Island Quest

by Oliver, Marina

  Lorenzo gave a shout of laughter.

  'Jorge's brother lives on Grandfather's estate, and he was ill. Grandfather told me when I telephoned him from the hospital, and as soon as I could I sent Jorge home. He was due to retire in a month anyway.'

  Ros took a deep breath and turned back to Tim.

  'Well?' she demanded. 'Why didn't you write to me again? That last letter was so weird I couldn't understand it. And what about all those cryptic marks on the postcards, the coves and that house in Palma, and the harbour? What did they mean?'

  'I don't know what you mean?'

  'Some of the postcards you sent had small pencil marks on them.'

  Tim suddenly grinned. 'Oh, those! I hoped you wouldn't notice! You see, I was trying out a new arrangement, and I'm afraid I was using a pencil as a drumstick, and didn't notice I was banging it down on the cards which were spread out on the table.'

  Ros glared at him. 'Then all this time, I've been wasting my efforts trying to trace you by looking for them?'

  'Not completely wasted,' Lorenzo murmured. 'They gave us some interesting interludes. I must take you back to that first cove one day, when it's warm enough to swim.'

  Ros ignored him, though her cheeks became faintly tinged with pink. 'Why didn't you write properly,' she asked Tim.

  'I couldn't, it would have been too dangerous if anyone else had seen it,' he said, looking guilty. 'I only found out you were worried when I saw Lorenzo earlier today. I've been to South America.'

  *

  'For heaven's sake, how? And why?'

  'On Mr Goldstein's yacht. With my father.'

  'Your father? I didn't know he lived here.'

  'Neither did I. Well, he doesn't, but he was here with Mr Goldstein. You know his bank just sent mother my allowance, and she didn't know where he was. He lives in Virginia when he's not working in some remote spot. He saw one of the girls, you see, out there in South America, and suspected something was wrong. She managed to tell him she came from Majorca, so he came here, and was put in touch with Mr Goldstein, who was involved because one of his friends had lost a child. He was staying on the Golden Gull. Mr Goldstein was using it to keep watch on the people who were smuggling those children. Dad and Mr Goldstein came to the Castilla one night and he still looks just like that photograph Mother has of him. But I didn't know where he was staying, and it took me ages to track him down. I bought a scooter and spent all my spare time riding round looking for him.'

  'The scooter was never found. Where is it?' Ros demanded.

  'In Mr Goldstein s garage. But then things got dangerous.'

  'How?'

  'I was talking to a sailor one night in a bar by the harbour. He was drunk, and he was talking about young girls, how much men were willing to pay for them. And later on as we left the bar we were attacked. They killed him, but I was able to get away.'

  'The murdered sailor!' Ros exclaimed.

  'You see I'd found Dad just a few hours before they were due to leave, and when I was attacked I went to him. I didn't know what to do. They knew who I was and where I worked. Mr Goldstein suggested I went on his boat. I had no time to explain, I just grabbed my clothes, wrote a letter to you and rode back up here. I even forgot all about my drums! When we stopped at Gibraltar we had to arrange for someone to call the Castilla about them.'

  'So that was the danger, and the sailing and the surprise, and why you didn't want me to tell Mother.'

  'It was fantastic! Dad and I get on really well, Ros, and he suggests I make my home with him now. I'm going to college to major in geology. It doesn't bother Mother where we are, and you'll be married.'

  'Someone saw you several days ago, in Palma.'

  'I thought I was safe on the boat. The Golden Gull cruised a bit, came into the harbour a couple of times, but was keeping watch for the boat that was coming to collect the children.'

  'They do a round trip, apparently, collecting children from set points,' Lorenzo said. 'It was when the one child got away that they had to snatch another one quickly, to meet their quota. They didn't take as much care as usual, which is why you saw them.'

  'It was only today we got back to Palma and Lorenzo came to see me, told us they'd been caught,' Tim added. 'Said we had to come to your wedding. Congratulations, by the way.'

  Ros turned shining eyes to Lorenzo. 'Why didn't you say you knew where he was?'

  'I wasn't absolutely sure they were still on the Golden Gull. I didn't want to raise your hopes.'

  'You domineering, arrogant, chauvinist, gorgeous man!'

  'Well suited to a cool, calm, competent business lady!'

  'Er, I'll go and join the others,' Tim muttered as he began to sidle discreetly towards the door. 'Shall I tell them you've arrived?'

  'You dare, and I'll make you swim back to Brazil!' Lorenzo threatened.

  Tim grinned. 'That's rich! If I hadn't gone and not written Ros would never have come to Majorca looking for me, and you'd never have met her.'

  'You expect gratitude for saddling me with a jealous nagging wife who's going to put an end to my carefree bachelor existence? Out! And keep everybody else out for ten minutes while I prime Ros in the serious etiquette she has to learn when she marries a Spaniard!'

  'You'll need the rest of your life to tame her,' said Tim, and ostentatiously left the room, pulling the door closed with exaggerated care.

  'Darling, thank you!' Ros exclaimed, kissing Lorenzo as he sat down beside her. 'I'm so relieved he's safe!'

  'But he's right, we wouldn't have met without him. Shall we forgive him?' he asked, pulling her towards him.

  'Do I have to obey my stern Spanish lover?' Ros asked and after a delicious few minutes of persuasion she came to the conclusion she'd thoroughly enjoy doing this in all important ways.

  'Always, or I'll lock you in the dungeons,' Lorenzo said, raising his head from kissing the soft hollow in her throat. 'We do have some, by the way, so it's not an empty threat.'

  'And you'll come there with me and give me lessons in Spanish etiquette?'

  'Lessons in how I want my wife to love me. I'll start now, shall I?' he asked, and she pulled his head down again and kissed him lingeringly.

  'One school I'll never tire of,' she murmured, and then sat up in alarm. 'Lorenzo, what's that noise?'

  He was helpless with laughter, and pulled her to her feet as the door was flung open and a dozen or so people poured in, Tim in the lead, and several more sedate, older people smiling in the background.

  'Now!' Tim ordered, and began gesticulating as he conducted a rousing chorus of Why are we waiting, and Lorenzo, his arm round Ros's waist, led her forward to begin introducing her to as many of his family and friends he'd been able to gather together at such short notice.

  THE END

  ###

  Marina Oliver has written over 60 novels, and is converting many of them to Ebooks. Others have been or are being published as Ebooks by other publishers. Details of these on her web site are being added to all the time.

  For the latest information please see Marina's web site:

  http://www.marina-oliver.net

  You might enjoy my novel set in the other Balearic island:

  A QUESTION OF LOVE

  BY MARINA OLIVER

  Pippa, an American, wants to prove to her protective family that she can stand on her own feet. She is reluctant to return to the States after a few months in England and do as they and her father's partner expect, marry the partner's son Frank.

  Defying Frank, she accepts a job in Minorca as secretarial assistant to a former film star who is planning to write his memoirs. These promise to be explosive, and both his last wife and his nephew Juan try to persuade him to abandon the idea.

  *