Black Ingo Read online

  Genny, every year since she was about fourteen, had become more and more restless and self-assertive in Ingo’s presence. The adorable little-girl stage had passed when Ingo had been a very willing hero.

  Now they were antagonists animated by any number of arguments. The previous beautiful communication had degenerated into heated exchanges and an occasional brilliant smile from one or the other that had a strange power to set everything right until the next time. Whatever place Genny held in Ingo’s mind she was securely entrenched in his life and his formidable list of responsibilities. The bright, bitter-sweet, intolerable little running battles he probably gave no more thought to than as a young girl’s heady bid for equality and independence.

  However conveniently he managed to hide it from her, Ingo wrote and spoke of Genny as someone special. It was useless to fight him, even if Genny showed a considerable amount of initiative doing it.

  Neither, Felicity suspected, hated their battles as much as they made out. Perhaps it was some weird kind of game between them, for Ingo had shown time and time again that he understood Genny better than she understood herself, and this remarkable knowledge perhaps made Genny a captive. One couldn’t sit around looking self-absorbed and mysterious with Ingo, his tall frame just swooped with absurd speed to return one to reality. One could never hope for the quiet life with Ingo about. Something was always happening. Even so, Felicity knew there was no place she wished to be for some time to come rather than Tandarro, where she was waited on hand and foot like a visiting queen. It was most agreeable and naturally a bad virus had made her extremely cautious about her health. Rheumatic fever as a child had complicated her life, pretty nearly everyone treated her like Imperial porcelain. It was a great blessing that Ingo was so rich and so generous.

  Felicity could never, and understandably never, have worked for a living. When she felt much better, at some time in the future, she would try to get hold of some other good man like Hughie Russell, but younger, with a more presentable bank balance. A woman was nothing without a man and it was no use for Genny in her youthful ignorance to harp about independence and how it made the heart glad. Only being loved made Felicity come alive. She needed kisses and caresses and constant courting as a baby needed regular feeding. A work of art, she was born to be admired and looked after in luxury. Other women might be committed to housework and putting out a sparkling wash; Felicity had done very well in avoiding both. A cleaning lady called twice a week and Genny kept a good supply of rubber gloves to protect her hands while cleaning the place in between. It was perfectly well known that Felicity wasn’t strong enough to embrace any more arduous task than arranging the flowers, which she did with a great deal of magic.

  Genny’s softly chiding voice brought Felicity back to the immediate present. ‘Sorry, darling, did I go off again?’ she asked in a slightly dazed fashion.

  ‘Yes, that’s right.’

  ‘I‘m sorry. My mind just oscillates round so many subjects. I think so clearly about so many things, so many people. I never have time to be bored.’ Felicity took a sip from her long frosted glass, made an appreciative little moue, then leaned back in her reclining chair and crossed her slender legs at the ankle, glancing down with habitual pleasure. ‘It’s great not having to diet to keep so slender. All my family were thoroughbreds, built for speed.’

  ‘Well, I’ve heard you called fast,’ teased Genny.

  ‘I married every one of them.’

  Genny shook her head. Felicity had to. Carlo and Stewart and Hughie had lots of company. Admirers had always streamed around her mother’s feet. ‘Is Ingo coming for us?’ she asked with remarkable crispness.

  ‘Really, Genny, you know he’s too busy at this time. We’re to take the charter flight to Warrego and he’ll pick us up there.’

  ‘Do you actually want to go that badly?’

  ‘Darling, at this point there’s nowhere I’d rather go. I love Tandarro. It’s so weirdly beautiful. The contrast between the homestead and its bizarre setting is enough to make the mind flutter. We should have plenty of company as well, what with the holiday season and Christmas coming up. Trish and the children are coming, did I tell you?’

  ‘As a matter of fact you didn’t. You’re unwontedly silent about Ingo’s communications!’

  ‘I feel I have to be, as a lot of them are about you.’

  Genny snorted. ‘Amazing! At a distance he cares for me. At close range he’s the damnedest man in the world. Black Ingo, the untameable. I think I’m even a little afraid of him.’

  ‘I don’t think he would care to hear himself described that way. Black as in what? A black heart? A black soul?’

  ‘Neither,’ Genny said, her silver-gilt head turned away. ‘Black as in tortuous. Deep. Complicated.

  Unknowable. I run out of words with Ingo.’

  Her mother regarded her for some little time. ‘Really? That wasn’t my impression, not now or at any other time. You’ve quite a tongue on you. You call him Black Ingo-I call him cousin. He’s a jewel.’

  ‘His eyes are like jewels.’

  ‘Indeed. ‘ said Felicity. ‘I‘ve seen any number of women work up a grand passion for Ingo, including his stepmamma. ‘

  ‘How nice that we don’t see her any more. Actually I think Ingo was rather cruel to her.’

  ‘He was in a good position to feel cruel.‘ Felicity said firmly. ‘She was a bitch through and through.

  Marc would never have married her, only he was so bitter and disillusioned about Marianne. Ingo has suffered in his way. He was only ten or so when Marianne left, and I know he considered himself abandoned by the mother he adored. There was no one closer to Marc’s heart than Ingo, but of course Marc couldn’t express himself in that way. Old man Faulkner, the grandfather, was quite an eccentric.

  He brought them all up, Marc and Kel and Evelyn, in military fashion. It affected every one of them, and then again he never approved of Marianne. Beautiful and well-connected she might have been, but she was city bred, and the land for its own sake never interested her. Tandarro always got in the way. It must have been very difficult for her.

  Poor Marianne. ‘

  ‘There’s such a thing as putting things right. ‘ Genny maintained passionately. ‘Why won’t Ingo see his mother? He allows Trish and her family to come.’

  ‘Trish is his sister. Remember she suffered as Ingo did. Children have no part to play in adult situations; Trish was heartbroken to be parted from Ingo.’

  ‘Yet their parents allowed it.’

  ‘They couldn’t stay together, Genny. Remember the old man was actively hostile towards Marianne and they had to live in his home until he died. Neither Marc nor any one of them would ever have left Tandarro, so Marianne had to go. Ingo, as heir to a great heritage, necessarily had to stay with his father.

  God knows he loves the place as much as even his grandfather wanted. He’s never forgiven his mother, you know.’

  ‘Don’t I know it,’ agreed Genny. ‘Every inch of him, six feet and over, rejects a woman’s integrity. He’s so uncompromising. Then he can be so damned, so damned…’

  ‘… charming...?’

  ‘So damned Ingo, he makes such a claim on you, you can’t turn away from him. He’s simply an enigma.’

  ‘And you can’t hold your own with him.’

  ‘I try.’

  Felicity sat up and tilled her swanlike neck. ‘You usually start everything. Why must you always be so daring? I know Ingo enjuys a lot of it, but he’s not a man to trilfled with, darling. Why don’t you promote a wonderfull new relationship or go back to the unremittiug, bliss of childhood? You won him effortlessly then. I can still see you. Such an enchanting child you were, with those radiant silver curls and poor impossible Carlo’s velvet eyes. Is it any wonder Ingo called you Cherub?’

  ‘He surely doesn’t now. ‘

  ‘That’s your fault. You resist him so strenuously. Why don’t you take a leaf out of my book?’

  ‘Oh, nothi
ng so combustiblel’ Genny said, and smiled. ‘I mightn’t be anything like you, with the soft dazzlement, but I don’t mind.’

  ‘Then don’t turn Tandarro into a battlefield between you. You’ve got my cameo face-it should mean something. I know you can be sweet as run honey when you want to be. Didn’t the immensely arrogant Ingo allow you to invite all your intellectual friends for a golden month on Tandarro?’

  ‘He won’t be caught with that one again.’

  Felicity began to laugh. ‘Do you blame him? That silly Perry girl couldn’t be sidetracked from his side.’

  Genny shrugged. ‘She’s quite intelligent really, just particularly smitten with Ingo, heaven knows why.’

  ‘Oh, come on now,’ Felicity jeered, visibly reacting, ‘Let’s not kid ourselves, Ingo is terrific. A cattle baron. A power…’

  ‘The iron fist without the velvet glove.’

  ‘Every other female but you seems to go dreamy about him,’ her mother told her.

  ‘I know him too well.’

  ‘You don’t know him at all.’

  ‘If I thought I’d be really frightened.’ Genny reached her arms above her head and stretched. ‘Will Evelyn be there?’

  ‘Regrettably, yes. He couldn’t very well throw her out like Barbara. Still, she keeps out of the way a lot.’

  ‘True. She hasn’t had much of a life.’

  ‘I believe she had an admirer at one time,’ said Felicity, ‘but Evelyn was always too proud to be practical. No one ever measured up to her father and brothers!’

  ‘What she was, and is, they made of her. Implacable sort of men, very sure of themselves. I’ve never minded poor old Evvy. She never had a chance for all she was Miss Evelyn Faulkner of Tandarro. She had no rights; the Faulkner men have had all the rights. Big, handsome, arrogant devils! ‘

  ‘I‘m all for them,’ said Felicity, and Genny scowled.

  ‘I‘m not. In fact, I’m coming more and more to a whole new outlook on men and marriage. The image of woman is changing, but it’s still a man’s world. Take the life on the land, the man is all-powerful. His physical strength alone makes his the vital role. He has the danger and the excitement and the mateship.

  Women aren’t really wanted except to look after the house and look pretty, if possible.’

  ‘That applies just about everywhere. What’s wrong with looking pretty anyway?’

  ‘I hope to God I’m more than a pretty face. I’m a mind l I have a significant, important role to play. I love children and I want them eventually, but I don’t want to be limited to just a single role. I’m a whole person and I want to be accepted as just that in this male-dominated world.’

  ‘You mean you want to be Ingo’s equal?’ asked Felicity.

  ‘Is anyone Ingo’s equal?’

  ‘If I were you I’d settle for being a woman on a pedestal. It never did me any harm.’

  ‘We have different natures. It would be hard to get close to a really dominant man,’ argued Genny.

  ‘That’s unarguable. Marianna certainly didn’t. She was very sensitive, but she wasn’t a weak woman. She simply wore herself out in a desperate effort to survive in an alien world. Running a station the size of Tandarro doesn’t allow a man much free time. Women will always suffer from loneliness and thinking themselves rejected. Marc loved her, I’m sure. He was a different man after she left him and too proud to beg for her continuing love. Both of them used Ingo and Trish as weapons-the boy most of all because he would inherit Tandarro. If you think Ingo is too dominant, he thinks women use their power to manipulate men. Which they do; an attractive woman can turn a strong man into a boy, and by the same token she can turn a boy into a strong man. It depends on the woman. The woman’s influence in Ingo’s life has been mainly destructive. You notice he never says a word about his mother, yet he made her a rich woman. You’re quite right about Ingo being a puzzle, but he’s beautiful. I love him. He stands miles apart from the men of my acquaintance. In fact knowing he’s quite out of my reach makes me wistful. If I were fifteen years younger, I swear I would forget he’s my cousin.’

  ‘It wouldn’t do you any good,’ Genny said. ‘Ingo’s been inoculated for all time. If he does marry, and he will, for Tandarro, it will be a malleable little brood mare.’

  ‘Genny, Genny. ‘ her mother said, genuinely shocked. The facts of life, though Felicity had certainly not escaped them, had been rendered sweet and sentimental in her own mind, all crudities disregarded. ‘As a matter of fact, darling, I’m about to relate to you a piece of useful information I picked up. Sally Lloyd is back again. Not exactly a brood mare as you so peculiarly suggested, though it does seem possible that being a well built girl she could supply Tandarro with any number of heirs.’

  Genny laughed. ‘It’s almost like Royalty on a small scale. Tandarro, the Faulkners’ rightful place in the sun I An heir must be assured whether Ingo likes it or not.’

  ‘Well, darling, he mightn’t trust us all that much, but he hasn’t been without consolation all these years.’

  ‘Just never suffered embarrassing consequences. Ingo knows how to take good care of himself.’

  ‘He’s extremely self-sufficient, yes. Why are you always wanting to change him?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ Genny muttered, apparently to her, self. ‘Who told you about Sally?’

  ‘Trix.’

  ‘Ah, Trix, her ears are always patrolling. She must never go off duty.’

  ‘Trix is all right. What else do you expect her to do?’

  ‘Go for a walk. Get a job. Anything.’

  ‘With that money? I wish to God that Hughie...’ Felicity broke off.

  ‘Yes, continue,’ Genny invited in the sudden silence. ‘What about Hughie?’

  ‘Nothing,’ Felicity said, and shrugged her delicate shoulders.

  ‘You gave me to understand that Hughie left us quite comfortable,’ insisted Genny.

  ‘So he did, but you mustn’t confuse Hughie’s money with the McFarlane fortunes. Trix must be one of the richest women in the country,’ Felicity added, talking fast. Now at this late date she didn’t want to start any discussion on the true source of their income. Genny knew that Ingo presented them with a fat cheque from time to time; what she didn’t know was that that was a glorious bonus with the monthly cheques undetected. ‘Think you can do without Dave for a while?’ Felicity tacked on by way of a further red herring.

  ‘Dave’s just a friend. ‘ Genny answered, continuing to search her mother’s lovely sky-blue eyes.

  ‘I wish you’d at least be notmall’ Felicity sighed. ‘Dave is in love with you.’

  ‘How nice!’

  ‘Doesn’t that mean something?’ Felicity implored. ‘He’s so attractive and he comes from such a good family, and I like him.’

  ‘You like any male who knows how to butter you up. Dave is pretty fond of you too.’

  ‘I know, and he’s suffering, darling. Why don’t you put him out of his agony?’

  Genny’s dark eyes were grave, her eyebrows like delicate wings rising. ‘I never know what you’re talking about. You surely can’t mean promise to marry him?’

  ‘Why not? At least get engaged.’

  ‘Flick, you’re quite mad! ‘ Genny said solemnly. ‘I’m too young to get married even if I loved Dave, which I don’t.’

  ‘At your age I was a mother.’ Felicity announced with sudden tremendous feeling.

  ‘You have to take the good with the bad,’ Genny murmured laconically.

  ‘I really feel sorry for Dave. Every mother wants a doctor in the family.’

  ‘That’s your idea, Flick. I like Dave. More, I’m pleasantly interested in him, but I don’t think I love him, whatever that means. If he went off to South America to study tropical diseases I’d just buy him a pair of gumboots in a fairly good frame of mind. I can do without him, that’s the point.’

  ‘You’re foolish to let him get away, darling,’ Felicity admonished. ‘You’re practically settled yo
urself.

  You’re such a brain I’m sure you’ve flown through your finals.’

  ‘I want to get my Dip. Ed.,’ Genny said doggedly.

  ‘But why, darling?’ Felicity fluttered her small, innocent-of-toil hands. ‘Young girls are so different these days-all this emphasis on the brain! I’m quite sure it will hurt you. I mean, the side effects remain to be seen. You’re far and away the prettiest girl in your set, yet you’re so aloof I wonder Dave dares kiss you.’

  ‘Oh, he does,’ Genny said dryly. ‘I like it too, but nothing unusual happens. No stars gyrate, no bells ring out. I like Dave and I admire him. He’s fun, he’s very quick and intelligent. I guess it adds up to the fact that the man one can like is not the man one can love. Love must be pretty potent stuff, otherwise all the great writers are having us on. Maybe it just exists between pages. On the other hand, I can’t help feeling a grand passion would frighten me a little.’

  ‘Luckily it never frightened mel’ Felicity said complacently.

  ‘No, you seem to be able to stand enormous amounts of punishment, Flick.’

  ‘Not punishment, darling. Women love to suffer.’

  ‘You’re joking. ‘

  ‘No, I’m not. If we were really suffering the way we pretended, of course we’d be killed right away. It’s just a momentous game. One can always turn a corner and find a new love.’

  ‘That doesn’t seem sensible!’ Genny said, looking back on her mother’s immeasurable romances. ‘And I don’t think I’d want that sort of thing.’

  ‘Don’t I know it!’ Felicity deplored. ‘In that respect you’re not even Carlo’s daughter. Anyway, I suppose it helped you get through your studies. Ask Dave out to Tandarro, I’m sure Ingo wouldn’t mind. When you smile you can twist even Ingo around your little finger.’

  ‘Wouldn’t I love to do itl’ Genny said, her eyes narrowing.

  ‘Oh, why?’

  ‘It would be quite an achievement. Ingo isn’t like Dave. Dave’s just a boy.’