teems with fish and many of them are not only tasty
but make very good sport for the fisherman.
—The Traveler
BY ALL APPEARANCES, Beverly was chatting with Mrs. Archibald and Lady Northey, but Jade knew that her friend was also keeping an eye on her. Ever since Madeline had found Jade sitting on the post office bench, the silk scarf lying at her feet, they’d all been worried about her. Madeline had come into Nairobi as she’d promised, bringing Biscuit to the house before going into town to shop. After she saw Jade, Maddy escorted her back to the police headquarters and insisted on having the scarf and the paper it was wrapped in fingerprinted before taking Jade home. Since then, Bev hadn’t let Jade out of her sight. Now, a day later at Mary Postlewaithe’s birthday garden party, Jade could feel Bev’s eyes on her back as she gave the girls an impromptu lesson on observing footprints on Mrs. Postlewaithe’s lawn.
“Gwendolyn, Clarice, you girls pick someone at the party and see if you can follow where they’ve been,” Jade said. The girls set off, searching out their quarry, leaving the other girls behind. Jade, in deference to Beverly’s position in the colony, had worn a loose, calf-length walking skirt over her trousers and boots, as she’d done in the ambulance corps. If the skirt wasn’t fashionable, it at least hid the pants and her knife and suited the approved attire for a Girl Guide lieutenant. Of course, the slender cheetah standing beside her caused more of a stir than her costume. Jade watched the first pair of girls for a while, eavesdropping on Beverly’s conversation with the governor’s wife while she waited.
“The girls are going to give an archery demonstration later, Lady Northey,” Beverly said. “I’m sure you’ll agree that archery is splendid physical exercise for young ladies. Even our late and beloved Empress Victoria practiced archery.”
“Indeed,” said Lady Northey. “I’m certain you would never allow the girls to do anything improper.”
Jade smiled. No, but she’s worried that I might . She looked at the girls in front of her, who were practically quivering with excitement while they awaited instructions. She gave them. “Now see if you can follow their tracks.” They skipped off in the direction that their friends had taken, slowing to a walk as they studied the ground.
“Then if you’ll excuse me, Lady Northey, Mrs. Archibald, I’ll just see to the girls,” said Beverly. Bev hurried to Jade’s side and grabbed her by her sleeve. “Oh, that woman is an insufferable snob. Her attitude towards single women in the colony is positively antiquated.”
Jade didn’t ask which of the two women Bev meant. Everyone had read Lady Northey’s scathing article in the papers, decrying single women trying to farm or work on their own. Only women of means or married women had a right to live here, according to her.
“How are you feeling?” Bev asked Jade.
“I’m well enough,” Jade answered, avoiding Beverly’s eyes. Bev could spot her in a fib in an instant. “I can’t seem to shake this feeling that my skin is crawling and that someone is watching me.”
“I’m watching you.”
“Besides you, Bev.”
Beverly scanned the attendees, an assortment of adults related to the Girl Guides. “Well, several men have had their eyes on you, love, despite that horridly outdated skirt you have on.”
“It’s what I wear to church, Bev. And I thought as Girl Guide leaders we weren’t supposed to dress to attract attention.” She nodded at Beverly’s own costume, a pretty but simply cut buttercup yellow dress with only a touch of lace at the collar and at the ends of the elbow-length sleeves. Compared to Lady Northey’s rose-colored silk, it was definitely plain but far more becoming.
“We are, but I’m telling you that even in that outfit you look quite fetching to the men and that explains this feeling that you’re being watched. It’s common
but make very good sport for the fisherman.
—The Traveler
BY ALL APPEARANCES, Beverly was chatting with Mrs. Archibald and Lady Northey, but Jade knew that her friend was also keeping an eye on her. Ever since Madeline had found Jade sitting on the post office bench, the silk scarf lying at her feet, they’d all been worried about her. Madeline had come into Nairobi as she’d promised, bringing Biscuit to the house before going into town to shop. After she saw Jade, Maddy escorted her back to the police headquarters and insisted on having the scarf and the paper it was wrapped in fingerprinted before taking Jade home. Since then, Bev hadn’t let Jade out of her sight. Now, a day later at Mary Postlewaithe’s birthday garden party, Jade could feel Bev’s eyes on her back as she gave the girls an impromptu lesson on observing footprints on Mrs. Postlewaithe’s lawn.
“Gwendolyn, Clarice, you girls pick someone at the party and see if you can follow where they’ve been,” Jade said. The girls set off, searching out their quarry, leaving the other girls behind. Jade, in deference to Beverly’s position in the colony, had worn a loose, calf-length walking skirt over her trousers and boots, as she’d done in the ambulance corps. If the skirt wasn’t fashionable, it at least hid the pants and her knife and suited the approved attire for a Girl Guide lieutenant. Of course, the slender cheetah standing beside her caused more of a stir than her costume. Jade watched the first pair of girls for a while, eavesdropping on Beverly’s conversation with the governor’s wife while she waited.
“The girls are going to give an archery demonstration later, Lady Northey,” Beverly said. “I’m sure you’ll agree that archery is splendid physical exercise for young ladies. Even our late and beloved Empress Victoria practiced archery.”
“Indeed,” said Lady Northey. “I’m certain you would never allow the girls to do anything improper.”
Jade smiled. No, but she’s worried that I might . She looked at the girls in front of her, who were practically quivering with excitement while they awaited instructions. She gave them. “Now see if you can follow their tracks.” They skipped off in the direction that their friends had taken, slowing to a walk as they studied the ground.
“Then if you’ll excuse me, Lady Northey, Mrs. Archibald, I’ll just see to the girls,” said Beverly. Bev hurried to Jade’s side and grabbed her by her sleeve. “Oh, that woman is an insufferable snob. Her attitude towards single women in the colony is positively antiquated.”
Jade didn’t ask which of the two women Bev meant. Everyone had read Lady Northey’s scathing article in the papers, decrying single women trying to farm or work on their own. Only women of means or married women had a right to live here, according to her.
“How are you feeling?” Bev asked Jade.
“I’m well enough,” Jade answered, avoiding Beverly’s eyes. Bev could spot her in a fib in an instant. “I can’t seem to shake this feeling that my skin is crawling and that someone is watching me.”
“I’m watching you.”
“Besides you, Bev.”
Beverly scanned the attendees, an assortment of adults related to the Girl Guides. “Well, several men have had their eyes on you, love, despite that horridly outdated skirt you have on.”
“It’s what I wear to church, Bev. And I thought as Girl Guide leaders we weren’t supposed to dress to attract attention.” She nodded at Beverly’s own costume, a pretty but simply cut buttercup yellow dress with only a touch of lace at the collar and at the ends of the elbow-length sleeves. Compared to Lady Northey’s rose-colored silk, it was definitely plain but far more becoming.
“We are, but I’m telling you that even in that outfit you look quite fetching to the men and that explains this feeling that you’re being watched. It’s common
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