The Master of Barracuda Isle

by Hilary Wilde

  Ludovic smiled at Jan, who stared back, as if hypnotised. She had been afraid of this, yet had felt comfortingly sure he would not agree with Mrs. Fairlie. "You see, Jan," Ludovic leaned back and made a little steeple v/ith his fingers, "you're quite different from the kind of girl Jarvis usually falls in love with, and since you've been with us, we've come to know and like you. So...." There was an utter silence, a silence that could be felt as they all looked at him. Jan hardly breathed; she could not believe this was happening. "So we're going to allow him to marry you," Ludovic finished. He leaned forward. "Now you will be happy, won't you?" he asked, with a smile. Jan stared at him helplessly. It couldn't be happening, she thought, it couldn't be true! And then she saw his smile and she was suddenly sure that Ludovic had discovered the truth about Jarvis and Felicity and this was his idea of a joke. He knew she didn't love Jarvis, nor Jarvis her. "I think it's a splendid idea," Mrs. Fairlie put in. "Amanda, you must look up my itinerary so we can choose a date I'm free." Jan turned to her. "I can't help wondering if we shouldn't wait a few years. Three or even four, perhaps. ..." Ludovic laughed. Jan glared, for she knew he was enjoying this. "Three or four years," Ludovic echoed, his voice sarcastic. "I can't see Jarvis agreeing to that." He stood up. "That reminds me, Jan, I've cabled your mother and invited her out to the wedding. Personally I think next month would be a good time. I've also contacted Jarvis, who is coming up here as fast as he can." Ludovic smiled at Jan. "You look surprised." She drew a long deep breath; she must keep her temper. "I am surprised," she admitted. "After all, you made it very plain you didn't approve of the idea, before." 154

  "Ah, that's where I erred," said Ludovic, leaning on the table and looking at her with that hateful smile round his mouth. "You see, I didn't know you then. Now, if you'll all excuse me, I have some phone calls to make." He turned to his sister-in-law. "Don't worry about a thing, Agnes. Leave it to me. We'll have the wedding here and give a really good reception. Sara and Jan might start drawing up a list of guests. I imagine it will be in the hundreds, but that doesn't matter. Jarvis doesn't get married every day." He smiled at them and left the room. There was a long silence and then Mrs. Fairlie began to stand up and so did Jan, quickly and quietly, so that she left the room first. She hurried to her room, still stunned by the whole thing. Why had Ludovic behaved like that? As she passed his door, it opened and he came out, saw her and moved rapidly to her side. "Well, satisfied?" he asked, smiling down at her. "You won. I never thought you woulddid you?" Before she could speak, he caught hold of her, pulling her close to him, bending and kissing her. It was a long lingering kiss and she closed her eyes, afraid lest he see the expression in them. If only the kiss could go on for ever, she thought miserably, if only... but then he moved away and she stood, a little unsteady, putting out her hand to feel the wall, as she stared up at him. "Don't look so horrified," Ludovic told her with a smile. "After all, in a little while I shall be your uncle-inlaw." He was laughing as he walked away. 155

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  JAN dreaded the weekend ahead, for it would have a nightmarish quality, but if she got through Saturday and Sunday somehow, on Monday Ludovic would fly back to Sydney. For once, she knew, she would be glad. On Saturday Ludovic and Amanda went out in the cruiser. Jan was left with Mrs. Fairlie and they sat on the verandah while Mrs. Fairlie complained as she read through her letters. Sara had vanished, but Jan knew she wasn't with Ludovic and Amanda, which made thinking about them worse than ever. "Really," Mrs. Fairlie was grumbling as Jan listened vaguely, too wrapped up in her thoughts to really understand what was being said, "actually it's Ludovic's fault. He's so inconsiderate and can't realise how important my work is." Jan made an effort to be polite and said, "You've got more lectures to give?" Mrs. Fairlie looked shocked. "Of course. They never stop. I talk at Book Club luncheons too. It's the only way to get all those poor creatures helped by making people know just what dreadful things are happening." Jan tried to listen and to reply intelligently, but her thoughts were with those on the cruiser as she wondered if Ludovic was taking Amanda in his arms ... if she had linked her hands round his neck as she pulled his head down closer... closer.... Perhaps they were even planning their marriage, Jan thought unhappily. Despite what Sara had said, Jan couldn't help feeling that Ludovic found Amanda both beautiful and interesting. On the Sunday they all went out in the big cruiser. Mrs. Fairlie looking elegant in her white trouser suit, her hair beautifully done, but her face bored. 156

  "I could hardly refuse Ludovic's invitation," she told Jan quietly as they sat together. "After all, I am his guest." Jan glanced along the deck and saw Amanda standing by Ludovic's side. She was laughing at something he had said and Jan thought she had never seen her look so beautiful. Jan's eyes smarting, she looked at the long slow rollers of the beautiful sea, and told herself she had no right to be jealous, no right at all. Ludovic had not spoken to.her since he had kissed her, not a word since he had been so horribly pompous and reminded her that he would be her uncle-in-law. What was he playing at? she asked herself, twisting her fingers together, listening vaguely to what Mrs. Fairlie was saying. Why was Ludovic forcing her to marry Jarvis? Or perhaps it would be better to say, appear to be going to marry Jarvis? And Jarvis? When he came to the island, the whole thing would be cleared up and all would be well. But would it? "... of course he does like being the big noise...." Mrs. Fairlie was saying, and Jan came back to the present. "Not that I really mind, of course, because he will pay the bill." "He will?" Jan said, for Mrs. Fairlie was looking at her and obviously expecting an answer. Mrs. Fairlie nodded. "He has so many friends, so the wedding will be a real social event. I'll certainly fly up to be here, of course. I must say, it's a great weight off my mind, because I really haven't time to organise the reception." Jan listened silently. So Sara was right; her mother loved neither of her children. How tragic it was, she thought, remembering her own mother and the deep love they had for one another. Love was infinitely more worthwhile than all the money in the world. Mrs. Fairlie wanted to have nothing to do with Jarvis's wedding, it was too much trouble, or perhaps not enough publicity? Jan thought, then felt ashamed, for once, years before, W she could remember her mother explaining why one of Jan's school friends had a mother who had deserted her. "All women aren't born mothers, Jan darling," Jan's mother had told her. "Some have no love for their children. The tragedy is that so often they are the ones who have babies, while those with real love in their hearts don't have children at all. But don't blame the mother too much, Jan darling. You can't make love when it isn't there." Sunday night came at last and in the morning when she awoke, Ludovic would have gone, leaving Mrs. Fairlie and Amanda behind, for they were not leaving until the Monday afternoon. Jan lay, straight and stiff, in bed, as she remembered the little scene she had witnessed unintentionally. Amanda had suggested a walk in the warm moonlit night and Ludovic had stood up at once, looking at them all. ^ "Coming," he had said, but in a most uninviting voice, his eyes daring Jan to accept the invitation. She was tempted to jump up and say she'd love to... but the way Ludovic turned his head and smiled at Amanda stopped her. "Lazy lot!" he said, giving them no time to accept orrefuse and, taking Amanda's arm, he led the way out into the garden. Mrs. Fairlie was reading and hadn't looked up. Sara was sprawled on the carpet, yawning as she played with a jigsaw puzzle, an unusual habit of hers, but she had told Jan privately that it was the only way to keep her mother from telling her the boring news of her latest lecture. "I've heard it so often, Jan, it drives me round the bend. Mother must have an audience, regardless of whether they're interested or not. This jigsav/ puzzle makes her shut up." She laughed. "Or at least, turn to someone else!" After Amanda and Ludovic had gone, something had made Jan jump up. "I've got a headache," she said, and it was partly true, only she should have said heartache. "Goodnight." 158

  Sara looked up with a smile, " 'Night," but Mrs. Fairlie was lost in the book she was reading and didn't hear a thing. Jan went to her bedroom and, without thinking, o
ut on to the wide verandah that ran all round (he house. She stood there, leaning on the white rail, .the light in the bedroom behind silhouetting her, as she looked at the lovely lagoon where the moon shone and the tall palm trees moved slowly in the slight breeze. It was then that she saw them. They were standing on the sand by the gentle lagoon water, too far away for Jan to see their faces, but she saw Amanda turn to Ludovic and put her hands round his neck, and Ludovic bend his head as he took her in his arms. Jan turned quickly, running into her bedroom, closing the windows, jerking the curtains across and standing still, her hands pressed against her face. So she was right. And Sara was wrong, she thought. Ludovic was in love with Amanda. Somehow she had undressed and managed to tumble into bed, where she lay very still. Tomorrow he would have gone... but only for five days, and then he would be back, looking at her with those amused eyes. And Amanda? Perhaps they arranged to meet when Amanda had time off. According to Mrs. Fairlie, she demanded far too much! With money and private planes, it would be easy enough for Ludovic to see Amanda frequently, and without Mrs. Fairlie knowing anything about it, Jan thought unhappily. But surely Ludovic, if he loved Amanda, wouldn't waste his time deliberately involving Jan in an embarrassing situation? Yet that was what he was doing, Jan knew. She was sure that Ludovic had discovered about Felicity and was angry with Jan and Jarvis for deliberately deceiving him, so was punishing them by putting them in a humiliating position, and humiliating, Ludovic would make it, Jan was sure of that. The door quietly opened. "Asleep?" Sara asked. "59

  Not sure she wanted the interruption of her thoughts, Jan sat up, her cloud of black hair falling behind her pale unhappy face, as Sara came in and closed the door, sitting on the bed, her feet curled under her. Chuckling, Sara said; "They've come back, Amanda looking mad as hell. I wondered what Ludovic said to her." "Amanda mad?" Jan repeated slowly. "But..." She stopped, for she couldn't tell Sara what she had seen. After all, it might 'look as if she had been snooping, but if she had, it was subconsciously. Sara nodded. "She stormed off to bed. Perhaps she wanted to stay out in the romantic moonlight longer." She laughed. "She'll never hook him, Jan, don't worry." Jan_ caught her breath. She stared at Sara, her eyes widening with dismay. Sara laughed, but it was an affectionate, not a cruel laugh. "Jan, it stood out a mile, right from the beginning. You're crazy about him, aren't you?" "I... I..." Jan's mouth felt dry. "I..." "Don't worry, Jan, I'd never tell him," Sara promised, and Jan relaxed. "He must never know," she said anxiously. "That's why you're so worked up about the wedding, is it?" Sara asked, twisting her body into a more comfortable position. "What's Ludovic's idea?" Jan moved her hands expressively. "I think he's angry with Jarvis and me for pretending .that we're in love so as to keep him from knowingabout Felicity." 6 "What^s wrong with Felicity?" Sarah asked. "I mean, if Ludovic...." Jan noticed .that Sara no longer spoke of her uncle but called him by his Christian name, and she wondered why. But this was no moment to ask her. "I might have been wrong, but Felicity is only seventeen, and if Ludovic thought I was too young at nineteen and Jarvis at twenty, then he'd really take 160

  off about a seventeen-year-old. Then Felicity is quite different from me. She's a professional dancer and loves it. I doubt if she'd ever give it up, because she dreams of being a famous film star one day..." Jan paused. "Somehow I can't see Ludovic approving of that." "So!" Sarah rested her chin on her drawn-up knees. "So you reckon Ludovic is mad at you and Jarvis? Right? Right. And you think he's baiting you about this so-called wedding and will make you feel small. Right?" Jan nodded miserably. "Right. When Jarvis .comes, it'll be different. We'll tell Ludovic that it was all a... well, a..." "You were only trying to protect Jarvis and Felicity," Sara finished for her. "Very commendable." She chuckled. "See what talking to you is doing to me, Jan? I'musing long words!" "What have I to do with that?" Sara rocked herself as she laughed. "Everything! Ludovic feels you've been a good influence. He congratulated me tonight on the change in my behaviour. He said I was acting like an adult and not a spoilt child. You're educating me, Jan, and helping me to become a lady..." Jan began to laugh and felt better for it. "That's absurd!" "Jan, to return. You love Ludovic, don't you?" Jan stared at her. "I'm afraid so." Sara had stopped laughing. "I'm afraid you haven't a hope," she said slowly. "He respects you, likes you, I think, but... love? That's different, isn't it?" "Very different," Jan said miserably. "Ah well, when Jarvis comes, it'll all be cleared up and then I'll go." "You'll go?" Sara sounded shocked. "But why?" "What else can I do? I can't stay here for ever. I... I think I'll fly back to England." "Do you think Ludovic is really sending your mother a cable?" Jan shook her head. 161

  "I don't. If he is, I'll stop her coming. I'm writing to her tomorrow and I'll tell her the whole story." "What will she say?" Jan smiled. "She'll understand. Probably say it was foolish of me, but she'll be sympathetic." Sara jumped up and yawned. "I'll be on my way. Don't worry, Jan, I promise I won't tell anyone." "Thanks, Sara," Jan said, and when the door was closed, she dosed her eyes, too, for at least she had a friend now to whom she could talk. Sara would always understand. The next morning the house bustled with action, for Mrs. Fairlie was going to leave that afternoon and her clothes had to be pressed, her papers gathered together, and Jan and Sara hurriedly got out of the way and joined Rab. Later they lunched with Mrs. Fairlie and Amanda and bade them farewell. "Next time I see you will be at the wedding, Janet," Mrs. Fairlie said with a smile. "If you remember," Amanda murmured. Mrs. Fairlie looked at her sharply. "I don't have to remember. That's what I pay you for." Jan saw the quick colour in Amanda's cheeks and wondered why she tolerated such bad temper on her employer's part. But now Amanda was smiling. "I know, and I earn every penny I get, don't I ?" she said laughing. Mrs. Fairlie laughed too. "And that's no lie!" They were both laughing as they got into the carriage and the black horses trotted off. Sara whistled softly. "Thanks be, now we can relax and enjoy ourselves. Let's go and get Esther and take her for a swim." "Mind if I don't?" Jan asked. "I want to write to my mother." Lifting her eyebrows, Sara looked solemn. 162

  "Project Important, right?" "Right," Jan laughed. "I think I'll feel happier when I've told her everything." Jan wrote a long letter, sitting alone on the quiet verandah. She began from the day she arrived in Aus- [ tralia. "It wasn't easy finding somewhere we could afford. Rents are very high. It was rather a scruffy flat, but we could see the Bridge if we leant out of the window, and Kings Cross is the 'with it' part of Sydney. Jarvis was very helpful and found me a good job." She went on writing, telling her mother about George who was handsome and smooth. "I felt very proud when he sought me out and the other girls were jealous, and then...." Oddly enough, she thought as she wrote, she could think of George without regret or pain, indeed all she felt was a sense of anger at her own foolishness; the way she had jumped to conclusions that weren't there, in fact, as Ludovic would have said, the childishness of her behaviour. "Felicity and Jarvis were sweet to me. Mum," Jan wrote, "and when Felicity went north for this dancing jobactually she was hoping to get something on T.V. as a resultJarvis took me out and helped me. Then suddenly this man turned up, Ludovic Fairlie." This man. Jan stared at the words. This manwhat a way to describe anyone like Ludovic, she thought. "He's a sort of business tycoon, frightfully rich and bossy, arrogant and can be very unkind. Likes to make you feel stupid, if you know what I mean, Mum." It wasn't as hard as Jan had expected to tell her mother the rest of itthe invitation, the realisation that Jarvis must have let his uncle believe it was Jan he loved, for some reason. "I think Jarvis's uncle would have thought Felicity too young, just as you did, Mum. I felt I must help Jarvis, for he'd been so sympathetic. Also I wanted to get away from Sydney. I couldn't bear to be near Georgemen, I 163 mean. So the invitation for a holiday came at the right moment." Jan wrote about her surprise when she found herself on the island and of the non-arrival of Mrs. Fairlie, then the rows with Ludovic and his moral bladfcmail. "You see what kind of a man Ludovic is," Jan wrote. "He said it was up to me. I could help Jarvis
or hurt him. I ask you! So I stayed on. Then Jarvis's mother did come and I was sure she would be against it, (but to my horror, she wasn't. When Ludovic came, he said he'd changed his mind and I'm to marry Jarvis, and the wedding is being arranged...."' Jan stopped writing and read the words back. It sounded rather hysterical, but she had felt like that at the time. "Actually, I'm not worrying now, Mium, because Jarvis is coming up and we'll tell Ludovic the truth though, actually, I think he already knows it's Felicity Jarvis loves and Ludovic is doing all this just to humiliate me, but when we tell him, there'll be a big row and then I'm coming back to England. Oh, by the way, Ludovic said he was sending a cable to you to come out to the wedding. Don't come. Mum, there isn't going to be one." Jan signed the letter, folded it and put it in an envelope and stamped it. She wished she had written it earlier and then Barry could have posted it on the mainland after he had seen Mrs. Fairlie and Amanda off in the plane. However, he was sure to .go in tomorrow or the next day and there was a whole month ahead and air mail would get the letter back in plenty of time. Oddly enough when Barry returned that night, there was a letter from Jan's mother in the post. Jan read it eagerly. "I've just heard from Felicity, Jan darling, and in case she hadn't written to you, and knowing our Felicity, I doulbt if she has written, this is to let you know Felicity is back in Sydney and is sharing your flat with your friend Bis. Felicity is thrilled as she is being auditioned for a 164 T.V. job and she says Jarvis agrees that she must work at her career at this stage. It sounds as though they're still very much in love." Jan took a long deep breath. That was good news! She had had a vague uncomfortable feeling that Felicity might have changed her mind about Jarvis and that he might not be feeling very fond of the Shaw sisters! "Felicity envies you your lovely holiday," Jan read on, "and wishes she had been around when the invitation came as it sounds terrific. But it does seem to me, darling, that you've been there for rather a long time and might be outstaying your welcome. It's kind of the Fairlies, but you mustn't impose on them, even though you are so happy there. Also don't forget how easy it is for your shorthand speed to drop when you're not practising." Jan folded the letter and put it in her writing case. Well, her own letter should answer her mother's question. Jan would soon be leaving the island and on her way back to Englandand home. Home. The island had become home, the only home she wanted, with Ludovic there, Jan thought, and buried her face in her hands. That was a dream that could never come true. 165