Chapter 9 chapter eight

It's time to trigger the trap.Over the past six months, Jamie McGregor has quietly paid off van der Merwe's partners in various businesses so that he can now control them.His main goal, however, was to take possession of van der Merwe's diamond mines in Namibia.He has paid a hundred times the price for it with blood and guts, almost costing his life.He's already destroying Van der Merwe by building a kingdom out of the diamonds he and Banda stole there.This task has not been completed.Now Jamie is working on that plan. Van der Merwe was deeply in debt.Everyone in town refused to lend him money.The only exception is the bank that Jamie secretly runs.Jamie's frequent instruction to bank managers was: "Give van der Merwe what he asks for."

Grocery stores are almost closed.Van der Merwe drank early in the morning and went to Lady Agnes's in the afternoon, sometimes spending the night there. One morning Margaret stood at the counter of the butcher's shop, waiting to pick up the chicks that Mrs. Owen had ordered.When she looked out the window, she saw her father coming out of the kiln.She barely recognized the old man with tousled hair who limped along the streets. "I made him like this. Oh God, forgive me, I made him like this!" Salomon van der Merwe did not know exactly what had happened.He knew that somehow his life was being destroyed through no fault of his own.God chose him—as the Lord once chose Job—to test his faithfulness.Van der Merwe felt sure that he would eventually triumph over the hidden enemy.All he needed now was a little time—time and more money.He had put up the general store as security, plus his shares in six small diamond mines, and even his horse and buggy.In the end, he had nothing left but the diamond mines in Namibia.The day he takes the diamond mines of Namib as a guarantee is the day Jamie starts his onslaught.

"Get out all his IOUs," Jamie ordered his bank manager, "and give him twenty-four hours to pay them all or foreclose." "Mr. McGregor, there's no way he could have raised that much money. He..." "round-the-clock." At exactly 4:00 p.m. the next day, the deputy bank manager and the police chief confiscated all of van der Merwe's property with an order.Jamie watched from his office building across the road as Van der Merwe was kicked out of his shop.The old man stood outside in the sun, looking desperate, not knowing what to do or where to go.He has been stripped of everything.Jamie's vengeance finally succeeded.Why?Jamie didn't know.Why do I not feel triumphant?There was a void inside him.The man he destroyed destroyed him first.

When Jamie came into Lady Agnes's room that night, she said, "Have you heard, Jamie. Van der Merwe shot himself an hour ago." ※※※ The funeral took place in a cemetery outside the city, in a dull, windy atmosphere.Next to the undertakers, there were only two people attending the ceremony: Margaret and Jamie McGregor.Margaret wore a rumpled dress that covered her high belly.She was pale and frail.McGregor stood there, tall and elegant, lonely and indifferent.The two stood on both sides of the tomb, watching the rough pine coffin slowly being lowered into the tomb.Dirt was poured over the coffin, and to Margaret the voice seemed to say again, bitch... bitch! ...

She watched Jamie from her father's grave, and their eyes met.Jamie's eyes were cold and hard, as if she were a stranger.Marguerite hated him now too. "You stand there ruthless, but you are as guilty as I am. We killed him, you and I. I am your wife in God's eyes. But we are partners in evil." She looked into the grave and kept Until the soil covered the pine coffin. "Rest in peace," she said softly, "rest in peace." When she looked up, Jamie was gone. ※※※ Kripdrift had two log cabins that served as hospitals, but they were filthy, and more patients died there than lived.Delivery is therefore usually at home.As Margaret's delivery date approached, Mrs. Owen arranged for her a black midwife named Hannah.Labor begins at 3 o'clock in the morning.

"Now you press down hard," Hannah instructed her, "and instinct will do everything else." The first labor pains made Margaret smile.She will bring her son into this world, and he will have a name.She expects McGregor will acknowledge his child.Her son should not be punished. Hour after hour was born.When some cooks approached Margaret's bedroom to watch the production, they were all kicked out. "It's a personal thing," Hannah told Margaret. "Between you and God, there is the devil who gets you in trouble." "Is there going to be a boy?" Margaret asked anxiously.

Hannah wiped Margaret's forehead with a damp cloth. "I'll let you know when I'm done checking the tube. Now go down hard. Hard! Hard! Harder." The labor pains became more and more intense, and Margaret felt the pain tearing her body.Oh my God, something must be wrong, Margaret thought. "Keep pushing!" Hannah said.Suddenly she screamed. "It's screwed up," she yelled, "I... I can't get it out!" In the red mist, Margaret saw Hannah bending down and twisting her body.At this time, a ray of red light penetrated through the window, and the room began to light up.Suddenly she felt no pain.She was floating in the air, the end of the corridor was lighted, and someone was waving to her, oh, it was Jamie. "Here I am, Marge, dear. You're going to have a good son for me." He came back to her again.She no longer hated him either.She knew she never hated him.Then she heard someone say, "It's almost over." Another tearing pain in her stomach made her scream.

"Good!" said Hannah, "coming out soon." A second later Margaret felt something wet rush out between her legs, and Hannah cried out in ecstasy.She held up a red ball and said, "Welcome to Kripdrift. Baby, you've had a son." She named him Jamie. ※※※ Margaret knew the news of the baby's birth would reach Jamie quickly.She waited for him to visit her, or send someone to fetch her.Weeks passed and Marguerite heard nothing, so she sent him a letter.Half an hour later the messenger returned. Margaret was impatient. "Did you see Mr. McGregor?" "Yes, ma'am."

"So he wrote you back?" "Yes, ma'am." "What did he say?" The delivery boy looked embarrassed. "He... he said he had no son, Miss Margaret." She locked herself and her son in the house all day and all night, refusing to go out. "Your father is having a hard time, Jamie. He thinks your mother has done something bad to him. But you're his son, and when he sees you, he'll let us live in his house. He'll love you very much. Our girls. You'll see, honey. Things are bound to get better." In the morning, Mrs. Owen knocked at her door, and Margaret opened it, very calmly.

"Are you all right, Maggie?" "I'm fine, thank you." She put Jamie on a new coat. "I'm going to take Jamie out in this stroller this morning." This gorgeous pram was a present from Lady Agnes and her girls, and it was made of the finest reed stalks, with a cane base and bentwood wheels, and it was very sturdy.The seats are covered with imported soft satin, with velvet cushions on the back, and a small parasol fixed on the back of the car with deep folds. Margaret pushed the pram along the narrow sidewalks of Rope Street.Occasionally a strange passer-by stopped to smile at the baby, but the women of the city looked away or hurried across the street to the other side of the sidewalk to avoid Margaret.

Margaret didn't even notice any of this.She is looking for someone.Every morning as long as the weather is fine, Margaret puts the baby in the most beautiful coat, puts it in the stroller, and goes out for a stroll.Over the course of a week, Margaret didn't meet Jamie on the street once, and she realized that he was deliberately ignoring her. "Well, if he doesn't see his son, then his son will." Margaret decided. The next morning, Margaret found Mrs. Owen in the drawing room. "I'm going on a short trip, Mrs. Owen. I'll be back in a week." "The baby is too young to travel, Maggie. He..." "The child stays in the city." Mrs. Owen frowned. "You mean to leave him here?" "No, Mrs. Owen. Not here." ※※※ Jamie McGregor has built his residence on a hill.This is one of the many hills with a bird's-eye view of Kripdrift.This is a one-story building with steep eaves, with side rooms on both sides, and a spacious corridor connecting with the main house.The house is surrounded by a large lawn mixed with trees and a blooming rose garden.Behind the house are the carriage garage and the servants' quarters.The household was run by a middle-aged widow named Eugenia Tully.She has six children in the UK. Margaret arrived here at 10am with the baby in her arms.She knew that Jamie was in the office handling business at this time.Mrs. Tully opened the door and looked at Margaret and her baby in great wonder.Everyone within a hundred miles knew that.So Mrs. Tully knew who it was. "I'm sorry Mr. McGregor isn't home," said the housekeeper, before closing the door. Margaret would not let her close the door. "I don't want to see Mr McGregor. I brought him my son." "I'm afraid I don't know anything about it. You..." "I'm going away for a week. I'll come back and hold him then." She carried her son out. "His name is Jamie." Mrs. Tully's face was instantly terrified. "You can't keep him here! Because, Mr. McGregor is going to..." "You have a choice," Margaret told her, "either keep the baby in the house, or let me put him on the threshold. Mr McGregor won't like that either." Without saying a word, she stuffed the child into the housekeeper's arms, turned around and left. "Wait! You can't...! Come back! Miss...!" Margaret didn't look back.Mrs. Tully stood there, cradling the baby, thinking, "Oh, my God! Mr. McGregor is going to be mad!" ※※※ She had never seen him so annoyed. "How can you be so stupid?" he growled. "You should have shut her out!" "She didn't give me that chance, Mr. McGregor. She..." "I don't want this kid in my house!" When he was angry, he walked up and down, stopping now and then in front of the poor housekeeper. "For this matter, I will fire you." "She's going to take the baby back in a week. I..." "I don't care when she comes back," yelled Jamie, "get this kid out, now!" "How do you get it off, Mr. McGregor?" she asked dully. "Throw him into the city. There must be somewhere to throw him." "Where is it?" "How the hell would I know?" Mrs. Tully looked at the baby in her arms.The yelling made the child cry. "Kripdrift doesn't have an orphanage either." She began to shake the baby in her arms, but the screaming grew louder. "Someone has to watch him." Jamie was so annoyed that he kept smoothing his hair with his hands. "Damn it! Well," he decided, "you took the kid so generously. You take care of him." "Yes, sir." "Try to stop this crying, you have to understand, Mrs. Tully, don't let this baby get in front of me. I don't want to know he's in this house. I don't want to see him when his mother comes to hold him next week." She. Is it clear?" The child cried vigorously again. "Understood, Mr. McGregor." Then Mrs. Tully hurried out of the room. Jamie McGregor sat alone in his room, sipping brandy and smoking a cigar. "This stupid woman. She wanted me to see the baby to soften my heart so I ran up to her and said, 'I love you. I love the baby. I'm going to marry you.'" Hey, he It is disgusting to even look at a baby.He has nothing to do with him, he was not born for love, not even for carnality.He gave birth to him for revenge.He will always remember the look on van der Merwe's face when he announced that Margaret was pregnant.That's just the beginning.Finally, there is the scene of soil being shoveled onto the wooden coffin.He had to find Banda and let him know their mission was done. ※※※ Jamie felt empty inside.I need to make new goals, he thought.He has become richer than he imagined.He owns hundreds of acres of mine land.He bought the mine for the possibility of diamonds, only to find gold, platinum, and several other rare metals.His bank provides mortgages on more than half of Kripdrift's real estate, which stretches from Namibia to Cape Town.He is satisfied with these, but still not satisfied.He asked his parents to come to South Africa, but they were unwilling to leave Scotland.His siblings are married.Jamie is relieved to be sending large sums of money to his parents, but his life comes to a standstill.Years ago, life had its ups and downs, and he felt he was alive.He felt alive as he and Banda paddled the lifeboat past the restricted reef.As he crawled through desert minefields, he felt he was alive.For Jamie, he seemed like a zombie for a long time.He had to admit that he was alone. When he reached for the brandy again, he found the bottle was empty.He thought either he was drinking too much or Mrs. Tully was getting careless.Jamie got up from the armchair, picked up the shot glass, and went to the pantry where the butler kept the liquor.He opened the bottle when he heard the murmur of a baby.It's him!Mrs. Tully must have kept the baby in her room not far from the kitchen.She faithfully carried out his orders.He had not seen or heard the baby during the two days he had been in his house.Jamie could hear Mrs. Tully speaking to him now in the singing voice that women often speak to babies. "You're a pretty little one, aren't you?" she was saying. "You're an angel. Yes, you're an angel." The baby was murmuring again.Jamie went to Mrs. Tully's bedroom with the door open and glanced in.The housekeeper got a cot with rails from somewhere, and the baby lay in it.Mrs. Tully leaned forward, the baby's little fist clenching her fingers. "You're a strong little devil, Jamie. You're going to be a big..." She was startled to find her master standing outside the door, and stopped her words. "Oh," she said, "shall I... get you something, Mr. McGregor." "No." He approached the crib. "I can't get any peace from the noise here." Jamie glanced at his son for the first time.The child was bigger than he had imagined, and he was doing well.He seemed to be smiling at Jamie. "Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. McGregor. He's such a lovely baby. He's strong too. Give him your finger and you'll feel how strong he is." Jamie turned and walked out of the room without saying a word. ※※※ Jamie has over fifty employees working in his various businesses.From the correspondent all the way to the top executive, there was not a single employee on staff who did not know the origin of the Kruger-Brent Ltd name, and they all worked for McGregor with pride.He had recently hired a sixteen-year-old boy named David Blackwell.His father was one of Jamie's foremen, an American who had come to South Africa from Oregon in search of diamonds.When Blackwell's money ran out, Jamie hired him as a mine overseer.The son worked for the company one summer, and Jamie found him very capable and offered him a permanent job.Young David Blackwell is smart, attractive, and innovative.Jamie knows he has a tight mouth, which is why Jamie chose him for this particular job. "David, I want you to go to Mrs. Owen's pantry. There's a woman named Margaret van der Merwe living there." Even if David Blackwell was familiar with the name or her situation, he made no sign of it. "Yes, sir." "You speak only to her. Marguerite left her child with my housekeeper. Tell her I want her to take it away from my house today." "Yes, Mr. McGregor." Half an hour later, David Blackwell returned.Jamie looked up from his desk. "Sir, I am afraid I cannot do what you order." Jamie stood up. "Why not?" He demanded an answer. "It's a simple thing." "Miss van der Merwe is not there, sir." "Then try to find her." "She left Kripdrift two days ago. She may not be back until five days. If you would like me to know more..." "No need." That was the last thing Jamie wanted to do. "It's all right. That's it, David." "Yes, sir." The young man left the office. "This damned woman! When she comes back, she'll find an accident. She'll take her baby back!" ※※※ That night, Jamie ate alone at home.He was drinking brandy in the study when Mrs. Tully entered to discuss a household matter with him.As she was speaking, she suddenly stopped to listen, then said, "I'm sorry, Mr. McGregor. I heard Jamie crying." She hurried out of the room. Jamie swung the brandy glass so hard that it spilled. "Cursed little one! She named him Jamie. He's nothing like Jamie. He's nothing like anything." Ten minutes later Mrs. Tully returned to the study.She sees the spilled wine. "Shall I get you another bottle of brandy?" "No," said Jamie, looking nonchalant. "It's important that you remember who you're working for. Don't bother me with that little bastard. Got it, Mrs. Tully." "Yes, sir." "The sooner that child you've brought in gets out of this house, the better for us all. Do you understand?" She pursed her lips together. "Yes, sir, is there anything else?" "No." She turned to go. "Mrs. Tully." "Yes, Mr. McGregor." "You said, he was crying, he was never sick, right?" "No, sir. Wet. He needs a diaper change." Jamie was disgusted to hear this. "so be it." Jamie would have lost his temper had he known that the servants were talking about him and his son in the house from time to time.They all thought that the master's behavior was a little unreasonable.But they all knew that mentioning the issue meant immediate dismissal.Jamie McGregor is not one to take advice from others. ※※※ The next night, Jamie had a business meeting that ended late.He invested in building a new railway.The railway is not long, from his diamond mine in the Namib Desert to De Aar, connected with the Cape Town-Kimberley line.That way, it would be much cheaper to transport his diamond and gold mines to ports.South Africa's first railway opened in 1860, from Durban to Pointe.Thereafter, the new railway line will be able to run directly from Cape Town to Wellington.The railways are the steel arteries that allow goods and people to move freely across the South African continent.Jamie intends to participate in this investment.This is just the beginning of his plan.After that, Jamie also wanted to engage in boats.Someday my own ship will be able to carry minerals across the oceans. He got home at midnight, undressed and went to bed.He brought in an interior decorator from London to design a large masculine bedroom with a large bed carved in Cape Town.There is an old Spanish chest in one corner of the room, and there are two large wardrobes in which more than fifty suits and thirty pairs of shoes are placed.Jamie isn't particular about dressing, but it's important to him to put things where they are.How many days and nights in the past, he used to be in rags. He had just fallen asleep when he suddenly felt as if he heard crying.He sat up and listened, but there was no sound.Is the child crying?Maybe rolled out of the cot.Jamie knew that Mrs. Tully was a terrible sleeper.If anything happens to the baby, he's at Jamie's house.Then it becomes his responsibility.Damn woman, Jamie thought and cursed. He put on his nightgown and slippers and walked across the house to Mrs. Tully's room.He listened outside the door, but heard nothing.Jamie pushed open the door quietly, and Mrs. Tully was sleeping soundly with the sheets, snoring.Jamie went to the cot.The child lay there with his eyes wide open.Jamie moved closer and looked down.God, they look exactly the same!Especially the mouth and chin.His eyes are blue now, but all babies are born with that color.Jamie looked into those eyes and knew they were going to be gray in the future.The child waved his little hands in the air, babbled, and smiled at Jamie.Oh, Jamie thought, here's a brave lad, lying there, not making noise or fussing, not screaming like the other kids.He looked closer again.Yes, he's McGregor, that's right. Jamie involuntarily lowered his head and held out a finger.The child held on tightly with both hands. "He's as strong as a bull," thought Jamie.At this moment, a strange look appeared on the child's face, and Jamie smelled a bad smell. "Mrs. Tully!" She jumped up from the bed, panic all over her face. "What... what is it?" "The baby needs to be looked after. Do you want me to take care of everything?" Jamie McGregor walked out of the room. ※※※ "David, do you know anything about babies?" "Which way, sir?" asked David Blackwell. "Well, for example, what do they like to play with?" The young American said: "I think they liked playing the rattle when they were kids, Mr. McGregor." "Buy a dozen," Jamie ordered. "Yes, sir." No questions asked, Jamie likes that.David Blackwell has a future ahead of him. ※※※ That night, Jamie came home with a brown packet.Mrs Tully said: "I'm sorry for what happened last night, Mr McGregor. I don't know how I could have slept so hard. The baby must have been crying a lot, you heard it in the room." "Don't worry about that," said Jamie, with extra generosity, "as long as one of us hears." He handed her the paper packet. "Give him these. Some rattles. What's the fun in his crib all day like a prisoner?" "Oh, he's no prisoner, sir. I used to take him out and about." "Where did you take him?" "It's in the garden, where I can watch him." Jamie frowned. "He didn't look very well last night." "yes?" "Yes, he has a bad complexion. It wouldn't be good to let him be sick before his mother took him away." "Oh, no, sir." "Perhaps I'd better take another look at him." "Okay, sir, would you like me to bring him?" "Come on, Mrs. Tully." "Come on, Mr. McGregor." A few minutes later, she brought little Jamie in her arms.The child holds a blue rattle. "I think he looks fine." "Oh, I may be mistaken, give him to me." She carried the baby carefully and Jamie held his son in his arms for the first time.Suddenly a strange emotion arose all over him, which surprised him endlessly.This seemed to be the moment he had been waiting for.He lives for this moment, but he doesn't know it himself.In his arms is his own flesh and blood - his son, Jamie McGregor Jr.What's the point of building a kingdom of diamonds, gold, and railroads if you don't have an heir?What a fool I am!Jamie thought.It never occurred to him before that what he was losing.Hate blinded his eyes.Looking at this little face, the hard thing deep in his heart melted. "Bring Jamie's crib to my room, Mrs. Tully." ※※※ Three days later, Margaret showed up at the front door of Jamie's house.Mrs. Tully said: "Mr. McGregor has gone to the office, Miss Margaret. But he said he would send for him when you came to pick up the baby. He wants to speak to you." Margaret waited in the living room with little Jamie in her arms.Margaret missed little Jamie so much.Several times during the week she nearly lost her mind and wanted to run back to Kripdrift, afraid that something might happen to the baby, that it might be ill, or that there might be an accident.But she restrains herself and stays where she is, and it turns out her plan works, and Jamie wants to talk to her!Everything will be fine, the three of them will be reunited now. The moment Jamie walked into the living room, Margaret felt a familiar rush of emotion.She thought, "Oh, God! How I love him!" "Hi, Margie." she smiles.It's a warm, joyful smile. "Hello, Jamie." "I want my son." Margaret's heart was singing. "Of course you want your son. I never doubted that, Jamie." "I've thought about it. He deserves proper parenting. He'll have all the rights I can give him, and of course I'll put you in care." Confused, Marguerite studied him. "I... I don't understand." "I said, I want my son." "I think...I mean...you and I..." "No. I just want kids." Margaret was suddenly filled with anger. "I get it. Well, I won't let you take my son away from me." Jamie studied her for a moment. "Fine, then let's make a compromise. You can be with Jamie. You can be... his tutor." He watched the expression on her face. "what else do you want?" "I want my son to have a legal name," she said angrily, "and his father's name." "Okay, I'll adopt him." Margaret looked at him contemptuously. "Adopt my kid? Oh no. You can't have my son. I feel sorry for you. I feel sorry for you big Jamie McGregor family. You have money and power but you have nothing No. You poor thing!" Margaret turned and walked out of the room with the baby in her arms, and Jamie stood watching all this. The next morning Margaret was preparing to leave for America. ※※※ "Running won't solve anything," argued Mrs. Owen. "I'm not running away, I'm going where I can have a new life with my kids." She could no longer put herself and her children through the humiliation that Jamie had put them through. "When are you leaving?" "As soon as possible. We'll take the carriage to Worcester, and from there we'll take the train to Cape Town. I've saved enough money to get us to New York." "That's far away." "It will be worth it. They say America is a land of opportunity, don't they? That's what we need." ※※※ Jamie has always prided himself on keeping his composure under pressure.Now, he yells and reprimands anyone in sight.His office is always noisy.There is nothing anyone can do to please him.He growled and whined about everything.Can't control myself.He has not slept for three consecutive nights.He ruminated over his conversation with Margaret.Damn her!He should have expected that she would force him to marry her.As scheming as her father was.He mishandled the agreement.He had told her that he would take care of her, but not specifically.Of course, money!He can give her money.A thousand pounds, ten thousand pounds, even more. "I give you a delicate task," he told David Blackwell. "Yes, sir." "I want you to speak to Miss van der Merwe. Tell her I'm paying her twenty thousand pounds. She knows the quid pro quo." Jamie signed a check.He has long known the lure of money. "Give this to her." "Well, sir." David Blackwell went away. Fifteen minutes later he returned and returned the check to his master.The check has been torn in half.Jamie felt his face heat up. "Thanks, David, that's all." It appears that Margaret asked for more money.very good.He will give her.But this time he had to do it himself. Later that afternoon, Jamie stopped by Mrs. Owen's lunch shop. "I want to see Miss van der Merwe," said Jamie. "I don't think that's possible anymore," Mrs. Owen told him. "She's on her way to America." Jamie felt as if someone had punched him in the chest. "Impossible! When did she leave?" "She and her son have gone to Worcester by the afternoon coach." ※※※ The train at Worcester was packed and noisy, seats and aisles full of travelers heading to Cape Town, businessmen with families, sailors, miners, kaffirs and returning to work soldiers and sailors.Most were traveling by train for the first time, and there was a festive air among the passengers.Margaret took a seat by the window, where Jamie would not be crushed.She sat there holding the baby tightly, forgetting about the people around her and concentrating on the new life she was about to face.The road will never be smooth.Wherever she went, she was always an unmarried woman with children, a challenge to society.But she would find a way to ensure a decent life for her son.She heard the voices of the conductors shouting: "Everyone get on the train." She looked up and Jamie was standing there. "Pack up your things." He ordered, "Get off the train!" He thought he could buy me off, Marguerite thought. "How much are you going to give me this time?" He looked down at his son who was sleeping in Margaret's arms. "I promise to marry you."