Stormy Haven (11 page)

She leaned over the wall, called softly, not to attract the servants.
“
Stephen!
”

He raised his head, gave her a grin.
“
Let down your hair, Rapunzel!
”

“
It
’
s down, all six inches of it. Elfrida
’
s out.
”

“
I know. You and
I
are going to the coral reef.
”

“
Just we two?
”
It must be bending so low that made her blood sing.
“
My hair is still wet.
”

“
Bring a towel and we
’
ll dry it in the car.
”

“
But I can
’
t walk through the lounge like this.
”

He murmured something that sounded like,
“
To hell with
‘
em,
”
and stood back as if to measure the distance between the balcony and the path.

“
I
’
m afraid they
’
ve taken care that all your visitors shall enter the conventional way,
”
he said, and straightway disappeared into the hotel.

Melanie only had time to collect her wits and step into the room before Stephen entered by the other door. She laughed helplessly.

“
I
’
m sure this is terribly irregular. How did you know which room?
”

Second balcony, second room,
”
he Said.
“
Give me the towel.
”
He took it, ran his hand over it.
“
Soaked. I
’
ll use this clean one.
”

He had grabbed Elfrida
’
s bath towel from the rail beside the sink. If Elfrida found out she would be livid, but this was worth the risk of her raving. Melanie clenched her teeth against his vigorous attack.

“
If you had sent a message I
’
d have been ready,
”
she managed.

“
This won
’
t take long. Am I too rough?
”

“
I can stand it.
”
Reluctantly, she had to be candid.
“
Elfrida won
’
t be too thrilled about my going alone with you.
”

“
Leave her to me. She
w
ouldn
’
t enjoy it, anyway; she hates getting dirty.
”

“
How did you guess she wasn
’
t here?
”

“
I
didn
’
t. We were both at the Miramar party last night and she mentioned that she
’
d be out again this evening. Do you feel neglected when she leaves you here alone?
”

“
Good Lord, no. I love it.
”
Especially tonight, rejoiced her heart.

“
Last night
’
s binge became rowdy; it was better that you stayed away. You
’
re too young for some of the celebrations that go on around here.
”

“
I
’
m nineteen.
”

His operations ceased for quite a long moment.
“
Well, well,
”
he said.
“
So you
’
ve had a birthday. You still look sixteen to me. There!
”
He flung the towel aside, shook her hair with his fingers.
“
I
’
ll wait for you in the car while you comb it. Don
’
t be long.
”

He left behind
a
subtle constraint. Automatically and swiftly tidying the room, Melanie reflected again upon that incalculable strain in Stephen; even his most friendly mood seemed cored with enmity. She wished she hadn
’
t told him she was nineteen.

However, when she joined him five minutes later, her hair curling and sweet smelling, her mouth deliciously and naturally red, he gave her a small wink.

“
You
’
re the only girl I know who
’
s as pretty without paint as with it.
”

Which Melanie, sated with the colorful eulogies of Ramon, considered the nicest compliment she had ever received.

They purred down to the Marine Drive, crawled along to its end, where Stephen parked and locked the car. They jumped down to the beach, rounded the headland and came to a steeper expanse of sand where a single canoe was guarded by a skinny brown boy scantily clad in a
dhoti.

“
I paddle,
sahib
!”
he demanded eagerly.

“
No. I
’
ll do my own paddling. Here
’
s your money.
I’ll
tie the boat up when we come back.
”

The payment must have been excessive, for the boy assumed an air of devotion.
“
I wait till you come,
sahib
.”

“
You can
’
t. We
’
ll be an hour or two.
”

“
I will steer for you and swim back.
”

“
Oh, no, you won
’
t. You can help shove off, that
’
s all.
”

The sun was gone. The turquoise sky had taken a pu
r
ple tinge, and the distant wisps of cloud had lost their vermilion shroud and become negligible and somber. Waves slapped lazily at the sides of the canoe, ran on to splinter over the receding beach. The palms gestured a benign
au revoir,
and the pale pinnacles of the coral island seemed to unbend, to beckon.

Without urgency, Stephen paddled. His strong brown forearms moved rhythmically, and at intervals he turned to check up on Melanie
’
s steering. As they left Mindoa she saw more canoes making for other islands.

“
They
’
re going fishing,
”
Stephen said.
“
Each island is a sort of preserve. Once your lantern is lighted the island is yours for the rest of the night.
”

She eyed the hurricane lamp and basket that lay between them in the bottom of the boat.
“
Are we going to fish?
”

His smile was mocking.
“
Maybe. There
’
s no end to the possibilities of an evening alone on an island. Are you scared?
”

“
Not with you.
”

“
Why? Am I too senile to spell danger?
”

She trailed a hand in the water.
“
I just can
’
t imagine you having those sort of feelings. Even if you did I think you
’
d always pull up short of
... of action.
”

He laughed with his head thrown back, and she thought that being here, with Stephen so good-natured, was the next best thing to a miracle.

The bottom of the canoe grated upon rock. Stephen tore her steering to bits with a few acid syllables, and pushed around into a channel that ran straight alongside a footworn coral bank. He caught an embedded iron ring and looped the rope around it.

“
Here we are,
”
he said.
“
Hop out and I
’
ll haul up the craft.
”
Melanie obeyed, climbed higher and felt dizzy with the delight of standing upon the thick, white, porous coral. Almost on tiptoe she walked to a tiny promontory and stared into the water. Things of color were moving around down there; on a ledge just under the surface a vivid anemone spread its lacy fans, then closed itself into a prim blossom.

“
Stephen,
”
she whispered, as though it might hear,
“
look at that.
”

The anemone performed again. Stephen held her with an impersonal firmness while he watched it over her shoulder. Even as they stood there, the day died; the horizon was swallowed, the humps of Mindoa vanished and more and more lights pierced the night. They were at sea on an unsheltered island, but Melanie felt warm and secure. Her pulses hummed, her skin tingled; she was happier than she had ever been.

“
There
’
ll be more to see in the water a little later,
”
said Stephen.
“
Are you hungry?
”

“
Dare I be?
”

“
I think you might. I haven
’
t seen what
’
s in the basket, but I told my cook it had better be good. I
’
ll bring the things along there, where the surface is smooth. You stay where you are till I come back with the lantern.
”

The place he had chosen was close to the sea. He spread a blanket, gave Melanie two cushions and took one for himself, set down the basket and hurricane lamp between them. He pulled the skewer from the fastener of the basket and lifted the lid.

“
Get busy,
”
he said.

She opened the packets, took out the flask, the plates and cups. Slices of chicken were revealed, and rice meal bread that was close-knit but tasty as it was freshly baked and thickly buttered. Small tomatoes had been quartered and tossed in ground peppers, and fingers of pickled cucumber were spread with soft cheese and sprinkled with herbs. There were peach mangoes and bananas, some shelled pecan and cashew nuts with muscatels. The coffee was rich and dark and plentiful.

“
You must have a sensible cook,
”
she observed contentedly,
“
and this is the very best way to eat a meal. I didn
’
t realize till now how tired I am of living in an hotel.
”

“
Not too good, is it, particularly when the hotel is small and the only one. When I
’
m quartered anywhere for longer than a month I always take a house. My present abode is palatial; you
’
ll have to come and see it.
”

“
The outside of it is brilliant. Wouldn
’
t you like to stay there for ever?
”

“
I
’
m not the type to become attached to bricks and mortar, or to any one place.
”

“
But that
’
s wrong,
”
she said decisively.
“
Don
’
t you ever want to grow things? You can
’
t do that without sticking to one spot for a long, long while.
”
Her voice went quiet and musing.
“
I hoped that was how it would be at Mindoa—that Elfrida and I would live on the plantation, perhaps even for good.
”

He finished his coffee, rested sideways on an elbow and looked across at her.
“
Plantation life would suit you. Were you fed up when she sold out?
”

She gazed at him blankly.
“
Elfrida
’
s sold the plantation? Are you serious?
”

“
Didn
’
t she tell you? It happened weeks ago. The manager bought the whole works.
”

“
Then—
”
the green eyes were wide and clear
“
—why are we still at Port Fernando?
”

“
If I were to explain,
”
he said, his tones rather clipped,
“
you wouldn
’
t believe me. Are you anxious to leave Mindoa?
”

“
Of course not. I love the place and the people.
”

Teasingly he inquired,
“
And what about me? Am I more likeable now?
”

She slipped back on to a cushion, crossed her arms under her head. Dreamily she answered,
“
You? You
’
re a splendid brute.
”

She heard his grunt of laughter, the scrape of a match as he lighted a cigarette. The stars were so thick and close, the sea moved ceaselessly around them. The excellent meal, combined with the sense of exquisite isolation, was too much for her. Melanie drowsed.

She must actually have slept for a spell. She came awake to hear Stephen exclaim softly, and sat up to see what he was doing. He lay on his front with his head and shoulders out over the sea. In one hand he held aloft a short spear. She twisted quickly, pulled herself along to his side and peered into the water.

The fish were numerous and dazzling.
They had queerly shaped heads, graceful, iridescent fins, round bodies, flat bodies, rosebud mouths and nasty-looking jaws. They were pink, green, pale blue, lavender, scarlet and mulberry; every conceivable color shot with silver.

“
They
’
re not real,
”
she breathed.
“
Why can we see them so clearly?
”

“
The water
’
s not very deep and near coral it invariably has a peculiar clarity. The fish themselves give off light.
”

“
Do people actually eat them?
”

“
You
’
ve probably eaten relatives of the little mauve chap yourself. He
’
s tasty.
”

“
Don
’
t catch any now,
”
she begged.

“
This is part of your education, my child. I
’
ll harpoon one of the poisonous ones. You see the chocolate boy with green stripes? He
’
s no good to anyone.
”

A moment of stillness, of tense waiting. The spear flashed into the water and impaled the fish. It flailed weakly and was
still. Without drawing it from the water Stephen jerked his wrist; the fish sank and the spear was withdrawn, shining and dripping.

“
You have a go,
”
he said.

“
Not I.
I
might stab the wrong fish.
”

“
You probably would. In rock fishing and young love it
’
s common to pick on the wrong victim.
”

Smilingly intent upon the weaving sea creatures, she said,
“
Is that what you did when you were young and in love?
”

“
Frequently. Fortunately, it
’
s a pastime one outgrows.
”

“
You mean you don
’
t fall in love anymore?
”

“
That
’
s right. Simple, isn
’
t it?
”

She let a minute drift by.
“
What would you do if it just
...
happened?
’

His tone was sharp and sarcastic.
“
When a man reaches my age, Melanie, my pet, it doesn
’
t just
...
happen. He sees it coming and doesn
’
t give it a chance to bud, let alone mature.
”

“
You don
’
t have to bark. I
’
m entitled to be curious.
”

“
If you don
’
t shift back a bit you
’
ll be wet, too,
”
he said tersely. He dragged at her arm, made her move.
“
You
’
re getting cold. Shall we go now?
”

“
Do we have to?
”

“
I think so. It
’
ll be a quarter to ten before we reach the hotel.
”

“
The hours have flown,
”
she lamented.
“
We don
’
t seem to have done anything.
”

He was on his feet, giving her a hand.
“
Disappointed?
”
She was standing close to him, unconsciously steadying herself by gripping a fold of the twill bush shirt. Her head was turned toward the ocean.

“
Only that the time has passed so quickly. Stephen,
”
her eyes shone up at him,
“
it
’
s been like
... like magic.
”

“
I
’
ll bring you here again,
”
he said,
“
in daylight.
”

And then he kissed her, took her into his arms and found her soft lips with an aloof yet half-savage ferocity. A little roughly his hands closed over her shoulders and held her away.

“
You prefer to have all the trimmings, don
’
t you?
”
he said into the dark.
“
It wouldn
’
t be a starlit coral island without that. Mind where you step.
”