Drum (20 page)

"Poor dear." Cesar's hand touched the blonde curls. "I have been stupid indeed."

"And last night"—Alix was quick to take advantage of his mood—"when I saw your slave Tamboura, I somehow felt that he was a slave I could trust and of whom I would not be afraid. Such an honest face, Cesar. He does not look like an animal. I am sure he must be loyal and he certainly looks strong and capable. His very appearance leads me to trust him. He is the first and only slave I have seen in Cuba that has not terrified me."

Don Cesar lay back in his chair, his eyes half closed, regarding her with indulgence. In his present mood he would have given her the moon, but Tamboura was something different.

"Tamboura is big as an ox and gentle as a kitten. I would feel perfectly safe about you with Tamboura here but, Alix, I have just trained him as my groom and in addition to those duties, he is most necessary at the finca. That boy's a breeder! Ten cachorritos already and more to come. But you shall have a carriage, and I could housebreak Omo for your coachman. Omo's a fine Mandingo boy."

Alix's caresses ceased. A shudder passed almost perceptibly over her and another tear, this one larger than the* first, necessitated the application of a bit of lace. She sighed deeply, but she put a brave face on her disappointment. Cesar must understand that she was not going to press the matter. It was merely the fancy of a silly, excitable woman and as usual she would defer to his superior judgment.

"Then, querido, let us entirely forget the matter of a car-

riage." Her hand resumed its caresses. "How silly I am. The hired volantes are quite good enough for me, for really, I go out very little and then only to the shops on Obispo and to church." Her hand became quiet and she rose slowly, not, however, forgetting to pat his cheek with a forgiving little gesture which so aptly implied that she was quite willing to sacrifice her needs. "And I myself shall make sure that the gates are locked at night and not leave it to Rachel. Do not let's speak about the matter again." And having resigned herself so bravely and touchingly, she managed to smile and took the cup from his hand. "Do have another cup of coffee, Cesar, and if you'd like more pan tostado, I'll ring for Rachel."

He shook his head. "No more, Alix, but you are right, you do need a male slave here for protection and you do need your own volante. It's rather selfish of me to withhold Tamboura because, after all, with over five hundred slaves on^i the plantation, I can easily find another groom. Perhaps we could arrange for him to return to the iinca from time tO; time, so his other duties won't be neglected. Also to keep him in good humor." Don Cesar suddenly became very serious. "That, my dear, would be quite necessary for yom* protection."

She sank to the pillow again, quite confident that her point was nearly gained.

"For my protection? I don't understand, Cesar."

"Of course not." His hand groped for hers and replaced it in its former position. "You know little about the handling of slaves or animals. Tamboura, like a stallion with his mares, is happy and contented and gentle when he finds a< constant outlet for his animal urges. But take away his wenches from him and he would become mean and vicious,, like a stallion kept in the stable and never allowed outside, i You would see a different Tamboura after a few months. His pent-up desires would make him ugly and untractable, hard to manage, imreasoning, even dangerous. Of course, I could have him gelded, but I would hate to do it to him.

"And turn him into a fat, lazy eunuch, who would be no protection for me? Heavens, no! But you forget Rachel! She doesn't talk much, that one, but the few words she said this morning are suflBcient to let me know that she wUl be quite able to keep Tamboura sufficiently drained so that he will be as contented with her as with a whole stable full of wenches at Montalvo,"

Don Cesar nodded in agreement. His last argument had been entirely swept away.

"And," Alix continued, certain now that she had won, "there is much here for him to do. The balcons need painting, the flower beds in the patio are running wild, the vines need pruning and oh, there will be plenty to keep him busy. It has been drfiBcult for Rachel to do all the work—washing floors and cooking and caring for me. Not that I have complained," she added.

"Of course you haven't." His voice sank to a whisper and he closed his eyes, only to open them a moment later to look up at the little gilt clock on the wall.

"Ay, Alix, it has passed ten o'clock and I have a full morning of business to attend to. Aunt Maria"—he jerked his tiiumb in the direction of the Mendoza palace—"insists that she accompany me to Santa Clara to see Gregorio's daughter who has had a Uttle trouble with the nuns. She's fifteen, you know, and should be out of school now, but with dona Beatriz in such poor health, it seems inadvisable to bring her home. Perhaps, Alix, the time will come when you can help with Gertrudis."

Alix had difficulty seeing herself in the role of grandmother to a lump of a girl, particularly one of fifteen years, but she rose to the occasion,

"Just the age when a girl needs an older woman for a confidanta," she consented sweetly in her willingness to lift any care from her Cesar's shoulders.

"And would you like to accompany Aunt Maria and me?"

Alix remembered the raddled old face, emerging from its folds of black taffeta hke the head of an ancient turtle from its shell, the disapproving look in the faded eyes on the only occasion that Cesar had presented her to his aimt. Old women were definitely not in Alix' program for the day.

"Just now, darling, as merely une amie," she cautioned, "it would hardly be proper. Perhaps sometime later. . . ." Her words faded off in a vague promise.

"Then I must hurry." Don Cesar disengaged Alix' hand and rose reluctantly. "I would much rather stay here with you but Aunt Maria's temper does not improve by waiting."

"Shall I ring for Rachel and have your man saddle the

horses?" Alix was staking much on this last throw of her

dice. She had won consistently this morning and she felt her

winning streak would continue.

, "No, I accompany Tia Maria in her coach and she will

remain at the convent for lunch, the better to soothe the Mother Superior over Gertrudis' naughtiness. As I would not be permitted to eat there, I shall borrow her coach to attend to my other affairs. I must see Miguel de Santiago about a matter of business, drop in at don Solano's to see if his new shipment of slaves has arrived from Africa. And, of course...."

"The little matter of the volante," she reminded him, reaching up to pinch his cheek.

"And the little matter of the volante. Tell me, Alix, have you any choice in the color of the horses?"

She giggled. "They can be purple for all I care, just so they can take me places and as long as I have that fine strong— what is his name?" She had become suddenly forgetful.

"Tamboura."

"Oh yes, I can remember that for it is almost drum in French."

"And in Spanish, too."

"And with that fine strong Drum to drive me," she finished her sentence. "And now, if Tia Maria and your Gertrudis and the Senor de Santiago and all the rest are more important to you than I am, run along but you will of course be back for the siesta?" Her eyes promised much.

After the series of events of the morning, don Cesar was doubtful if he could live up to that promise.

"Querida mia, how much I would like to, but there will be much to do today and it is my only day in Havana. I cannot possibly make it. But I shall have dinner here and stay all night because if I leave Tamboura here I do not wish to ride back to Montalvo alone at night. There are many escaped slaves on the roads after dark."

"Oh, you poor darling, how I am disrupting your life." She was properly penitent.

"And how much you have added to it." He was still in a daze from her outpouring of affection.

Alix waited for him, showing just the proper amount of disappointment, while he straightened the disarray of his clothing. She handed him his big white paja de Panama hat and then, as a last gesture of wifeliness, she stood on the balcon, waving to him as he left through the patio gate. As soon as he was gone, she shed her air of playful coquetry, and summoned Rachel with a peremptory tug of the bell cord.

"Where is Tamboura?" she asked.

"The lazy lout is sleeping on a chair in the comer of the patio under the campanas de oro vine. He never offered to help me with the work."

'Tell me the truth about last night," Alix demanded, her eyes gimlet sharp.

"There is nothing to tell, madame. The brute slept on the floor and I slept in my bed."

"So, you disobeyed don Cesar."

"Oh, madame, do not tell him."

"I shall not. If he knew that you disobeyed him, he would have you sent to the whips. I could do nothing to protect you."

"Then you will not tell him?" Rachel reached for Alix* hand and kissed it.

"Of course not. I love you far too much, Rachel. I would not have you harmed."

"1 owe you much, madame."

"You now have an opportunity to repay me."

"In any way I can."

"Then Rachel, send Tamboura to me, and take up your position at the patio gate. Do not leave it. If you see don Cesar coming, run here to warn me."

The copper glow of Rachel's skin seemed to depart, leaving her face ashen as though a gray cobweb had been drawn over it.

"Mais non, Madame!" Rachel clutched at Alix' hand. "Not again! Not another Bonaventure?"

Alix snatched her hand away.

"Rachel, you must understand me. You must! Just as you, last night, were terrified over the prospect of being with Tamboura, today I am equally terrified over the prospect of not being with him. Just as every fiber of your body repulsed him last night, so today does every fiber of mine cry out for him. Since we left St. Domingue, I have spent all my nights, tossing and turning and wooing sleep on that bed," she pointed a disdainful finger at the rumpled sheets, "longing for those nights when I had only to ring the bell and Bonaventiire would appear. Human flesh can stand it no longer. I would rather die. Tamboura is to be here from now on. He will not return to Montalvo with don Cesar." She stepped to the mulatto and threw her arms around the woman. "Oh help me, Rachel, help me as you did before. Either help me, Rachel, or I swear I shall do away with myself. I can stand it no longer."

"It is what you most desire, madame?" Rachel was speaking with difl&culty. "We have been so happy here, just you and me together, even though don Cesar did come once in a while. But is it safe, madame? Don Cesar?"

"I'll handle don Cesar, Rachel. He is like all men—a fool where women are concerned. He is already entwined around my little finger, for see, he leaves Tamboura with me. Don't worry about him. Just go quickly and sunmion Tamboura."

Rachel shook her head sadly. "As you wish, madame. I shall be your accomplice now as I was with Bonaventure and I pray that no evil will come of this."

"None will, Rachel, I assure you. Oh, send him to me, send him to me now!"

"But he should bathe, madame. He has not bathed since last night."

"No, no, no," Alix wailed. "Now!"

She heard Rachel's steps growing fainter as they went down the stairs. She listened intently. Soon she heard the sluff of slippers on the stairs and she stood up, letting the rosy clouds of the robe de chambre settle around her in billowing folds.

Tamboura entered. He stopped suddenly in the doorway, scarcely able to believe his eyes. He had not known, when he finally awoke this morning, whether the vision he had seen beside his bed had been real or was only a continuation of his dream. He still didn't know but he knew that what he saw now was no dream. He remained standing as Alix slowly came to him.

"Tambour my big drum."

He had never heard his name so spoken before. It set every nerve in his body atingle.

"Tambour," she repeated, "can you only stand there? Can you only stand there and look at me?"

He advanced one step. Something inside him warned him to turn and run and not stop running until he reached the security of Mama Baba's hut. His hand crept between the buttons of his shirt and encountered the dampness of his precious amulet. His spirit was with him—it gave him strength. His arms reached out and caught her as she almost fainted. The same huge arms picked her up and held her. She pointed to the bed, as her fingers struggled with the buttons of his shirt to rest on the smooth skin beneath it. His skin felt cool and damp to her hot hands. There was a hardness under it so different from the flabby flesh of Cesar.

Tamboura would have relinquished his burden on the bed but she shook her head and pointed to the windows. He carried her there and she reached for the cord that lowered the shutters. They rattled to the floor and the hot light of the sun vanished in a cool semidarkness.

"Now, Tambour," she cried. "Now! Hurry, Tambour hurry!" '

chapter xt

The triangle of love, hatred and jealousy—that geometric symbol of desire enflamed—sprouted a fourth and acutely sharper angle in the tangled relations of Tamboura, Alix and don Cesar. Although recognized by nobody but herself, that angle was Rachel.

Don Cesar, happy in his ignorance of what had developed between Alix and Tamboura, proposed marriage and was immediately and joyfuUy accepted, but using the prerogative of the bride-to-be, Alix would not yield to don Cesar's importunings for an immediate marriage. She was far too happy the way things were to desire any change and now, secure in her knowledge that she would eventually become the Senora Montalvo, she wanted to enjoy her freedom a little longer, knowing that Tamboura would never be so easily accessible again. And don Cesar himself, living in the nimbus of the joys another marriage would afford him, found some grounds of common sense in Alix' carefully made excuses and postponements. In one way, he was not a little pleased at her delay, for it proved to him, more forcibly than anything else, that she was not primarily interested in his money; otherwise she would certainly have hurried matters to completion. Her very willingness to postpone the marriage convinced him most emphatically that her love was for himself and not his wealth.