Island for Dreams (14 page)

CHAPTER
SIX

Nora’s i
mpression of Port St Mary was one of Manx cottages and villas built at random in a picturesque cove. It was beautiful in its quaintness and she found it enchanting. Leaving the village behind, they drove up the hill to the high land of the Mull Peninsula at the southernmost tip of the island.

‘
The road to the Chasms,
’
Juan commented, turning the car on to a narrow lane to his left. Slowly they descended to a small grass plateau used as a car park where a peep over a wall revealed the magnificent stretch of coastline below. With Juan holding Nora
’
s arm they descended down a slope of rough grass to a whitewashed house with two words painted on the side: The Chasms.

The coastal scenery was majestically grand, the cliff face split right down the centre from top to bottom by deep crevasses. The wild grandeur of the sea far below dashing itself against the base of Sugar Loaf Rock which lay immediately to their left off the small headland reminded Nora of the rugged coast of Cornwall.

Juan pointed out a promontory to the south of the coast known as Spanish Head where, it was said, a galleo
n
of the Spanish Armada was wrecked, and through it all Nora felt herself relaxing. At Cregneish they stepped into a folk museum housed in a one-storied, whitewashed thatched-roof cottage with an open hearth, earth floor and peat-lined roof.

Juan
’
s mouth quirked as Nora stared in fascination at the old Welsh dresser, rough earthenware and grandfather clock, and she smiled at him upon
seeing the double bed in another room.

‘
Not much chance of sleeping in,
’
he commented,
‘
judging by the fishermen
’
s nets, peat cutting tools, handloom and the collection of carpenter
’
s tools.
’

‘
I bet they were happy, though,
’
Nora said tenderly.

She was gazing up at him outside the cottage with the breeze lifting her golden hair and her face glowed. He took her arm on the way back to the car but did not speak.

‘
You
’
ve been very kind taking me around,
’
she told him.
‘
I feel like
Aimée
being taken sightseeing by a big brother.
’

‘
Only I
’
m not your big brother. Why not regard me as I am—someone you
’
ve met on holiday—and relax.
’

She said wistfully,
‘
I wish I could. I keep wishing that I
’
d come on holiday in time to see
Mr.
Kelly before he died. I might have learned then what his wishes really were when he made his will.
’

‘
You know what his wishes were. He makes them clear enough in his will.
’

‘
I know that, but...
’

He cut in impatiently.
‘
Going all maudlin over the man isn
’
t good for you. He probably never regarded you at all as a person, merely as an appendage of your mother. It was your mother whom he remembered. No doubt the will was meant to forge some kind of link with her before he died. He was a practical man, by all accounts. It
’
s left to you to do the best you can for yourself.
’

The delicate colour rushed to her face.
‘
You
’
re making it seem horrible and nasty! At least he loved my mother to the end.
’

‘
How do you know?
’
Juan asked lazily.

They had reached the car and he leaned against it, eyeing her mockingly.

‘
Oh
!’
she cried indignantly.
‘
Do you have to be so horrible? Why do you have to make me like you one moment and heartily dislike you the next?
’

‘
Now you
’
re talking like
Aimée
,
’
he scoffed.
‘
If you
’
re really concerned about Jed Kelly why not go to his farm if you want to know more about him? I
’
ll take you there if you like.
’

‘
No,
’
she replied quickly.
‘
No, thanks.
’

‘
Then stop brooding. It isn
’
t healthy. I thought better of you.
’
He opened the door of the car and helped her in. Then sliding in behind the wheel beside her he paused before starting the car.
‘
How do you regard me? As another Jony?
’
he added quizzically.

‘
Well, you
’
re both Manxmen, and...
’

He said bluntly,
‘
I
’
m not wholly Manx. My father was, but my mother was a farmer
’
s daughter from Sussex. I was born here and educated across the water.
’

‘
Then you have ties in both countries,
’
said Nora.

‘
So have you, via Jed Kelly and your mother.
’

‘
In that case you and I should get along fine. I wonder why we don
’
t?
’

He spoke r
o
ughly.
‘
We could if you would only relax. We
’
d better move on and enjoy ourselves if you can stand it.
’

She giggled.
‘
I
’
m sorry. You
’
re a good sport. I really am lucky to have you take me around. Tell you what—I
’
ll buy you a drink when we stop again.
’

He slanted a grin at her before starting the car.
‘
That should keep me in good spirits,
’
he said sardonically.

‘
Now you
’
re laughing at me,
’
she cried indignantly.

‘
I
’
m not. It
’
s just that I don
’
t let any girl I take out pay for my drinks or her own.
’

He braked at the main road and then accelerated.

Nora sat back in her seat and felt like a boxer going into her corner for further combat. Juan really was prickly and she wondered what she had done to offend
him, apart from offering to treat him to a drink.

She told herself she would be glad when the day was over. However, later when Juan took her hand to help her over the rough places on the Calf of Man, she felt a foolish urge to cling to his hand. It came to her then with a pleasant sense of shock that she liked him even while she hated him, which did not make sense. It was all so matey that she could only ignore her feeling of bewilderment and accept the situation.

They had returned to the flat and Juan braked at the entrance to say smoothly,
‘
Care to go out this evening to a dinner and dance at one of the local hotels?
’

Nora hesitated, and his glance as it roved over her was casual. The invitation had been given on an impersonal note, given in such a way that she could hardly refuse. He had given her an enjoyable day out and he no doubt wanted to end the evening on a festive note.

In any case, any time spent with Juan always made her feel restless for the rest of the day. So she might as well go out with him for the evening instead of trying vainly to put him out of her mind.

‘
Rather sudden, isn
’
t it?
’
she stalled.

‘
I have the tickets. I was coming round to ask you if we hadn
’
t have met this morning.
’
He smiled.
‘
I
’
ll call for you at eight o
’
clock.
’

Nora took her time getting ready for the evening, taking a leisurely bath, washing her hair and giving herself a facial. The result reflected in her mirror was pleasing. The nylon silk dress in cyclamen pink with its swathed bodice and shoulder straps was
enchanting. Her hair was a golden silk cloud and her brown eyes, dark-lashed, held an eloquent appeal.

The ring at the intercom bell took her by surprise and she saw that it was only half past seven. Juan was early. But it was not Juan. It was her lawyer.

‘
Come in,
Mr.
Garrant,
’
she said.
‘
This is quite a surprise.
’

‘
Sorry to trouble you. I came this afternoon, but you were out, and as I was coming to the Viking Hotel this evening I decided to call again with your deeds for the flat.
’
He stared at her for a moment in appraisal, and smiled.
‘
You
’
re going out too, I see. I won
’
t be long settling our bit of business. Now let me see...
’

He drew out a long bulky envelope from the inside pocket of his evening jacket and took out legal documents. The business of handing over the deeds of the flat was over and
Mr.
Garrant was having a drink when Juan arrived.

He gave a low whistle of appreciation when Nora opened the door to him.

‘
You look and smell delicious,
’
he murmured.
‘
I can see I shall be busy keeping the wolves at bay.
’

‘
We have company,
’
she told him, leading the way into the lounge.

‘
I know,
’
he answered.
‘
Evening, Richard,
’
he said to her guest
.

Richard Garrant greeted Juan cordially.
‘
It seems we
’
re all going to the same dinner.
’

Nora looked from one to the other.
‘
I don
’
t understand.
’

Juan leaned nonchalantly against the wall of the small lounge. His lips twitched.

‘
Richard is staying as Finn Cullan
’
s guest at the Armitage for the weekend. His wife is over on the
mainland and Richard is hoping to enjoy some good fishing.
’

‘
At the dinner and dance?
’
Nora asked, annoyed that she had not been told more about it.

There was a gleam of amusement in Juan
’
s dark eyes as he drawled,
‘
Richard has done with that kind of fishing years ago.
’
He regarded her with deliberate intentness, taking in her pleasing figure in the pretty dress, and the creamy neck and shoulders it revealed.
‘
I didn
’
t know Richard was coming to stay for the weekend until I got back after leaving you and Finn told me.
’

A wave of colour spread over her cheeks at the way he had read her thoughts. She saw, with devastating clarity, that there was no getting the better of Juan Cregeen. Apart from looking her best she had meant the evening to be no different from any other spent with a young attractive man, but feelings were creeping in; first a sentimentality for
Mr.
Kelly
’
s wishes, and a kind of worry for herself in the dilemma she faced about it. And now to crown it all here was something much more alarming; something she had to tone down and escape from before...

The face she turned up to him belied the tumult inside her.

‘
Would you like a drink before we go?
’
she asked.

He shook his head.
‘
I
’
m no great drinker. When Richard has finished his we
’
ll go.
’

Richard emptied his glass and stood up, looking smaller in stature than he really was against the wide-shouldered, slim-hipped frame of Juan looking particularly handsome in evening dress.

Richard said,
‘
I
’
m ready when you are.
’

His grey eyes twinkled and his smile included them both. Nora liked him, but it irritated her to see that he sensed a romance between her and Juan.

He could not be more wrong, she thought wryly. It was a cue for her to keep her feelings in check, to harden herself against Juan
’
s undoubted charm. After all, she was not the first girl to fall in love with a man
’
s physical attractions and she would not be the last.

Tricia was the first person Nora saw as they entered a bar bordering on a sea of immaculately set tables. She wore a red dress with a plunging neckline. Her companion was an elderly man and her jewelled dangling earrings caught the light as she smiled up at him.

Leaving Nora with Richard Garrant, Juan went to the bar for drinks. Nora watched him speak to the barman, then turn to speak to Tricia, saw his easy smile as he spoke to her apparently in jest. Was he in love with Tricia? Was he ... came the irrepressible thought, and Nora hastily shrugged off a subject which was better left alone.

It did occur to her, though, that Tricia was a femme fatale who was out to find a husband again.
Aimée
was an unhappy encumbrance and the poor child was probably aware of the fact, which explained why she had wound herself into Juan
’
s affections. Was Tricia playing on that and imprisoning him in her toils too?