Authors: Katrina Britt
She said,
‘
Kevin says Juan and Finn are coming in now—they had trouble around the south of the island. See you
!
’
The next moment she had gone with Kevin, leaving Nora staring after them in dismay. So that was why Tricia had come to the pier—to meet Kevin Stroud! And now she was all alone on the pier. The dusk was deepening with every minute. Nora shivered. The old fears were returning, the fears of the unknown. Every shadow around her took on grotesque shapes, every sound was like a pistol shot to her nerves.
She closed her eyes.
‘
Come on, please, Juan. Just come!
’
she whispered. There were more lights now coming round the headland and it seemed ages before one of them broke away from the others who were going further on to the stone pier and the entrance to the harbour.
By the time the party disembarked Nora was quaking. Regardless of the other men with Juan she flung herself into his arms.
‘
Hey now, what
’
s this? What a welcome
!
’
grinned Juan as he held her tight in his arms.
‘
With a send-off like this there
’
s no knowing what we could have achieved.
’
But all Nora heard was the vibration of his voice in his chest as she buried her face against it. The sick frightened feeling in her stomach was slowly departing and it was some seconds before she lifted her face to his. His embrace was enchanting, his face cold from the sea air, his mouth warm and urgent. His kiss lingered until she was out of breath, then he drew her against him and they walked back along the pier.
Finn had been waiting for them a little distance away. Nora was walking on air, trying to forget that Juan had been putting on an act for Finn
’
s benefit. Flung from such emotional heights it took some
minutes for her to return to normal.
Finn was walking along with them now and Juan was saying,
‘
All we need now is a good meal after a disappointing day.
’
‘
It
’
s all ready and waiting,
’
Nora assured him. Then, mindful of what lay ahead, she added.
‘
And there
’
s plenty for you, Finn, too.
’
‘
I wouldn
’
t dream of intruding,
’
Finn began half-heartedly.
‘
Nonsense,
’
said Juan.
‘
Of course you
’
ll have a meal with us. You know you
’
re dead on your feet.
’
The curtains were drawn in the lounge. The meal had been thoroughly enjoyed and the two men sat back enjoying a cigar. Nora had cleared the dishes away and was preparing to wash them when Juan joined her to help.
‘
Finn is asleep on the settee,
’
he said.
As Nora tossed him a tea-towel she felt the need to make one thing clear.
‘
I hope,
’
she said, diving into her task industriously and putting the end product on the draining board,
‘
you didn
’
t think I overdid the welcome back there? As it happened I wasn
’
t exactly enjoying waiting on the pier alone.
’
‘
Then why go?
’
She went on to tell him then about Tricia calling and her reason for meeting him. Juan gave a low whistle.
‘
So she came to meet Kevin Stroud? Interesting,
’
he mused thoughtfully.
‘
Anything else happen?
’
Nora stared hard at him for several seconds.
‘
You know,
’
she said finally,
‘
we
’
re acting like a couple already married.
’
He gave her a look of dark intent.
‘
We
’
ll come back to that later.
’
Nora told him then about Jony coming.
‘
He
actually blushed when he talked about us.
’
She giggled.
‘
It
’
s so funny—Jony romantic, calling Cissy darling, and looking into her eyes.
’
She leaned against the sink, convulsed.
‘
He
’
s just lost a cow and I
’
m sure
... he doesn
’
t
... he doesn
’
t ... really know whether to get another cow or a wife.
’
Paroxysms of laughter convulsed her speech and tears of mirth glistened in her eyes. She wiped them away with a finger, realising that her behaviour was not exactly in keeping with the Nora Bain Juan knew.
She sobered on the thought that from now on it was essential to get a hold on herself. She was in a very tricky situation which would become even trickier when Finn had gone, as Juan could do nothing other than stay the night since they were supposed to be married.
If Juan was puzzled over her behaviour he did not show it. He hung up the tea-towel and waited while she rinsed the sink and her hands. He leaned back against the steel structure while she used the hand cream and surveyed her thoughtfully.
‘
So you enjoyed yourself with Jony? How did he take the wedding announcement?
’
‘
He didn
’
t show it if he was upset. He
’
s bound to be disappointed—all that money within his grasp and then to have only half of it.
’
‘
Did he notice that you had no wedding ring?
’
His eyes were on her small hands, pink as rose petals.
‘
Incidentally, you have pretty hands,
’
he added.
‘
Thanks,
’
Nora answered inanely.
‘
I gave him the impression that it was all to do with keeping the marriage a secret.
’
Juan switched off the kitchen light as they moved back into the lounge where they occupied the two comfortable chairs. He stretched out long legs.
‘
How do you feel about Finn staying the night? He
’
s dead beat and is hardly in a condition to drive himself home. I could take him, but one can hardly refuse a man who gives hospitality himself so freely shelter for the night.
’
He gave her a steady look as if weighing up her reaction to his suggestion.
‘
It
’
s for you to say. It
’
s your flat.
’
Nora swallowed, visualising more problems ahead.
‘
But there
’
s only one spare room,
’
she whispered.
‘
What about you?
’
‘
I
’
ll be all right,
’
he said.
‘
I
’
d better get him to bed.
’
He rose to his feet and went to the settee. It took some time to waken Finn who was flat out, but he managed to get him on his feet and to the guest room. Nora was setting the small dining table for breakfast the following morning when he returned.
‘
You don
’
t have to do that,
’
he told her.
‘
I shall be up early tomorrow morning. Finn will want to go back to The Armitage after breakfast. I
’
ve brought my shaving tackle with me, so he can borrow that.
’
Nervously, Nora rearranged the place mats on the table.
‘
Where are you going to sleep?
’
she asked without
looking up.
‘
I
’
ll use the settee.
’
‘
I
’
ll fetch you a pillow and blankets,
’
she said.
Juan followed her to the linen cupboard in the small corridor and reached above her head for a spare pillow. He was standing right behind her and Nora found his nearness unbearable.
‘
I
’
ll get them,
’
she said ill
temperedly.
‘
For goodness
’
sake go back into the lounge. The place is like a toy house with you around
!’
Juan did not move. He took the pillow and blanket from her, obviously trying to fathom the reason for her outburst.
‘
I don
’
t expect you to wait upon me even if I do clutter up the place with my size,
’
he told her quietly as she followed him back to the lounge.
Miserably Nora watched him put the pillow and blanket on the settee.
‘
I was rude,
’
she said contritely.
‘
I
’
m sorry.
’
‘
Come and sit down. I won
’
t keep you long, then you can go to bed.
’
He sat down on the settee and patted the place beside him, but Nora went to sit in one of the chairs.
He gave her a quizzical look.
‘
Is it any use telling you you have nothing to fear from me staying the night here? I don
’
t take advantage of frightened little girls. I know how scared you were on the pier, but if we
’
re to have some kind of marriage, even if it is only on paper, we have to develop some kind of rapport.
’
She twisted her hands in her lap.
‘
Maybe we ought to forget the whole thing,
’
she said wretchedly.
‘
And have ourselves branded as liars? It
’
s too late.
I shall buy you a ring while we
’
re in Douglas tomorrow. The whole business, bar mishaps, should be over in a couple of days, then once the will is settled we can set about having the marriage annulled.
’
Nora leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes.
‘
I shall be glad to get back to normal living again minus problems.
’
He said cynically,
‘
My dear girl, you
’
re talking about the impossible. No one can go through life without problems.
’
Nora opened her eyes and looked across at him defiantly.
‘
I didn
’
t seem to have many problems cluttering up the place back home.
’
Juan displayed total disbelief.
‘
Then if that was so all I can say is that you
’
ve never really lived, merely existed.
’
‘
Is that so?
’
A flicker of annoyance rippled over her face.
‘
I suppose anyone who doesn
’
t dabble in boats is, by your reckoning, a zombie?
’
‘
I wasn
’
t thinking of boats.
’
His lips twitched at the sudden colour in her face.
‘
I was thinking of other things.
’
Nora consulted her wrist watch, knowing that her heightened colour was a danger signal. With her voice as steady as she could make it, she said,
‘
I won
’
t ask you to define those other things at this late hour. I
’
m off to bed.
’
‘
Just a moment.
’
Juan spoke with an air of command and Nora
’
s panicky gaze focussed on his tall lean frame as he rose slowly to his feet.
She was scared and she felt he knew it. Her mouth went dry and she was afraid to stand in case her legs gave way. But the need to be normal prevailed and she rose to face him.
His smile did not reach his eyes as his gaze narrowed down to her pale upturned face. His frown told her that he was seeking a reason for her obvious fear.
‘
You have the kind of eyes that a man can drown in. Do you know that?
’
he said with a merciless softness.
‘
Your hair is pure gold in the light and your mouth is like a half opened rose. Furthermore, you
’
re frightened to death of life
... of me.
’
Nora took a deep breath and stood her ground.
‘
I expected something like this when you suggested that Finn should stay the night. I might not have indulged in riotous living, but I can read the signs.
’
‘
Can you indeed?
’
The dark eyes sparkled with dangerous glints.
‘
Then let me tell you something, Nora Bain. I was detaining you just now in order to thank you for giving Finn and myself a good
meal and shelter for the night, that was all
.’
‘
Oh!
’
Nora was taken aback. A sense of shame swept over her.
‘
I
’
m sorry,
’
she said huskily.
‘
Only you must admit that in peculiar circumstances one begins to feel peculiar. It hasn
’
t exactly been a relaxing evening for me
.’
‘
It hasn
’
t been my day either—or Finn
’
s, for that matter. I seem to have lost all round
,’
Juan said grimly.