by Isobel Chace
I brushed down my clothes, more for something to do than because they were dusty. “I’m too big to panic, or to get in a fuss about nothing,” I muttered. “Don’t you think?”
The car started up behind us and I heard it retreating down the road, back to the Savannah and the centre of the Carnival, and we were left alone. Daniel sighed. “Another time I’ll tell you exactly what I think, but now isn’t the time,” he said regretfully.
I must have looked disappointed, for he took me urgently by the arm and shook me gently. “You will understand, Camilla, won’t you? Now isn’t the time, but it won’t always be like this!”
I swallowed. I didn’t understand at all. All I knew was that his touch was burning my flesh and that I had to be free of him or I’d do something foolish, something that I would probably regret for ever.
The front door of the house stood open and at that moment a woman’s figure emerged from the shadows, coming forward to greet us.
“What a pretty scene,” said Pamela. “Why, if it were not Carnival time I should be quite jealous!”
Because I was a step lower than she, we could look each other directly in the eyes, but she had the advantage of me because I could barely control my surprise, almost shock at seeing her.
“I thought you hated Carnival!” I burst out.
“I know its dangers,” she said smoothly. “The nicest men get carried away and the—well, the most awkward women suddenly seem rather attractive in their pretty costumes, don’t you think?”
She smiled slowly, turned and swept into the house, leaving us to follow. In that moment I knew two things quite clearly: that I was in love with Daniel, completely and irrevocably; and that I hated Pamela Longuet!
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The house was large and the furnishings were beautiful, but I had eyes for none of it. I was astonished by the casual way Pamela assumed the duties of hostess and tried to fight down the knowledge that she must have been a frequent visitor indeed to be quite so much at home in the Hendrycks’ establishment.
“Darling, I thought you’d changed your mind about frolicking in the park this year?” she laughed at Daniel.
“I don’t share your dislike for Carnival,” he replied shortly.
Her eyes travelled to me. “So I see! How you love to retain the common touch!”
Daniel grunted. He looked far from pleased, but he said nothing. He poured us each a drink and then sat on the edge of a tapestry-covered sofa and glared down at his own drink, disliking us all very much.
Pamela looked at my costume with amusement. “Who made that for you?” she asked, affably enough.
I was very conscious that the silk tights drew attention to my long legs and I did my best to stow them away under the heavily ornate chair I had chosen to sit on. “The whole family are Plantagenets for the day,” I said meekly.
Her eyebrows shot upwards. “Oh, is that what you are? I could see it was something historical, but then Daniel looks quaint too, don’t you think?”
“I’m a Tudor,” Daniel barked out.
“And that’s different?” Pamela pressed him, her eyes alight with a malicious amusement. “I thought perhaps you were supposed to be part of the same set?”
“No.”
The bare negative seemed almost discourteous to me, so I rushed into speech to try and cover up Daniel’s remarkable lapse from good manners.
“We only met by chance—”
“And I suppose chance brought you here?” she suggested, suppressing a laugh.
“You might say that,” I agreed, wishing more than ever that I had been left in peace under the shade of my tree. “What brought you here?”
Pamela’s eyes narrowed. “Business,” she said nonchalantly. “Didn’t you know that that was why Daniel and I had come? I thought he might have told you. I had to sign on the dotted line on behalf of my parents—the sugar estate you’re buying from us—remember? I wouldn’t be here otherwise, I can assure you! I loathe Carnival time. The whole island goes quite mad! You can’t get any work out of anyone—”
“But do you try during Carnival?” I asked, astonished.
“Why not?” she said lazily. “The sugar still has to be cut, doesn’t it? Life has to go on, you know.”
“But it’s only a couple of days!”
She shrugged. “Well, it’s your sugar now, darling. That will be your worry in future!”
“I see,” I said.
“Do you? Being an Ironside I wondered if you would. They’ll take off this year’s costumes tomorrow, when they’ve recovered enough to do so, and the next day they’ll all be talking about next year’s Carnival and what they will wear then, and how much it will cost, and how to collect the necessary money. And the sugar will still be there, waiting to be cut!”
“You exaggerate,” Daniel told her flatly.
“I do?” Pamela exclaimed innocently. “But, honey, you wouldn’t know! You’re as bad as any of them!”
“I’m a Trinidadian!” he said fiercely.
“If you say so,” she smiled across at him.
Daniel stood up, hesitated as if he might say something further, but changed his mind. “I’ll bring the car round,” he said to me. “I expect you’ll be wanting to get back.”
Pamela waited until he had left the room and then leapt to her feet and crossed over to the chair just beside mine.
“Camilla,” she whispered urgently, “is it true that you only met by chance?”
I was surprised. “Why, yes,” I said. “As a matter of fact some Tudors captured me and brought me along, otherwise I should still be down in the park.
“The Savannah? Oh, I wish you’d stayed there!” she breathed.
“But why?” I asked.
She bit her lower lip. Whatever it was that she was going to tell me, it was obvious that she didn’t want to and that it was only the fact that I had turned up at such an inopportune moment that was forcing her hand.
“You won’t breathe a word to a soul, will you?” she cautioned me. I shook my head. “Then I’ll have to confide in you,” she went on. “You see my parents are going straight back to the States. My mother wants to and my father always obliges her whenever he can. It’s easier that way,” she added with difficulty. I waited for her to go on speaking, but she lapsed into a lengthy, thoughtful silence and I began to be afraid that Daniel would come back before she had finished.
“Are you going too?” I encouraged her.
“No, that’s just it!” she said quickly. “I’m not going. I can’t bring myself to leave Daniel behind! It’s stupid of me, I know, but he is rather attractive, and there’re so many pretty girls about!”
But what will you do?” I asked, my mouth suddenly dry. “Where will you live?”
That’s what I thought I could tell you,” she said confidentially. “I imagine you’re quite broad-minded and not given to jumping to conclusions? And you already know that we’re more than friends, so it will eventually be quite all right, only he isn’t ready to get married quite yet. Well, I’ve decided to stay here! Just for the time being. I’d prefer to stay down in the south to be really near him, but that isn’t really possible, so I’m just putting up with things the way they are!” She put on a brave expression and waited for me to congratulate her.
“You mean you’re living here?” I said baldly.
She coloured prettily. “More or less. You do understand, don’t you?”
I thought perhaps I did. Tears smarted at the backs of my eyes, but I refused even to consider my own emotions at that moment.
“I hope it all works out for you,” I said stiffly.
“It will,” she smiled with calm certainty. “It was unfortunate though that you had to know I’m here. I’m not advertising the fact because you know how people gossip. And there really isn’t anything wrong with the arrangement, is there?” She lifted large, innocent eyes and pouted slightly. With difficulty I refrained from answering. I knew that if I said anything at all, I
would say a great deal too much and that afterwards I would be sorry. I had only my dignity left and it had become disproportionately important to me.
“I think I hear Daniel with the car now,” I said in a funny, if steady voice. I held out my hand to her. “I hope it all works out for you,” I added politely. Pamela smiled briefly. She ignored my hand and offered ne a quick peck on the cheek instead. Judas! I thought viciously. But I forced myself to smile until I knew she couldn’t see me any more. I might have cried then, but there was still Daniel to contend with. I wished that anyone else could have driven me home. Perhaps I could ask him if I could drive myself? But I knew that he wouldn’t hear of such a thing. His Mustang was precious to him, more precious than I was. I sniffed and blew my nose in a hurry. I was quite proud of myself and the cool smile I managed to summon up from nowhere as I went out of the front door and got into the car.
“I thought the other Mustang was yours at first,” I said blankly.
“It’s a family car,” he told me. He shut the door on me and took his own seat behind the wheel and we swept down the drive so fast that the flowers blurred together in a haze of colour.
“Shall I take you back to the Savannah?” he asked me.
I shook my head. “I think I’ve had enough of the Carnival for one day,” I replied in a voice that was suddenly husky.
He looked concerned. The car slowed almost to a stop. “I’m sorry this happened,” he said slowly. “I’m truly sorry—”
“I know!” I broke in. “It—it really doesn’t matter! Forget it, Daniel. It was only a bit of fun!”
“It might have been,” he agreed, “in other circumstances!”
I sat up very straight. “Quite. I know you would have preferred to have had Pamela brought to your door, but at least now you’ve got her permanently on the doorstep!”
“Oh!” he sounded surprised. “Did she tell you how long she’s staying?” he asked curiously.
“Why should she?” I retorted.
“I just thought she might have done,” he granted.
He was silent for a minute and then he said: “I’m going back south tomorrow. I suppose you’ll be coming shortly yourself? Aaron says the papers are practically complete.”
“I suppose so,” I agreed in a voice that was dangerously near to breaking. What would it be like living next door to him and Pamela? I wondered bleakly.
“I’ll have the place ready for you,” he said.
Charlotte Street was still so crowded that it was quite impossible for him to take me right home to my door. Thankfully, I made my escape as soon as I could, though I was surprised when he got out of the car also and came round to my side, holding the door for me.
“It hasn’t been a very successful day, has it?” he said wryly.
I threw back my head in a proud gesture. “Hasn’t it?”
He gave me a long rather sad look and then slammed the door shut behind me. It was a symbolic action that somehow slammed me out of his life. He was going back to Pamela and that was the only thing that mattered to both of us.
“You’re tired,” he said. “We’ll talk the whole thing out when you get to the sugar estate.”
I said nothing. I stood and watched him get back into the car, wave his hand in a polite gesture of goodbye, and drive off. I was unhappy and I didn’t know what I was going to do, but of one thing I was quite certain: I was not tired—any more than he was!
The fag end of Carnival was disappointing after the splendour of the spectacular morning. Even Patience was too tired to dance any more, and the only people who were still in business were the stallholders who were doing a roaring trade with their cooling drinks and snacks. The Plantagenets stood around, the steel band only making occasional attempts to play yet again the calypso which had held them together all day.
“Where’ve you been?” my uncle asked me testily. He looked tired and older. He had a mug full of rum in his hand and was evidently hoping to regain his spirits and zip from drinking the lot neat.
“Isn’t it time we all went home?” I countered hopefully.
“Home?” he said wryly. “Where’s that?”
“I’ll take you,” I offered.
He laughed. “Will you?” he asked whimsically. “When? When do we go south, Camilla? When do we get back to the sugar fields? Tell me that!”
“The papers are all signed,” I said.
His face cleared. “You mean there’s nothing standing in our way now?”
I shook my head. Only my cousins, I thought, and the shadow of Daniel reaching across from his refinery.
“We’ll go tomorrow!” Uncle Philip exclaimed. “We’ll go tomorrow as soon as Patience can shut up the house.”
I didn’t answer. The steel band started another round of the Plantagenet calypso, but it was soon drowned by another band, bigger than ours, who had come across the park in search of food and further amusement. Patience, suddenly tired, grabbed me by the wrist and said, “We’ll be gone now, Miss ’Milla. Ain’t fun now. If we stay longer, we’ll have some headache in the morning.”
‘You’ve said it, man!” my uncle chimed in. He was only too anxious that we should go home. I thought with some amusement that he really did intend that we should all hurry off to the sugar estate the next day. I waited to feel some stir of excitement in my blood, but there was nothing. All I could feel was a dizziness from noise and confusion and a longing for my bed.
The sun was setting, lighting the sky into a dramatic, fiery red. I have never seen sunsets such as those they have in the West Indies in any other place. Here they are uniquely beautiful, with a hushed drama that filled the whole sky with glory. In a few hours Carnival would be over for another year and the mad planning for the next one would have already begun.
Patience overslept the next morning. It was such an unusual event that it had the whole family at sixes and sevens.
“That settles it,” I said to my uncle, “we shan’t be going south today!” But I had reckoned without his determination to go as soon as possible.
“There’s nothing to wait for,” he grunted. “Go and wake Patience up. Tell her we’re travelling this afternoon, whether she’s ready or not!”
Patience’s room was smaller than mine and was full of bulky furniture in which she jealously kept her few possessions. Her bed was narrow and her great bulk was apt to overflow it when she turned from side to side. In the darkness, I tripped over her shoes and went sprawling on to the floor, landing on the heap of clothes which was where she had dropped her costume of the day before, too tired to put it away as she had mine.
“Wha’s matter?” she grunted.
“Patience, wake up!” I answered quickly. “Uncle Philip is determined that we should take possession of the sugar estate today. Can you pack in time?”
A broad grin spread across her features. “I was jes’ thinkin’ ’bout that,” she said. “Out of my way, honey! I has things to do!”
When I went back to the dining room, my uncle had already gone and only my two cousins were there, struggling to get themselves an adequate breakfast of coffee and fresh fruit. I avoided catching Wilfred’s eyes, busying myself with the coffee percolator.
“Has Aaron given you the all-clear to move in?” he drawled softly across the table.
“Not yet,” I said stoutly. “But it’s all signed and sealed, so I suppose it’s all right.”
He grinned gleefully. “And what if Pamela’s parents are still in residence when you get there?”
“They won’t be,” I said quickly. “They’ve already gone to the States.”
“And how did you come by that interesting bit of information?” he asked.
I didn’t answer. I poured myself out some coffee that had at last become dark enough for my taste, and sat down to drink it. Cuthbert looked up and smiled at me.
“Did Carnival come up to your expectations?” he asked pacifically.
“I loved it!” I sat back in my chair remembering the swirli
ng colour and the exuberant noise of the steel bands, the witty words of the calypsos—and Daniel in his Tudor rig, looking dashing and debonair. “It was fun!” I added.
“And you saw Pamela there,” Wilfred put in, shooting his arrow into the dark but finding a bullseye as I could feel myself colouring guiltily. Not that it mattered that they should know about my enforced trip to the Hendrycks’ house. It hadn’t been my fault that I had gone there and had found Pamela in residence. But I didn’t want them to know about it all the same.
“I don’t think Pamela cares much for Carnival,” I said.
“Did she tell you that?” Wilfred asked curiously.
“She might have done,” I said. “I think Daniel told me so once. I imagine that some people would find it noisy and a bit wild.”
“Especially Pamela!” Cuthbert agreed.
Wilfred yawned with a pretended indifference. “She’s pretty enough to be able to get her romance at other times of the year!” he commented bitterly.
“Pretty?” Cuthbert gasped. “Brother mine! You must like her a whole lot to say that!”
Wilfred shrugged, “Stick to your own affairs, little brother!”
“It doesn’t matter anyway,” Cuthbert said crossly, thoroughly annoyed by the way the conversation was going. “She’s going to the States with her parents and we shan’t be bothered with her any more.”
Wilfred only smiled. It was a knowing smile that maddened both Cuthbert and me. What could he know? I wondered. Did he know where Pamela was now?
“Don’t you pay him no mind!” Patience said from the doorway. She was fully dressed, but the lines of sleep still showed in her cheeks and her eyes were scarcely open. “What’s it to you, both of you? If we’se off today, we’se off, and I’se not sorry neither!”
“Did you see Pamela yesterday?” Cuthbert asked her flatly.
Patience sniffed. “And what’s it to you if I did?” she countered cagily.
“Nothing,” he admitted. ‘Tm not complaining because she’s off to the States!”
“The Longuets are already gone,” Patience said guardedly.
