Chapter 14 Chapter Thirteen

The schools in Cheltenham are unbearable.There are so many rules and regulations.Girls have to wear uniforms from head to toe.The study time is as long as ten hours a day, and there are rigid rules for what to do every minute.Mrs. Keaton restrained students and teachers with iron discipline.There the girls learn manners and manners, etiquette, etc. so that they can find an ideal husband in the future. Kate wrote to her mother: "This is hell, those girls are terrible. Talk about boring clothes, boyfriends. Those poor teachers are monsters. They don't try to lock me up. Here, I'm going to escape."

Kate managed to escape three times, but was caught back.Even so, she remained unrepentant. During the weekly work meeting, someone mentioned Kate's name.A teacher said: "We really can't control this child. I think we should send her back to South Africa." Mrs. Keaton replied: "I am also inclined to your opinion, but we can also see this as a challenge. If we can fix Kate McGregor, we can fix anyone." Kate stayed at school anyway. ※※※ To the surprise of the teachers, Kate became interested in the school farm.That farm has vegetable plots, chickens, cows, pigs and horses.Kate went to the farm whenever she had time.Mrs. Keaton learned of the situation.She is very happy.

"You see," the headmistress said to the teacher, "it was a matter of patience, and Kate finally found her interest in life. One day, she will marry a farmer and become his good helper." The next morning, Oskar Denkel, the head of the farm, came to see the headmistress. "There is a student," he said, "named Kate McGregor, and I wish you would tell her not to come to the farm." "What did you say?" asked Mrs. Keaton. "I heard she was very interested in the farm." "Yes, indeed. But you know what she's interested in? Animal mating, pardon me."

"what?" "That's it, she can spend the day in there and watch the animals mate." "My God!" said Mrs. Keaton. ※※※ Kate still has no understanding of David exiling her here.But she still misses him terribly.This is my fate, she thought gloomily, to be in love with someone I hate.She counted the days since she was away from him, like a prisoner counting the days until his release.Kate was very worried that he would do terrible things, like marry another woman while she was locked up in this damn school.If he did, Kate thought, I'd kill them both.No, just kill her.They'll arrest me and hang me.He'll know he loves me when I stand at the gallows.But that was too late.He would beg me to forgive him. "Yes, David, my dear, I forgive you. A heart that loved you so much was in your hand, and you were so foolish that you didn't know it, and you let her fly away like a bird .And now the bird is on the gallows. Farewell, David." But at the last moment, she was given a reprieve.So David took her away and took her to another country where the food was far better than the hog food that damned Cheltenham school served.

※※※ Kate had received a note from David, saying he was coming to London soon and would drop by to see her. Kate's imagination was lit like fire.She found a dozen hidden meanings in the note.Why did he come to England?Of course it was to get close to her.Why did he come to see her?Because he finally knew that he loved her and could never leave her again.He will pick her up and bring her out of this horrible place.She could hardly conceal her sense of happiness.Kate's fantasy is so real that on the day of David's arrival, Kate looks around to say goodbye to her classmates. "My boyfriend is coming to take me away," she told them.

The girls looked at her without saying a word, completely disbelieving in their hearts that this was true.Only Georgina Christie taunted: "You're lying again, Kate McGregor." "Just wait and see, he's tall and handsome, he's driving me crazy." When David arrived he was a little puzzled to find all the girls staring at him.They looked at him, giggled, blushed when their eyes met his, and walked away. "They don't seem to have seen a man before," David said to Kate, who looked at her suspiciously. "Have you ever talked to them about me?"

"Of course not," Kate said haughtily. "Why would I do that?" They eat together in the school's big dining hall.David tells Kate what happened at home after she left. "Your mother greets you, she is looking forward to your coming home for the summer." "Mom, how is she?" "It's good, she works very hard." "Is the business going well, David?" He couldn't help being a little surprised at her sudden interest in the company. "It went very well, what's the matter?" Because, Kate thought, someday this company will be mine, and the two of us will run it together. "Oh, I'm just curious."

He looked at her untouched food, "You haven't eaten." Kate is not interested in meals.She was waiting for that magical moment when David said, "Come with me, Kate. You're a woman now, I need you, let's get married." Sweets were brought and then withdrawn.Coffee was brought up and taken away.But still no miraculous words were seen from David. It wasn't until David looked at his watch and said, "Well, I have to go, or I won't catch the train." Then Kate realized that she had a terrible feeling in her heart that he wasn't here to pick her up at all. of.The bastard is going to keep me here to torture me to death!

After David visited Kate, he was very satisfied.She was a bright, sweet child, with some of her formerly indulgent surly temper.David patted Kate's hand tenderly and asked, "Is there anything I can do for you before I go, Kate." Looking him straight in the eye, she said sweetly, "Yes, David, yes. You could do me a huge favor and get out of my life." Then she walked out with all the dignity .David sat there, dumbfounded. ※※※ Margaret found herself still missing Kate.Although the girl was stubborn and disobedient, Margaret knew in her heart that among the living people, she was the only one she loved.She's going to be a great woman, Margaret thought proudly, and I want her to be ladylike.

Kate is coming home for the summer holidays. "How were you doing at school?" Margaret asked. "I hate it, being around you like having a hundred nannies watching you." Margaret stared at her own daughter. "Do the other girls feel the same way?" "What do they know?" she said contemptuously. "You ought to see the girls at that school. They've been raised in hothouses all their lives. They don't know anything about life." "Oh," said Margaret, "then you can't stand it." "Please don't laugh at me. Tell you they haven't even been to South Africa. All the animals they saw were in zoos. None of them ever saw a diamond mine or a gold mine."

"There is no such privilege." Kate said, "Very well, but you'll regret it if I become like them." "Do you think you're going to be like them?" Kate gave a smirk, "Of course not! Are you angry?" ※※※ An hour after Kate got home, she went outside to play rugby with the servants' children.Margaret looked at her through the window and thought, "I'm wasting my money, she'll never change." At dinner that night, Kate casually asked, "Is David in town?" "He's in Australia. I think he'll be back tomorrow." "Is he coming to dinner on Friday?" "Maybe." She looked at Kate, and then said, "You like David, don't you?" She shrugged, "Is he okay." "Oh," said Margaret.She couldn't help smiling when she thought of Kate's vow to marry David. "It's not that I don't like him, Mother. I mean, he's nice as a person, but as a man he's just too much for me." ※※※ When David came to dinner on Friday, Kate sprinted to the door to meet him.She hugged him and whispered in his ear, "I forgive you, I miss you so much, David! Do you miss me?" He said naturally: "Yes." But he thought about it again, and couldn't help being a little surprised at his own words. "God, I've been thinking about her." He had never seen such a child, he had watched her grow up.Every time he comes into contact with her, he always discovers something new about her.She was almost sixteen years old, and she was getting plump.She has grown her dark hair long and loose over her shoulders, and her face has matured.There was a sexual allure about her that he had never noticed before.She is a beauty.Quick minded, strong-willed, a man of some future, David thought. During the meal, David asked, "How are you at school, Kate." "Oh, I just love it there," she said excitedly. "I learned a lot, the teachers were amazing, and I made a lot of friends." Margaret sat stunned. "David, can you take me down the mine?" "You're wasting your vacation like that?" "Yes, please take me there." The next trip to the mine was a full day, which meant she could be with David all day. "If your mother agrees—" "Mom, let me go." "Well, honey. You're with David and I know you'll be all right." Margaret hoped nothing would happen to David. ※※※ The Kruger-Brent diamond mine near Bloemfontein is massive, with hundreds of miners working on digging, machinery, panning and sorting. "It's one of the company's most profitable mines," David told Kate.They were in the manager's office above ground, waiting for an escort to take them down the mine.Against one wall in the room is a sample cabinet containing diamonds of various colors and sizes. "Each diamond has distinct characteristics," David explained. "The diamonds from both sides of the Waal River are alluvial, and their edges have been smoothed by erosion over the centuries." He's more handsome than ever, Kate thought, and I love his brows. "These stones come from different mines, but are easily identifiable from their appearance. See this? From its size and yellow color, you can tell it is from Pardispan. The diamonds from De Vivas have The oily surface is dodecahedral in shape." He's amazing and knows everything. "This one you can distinguish from Kimberley ore because it's octagonal and the color ranges from smoky quartz to pure white." I wonder if that manager thinks David is my lover, I hope so. “The color of a diamond helps determine its value. It is scaled from one to ten on a color scale. The top is blue-white and the bottom is brown.” How good he smelled, it was so - so manly.I love his arms and shoulders, I wish-- "Kate!" She said apologetically, "Huh, David?" "Are you listening to me?" "Of course I'm listening." There was a hint of exasperation in her voice. "I heard every word." They spent the next two hours at the bottom of the mine.Then we had lunch together.It was a beautiful day for Kate. ※※※ When Kate returned home in the evening, Margaret asked: "Did you have a good time?" "Beautiful, mining is so attractive." Half an hour later, Margaret happened to look out of the window, and Kate was wrestling with a gardener's son. The following year, Kate's letters from school conveyed cautious optimism.She was named captain of the hockey team and was at the top of her class academically.The school wasn't that bad, she wrote, and there were even a couple of pretty bad girls in her class.She asked permission to bring two friends over for her summer vacation.For this, Margaret was very happy. With the laughter of young people, the room would be lively again.She hoped her daughter would come back soon, she couldn't wait.Now her dreams are all pinned on Kate.Jamie and I are people from the past, Margaret thought: Kate represents the future, and what a wonderful, bright future it will be! ※※※ When Kate was on vacation at home, all the young guys of the right age in Cripdrift flocked to her and asked to go out with her.And Kate wasn't interested in them at all.David was now in America, and she was anxiously awaiting his return.When he finally got back to her house, Kate greeted him at the door.She wore a white dress with a black velvet belt that accentuated her lovely breasts.When David embraced her, he was amazed by the warmth with which she responded.He took a step back and looked at her again.There was something strange about her, something tacit.There was an expression in her gaze which he could not quite pinpoint, which made him somewhat uneasy. During the holidays, David only saw Kate a few times.Seeing her always surrounded by boys, he couldn't help wondering which one would be lucky enough to get her.Soon David was sent to Australia on a business trip, and when he returned to Cripdrift, Kate was already on her way to England. ※※※ During Kate's last school year, David unexpectedly showed up one evening, and his visits, which usually preceded a letter or a phone call, came without any prior notice. "David! I didn't expect that!" Kate hugged him. "You should have told me you were coming, and I'd—" "Kate, I'm here to take you home." She couldn't help but took a step back, looking at him, "what's the matter?" "I'm afraid your mother is very ill." Kate was stunned for a moment.After a while, he said, "I'm going to pack my things now." ※※※ Kate was startled when she saw her mother's face.She had seen her a few months before, when Margaret seemed to be in perfect health.But now she was pale and haggard.The former look was gone from her eyes.It seemed that the cancer cells that devoured her body were also devouring her soul. Kate sat on the edge of the bed, holding her mother's hand. "Oh, Mom," she said, "I'm so sorry for you." Margaret held her daughter's hand tightly. "I'm ready, honey. I think I've been ready since your father died." She looked up at Kate. "You want to hear me say something stupid I've never told anyone alive before." She hesitated, and then said, "I've been worried that your father was left unattended, and now I can attend to him." Three days later, Margaret was buried.Kate was shaken by her mother's death.She lost her father and an older brother, but she had never met them after all. In her mind, they were just characters in a past story, and her mother's death was real and painful.Kate was eighteen, and suddenly she was all alone in the world.Thinking of this makes me shudder. David watched her standing by his mother's grave, and held himself back strongly from crying.But when they got home, Kate broke down and sobbed. "How kind she is to me, Davy, and I'm an unfilial daughter." David tried to reassure her, "You're a good daughter, Kate." "I've never done anything good but make trouble. I'd give my all if I could make up for what I did to her. I don't want her dead, David! Why should God do this to her?" He waited, giving Kate enough to cry.When she calmed down a bit, David said, "I know it's hard to accept this reality now, but one day this pain will pass. Do you know what will leave you, Kate? Those are happy memories, You will remember all the good times between you mother and daughter." "I think so, it's just that I'm just so sad right now." The next morning, they discuss Kate's future together. "Scotland and your family," David reminded her. "No!" Kate replied, raising her voice. "They're not my family, they're just relatives." There was complaint in her voice. "When my father was going to come to this country, they laughed at him. No one wanted to help him except his mother. Now his mother is dead. No, I have nothing to do with them." David sat there thinking. "Are you going to finish this term?" David continued before Kate could answer, "I think your mother wants you to finish." "Then I'll finish." She stared blankly at the floor. "Damn hell," Kate said. "I understand." David said softly, "I understand." Kate finished school.David went to commencement and Kate spoke as the valedictorian of the class. ※※※ They traveled from Johannesburg to Kripdrift in a private car.In the car David said: "You know, in a few years, it's all yours to own. The car, the mine, the company—it's all yours. You're a young rich woman. The company You can sell it for millions of pounds." He looked at her, and added: "You can also keep it. You should think about it." "I've thought about it." Kate looked at him and smiled. "My father was a pirate, a good old pirate. If only I had seen him. I'm not going to sell this company. You know why?" ?Because the pirate named the company after the two guards who were going to kill him. Isn't that a wonderful thing? Sometimes I can't sleep at night thinking of my father and Banda crawling through the sea fog and I can Heard the guards: Kruger... Brent..." She looked at David, "No, I'll never sell my father's company. As long as you're in charge here, I'll never do that." David said softly, "As long as you need me, I'll stay here." "I decided to go to business school." "Business school?" His voice was full of surprise. "It's 1910," Kate reminded him. "There's a business school in Johannesburg that admits women." "But--" "You asked me how to arrange my money." She looked directly at him and said, "I want to make money."