though quite what from she didn’t know.
‘In the last resort they’d do anything for me !’ she declared.
‘I am sure they would,’ he smiled. ‘ But one does not live continually in the last resort ! ’
That struck her as funny and she laughed. ‘ Speak for yourself !’ she admonished him. ‘ I’m not sure that I don’t!’
He smiled and collected up their empty breakfast trays, pointing out of the window to the grey mountains beneath them. ‘Mallorca !’
With mounting excitement, Megan stared down at the island below her. It was considerably bigger than she had thought, and it was hard to see much of what it was really like, for the clouds drifted beneath them, hiding the land from her eager eyes. Then, unexpectedly, the sun broke through the clouds and she was able to see literally hundreds of windmills beneath them.
A few minutes later, Palma appeared, together with the long, sandy beach, edged from end to end with hotels. The engine note changed and there was a faint bump as they landed. Just two hours and twenty minutes after leaving England, they had arrived in Majorca.
CHAPTER IV
Senora Vallori was waiting for them outside the airport in the car. Carlos hurried their suitcases through the Customs and then led Megan out into the sunlight. He kissed his stepmother on the cheek and introduced Megan to her, leaving them to get into the car while he stowed the luggage away in the boot.
‘Have you known Carlos long, Miss Meredith?’ Senora Vallori asked her.
Megan shook her head. ‘ I don’t know him well ,’ she admitted.
‘But you like him?’
‘I like both him and Pilar ,’ Megan answered carefully. ‘ They both came to lunch with my parents.’
‘Pilar is my daughter,’ Senora Vallori said with pride. ‘She is devoted to Carlos—always has been. He takes her about with him quite often. Isabel, my other daughter, is more reserved. You haven’t met her?’
‘No ,’ Megan agreed.
Senora Vallori sank back into the car with a sigh of relief. Looking at her, Megan could hardly believe that she was English. To begin with, she was the only person she had ever seen who wore the traditional Spanish comb in her hair, complete with mantilla, which she used to veil the sides of her face. She was not particularly tall, but she looked shorter than she was, for she was more than a little plump and her legs were shorter than is usual in an Englishwoman.
‘Do you mind sitting in the back?’ she asked Megan indolently . ‘We only have this little Seat in Mallorca—not at all comfortable ! —but they are excellent for the narrow streets in Palma, and just adequate for the rest of the island.’
‘I don’t mind at all,’ Megan assured her. She p ushed the driving seat forward and struggled into the back, watched lazily by her hostess who made not the slightest effort to help her. ‘ You have two houses here, don’t you? I expect you have a lot to do, running both of them and the almond orchard too?’
The Senora laughed in the back of her throat. ‘Not I! My husband spoilt me dreadfully when he was alive and I never had to stir hand or foot. Carlos doesn’t approve of the result, but he realises it’s too late to change me now ! ’ She said this with such satisfaction that Megan was faintly shocked, but she said nothing. Carlos folded his long length into the driver’s seat and turned on the ignition key, nosing the car away from the kerb and away from the airport.
‘Well, how are things, Margot?’ he asked his stepmother lazily.
‘ I have been in flat despair,’ the Senora answered placidly. ‘I can’t think why you suppose it’s a good idea for me to live here, caro. It’s only February, but the whole place is swarming with tourists ! What will it be like in the summer?’
‘You’ll shut yourself inside behind the shutters whatever it’s like,’ he retorted callously, ‘ so I can’t see that they need bother you much !’
‘If your father could hear
‘In the last resort they’d do anything for me !’ she declared.
‘I am sure they would,’ he smiled. ‘ But one does not live continually in the last resort ! ’
That struck her as funny and she laughed. ‘ Speak for yourself !’ she admonished him. ‘ I’m not sure that I don’t!’
He smiled and collected up their empty breakfast trays, pointing out of the window to the grey mountains beneath them. ‘Mallorca !’
With mounting excitement, Megan stared down at the island below her. It was considerably bigger than she had thought, and it was hard to see much of what it was really like, for the clouds drifted beneath them, hiding the land from her eager eyes. Then, unexpectedly, the sun broke through the clouds and she was able to see literally hundreds of windmills beneath them.
A few minutes later, Palma appeared, together with the long, sandy beach, edged from end to end with hotels. The engine note changed and there was a faint bump as they landed. Just two hours and twenty minutes after leaving England, they had arrived in Majorca.
CHAPTER IV
Senora Vallori was waiting for them outside the airport in the car. Carlos hurried their suitcases through the Customs and then led Megan out into the sunlight. He kissed his stepmother on the cheek and introduced Megan to her, leaving them to get into the car while he stowed the luggage away in the boot.
‘Have you known Carlos long, Miss Meredith?’ Senora Vallori asked her.
Megan shook her head. ‘ I don’t know him well ,’ she admitted.
‘But you like him?’
‘I like both him and Pilar ,’ Megan answered carefully. ‘ They both came to lunch with my parents.’
‘Pilar is my daughter,’ Senora Vallori said with pride. ‘She is devoted to Carlos—always has been. He takes her about with him quite often. Isabel, my other daughter, is more reserved. You haven’t met her?’
‘No ,’ Megan agreed.
Senora Vallori sank back into the car with a sigh of relief. Looking at her, Megan could hardly believe that she was English. To begin with, she was the only person she had ever seen who wore the traditional Spanish comb in her hair, complete with mantilla, which she used to veil the sides of her face. She was not particularly tall, but she looked shorter than she was, for she was more than a little plump and her legs were shorter than is usual in an Englishwoman.
‘Do you mind sitting in the back?’ she asked Megan indolently . ‘We only have this little Seat in Mallorca—not at all comfortable ! —but they are excellent for the narrow streets in Palma, and just adequate for the rest of the island.’
‘I don’t mind at all,’ Megan assured her. She p ushed the driving seat forward and struggled into the back, watched lazily by her hostess who made not the slightest effort to help her. ‘ You have two houses here, don’t you? I expect you have a lot to do, running both of them and the almond orchard too?’
The Senora laughed in the back of her throat. ‘Not I! My husband spoilt me dreadfully when he was alive and I never had to stir hand or foot. Carlos doesn’t approve of the result, but he realises it’s too late to change me now ! ’ She said this with such satisfaction that Megan was faintly shocked, but she said nothing. Carlos folded his long length into the driver’s seat and turned on the ignition key, nosing the car away from the kerb and away from the airport.
‘Well, how are things, Margot?’ he asked his stepmother lazily.
‘ I have been in flat despair,’ the Senora answered placidly. ‘I can’t think why you suppose it’s a good idea for me to live here, caro. It’s only February, but the whole place is swarming with tourists ! What will it be like in the summer?’
‘You’ll shut yourself inside behind the shutters whatever it’s like,’ he retorted callously, ‘ so I can’t see that they need bother you much !’
‘If your father could hear
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