cheroots and put one between his lips. 'And you, Teresa? What have you to say to that?'
Teresa looked mutinous. 'I did not want to go out, Tio Felipe. I like being here - you know I do. You already know my opinion concerning Senhorita Summers.'
Estelle sighed now. 'Oh, Teresa, must we go into all that again? You are a spoiled doninha!'
'Estelle !' The Duque's voice was angry now.
'Desculpe-me , Felipe, but your niece is not the easiest person to be friendly with!' She rose to her feet, sliding an arm through his. 'Please, Felipe, forgive me!'
Teresa's face was incensed, Juliet could see. Her jealousy was eating her up, and Juliet couldn't see any immediate improvement occurring here. It would take time to make Teresa realize the futility of her hopes. What she didn't understand was her own feelings when she saw Estelle Vinceiro attempting to charm the Duque. That awful twisted feeling had returned, and deciding action was the only course, she said:
'If you'll excuse me, senhor, senhora , I will wash before lunch. '
The Duque released himself from Estelle's clinging fingers, and said: 'One more moment, senhorita. Nurse Madison tells me you have been interfering in her arrangements with Teresa.'
Juliet stiffened, halted, and turned to face him. 'Yes, I have.'
'Might I ask why? '
'You can ask, senhor , but whether my answer will appeal to you I cannot say!'
'Senhorita!' His voice was warning, now.
'Very well. Nurse Madison is a middle-aged woman, quite out of touch I would think with modern nursing methods.'
'It is not the easiest thing to do - to find a nurse, fully qualified, who is willing to leave all the advantages of civilization and come and live on an island miles from anywhere,' retorted the Duque coolly. 'Nurse Madison was qualified, and reliable.'
'What you mean is, you requested an older person, ' inserted Estelle, with a piquant smile at the Duque. She turned to Juliet. 'Senhorita Summers, my - er - cousin is sometimes troubled by predatory young women. After all, he is attractive as well as wealthy—'
'Estelle!' The Duque sounded furious. 'Leave it!'
Estelle shrugged, and gave Juliet a glance which said: I told you so, and Juliet bent her head.
'So, senhorita ,' continued the Duque. 'Do go on.'
Juliet looked up. 'Well, I suggested that Teresa should be encouraged to go out - to swim - to attempt to do things for herself. I do not consider exercises, practised daily, adequate compensation for perhaps a swimming lesson - or more active pursuits.'
'Don't let her interfere, Tio Felipe,' exclaimed Teresa hotly. 'I don't want to do what she says. Can't I just live my life as I want to do?'
Juliet felt impatient. 'It seems to me, senhor , that your niece does not want to get better - to be able to walk again. That she enjoys spending her days in a wheel chair, arousing sympathy!'
'Senhorita Summers!' The Duque stubbed out his cheroot angrily. 'I will not have you suggest such a thing!'
Juliet compressed her lips. 'I'm sorry, senhor. Excuse me. I need - a wash before lunch!'
He did not attempt to detain her, but she was conscious of his eyes on her as she walked across the patio and into the quinta.
As she showered and changed, her altercation with the Duque having produced a film of perspiration all over her body, her mind pondered on what she had said, and the more she pondered, the more she became convinced that she was right.
Teresa was not stupid. On the contrary, where getting what she wanted was concerned, Juliet thought she could be very bright, so what if she considered that her presence on the island was only tolerated because of her condition? If this were so, she might think that if she was cured the Duque would send her away. Surely, such ideas were sufficient to maintain the blockage which was causing her physical condition. The Duque had said it was a mental thing, had he not?
Juliet sighed. It would be her prerogative therefore to convince Teresa that her life was too important to
Teresa looked mutinous. 'I did not want to go out, Tio Felipe. I like being here - you know I do. You already know my opinion concerning Senhorita Summers.'
Estelle sighed now. 'Oh, Teresa, must we go into all that again? You are a spoiled doninha!'
'Estelle !' The Duque's voice was angry now.
'Desculpe-me , Felipe, but your niece is not the easiest person to be friendly with!' She rose to her feet, sliding an arm through his. 'Please, Felipe, forgive me!'
Teresa's face was incensed, Juliet could see. Her jealousy was eating her up, and Juliet couldn't see any immediate improvement occurring here. It would take time to make Teresa realize the futility of her hopes. What she didn't understand was her own feelings when she saw Estelle Vinceiro attempting to charm the Duque. That awful twisted feeling had returned, and deciding action was the only course, she said:
'If you'll excuse me, senhor, senhora , I will wash before lunch. '
The Duque released himself from Estelle's clinging fingers, and said: 'One more moment, senhorita. Nurse Madison tells me you have been interfering in her arrangements with Teresa.'
Juliet stiffened, halted, and turned to face him. 'Yes, I have.'
'Might I ask why? '
'You can ask, senhor , but whether my answer will appeal to you I cannot say!'
'Senhorita!' His voice was warning, now.
'Very well. Nurse Madison is a middle-aged woman, quite out of touch I would think with modern nursing methods.'
'It is not the easiest thing to do - to find a nurse, fully qualified, who is willing to leave all the advantages of civilization and come and live on an island miles from anywhere,' retorted the Duque coolly. 'Nurse Madison was qualified, and reliable.'
'What you mean is, you requested an older person, ' inserted Estelle, with a piquant smile at the Duque. She turned to Juliet. 'Senhorita Summers, my - er - cousin is sometimes troubled by predatory young women. After all, he is attractive as well as wealthy—'
'Estelle!' The Duque sounded furious. 'Leave it!'
Estelle shrugged, and gave Juliet a glance which said: I told you so, and Juliet bent her head.
'So, senhorita ,' continued the Duque. 'Do go on.'
Juliet looked up. 'Well, I suggested that Teresa should be encouraged to go out - to swim - to attempt to do things for herself. I do not consider exercises, practised daily, adequate compensation for perhaps a swimming lesson - or more active pursuits.'
'Don't let her interfere, Tio Felipe,' exclaimed Teresa hotly. 'I don't want to do what she says. Can't I just live my life as I want to do?'
Juliet felt impatient. 'It seems to me, senhor , that your niece does not want to get better - to be able to walk again. That she enjoys spending her days in a wheel chair, arousing sympathy!'
'Senhorita Summers!' The Duque stubbed out his cheroot angrily. 'I will not have you suggest such a thing!'
Juliet compressed her lips. 'I'm sorry, senhor. Excuse me. I need - a wash before lunch!'
He did not attempt to detain her, but she was conscious of his eyes on her as she walked across the patio and into the quinta.
As she showered and changed, her altercation with the Duque having produced a film of perspiration all over her body, her mind pondered on what she had said, and the more she pondered, the more she became convinced that she was right.
Teresa was not stupid. On the contrary, where getting what she wanted was concerned, Juliet thought she could be very bright, so what if she considered that her presence on the island was only tolerated because of her condition? If this were so, she might think that if she was cured the Duque would send her away. Surely, such ideas were sufficient to maintain the blockage which was causing her physical condition. The Duque had said it was a mental thing, had he not?
Juliet sighed. It would be her prerogative therefore to convince Teresa that her life was too important to
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