told her I would come to her in the morning with food.” She waved a hand gracefully, exposing her arm and the broad silver bangle she wore. The metal was stamped in a filigree, punctuated three times by an ornate cross-shaped design capped with a dome-shaped box.
“Good idea. There may be men waiting to talk with her.” Jade hadn’t seen the reporter from last night, but that didn’t mean another one wasn’t lying in wait. If they could keep Miss Malta hidden until it was time to leave, it would be better for all.
“So you know about what happened last night?” Jade asked.
“I heard that the money man was killed. So we will not go to the mountain now?”
“We are still going to the mountain,” said Jade. “Only the man was killed, not his money. Do not worry,” she added, reassuring the woman. “You will not lose your job. You will be paid.” She smiled. “Go and find food for Miss Malta first. Then help her pack her boxes. I will carry your box out for you.”
“No, bibi ,” Lwiza said. “I will take it later. I have need of it yet.”
Jade nodded. “Then I will wake the other women and get their boxes.”
She left Lwiza and headed up the stairs to where the actors were staying. On the way, she met several of the men coming downstairs to breakfast. All were dressed in crisp Huck shirts and jodhpurs, looking like models for the well-dressed hunter. Beyond giving them a friendly good morning, she didn’t concern herself with them. They were Harry’s problem.
Neither Miss Zagar nor Miss Porter was awake yet. Jade knocked loudly on their doors until both of them opened. The women were still in their nightwear, or at least Cynthia was, since the white gown showed from beneath her blue robe. The way Pearl’s silk robe clung to her suggested she’d slept in her altogether. Neither of them appeared very delighted to see Jade. “Down to breakfast in half an hour,” she ordered. She met Lwiza coming upstairs with a tray of oatmeal, toast, and tea for Miss Malta.
It took Cynthia and Pearl longer than thirty minutes to get their faces on and their hair arranged. When they finally showed up for breakfast, they wore close-fitting versions of the men’s garb, except they’d added colorful scarves around their throats. Jade waited outside the hotel, watching the few early risers walk by on their way to open shops. When she decided her group had had enough time to eat, she rousted them out of the dining area to finish packing. She intended to reinforce the fact that she was in charge. She also wanted to be at the train station early enough to say good-bye to Sam.
As she’d predicted, the women hadn’t even begun to pack their personal belongings and had managed to put their new safari clothing in disarray. Jade noted that Pearl had no sleepwear.
“You can freeze your acting talents off at home, if you choose, but on this safari, you’ll need something more insulating than air,” Jade announced. “Where’s that long underwear I bought for you?”
“I don’t know,” said Pearl. “I might have tossed it out.”
Jade muttered under her breath. “Fold those clothes. I’ll be back with another set.”
After a fast trip to Whiteaway and Laidlaw to buy the replacement, she took charge of their packing. Both Pearl and Cynthia assumed that Lwiza would pack for them, and kept interfering by removing first one item, then another that they felt they needed before they left. Jade eventually chased them out of the rooms and repacked the boxes to her own satisfaction. Then she directed them all to be taken down to the truck. Harry stared in openmouthed surprise when she said two of the crew were ready. He still hadn’t finished with the men. Jade owned that he had more people to deal with and drove her part over to the railroad station to be loaded.
When she returned at ten, she found Sam waiting for her by the old thorn tree near the New Stanley, and a smile came unbidden to her lips. It was checked
“Good idea. There may be men waiting to talk with her.” Jade hadn’t seen the reporter from last night, but that didn’t mean another one wasn’t lying in wait. If they could keep Miss Malta hidden until it was time to leave, it would be better for all.
“So you know about what happened last night?” Jade asked.
“I heard that the money man was killed. So we will not go to the mountain now?”
“We are still going to the mountain,” said Jade. “Only the man was killed, not his money. Do not worry,” she added, reassuring the woman. “You will not lose your job. You will be paid.” She smiled. “Go and find food for Miss Malta first. Then help her pack her boxes. I will carry your box out for you.”
“No, bibi ,” Lwiza said. “I will take it later. I have need of it yet.”
Jade nodded. “Then I will wake the other women and get their boxes.”
She left Lwiza and headed up the stairs to where the actors were staying. On the way, she met several of the men coming downstairs to breakfast. All were dressed in crisp Huck shirts and jodhpurs, looking like models for the well-dressed hunter. Beyond giving them a friendly good morning, she didn’t concern herself with them. They were Harry’s problem.
Neither Miss Zagar nor Miss Porter was awake yet. Jade knocked loudly on their doors until both of them opened. The women were still in their nightwear, or at least Cynthia was, since the white gown showed from beneath her blue robe. The way Pearl’s silk robe clung to her suggested she’d slept in her altogether. Neither of them appeared very delighted to see Jade. “Down to breakfast in half an hour,” she ordered. She met Lwiza coming upstairs with a tray of oatmeal, toast, and tea for Miss Malta.
It took Cynthia and Pearl longer than thirty minutes to get their faces on and their hair arranged. When they finally showed up for breakfast, they wore close-fitting versions of the men’s garb, except they’d added colorful scarves around their throats. Jade waited outside the hotel, watching the few early risers walk by on their way to open shops. When she decided her group had had enough time to eat, she rousted them out of the dining area to finish packing. She intended to reinforce the fact that she was in charge. She also wanted to be at the train station early enough to say good-bye to Sam.
As she’d predicted, the women hadn’t even begun to pack their personal belongings and had managed to put their new safari clothing in disarray. Jade noted that Pearl had no sleepwear.
“You can freeze your acting talents off at home, if you choose, but on this safari, you’ll need something more insulating than air,” Jade announced. “Where’s that long underwear I bought for you?”
“I don’t know,” said Pearl. “I might have tossed it out.”
Jade muttered under her breath. “Fold those clothes. I’ll be back with another set.”
After a fast trip to Whiteaway and Laidlaw to buy the replacement, she took charge of their packing. Both Pearl and Cynthia assumed that Lwiza would pack for them, and kept interfering by removing first one item, then another that they felt they needed before they left. Jade eventually chased them out of the rooms and repacked the boxes to her own satisfaction. Then she directed them all to be taken down to the truck. Harry stared in openmouthed surprise when she said two of the crew were ready. He still hadn’t finished with the men. Jade owned that he had more people to deal with and drove her part over to the railroad station to be loaded.
When she returned at ten, she found Sam waiting for her by the old thorn tree near the New Stanley, and a smile came unbidden to her lips. It was checked
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