South of Capricorn Read Online Free PDF Page A

of anyone whom Gail had ever met. Satan’s cub clothed in fire.
    Gail wanted to speak to her, so she watched Dave as he busied himself, waiting for him to move farther away from the car. She had no wish that what she had to say to Leta should be overheard. At length the opportunity came and Gail went swiftly over and opened the car door.
    ‘I’m cold!’ shouted Leta angrily. ‘What do you want?’
    ‘Be quiet!’ Gail turned and looked with slight apprehension towards the place where Dave was working. He had glanced up on hearing the angry voice, but apparently he was not interested, for he bent again to his task. ‘I have something to say to you. Listen, Leta! You mustn’t talk to Dave, do you hear?’
    ‘Why not?’
    ‘Because I don’t want him to know why we’ve come to this place. Don’t say anything about your daddy—’
    ‘I’ve already said something about him!’
    ‘Dave didn’t take much notice—well, I hope he didn’t begin thinking too much about your chatterings,’ she amended, recalling his remarking that it was a funny business. If only Leta weren’t so highly intelligent, thought Gail, then it would be far easier to get her co-operation, to cajole her even. But she was highly intelligent and in consequence she was often able to see through people.
    ‘Why don’t you want him to know why we’ve come to this place?’
    ‘Because it isn’t any of his business. It’s a private matter between you and me and your new daddy.’
    ‘What will you give me if I don’t talk about my daddy?’ The child’s gaze was wickedly avaricious. ‘I want some new clothes for my doll.’
    ‘You’ve already torn two sets up—’
    ‘I didn’t like them! I want some better ones!’
    ‘I can’t get you dolls’ clothes here, Leta,’ said Gail rather desperately. ‘What else will you have?’
    ‘Nothing. I’m going to talk about my daddy. I’m going to say that he left my mummy on her own to look after me. I know he did, because I heard you talking to your mummy and daddy about it, one day when you didn’t know I was listening. It was when I was staying with you, after Mummy went away to heaven.’
    ‘Leta, you mustn’t say things like that in front of Dave! Your daddy won’t like it at all if Dave knows, because, you see, Dave works for him—’
    ‘I want two dresses and a coat, and some underclothes!’
    Gail gave a wrathful sigh.
    ‘I’ve just said I can’t get dolls’ clothes in this place.’
    ‘There’ll be some shops at the town where Daddy lives.’
    ‘He lives on a big farm—oh, Leta, I’ve already told you about his home and the cows and everything!’
    ‘If there’s a shop will you buy me some clothes for my doll?’ Still the wicked gleam in the lovely eyes. And the little rosebud mouth was actually curved in a sneer.
    ‘Yes—yes, of course I will.’
    ‘All right. I won’t talk to Dave about my daddy.’ Wretched creature! How, Gail asked herself once again, had a girl as sweet-natured as Sandra given birth to a fiendish child like Leta?
    ‘That’s a good girl,’ returned Gail, feeling more like slapping Leta’s legs hard than speaking in this manner to her.
    Leta laughed.
    ‘I’m not a good girl at all! I’m naughty and you don’t like me! Nobody likes me because I scream and kick and shout at people.’
    Another sigh escaped Gail. She had no intention of prolonging this conversation and she merely reminded Leta that, should she as much as mention her daddy or her mummy, then she would not get the clothes for her doll. Not that the clothes would do her any good, decided Gail as she moved away after closing the car door. Leta would very soon have them in shreds—or even take a pair of scissors and cut them up. However, that was unimportant; the important thing was that the offer of a bribe was going to put a brake on the child’s tongue. What was she going to be like when she grew up? Gail shuddered and mentally expressed the hope that she would remain a