Authors: Katrina Britt
‘
That
’
s not fair, you know,
’
she blurted.
‘
You
’
re setting out deliberately to make me feel small and ... and mean, wh
en
it isn
’
t that at all.
’
‘
What is it, then? It can
’
t be the fact that you won
’
t like travelling back in the dark, since you know I should fetch you and bring you back.
’
His eyes narrowed.
‘
I take it the boy-friend has gone back?
’
She said with spirit,
‘
He is not my boy-friend!
He
’
s my business partner. I was going to introduce you, but you didn
’
t wait.
’
‘
I
’
m intelligent enough to latch on when I
’
m de trop,
’
he told her caustically.
‘
Has he gone back?
’
‘
Yes, he has,
’
she admitted reluctantly.
‘
Don
’
t let me keep you—that box looks heavy.
’
‘
You aren
’
t keeping me. I was wondering if I was keeping you.
’
‘
You weren
’
t. I was going to collect my morning paper,
’
she answered warily.
He eyed her curiously.
‘
Ever been to the Calf of Man?
’
‘
Not yet, but I
’
m working my way around,
’
she replied frankly.
‘
I can see now why
Mr.
Kelly bought me the car. You certainly need it to get about the island.
’
He agreed.
‘
Not much fun seeing it on your own, though. I have to go to Port St Mary this morning. What about coming with me? We can go on to the Calf of Man.
’
For a moment Nora was tempted to turn him down flat. Then she gave in to a new sense of caution which she had learned through dealing with him. Her continued refusal to have anything to do with him could cause her more trouble since he was a man who could not resist a challenge. Besides, she was not yet used to the south of the island and crossing the short journey to the tiny island would entail parking her car.
Knowing her own haphazard way of reaching places provided a reasonable excuse to go with him. It was not a kind of capitulation, she assured herself; it was common sense.
‘
Sounds interesting,
’
she said, still reluctant to follow a decision which she might regret.
Juan
’
s voice had the quality of the cool breezes that favoured the north of the island.
‘
Maybe Jed Kelly
’
s idea of giving you the car wasn
’
t such a good idea after all,
’
he said crisply.
Nora
’
s cheeks went hot.
‘
What do you mean?
’
‘
Without it you would have to mix more in the community. At the moment I bet you
’
re wishing like mad that you hadn
’
t come here at all.
’
The smile did not reach his eyes.
‘
The way you behave with me gives the impression that you don
’
t trust anyone—or is it only me?
’
Her colour deepened.
‘
I don
’
t know what you mean. What could I have done to give you that impression?
’
‘
Plenty.
’
His smile tightened faintly and his voice was mocking.
‘
I might not look it, but I
’
m as sensitive as the next bloke, but I
’
ve learned to relax and it would be a good thing if you did the same.
’
‘
I do relax as far as I
’
m permitted with you. You might not realise it, but you can be very disconcerting and unpredictable,
’
she said indignantly.
His smile widened.
‘
Why not? You can
’
t say that it
’
s a bad thing, since there
’
s nothing like keeping the adrenalin going. At least you won
’
t be bored with me.
’
‘
I might find you very tiring. You aren
’
t exactly restful to be with.
’
‘
You
’
re becoming a little confused,
’
he drawled.
‘
It
’
s the clean fresh air of the island that knocks you for six. I
’
ll pick you up
in half an hour when I
’
ve taken these provisions to the boat.
’
Nora was waiting for him when he drove along the promenade from the pier, and she slipped into the front seat of the luxuriously upholstered car. Before starting the car he glanced at her pretty green linen trouser suit and taking her beige woolly jacket along with a matching shoulder bag, he tossed them behind him onto the back seat. Then he said mildly,
‘
What happened to the bag I retrieved from the sea? Ruined, was it, or did you want to forget all about it?
’
‘
A bit of both,
’
she answered, and added hurriedly,
‘
That doesn
’
t mean I wasn
’
t grateful for getting it back. I was, enormously, because of my keys and other things.
’
‘
All your love letters were ruined, were they?
’
he teased.
‘
You should know, since you searched the bag,
’
she retorted.
‘
So I should.
’
He laughed and shook his head at her, and it was a tremendous relief when he started the car and gave his attention to the road ahead. But Nora need not have worried. He drove expertly and at speed, slowing down each time they approached something of interest. He patiently explained every landmark which he thought would interest her.
On the way to Port St Mary Juan pointed out a Viking burial ground at Balladoole, then pulled up as they topped a rise to a panoramic view of Port St Mary and the great rock at Bradda Head in the background.
Juan left Nora in the car while he went to deliver a parcel to the Yacht Club, then they had an early lunch.
‘
Sure that
’
s enough?
’
he asked, taking the container holding vegetables from her to transfer some to his plate.
He had frowned to see that she had put potatoes and vegetables on to her plate in small portions.
‘
I
’
m not a big eater,
’
she confessed.
‘
I
’
m not greedy myself, but I do eat enough to keep me going until my next meal,
’
he admitted sardonically.
‘
With your figure you
’
ve nothing to worry about.
’
He put down the vegetable dish and picked up the sauce boat to pass it to her. What fine strong hands he had, she thought, and that look of imperturbability made her feel weak.
As she looked up to pass the sauce back her eyes collided with his and she looked down quickly at her plate.
‘
Nice restaurant,
’
she said by way of making conversation.
‘
I suppose you come here often?
’
‘
I have been before,
’
he answered laconically. He gave her a long speculating look as he picked up his knife and fork.
‘
Are you sure you can
’
t make up your mind what you
’
re going to do about the will and then put it clear out of your mind? The thing is whether you want to give your share over to Jony or not.
’
She nodded.
‘
Yes, I suppose it is. I wish it was as simple as it sounds. If I were to give it all over to Jony and he misused it I would always worry about it.
’
‘
But you wouldn
’
t know, would you, when once you
’
ve left the island, what he does with it?
’
he said reasonably.
‘
If a wrong is done and you don
’
t know about it that doesn
’
t make it right, does it?
’
She took a long breath and forked up some vegetables.
‘
It
’
s so difficult to know what to do.
’
‘
You could go back home and think about it. The problem might seem smaller at a distance,
’
Juan suggested.
He went on eating his lunch, big, vital, and sure of himself and what he wanted from life. It must be cosy to be in such a comfortable state of mind, Nora thought wryly. On the island among the company of the yachting set he was without doubt surrounded by presentable girls. He could probably have his pick of them, so why should he just settle for one?
She brought her mind back to her own problem, then shied away from it. Why spoil her day?
‘
What
’
s Jony
’
s girl-friend like?
’
she asked.
‘
Do you know her?
’
‘
I
’
ve seen her. No doubt you have too. She has a friend in the same flats as you and goes to see her several times a week. The woman can
’
t get out much. She has rheumatism in her feet and Cissy goes to give her heat treatment or something. She
’
s small and dark, quite pretty. I can
’
t see what she sees in Jony.
’
‘
She must love him, to have waited so long.
’
‘
Ten years?
’
He raised a dark brow in mocking disbelief.
Nora did not look at Juan
’
s smile, but she knew the quality of it. He was mocking her romantic view of an
extra-long
courtship and, worse still, the idea that love itself could have played a part.
Angry that her heart seemed to quicken its beat, she said evenly,
‘
Perhaps Jony is selfish in holding on to his present way of life. It
’
s different for a woman. She wants a home and children.
’
‘
Really?
’
‘
Yes, really,
’
Nora retorted.
‘
I know women better than you because I happen to be one myself. I suppose if you ever decide to marry there won
’
t be anything romantic about it. She
’
ll have to be someone who will fit into your way of life.
’
‘
What
’
s wrong with that?
’
he demanded, sitting back into his chair after clearing his plate.
‘
Perhaps we ought to qualify that last remark by saying that it will be someone who fits in with my ideas what marriage should be.
’
‘
So you do have ideas about marriage?
’
she scoffed.
She stared at him challengingly, caught a faintly mocking glint in the dark eyes and looked away.
‘
I know what it entails if it has to last the whole course. Been round this part of the island much yet?
’
‘
Not much, apart from looking at the shops,
’
she answered guardedly.
‘
So you won
’
t have seen the Chasms? We
’
ll take them in on our way to the Calf of Man.
’
She said,
‘
Wouldn
’
t it be better to continue on our journey without any stops in between? It might rain.
’
‘
It won
’
t rain. The wind is in the wrong direction.
’
Nora laughed weakly.
‘
You know all the answers, don
’
t you? Look, I
’
m just bothered that I might be taking up more of your time, that
’
s all.
’
His eyes narrowed.
‘
I
’
m not the kind who would permit you to do that. You
’
re stalling. Worse, you
’
re getting all het up at the thought of being with me for longer than you thought. Relax.
’
He grinned.
‘
What about having an ice cream sweet to follow in order to cool you down?
’
He shook his head.
‘
You
’
re the first girl I
’
ve had any difficulty with up to now. Usually I find them pretty amenable.
’
‘
Define amenable.
’
His lips twitched.
‘
I
’
ve got a right one here, haven
’
t I? Look, lady, suppose you leave everything to me. What do you propose for a sweet? Something soft and gooey...?
’
‘
Like romance?
’
Nora cut in.
‘
Or something ice-cold that numbs all feeling such as your approach to it?
’
He grinned again.
‘
Well, I
’
m going for apple pie and cream, so work that one out.
’