woman?”
“My dear mother, she’s come out here to take photographs in the sanctuary,” Dominic said patiently. “She’s a professional photographer. That’s how I prefer—and intend—to think of her.”
“Bah! You make me angry. Are you blind? Don’t you see why Louise has come here? Can’t you understand that now they are on the point of assuming Dick’s death, she means to have you !”
“She broke off our engagement before. Why should you think she wants me now?”
“Because I’m not a fool. You are famous now as well as rich. I can see just how her mind has worked. She won’t rest till she’s got you under her spell again. But don’t you see? If you were to marry—shall we say this other girl who has so conveniently turned up here, this Chloe Linden— you would be safe for ever from Louise.”
Whatever effect this suggestion had on him, Dominic’s face showed nothing. His mother went on persuasively, “Luckily we Valmontez are not Catholic, so there would be no difficulty there.”
“I promise you, dearest, Louise won’t stay long,” he said gently. “When she sees I’ve no intention of leaving my work for her, or letting Mark off, either, she’ll grow bored with Santa Clara and go away. This isn’t her kind of place at all. She’ll soon be tired of it. Now, lie down and rest. Good night, mother. Sleep well.”
The white head fell back on the pillow. Soon her breathing told him she had fallen into one of her facile catnaps. He watched her for a while, with pity and love and extreme exasperation. Then he quietly left the room.
He was thinking he must try to keep Miss Linden away from her. It would be too awkward for her—and for himself, too—if she found out how his mother’s thoughts were running. It might give her ideas, romantic ones, of saving him from the consequences of a past folly.
He didn’t want saving—at least not in that way. He wanted no more emotional adventures. He preferred the physical exertions and adventures of the intellect that archaeology provided. He wanted no women in his life.
The shadow darkened his face again as bitter memories swept over him. After the peculiar rigors of his war experience, of time spent living among the enemy in constant fear of discovery or betrayal, he had been ripe, when he met Louise, to let a woman make a fool of him. Only to think of the episode with her humiliated him now. Whereas she seemed determined not to let him forget it. It was going to be unbearable, having her here, deliberately working on him...
He would have to do something to get her to leave Santa Clara. He thought of his mother’s suggestion. Fantastic though it was, he didn’t altogether reject it. He found himself wondering just how far he could bring himself to go, to get rid of Louise...
CHAPTER FIVE
Before undressing, Chloe went up to the terrace again. Though there was no moon, the myriad stars seemed bright and near enough for her to see by, once her eyes were adjusted to their diamond light.
Leaning at the stone balustrade, she looked out over the island. She could see the distant lights of Valetta and the harbors, the landing lights of Luqa and other fainter lights that marked the position of the villages— casals , Professor Vining had called them—dotted sparsely over the plain.
She breathed in the warm southern air with delight. How silent and mysterious this place seemed. The clamor of the cathedral bells, harshly announcing the hour of eleven, quite startled her.
She listened till the echoes had died away. Then she strolled across the terrace. It was really a roof garden, with a central balustrade surrounding an open well reaching to ground level—to the courtyard, in fact. It had greenery, pergolas draped in vines and bougainvillea, and many angles and oddly shaped corners.
In one corner she found a kind of lookout. It was a small, high stone platform, railed around with wrought iron and reached by a little curving stone
“My dear mother, she’s come out here to take photographs in the sanctuary,” Dominic said patiently. “She’s a professional photographer. That’s how I prefer—and intend—to think of her.”
“Bah! You make me angry. Are you blind? Don’t you see why Louise has come here? Can’t you understand that now they are on the point of assuming Dick’s death, she means to have you !”
“She broke off our engagement before. Why should you think she wants me now?”
“Because I’m not a fool. You are famous now as well as rich. I can see just how her mind has worked. She won’t rest till she’s got you under her spell again. But don’t you see? If you were to marry—shall we say this other girl who has so conveniently turned up here, this Chloe Linden— you would be safe for ever from Louise.”
Whatever effect this suggestion had on him, Dominic’s face showed nothing. His mother went on persuasively, “Luckily we Valmontez are not Catholic, so there would be no difficulty there.”
“I promise you, dearest, Louise won’t stay long,” he said gently. “When she sees I’ve no intention of leaving my work for her, or letting Mark off, either, she’ll grow bored with Santa Clara and go away. This isn’t her kind of place at all. She’ll soon be tired of it. Now, lie down and rest. Good night, mother. Sleep well.”
The white head fell back on the pillow. Soon her breathing told him she had fallen into one of her facile catnaps. He watched her for a while, with pity and love and extreme exasperation. Then he quietly left the room.
He was thinking he must try to keep Miss Linden away from her. It would be too awkward for her—and for himself, too—if she found out how his mother’s thoughts were running. It might give her ideas, romantic ones, of saving him from the consequences of a past folly.
He didn’t want saving—at least not in that way. He wanted no more emotional adventures. He preferred the physical exertions and adventures of the intellect that archaeology provided. He wanted no women in his life.
The shadow darkened his face again as bitter memories swept over him. After the peculiar rigors of his war experience, of time spent living among the enemy in constant fear of discovery or betrayal, he had been ripe, when he met Louise, to let a woman make a fool of him. Only to think of the episode with her humiliated him now. Whereas she seemed determined not to let him forget it. It was going to be unbearable, having her here, deliberately working on him...
He would have to do something to get her to leave Santa Clara. He thought of his mother’s suggestion. Fantastic though it was, he didn’t altogether reject it. He found himself wondering just how far he could bring himself to go, to get rid of Louise...
CHAPTER FIVE
Before undressing, Chloe went up to the terrace again. Though there was no moon, the myriad stars seemed bright and near enough for her to see by, once her eyes were adjusted to their diamond light.
Leaning at the stone balustrade, she looked out over the island. She could see the distant lights of Valetta and the harbors, the landing lights of Luqa and other fainter lights that marked the position of the villages— casals , Professor Vining had called them—dotted sparsely over the plain.
She breathed in the warm southern air with delight. How silent and mysterious this place seemed. The clamor of the cathedral bells, harshly announcing the hour of eleven, quite startled her.
She listened till the echoes had died away. Then she strolled across the terrace. It was really a roof garden, with a central balustrade surrounding an open well reaching to ground level—to the courtyard, in fact. It had greenery, pergolas draped in vines and bougainvillea, and many angles and oddly shaped corners.
In one corner she found a kind of lookout. It was a small, high stone platform, railed around with wrought iron and reached by a little curving stone
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