Moonflower by Leigh Archer Page A

his
approach.
    'Mark!’
Reuben was moving towards them, a warning tone in his voice,
irritation all over his features.
    'Take a
shower,' Reuben said as he drew level with the man. 'Preferably a
cold one.'
    'Ahh,’
the man said, looking highly amused. ‘So my brother's possessive of
the vision in khaki, is he?'
    The man
Reuben had called Mark looked back at Sophie with piqued
curiosity.
    'You're
Reuben's brother?' Sophie asked, intrigued.
    'That I
am. Mark Manning. Pleased to meet you.'
    'Sophie
Kyle.'
    She held
her hand out to him. He squeezed it. Held it a little longer than
was necessary.
    Reuben
hovered beside his brother, irritation turning to
annoyance.
    'My
brother's always been the possessive type,’ Mark said, ignoring
Reuben. ‘One of those children who really looked after his things,
held onto them forever. Mum went through hell trying to get him to
give things up—his dummy, then a blanket. There was this musty old
elephant he still had on his bed as a teenager… Simply refused to
give any of it up. Come to think of it, that's how you got your
first piggy bank, wasn't it? Poor Mum had to resort to bribery. But
once he’d discovered money, there was no turning back.'
    Sophie
grinned broadly at both men. Now she knew why Mark had seemed so
familiar. It was the family resemblance.
    'So this is
where you’ve run away to.' A woman, a head shorter than
Sophie—glossy black bob, pale skin and red lips—came over to them.
She was highly polished, sophisticated. Fitted in perfectly with
the crowd buzzing around the entrance hall and formal
lounge.
    'Clarice,
this is my conservationist, Sophie Kyle. Sophie, Clarice
Thornton-Powell.'
    'Hello
there,' Clarice said, eyeing Sophie with some interest.
    'Hello,'
Sophie said, extending her hand to the other woman.
    Clarice
smiled, and, after a moment's hesitation, took Sophie's hand. 'Oh,
my,' she said, as Sophie shook her hand. 'You’re a strong girl,
aren't you?'
    Sophie
flushed, and quickly withdrew her slightly work-worn hand with its
short, sensible nails from Clarice's soft, pale fingers that ended
in ten perfect red ovals.
    'I hope
you enjoy your stay,' Sophie said to cover her
awkwardness.
    'I'm sure
I will,' she said, linking an arm through Reuben's and looking up
at his face. ‘I’m sure Reuben will see to that, won’t you,
darling?’
    Reuben
looked down at Clarice, smiled, and something twisted unpleasantly
inside Sophie, deep inside, where Reuben had surged with the full
force of his passion just a few hours before.
    'Sophie’s
going to make it particularly special for us, aren’t you, Sophie?’
Mark said, linking his arm through Sophie’s in imitation of
Clarice. ‘She’s Reuben’s resident expert on local flora and fauna.
Quite the find, I’m told.'
    'Looking forward to it,' Clarice said dismissively, turning
away from Sophie to give her full attention to Reuben. 'You look
wonderful, darling. Already you have this glorious tan and seem
so relaxed . Africa
seems to agree with you, but you don’t want to stay out too long.
Horrible what damage the sun does to the skin,' she added, glancing
over her shoulder at Sophie.
    ‘ You know, Sophie,’ Mark said, ‘I don’t think I’ve ever met a
woman with quite the same glorious glow of an African sunrise in
her complexion as you, my dear.’
    Sophie
couldn’t help it. She burst out laughing, and Mark waggled his
eyebrows at her.
    Reuben
glared ferociously at his brother, and Sophie decided to take her
leave. 'It's been nice meeting you, Mark,' she said. 'Now I'd
better check on the local flora and fauna so I have something to
show you after all.'
    'See ya,'
Mark called after her, a forlorn look on his face, and Sophie left
the three sophisticates, a broad grin on her face.
     
    That
evening the guests saw a number of the farm’s resident species when
Sophie, Isaac and Sipho took them to a watering hole—the best place
to find a gathering of animals in the settling dusk. Sophie never
ceased to be