Authors: Rosalind Brett
“
It would be far better all round if we carried on as if that
...
certificate didn
’
t exist,
”
she said huskily.
“
I suppose you
’
ve heard nothing from Mr. Bretherton?
”
“
Nothing since we signed the annulment petition. These things move slowly.
”
“
Why, exactly, did you invite me today?
”
“
Why shouldn
’
t I? Sorry the Harmsens couldn
’
t
ma
ke
i
t for lunch, but they
’
re coming in for tea, around four.
”
“
Do you mean
...”
“
Yes, Teresa. We
’
re going to be alone for some
time.
Do you mind?
”
She looked through the window.
“
Is it any use minding? Do you ever ask anyone
’
s opinion
before
you make arrangements?
”
“
I couldn
’
t ask yours. When I come to the Winchesters you try to pretend I
’
m not there and take good care never to be alone with me.
”
A shrug.
“
If you find it helps you, I
’
ve no objection at all.
”
“
But you persist in coming.
”
“
It
’
s no trouble, child,
”
he said with an aloof
smile.
“
Naturally I have to keep a tag on you. I was late last night, but it was as well I turned up, wasn
’
t it? No sense in committing yourself to a trip to Singapore when it
’
s out of the question.
”
Her lips were firm.
“
So that
’
s why you were offhand—you
’
d heard about it. I don
’
t see that it
’
s any business of yours what I do or where I go.
”
“
There
’
s where you
’
re wrong. It
’
s an annulment I want, not a divorce.
”
She looked his way in stunned silence, saw faint malice in his smile and arrogance in his profile. At last she said,
“
You don
’
t dish up much of that charm for me, do you? Are you afraid of being misconstrued?
”
His smile was tantalizing now.
“
When we
’
re free of other I
’
ll be charming to you, Teresa.
”
“
We shan
’
t know each other then.
”
“
No? Well, I
’
ll write you a charming letter.
”
A pause.
“
I guessed you were in a fighting mood as soon as I saw your careful poise today. You were really looking forw
a
rd to a week in Singapore with Roger, weren
’
t you?
”
“
Yes.
”
“
It didn
’
t strike you as indiscreet that you should stay with him and his parents while still tied to me?
”
he asked coolly.
“
I
’
m not tied to you!
”
“
According to Bretherton, who
’
s a stickier for facts, you are. I
’
m not implying that you should consider we
’
re married
...
”
“
Thank you for that, anyway!
”
“
But it does seem,
”
he went on unperturbed,
“
that we
’
re what you might call slightly married. It
’
s like being slightly mental or slightly drunk—as bad as being quite when it comes to making decisions. The decision to accomp
a
ny young Roger Payn to Singapore was one you certainly shouldn
’
t have made.
”
“
The invitation is from his parents, not from Roger!
”
He lifted an eyebrow.
“
And you can see yourself going there as a sweet young thing for them to look over, as a prospective bride for their son? You—a married woman? Tut-tut.
”
“
You
’
re deliberately trying to make me feel horrid.
”
“
No.
”
He had hardened somewhat.
“
I just don
’
t want you to make any slip that might complicate matters. Bretherton says everything should go through smoothly and without question: we
’
re not risking anything else. It
’
s too important.
”
She steeled her voice to remark,
“
You
’
re not particularly flattering, are you? Now that I know you better I can
’
t help marvelling at the impulse that led you to take me on,
back
in Vinan.
”
“
It wasn
’
t an impulse, little one,
”
he said bluntly.
“
I fought against it the whole night through, used blandishments, offered bribes and put up arguments. It was only when I was reduced to it that I agreed to the step we took.
”
“
And you wouldn
’
t have agreed then if you
’
d thought for a moment that it might turn out to be serious,
”
she said in low tones.
“
Well, neither would I. It
’
s nearly a month since Mr. Bretherton told us the glad news, and it
’
s been the most wretched month of my life.
”
“
Too bad,
”
he said crisply,
“
but you
’
ll have to live with it, as I do.
”
He slowed, to take the bend towards his house.
“Just don’t d
o anything to make the matter worse.
”
“
Don
’
t worry,
”
she said stiffly.
“
I won
’
t do anything to embarrass you with Miss Harmsen. I promise that.
”
His teeth snapped, he drew an audible breath, swung the car round the short drive in front of his house. As he helped her out he looked cold and withdrawn. He took her inside the house, gave her a tall drink with ice, and called along to his servant that they would like lunch to be served in ten minutes. His movements, as he filled a glass for himself and placed a cigarette box and lighter on the luncheon table, reminded Terry of tempered steel. But the drink and the silence did their work. By the time they were sated and tackling the surprisingly good jellied soup, he was his suave and tolerant self.
“
First time we
’
ve eaten alone together since we arrived,
”
he commented.
“
Do you ever think of the terrible stuff we got through down the river?
”
“
I have done, a few times. But the worst memory is of those salt tablets you made me swallow in water. They were appalling.
”
“
They
’
re a manufactured thing—common salt and medicinal salts. If you sweat much they
’
re indispensable. Even in those few days you lost weight.
”
He looked her over, impersonally.
“
You should have made it up by now, but you haven
’
t. Yet the climate doesn
’
t seem to affect you much.
”
“
It
’
s not the climate,
”
She left it there, but worried at the fringe of it.
“
You never did tell me how Miss Harmsen received your gifts. Did she like the records?
”
“
As curios, yes.
”
A thin mask seemed to have slipped down over his well-cut features.
“
She liked the other things, too. Astrid is the acquisitive type. If there
’
s anything she covets and it
’
s lying around, it disappears.
”
He smiled.
“
She
’
s very candid about it, and very willing to pay for whatever she lifts. She
’
s quite a character.
”
Terry broke a rye biscuit on her plate.
“
Does she like it here?
”
“
She
’
s mad about it. If she
’
d had the cash she would have bought out her brother and carried on the plantation. She wanted me to buy him out and go partners with her,
but my contract with Peninsular doesn
’
t allow that kind of thing. I shall be managing the plantation for the company.
”
“
She
’
ll be able to retain some sort of interest in it, then. What about the house?
”
“
Astrid has permission to retain it on a basis of three month
’
s notice from the company when they want it themselves. We
’
ve no use for a place so far from the main estate buildings, but eventually it may be converted into a storehouse,
”
He helped her to crayfish salad.
‘
Tani took special trouble with this—for you. Have you noticed that he stares at you?
”
She had been aware of the interest of the thin, white-clad servant, and decided it must be his usual reaction to female visitors.
“
Am I different from anyone else he knows?
”
“
Very much so. Like the rest of Penghu, he
’
s heard about the canoe trip, and he told me very earnestly that he has tremendous respect for your stamina. He had a young cousin who was
kil
led by a crocodile in the Witch
’
s Tunnel.
”
She recalled the only crocodile they had met, and shivered.
“
You can do almost anything a first time. I wouldn
’
t like to face the trip again.
”
“
Not even with me?
”
he asked mockingly.
She found a smile.
“
Definitely not with you. It would be anti-climax.
”
“
I
’
m not sure that this isn
’
t anti-climax—this period we
’
re going through.
”
“
It does take some laughing off.
”
His smile a little cynical, he reached over and patted her hand.
“
You can do it, Teresa. I
’
ve great faith in your recuperative powers. That
’
s one reason I waited nearly a month before getting you alone here. We simply have to get an outlook on this thing, and we can only do it by co-operating with each other.
”
She drew the hand he had touched down into her lap.
“
How do you suggest we set about it?
”
“
In the first place, you have to relax and accept things as they are. You can
’
t keep keyed up for three months; you
’
d go crazy. And there
’
s another thing.
”
He paused, and studied her.