Patterson's Island Page 7

  By now he was almost upon them, and Beth, trying to stave off the inevitable, pushed her straw hat right over her face. into a position from which she could just peep out, but leaving her features in shadow. She now wore high heels, and she fervently hoped this would help the camouflage act. Janice dug her in the ribs. 'Do something about your hat,' she -muttered in an aside, as the man approaching them thrust out his hand in welcome.

  As Beth's small hand was lost in the large one offered, she listened in a kind of daze as he welcomed her to the island, and hoped he would put her refusal to look him in the eye—what part of her face, that was, that he could see—down to embarrassment. By the polite way he enquired about her journey out, she knew he had not recognised her, but had a sneaking feeling he was working on it, as she felt the gaze of those searching blue eyes of his upon her..

  Help came for Beth in the shape of a gorgeous red-

  head, who demanded his attention towards some new arrivals and practically dragged him off to meet them. Beth didn't know who the girl was, but she was devoutly grateful to her.

  `What's with the hat?' demanded Janice, giving her an odd look.

  `I've a headache,' lied Beth quickly. 'I'm not used to the sun yet.' Then to change the conversation, she asked hurriedly, 'Who's the lovely redhead?' .

  The question had the desired effect, and took Jan-ice's mind off the subject of the hat, which relieved Beth, for it wasn't easy trying to fool Janice, who just happened to know her a little too well. 'That is Amanda, Mrs Winton's daughter,' answered Janice, glancing at her watch. 'Countdown in five minutes from now,' she said airily.

  `I beg your pardon?' said Beth.

  `Time to pry him loose, if he hasn't managed to do it himself,' Janice explained drily.

  Beth stared at her. 'You mean he doesn't like her?' she asked, intrigued, and from under the brim of her hat she studied the tall man, now at a safe distance, and went on to take in the slim girl clinging to his arm; and clinging was the only way one could put it, she thought Nevertheless, who in their right minds would pass up a beauty like that? She wore a twenties-style tea-gown, with floating chiffon skirt, and large picture hat to match. Tall for a woman—Beth judged her to be around the five feet ten mark—she was still a few inches shorter than the man beside her. All in all, they made a splendid pair, she thought, and her sympathies were with the girl entirely for judging by the

  way she kept gazing up adoringly at Gavin Patterson, she was way past redemption. Beth felt a fresh surge of dislike towards the man who had plagued her existence so early on her visit to the island. He would take such adoration as his due, much as Nicholas had done in their early association, although, she reminded herself, he had wanted to marry her, while this autocratic character was just playing the field. However, she kept these-thoughts to herself. Janice only knew him as a kind boss, and Beth fervently hoped she could keep things that way.

  `It's not so much a question of not liking her,' went on Janice. 'He has to be on the defensive, like Mr Fisher. She's like her mother, a very determined young woman, and like her mother, she thinks she'd make an excellent wife for Gavin. Gavin, however, thinks otherwise.'

  As if feeling their eyes on him, he suddenly turned and looked straight back at them, and Beth hastily averted her eyes, terrified she had been recognised, but Janice's next words made her relax. 'To the rescue,' she said, giving Beth a swift grin as she made her way towards the group.

  Beth breathed a sigh of relief, so it was Janice he was looking at, hoping to spur her into action, and like the well-trained secretary she was, she was answering the silent call. Beth wondered what she would say to break up the gathering, as she watched her sister go up to Gavin Patterson and say something to him, and the pair of them shortly headed back towards the house. Beth, glancing back at Amanda, caught a malicious look directed at Janice's back;

  gone was the soft fluffy little girl act she had adopted in Gavin Patterson's presence, she was now, as Janice had said, a woman with a purpose. Silently, Beth thanked the powers that be for John. Janice would be safe from such a woman, for there was no romantic involvement with her, boss.

  Left on her own, Beth accepted a cold drink from the tray a resplendent Johnny was carrying around. He was correctly dressed as a waiter, and it took a minute or so for Beth to recognise him, and catching her eye, he gave her his flashing grin, then suddenly recollecting where he was, and his responsibilities, he straightened up,- and -adopting a sober expression carried on with his duties.

  Alone again, Beth felt a wave of sadness pass over her. It could have been so wonderful being back with Janice again, but there was little hope now that the arrangement would work out. As for Janice's aspirations of her following in her footsteps—well, that scheme was out of the question for a start. No, she mused, she would just have to find a good excuse for going back to England, and what that would be she simply hadn't a clue as yet. She needed time to think, time to work Out how she could go back and somehow keep out of Nicholas's way. She bit her lower lip; there were other places she could go—say Australia. She could tell Janice she wanted to travel. She sighed heavily; might as well tell her the truth and be done with it, then she would be able to help her keep out of the range of Gavin Patterson's eagle eye, and no harm would be done. But not now, she thought as she saw Janice heading her way; later, when they were

  alone, just in case Janice had any conscientious notion of dragging her off to apologise to her boss.

  `How did you manage that ? she asked her curiously as she joined her.

  Tong-distance call,' Janice replied airily.

  `That you took on the terrace, a few yards away from her, with no telephone in sight? Couldn't you do better than that?' demanded Beth, grinning.

  Janice chuckled. 'It's not so crazy as it sounds. All calls are referred to me, and I decide whether they're important enough for Gavin's attention. When Amanda starts her clinging act, all calls are important!'

  In spite of the ferocious look Amanda had sent Janice earlier, Beth felt a little sorry for her. Gavin Patterson, it appeared, was no easy prey to stalk.

  The girls drifted off in search of food then, and the rest of the time was spent in idle conversation with various people whom Beth was introduced to. Had it not been for the likelihood of coming into contact with Janice's boss again, Beth would have enjoyed herself, but she was constantly on the lookout for the tall figure, and kept her straw hat tilted over her face to avoid the possibility of suddenly finding him in front of her.

  When the guests started taking their leave shortly after five, she knew a sense of relief that she had managed to stay out of her host's orbit, and thus out of trouble. She had had one or two nasty moments when she had caught sight of him in the distance talking to some of the guests, but he was obviously keeping on the move, not risking being pinned down by the de-

  termined Amanda again. Soon the terrace was deserted, and a small army of servants proceeded with the job of clearing the buffet section. Janice, telling Beth she wouldn't be long, slipped into the house for a final check on everything, and Beth began walking slowly back the way they had come, thinking it wouldn't be good policy to hang around too near the house. She had been extremely fortunate so far, and didn't believe in pushing her luck !

  Stopping to admire a brilliant patch of shrubbery, and studying the bright orange blooms with the eye of an artist, she wondered how she could reproduce their glowing translucent beauty in oils, then started when a voice close at hand said silkily, 'Might I recommend the swimming pool to you, Miss Knight?'

  Beth straightened and swallowed hard. She didn't have to turn round to recognise the owner of that voice. It was no use, she thought, he had recognised her. She swung round and looked straight at him He stood watching her with one eyebrow raised, and seemed to be waiting for something, and Beth didn't need a glass ball to know what.

  `I do apologise,' she began lamely. 'It seemed a good idea at the time ...' Heavens, she, shouldn't have said that, she
thought, as she watched a certain glint appear in his eyes.

  `No doubt,' he replied ironically, 'but I shouldn't hang around there in the near future, if I were you—or take to swimming in the harbour.' His eyes pierced her.

  `Oh, I er ... no, of course not ' She broke

  off confusedly, willing herself not to lose her temper,

  or all would be lost. She tried another approach and gave him what she hoped was an apologetic smile. 'I didn't know about the rules, you see,' she explained blandly. 'It won't happen again.'

  He didn't have to answer that, his expression told her what he was thinking. Beth felt herself flushing under his relentless gaze, and as there was nothing else to be said, she frigidly excused herself and marched off in the direction of the cottage. Janice would just have to catch her up, she told herself, after, no doubt, a few well-chosen words from her boss on the behaviour of her sister! In all probability, Beth thought scathingly, she would be asked to try and exercise some control over her, for it was obvious that he thought her a troublemaker, and it went without saying that he would be on the lookout for her in the future !

  Janice caught Beth up just before she got to the cottage, and Beth steeled herself in readiness for the lecture she was sure was about to be delivered. To her surprise, however, her sister chatted on about the party, and what a success it had been, and what did Beth think about her boss—quite dishy, wasn't he? This question nearly proved her undoing, for she was about to categorically state her feelings on this point, when it occurred to her that Janice knew nothing about her two brushes with the autocratic owner of the island. It took a little while for this extraordinary fact to sink in, and finding it hard to believe, she stole a surreptitious peep at Janice who was still expounding on the merits of her boss.

  `Of course,' she went on in blissful ignorance,

  `we'll wait a little while before broaching the subject of you taking over from me.' She grinned at the now very wary Beth. 'Just drop a few hints here and there about you seeking work on the island. If I know Gavin, he'll take it from there. He knows the wedding's not all that far away, and when I tell him John's feelings about my giving up work—well, that will be that !'

  Beth swallowed and tried to look grateful; somehow she had to disabuse Janice of this extremely unlikely idea. 'I'm not sure that I'll like the job,' she said quickly. 'It might suit you, dear, but I've a mind to branch out for myself.'

  Janice, in the act of walking through the door, stopped dead and stared at Beth. 'Branch out?' she echoed with some incredulity in her voice. for goodness' sake, Beth—in what? You can't mean to pass up the best job on the island.' There was a hint of pleading in her voice that made Beth wince inwardly.

  `Well,' answered Beth, desperately searching for the right words, without telling the truth, that was, `your Mr Patterson didn't strike me as the kind of person to just take anyone on. I mean,' she went on a little more firmly, 'he mightn't take to me, and we'd both be in a rotten position then, wouldn't we? And,' she added for good measure, 'I haven't had as much experience as you've had. I worked for Nicholas, remember? I can take dictation and I can type, but that's as far as it goes, and there's much more than that involved here, isn't there? I haven't a clue about arranging parties—or hostessing either, come to that,' she ended lamely, her heart sinking as she watched

  Janice's grin widen, telling her that she was on a losing streak.

  `Neither did I, my pet,' answered Janice blithely. `And if I can do it, I'm sure you can, too,' then seeing Beth's worried frown, and mistaking the reason, she added soothingly, 'Don't worry, dear, we've plenty of time, things will work out, you'll see.'

  As Beth followed her into the house, she wished miserably that she had put Janice into the picture right from the start of her unfortunate clashes with her boss, for if she had, she wouldn't now be in this mess. If Gavin Patterson had decided to say nothing, then there was no point in worrying Janice about it now. It appeared he had decided to give her the benefit of the doubt, although Beth found this hard to believe, particularly when she recalled the look he had given her a short while ago. It wasn't so much what he had actually said, but what he had implied. Perhaps he had persuaded himself that Janice couldn't be held responsible for her troublesome sister.

  She sighed. It did look as if he were really fond of her, and instead of easing things, made things worse from her point of view. There would, for instance, be an awful lot of explaining to do in. the not too distant future, unless she could somehow convince Janice of her unsuitability for the post she was hoping she would take. It was either that, or prove to her boss that she wasn't the hoyden he thought her. She brightened visibly; if she could keep out of his way until things smoothed down again—well, who knows?

  CHAPTER SIX

  BY the time John had arrived that evening, ostensibly to spend the evening with the two girls, Beth had talked herself into a happier frame of mind. With the threat of having to make an abrupt departure to unknown pastures no longer hanging over her, she began to feel quite optimistic about the future. Not that she could see herself taking over from Janice; there was just no way that either she or Gavin Patterson could compromise on this. Eventually Janice would see this, and as long as Beth stayed within visiting distance, Janice would have no cause to complain.

  Now as she sat and watched Janice and John as they argued light heartedly over the redecorating of the house they had settled for, Beth felt a surge of thankfulness for her sister. John was so obviously right for her; the fact that he adored her was touchingly patent in each glance he sent her. Although the conversation was general, and much of it directed towards her, Beth felt rather de trop, and as soon as she was able, she pleaded tiredness and went to her room.

  Her ablutions over, she lay down on the bed and thought what she would do the next day. There was the harbour scene, of course, and that, in Beth's mind, was the first priority. She longed to begin work then and there, but would have to wait until she had enough sketches to complete the picture, the first of

  which she would get tomorrow. She sighed happily at the thought; to be able to paint again was an added bonus to her new-found freedom. No matter what, Beth knew she would never ever again lose this precious freedom. Marriage would suit Janice, but not her; if anyone was cut out to be a spinster, she was ! It had only taken one near miss to prove this to her, and she planned to be two steps ahead of getting embroiled again with another man.

  Her thoughts roamed on; Gavin Patterson was another Nicholas. It was partly the reason why she had acted as she had at the Falcon although she hadn't realised it at the time. A slow grin crept over her face as she recalled the immense satisfaction she had felt as she had 'persuaded' him to try the pool. What had he said? She frowned in memory, then she had it. He had advised her not to 'hang around the pool'. In other words, she thought, she was likely to receive the same treatment!

  `Thanks for the warning,' she murmured drowsily, before she fell asleep.

  The following morning, Beth remembered to ask Janice if Johnny could be spared to run her down to the town again, and told her about her plans to sketch the harbour. Janice agreed that it should make a fine picture, and said she would arrange for Johnny to pick her up later that morning, and suggested Beth take sandwiches with her, as knowing her of old, she knew she wouldn't be watching the time and would not be back for lunch.

  When Beth collected the lunch pack later from Mabel, she had to smile at the amount of food Mabel

  had provided for her. 'I'm only out for the day, Mabel,' she said, smiling, 'not on safari, you know.'

  Mabel replied in her soft sing-song voice, 'Maybe you get hungry, Miss Beth, then you tuck in good.'

  Not wanting to upset her, Beth put the lunch pack into her satchel. There was barely room for such a bulky package, but somehow she squeezed it in alongside her sketch pads and box of pencils, even though she knew she wouldn't get through a quarter of the contents of the food parcel. Gulls, of course, could help her out, for she
would have hated to have taken most of it back.

  By the time Johnny turned up Beth was ready for her day out. She still felt a little guilty at using Gavin Patterson's private transport, and when they arrived at the harbour she suggested she catch the bus back. There was, according to Mabel, a bus at six o'clock, she told Johnny, and she would be on that.

  It was plain that Johnny did not think this would be a good idea. The bus, he explained, was used solely by the locals, and apt to get a mite crowded. In other words, there was a distinct possibility of finding herself sitting on top of the bus—and this, gathered Beth, was hardly 'suitable transport for Janice's sister! As it was also plain that Johnny considered himself responsible for her well-being, Beth conceded on this point, and agreed to be picked up at six by an extremely relieved Johnny

  In her jeans and cotton top, plus sandals, Beth looked much as any tourist would, except that she did not have the inevitable camera slung round her neck, and carried a satchel instead of one of the gay

  plastic carrier bags many visitors favoured. Apart from these differences, she felt much like a tourist, and looked forward with great expectation to what the island had to offer. This, she thought as her eyes took in the scene before her, was only a small part of the vast wealth of material to be gathered and brought to life under the strokes of a brush; and when she thought of the places Mr Fisher had mentioned, she gave a sigh of sheer contentment. Life was wonderful !

  A few minutes later she sat perched on the harbour wall, sorting out her drawing implements. From this position she had an uninterrupted view of the entrance to the harbour, and a guarantee that no one would be peering over her shoulder, a thing she hated. Many artists had learnt to take it in their stride; but she hadn't. The trouble was, they not only looked but commented as well, and were rather apt to discuss different techniques; all of which might be very interesting to them, but was hardly helpful when one was concentrating on a particular composition.