Island Of Pearls

by Margaret Rome

  "Nut-brown " Hazel! Is it really you ?"

  "Catryn Wade?" Hazel chanced uncertainly, catching a fleeting resemblance to a school friend in the beautiful face of the girl who stood beaming down at her.

  "In the flesh!" she nodded so vehemently that her hair fell like a mimosa curtain across her cheeks.

  Impatiently, she swept it back to allow brilliant blue eyes full access to Hazel's slight figure. "You haven't changed, Nut-brown, I'd have known your wistful little face anywhere!"

  Hazel's heart sank. Catryn had not changed either, certainly the years had added to an ever-present beauty, but her mouth still retained the small cruel quirk which so often in the past had preceded a string of taunts that had turned Hazel's schooldays into periods of misery.

  "I must rush, Catryn," she mumbled, searching with a hunted look for an avenue of escape from the reviver of memories too painful to be resurrected.

  "I'll walk with you to the end of the drive," Catryn offered casually, displaying ten aubergine-tipped finger-nails as she cupped her hands around a cigarette. A brief skirt of the same colour hugged her slim thighs, and as she walked chubby-heeled sandals made poetry out of steel-slim ankles and long slender legs. "I mustn't stray far from the foyer because I'm on duty," she pouted her annoyance. "As this is my first week as resident courier I daren't take too many liberties until I find out how the land lies. Some hotels treat their couriers like dirt and others just the opposite - believe me, glamorous though my job might seem, it's darned hard work and were it not for the fact that I'm expecting it to lead me to a rich, handsome husband I'd have given it the chuck a long time ago."

  "You would marry just for money ?" Hazel gasped.

  "Of course, dearie," Catryn laughed, "and so will you if ever you have the chance !" As wicked blue eyes swept over Hazel's pastel sunsuit and neat white sandals she murmured, "Not that that possibility is

  ever likely to■ arise . . ."

  Hazel, cara, I was just about to seek you out! The little one is becoming impatient, and you did seem to be taking an extraordinarily long time." The end of Catryn's sentence was swallowed in a gasp of awe when Tio Garcia stepped from his limousine to take Hazel's arm. The parcel she was holding was immediately confiscated by the hovering chauffeur as Carmen's childish voice trebled from the depths of the car, "Hazel, we've missed you dreadfully, you've been gone hours !"

  "Don't exaggerate, my pet," Hazel laughed, com-forted by their concern. "I met a school friend who's come here to work in the hotel, and naturally we began talking. However, I won't keep you waiting any longer, I'm ready to go." Quickly, she extended a hand in Catryn's direction. "Goodbye, and I hope you find your work at the hotel enjoyable."

  "Tut, tut!" Tio Garcia exclaimed, his eyes taking their fill of Catryn with the enthusiasm of a Spaniard half his age. "If, as you say, this young lady is a long-lost friend, then I insist you introduce us so that I might invite her to share our lunch!"

  To refuse the old man's gallant invitation was the most vexing thing Catryn had ever been called upon to do. She struggled visibly with temptation, then, to Hazel's relief, declined. "I'm sorry, senor, I'm on duty until eight this evening. But I'm free all day tomorrow," she remembered hastily, "and I'd love to meet up with you then."

  "Regrettably, we seldom visit this part of the island," he sighed. "We would not be here today were it not that the Marques was too busy to accompany his wife,

  so the Marquesa and I decided to bring the child on an outing.''

  "Who," Catryn questioned blankly, "is the Mar-quesa? Not Hazel...?"

  Tired of being ignored, Carmen breached the con-fused silence by jumping up and down on the seat and yelling, "Si, si, isn't it exciting! The wedding was held only a few days ago in the private chapel of the Casa de Drach ! I was to be bridesmaid, but Tio ..."

  "That's enough, Carmen!" Hazel's unexpected sharpness brought the child to a sudden halt, but enough had been said to bring an inquisitive sparkle to Catryn's eyes. Hazel felt almost sick when, bringing into play her old trick of hiding acid beneath sweetness, Catryn appealed to the susceptible old senor.

  "It's so delightful to learn that I have a friend on the island. Even if she is rather far away it's comforting to know that even in the midst of strangers I'm not alone." Hazel could have sworn there was a sob in her voice when she continued playing upon Tio Garcia's chivalry. "But perhaps I am being too presumptuous - if Hazel is now a Marquesa she might not want to be reminded of earlier days..."

  Tio Garcia flung back his head and laughed. "Non-sense !" he denied, then, totally carried away, he issued the invitation for which Catryn was angling. "As you two girls must have lots to discuss, this is what I propose. We will leave you now, but at eight o' clock we will return and take you back with us to the Casa where you can stay the night and be brought back the following day in time to resume your duties. I know Francisco is worried that pressure of work forces him to leave Hazel

  too much on her own, so he'll be delighted to receive an old friend whose presence will alleviate her loneliness. What do you think, Hazel, is that not a marvellous solution?"

  Catryn's malicious smile dared Hazel to upset Tio Garcia's happiness, so she felt she had no choice but to force a smile on to lips too frozen to pretend and to nod agreement.

  "Bien! It is agreed!" He bowed low over Catryn's hand. "Adios, senorita, until this evening."

  "Mil gracias, senor" she husked, masking satisfaction with grateful humility. "I shall count the hours !"

  The excursion should have held delight, but Hazel had to strive to project enjoyment as they toured the resort's souvenir shops, sipped limonada at a table shaded by a gaily striped umbrella and wandered along the one main avenue which ran the full length of the beach where bodies sporting every shade of tan were being slowly basted under the rays of an increasingly hot sun. Carmen was fascinated by the pedalos, unsinkable tin boats that were propelled through the water by a pedal action similar to that of a bicycle but, judging from the squeals of their occupants, much more fun.

  "May we try one, Hazel ? Tio ? Please ...!" she plead-ed, dancing from one foot to the other in excited anticipation.

  Tio Garcia looked doubtful. "I regret, such pastimes are beyond me, nina, but I have no objection to finding myself a quiet spot in the shade if Hazel wishes to indulge your whim."

  Carmen held her breath for a painfully long interval

  as expressions of doubt, uncertainty, then finally waver-ing chased across Hazel's face. "Well, we do have swim-suits, and if you're quite sure it's safe ..."

  "Quite safe," he assured her with a twinkle that mocked her timidity, "I have yet to hear of any harm arising from these small boats. Besides, you need not go far from the shore, the little one will be content to paddle along the water's edge where the crowd is thickest." There certainly was a reassuring number of swimmers splashing around in the shallows and the clear blue water held the promise of a breeze too tempting to deny.

  "Very well," she relieved Carmen's anxiety, "let's go!" It took less than a minute to slip out of the dresses covering their swimsuits and five minutes later they were being helped into a brilliant red pedalo that rode the swell of water with confidence. At first, they could not co-ordinate their pedal action because Carmen's small feet persisted in slipping off the pedals, but when Hazel discovered she could control the boat easily by herself, Carmen knelt on the seat to watch the sparkling waterfall of spray churning out behind them. For a while they played about in the shallows, but as Hazel became more proficient the peace and quiet of deeper waters tempted her farther from shore.

  "Look, Hazel, look! I see a shark!" Carmen was bent almost double over the side peering through water fathoms deep yet clear enough to render visible the contours of the sea bed. Hazel stopped paddling and relaxed, exploring the novelty of being rocked against the bosom of the sea. "Nonsense!" she mocked, "you know very well those dark patches are clumps of sea-

  weed!" Carmen giggled, unrepentant, and continued
with her fascinating imaginings while Hazel trailed her fingers in the water and drank in the scenery so beautiful it brought a lump to her throat.

  Somewhere behind her in the crowded resort Tio Garcia would be enjoying a quiet drink, perhaps in one of the many modern hotels that sentinelled the front or maybe in a secluded back street cafe. To her right, rocks fell from a green headland to thrust a black finger deep into the sea, and to the front, calling upon a hundred variations of blue, sea and sky vied in beauty, then merged into one unforgettable landscape. The sun, lacking the vicious heat of high summer, bathed enough warmth upon the pert little boat to inflict drowsy content upon its occupants so that, unnoticed, it began floating towards the hazy horizon.

  "Ahoy there, anyone aboard !" The very penetrating American accent shocked Hazel awake, just as a dripping blond head surfaced to peer over the side of the boat. "Well, well, a beautiful mermaid and a little pink shrimp afloat in a bucket!" he grinned into Hazel's outraged face. Carmen collapsed into a fit of giggles. "Which shall I choose ?" he pandered shamelessly to her sense of the ridiculous, "the mermaid with the golden eyes or you, little pink shrimp, who ought to taste delicious!"

  "Not me! Not me . . .!" she screamed with laughter as he dived under the boat to re-surface on the opposite side. White teeth snapped mock frustration as she ducked under Hazel's arm to avoid his reach, overexcited to the point of hysteria.

  "Don't be silly, Carmen!" Hazel scolded, almost as

  upset as the child by his abrupt appearance. "And please," she directed coldly to the unrepentant in-truder, "will you exercise a little sense and allow the child to calm down ?"

  "I'm sorry," he immediately apologised, assuming such a fiercely straight face she felt her lips begin to twitch. But they were immediately controlled as she began lecturing severely, "You had no right to startle us in such a way, we might have capsized!"

  "I wonder if you realize how far your little tin bucket has drifted during your snooze," he challenged softly, eyeing her flushed face with far more interest than she had ever before encountered from one of his sex. His look was so intent she was held by it, and it was with the greatest difficulty that she drew her eyes away to look around her. A gasp of sudden fear satisfied him that she realized his action was justified. The coast was far away, a mere blur on the horizon, and though there was no current, the buoyant tin vessel must have fairly bobbed across the water.

  "Good heavens! How will we get back ?" He answered by pulling his lean body out of the water and levering himself into the boat. "Move over, shrimp!" he commanded, "captain's taking over!"

  With adoring eyes Carmen did as she was bid. This blond god who had arisen out of the water was her ideal man - amusing, self-confident, handsome, and interested in small as well as big girls! Hazel was too relieved to protest; to have paddled across such a stretch alone would have taxed her to the utmost, and besides that her sunbathing had set off a headache which was rapidly becoming fierce. He insisted that he did not

  need her help, so she drew up her feet away from the gyrating set of pedals, and watched his bronze muscled legs thrusting the boat powerfully through the water. Once they reached sight of shore she felt ashamed of what now seemed unnecessary panic. The beach was still thronged with holidaymakers, swimmers still floated and cleaved the water, and when they deposited the boat the unconcerned attendant seemed in no way aware of their prolonged absence. Even Tio Garcia, whom she had imagined would be waiting anxiously, was absent, so there was no one but Carmen to add support to Hazel's gratitude when she took leave of the laughing stranger.

  "Thank you so much for rescuing us, Mr . . . ?" she offered primly, blushing awkwardly.

  "Carstair . . . Robin to you!" She hesitated; it had been such a light-hearted incident, full of laughter and a gaiety previously unknown to her; now that it was over the price he demanded seemed so little to pay. "Then thank you again ... Robin," she blushed again, painfully embarrassed even though she knew she was never likely to see him again.

  "And I'm Carmen!" the child piped, then added preposterously, "and I'd like to kiss you, please, Robin!"

  To her delight he reached down and plucked her from the ground."And so you shall, shrimp!" he pledged, putting words into action. With cheeks aflame Hazel fled, dragging a reluctant Carmen behind her, but his laughter rang in her ears, telling her he had guessed she was afraid she might receive the same treatment.

  They met Tio Garcia on the main avenue. He looked bored, very much out of place amongst the crowds of

  sun-dazed tourists, but he smiled a broad welcome when he saw them approaching. "No need to ask if you enjoyed your excursion, nina, you look in danger of bursting with pleasure!" Guiltily, Hazel rushed in to forestall Carmen's obvious intention to outline in detail everything that had happened. Tio Garcia, she knew, would be shocked at her lack of discretion and would feel the fault was his for failing to carry out his duties with proper care. In spite of his age, he was sympathetic towards her English outlook, but Francisco would be outraged if he were ever to learn that she had been practically picked up by a complete stranger.

  "Tio, I'm thirsty and so dreadfully sticky I simply must have a wash ! Do you think we might visit one of the hotels?"

  "Ciertamente! We have an hour to kill before we collect your charming friend, so if we indulge with you in your teatime ritual it should fill in the time nicely."

  Catryn! Hazel had not forgotten her, but there were other problems much more pressing which she had to discuss with Tio Garcia; somehow she had to manage to get him alone! Her chance came unexpectedly. Once they entered the hotel Carmen became fractious, the excitement of the day and a missed siesta telling their own tale. A sympathetic manager quickly obliged Tio Garcia's request for a quiet room in which the child could sleep for an hour, and so Hazel and he were alone when tea was served. They drank in silence, he appreciative of surroundings in which he felt at ease, and she troubled, turning over in her mind different ways of phrasing the question that had to be asked. Finally, it came out abruptly, so lacking in frills that the old

  hidalgo was startled.

  "How did Francisco become responsible for the deaths of his brother and his wife ?"

  "Ay dios mio ! What are you saying ?"

  "He told me himself," she persisted doggedly, "that he was responsible and that Carmen was allowed at the Casa only because her presence appeased his troubled conscience. I want to know why, Tio - and how!"

  With an unsteady hand he replaced his cup, then answered as abruptly as he had been asked. "Francisco was appealed to for help and he refused, that much I know. What I do not know is how he can hold himself responsible for deaths that occurred more than two miles away from the Casa, in a fast car, driven by his brother who for years had been persistently warned about his reckless driving. As Francisco was in no way physically involved, I cannot understand how he can blame himself."

  But it was understandable, Hazel reflected, piecing odd bits of information together until they formed a pattern. Francisco had fallen in love with the English girl who had passed him over in favour of his younger brother. A man of ordinary pride would have found it hard to forgive such a slight, but a man bedevilled by the temper of Drach would find forgiveness impossible. The young couple had pleaded in vain for help, then when they were half-crazed with worry the fatal error had been committed!

  "Well?" Tio Garcia jogged. "Don't you agree that Francisco condemns himself too harshly?" She stared vacantly across the table, thinking of the tremendous burden of guilt Francisco had opted to bear. She

  realized now that his words had been intended to shock, a subconscious attempt to purge his guilt in the whispered condemnation of the deliberately misinformed.

  "Yes, Tio, I certainly do," she whispered, her heart heavy with sympathy. The nature of the beast was such he would scorn pity, rather he would stalk the path of loneliness, pretending indifference to pointing fingers while he courted solitude in which to lick his wounds.

  CHAP
TER IV

  Dinner was served at ten each evening, and it was almost that when the car drew up in front of the Casa.. Catryn was first to step out, and her head immediately elevated, following the line of lighted windows upwards until they petered out far above under archways fretted into rows of jagged teeth against the darkening sky. She made no comment, not even when Tio Garcia pointed out an inscription recording that the Casa had been built at the beginning of the sixteenth century by Enrique de Drach, the first Marques, but her rapt attention to detail and her look of comical disbelief communicated plainly her amazed envy.

  Carmen was still drowsy, so Hazel seized upon the task of seeing the child into bed as an excuse to escape being present when Francisco was confronted with his unexpected guest. Not that he would be impolite, good manners were too well inbred into his aristocratic bones, but she did not share the optimism that led Tio Garcia into believing that any friend of hers would be automatically welcomed. Francisco had ways of making known his displeasure without the use of words, and she foresaw herself becoming the recipient of rapier glances thrust through with annoyance. So she made her hasty excuses and ran in the wake of the chauffeur carrying Carmen upstairs, feeling in her cowardice absolutely no compunction about leaving all introductions and explanations to Tio Garcia's competent tongue.

  Half an hour had gone by when finally she felt ready to join them downstairs. Carmen had gone uncomplain-ingly to bed and had been asleep in seconds, and the rest of the time had been taken up with a quick shower, a change of dress, and a light application of make-up. This time, she had chosen the green dress because after the hectic activity of the day its cotton coolness acted like a balm upon her flushed body, and it crisped around her ankles as she walked, adding vitality to movement basically lethargic. The sound of laughter arrested her progress downstairs, then a slightly open door spearing a finger of light across the shadowed hall beckoned her onward. A second burst of sound quickened her steps and she pushed open the door just in time to hear Catryn vivaciously holding forth to her attentive companions.