“You’re going to be so much better now that er … Mr. Madden has come.”
“Let’s look the truth straight between the eyes,” said Ben.
“It’s always the best way. That’s so, eh. Joss ?”
“I believe it to be,” he answered.
‘now come on . bring the chairs up . one of you on either side of me. There. That's what I’ve been wanting for a long time. Now I’m going to be sentimental. It’s allowed for a poor old man who hasn’t got much time left to him. There’s two people who mean more to me than anything eke in the world, and I’ve set my heart on one thing and that is that I want them to be together . work together . “
I could feel Joss Madden’s eyes on me, assessing me in a way I felt offensive. No man had ever looked at me like that before. It made me strangely aware of myself. I had expected him to be arrogant and offensive, but I had not guessed he would arouse such hitherto unexperienced feelings in me. I found myself remembering that there was a strongish breeze which had made my hair untidy and that my alpaca was not in very becoming. I must have looked quite terrible yesterday when I had emerged from the pond.
I heard myself say shrilly: “Work together … I Whatever do you mean, Ben?”
“Well, that’s something I’m coming to. I can see Joss here thinking it’s a bit soon. I reckon he’s thinking you and he ought to get better acquainted first. Is that it. Joss?”
“It may be that Miss Clavering would find the shock too great. Give her a day or two to get used to me.”
This is all rather mysterious. “
“Ifs really very straightforward and practical,” said Joss Madden.
“Are you practical. Miss Clavering?”
“Now what did I say,” interrupted Ben.
“No formality.”
“Are you practical, Jessica?” asked Joss Madden.
“I think I am,” I answered.
“Yes. You have that air. I would say you take a pride in being a sensible young woman.”
“It seems a sensible thing to take a pride in,” I retorted.
“Brisk,” he said.
“No nonsense. That’s going to be very helpful, I can see.”
“Look here,” said Ben.
“I’m rushing things. I begin to see that. I’ll tell you what we’ll do. Tomorrow we’ll have a good talk. The three of us together, eh?”
That seems a good idea,” said Joss Madden.
All right, then,” said Ben. That’s settled. We’ll just chat now, eh?
Tell me how things are back home. “
“I’ve told you the essentials already,” said Joss with a laugh.
Things-are running as smoothly as they can be expected to. There are no dire problems. We struck a rich vein near Deny Creek. “
“Good black opal, eh? And not too much potch. That’s what I like to hear. Jimson Laud coming along all right?”
“He’s all right.”
“You sound lukewarm.
“Jimson’s the one who’s lukewarm.”
“Can’t expect everyone to blow hot like you. Joss. Jimson’s a figure man. They don’t get excited-but accounts arc important to the business.
And Lilias? “
The same as ever. “
“And Emmeline?”
The entire family has changed little since you last seen them. “
Ben looked into space, murmuring: “Oh, I’d like to Peacocks once more before I went. Mind you, I’ve got a clear picture in my mind’s eye. I’ve loved every brick of that place . every blade of grass on those lawns. Not the same as here … of course … that sun, that burning sun … all those months of drought. What was it like when you left?”
“Dry as a bone. There were some forest fires a few miles away.”
“It’s a perpetual danger, Jessica,” said Ben to me.
“You’ll find it very different from here. Won’t she. Joss?"
” If she decides to accept your terms. “
"Terms? ” I demanded.
“What terms?”
“I thought you said it was too soon to talk,” said Ben.
“So it is,” replied Joss Madden.
“If we did, I reckon we’d get a blank refusal. You’ve got to give Miss Clavering time … er, I mean Jessica. You’re not the puppet master, Ben, simply because neither Jessica nor I are of the stuff which puppets are made of. Don’t you agree … Jessica ? You wouldn’t want to be jerked round on the stage. Go this way … go that way … because that’s the way the master’s twitching the strings.”
“I can assure you that I would not and that you are talking of something of which I know nothing. I think you ought to let me into the secret without delay.”
Ben looked at Joss, who shook his head. Then Ben said:
“There’s something I have to tell you first, Jessica. Joss knows it already. I’ll tell you when we’re alone and then you’ll understand.”
I looked at Joss meaningly, because their mysterious talk was giving me a burning desire to discover what it was all about.
“I see,” said Joss, ‘that that’s a sort of hint. I’m going to have another look at your stables, Ben. I want to see if there’s anything good enough to ride here. “
“Impertinence,” laughed Ben.
“We breed good horses here, I might tell you. You’ll find several there as good as that one you hired to travel on.”
“I hope so. I had to take him because he was all they had. Then shall I leave you? You can have your talk. You and I will meet again soon… Jessica.”
He went out, and Ben turned to me at once.
“What do you think of him?” he asked eagerly.
“He’s exactly what I expected.”
“So I gave you a good description of him, did I ?”
“I based my judgement on the little anecdotes you told me.”
“And you like him, Jess ?”
I hesitated. I didn’t want to hurt Ben by telling him that the more I saw of Joss Madden the less I liked him.
I said cautiously.
“I don’t fed I know him.”
Ben shook his head.
“You’ll soon get to know him. I wish I’d asked him to come earlier.”
“Ben,” I said, ‘you were going to tell me what you and he have been hinting at. What is it? “
He hesitated.
“I hardly know where to begin. I’ve been very wrong, and I’m sorry for it. But it’s a good thing really. You’ll see that and understand, I’m sure. It’s to do with the Green Hash at Sunset.”
That seems to be at the centre of our lives,” I commented dryly.
That was all true . what I told you about how I won it. I’d got the stone and it made a difference to my life. Funny how the possession of that opal changed everything. It was true that those who had owned it had been dogged by bad luck. I knew that everyone was watching me . waiting for the ill luck to hit me. There were those who wished me well. There were others who had seen it, felt its fascination and wanted it. Men are strange creatures, Jess. A girl like you . a sensible girl. Joss called you . wouldn’t know about this. And you’ve never seen the Green Flash either. Perhaps it you had seen it you’d understand more. That flashing blue and the red of the sun . it just bewitches you. So where was I? There were those who watched me and others who sought to steal it. I reckoned my life wasn’t worth what it was before I had the stone. There were some who would have cut my throat or put a bullet through my heart for the sake of it. I’d got a red hot property on my hands and I was going to bum myself pretty badly one way or another.
Then there came the day when they were all here and I showed them the stone. This is going to hurt a bit, Jessie. I didn’t want to tell you.
I know you have a beautiful picture of your father and his love for your mother, and it’s right for young ladies to have these feelings tor their parents. But it wasn’t quite like that. Your mother was a sweet pretty creature. She was like you . oh, very much . but different. You’ve got your feet more on the ground, that sensible quality, eh? She could be gay, a bit wilful; she was a bit of a gambler too. It’s in the family. You can’t escape it. I bet you’ll be ready to take a gamble when the time comes. I hope you will be, and I’ll tell you you’re going to come out a winner. I was more than a bit in love with your mother. “