Island for Dreams (11 page)

Until now she had resented him treating her in the same category as
Aimée
, and the thought occurred that he had done so deliberately in order that, in her resentment, he would find the excuse he needed to treat her differently. But how differently? Could there be an easy camaraderie between them? She doubted it. There was too much chemical reaction on her part.

Nora put her cup down carefully. Juan Cregeen cou
l
d try what tactics he liked, but he would discover that Nora Bain was not fair game.

‘I’d
love to hear a story of the island,
’
she said coolly.
‘
What kind had you in mind for me?
’

Her attitude seemed to amuse him. He lifted a provocative dark brow.

‘
What about me telling the story of one Nora Cain?
’
he replied mockingly.

‘
Nora?
’
she echoed inanely.

He drew
Aimée
between his knees and his keen look across the space over her head cut Nora down to
Aimée
’
s level.

‘
It
’
s said,
’
he began,
‘
that there
’
s a submerged island near to Port Soderick which rises to the surface every seven years. This beautiful island was confined to the depths of the sea by a powerful magician named Finn MacCoul. He cast a spell on it and sent it to the bottom of the sea along with all the inhabitants whom he turned into blocks of granite.

‘
He did it because the inhabitants insulted him and by way of revenge he allowed it to come to the surface every seven years for half an hour only. If in that time while it surfaced someone were to place a Bible on it then the enchantment would be broken and the island would remain above the water.

‘
Nora Cain had heard the story from her grandfather and it had made a deep impression upon her. So one evening when she was strolling in the bay with her lover she saw something rising slowly out of the sea. As it rose higher she recognised it as the enchanted island and, rushing back to her home, grabbed a Bible, to the consternation of her parents.

‘
After explaining what she wanted it for Nora ran back to the bay just in time to see the island gradually sinking again from sight. She was so disappointed at being too late to save the island that she lost all interest in life and she eventually pined away and died. Her heartbroken lover followed her soon after. Nobody else has ever looked out for the enchanted island since, because they feared the wrath of the magician might backfire on them by making the Isle of Man disappear in the same way.
’

Aimée
said solemnly,
‘
That
’
s a very sad story, but I like it. Do you know any more stories, Juan?
’

He laughed.
‘
Hey, we
’
ve come on a sail, remember? Come on, let
’
s go on deck for some fresh air.
’

As he rose to his feet Nora rose too.
‘
I
’
ll wash the cups and things,
’
she said hurriedly.

Juan instantly placed a restraining hand upon her arm.

‘
You will not,
’
he said firmly.
‘
Up on deck with you.
’

Aimée
looked up at them both and said primly,
‘
You didn
’
t thank Juan for telling you the story, Nora.
’

Nora gazed down at Juan
’
s hand on her arm and her face grew warm.

‘
Thank you, Juan,
’
she said without lifting her eyes.

‘
Don
’
t mention it,
’
he answered.

‘
Aren
’
t you going to kiss him?
’
queried the irrepressible
Aimée
.

Nora
’
s colour deepened into a creamy rose. Still not looking at Juan, she said,
‘
Grown-ups don
’
t go around kissing people for bringing them on a sail, or for telling them a fairy story.
’

‘
Oh, but they do,
’
Aimée
insisted.
‘
They do it all the time where we live. You ask Mummy. They say thank you, darling, then kiss them.
’

Juan chuckled at her perfect imitation of someone she had obviously seen.

‘
You
’
re a little horror,
’
he said grimly.

‘
I
’
m not, I
’
m not
!’
she cried.
‘
Just because you
’
re afraid to kiss Nora you
’
re blaming it on me.
’

Nora felt by now that the whole situation was getting out of hand. Yet she felt hypnotised by his grip on her arm and his nearness was suffocating. He was either drawing her closer or she was leaning his way.

The next moment his arms went around her and he bent his head. The cabin spun around her in a wonderful exhilarating feeling of having suddenly come to life.
Aimée
was forgotten in the joy of soaring to the heights of bliss in Juan
’
s arms.

Lost in long moments of
ecstasy
, Nora came to earth when
Aimée
said plaintively,
‘
I thought we were going on deck.
’

‘
Off with you, then.
’

Juan
’
s down-to-earth command came as he released her, just as if nothing had happened, Nora thought resentfully. A kiss was nothing to him; he had merely been playing along with
Aimée
. As for herself, she knew he had taken something from her that would be his for always.

On the way home, as they neared her flat, Juan asked ‘What about coming to us?’

She replied, ‘No, thanks, but I’ve enjoyed myself.’ That way led madness! Then she saw the familiar smart figure of the man at the entrance to her flat. There was no time to ask what he was doing there; it was sufficient that he was there at a most convenient moment.

‘
Floyd
!’
she cried, flinging herself
at him.
‘
What a surprise! What
on earth are
you doing
here? Why didn
’
t you tell me you were c
oming?’

Floyd Renner took her hands in his
and looked
down into her delighted face.

‘
I thought I
’
d come to see what you w
ere doing.
You look blooming. Been out for the day
?’

His eyes roved over her tousled bright disarranged hair, the clear eyes
, the
red lips.

‘
I
’
ve been for a sail. Let me intro
duce
Juan...
’

Her voice trailed off as she turned to
where she
had left Juan in the car. He had gone.

‘
Make yourself comfortable.
’
Nora in
dicated the l
ounge while she turned to her bedro
om. ‘Help yourself
to a drink in the cabinet while
I
change.
’

Reall
y, she thought irritably, Juan could have waited to be introduced!

Floyd looked at her
. Her golden floss-silky hair formed a light halo around her head and her dark brown eyes looked velvet-soft in the peach bloom tan of her face.

‘
I forgot how lovely you are,
’
he said slowly,
‘
and I mean that as a compliment. The air seems to suit you here—or is there another reason for this show of glowing health and beauty?
’

She laughed and went to get him a drink.
‘
Why don
’
t you stay and find out?
’
she asked.
‘
And
I
don
’
t believe you
’
ve come out of curiosity.
’

She gave him his drink and laughed down at him.
‘
Would you prefer to eat out? I
’
ve some cold chicken and salad in the fridge. I can rustle up a decent meal if you care to stay in.
’

He took the drink.
‘
I have a room here at the adjoining hotel. I
’
ll go for a bottle of wine.
’

‘
Then while you
’
re out I
’
ll prepare the meal.
’

Floyd sipped his drink and looked around the flat.
‘
Nice place, this, and all your own. Unbelievable! You do intend to come back, don
’
t you?
’

She took his empty glass.
‘
What makes you think I won
’
t?
’

He straightened and buttoned his jacket.
‘
The big car and the handsome chauffeur just now who brought you home to the flat. Was it that Jony fellow?
’

‘
No, it wasn
’
t—and he
’
s no chauffeur. That was a yachting cap he was wearing.
’

‘
Nice car,
’
he commented.
‘
I noticed it had a U.K. registration. He isn
’
t Manx, I presume?
’

‘
He
’
s visiting the island on business. You might meet him later,
’
she answered, and blessed her sudden rise in colour.

‘
I
’
ll fetch a bottle of wine,
’
he said dryly.
‘
I
’
ll probably bump into him if he
’
s in the habit of hanging around.
’

‘
He isn
’
t
,’
she replied, and he left on a shrug of non-committance.

Nora began to get the meal with an uneasy feeling of trouble in the shape of cousin Floyd. He had come bringing problems and she had more than enough of her own to contend with.

‘
Business all right?
’
she asked as they ate the delectable meal.

‘
Excellent
,’
he replied, taking a piece of chicken breast and washing it down with wine.
‘
About the offices? The ones I wrote to you about. Have you thought it over about us moving?
’

‘
No, I haven
’
t—I
’
ve more important things on my mind at the moment. Do you realise that in order to inherit part of the vast income from
Mr.
Kelly
’
s estate I have to marry a Manxman?
’

He looked remarkably unruffled.
‘
Well, why not? You can always make it a marriage of convenience
.’
He snapped his fingers.
‘
Get an annulment
.’

‘
Just like that?
’
she cried indignantly.
‘
I couldn
’
t do that to poor
Mr.
Kelly
!
’

‘
He won
’
t know, will he?
’
he said philosophically.

‘
That doesn
’
t make it right.
’

‘
Then what are you going to do? Think it over? If you are you might give me an answer regarding the new offices I mentioned,
’
he pushed.

She gave him a brief unyielding stare.
‘
I happen to be more than satisfied with what I have, the flat, and the car. But I want to do what
Mr.
Kelly wanted me to do,
’
she countered.

‘
Then there
’
s your answer. Do what he wants you to do. What does this Jony
t
hink about it?
’

‘
He has a girl-friend he
’
s been courting for ten years.
’

He gave a low whistle.
‘
Are they living together?
’

‘
Not that I know of
.’