| 1 | Chapter 16. |
| 2 | Darkness had descended like a curtain by the time they docked at Belleray. |
| 3 | And though Guy, made nervous by Beryl's silence, drove at reckless speed to the Villa, it was quickly evident that the party was over. |
| 4 | Piers came strolling out to meet the Deanes, and as soon as Guy had driven away, invited them casually to come to his flat for a drink. |
| 5 | To Beryl, at least, this was anti-climax with a vengeance. |
| 6 | She had expected to be met with violent reproaches — and here he was bland and smiling. |
| 7 | But it did not take her long to realise that his mood was less pleasant than appeared on the surface. |
| 8 | He told her nonchalantly, as he led the way to his own veranda, that he had taken the liberty of asking Jack — as a representative of the Vallin family — to come over and make the presentation in her stead. |
| 9 | ‘I caught him just as he was going to the airport to meet Blanche,’ he said. |
| 10 | ‘As a matter of fact I'd asked him last night to deputise for me and fetch her. |
| 11 | He brought her to the party too. |
| 12 | They're both here.’ |
| 13 | ‘I didn't know she was coming back from Barbados so soon.’ |
| 14 | Beryl said the first thing that came into her head. |
| 15 | ‘Oh, she was due!’ |
| 16 | And then he added in the same casual tone, ‘She's not returning to her family. She's going to live with friends of the bank manager, just this side of Belleray.’ |
| 17 | Mrs Deane made a suitable comment, but Beryl said nothing. |
| 18 | She was trying to sort things out in her mind. |
| 19 | That beneath his unnaturally smooth exterior Piers was simmering with anger against her she had no doubt. |
| 20 | But hadn't she cause for anger too? |
| 21 | Had he acted within his rights in inviting Jack Vallin to act on her behalf, in having Blanche there — not doing the honours, perhaps, but as the only white woman of position? |
| 22 | Be this as it might, she must on no account show resentment now, and she greeted Jack and Blanche with friendly courtesy, thanking Jack warmly for coming to the rescue, and explaining as best she could how it was that she had been obliged to miss the celebrations. |
| 23 | Jack and Blanche were quick to sympathise, and to express their disgust at Sir John's abominable treatment of his guests. |
| 24 | But Piers remained aloof, and when Beryl suggested having a second party, the following week, he poured cold water on the project. |
| 25 | Everyone, he declared, had had a thoroughly good time, and it would take them nearly to next week to settle down again. |
| 26 | Meanwhile Hubert would have betaken himself and his well-earned gratuity to his native village at the north of the island. |
| 27 | It was all over and done with. |
| 28 | For the time being Beryl was content to let it go at that, but she resolved to have it out with Piers when a reasonable opportunity presented itself. |
| 29 | He must learn that he could not treat her with injustice and contempt, ignoring her explanations as though he were a schoolmaster and she a small, ignorant child. |
| 30 | He gave her no chance of any private conversation that evening, for when Blanche and Jack left, he went with them. |
| 31 | But next morning she insisted on his taking her out in the jeep — to find, if possible, Hubert and his relations, and tell them of her great disappointment at being held up in Balicou. |
| 32 | With an air of resignation he sent Judy, his Boxer, to the back, and made room for her beside him. |
| 33 | ‘Is that all you want to do?’ he asked, letting in the clutch. |
| 34 | ‘No; I want to make you understand just what happened about this Balicou trip,’ she returned coldly. |
| 35 | ‘I'm a little tired of being treated like an ineffective imbecile.’ |
| 36 | ‘And I'm heartily sick of being constantly called to account for my manners,’ he retorted. |
| 37 | ‘What have I done wrong now? |
| 38 | I cover up for you the best way I can by getting hold of Jack to make the presentation, I run the damned party to the best of my ability — saying the sugary things you ought to have been there to say — and all you can do is to find fault.’ |
| 39 | ‘It's your superior attitude that riles me.’ |
| 40 | Beryl was scarlet with annoyance. |
| 41 | ‘How I happened to be marooned at Balicou doesn't interest you in the faintest degree. |
| 42 | You look as though it was only what you expected of me, as though I didn't care a hoot about letting Hubert and his pals down.’ |
| 43 | ‘As your employee it's not my business to understand all the whys and wherefores of your actions,’ he said stiffly. |
| 44 | ‘Still less to criticise you.’ |
| 45 | ‘Oh, drop that nonsense, Piers! Be yourself,’ she exclaimed, with mounting exasperation. |
| 46 | ‘Very well!’ |
| 47 | He brought the jeep to a standstill in a rough path fringed and shaded by citrus trees. |
| 48 | ‘If you want my true opinion I'll give it. |
| 49 | You made some sort of a protest to Graybury. |
| 50 | I'll give you credit for that. |
| 51 | But you didn't press the matter because, very naturally, you were thoroughly enjoying Forrest's company in idyllic surroundings.’ |
| 52 | ‘How dare you say such a thing?’ she blazed. |
| 53 | ‘For goodness' sake show a glimmer of reason,’ was his equally indignant rejoinder. |
| 54 | ‘One minute you order me to behave like your secretary, the next like an uninhibited human being.’ |
| 55 | And then he added caustically, ‘I've only to mention Forrest's name to put you in a temper. Why not admit that you're in love with the fellow and have done with it?’ |
| 56 | ‘Because I'm not,’ she snapped. |
| 57 | ‘You expect me to believe that?’ |
| 58 | There was open mockery in his tone. |
| 59 | ‘You'll be telling me next that you spent all those hours together on Balicou without his kissing you.’ |
| 60 | She caught her breath. |
| 61 | ‘Of all the caddish things to say!’ |
| 62 | ‘Nonsense. |
| 63 | If I'd been in his place I'd have kissed you myself — good and hard, as I'm tempted to now.’ |
| 64 | ‘You talk as though we were alone on Balicou!’ |
| 65 | She avoided his gaze, and tried to ignore that last impertinent remark. |
| 66 | ‘With four other people —’ |
| 67 | ‘Whom you never once managed to circumvent.’ |
| 68 | The mockery in his voice had deepened. |
| 69 | ‘With all due deference, Miss Deane — come off it!’ |
| 70 | She met his eyes then. |
| 71 | ‘Very well,’ she said coolly. |
| 72 | ‘We were alone together for an hour or two, the first afternoon. |
| 73 | And he did kiss me. |
| 74 | But if you think I acquiesced in the delay because I wanted his company — well, you're misjudging me badly.’ |
| 75 | ‘You mean that!’ |
| 76 | His expression had changed. |
| 77 | ‘It wasn't on his account at all that you allowed Sir John to get away with this — this Hitlerish behaviour.’ |
| 78 | She wavered, and at last said slowly, ‘If you must drag the truth out of me, I must ask you to regard it as confidential.’ |
| 79 | ‘My dear Beryl, don't tell me anything, if you'd rather not.’ |
| 80 | He was clearly startled by her words. |
| 81 | ‘But remember, it was you, not I, who started this conversation.’ |
| 82 | ‘I know. |
| 83 | Absurd as it may seem, I didn't want you to think badly of me.’ |
| 84 | She turned away from him to fondle Judy, who, sensing something amiss, was nudging her in the endeavour to gain her attention. |
| 85 | ‘The truth is that if I had absolutely insisted on sailing at the time originally arranged, Sir John would have had it in for Guy. |
| 86 | You see, it was, apparently, through a mistake on Guy's part that we missed seeing the flamingoes our first morning on the island.’ |
| 87 | ‘What harm could possibly have come to Forrest through Sir John's nonsense?’ |
| 88 | Piers could hardly have spoken with more contempt. |
| 89 | ‘A bully like that respects anyone who dares to stand up to him.’ |
| 90 | Beryl tried to suppress the thought that this was precisely the remark she had made to Guy. |
| 91 | She said icily, ‘As you pride yourself on your knowledge of all the affairs of the island I needn't tell you that Sir John Graybury is one of Mr Hewson's most important customers.’ |
| 92 | ‘So what? |
| 93 | You're not trying to say that Hewson would victimise Forrest for behaving with ordinary moral courage! |
| 94 | He's quite capable of telling Sir John to take himself and his business to an unmentionable destination.’ |
| 95 | ‘There's a difference between what a senior and a junior partner can do,’ was her quick reply. |
| 96 | ‘What they can bring off! |
| 97 | I'll admit that. |
| 98 | But Forrest might at least have tried. |
| 99 | He's pretty spineless!’ |
| 100 | ‘You think you could have carried more weight with Sir John?’ she enquired cuttingly. |
| 101 | ‘For all your good opinion of yourself, I doubt it. |
| 102 | He's about as easy to push around as # — as a grounded whale!’ |
| 103 | He had to smile at that, but went on airily, ‘I'd have made an attempt to show my lady-love that I put her interests before my own. |
| 104 | I wouldn't have cared to risk her thinking me a selfish weakling.’ |
| 105 | The barb hurt cruelly. |
| 106 | For in her heart of hearts Beryl had resented Guy's apparent indifference to her dilemma — had come near, indeed, to despising him. |
| 107 | But her soreness merely increased her anger with Piers. |
| 108 | ‘Was it studying my interests to bring your girl friend to my party for the labourers?’ she demanded. |
| 109 | ‘To have her act as hostess in my absence?’ |
| 110 | He looked at her, not wrathfully now, but quizzically. |
| 111 | ‘My girl friend, as you call her, remained as much in the background as even you could wish.’ |
| 112 | He patted the Boxer's huge head. |
| 113 | ‘Judy, here, was more forthcoming. |
| 114 | In fact, she trotted round, obviously trying to make everyone feel at home, gazing reproachfully at the few timid ones who bolted.’ |
| 115 | She was tempted to laugh, but it was as though that barb still stuck in her quivering flesh. |
| 116 | ‘You've an answer — of sorts — for everything,’ she said shortly. |
| 117 | ‘Personally I've no more to say, so I suggest we get along.’ |
| 118 | To her great relief they arrived at the cluster of little houses where Hubert had been living to find the old man stowing in leisurely fashion his few possessions into a ramshackle and incredibly ancient car, surrounded by innumerable friends and relatives. |
| 119 | Their air of smiling somnolence showed them to have been guests at yesterday's celebrations, and their friendly welcome and warm sympathy, as she explained how she had come to miss the party, made her send a complacent glance in Piers' direction. |
| 120 | What a fuss-box the man was, she thought impatiently, trying to worry her into the belief that her failure to appear at a function on the estate was a major error: that it was the kind of thing that, with these simple folk, spoiled the master-servant relationship. |
| 121 | And then she received a jolt. |
| 122 | Old Hubert, standing beside her, his battered hat in his hand, his toothless mouth stretched in a wide grin, told her in halting patois that ‘Mistah Piers’ had explained right at the start that ‘Mis' Beryl’ would be ‘plenty, plenty sad’ not to be back at the Villa in time. |
| 123 | That it wouldn't be her fault at all. |
| 124 | That she was a lady who, like her Uncle Charles, took the highest pride in keeping her word. |
| 125 | ‘I could see anudder t'ing,’ he went on in a lower voice, his sunken black eyes twinkling. |
| 126 | ‘He powerful anxious, poor Mistah Piers. |
| 127 | We all know how Balicou Island dangerous to all kin' o' boats, wid d'ose big, big rocks in an' out o' de water. |
| 128 | He full o' fear you comin' bad harm, Mis Beryl. |
| 129 | I see it in his eyes, even when he smilin' and larkin' wid us. |
| 130 | I knowin' him well, Missie. |
| 131 | He always sayin' he one of us,'cos he born an' bred in de islands. |
| 132 | An' he say for true!’ |
| 133 | This sidelight on Piers had its effect on Beryl. |
| 134 | Without taking it too seriously she found herself regretting some of the sharp things she had said to him and when, her goodbyes said, she climbed back into the jeep, preparatory to returning to the Villa, it was with the resolve to make up her quarrel with him — to achieve, at least, a surface peace. |