The Primrose Bride (5 page)

Andrew. Her heart twisted and her brain shied away from thoughts of him. She felt as if she were one vast, hollow question. What shall I do? What
can
I do? Unanswerable at the moment, because the knowledge that his reasons for marrying had been purely selfish and
worldly
was so new. If she could be alone and quiet for a week while the agonizing truth sank into her consciousness
...
But could that
do any good? Could time and solitude alter the fact that he had married Karen Hurst in cold blood, knowing that she was only too willing to become the sort of wife he wanted? The details he hadn
’
t taken into account were her pride and intelligence. He had thought he could fool her and that she would be happy to be fooled; perhaps he had even imagined that being the ambitious Andrew Eliot
’
s wife would, in itself, be enough to keep her happy.

Bitterly, it came to her that if she had not overheard that conversation last night her marriage would now be a reality and perhaps she need never have known about the Governor
’
s instruction that Andrew must find a wife during his long leave; or about Camilla Marchant, whose father had displeased Sir Wallace. Andrew would have seen to it that she suspected nothing; he would have been tender and passionate and infinitely understanding. He would have made her feel she was the only woman in the world, and taken care to seem no more engrossed in his career than in love with his wife. Nonchalantly, he would have mastered her; and joyously, with her whole heart, she would have surrendered. But an exchange of words, heard through a billowing curtain, had changed everything.

Perhaps it was the orange juice that made her feel a little si
ck
as she braced herself to speak to the second servant, who had appeared on the veranda. This one was almost white, with Chinese features. He was stubby but not fat, and as well as the regulation white cotton suit he wore a little round white cap on his closely cut black hair.

He bowed ceremoniously.
“
There are orders for the food today, memtuan?
”

“
Orders?
”
She managed a smile.
“
Oh, you
’
re the cook
—
an excellent one, I believe. What would you do if I weren
’
t here?
”

“
I have twenty menus. I would use one of them.
”

“
Well, do that, will you? I know very little about your foods. What is your name?
”

“
Min Gan. I am brother to the chief cook at the Residency.
”

“
Thank you, Min Gan. I
’
d like you to continue as if I were not here.
”

Another bow.
“
It is a great honor to serve the mem of Tuan Eliot. The tuan has told me to prepare for a small party tonight, that I must consult with the mem.
”

“
I
’
m afraid I couldn
’
t help you very much. I
’
ll leave it to you, Min Gan.
”

He went off silently on felt-soled
sandals.
Karen put her glass on the rattan table and walked into the brilliant heat of the garden. At present, all she could do was to keep
cl
ear of ties. The servants must act as if she were a guest. Typical of Andrew, though, that he should have impressed upon both of them that she was mistress here now. However she behaved, he would carry on as though she were nervous and touchy through changed circumstances and the
cl
imate. With kindness and forethought he would wear her down; that was what he believed.

She pushed a hand over her burning forehead, pressed
back
the shallow, honey-gold waves of hair. How could she
possibly think these terrible things of Andrew, who had every intention of keeping his vow to love and cherish her till death! She must be out of her mind. But she hadn
’
t been out of her mind in Mrs. Mear
’
s bedroom last night; tense, maybe, because her wedding day had lasted too long, but not imbalanced in any way—not even after overhearing that exchange between the doctor and Tony Horwel
l.
Not unbalanced; merely shattered.

Deta
chedly
, as she walked, she saw masses of plants with
their
dark green leaves and huge waxen blossoms which were white, streaked with yellow. A torrid yellow
...
not primrose. There was a magnolia which someone had planted with care a good many years ago; it bore blossoms only in the shade of its own branches
.
The small back garden was packed with papaya trees, bananas, Pacific figs and mangoes, with a coconut palm thrusting skywards here and there between them. No one tended the trees,
i
t seemed, but there were a couple of footpaths where the servants trod in and out of the dense growth to pluck a few fruit for the table and themselves.

Karen turned back towards the front of the house and found a coconut at her feet, a huge thing with a smooth brown husk which was already being attacked by mammoth red ants. She shuddered and stepped quickly on to the path. This was a beautiful, deadly spot, no place at all for Karen Hurst. Strange how she kept thinking of herself as Karen Hurst.

She went up into the veranda, stopped precipitately as she saw the two men there. Andrew, and a pleasant looking, brown haired man who might be a year or so younger. She didn
’
t look at the man
’
s face, didn
’
t look at Andrew either, but she summoned a faint smile.

As though nothing in the world had marred his homecoming to Nemaka, Andrew said suavely,
“
Hallo, there.
Come and meet Tony Horwel
l.
”
And to his companion:
“
This is Karen. You two are going to like each other.
”

“
Of course we are,
”
the other man said, and he held
out
a hand.
“
I
’
m glad to know you, Karen. I hope you and Andrew will be very happy.
”

“
I
’
d have liked to have you as best man, Tony,
”
Andrew said with a smile,
“
but Karen had to marry at home, so that her aunts could see that the knot was well and truly tied. By the way, Karen, I
’
ve just sent a cable to your
aunt
Laura. I said you
’
d be writing in a week or two, when you
’
ve settled.
”

She cast him a swift glance which said,
‘
You take care of everything, don
’
t you?
”
But aloud she spoke quietly and without emphasis.
“
Thank you, Andrew. Won
’
t you sit down, Mr. Horwe
l
l?
”

“
He
’
s Tony to everyone,
”
said Andrew.
“
Yes,
do
take a seat, Tony.
Would
you like coffee or a spot
of
gin in an iced fruit drink?
”

“
I won
’
t have anything, thanks.
”

“
A cigarette, then. Come on, the copra will still be there for inspection in half an hour
’
s time.
”

“
That
’
s good, coming from you,
”
said Tony, but as soon as Karen was seated, he did sink down into one of the rattan chairs.
“
You
’
re actually still on holiday for a few days, aren
’
t you? It
’
ll give you a chance to show your wife the island.
”

“
I hope so.
”
Andrew lifted a brow as Karen declined a
ci
garette and pushed the box along the table, towards the guest.
“
Bingham just called me up to the Residency. The mail that came in on our plane yesterday
incl
uded orders for a general health check-up on the whole population and we have to get the island members of the council to give their views. It means a meeting of the Executive Council some time today.
”

Tony lit up, blew smoke so that his face was veiled as he commented,
“
So you
’
ll be Acting Governor—but you don
’
t have to. If you hadn
’
t turned up early they
’
d have had to postpone the meeting. We
’
ve gone two years without a full medical check-up; a few days longer wouldn
’
t hurt. If I were you
...
”
He broke off, smiled very slightly and added,
“
But I
’
m nothing like you. That
’
s why I
’
m still a Copra Inspector.
”
He spoke to Karen.
“
What do you think of Nemaka?
”

“
It
’
s very beautiful, and very hot—what
I’
ve seen of it. I
’
ve only been as far as the beach and next door.
”

“
Most of the women like it, but they
cl
ear out in hurricane weather. Except Mrs. Mears; you couldn
’
t prise her away from the doctor.
”

Karen didn
’
t know the man well enough to sense his mood, but apparently Andrew was aware of something amiss in it He stood up indolently.

“
You
’
re going to have that drink,
”
he said.
“
A long cool one.
”

“I’ll
get them,
”
said Karen at once.

“
No, stay and talk to Tony. You still look a bit tired. Sure you feel all right?
”

As if he
’
d already asked her once this morning, and was solicitously repeating the anxious query. Karen felt her jaw stiffen, but she replied steadily,
“
Quite all right. No gin for me, thank you.
”

As he went into the house she leaned back. The man at her side was half facing her but was looking far beyond her at the white ridge of water which showed the reef. She could see a rather homely profile, a good brow and thick, darkish sandy hair. His eyes seemed to be hazel, but he kept them squinted as if against smoke or the glare of the sun.

Evenly, she said,
“
You
’
ve known Andrew a long time, haven
’
t you?
”

“
Nearly five years. We met in England and came out here together.
”

“
How did you become a Copra Inspector?
”

“
It was more or less thrust on me. I
’
d studied tropical plant diseases in England and wanted to work out here. The copra throughout the Leaman Islands was in a bad way through rats and other pests, and I got the job of making it healthy and keeping it that way.
”

“
Do you go to the other islands?
”

“I
used to, regularly and often. Now it
’
s not necessary more often than three times a year. They send their copra over here for shipment and I inspect it at the dock. My job is the easiest on the island.
”

“
But it
’
s not the least important. That
’
s what counts.
”

He looked at the tip of his cigarette.
‘
Thanks. You
’
re quite a diplomat Did Andrew tell you I
’
m sensitive on the subject?
”

“
No, I didn
’
t know you were. My opinions aren
’
t just an echo of Andrew
’
s.
”
She laughed quickly.
“
I was merely saying what I thought.
”

“
I believe you
’
ve known Andrew since you were a child?
”
he said.

“
Yes, I have.
”

“
He didn
’
t tell me you and he were corresponding—he kept you up his sleeve like an ace of hearts.
”

“
We didn
’
t correspond,
”
she said, almost without expression.
“
I
think
you already know that.
”

He turned his head quickly towards her, opened his mouth to speak, but fell back against his chair as Andrew brought the drinks. For perhaps a minute they were tasting, without comment,

Then Andrew said, conversationally,
“
I brought a couple of tomes for you, old chap; I
’
ll send them along as soon as they
’
re unpacked. At the Colonial Office I was assured they were the latest publications about bugs afflicting Fax East agriculture. They
’
ll come out here eventually, but they were first available only a month ago.
”

“
I know the books you mean,
”
Tony answered.
“
Thank you for remembering me.
”

No doubt the man meant no more than he said, but Karen was becoming a little raw with accidental or intentional double meanings. She knew that Tony Horwell was an admirable type of man, that he was loyal and anything but self-seeking, but
sh
e felt it wouldn
’
t be long before she hated him. Or perhaps, she thought sinkingly, it wouldn
’
t be long before she would have to probe a little further into the man
’
s mind. It was a relief when he and Andrew stood up.

“
Thanks for the drink,
”
Tony said.
“I’ll
have to get back to the grind. It
’
s good to know you
’
re here, Karen.
”
An odd way of phrasing whatever he wanted to convey, but she smiled at his averted face and said conventionally,
“
We shall be seeing you this evening, shan
’
t we?
”

“
Of course,
”
from Andrew.
“
Around seven, Tony. Cocktails and buffet supper. It
’
s a must, I
’
m afraid. Much easier for Karen to meet people here in a bunch and as quickly as possible. So long.
”

The other man lifted a hand and answered, walked down the path to the road and out of sight. Karen sat very still; so still that she felt her pulses beating. Without looking up, she knew that Andrew still stood
close
, his hands in his pockets, his glance detachedly on the garden. A sharp
p
ain tapped at the side of her throat, a sign that it wouldn
’
t
b
e long before her nerves began to scream.

All right, she thought shakily; get it over. Just start it and I
’
ll go on from there!