Free South of Capricorn by Anne Hampson Page B

her cheek with his lips, an action which he had done once before, and which then, as now, left her blushing adorably.
    Gladly she made her escape to the elegant bedroom which had its spectacular view to the mountains whose summits were now bathed in the honey light of evening. She was glad to be alone because Leta was a drag on the nerves. No improvement had taken place, and none would until Kane Farrell’s purpose was served and his stepmother and her daughter driven out of Vernay Downs.
    Sitting down on a chair, Gail leant back among the cushions, determined to relax for a few minutes before washing her hair. And not unnaturally her thoughts took a backswitch, drifting on what were now familiar lines, since on the rare occasions when she was alone, she invariably went over that unforgettable scene which had culminated in her accepting Kane Farrell’s offer.
    He had confided in her the reason for his wanting her to pose as his wife; he had offered her a salary quite beyond her wildest dreams; he had promised that, at the end of her stay, he would give her a lump sum and also pay all the expenses incurred by her return trip to England. He would keep Leta, he had promised - although Gail sensed a strange hesitancy before he answered her question about this.
    ‘She’s your daughter,’ Gail had said, ‘and if I do this for you you must promise to keep her.’ It was then that he had seemed to hesitate. Nevertheless, once he had made the promise, Gail had not the smallest doubt that he would honour it.
    Immediately after she had accepted his offer they discussed the problem of Leta.
    ‘She’s extremely intelligent,’ Gail informed him, ‘so she’ll grasp what you want to tell her. She’ll carry out the instructions if you bribe her—’
    ‘Bribe?’ he murmured, at this moment bending down as he made some billy tea for them to drink while the discussions were taking place, and the necessary plans made. ‘Bribe?’ he repeated, glancing at his daughter.
    ‘She usually has to have chocolates and toys—’ Gail was interrupted by Kane’s quiet, ‘Leta will do as she’s told without being bribed. Am I right, child?’ he added, and Leta, although pouting first - merely from force of habit - said yes, he was right. At which he threw his ‘wife’ a look of sardonic amusement not unmingled with triumph. ‘You don’t know how to handle her,’ he murmured, straightening up and handing Gail a cup of tea. ‘Come here,’ he ordered Leta, and she came to him at once. ‘Now, do you really want to stay here with me?’
    ‘Of course. I want to have a daddy of—’
    ‘Yes, you’ve already told me that. But you heard me say that you could only stay if Gail stayed too.’
    ‘Yes - you know I heard, because I cried when she said she wouldn’t stay.’
    ‘She’s staying now, as you know.’
    ‘I’m glad she is - but I don’t like her much because she doesn’t like me—’
    ‘Gail is staying so that you can stay!’ he interrupted sternly. ‘What do you mean, you don’t like her?’
    ‘I don’t like any people - only you, and Dave.’
    Her father ignored this, going on to explain, slowly and carefully, exactly what he wanted of her. ‘So whether you like Gail or not you’ve to learn to call her Mummy. And mind you don’t forget—’ He wagged a warning finger at her. ‘If you do, and you call her Gail, then off you go, back to England!’
    The child actually went pale.
    ‘I might forget,’ she began, and for the first time ever Gail saw her troubled. ‘I must try hard not to forget.’
    ‘And the next thing,’ continued Kane when he felt sure that he was making himself felt, ‘is that you never answer any questions which people in the house might ask. Is that also clear?’
    Leta’s forehead wrinkled.
    ‘If I do you’ll send me home again?’
    Smiling faintly at her way of putting it, her father said yes, he would send her home immediately, if she disobeyed his order.
    ‘I won’t answer any