Elianne by Judy Nunn Page A

beach boasted a still-water tidal swimming pool. Many years previously, Kanaka workers had erected the low-slung wall of black boulders that encircled the pool and ‘The Basin’ had been a favourite choice for families with small children ever since. ‘Come on,’ he said, releasing her hand and picking up his towel.
    ‘No, no,’ she insisted, ‘I’m perfectly happy here. Really I am.’
    ‘Well I’m not. I want to go to The Basin.’
    ‘That’s absolute rubbish, Alan,’ she said, calling his bluff. ‘You don’t want to swim with a bunch of little kids.’
    ‘Of course I don’t. I want to swim with you.’ He dumped his towel back on the sand. ‘Won’t be a tick, I’ll just tell the others.’ And Paola watched as he jogged off.
    Alan swam out to where Kate and Neil were standing chest-deep waiting eagle-eyed for the next wave.
    ‘Paola and I want to go to The Basin,’ he said.
    ‘Oh, all right,’ Neil was puzzled, obviously wondering why, but good-natured as always, he was happy to oblige. ‘One more wave in and we’ll join you.’
    ‘No we won’t.’ Kate’s look to him was so laced with meaning that Neil was baffled and suitably silenced. ‘We’ll meet up with you at The Basin in a couple of hours, Al, say about one o’clock. I’ll bring the car around and we’ll have lunch there.’
    ‘Right you are then.’ Alan swam off, catching a small wave that took him halfway to shore.
    ‘What was that all about?’ Neil asked.
    ‘I think they want to be alone.’
    ‘
What?
’
Her brother’s expression was comically incredulous. ‘You mean
Alan and Paola
. . .’ The rest was left unsaid.
    Kate nodded. ‘I can’t answer for her, but
he’s
keen, I know that much.’
    ‘Well, well, little brother’s growing up, eh?’ Neil grinned. ‘I must say he shows good taste. Paola’s become quite a looker.’
    ‘Don’t you dare tease him,’ she warned.
    ‘As if I’d do such a dastardly thing,’ he replied with mock innocence. Then he noticed the waves looming out to sea. ‘Hey, there’s a good run coming up.’
    The conversation stopped right there as the bigger waves started to roll in. But Kate knew there’d been no real need to sound a warning: Neil was always sensitive to the feelings of others.
    They joined up for lunch, the four of them devouring Cook’s ham and pickle sandwiches, and, after a dip in The Basin to wash off the yellow stain from the ripe mangoes that had followed, they packed the car and set off on the drive home.
    Neil was at the wheel this time. Kate had promised Alan a drive too, although they’d need to wait until they were back on the estate as he was under-age, but Alan, oddly enough, hadn’t appeared all that interested.
    During the drive, Alan and Paola were quiet in the back seat, but Kate had noticed as she’d climbed into the passenger side that they were holding hands. Of course, she told herself, he doesn’t need to show off any more. How completely together they are in each other’s company, she thought, how content and at one. Is it possible, she wondered briefly, for fifteen-year-olds to be in love?
    Beside her, Neil glanced in the rear-vision mirror. Well, well, he thought, little brother has a girlfriend.
    The Krantzes’ move to Bundaberg was slow and methodical, but also highly efficient, in keeping with Ivan’s approach to both business and life. The offices of Krantz & Son had been well set up in advance and the home he’d bought on the outskirts of town was well-appointed with new furnishings, the plan being that once he and his wife and son had made the move, they could take their time picking through those of their possessions that remained at old Elianne House. Stan had assured them there was no rush as the house was to be demolished, and Hilda had been only too grateful that the old home was to be spared that little bit longer, perhaps in the naive hope that there might be some last-minute reprieve.
    It was early February before the