Wealth of the Islands (12 page)

Helen saw Anita
’
s face crumble into near terror.
“
What kind of party?
”
she asked nervously.

The old lady looked surprised.
“
Why, a proper party!
”
she exclaimed.
“
I
’
ll talk to the headman about it tomorrow. We
’
ll need flowers and enough coconuts to sink a ship! And roast sucking pig! The whole works! It
will
be fun! I can
’
t wait to have it. I must consult Gregory as to when will be the best day. I don
’
t suppose either of you have been here long enough to have a whole lot of social engagements to contend with, but with men one can never be quite sure, if you know what I mean!
”

Helen blinked.
“
I wouldn
’
t have thought there was much social life here!
”
she said.

Miss Corrigan chuckled.
“
Not at first sight,
”
she agreed.
“
But Gregory is a great favourite with all the Islanders. They never have any occasion without asking him along as guest of honour. Surely Michael must have told you that!
”

“
No, he didn
’
t,
”
Helen said carefully.

“
My brother was rather reserved about his doings here,
”
Anita put in, choosing her words with a fierce concentration that made Helen laugh.

Miss Corrigan was at a loss.
“
Oh, dear,
”
she
said,
“
I
’
ve put my foot in it, haven
’
t I? But I thought you must know because Mi
c
hael went with Gregory so often. He was a great one for parties, that boy!
”

Helen didn
’
t like to admit that she knew less about her husband than Miss Corrigan did, so she said nothing. She was glad when they reached the hotel and Miss Corrigan left them in the foyer to find their own rooms, saying that she would get Peter to put on something special for their evening mea
l.
“
We must make Anita feel welcome, mustn
’
t we?
”
She hesitated.
“
You don
’
t mind my calling you that, do you?
”

Anita shook her head.
“
I
’
ve never been called anything else,
”
she affirmed.

Miss Corrigan shook her head sadly.
“
My name is Ethel,
”
she offered.

Both girls stood tongue-tied and awkward, abashed at the idea of using the old lady
’
s given name.
“
We
’
ll see you at dinner,
”
Helen forced herself to say quickly.
“
We
’
ll look forward to it.
”

“
Yes,
”
the old lady agreed,
“
if Anita isn
’
t too tired. It
’
s been a long day for her.
”

The lift bore them rapidly upwards to
the
landing where their rooms were situated. When the automatic doors opened, Helen stepped out first and led the way into Anita
’
s room. It was exactly
the
same as her own, though the view was slightly different. From these windows it was possible to see the long lines of palm trees and the young men climbing them to bring down the coconuts and the wide, shady leaves if anyone had need of them. Nearer, almost directly beneath the windows, was a family of pigs, rooting through the undergrowth, grunting and squealing as they went.

“
Do you like it?
”
Helen asked Anita.

Anita smiled and Helen was immediately aware of how seldom she had seen her smile at all before. It changed the whole expression on her face, giving a pretty tilt to her mouth and showing her fine, even teeth.
“
I love it!
”
she exclaimed.
“
Oh, Helen, I can
’
t tell you how happy I am to be here
!”

Helen helped her to unpack, keeping an eye on her as she did so. She could detect no particular sign of fatigue in Anita
’
s face and she marvelled at how quickly one could recover from an operation in these days of marvellous new anaesthetics and
modern
methods of surgery. Just by looking at Anita, it was hard to believe that she had been in hospital at all.

“
Miss Corrigan will be waiting for us,
”
she said at last, when Anita had changed her dress and had unpacked everything else that she had brought with her.

Anita made a face.
“
Do we have to eat with her?
”
she asked.
“
I mean, do we have to every night? She
’
s a quaint old thing, but I was rather hoping we could be by ourselves.
”

Helen turned from looking out of the window.
“
I think she
’
d be hurt if we didn
’
t. She
’
s nice. My father liked her very much and I think I do too.
”

Anita shrugged her shoulders.
“
Oh well, if your father liked her—
”
she said bitterly. She tensed suddenly.
“
What was your father doing out here?
”
she demanded.

“
He came here before the war,
”
Helen answered simply.
“
He was interested in the habits of sharks. They had several bad scares in the Islands, one or two people had been taken by sharks from quite close in, and so the Government sent for my father. I don
’
t know what he did about it exactly, but he probably gave them some advice and it worked. Anyway, he met Miss Corrigan and they did a survey on the local fishing customs. They kept up a long and rather boring correspondence ever afterwards!
”

Anita looked astonished.
“
And didn
’
t your mother mind?
”
she asked.

“
It wasn
’
t that kind of relationship,
”
Helen said dryly.
“
Miss Corrigan was old enough to be his mother!
”

“
Oh—oh, I see!
”
Anita laughed.
“
I hadn
’
t
thought of that. I know so little about your family really. You don
’
t mind my asking, do you?
”

Helen reassured her with a smile.
“
Why should I
?”
she said.

But the knowledge that Miss Corrigan had once collaborated with her father did not seem to have raised her status much in Anita
’
s eyes. She was kind and she was patient whenever the old lady was speaking, but she showed no signs of wanting to converse with her herself. On the contrary, she soon relapsed into silence, only addressing the occasional remark when it was absolutely necessary to Helen, but otherwise saying nothing at all. Helen hoped that Miss Corrigan had not noticed. She made a valiant attempt at keeping the conversation going while they sipped their drinks out on the terrace. Once or twice she caught Miss Corrigan
’
s twinkly gaze resting on her and roused herself to think of yet more things to say. She could have wished, she thought, that Miss Corrigan herself would make a greater effort, but the old lady only sat back in her
c
hair and watched the two girls from behind her drink, occasionally smiling to herself as if
sh
e possessed some private joke which was amusing her very much.

“
I can tell Anita is Michael
’
s sister,
”
she said to Helen quite suddenly, when Anita had gone inside to fetch herself some insect repellant in a vain attempt to protect herself from the hundred and one flying insects that dive-bombed the lights and had a particular delight in biting or stinging her fair, pale flesh.
“
She has the same surface charm. Not so well developed as her brother
’
s, but then I don
’
t suppose she
’
s had the same practice.
”

Helen stirred uncomfortably, making her chair creak in her embarrassment.
“
She
’
s a very shy person,
”
she said tentatively.

“
Nonsense, my dear,
”
the old lady said roundly.
“
How could she be shy at her age? I suspect you know
more about shyness than she does! It will be interesting, though, to see what she turns into away from her mother.
”

It seemed to Helen that she might just as well have been discussing a caterpillar and what kind of butterfly it
would become.
“
I
’
m very fond of Anita,
”
she said crossly.

“
Oh, quite!
”
Miss Corrigan agreed vaguely. Her eyes lit up as Peter Harmon came out on to the terrace to join them, carrying the evening
’
s menu in his hand.
“
Peter,
”
she greeted him,
“
come and join us and meet the new arrival!
”

The American smiled and nodded. He drew up a chair and sat on the edge of it, ill at ease and without much hope of anything else.
“
She has arrived, then?
”
he said.

Anita came back on to the terrace, her eyes widening as she saw Peter. Watching her, Helen saw her hesitate and gather herself together. How strange, she thought, that anyone
’
s facial expression could change so completely in a few seconds. And yet it had. Gone was the tired patience with which Anita had endured Miss Corrigan; now there was only interest and a faint, becoming colour that came and went as easily as she breathed.

“
My, you must be Mr. Harmon?
”
she said, excitement bubbling through her voice.

“
That
’
s right, ma
’
am,
”
Peter agreed. He held out his hand and swallowed nervously.
“
I hope you will be comfortable here,
”
he added professionally.

Helen
’
s eyes strayed to Miss Corrigan who was looking over her shoulder at the French windows that led out on to the terrace. She was surprised to see Gregory sauntering out towards them, immaculately dressed in a dinner jacket and black tie. He bowed slightly towards Helen, pointing down at his neatly polished shoes, and then he gave all his attention to Miss Corrigan, lightly kissing her on the hand.

“
Well, as you can see, I came,
”
he smiled down at her.

Miss Corrigan grunted
with
satisfaction.
“
So I should hope!
”
she told him gruffly,
“
As a reward you can take Helen in to dinner
!”

Gregory sat down easily on the nearest chair, grinning at all of
the
m.
“
I can see we
’
re all set for a truly civilised evening!
”
he said lightly.

Miss Corrigan reached out and slapped him on the knee.
“
Hush!
”
she said.
“
It doesn
’
t do you any harm to dress properly now and then.
”
She smiled with a sudden, flirtatious charm that was oddly appealing.
“
Don
’
t you want to set our hearts a-quiver
?”

Helen liked th
e
way he immediately responded to the old lady, but then charm was not something that Gregory had ever lacked for any female.

“
I
’
m flattered, Ethel,
”
he murmured, and he looked it.
“
I
’
m really flattered. I didn
’
t think you
’
d noticed
I
’
ve been sweet talking you ever since I got here
!”

The old lady crowed with pleasure.
“
Get along with you!
”
she said.
“
You can save that sort of remark for those young enough to enjoy it!
”

Gregory leaned right forward, still smiling lazily at her.
“
That
’
s why I picked you,
”
he told her.
“
Didn
’
t you know?
”

Helen was shocked to find that her hands were clenched in her lap. Why, she thought, she was downright jealous! But then
she
remembered that she knew all about charm and despised it. Michael had been charming. Surely she wasn
’
t going to be bluffed a second time. If anyone knew that
c
harm was skin deep and not worth
considering, surely it was she!