爱爱小说网 > 其他电子书 > hr.thecarpetbaggers >

第87章

hr.thecarpetbaggers-第87章

小说: hr.thecarpetbaggers 字数: 每页3500字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!



st awakened。 His dark face gleamed in a weling smile over his white shirt and faultlessly tailored butler's jacket。 〃Good morning; Mr。 Cord。 Have a good flight?〃
 〃Fine; thank you; Robair。〃
 He closed the door behind him。 〃Mr。 McAllister's in the living room。 Been waiting since eight o'clock last night。〃
 〃I'll talk to him;〃 I said; starting through the foyer。
 〃I'll fix some steak sandwiches and coffee; Mr。 Cord。〃
 I stopped and looked back at the tall Negro。 He never seemed to age。 His hair was still black and thick; his frame giant…sized and powerful。 〃Hey; Robair; you know something? I missed you。〃
 He smiled again。 There was nothing subservient or false about his smile。 It was the smile of a friend。 〃I missed you; too; Mr。 Cord。〃
 I turned and walked into the living room。 Robair was more than just a friend。 In a way; he was my guardian angel。 I don't know how I would have held together after Rina died if it hadn't been for Robair。
 By the time I'd got back to Reno from New York; I was a wreck。 There was nothing I wanted to do。 Just drink and forget。 I'd had enough of people。
 My father rode my shoulders like a desert Indian on a pony。 It had been his woman I had wanted。 It had been his woman who had died。 Why did I cry? Why was I so empty?
 Then one morning; I awakened in the dirt of the yard; back of Nevada's room in the bunkhouse; to find Robair bending over me。 I vaguely remembered having leaned my back against the wall of the bunkhouse while I finished a bottle of bourbon。 That had been last night。 I turned my head slowly。 The empty bottle lay beside me。
 I placed my hands in the dirt and braced myself。 My head hurt and my mouth was dry and when I tried to get to my feet; I found I didn't have the strength。
 I felt Robair's arm slip around behind me and lift me to my feet。 We started to walk across the hard…packed earth。 〃Thank you;〃 I said; leaning against him gratefully。 〃I'll be all right once I get a drink。〃
 His voice had been so soft that at first I thought I hadn't heard him。 〃No more whisky; Mr。 Cord。〃
 I stared up into his face。 〃What did you say?〃
 His large eyes were impassive。 〃No more whisky; Mr。 Cord;〃 he repeated。 〃I reckon it's time you stopped。〃
 The anger pulled up in me and gave me strength。 I shoved myself away from him。 〃Just who in hell do you think you are?〃 I shouted。 〃If I want a drink; I'll take a drink!〃
 He shook his head。 〃No more whisky。 You're not a little boy no more。 You can't run an' hide your head in the whisky bottle ever' time a little bad es your way。〃
 I stared at him; speechless for a moment; as the shock and anger ran through me in ice…cold waves。 Then I found my voice。 〃You're fired!〃 I screamed。 〃No black son of a bitch is going to own me!〃
 I turned and started for the house。 I felt his hand on my shoulder and turned。 There was a look of sadness on his face。 〃I'm sorry; Mr。 Cord;〃 he said。
 〃There's no use in apologizing; Robair。〃
 〃I'm not apologizing for what I said; Mr。 Cord;〃 he replied in a low voice。 Then I saw his giant; hamlike fist racing toward me。 I tried to move away but nothing in my body seemed to work the way it should and I plunged into the dark again。
 This time when I woke up; I was in bed; covered with clean sheets。 There was a fire going in the fireplace and I felt very weak。 I turned my head。 Robair was sitting in a chair next to the bed。 There was a small tureen of hot soup on the table next to him。 〃I got some hot soup here for you;〃 he said; his eyes meeting mine levelly。
 〃Why'd you bring me up here?〃
 〃The mountain air'll do you good。〃
 〃I won't stay;〃 I said; pushing myself up。 I'd had enough of this cabin when I was here the last time。 On my honeymoon。
 Robair's big hand pushed me back against the pillow。 〃You'll stay;〃 he said quietly。 He picked up the tureen and dipped a spoon into it; then held the spoon of soup out to me。 〃Eat。〃
 There was such a note of authority in his quiet voice that involuntarily I opened my mouth before I thought。 The hot soup scalded its way down。 Then I pushed his hand away。 〃I don't want any。〃
 I stared into his dark eyes for a moment; then I felt rise up inside me a hurt and a loneliness that I had never felt before。 Suddenly; I began to cry。
 He put down the tureen。 〃Go ahead an' weep; Mr。 Cord。 Cry yourself out。 But you'll find tears won't drown you any more than whisky。〃
 He was sitting on the porch in the late…afternoon sun when I finally came out。 It was green all around; bushes and trees all the way down the side of the mountain; until it ran into the red and yellow sands of the desert。 He got to his feet when I opened the door。
 I walked over to the railing and looked down。 We were a long way from people。 I turned and looked back at him。 〃What's for dinner; Robair?〃 I asked。
 He shrugged his shoulders。 〃To tell the truth; Mr。 Cord; I was kind of waitin' on how you felt。〃
 〃There's a brook near here that has the biggest trout you ever saw。〃
 He smiled。 〃A mess o' trout sounds fine; Mr。 Cord。〃
 It was almost two years before we came down from the mountain。 Game was plentiful and once a week; Robair would drive down for supplies。 I grew lean and dark from the sun and the bloat of the cities disappeared as the muscles tightened and hardened in my body。
 We developed a routine and it was amazing how well the business got along without me。 It merely proved the old axiom: once you reached a certain size; it was pretty difficult to stop growing。 All the panies were doing fine except the picture pany。 It was undercapitalized but it didn't matter that much to me any more。
 Three times a week; I spoke to McAllister on the telephone。 That was generally sufficient to take care of most problems。 Once a month; Mac would e driving up the winding road to the cabin; his brief case filled with papers for me to sign or reports for me to study。
 Mac was a remarkably thorough man。 There was very little that escaped his observant eye。 In some mysterious way; everything of importance that was going on in any of the panies found its way into his reports。 There were many things I knew I should attend to personally but somehow; everything seemed a long way off and very unimportant。
 We'd been there almost a year and a half when we had our first outside visitor。 I'd been out hunting and was ing back up the trail; with a brace of quail swinging from my hand; when I saw a strange car parked in front of the cabin。 It was a Chevy with California license plates。
 I walked around and looked at the registration on the steering column: Rosa Strassmer; M。D。; 1104 Coast Highway; Malibu; Cal。 I turned and walked into the cabin。 There was a young woman seated on the couch; smoking a cigarette。 She had dark hair; gray eyes and a determined jaw。
 When she stood up; I saw she was wearing a faded pair of Levis that somehow accentuated the slim; feminine curve of her hips。 〃Mr。 Cord?〃 she asked; holding her hand out to me; a curious; faint accent in her voice。 〃I'm Rosa Strassmer; Otto Strassmer's daughter。〃
 I took her hand; staring at her for a moment。 Her grip was firm。 I tried to keep the faint tinge of annoyance from showing in my voice。 〃How did you know where to find me?〃
 She took out an envelope and gave it to me。 〃Mr。 McAllister asked me to drop this off when he heard I was driving through here on my vacation。〃
 I opened the envelope and looked at the paper inside。 It was nothing that couldn't have waited until his next visit。 I dropped it on the table。 Robair came into the room just then。 He looked at me curiously as he took the brace of quail and my gun and went back into the kitchen。
 〃I hope I haven't disturbed you; Mr。 Cord;〃 she said quickly。
 I looked at her。 Whatever it was I felt; it wasn't her fault。 It was Mac's not too subtle reminder that I couldn't stay on the mountain forever。 〃No;〃 I answered。 〃You must forgive my surprise。 We don't get many visitors up here。〃
 She smiled suddenly。 When she smiled; her face took on a strange bright beauty。 〃And I can understand why you don't ask people to e; Mr。 Cord;〃 she said。 〃More than two people would crowd a paradise like this。〃
 I didn't answer。
 She hesitated a moment; then started for the door。 〃I must be going now;〃 she said awkwardly。 〃I'm glad to have met you。 I've heard so much about you from my father。〃
 〃Dr。 Strassmer!〃
 She turned toward me in surprise。 〃Yes; Mr。 Cord?〃
 〃I'll have to ask you to forgive me again;〃 I said quickly。 〃Living up here as I have; I seem to have forgotten my manners。 How is your father?〃
 〃He's well and happy; Mr。 Cord; thanks to you。 He never gets tired of telling me how you blackmailed G?ring into letting him out of Germany。 He thinks you're a very brave man。〃
 I smiled。 〃It's your father who is brave; doctor。 What I did was very little。〃
 〃To Mother and me; it was a great deal;〃 she said。 She hesitated again。 〃Now I really must be going。〃
 〃Stay for dinner;〃 I said。 〃Robair has a way of stuffing quail with wild rice that I think you'd enjoy。〃
 Her eyes searched mine for a moment。 〃I will;〃 she answered。 〃Under one condition … that you call me Rosa; not doctor。〃
 〃Agreed。 Now sit down again and I'll get Robair to bring you something to drink。〃
 But Robair was already in the doorway with a pitcher of Martinis。 It was too late for her to leave when we were through with dinner; so Robair fixed up the tiny guest room for her。 She went to bed and I sat in the living room for a while and then went to my room。
 For the first time in a long while; I could not fall asleep。 I stared up at the shadows dancing on the ceiling。 There was a sound at the door and I sat up in the bed。
 She stood there silently in the doorway for a moment; then came into the room。 She stopped at the side of my bed and looked down at me。 〃Don't be frightened; lonely man;〃 she whispered in a soft voice。 〃I want nothing more from you than this night。〃
 〃But; Rosa… 〃
 She pressed a silencing finger to my lips and came down into the bed; all warmth and all woman; all passion and all understanding。 She cradled my head against her breast almost as a mother would a child。 〃Now I understand why McAllister sent me here。〃
 I cupped my hands beneath her firm young breasts。 〃Rosa; you're beautiful;〃 I whispered。
 I heard her laugh softly。 〃I know I'm not beautiful; but I am happy that you should say so。〃
 She lay her head back against the pillow and looked up at me; her eyes soft and warm。 〃Kommen sie; liebchen;〃 she said gently; reaching for me with her arms。 〃You brought my father back to his world; let me try to bring you back to yours。〃
 In me morning; after breakfast; when she had gone; I walked back into the living room thoughtfully。 Robair looked at me from the table; where he was clearing away the dishes。 We didn't speak。 We didn't have to。 In that moment; we both understood that it was only a matter of time before we would leave the mountain。
 The world was not that far away any more。
 
 McAllister was asleep on the couch when I entered the living room。 I walked over to him and touched his shoulder。 He opened his eyes and looked up at me。 〃Hello; Jonas;〃 he said; sitting up and rubbing his eyes。 He took a cigarette and lit it。 A moment later; the sleep was gone from his ey

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的