friends at the hospital, the prices here being much lower than on the mainland and, she felt sure, the craftsmanship was better. Farther along the cobbled street there was a shop exhibiting work in onyx and marbles white and red, translucent green, creams and browns. A magnificent green onyx horse with mane and tail flying made her gasp with pleasure, but for practical purposes she examined the ash trays, book-ends and little gilt boxes with onyx lids.
When at last she tucked her postcards into the Greek shoulder-bag and turned towards the harbour again, she realised she had lingered the whole morning and it was now nearly lunchtime. Island life was so leisurely that one could completely forget that time existed.
Obviously the town must be visited again when she had money, but for the moment one must hurry or be late for lunch. The meal, simple as it was and served outdoors, was nevertheless a formal one. She ran the last few yards to the harbour.
She had a passenger. Marco was sitting in the buggy, stony-faced with anger.
‘ You !’ he exclaimed when he saw her. ‘ Where is Dino? I’ve been waiting twenty minutes. We shall be late for lunch.’
‘ Dino’s not here. He—he wasn't expecting you, was he?’
‘ Certainly he was. I told him I would be here by noon, and he was to meet me. And what happens? I find a car but no Dino. Two more minutes and I’d have driven off without him.’
‘ I’m surprised you waited so long,’ she challenged. Sheer fright had thrown her into an aggressive mood. What had she done?
‘ Naturally I assumed Dino had been asked to fetch something from the town for my mother, or I wouldn’t have waited at all. Why isn’t he here? I assume you came down with him.’
‘ I’m afraid not. I came alone. I’m an experienced driver, signore. It was quite safe.’
‘ Did Dino allow this? Surely he told you I was to be met at noon? Or did you wander round the shops and forget?’
‘ He didn’t tell me and I didn’t forget. I took the buggy without his knowledge. It was outside the gate. He’d been cleaning it and left it there. So I just—took it.’
He gave a small, sarcastic bow, a shrug of his elegant shoulders. ‘ A guest’s privilege, of course, but not altogether considerate. One is supposed to ask whether it is convenient, to make off with the only means of getting up and down the hill.’
‘ I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have taken it without asking.’
‘ Please try to be more thoughtful in future. I gave Dino orders to drive you wherever you wished to go. He would have brought you down if you’d asked.’
He moved into the driving seat, indicated she should get in, and drove off.
‘ But he didn’t,’ Jan felt she ought to explain what had happened. ‘ I asked him yesterday, but he drove all round the island taking me everywhere but to the harbour. And I really did need to buy postcards.’
‘ I thought you hadn’t any money.’
‘ Odd lire from my pockets and a spare purse, no more.’
He said no more, but concentrated on driving up the twisting road. She stole a glance at him, but his face was set in an expression as cold as marble.
Dino came running to meet them when he heard the engine. He was wringing his hands in distress.
‘ Oh, signore ,’ he wailed. ‘ Oh, signore, I thought some thief had stolen the buggy. I am so sorry, signore. I didn’t know what to do.’
‘You should have walked down, you stupid lazy boy! Then at least you could have told me about the thief and we could have taken a taxi back. If you hadn’t been so idle you’d have found our thief yourself, as I did.’
‘ The Signorina? Oh—’
The look Dino turned to Jan was compounded of surprise, reproach, distress. ‘ I’m sorry, Dino,’ she said gently. ‘ It is I who am in trouble, not you. I have explained to the Signore that it was not your fault.’
‘ All right, all right,’ Marco said crossly. ‘ Spare us the apologies; and Dino, stop snivelling! We
When at last she tucked her postcards into the Greek shoulder-bag and turned towards the harbour again, she realised she had lingered the whole morning and it was now nearly lunchtime. Island life was so leisurely that one could completely forget that time existed.
Obviously the town must be visited again when she had money, but for the moment one must hurry or be late for lunch. The meal, simple as it was and served outdoors, was nevertheless a formal one. She ran the last few yards to the harbour.
She had a passenger. Marco was sitting in the buggy, stony-faced with anger.
‘ You !’ he exclaimed when he saw her. ‘ Where is Dino? I’ve been waiting twenty minutes. We shall be late for lunch.’
‘ Dino’s not here. He—he wasn't expecting you, was he?’
‘ Certainly he was. I told him I would be here by noon, and he was to meet me. And what happens? I find a car but no Dino. Two more minutes and I’d have driven off without him.’
‘ I’m surprised you waited so long,’ she challenged. Sheer fright had thrown her into an aggressive mood. What had she done?
‘ Naturally I assumed Dino had been asked to fetch something from the town for my mother, or I wouldn’t have waited at all. Why isn’t he here? I assume you came down with him.’
‘ I’m afraid not. I came alone. I’m an experienced driver, signore. It was quite safe.’
‘ Did Dino allow this? Surely he told you I was to be met at noon? Or did you wander round the shops and forget?’
‘ He didn’t tell me and I didn’t forget. I took the buggy without his knowledge. It was outside the gate. He’d been cleaning it and left it there. So I just—took it.’
He gave a small, sarcastic bow, a shrug of his elegant shoulders. ‘ A guest’s privilege, of course, but not altogether considerate. One is supposed to ask whether it is convenient, to make off with the only means of getting up and down the hill.’
‘ I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have taken it without asking.’
‘ Please try to be more thoughtful in future. I gave Dino orders to drive you wherever you wished to go. He would have brought you down if you’d asked.’
He moved into the driving seat, indicated she should get in, and drove off.
‘ But he didn’t,’ Jan felt she ought to explain what had happened. ‘ I asked him yesterday, but he drove all round the island taking me everywhere but to the harbour. And I really did need to buy postcards.’
‘ I thought you hadn’t any money.’
‘ Odd lire from my pockets and a spare purse, no more.’
He said no more, but concentrated on driving up the twisting road. She stole a glance at him, but his face was set in an expression as cold as marble.
Dino came running to meet them when he heard the engine. He was wringing his hands in distress.
‘ Oh, signore ,’ he wailed. ‘ Oh, signore, I thought some thief had stolen the buggy. I am so sorry, signore. I didn’t know what to do.’
‘You should have walked down, you stupid lazy boy! Then at least you could have told me about the thief and we could have taken a taxi back. If you hadn’t been so idle you’d have found our thief yourself, as I did.’
‘ The Signorina? Oh—’
The look Dino turned to Jan was compounded of surprise, reproach, distress. ‘ I’m sorry, Dino,’ she said gently. ‘ It is I who am in trouble, not you. I have explained to the Signore that it was not your fault.’
‘ All right, all right,’ Marco said crossly. ‘ Spare us the apologies; and Dino, stop snivelling! We
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