, but how on earth are we going to accommodate them?"
"Oh. That's rather a problem when you’ve only two bedrooms, and neither of them large. I think Mrs. Caton had better have mine; you’ve made it by far the more comfortable."
"No. I won’t have that."
"But you must. There’s a perfectly good stoep at the side which will convert into a sleeping porch for me. We can stand the expense of a couple of camp beds."
"Still, I hate turning you out. And I’m afraid they’ll expect good catering. They’re accustomed to the best of everything."
"Why not? It’s only for a few days. We ought to be able to rise to that." He gave her his slow, endearing smile. "We’ll be reckless for once, and pull in afterwards. This is just what you need, Rennie. Remember the way you two used to chatter in your bedroom, till I knocked on the door and told you to save the rest till morning?"
"I do. Jac always giggled and went on whispering. But last time we saw her she was changing, becoming even more frivolous. Her tone of writing is frightfully sophisticated." Rennie paused. "Isn’t it odd, though, to come here for Christmas?"
"Was the letter sent from London?"
"Yes, Kensington."
"No mention of a reason for leaving her grandparents at such a time?"
"Apparently her father is taking up an appointment in Cape Town at the New Year, and all three are travelling by air to Johannesburg. The father goes straight on, by plane."
"They’re separating—on Christmas Eve?" Adrian shrugged. "Perhaps we’re old-fashioned, Rennie. Whatever their reason for visiting us, I’m grateful, for your sake. Jackie will help to make this a memorable Christmas for you. We could try to persuade her to stay on for a while."
He went out, and Rennie found a notepad and pencil and began calculating the financial side of the visit. She would buy only one camp bed, for Adrian, and get a boy to make up a framework which she herself could upholster and cover, and convert into a sort of divan, which might look attractive in the hall during the daytime besides providing a bed for herself at night. They would need extra groceries, some wine and whisky, a length of material for curtains and covers to enhance Rennie's bedroom. And, oh goodness, Jackie and her mother would bring gifts and expect some in return.
There was nothing for it but to set aside ten pounds for the purpose of entertaining Jackie and Adela Caton, and to hope with crossed fingers that a pound or two of it might go back into the dwindling reserve fund. Having come to which decision Rennie cheerfully sent off her cable to Jackie and set about her preparations. She sewed and baked, rushed into town and back again, galloped out to relieve Adrian while he returned to the house for meals, and sandwiched in between all this her usual farm chores. And all the while she was thinking how wonderful it would be to have Jackie to laugh and gossip with. Somehow, Jac infused the dullest incident with her sparkle. When she was about, things happened.
C H A P T E R T H R E E JACKIE'S plane was due to arrive at dawn. She and her mother would breakfast at the airport and take the eight o'clock train north, which should reach Gravenburg at six in the evening.
Rennie and Adrian were ready before five, but she had to have a last look at every room. Adrian's severely green and grey, relieved from semi-monasticity by the bowl of orange and white poppies on the dressing-table. Her own room, transformed by stiff white spot-muslin curtains and bedspread, and a sweet Dolly Varden concocted from a packing case, a few yards of flowered cotton and a barbola mirror touched up with
After a quiet moment of surprise, he laughed indulgently.
"Excites you, doesn’t it? You were always fond of Jackie — attraction of opposites, I suppose. She used to be a little monkey, yet everyone liked her."
"I want her to come, of course, but how on earth are we going to accommodate them?"
"Oh. That's rather a problem when you’ve only two bedrooms, and neither of them large. I think Mrs. Caton had better have mine; you’ve made it by far the more comfortable."
"No. I won’t have that."
"But you must. There’s a perfectly good stoep at the side which will convert into a sleeping porch for me. We can stand the expense of a couple of camp beds."
"Still, I hate turning you out. And I’m afraid they’ll expect good catering. They’re accustomed to the best of everything."
"Why not? It’s only for a few days. We ought to be able to rise to that." He gave her his slow, endearing smile. "We’ll be reckless for once, and pull in afterwards. This is just what you need, Rennie. Remember the way you two used to chatter in your bedroom, till I knocked on the door and told you to save the rest till morning?"
"I do. Jac always giggled and went on whispering. But last time we saw her she was changing, becoming even more frivolous. Her tone of writing is frightfully sophisticated." Rennie paused. "Isn’t it odd, though, to come here for Christmas?"
"Was the letter sent from London?"
"Yes, Kensington."
"No mention of a reason for leaving her grandparents at such a time?"
"Apparently her father is taking up an appointment in Cape Town at the New Year, and all three are travelling by air to Johannesburg. The father goes straight on, by plane."
"They’re separating—on Christmas Eve?" Adrian shrugged. "Perhaps we’re old-fashioned, Rennie. Whatever their reason for visiting us, I’m grateful, for your sake. Jackie will help to make this a memorable Christmas for you. We could try to persuade her to stay on for a while."
He went out, and Rennie found a notepad and pencil and began calculating the financial side of the visit. She would buy only one camp bed, for Adrian, and get a boy to make up a framework which she herself could upholster and cover, and convert into a sort of divan, which might look attractive in the hall during the daytime besides providing a bed for herself at night. They would need extra groceries, some wine and whisky, a length of material for curtains and covers to enhance Rennie's bedroom. And, oh goodness, Jackie and her mother would bring gifts and expect some in return.
There was nothing for it but to set aside ten pounds for the purpose of entertaining Jackie and Adela Caton, and to hope with crossed fingers that a pound or two of it might go back into the dwindling reserve fund. Having come to which decision Rennie cheerfully sent off her cable to Jackie and set about her preparations. She sewed and baked, rushed into town and back again, galloped out to relieve Adrian while he returned to the house for meals, and sandwiched in between all this her usual farm chores. And all the while she was thinking how wonderful it would be to have Jackie to laugh and gossip with. Somehow, Jac infused the dullest incident with her sparkle. When she was about, things happened.
C H A P T E R T H R E E JACKIE'S plane was due to arrive at dawn. She and her mother would breakfast at the airport and take the eight o'clock train north, which should reach Gravenburg at six in the evening.
Rennie and Adrian were ready before five, but she had to have a last look at every room. Adrian's severely green and grey, relieved from semi-monasticity by the bowl of orange and white poppies on the dressing-table. Her own room, transformed by stiff white spot-muslin curtains and bedspread, and a sweet Dolly Varden concocted from a packing case, a few yards of flowered cotton and a barbola mirror touched up with
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