the cane between them with both hands clasped over the head of it, and
he lifted his eyes and looked at her.
For many seconds neither of them moved. He stood balancing on the cane
with his shoulders hunched and his chin raised as he stared at her. She
in the shadow of the veranda, her skirts still in one hand-but the
other at her throat, fingers trying to still the emotions that
fluttered there.
Gradually his shoulders straightened until he stood tall. He hurled
the cane aside and reached both hands open towards her.
Suddenly she was running over the smooth, green lawn. Into his arms,
trembling in silent intensity, while he held her.
With both arms around his waist and her face pressed against his chest
she could smell the man smell of him and feel the hard muscle of his
arms as he enfolded her-and she knew she was now safe. As long as she
stayed like this-nothing, nobody could touch her.
On the slope of the table-topped mountain that crouches over the town
of Pietermaritzburg there is a glade among the wattle trees. It is a
secret place where even the timid little blue buck come out to graze in
daylight. On a still day you can hear very faintly the pop of the
wagon whips on the road below, or farther off the steam whistle of a
train. But that is all that intrudes in this wild place.
A butterfly crossed the glade in uncertain wobbling flight, it came out
of the sunlight into the dappled, moving shade along the edge, and
settled.
That's good luck,' Sean murmured lazily and Ruth lifted her head from
the plaid rug on which they lay. As the butterfly moved its wings,
fanning them gently, the iridescent green and yellow markings sparkled
in the speck of sunlight that pierced the roof of leaves above them and
fell upon it like a spotlight.
'It tickles, ' she said, and the insect moved like a living jewel
across the smooth white field of her belly. It reached her navel and
paused. Then the tiny tendril of its tongue uncurled and dabbed at the
fine sheen of moisture that their loving had left Upon her skin.
'He's come to bless the baby.'
The butterfly skirted the deep, delicately chiselled pit and moved on
downwards.
'Don't you think he's being just a little forward-he doesn't have to
bless that as well?' Ruth asked.
'He certainly seems to know his way around,' Sean admitted dubiously.
The butterfly found its road southwards blocked by a forest of dark
curls, so laboriously it turned and retraced its steps towards the
north. once more it detoured round her navel and then headed
unerringly for the pass between her breasts
'Keep right on, friend,'
Sean cautioned, but it turned suddenly and climbed the steep slope
until at last it sat triumphant on the peak.
Sean watched it throbbing its wings, blazing in oriental SPlendour upon
her nipple, and he felt himself stirred once more.
-Ruth.' His voice was husky again. She rolled her head to look into
his eyes Go away, little butterfly, ' and she brushed it from her
