Authors: Katrina Britt
Finn Cullan strolled up to them as Juan returned with the drinks, and complimented Nora on being the prettiest girl in the room. The evening as far as Nora was concerned was hardly a success. She had plenty of partners during the dancing which followed, as did Tricia. Once when she was dancing with Finn, Nora saw Juan pass with Tricia and his expression as he looked down at her was one which was unmistakably appreciative of her charms.
When the dance finished Juan strolled over with
Tricia to where Nora stood with Finn. With a gesture of his head he indicated a corner table not far from the bar seating four.
‘
I
’
ll fetch refreshments,
’
he volunteered,
‘
if you
’
ll sit down over there.
’
Finn seated Nora and Tricia and hitching up immaculate trousers sat between them.
‘
Enjoying your stay on the island?
’
he asked Nora.
‘
Very much. No, thanks.
’
She shook her head as Finn offered a cigarette before turning to Tricia, who took one in scarlet-tipped fingers.
Tricia inhaled, blew out a line of smoke and gazed at Nora between heavily made up lashes.
‘
I
’
ve been told you
’
ve made a hit with
Aimée
,
’
she said.
‘
Normally she
’
s very shy of making friends, but she likes you.
’
‘
I like her too,
’
Nora answered sincerely.
‘
She
’
s very sweet and unspoiled.
’
Tricia glanced at Finn who was returning his lighter to his pocket after lighting his cigarette, then she said sweetly,
‘
I
’
m so grateful to Finn for asking us to spend a holiday with him, but I
’
m afraid
Aimée
is in danger of being completely spoiled. Everyone makes such a fuss of her. At home I try to be very casual with her. It
’
s so easy to overdo the mother part. Actually what she needs is a father.
’
‘
In short,
’
Finn cut in,
‘
you need a husband?
’
He eyed her thoughtfully.
‘
If you didn
’
t make it so obvious you
’
d probably get one.
’
Tricia laughed.
‘
That
’
s a bit below the belt, I must say! Since we
’
re speaking so frankly who do you suggest?
Aimée
is very fond of Juan.
’
Finn looked thoughtfully at the tip of his cigarette.
‘
I hardly think you would marry to please the child. First you have to get your man, whoever he happens to be fond of.
’
‘
Is that a challenge that I couldn
’
t get Juan?
’
she asked with a strange light in her eyes which Nora swiftly lowered her own against.
Finn looked at her directly.
‘
I wouldn
’
t think with one divorce behind you that you
’
d even contemplate the idea of a second one on those terms
,’
he said darkly.
Tricia laughed again, and shrugged pretty shoulders.
‘
I suppose a woman in my position has to take what she can get when a child of a previous marriage is involved.
’
Nora said,
‘
Why didn
’
t you let your husband have
Aimée
? Or didn
’
t he want her?
’
She was feeling profoundly sorry for the child, since it was obvious that Tricia resented the responsibility.
‘
He
’
s the chivalrous kind, thinks a child is better off with its mother.
’
Tricia
’
s tones were as hard as the look in her eyes, but it was transformed by Juan approaching with a tray of drinks.
‘
Darling Juan
,’
she cooed,
‘
you
’
re an angel! My throat is absolutely parched.
’
‘
That comes of drinking more than is good for you,
’
he answered, putting the tray down on the table.
‘
How sweet of you to notice,
’
she cooed.
‘
I
’
m afraid no one is bothered about poor little me.
’
‘
Why should they be?
’
Juan reasoned carelessly.
‘
Nature has been kind in handing all her choice bits to you.
’
A wave of colour spread over Nora
’
s face as she watched his long lean fingers pouring out drinks to the sound of the clinking of ice against glass. Evidently Juan was accustomed to taking in a woman
’
s charms, although he had not seemed the type. That frivolous comment could put him in the same category as Tricia as far as Nora was concerned.
She sipped her drink, hoping it would infuse some warmth in her since she was feeling completely numb. Juan sat down between her and Finn and swallowed part of his drink.
Tricia
’
s slim fingers with blood-red tips were curved around her drink while she flung back her head to exhale cigarette smoke above her.
‘
I missed you today, Juan,
’
she said.
‘
I went around the bay with Kevin, but I didn
’
t enjoy it as much as when you take me. I was in the water more than I was on the skis. Kevin isn
’
t very good at it.
’
Juan was surveying her with a mocking intensity.
‘
Kevin is good at other things—and I
’
m sure you
’
ve discovered that by the way you were making eyes at
h
im just now,
’
he drawled.
‘
I wasn
’
t making eyes at him,
’
she snapped angrily.
‘
You
’
re in a beastly mood this evening. If you
’
ve had a bad day don
’
t take it out on poor little me!
’
Juan smiled.
‘
As a matter of fact I
’
ve had a most enjoyable day with Nora.
’
The last two words were murmured with a kind of subtle emphasis, and Nora felt her face go hot. She had no wish to join in any squabble and it seemed to her that Tricia was ripe for one.
‘
We
’
ve been to the Calf of Man,
’
she said quietly.
‘
Juan had some business in Port St Mary and offered to take me.
’
‘
How nice!
’
Sarcasm dripped from Tricia
’
s tones.
‘
Juan is good at picking naive girls up to show them the island, even little girls like my daughter. It
’
s surprising how girls go for a uniform hat, especially a yachting one.
’
‘
Stop it!
’
Juan spoke sternly.
‘
You know that isn
’
t
true, and keep away from Kevin Stroud. He contaminates everything he touches. All he has is money.
’
Tricia speared him with a venomous look. Furiously she blurted,
‘
I
’
d say that was enough to make him interesting. Besides, if you
’
d been around I wouldn
’
t have gone with him.
’
Juan was unperturbed.
‘
So what? I
’
m not here at anyone
’
s beck and call—Finn will verify that.
’
Finn, however, was remaining an amused spectator.
He refused to be drawn, and if Tricia had not been so angry she would have taken notice of Juan
’
s steely look.
‘
I don
’
t know what
’
s got into you, Juan,
’
she said.
‘
It wouldn
’
t have anything to do with Nora inheriting a fortune, would it? Nice to have a bit on the side and money to boot.
’
Juan said slowly, darkly,
‘
If you were a man I
’
d knock you down for that. What an unpleasant person you are! It
’
s time somebody took you in hand.
’
Tricia
’
s smile was not pleasant.
‘
You know, that
’
s funny, because I thought you had. You
’
ve captured
Aimée
’
s affections to the extent that she
’
s been regarding you as a father figure ever since we came here.
’
Juan said distastefully,
‘
I find this conversation in very bad taste—and you owe Nora an apology.
’
‘
For what?
’
Tricia scoffed insolently.
Finn said quietly,
‘
I think you
’
d better apologise, Tricia. You were very rude and insulting, and I don
’
t allow any guests of mine to insult my friends.
’
Tricia looked mortified.
‘
O.K., if that
’
s what you want, I apologise,
’
she snapped.
‘
Now, if you
’
ll excuse me I
’
ll move to more congenial company.
’
She swept away without a backward glance and Nora saw her join Kevin Stroud at the bar. Music
for dancing had started again and when Richard Garrant came to join them, Juan asked Nora if she would like to dance.
She followed him on to the dance floor wishing she had not agreed to come. She did not fit in with them at all. But, too soon, her whole being was by way of relenting with her resentment forming a kind of pain.
‘
Sorry about the incident just now,
’
said Juan above her ear.
‘
Tricia will have to watch it or her holiday will be cut short. Knowing Finn, she
’
ll probably end up on a plane back home.
’
‘
She
’
s probably resenting me,
’
Nora suggested.
‘
After all, you were giving her more of your attention before I happened along. She lost her temper, that
’
s all. It would be a pity if she had to go when
Aimée
is looking so much better.
’
She felt his fingers curl around the hand he held, but she took care that her own did not respond. He danced well, as his congenital ease of movement indicated that he would, and he held her correctly.
But he was much too close for her to relax entirely. It was a situation which she was finding more impossible with every minute.
‘
Do you mind if I go after this dance?
’
she asked.
‘
Not at all. I
’
ll come with you—
I
want to talk to you. We can either talk in your place or any place you choose,
’
he said easily.
Nora looked up at him.
‘
Talk?
’
‘
Yes. We can find a corner here if you like where we shan
’
t be overheard.
’
She shook her head.
‘
No, we can go to the flat. But I don
’
t know what we
’
ve got to talk about.
’
Back in her f
l
at Nora felt on home ground. There was a tranquillity about it which lulled her into thinking that nothing unpleasant could happen there.
‘
Sit down,
’
she said when they were in the small lounge.
‘
What would you like to drink?
’
‘
Do we want a drink?
’
Juan queried on a dark uplifted brow.
‘
I
’
d like a coffee,
’
she confessed.
‘
What about you?
’
‘
I
’
m easy,
’
he answered.
Nora made the coffee and imagined what it would be like married to Juan. She did not call in to him by way of conversation, for she could not think of a word to say. When their cups were filled with the fragrant liquid they still did not speak. It seemed that Juan, now that they were settled, seemed reluctant to begin their little talk.
At length he put down his cup and felt in his pocket for cigarettes.
‘
Mind if I smoke?
’
he asked after she shook her head as he offered them to her.
‘
I seem to be smoking more since I met you. I
’
ll have to cut it out. I can if I want.
’
‘
What have I to do with it?
’
she asked.
‘
I smoke very rarely myself.
’
‘
You
’
d be surprised,
’
he answered, replacing the cigarettes and lighter to his pocket.
‘
Do you mind if I speak out?
’
‘
Fire away,
’
she said lightly.
‘
This seems to be an evening for plain speaking.
’
‘
You
’
re sore at Tricia. Don
’
t be. I have a way of preventing her from making any more snide remarks. This cousin of yours that you
’
re in partnership with—do you like him a lot?
’
‘
He
’
s good company, easy to work with, but I don
’
t think those are qualities enough for marriage. I don
’
t love him, if that
’
s what you mean,
’
she said frankly.
‘
Good. I suggested it to you before that we should get together. Now it seems we both need to do this, especially me. You see, Tricia is a menace and one that I don
’
t much like. She is serious about our relationship; I
’
m not. Not only that, she
’
s proving an embarrassment to Finn as well. He
’
s been kind enough to offer her a holiday here for the sake of
Aimée
and she saw it as an opportunity to get a husband. It didn
’
t take her long to discover that Finn wasn
’
t interested.
’
‘
So she set her sights upon you,
’
put in Nora.
‘
In a way. I don
’
t want her to play on
Aimée
’
s feelings by pretending that there
’
s something between us, that some day she might have a new daddy—me. The child is lonel
y
and it would be wrong to build up her hopes.
’
Nora considered this without raising her eyes to his face.
‘
I see what you mean,
’
she said slowly, talking to her cof
f
ee cup.
‘
How much longer is Tricia staying on the island? Is she here for the summer?
’
‘
A month, maybe more. I might be gone before she goes.
’
‘
When
...
when do you go?
’
Nora had never known a future that looked so bleak since she lost her parents.
Juan took a pull at his cigarette. Without much expression, he said,
‘
I
’
ll let you know when the time comes. Meanwhile you and I can be seen around now and then together. We needn
’
t make heavy weather of it. The word soon goes round when two people are seen enjoying each other
’
s company.
’
Nora lifted her face to meet his eyes. Speech evaded her for breathless seconds as he held her gaze. Then she said,
‘
I don
’
t mind going out with you occasionally.
’
‘
Thanks,
’
he said dryly.
‘
I
’
ll let you off lightly. I might drop in some time.
’
She nodded.
‘
I
’
d like that.
’
He crushed out his cigarette in a nearby ashtray and rose to his feet.
‘
That
’
s settled, then. Goodbye for now. Sleep well.
’