The Blue Mountains of Kabuta Read Online Free Page A

in the air as the dogs barked.
    As they walked back towards the house, Alex looked down at the quiet girl by his side. ‘Well, how are you going to like being a farmer?’
    She drew a long deep breath. ‘I think I shall love it.’
    She saw the amused look on his face as he asked: ‘You really think you could run this farm? You don’t want to sell it?’
    Startled, she stood still, looking up at him. ‘What makes you think I’d want to sell it?’
    â€˜A number of reasons. You’re obviously a city girl, knowing nothing about farming. You could get a good price for this farm. Good money.’
    â€˜I’m not interested in money,’ she said firmly. ‘Uncle Ned left me the farm and I intend to run it.’
    â€˜That’s very brave of you.’ She could see how his mouth twisted as if he was trying not to smile. ‘Now let’s see how much you’ve grasped.’
    He immediately shot a number of questions at her. She tried her best to answer them, but knew she had dismally failed.
    He laughed as if triumphant. ‘You’ve got an awful lot to learn.’
    She glared at him. It hadn’t been necessary to humiliate her so.
    â€˜So had you, once. You told me Uncle Ned . . .’
    Alex laughed outright. ‘Touché! You win and I lose. I was lucky, because I had Uncle Ned.’
    And I have you, she thought silently. You may be a help, but you’re also a pain in the neck.
    They walked the rest of the way in silence, Jon trying to keep calm but glancing now and then at the man by her side. He was a mass of contradictions. Sometimes easy to talk to, sometimes understanding, and, at other times so horribly unpleasant.
    At his car, they stopped. ‘I’ll pick you up at a quarter to seven,’ he said curtly.
    Jon remembered something. ‘Mum wondered what we should wear.’
    Alex looked at her and smiled. ‘Clothes, little Jon, what else?’
    Jon’s face burned. ‘You know very well what I mean. Do we dress up?’
    Alex ran his hand through his hair and looked thoughtful.
    â€˜Madeleine always does. I suppose one could say cocktail party frocks. Trouser suits are acceptable.’ He smiled. ‘See you later.’
    She watched him drive away, then turned and walked slowly towards the house. Who was Madeleine? she wondered.
    *          *          *
    As Jon showered and dressed, she thought how totally different this new life was going to be from their life in England. She was glad the dogs had come, for already her mother sounded happier as Sandy, the friendly boxer, had adopted her and now followed her wherever she went.
    â€˜What a difference it makes,’ Jon’s mother had said, and a lot of Jon’s anxiety was lifted as her mother continued, ‘That awful quietness has gone.’
    Rex, the Alsatian, seemed to have chosen Jon and she already loved his questioning eyes and the way he stood close to her, not touching her but as if telling her that he was there if she needed him. Jock, the spaniel, was something of a problem, for he ignored everyone, going straight for his basket under the kitchen table, curling up and going to sleep.
    Jon had wondered about how to feed the dogs, but Violet, the plump, cheerful African girl, had smiled, saying she knew.
    Wondering what dress to wear, Jon looked through her wardrobe. Finally she chose a dark crimson kaftan with loose sleeves and gilt trimming. She made up carefully, then brushed her hair, thinking as she did, wondering who this Madeleine was that Alex Roe had mentioned. Was she the girl he planned to marry eventually? He had joked about it, but then, with Alex, you were never quite sure when he was serious or teasing.
    She put on gold sandals with flowers on the straps. She looked out of the window. Already the night was beginning to close in. The sun was going down half-hidden by the