A Spear of Summer Grass - By Deanna Raybourn Page 0,133

during the incident which caused you to discharge him?”

“Yes, but I hardly see—”

The inspector, who hadn’t even opened his notebook, rose and gave me a pitying look. “I understand your frustrations, Miss Drummond, but I’m afraid this matter is at an end.”

“At an end? Did you even hear what I said? The man tried to burn down the farm where I live.”

“Was anyone killed?”

“No, but that’s—”

“Was anyone materially injured?”

“Two with broken bones and one with a burned hand,” I recited. “Still, I hardly think—”

He gave me a cool look. “Miss Drummond. Africa is a difficult place. Too difficult for some. Now, I suggest you book passage back to England or New York or wherever it is that you came from and forget all about this.”

“That’s it? That’s all the Kenyan colonial government can offer? I am patted on the head and told to go home like a good little girl?”

“As I said, Africa is a dangerous and difficult place to live. This colony demands a very specific type of temperament to thrive here. One must be resourceful and strong and able to withstand anything. Very few people manage to live here happily.” He gave me a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “I think it has become quite apparent that you, Miss Drummond, are not one of those people. And in light of this most recent development, I feel I ought to warn you that steps will be taken.”

“Just what does that mean?”

“It means that you will be asked to leave the colony. I’m afraid your time here is at an end.”

Moses’ hand crept into mine, and I tightened my fingers around it. “You can’t do that.”

“I think you will find that I can. The governor is indisposed with an attack of malaria and not expected to resume his duties here for at least a month. In his absence, all trivial matters are being handled by me. And you, Miss Drummond, are a trivial matter.”

“But I have permission,” I said, my voice hollow.

“Permission that may be rescinded at any time by this office. I did warn you of that when you arrived,” he said, a trifle more kindly. “But it would seem you have made a habit of trouble, and you have overstayed your welcome here. You may return to Fairlight to collect your things. Passage will be booked for you on the steamer leaving out of Mombasa in a fortnight. That should give you ample time to say your farewells.”

I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing me beaten. I gave him as dazzling a smile as I could muster, the one that got me the best room at the Hotel de Crillon even when I was skint. “I’ve learned a lot from my time in Africa, Mr. Fraser, a lot about how to survive here. And one of the first things I learned is that before you count your kill, you better make damn sure you’ve done the job. Because something you’ve only wounded will have just enough fight left in her to make her dangerous. Come on, Moses. We’re leaving now.”

24

I went straight to the nearest telegraph office and cabled London. I had to do something, anything, and my only hope lay with Edgar. I explained, as briefly as I could, that Fairlight had been badly damaged by fire and that I wanted to buy the place. I cabled Quentin to offer him a business deal and to discover whether or not it was legal for Fraser to kick me out of Kenya. I bought Moses and myself each a stalk of sugar cane and we sat on the steps of the telegraph office to wait for the replies.

“Do you like Nairobi?” I asked him. I sucked at the cane, tasting a thousand memories of Reveille. Each year, the Colonel would take me out to the field to cut the first cane of the harvest, testing it for sweetness. He always cut a piece for me, peeling back the skin to offer me the pale flesh. It seemed impossible that the same taste was on my lips in Africa of all places.

Moses nodded excitedly then dampened his finger with juice from the cane to write on the step. “London.”

“You want to go to London?”

He nodded again. He occupied himself drawing pictures with the end of the cane while I ticked off the minutes.

Finally, as the sun dropped below the horizon and the brief evening turned sharply to night, the proprietor emerged with two pieces of paper. He