Clouds Below the Mountains (38 page)

He said goodnight to the young girl who Juan had said he was in love with. She was rocking her baby, who was crying very lustily. The girl looked tired, her large eyes luminous in her pallid face and Miguel wondered at her patience and the love she had for her child.

Someone else was watching from his shadowy vantage point, but thought it was too early yet to show himself to her.

Lesley decided that she couldn't go down for breakfast at the same time, as Lucy was meeting Uwe and Heiko. It wasn't her place to do so and listening to Lucy last night bewailing the fact that Uwe obviously didn't fancy her so perhaps he was gay, had got on her nerves somewhat.

Lucy was lucky that she was of an age and in a job where men could come and go in her life, whereas at thirty four as she was and committed to teaching a class of seven year olds each day, rather limited her chances.

Not that she could bear the thought at the moment of someone replacing her husband. She still had feelings for Geoff; mixed feelings that is of anger, betrayal and loathing, but at other times she thought of him with sadness and regret. The hardest thing to take was the fact that he had left her, because his bit on the side was pregnant. If the woman hadn't been, maybe she could have forgiven his fall from grace with her.

She dressed herself in a peach T' shirt and cream linen trousers, after she had showered and styled her hair. It looked as if the weather was going to curtail any outdoor pursuits.

***

Ray sighed when he saw the rain tippling down on their balcony. What a day to choose to go tramping around an animal park. Already Joanne was muttering that she didn't want to go and Tricia was moaning that she'd only brought a jacket, no mac or brolly or decent walking shoes.

“Maybe the trip will be cancelled and we'll get a refund,” he said hopefully. “Come on, Joanne, get out of bed. I'll go and see that rep' while you're dressing, though I'd put on jeans and a sweater if I were you because, I won't hold my breath.”

***

Lucy moaned to herself as she looked up at the sky, whilst she waited for a break in the downpour before she crossed the courtyard from the annexe. She had put her rep's coat on. A dark blue gaberdine affair with a mandarin collar and tie belt, which she had only worn once since she was issued with it. She had unfurled her pink umbrella in readiness to dash across, but was worrying that the puddles would leave dirty marks on her legs. If it hadn't been for the German men's visit, she thought ruefully, she could have spent her day at her desk in the foyer. Boring certainly, but warm and dry. Still, looking at the up side, at least she wasn't going to be sitting in a muggy coach like the rest of the punters. The three of them were going by taxi and could come back at any time.

“Oh, good morning,” she said, as she slowed down her running pace whilst entering the foyer, having decided to make a dash for it. “I'm just on my way to breakfast, Mr. Keegan. Is there something I can do for you?”

“Yes, you can,” Ray said gruffly. “I want a blooming refund. Neither me, my wife or my daughter are equipped with the right gear for going on the trip.”

“Oh,” said Lucy at a loss, not knowing what to say because this problem hadn't cropped up before.

“I don't think that we can give a refund, as the coach and driver have to be paid for and the admission tickets as well.”

“I thought you'd say that. I said to my wife that I wouldn't hold my breath.”

“I'm sorry Mr. Keegan, but Periquito Travel cannot be held responsible for inclement weather. All I can say is that we must make the best of it.”

***

“Any ideas for amusing ourselves?” asked Sonya, after she had knocked on her parent's door to say that she and Evan were ready to go down to breakfast.

“I want to go to Kid's club and play with Jack,” said Evan, running past his mother to say hello to his granddad.

“Nothing springs to mind,” said Kate. “Actually I've got a bit of a headache on me this morning, so I might just go back to bed.”

“What do you expect? I had to virtually carry you back here last night.”

Kate glared at Greg. At least he'd had an excuse to keep to his side of the bed and come to think of it, he'd been all over that Anthea like a rash, hadn't he? She opened her mouth to say just that, but decided it would keep until they were alone again.

“Maybe that Mikey you're friendly with, will have some ideas, Sonya,” said Greg. “Surely that's part of his job to keep the guests amused on a rotten day.”

“I can ask him, but I don't think he gets down here until after ten o' clock. Perhaps you and I can do something, Dad, if Evan's in the Kid's club and Mum's gone back to bed?”

“Oh that would be nice, Sonya. I'll have a think on what we can do.”

***

“I think I'll see if the beauty salon can fit me in this morning, Darling,” Anthea said, as she noticed that one of her nails had chipped and of course it had to be a colour of varnish that she hadn't brought with her. “I'll put my track suit on. It will be far more comfortable if we're to lounge around all day.”

“Then after breakfast I'll go to see if they are organizing any indoor activities for our amusement,” said her husband, leering down the plunging neckline of her white tight fitting top. “Of course I can suggest other indoor activities, but I'm sure you'll tell me you need a rest.”

“Got it in one,” smiled Anthea, thinking that their idea of making each other jealous by making up with someone else, was working very well in the sex department, and last night they had decided to stick with Kate and Greg. The other couple were unsuitable. Phil didn't have much going for him in the looks department, even if she had said he was attractive to his face. He certainly wasn't as handsome as Greg, who had a very good body for a man his age. That wife of his wasn't making the most of what she'd got.

***

“Guten Morgan, Lucy,” said Uwe and Heiko in unison, as the two men stood up politely when the rep' walked over to their table.

“Good morning to you,” Lucy replied. “ Have you had a look at the breakfast buffet?”

“Ja, it looks good,” said Uwe, enthusiastically. “Heiko has been taking notes.”

“Have you got a note about me in there, Heiko?” asked Lucy playfully, looking over his shoulder as she passed him. Heiko reddened and snapped his notebook shut.

“So, as you can see we are prepared for the bad weather,” said Uwe, pointing to the dark green trench coats and black golf umbrellas that lay on the spare chair. “We will not let the weather spoil our investigations, as Loro Parque will be on our list, when we give advice to our clients of where to visit.”

“But hopefully not in the rain, Uwe,” said Lucy wryly. “ It's quite possible though that this will have cleared by lunchtime.”

“I'll drink to that,” said Ray, who was sitting with his family on a nearby table, and he raised his coffee cup.

“There is no sign of Lesley?” asked Heiko. “ Is she not to join us this morning?”

“It wasn't arranged,” replied Lucy, surprised that the man was interested enough in Lesley's whereabouts to ask the question. “ I suppose she thought she would be in the way of any discussions we may have.”

“Ja, I thought that. She is a very unassuming lady, a homely lady I would like to think.”

Gosh, thought Lucy, an admirer for Lesley. She must tell her that as soon as she got back.

***

“A quiz this morning and a tea dance this afternoon,” said Sonya, as she came back to join her father, who had been waiting in the foyer after putting his grandson in the Kid's club.

“Oh and I thought I could beat you at pool this morning,” Greg replied. “ You know we've not had a game of pool since we were in Pathos.”

“I hardly see you in the evenings, Dad,” she said, settling on one of the settees beside him. “ You're either late home from work or you've got some important meeting.”

“Needs must if I want to keep the business afloat. I have to keep your mother in the style she's become accustomed to.”

“Are you and Mum all right, Dad?” Sonya asked, looking at her dad quizzically.

“We get by, love. What do you expect of a couple who've been married as long as we have?”

“It's just I've noticed that you don't hold hands like you used to or kiss each other when you leave for work. It's since you had that row over the property in Cyprus, isn't it?”

“Well, that did cause me to evaluate our marriage,” Greg said looking a bit uncomfortable. “ But you know Sonya, this isn't a conversation I want to have with my daughter. What goes on with me and your mother is best left alone.”

“It does affect me and Evan though. We live in the same house and at times the tension between you is quite strong.”

“Yes, I know, even the child has picked up on it. We were taking a walk around the reservoir the other Sunday and Evan was walking between us, suddenly he stopped and said, “ you know Granddad, you and Grandma should be holding hands.” We laughed about it, but it's true what they say, “ out of the mouths of babes”.

“Perhaps after this holiday you'll feel a bit more relaxed with each other. I'm beginning to, even though it's a lousy day.”

“Is that because you've just seen young fellow-me-lad? If I were you Sonya, I'd give him a wide berth.”

***

“Looks as if you have quite a number of people going to Loro Parque today, Lucy,” said Ralf Sanchez, as he came into the foyer with a young woman who had been sheltering under his large golf umbrella. “The rain may clear by midday, it usually does. Good morning, Herr. Schroeder, Herr. Rennsburger, I trust you slept well and enjoyed partaking of an excellent breakfast?”

The two men nodded and returned his greeting, though they seemed to have got enveloped within the group of passengers that were waiting for the coach. Ray and his family were amongst them, staring around moodily and a group of relatives making up the numbers, as well.

“Let us move over to where we can talk by the fountain,” said Sanchez. “ See you later, Isabelle.

Now, any complaints of our service? Was there a good selection at our breakfast table? Are you satisfied with our comfortable beds?”

“Heiko?” said Uwe and Lucy had to smile as she stood apart from them, to see Heiko consulting his notebook.

“The coach is here,” shouted one of the passengers and Lucy couldn't hear what Heiko was saying, as she accompanied her clients to the waiting coach and stood in the rain while she counted heads.

“I'll be right along behind you,” she said to the driver, as she saw a taxi drawing up in the driveway.

“V.I.P's ,” she said, just loud enough for him to hear her and understanding, he nodded his head.

***

“Senor Sanchez has invited us to his villa tomorrow evening for dinner,” Uwe said from the front passenger seat, as the taxi sped along the auto-pista.

“That's very nice of him,” Lucy replied, wondering if she had been invited too as she had never seen inside a Spanish villa.

“We will meet his family,” said Heiko, his voice sounding happy at the prospect. “ His wife, who I hear is an excellent cook and he has two sons and his daughter we saw this morning.”

“His daughter?” said Lucy. “ Was that the young woman who came in with Mr. Sanchez?”

“Yes, she is a very beautiful lady, don't you think?”

***

“I saw a sign up on the dining room window saying that they're having a Quiz in the Sunlight Bar at eleven. Do you want to go?” asked Betty, as she and Nobby came out after a late breakfast.

“I don't think there'll be much else to do, Betty. Shall we sit over there by the patio doors and read our books for now?”

“Seems like a good idea, just look at that rain sheeting down the window. Oh, but do you think you can fetch my postcards from the bedroom and I can write them while we wait?”

“Is there anybody sitting here?” asked a tall, slim, white haired gentleman to Betty, after Nobby had settled her on the settee, whilst she rootled through her handbag looking for her address book and pen.

“Not at the moment,” Betty replied pleasantly. “ My husband has gone to get me my postcards, so I think you can perch for a little while.”

“Well thank you,” said Harry, lowering his self beside her. “ Have you been here long? I don't seem to have seen you around.”

“We got in on Tuesday, but as you can see from my wheelchair I haven't got a lot of mobility, so we tend to stay in our room a lot, mostly on the balcony.”

“Which is not a place to be on a day like this,” said Harry, commiserating. “ I go home on Friday. In fact, I think this place will be quite empty once our contingent has gone. Unless of course there will be replacements arriving off the aeroplanes.”

“You sound like a military man,” Betty smiled. “ My father used to talk like that.”

“Yes, I've done my share in defending our country. I saw action in Egypt and was based in Cyprus for a while.”

“Oh, you must meet my husband. He did a short spell of service at Dekelia Barracks. Now isn't it a small world?”

***

“I thought there wouldn't be much room in the foyer, Gary,” said Tracy, as they too came out of the dining room, looking for somewhere to sit while they decided what to do.

“We'll move up for you if you like, love,” said a chap, sitting with a dark curly haired young woman on one of the settees. “ Me and Cindy can cuddle up, can't we, sweetheart?”

“That's very kind of you,” said Gary, offering Tracy the choice of where she would like to sit. “ No fun indoors if the entertainment is usually outdoors, is it?”

“Oh, I don't know, a couple of young lovers like us can usually find something to do. Isn't that right, Cindy?”

“You're pushing it,” said Cindy wryly.

“Have you been here long?” asked Phil, who found himself next to Tracy, while Gary perched on the arm of the settee.

“Since last Friday,” said Gary proudly. “Tracy and I are a honeymoon couple.”

“Are you now?” said Phil, leering at them and nudging Cindy. “ Then I don't have to tell you what you should be doing on a rainy day.”