The Primrose Bride (14 page)

“
To think I could have had coffee and biscuits over there with a couple of adventurous types—three, including the mechanic. I haven
’
t quite the nerve to go there alone.
”

“
I hope not. I don
’
t want to sound prissy, but Clive would be terribly hurt if he found out that you even hanker for that kind of thing.
”

“
Oh, Clive,
”
she said disparagingly.
“
The reason I fell out of love with him was because he t
urn
ed into a stuffed shirt.
”

As they walked back Karen turned and looked at her. Rita
’
s hollow cheeks and burning eyes gave her a ravenous look. The mane of copper-colored hair, blowing now, looked like a dying flame. Whether she was truly disillusioned and unhappy or merely restless to the point of taking excitement anywhere or merely restless to the point of taking excitement anywhere she found it, Karen was too inexperienced to tell. She only knew there was rather more to Rita Vaughan than anyone in Government Road was aware of.

The sun was well over in the west when they drove home. In the shopping area several
w
hite men had left their offices were making a few purchases before going to their bach
el
or quarters. Rita waved to them, and made the cynical comment:

“
The poor saps envy married men—they all hitch up as soon as they can. Can you beat it?
”

“
They don
’
t happen to have your slant on life, Rita. They
’
re just ordinary men with different characteristics.
”

“
Just like Clive,
”
was the resigned answer.
“
If I ever leave him it will do him as much good as it will do me.
”

“
And that
’
s very little,
”
Karen said. And then, dully, she realized she was automatically voicing the conventional sentiments. If ever I leave Clive ... If ever I leave Andrew
...

She stopped outside the Vaughan
’
s bungalow.
“
No, I won
’
t come in,
”
she said.
“
I
’
ve just time to change before Andrew gets home.
”

“
Well, thanks for the outing. It
’
s done my nasty nature a bit of good.
”

As they had tamed into Government Road a weight had hovered about Karen
’
s heart, but as she left Rita
’
s house and drove on down to the end of the road, depression fell round her like a storm-cloud, making her clammy and apprehensive. Maybe she
’
d
f
eel better after a bath.

But the big government car was on the drive, and as she passed it and drove into the garage, Karen
’
s nerve began to fail her. She wouldn
’
t stay in the living room and argue with him; far better to smile and walk straight through. There was nothing to say, anyway. They both knew that the most dreadful mistake of their lives had been made in a small village church in Cornwall.

She left the picnic basket outside but draped the gaily-patterned towel over her arm. At a normal pace she crossed to the house and entered the living room. He wasn
’
t there, thank heaven. Swiftly, in her room, she got out of the frock and bathing suit and put on a dressing gown. She pushed up the short hair and fastened it with a comb, found clean underwear and turned towards the door.

It opened suddenly and Andrew was there. She had never seen his ja
w
more taut, his eyes so angry. His teeth snapped as he spoke.

“
All right, you
’
ve asserted yourself. Where have you been
?
”

Steady now, she told her racing pulses.
“
I told you in my note I was going for a drive and a picnic with Rita Vaughan.
”

“
You left at ten this morning. It
’
s now after five!
”

“
We took our time.
”

“
You picked a good day for it. The Governor
’
s back.
”

“
Sir
...
Wallace?
”
she said, and the color drained from her face.
“
You said he wasn
’
t due till Monday.
”

“
He changed his mind—or rather, Lady Prichard changed it for him. They heard on Filfua that we
’
d arrived, and she decided she couldn
’
t wait any longer to see you. They came early—for you! And you weren
’
t here to greet them.
”

She was trembling now.
“
How was I to know they
’
d come early? And why should they come especially for me?
”

He smiled unpleasantly.
“
Because they happen to have some regard for
me.
Does that surprise you? We
’
re going to the Residency for dinner tonight.
”

“
Oh, no,
”
she said faintly.
“
Couldn
’
t you say that I
...
”

He looked at her, saw her small and pale and pleading, her hair skewered high like a child
’
s for her bath so that her neck looked young, her throat vulnerable; his glance lowered to the gossamer underwear in her hands. He took in a sharp breath and turned away, thrusting a tight hand into his pocket. There was no anger in his voice as he answered, only an odd roughness.

“
We
’
re due there at seven,
”
he said.
“
Wear that pink brocade thing we chose together. It
’
s just right for the first meeting.
”
And he went back to his room.

CHAPTER FIVE

They m
et in the living room at a quarter to seven. Tall and broad-shouldered in a fresh white dinner jacket, his face clean-cut, his dark hair slicked back so that the single wave was almost ironed out, Andrew looked distinguished and au
s
tere. His comprehensive glance at Karen
’
s slight figure in the simple pale pink brocade, at her slender arms which showed a slight tan, her bare neck and the lovely pearl
-
drop earrings, was now almost impersonal. It was as though he were trying to obliterate that other look in the bedroom. He picked up a glass half filled with milk and put it into her hand, offered a small plate on which lay two white capsules.

“
I went over to Jake Mears for these,
”
he said.
“
A mild tranquillizer.
”

“
I
’
d rather not take them, thank you.
”

“
I didn
’
t prescribe them, Jake did. I told him you
’
d been out all day and were probably tired, and that we had to dine at the Residency. He said the two capsules with milk are a temporary remedy for nervous strain. Go on, take them and forget them.
”

She did, of course, though she knew they were both aware that it would need more than a drug to ease the atmosphere between them. Together they went out to the car.

They drove along Government Road in silence. This evening there was a little more wind than usual and part of the radiant sky was blackened out by slow-moving cloud. The heavier trees scarcely swayed their branches, but the tall palms made grotesquely beautiful shap
e
s against the stars, their fans blowing gaily one way with a sheen across them.

For the first time Karen passed between the stone pillars that guarded the drive to the Residency. She saw the great mansion set back among trees, lights blazing from all the lower windows, the flag flying proudly from its post. But somehow none of it was real. Even Andrew, swinging the car into the parking space at the side of the house, had become remote and somehow blanketed away from her. Perhaps it was the effect of those tablets.

As they mounted the wide shallow steps he took her elbow, and that was how they entered the portals of the Residency; together, both smiling, a strong, good-looking man with his pretty wife.

The secretary, Bingham, was in the white-panelled hall.
“
Good evening, Mrs. Eliot. Hallo, Andrew. His Excellency is using the small sitting room tonight. The McLennans and Austin are already there. Will you go straight along?
”

“
Sure. How many are we likely to be?
”

“
Ten altogether. Here come the Coppards, and that
’
s the lot.
‘
Scuse me?
”

Karen was led to the left, where a servant in white with gold marking here and there stood smartly beside an open door. Her first impression of the room showed ornate white walls, a modest chandelier, old walnut cabinets, faded blue damask and several people. The tall man with wiry dark hair going grey and a fine soldierly bearing detached himself from the group and came straight across the room, with both hands outstretched.

“
Sir Wallace Prichard,
”
said Andrew.
“
This is Karen.
”

“
So this is your wife!
”
exclaimed the Governor.
“
I must congratulate you on your excellent taste. My dear, I officially welcome you to our islands. I hope you
’
ll be wonderfully happy here.
”

“
You
’
re very kind,
”
said Karen.

The next moment, as if by pre-arrangement, Lady Prichard reached her husband
’
s side. She was not much taller than Karen, very slender and impeccably turned out in silver-grey georgette. Her only jewellery was a necklace of small sapphires. She was fifty-odd, with small patrician features, light blue eyes and swathed chestnut hair which showed a little grey at the temples. She looked what she was: a woman who had gladly and wholeheartedly given her life and marriage to the Colonial Service. Perhaps, thought Karen fleetingly, she was the more dangerous for that. Dangerous? Why on earth had the word come into her mind?

Andrew said suavely,
“
Marcia, this is Karen. She
’
s
a
little too overwhelmed at the moment to tell you how badly she felt about not being on hand to greet you this morning.
”
Then, to Karen, softly, but just loud enough for the Prichards to hear,
“
Darling, this is Lady Prichard.
”

Again it must have been the tablets which bore Karen through the next minute or two.
Darling
.
In this case the word was synonymous with perfidy. No wonder he had wanted her tranquillized!

Lady Prichard said,
“
I
’
m so happy to know you, Karen, and I
’
m only sorry we weren
’
t here to welcome you on the day you arrived. I rather suspect, though,
”
with a sophisticated, knowledgeable smile at Andrew,
“
that your husband decided to get you established during our absence. Let the servant take your wrap and purse. I
’
m sure you
’
d both like a drink.
”

The first hurdle was past. Karen smiled a greeting to the other guests, accepted a drink of some sort and sat down beside Mrs. Coppard. For about ten minutes she listened, without speaking, to an account of a letter the Coppards had received from their son who was at school in England. By the time Lady Prichard deemed it advisable to change the composition of the couple of groups, Karen felt calm and resigned. She had a few words with Bingham, a few more with young Austin, was conscious of Andrew
’
s smooth and watchful presence, the cleverness with which he supplied her with companions who were undemanding.