The Arrogant Duke

Anne Mather

For years, Juliet's father had used his wealth, power and influence to rule her life. But now, she was free to make her own decisions. She had assumed a new name and identity, and had run away to a job on this beautiful West Indian Island. Bad as her father had been, her employer, The Duque Felipe Recardo de Castro turned out to be even more domineering. And what was worse - Juliet fell in love with him!

E
SCAPE
! Juliet savoured the word even as she felt a faint pang of self-recrimination. She ought not to be feeling so happy just because she had managed, for the first time in her life, to get the better of her father. Even now, at the thought of his anger when he discovered what she had done, she shivered, and hoped with urgent intensity that he would have time to cool down before he discovered her whereabouts. There was little doubt in her mind that he would find her; in his thorough, painstaking way he would explore every avenue until some small clue gave him the necessary lead. But at least for a time, a few months perhaps, she would have the chance to do what she wanted to do for a change.

She looked through the window of the island-hopping hydroplane, finding relief from her thoughts in the unbelievably beautiful panorama spread out below her. Since they left Bridgetown that morning the whole tapestry of islands and deep, deep blue sea had enchanted her, more now than ever before, and she thought for the umpteenth time that the advertisement in
The Times
which she had answered had been made for her. She knew they were nearing Venterra, the dark-skinned steward had already warned her to fasten her safety belt, and she tried to pick out which island it might be. Surely in so many islands her father would never find her without her assistance.

For Juliet, everything now was a novelty. She had never travelled alone before, there had always been the accompaniment of her father's train of assistants, secretaries and servants, luggage and sporting equipment to attend to. It had been exciting to carry her own bag, to hire her own porter, to stay at a small hotel instead of a luxury club, and to choose her own meal.

Mandy, of course, would have been horrified to think of her ewe-lamb staying alone in even so British an island as Barbados, and it was as well that she believed, as indeed did her father, that she was staying with friends for a couple of days. Mandy, or Miss Jane Manders, to give her her correct name, was the nearest person to a mother that Juliet had ever known. Her own mother had died when she was born, much to her father's anguish, and Juliet supposed that maybe that was why he treated her so possessively, placing her in her mother's shoes. Mandy had been thirty then, just recovering from the grief of her own mother's death, and she had taken care of Juliet at once, lavishing all the love she had on the child. Sometimes, Juliet had wondered why Mandy had never got married, and then again she had speculated as to whether her nurse and companion cherished some vain feelings towards her father. $ut Robert Lindsay certainly gave her no encouragement, and the arrangement which had begun as a temporary thing had lengthened into more than twenty years, and now Mandy could only be regarded as one of the family. It was Mandy who Juliet disliked deceiving most, but as Miss Manders had, over the years, taken over the reins as housekeeper in the large rambling house in Hampstead which had been the home of the Lindsay family for many many years, Juliet knew that her position in the household would not been in jeopardy because she had left.

Thrusting back these thoughts, she allowed her mind to dwell on the immediate future and recalled with some amusement her interview with a firm of solicitors in London. The advertisement had called for a young woman, of good family, to act as companion to a girl of sixteen, recently orphaned, with some degree of disability, who was at present living with her uncle in Venterra, an island not many miles distant from St. Lucia in the West Indies.

Juliet had thought the advertisement suited her lack of capabilities perfectly. Oh, she had many attributes, she supposed; she was well read, could arrange flowers decoratively, spoke several languages, was used to acting as her father's hostess on occasions of importance, and was well able to deal with the sometimes amorous advances of young men her father had chosen as escorts for her.

But basically, she had had no training to follow a career. Her father had never wanted her to become an intellectual, and so her eager mind had had to content itself with learning from books, and the core of dissatisfaction with her empty way of life had been born.

She might never have been courageous enough to do something about it, however, had not her father decided that it was high time she was thinking of getting married. In his usual overbearing way he had produced three young men for her to choose from, but none of them were the kind of man Juliet wanted to marry. She was looking for no knight in shining armour, no gallant paramour to live in a rosy world of romance for the rest of her days. But she did want a man, not some weak- chinned facsimile, who was quite content to allow her father to provide him with every material need in return for marrying his daughter.

She felt an angry sense of injustice, at the remembrance of it all, and then calmed down as she realized she had done the only thing she could, in the circumstances.

The interview had been amusing, though. She had had to remember that her name was now Rosemary Summers and not Juliet Lindsay, and it had been difficult assuming her new identity for the first time. She felt grateful 'to Rosemary too. She and Rosemary Summers had attended the same boarding school, although Rosemary's parents were both doctors, and Rosemary had followed in their footsteps and was at present a medical student. She and Juliet had always been close friends, even though Juliet's father had attempted to discourage that friendship. He had not considered the Summers suitable associates for his daughter, but in this Juliet had been adamant and so her friendship with Rosemary had continued. They met often, and shared their experiences, Juliet envying the other girl's freedom and her chance to carve a career for herself.

When Robert Lindsay's campaign turned to the subject of Juliet's marriage, Juliet poured out all her troubles to Rosemary. Rosemary was sympathetic, listening with her calm, intelligent mind, weighing up the situation, as she would weigh up a patient's complaints. Then she had said:

'If I were you, I would get a job, anything, just so long as I had some independence.'

Juliet sighed. 'That's all very well for you to say, Rosemary, but he wouldn't let me do that! Heavens, he'd very likely buy up whoever was employing me, and then give me the sack!'

Rosemary smiled. 'Oh, Juliet,' she said; shaking her head, 'there must be something you can do. Somewhere you could go, where he has no influence!'

'Not in this country,' remarked Juliet gloomily.

'Then out of it,' said Rosemary reasonably.

'But how?'

'I don't know.' Rosemary had lit a cigarette before replying, studying its tip with concentration. 'There are always heaps of jobs available for governesses and nannies which entail travel.'

'But I couldn't be either of them,' exclaimed Juliet. Tve had no training for a job like that!'

Rosemary had had to agree, so the problem had remained unsolved until Juliet read the advertisement for this job which had appeared in
The Times
. She had rung Rosemary and told her, and over a prolonged lunch break they had discussed the pros and cons.

'You must realize that there'll be heaps of applicants for a position like this,' said Rosemary, dousing some of Juliet's enthusiasm.

'Even so, it is a long way away,' Juliet had answered.

'Lots of girls won't want to work so far away from home.'

'Maybe,' said Rosemary doubtfully. 'But what, about your father?'

'He wouldn't know anything about it until I'd gone,'' said Juliet, with decision. 'If I told him he'd only try to stop me.'

'And don't you think he will anyway?' exclaimed Rosemary. 'It will be the easiest thing in the world for him to trace you there.'

'Oh, yes, I suppose you're right. My passport and booking and everything!' Juliet heaved a sigh.

'Of course.' Rosemary studied her sympathetically. 'Oh, Juliet, I don't know what to say.'

Juliet lifted her shoulders, lighting herself a cigarette. 'What is there to say?' she said moodily. Then, as though mesmerized, an idea caused her to allow the match to burn her fingers. 'Ouch!' she gasped, rubbing the injured finger. 'Rosemary, I
have
had an idea! The perfect solution, in fact. If you're agreeable!'

Rosemary lay back in her seat. 'Go on. What is it?'

'Well,' Juliet ran her tongue over her lips excitedly, | 'how about my using your passport?'

Rosemary sat up in astonishment. 'My passport!' she echoed.

Juliet nodded vigorously. 'Yes. Oh yes, Rosemary. It's the perfect solution! You know how alike people have always said we are, same hair, same height, same colouring! Those passport photographs are notoriously terrible. No one studies them in detail.'

'They do,' exclaimed Rosemary indignantly. 'But maybe so far as the photo is concerned you might get away with it. It isn't a very good likeness of me.'

'You see!' Juliet's eyes were alight. 'Your hair is the same colour as mine, and all I'd have to do is wind mine up in that pleat you wear. We're both quite tall and slim, and our colouring is practically the same.

'Your tan is deeper,' returned Rosemary dryly, 'but then I haven't just spent three weeks in the South of France.'

Juliet sighed, and gave a wry smile. 'You may not believe this, Rosemary, but I'd rather be you than me any day of the week!'

Rosemary looked contrite. 'I know, I know,' she said, feeling sorry for what she had hinted. It was true, Juliet did not consider herself lucky. Compared to Rosemary, Juliet's life was empty. 'It would mean you adopting my identity,' she continued thoughtfully.

Juliet's young face darkened. 'Oh, yes, it would,' she said slowly. 'Damn!'

'Well, that's not insuperable,' replied Rosemary consideringly. 'After all, no one knows your name there, or mine either, for that matter. You could be Rosemary Summers; it's not such an uncommon name.'

Juliet looked at her with wide eyes. 'I really believe you're considering it,' she exclaimed. 'Oh, Rosemary, would you? Would you really?'

Rosemary gave a grimace. 'Well, I don't see how I can refuse,' she replied dryly. 'I'm very fond of you, Juliet, and although we're the same age, I always feel years older than you. I don't want to see you forcedmentally, if not exactly physically, into an unhappy j marriage. There are too many of them around already, and I know that men like Roger Latimer and Stephen Longdon and that awful Jeremy McVane would bore you stiff!'

Juliet clasped her hands together. 'Do you really think I might get away with it?' she exclaimed.

Rosemary shrugged. 'Well, you've got to get the job first,' she replied practically. 'And quite honestly, with your appearance I doubt whether you'd even be considered !'

Juliet frowned. 'Why?'

'Well, you don't look as though you need a job, for a start, and secondly they're bound to want somebody plain, and ordinary, and not too decorative. After all, the West Indies is quite a place. They won't want their suitable applicant finding herself a husband during the first few weeks she's there.'

Juliet looked thoughtful now. 'Yes, you're right, as usual,' she murmured. 'I'll just have to make myself look very plain, and very ordinary, and if I put my hair up as you wear yours that should add a few years!'

'Gee, thanks!' exclaimed Rosemary dryly, and they both collapsed in giggles.

Remembering all this now, Juliet felt a smile curve her lips. Rosemary had been wonderful, particularly as she was aware, just as acutely as Juliet, that she would be the first person Robert Lindsay would contact when he discovered Juliet had disappeared. She would have to be very astute not to be caught out by a man as determined as Robert Lindsay.

The interview had been rather different from Juliet's imaginings. When she arrived at the offices of Benyon, Forster, Benyon and Benyon, she found only one other applicant waiting for interview. She was a girl of around her own age, who confided to Juliet that the job did not appear to be the sinecure it had first appeared to be.

'This girl we're supposed to be companion to - did you know she was confined to a wheelchair?'

Juliet smoothed the skirt of her dark grey suit over her knees. It seemed far too long after the short styles she was used to wearing, but at least it gave her an added sense of confidence.

'Well,' she replied carefully, 'the advertisement did say that she had some degree of disability.'

'Some degree!' the other girl sniffed. 'I don't call an invalid in a wheelchair only partially disabled! Heavens, I thought maybe she had only one arm or something like that!'

Juliet felt a sense of distaste at the girl's words.
^C
I don't see that it matters,' she said quietly. 'Surely a girl so young, confined as she is, deserves companionship.'