should think I could still go into business. Couldn’t I, Marcus? I’d like to have an interest and a small income of my own.”
“It can all be arranged, said Marcus. The glance he sent across to Sally said, “What did I tell you? She’s accepted it like a child.” He took more of his drink. “There’s just one thing, Viola. Dona Inez is not a modern, and for that reason I didn’t tell her that Sally and I had known each other only for a short time. She assumed that I’ve known you both for a year or two in England, and I let her go on thinking that way. Anything you might say to the contrary could easily get through to her and perhaps disturb her, so will you be careful not to mention our short acquaintanceship?”
“Of course I will. I’ll say nothing whatsoever about it to anyone, and if people are nosy I’ll be vague!” Distinctly pleased with herself, Viola added, “I do realize you both let me into things as soon as you could. How long an engagement do you plan?”
“Mother...”
“We’re not sure,” said Marcus nonchalantly. “Exploring personalities takes time.”
“Naturally. How soon may I put an announcement in The Times ?”
Marcus smiled, and in that moment the whole thing, the pain as well as the strange excitement, fell into perspective for Sally. Either she must treat this lightly or get into a frightful state over it every time it was mentioned; and seeing that the old senora and her mother had accepted the engagement without question, the light treatment was her only course. She lifted her head, smiled with a creditable attempt at cheerfulness and said,
“That’s for me to say, isn’t it? I want to get used to having a fiancé before I see it in black and white!”
“Naughty,” said Viola, and she laughed. She raised her glass once more. “To my two dear ones,” she said sentimentally. “I couldn’t be happier.”
Marcus sat quite relaxed, smiling enigmatically upon the scene he had produced. Sally, looking at him, wondered what he was thinking. She thought his expression changed a fraction, that a faint bitterness sharpened the smile. Was he reflecting how different this could have been had the right woman been sitting where Sally now sat? He must hate this as much as she did, perhaps even more, because if Viola Sheppard and her daughter had not slipped into his life on the “Bellesta” he wouldn’t now be living a sham. He would have come home to San Palos alone, have soothed the disappointed senora and got back into his former way of life. Instead of which he was living an outward happiness as well as the inward bitterness of losing a woman he had loved ... perhaps still loved.
She became conscious that he was watching her and smiling sardonically. Her small pointed chin lifted to answer his challenge; not for anything would she have him guess what was happening to her heart.
CHAPTER THREE
DONA INEZ occupied the enormous bedroom on the corner of the house which was farthest from the entrance. There were balconies on two sides, each giving a view of the gardens and distant hills, and from one of them a flight of steps gave access to a small private patio which was enclosed by pergolas smothered with roses. It was through this patio that Sally approached the bedroom with Marcus.
It was dark now, and when they arrived in the balcony lights came on, and Sally saw the white, gold and pink bedroom softly and completely illumined by wall lamps which were delicately shaded by ruched pink silk. The vast bed, its white carved headpiece touched with gold on the leaves and flowers, was covered by a light pink silk counterpane which was neatly turned back so that nothing but fine, perfumed linen touched the old lady who sat, a small figure in a white Shetland wool bed-jacket, in a nest of pillows.
Dona Inez was a legend on San Palos, and tiny and emaciated though she had now become, she was very much aware of the fact. Her hair, thin and white but beautifully piled up
“It can all be arranged, said Marcus. The glance he sent across to Sally said, “What did I tell you? She’s accepted it like a child.” He took more of his drink. “There’s just one thing, Viola. Dona Inez is not a modern, and for that reason I didn’t tell her that Sally and I had known each other only for a short time. She assumed that I’ve known you both for a year or two in England, and I let her go on thinking that way. Anything you might say to the contrary could easily get through to her and perhaps disturb her, so will you be careful not to mention our short acquaintanceship?”
“Of course I will. I’ll say nothing whatsoever about it to anyone, and if people are nosy I’ll be vague!” Distinctly pleased with herself, Viola added, “I do realize you both let me into things as soon as you could. How long an engagement do you plan?”
“Mother...”
“We’re not sure,” said Marcus nonchalantly. “Exploring personalities takes time.”
“Naturally. How soon may I put an announcement in The Times ?”
Marcus smiled, and in that moment the whole thing, the pain as well as the strange excitement, fell into perspective for Sally. Either she must treat this lightly or get into a frightful state over it every time it was mentioned; and seeing that the old senora and her mother had accepted the engagement without question, the light treatment was her only course. She lifted her head, smiled with a creditable attempt at cheerfulness and said,
“That’s for me to say, isn’t it? I want to get used to having a fiancé before I see it in black and white!”
“Naughty,” said Viola, and she laughed. She raised her glass once more. “To my two dear ones,” she said sentimentally. “I couldn’t be happier.”
Marcus sat quite relaxed, smiling enigmatically upon the scene he had produced. Sally, looking at him, wondered what he was thinking. She thought his expression changed a fraction, that a faint bitterness sharpened the smile. Was he reflecting how different this could have been had the right woman been sitting where Sally now sat? He must hate this as much as she did, perhaps even more, because if Viola Sheppard and her daughter had not slipped into his life on the “Bellesta” he wouldn’t now be living a sham. He would have come home to San Palos alone, have soothed the disappointed senora and got back into his former way of life. Instead of which he was living an outward happiness as well as the inward bitterness of losing a woman he had loved ... perhaps still loved.
She became conscious that he was watching her and smiling sardonically. Her small pointed chin lifted to answer his challenge; not for anything would she have him guess what was happening to her heart.
CHAPTER THREE
DONA INEZ occupied the enormous bedroom on the corner of the house which was farthest from the entrance. There were balconies on two sides, each giving a view of the gardens and distant hills, and from one of them a flight of steps gave access to a small private patio which was enclosed by pergolas smothered with roses. It was through this patio that Sally approached the bedroom with Marcus.
It was dark now, and when they arrived in the balcony lights came on, and Sally saw the white, gold and pink bedroom softly and completely illumined by wall lamps which were delicately shaded by ruched pink silk. The vast bed, its white carved headpiece touched with gold on the leaves and flowers, was covered by a light pink silk counterpane which was neatly turned back so that nothing but fine, perfumed linen touched the old lady who sat, a small figure in a white Shetland wool bed-jacket, in a nest of pillows.
Dona Inez was a legend on San Palos, and tiny and emaciated though she had now become, she was very much aware of the fact. Her hair, thin and white but beautifully piled up
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