The Primrose Bride (19 page)

“
I
’
m sure of that,
”
Andrew said in those dangerous tones,
“
j
ust as you
’
re loyal now, to Tony. Well, it
’
s just too bad that you
’
ve met him too late!
”

“
You wanted us to be friends—you said so.
”

“
Is that your idea of friendliness?
”
he said, with a twist of his lips that looked like contempt.
“
Have you wept all over him? Just how far has it gone?
”

Karen was white and trembling.
“
How can you speak like that? Even if you don
’
t trust me, you do know Tony.
”

“
I know that no one is quite responsible for what he does when he goes crazy over a woman. The smallest encouragement from you would make him forget everything—is loyalties, career, the whole shoot. The one thing missing from Tony
’
s life is a woman to dote upon.
”

“
You
’
ve got the whole thing quite wrong. Even if I were the ... the kind of woman to appeal to
him
Tony wouldn
’
t
...
”

“
Allow me to know slightly more about men
than
you do.
”
In
cl
ipped tones he stated,
“
I
’
ve fought to keep our ridiculous situation an absolute secret, and I mean to go on that way. I won
’
t have Tony or anyone else regarding me as a cynical bridegroom and you as the pitiful victim. When I threatened to have Tony Horwe
l
l thrown out of Nemaka if you started confiding in him I meant every word. He
’
ll leave on Monday!
”

“
But
...
but, Andrew,
”
she said, aghast,
“
you can
’
t do that; it would hurt him dreadfully. And why should you blame Tony for my weakness?
”

“
Did you invite him here this morning?
”

“No,
but
...
”

“
When did you two first get together for these so-called friendly talks?
”

“
At no time when you weren
’
t in the house.
”

His nostrils thin and pale, his lips scarcely moving, he said incredulously,
“
You actually talked about me to Tony
w
hile I was only a few yards away? I don
’
t know how you dared! Well, you
’
ve finished his career on the Leaman
Islands. I
’
ll get him away early on Monday if it costs a year
’
s salary.
”

From somewhere Karen drew a little courage. Standing very straight with her head lifted she answered,
“
You can book two seats on that plane. If you kick out Tony, I
’
m going too. But before I go
,
I shall tell the Governor my
reasons.
”

Karen did not wait for a reply, and he did not try to detain her. Oblivious of the trembling of her body and of acute reminders from the sole of her foot, she ran out into the garden and plunged through the orchard footpath. She stopped in the eerie greenness and leaned against a festooned mango trunk. Despair was a deadening weight, in her chest.

CHAPTER
SIX

As m
ight have been expected, Hill Lodge was by no means a cottage. It was Marcia
’
s whim to play down what was really a modern luxurious bungalow in a wild and beautiful setting. The low white house sat on a wide shelf of hillside against a background of indigenous fruit and nut trees. Its garden was unconfined, a natural chaos of boulders with plants both wild and cultivated growing among them and paths winding right through it and down over the slopes to the sea, which was about four hundred yards away. Almost half the house was a vast lounge with windows and doors front and back. A small dining room with an adjoining kitchen, two bathrooms and two airy bedrooms completed a dwelling that any woman compelled to live in the tropics would dote upon.

The Prichards used the house about two weekends each month. Whenever a V.I.P. from England came to the Leamans he was given the use of Hill Lodge, and for that reason the place was kept in flawless condition. The furniture, Lady Prichard was wont to explain, was only ten years old and had been chosen for comfort and cheerfulness
. Rather a
contrast to the walnut, mahogany and tapestries at the Residency, and therefore a real change and most restful.

It was a dream house in a dream setting; Karen had to admit that. Andrew had told her very little on the way. A gesture and:
“
This is one of our coffee plantations—seven years old.
”
Or:
“
The river flooded part of the island last year during the rains.
”

From the moment they had met for breakfast there had been a wordless pact between them which Andrew, narrow
-
eyed though he was, might have summed up as
‘
casual does it
’
. They had set out at ten, he tall and vital in linen slacks and a white shirt and she in pink and white. He drove among palms and wild orange trees, among poinsettias,
hibiscus and lantana that grew flagrantly as weeds along the edges of the rice and tea gardens. Women in bright sarongs waved as they passed, and giggled shyly; their men bowed. Karen wondered what it was like to be so free and uninhibited; their polite interest would have warmed her heart, had she felt she had a heart left to be warmed. She sat beside Andrew, achingly aware of him as a vibrant, magnetic man who could love as passionately as he could denounce. It was a relief to arrive at their destination.

Sir Wallace and Lady Prichard came from the wide paved terrace to greet them. Sir Wallace looked bluff and sporty, his wife appeared dainty and self-contained, in flowered print.

“
Well, this is splendid,
”
she said, giving a hand to each of them.
“
It was so hazy here this morning that we were afraid you might have rain in Government Town. Wallace says it feels like rain, but I don
’
t think so. Do you, Andrew?
”

“
It does a bit, and it was cloudy last night.
”
He looked about him and down at the distant, misty blue of the sea.
“
This place is the most restful I know. How are you feeling Sir Wallace?
”

“
Very fit. No talk of work today, Andrew. Marcia forbids it.
”

Lady Prichard smiled charmingly and led the way into the covered terrace.
“
We have a confirmation service for the islanders this evening and then a long discussion with
some missionaries. Let
’
s have a peaceful day to prepare for it. Sit there, Karen, my dear. You look so lovely and fresh.
”

Karen felt stale and benighted, but she smiled brightly.
“
It
’
s cooler here, and what a glorious spot it is!
”

“
After you
’
ve had some refreshment I
’
ll show you our garden,
”
said the Governor
’
s wife.
“
When
w
e first came out here there were only wild things growing among the crags, but during the first year I bought plants from the government nursery, and now you
’
ll find ageratums and pelargoniums and dwarf azaleas among the rock plants. I did plant some geraniums, just for fun, but they grew to tree size within two years and had to be scrapped. Are you fond of gardening, Karen?
”

“
Oh, yes. I did all the spring and autumn work in our garden at home in Cornwall.
”

“
Here, of course,
”
in mild reproof,
“
one gardens only with one
’
s mind—a gardener does the work. Ah, thank you,
”
as a servant placed a tray on the low
mosaic
table.
“
What would you like, Karen? Tea or an iced fruit drink? And you, Andrew?
”

Karen relaxed slightly. The breeze was good, and the dead weight of despondency which had kept her awake last night had found its level; it no longer dragged. When she had finished her drink she walked with Marcia Prichard among the exotic plants and rocks. The older woman explained everything, showed garden seats in arbors, a well-preserved summer-house where someone famous had painted her portrait.

They had been alone for more than half an hour when Lady Prichard said pleasantly,
“
Before we go back there
’
s something I have to mention to you, Karen. Just before Sir Wallace and I left Government Town yesterday morning I received a letter by messenger. It wasn
’
t scurrilous, or I
’
d have destroyed it and forgotten it. It simply said that you have come to know those men who are trying to salvage a ship off the coast. The writer thought I should be told about it, so that I could warn you that
...
well, that it
’
s not entirely discreet for you to speak to such people when you are out driving.
”

Karen looked at her, surprised but singularly unmoved.
“
I met two of those men just once, by accident, and I wasn
’
t alone.
”

“
It
’
s not important, my dear. I thought it my duty to let you know that you were seen—merely to point the fact of your position here.
”

“
What sort of position is it—when some other government wife can snoop and report as if I were
official
property?

“
It wasn
’
t a government wife, I
’
m glad to say. The writer thought it over very carefully before she wrote to me; it was a most fair and objective letter.
”

“
It was still snooping. I don
’
t even want to know the name of the writer.
”

A tiny frown creased the older woman
’
s forehead.
“
There was no ill intent, I assure you, Karen. I told you only for your own good, and I certainly won
’
t mention a word of it to Andrew, or even to the Governor.
”
She paused.
“
It is only right that you should know the name of the woman who wrote to me. She
’
s not much older than you are—the shipping agent
’
s daughter, Camilla Marchant.
”

Karen had half expected it.
“
I
think we may leave it there, Lady Prichard. If I ever see any of those men again it will be accidentally, as it was before.
”

As they moved on she realized that in keeping the letter to herself and handing out a private warning, Lady Prichard had been acting with understanding and generosity. The trouble was, Karen felt herself in no condition to handle intrigue and disguised viciousness. Automatically she murmured an apology, received a warm smile in acknowledgement. She remembered reading somewhere that never, at one time, is everyone against us. Now it seemed as though Lady Prichard were more than willing to become a friend and ally—possibly for Andrew
’
s sake, but one could understand that.

Karen sighed; her head ached, and as a result of the rough walking her foot was beginning to play up.

The four of them lunched on the terrace, and for an hour afterwards Karen rested on a chaise in the spare bedroom; there had been the choice between a rest and going for a tramp with Andrew, and he himself had made the decision. He had gone off alone, striding along as if the temperature were down in the sixties.

When they all met for tea the whole sky had hazed, and Andrew reported rain in the air near the sea.

“
I
think
we should start back almost at once,
”
he said.
“‘
Even with only a mist it may take nearly two hours.
”

The Governor smiled.
“
Not if you
’
re driving. We
’
ll leave at exactly five. That will give us ample time. It
’
s too warm to do anything in a hurry. Besides, even if it rains, it will be some time before the road deteriorates.
”

“
Unless there are cloudbursts.
”

The Governor looked up at the thick grey sky.
“
Up here you can never distinguish clouds from heavy haze.
”

As if to make
him
entirely clear on the point a sudden zigzag of lightning split the grey. Lady Prichard stood up at once.

“
I know I should be ashamed of it, but I
’
m nervous of thunderstorms. Wallace, I
’
m going indoors, and I shall stay there till this one is over.
”

Andrew was swiftly helping a servant to drag the garden furniture into cover.
“
I think we
’
d better leave, Marcia,
”
he said as she passed
him.
“
There
’
ll be no danger in the car.
”

She shook her head, almost abruptly.
“
I don
’
t mind
rain,
but I refuse to drive in thunder and lightning—too unnerving altogether. Wallace, please ask someone to close the
s
hutters of the bedroom windows. I
’
ll lie down till it
’
s over.
”

This, it seemed, was Lady Prichard
’
s one weakness. She could
entertain
Royalty, juggle with officials and their wives, run
numerous
welfare organizations and remain alert and watchful in any emergency after more ordinary mortals had succumbed to fatigue. But she had a thing about storms; a decided touch of humanity.

The rain fell as if a tropical river were overflowing from the sky. There were great thick sheets of it battering at the roof and coursing down to wash over the terrace and garden. Thunder reverberated through the hills and lightning shot through the grey wall like flames. Karen watched it, fascinatedly, from the living room. Sir Wallace, at her side, shook his head resignedly.

“
We wouldn
’
t have had time to get far, and we
’
d certainly have had to turn back, for Marcia
’
s sake. She wouldn
’
t have had hysterics, or anything like that, but if she were out in this she
’
d feel really ill for some
time
after it.
”

“
Do you think I should go to her?
”
Karen asked.

“
She
’
s best left alone, thank you, my dear.
”
He smiled.
“
She shuts out the lightning, makes herself comfortable and tells herself that she
’
s bearing her little cross.
”

“
Very sensible too,
”
commented Andrew.
“
But I wish we
’
d got about halfway, past the down-gradient hairpin bends. Even if this finishes within the next hour we
’
ll have to go carefully, and you won
’
t get back in time for your duties this evening.
”

“
It
’
s a pity, but Bingham will have to handle things. If it
’
s raining down there everyone will know why we
’
re held up. It
’
s a good thing you
’
re with us, Andrew; otherwise they
’
d organize a rescue convoy!
”
He looked at Karen.
“
You don
’
t mind this?
”

“
It
’
s rather terrifying, but I
’
ve never seen it before.
”