The Arrogant Duke

by Anne Mather

  'It's a very hot day, senhorita. Do not stay out in the sun too long.'

  Juliet smiled politely, and nodded. 'Thanhs, Miguel. I won't,' and then she drove away, her legs quaking in fear of being stopped at the last moment.

  But why should any one stop her? No one knew her plans except herself. Certainly she had done nothing unusual in taking out the car. Her greatest difficulty would be boarding the island steamer without attracting attention to herself.

  The quay at Venterra was crowded, the steamer already loaded and only awaiting its final departure forms. Juliet hurried up the gangplank, meeting the dark-skinned Captain at its top.

  'Senhorita,' he murmured politely, recognizing her as the new companion to the ward of the Duque by the colour of her auburn hair. 'Can I be of assistance?'

  His old-world politeness almost overwhelmed Juliet.

  'Oh, yes, please,' she said glancing round nervously. 'Could - could we go somewhere and speak privately?'

  The Captain frowned, then nodded, and summoned his second in command to take over. 'Come,' he said. 'We will go to my cabin.'

  In the Captain's cabin Juliet said, as briefly as possible, that she wished for transportation to St. Lucia.

  The Captain frowned. 'But why are you not using the Duque's hydroplane?' he questioned, obviously puzzled and disturbed.

  Juliet sighed. 'The Duque and I have had a disagreement,' she said, at last. 'I want to leave, but I do not wish to use any transport owned by the Duque.'

  The Captain half-smiled. 'The Duque owns most of this vessel,' he remarked dryly.

  Juliet pressed her hands together, and stared at him pleadingly. 'Will you take me with you?' she asked imploringly.

  The Captain frowned. If the Duque had had an argument with the girl, why was she not being removed from the island as swiftly as possible in the hydroplane? And where was her luggage? He had no desire to fall foul of his employer, and he was very much afraid this young woman was in more trouble than she cared to admit.

  Yet for all that he felt sorry for her. She was such a slender creature, so fair and helpless. How could he ignore the plea in those beseeching eyes? Ignoring the dictates of his brain, he said:

  'All right, all right, I will take you, senhorita.'

  She could have hugged him, she was so pleased. 'Thank you, thank you,' she exclaimed effusively, and the Captain's dark skin darkened even more with em-! barrassment.

  Even as they spoke, Juliet heard the throb of the engines being started, and the Captain excused himself to negotiate their departure. Juliet remained in the cabin, peering through the porthole with eyes suddenly misty with tears. She had never realized she was such an emotional creature, but apart from the beauty of Venterra, she was leaving behind the only man she could ever love.

  The journey to St. Lucia was accomplished by nightfall. Juliet, after the ship had cleared the harbour, had gone up on deck, welcoming the cooling breeze, and the gentle swell of the water. No one troubled her. The other passenger, all dark-skinned islanders, eyed her with some trepidation, and even the Captain kept his distance. In truth, Juliet thought perhaps he was already regretting his impulsive acceptance of herself as a passenger.

  They docked at Castries in the early evening. The town twinkled with lights, while Juliet could vaguely distinguish the steep plateau of Morne Fortune rising like a bastion above the harbour. She had never been alone in such a strange, alien place at night before, and she experienced no small misgivings when it was time to disembark.

  The Captain seemed concerned about her, too, for he said:-'Do you have anywhere to go, senhorita?'

  Juliet linked her hands. 'Not - not exactly,' she murmured. 'But I can manage.'

  The Captain frowned. 'Are you leaving the island tomorrow?' he asked with some perspicacity.

  Juliet nodded. 'I hope to get a charter flight.'

  'I see. Well, senhorita, I shall be remaining on board tonight, but my cabin is at your disposal if you would care to use it.'

  Juliet stared at him. 'You - you would let me do that? Stay here?'

  'Of course. Why not? I have children of my own, senhorita, and the quayside of Castries is not a suitable place for a young girl alone at night.'

  Juliet grasped his hand. 'I'm - I'm very grateful to you. You'll never know how grateful, senhor.'

  The Captain was embarrassed again, and she said no more. But as she lay later in the evening, watching the winking stars in the sky above, just like some jewelled sapphire velvet, she wondered how she would ever be able to repay him. He had taken no money for her passage, and without his assistance she might have found herself in a very difficult situation: Alone, and without luggage, she was a target for every kind of awkward situation.

  Although she had not expected to sleep, the lazy wash of the ship, and her own exhaustion of the night before, overwhelmed her, and to her surprise when she opened her eyes again and glanced at her watch, it was already seven-thirty.

  She had not undressed completely, merely removing her pants and blouse, and now she washed in the Captain's little hand basin, cleaned her teeth, and combed her hair. Then she went on deck.

  The Captain was sitting at a table, eating rolls and fruit, and he invited her to join him. The coffee was delicious, and although she drank two cups together with a cigarette, she refused his offers of food.

  'You can take a taxi to the airport,' said the Captain, obviously determined to assure her safely on her way. 'I myself will get one for you.'

  'You've been more than kind,' said Juliet unsteadily. 'I can't thank you enough.'

  The Captain shook his head. 'I only hope you know what you are doing,' he murmured, almost inaudibly, but Juliet appreciated his concern.

  The airport which served St. Lucia was not large, but Juliet was in luck. She was able to arrange a flight later the same morning. In the meantime she took herself into the small reception lounge to wait.

  She smoked several cigarettes, ordered coffee, and waited impatiently, wondering uneasily whether she had been reported as a missing person. If she had, there was really only Teresa to care, one way or the other. How pleased Estelle would be that she had got rid of her so simply! How she and the Duque would laugh about her fugitive departure.

  She heard the sound of a powerful car, sweeping up the road to the reception lounge. The tyres screamed in indignation at their rough treatment, as they brought the car to an abrupt halt at the doors to the airport buildings.

  Juliet glanced round casually, wondering who could be causing such a disturbance, and saw the two men enter the building together almost as someone in a dream, seeing unreal characters acting out an unreal drama.'

  Then she rose to her feet, glancing about her desperately, feeling trapped and frightened and exhilarated all in one compelling emotion. Incredibly it was Felipe, and her father!

  The Duque strode ahead of the older man, reaching Juliet first, staring at her with tortured eyes, and then suddenly grasping her hand, and turning it palm uppermost, put his mouth to its centre, closing her fingers over the kiss.

  'Deus!' he muttered heavily. 'If this is what you did to your father, it is no wonder he was anxious about you! If you ever do it to me again -I will kill you!'

  And Juliet knew he meant it!

  Then Robert Lindsay reached them, looking at Juliet with eyes that were strangely tender, and half amused.

  'So,' he said, 'at last we've caught up with you. You're a devil for running away, Juliet. When are you going to stop and realize that you can't run away from life?'

  Juliet shook her head, feeling suddenly giddy with fatigue and sheer nervous exhaustion.

  'I wasn't running away from life,' she murmured weakly. 'Oh, Dad!' and ignominiously she burst into tears, burying her face on her father's shoulder, as she had done as a child.

  Robert Lindsay looked at the Duque over his daughter's shoulder. 'It seems you were right, Felipe,' he said enigmatically.

  Juliet gathered herself together, feeling relieved
that at least the lounge was deserted. Drying her eyes, she said: 'I don't understand any of this. What's going on? Why are you together? And why have you—' she looked at the Duque '- why have you come after me?'

  The Duque glanced at her father, and Robert Lindsay nodded. 'All right, all right,' he said resignedly, Til wait outside.'

  He smiled encouragingly at them both, and then walked away, leaving them alone.

  Juliet twisted her hands together, avoiding Felipe's eyes. There was some catch to this, there had to be. Why had Felipe come? What had her father told him? What had he told her father?

  The Duque gave an angry exclamation, and said: 'Juliet, I know all about your deception. I know you are Lindsay's daughter. It makes not the slightest difference to me.'

  Juliet looked up. 'How - I mean - when did you meet my father?'

  'Yesterday. After you had left on the steamer. He arrived in a hydroplane, and came straight to see me. We had a very comprehensive conversation, and I think we understand one another completely. It was not until later that you were discovered to be missing!' His pallor could be seen despite the dark tan of his skin. 'Deus! You cannot imagine how I felt!'

  Juliet turned away. His words meant little to her. All right, her father had cleared up the mystery of her relationship to him, and he and the Duque obviously spoke the same language. But that really made no difference to her.

  'The - the plane leaves in half an hour,' she said unsteadily. 'For goodness' sake, if you have a point, make it!'

  There was a stifled ejaculation from the Duque, and then she felt him twist her violently round to face him, almost throwing her off balance. 'Damn you, Juliet,' he muttered unevenly, 'do you want me to crawl to you? Because if that is necessary, I will!'

  Juliet stared at him tremulously. 'I don't understand,' she exclaimed. 'What do you want me to say?'

  But this was too much. With a groan, he gathered her close against him, and once more she felt the passionate pressure of his mouth parting her own. Only this time when his mouth dragged itself away from hers it sought the soft curve of her neck, the smoothness of her ears and cheeks, and the fluttering moistness of her eyes, before burying itself on hers again, destroying any defences she might have tried to sustain.

  At last he leaned his forehead against hers, and she could feel his body trembling when she slid her arms round him, wriggling inside his jacket against the hard warmth that she, incredibly, had the power to arouse.

  'Does that make it a little plainer?' he muttered, a trifle thickly. 'It is as well your good father is outside, for I am only human and I confess I want you very badly.'

  Juliet blushed becomingly, drawing back a little.

  'But Estelle—' she began, shaking her head.

  'Estelle means no more to me today than she did ten years ago when she married my cousin,' said Felipe firmly. 'Any ideas she might have had were purely illusions.'

  Juliet sighed. 'But you never gave me any indication,' she exclaimed. 'I thought I was a nuisance!'

  Felipe half-smiled. 'You were - you are - but a nuisance I personally cannot live without. Pequena, I adore you.'

  'Felipe!' she gasped, only slightly delaying his kiss. 'Tell me about this. I want to know. When did you find me - well, attractive?'

  He smiled charmingly. 'When did I find you attractive?' he repeated lazily. 'Well, I suppose I found you attractive, right from the start, right from the moment you stood so slim and scared on the staircase of the quinta. As to when I fell in love with you - that took a little longer. Two days, to be precise. Two days in which my whole world was shattered. I couldn't believe it. I had to go away on business, and I stayed away, endeavouring to rid myself of this painful affliction that was disturbing my sleep. But it was no good. When I came back, it was worse than ever. When I saw you with Francisco Valmos I could have killed him.' He smiled. 'I think I must have had some very violent ancestors. I find my emotions almost uncontrollable where you are concerned.' He kissed the nape of her neck, twisting her hair round his fingers. 'I wanted to tell you, but you always seemed to be avoiding me. Whenever our hands or bodies touched, you flinched. I was afraid you did not like me very much, and I was afraid I might scare you away. Then when you met - your father, that day in Barbados, I wanted to kill you, too. I hated you, believe me. Because I thought you were not the person I believed you to be, the woman I loved to distraction. When I found out who he was, I was incensed. The idea that you might be his daughter never even entered my head. Why should it? You had never hinted at such a thing, even though now I recall little things, like your driving through the Alps, and the awful mess you made of pretending you didn't know how to skin-dive.'

  Juliet allowed herself a small chuckle. It was such a marvellous, marvellous day!

  'Go on,' she said, and he laughed. 'You are vain, Juliet,' he said, frowning. 'You want me to abase myself.'

  'Entirely,' she answered mischievously. 'I thought you were so arrogant, so cold, so cruel!'

  'Cruel, maybe,' he agreed, sighing. 'That day in my study I wanted to hurt you, but when I had done so, I was horrified. When I kissed you, I began to believe you cared for me too, and then Teresa interrupted us, and you fled away as though you despised me, and I despised myself for doing what I had always planned not to do - frighten you !'

  'You only frightened me because I loved you so much,' whispered Juliet weakly.

  'Is that so? Is that really so?' He gathered her closer. 'Finally, yesterday, when I discovered you had gone, just when my anxieties about Robert Lindsay had been dispersed, I was almost out of my mind. Estelle can be in no doubt as to my feelings for you. Our last meeting was anything but friendly. I do not think she will stay long on Venterra.'

  'Wait, though,' said Juliet suddenly. 'Did you - did you discuss our - our embrace in your study with her?'

  'No I' He swore softly. 'Deus! What do you think I am?'

  Juliet shook her head. 'It must have been Nurse Madison. Why didn't I think of that? Of course!'

  'Yes, they must both leave,' said the Duque, his voice suddenly cold, and Juliet shivered a little. 'Nurse Madison has attempted to ingratiate herself once too often. Besides, Teresa tells me she feels confident she will walk again in time. She seems to get along incredibly well with your father. In fact, I think you may find that your father will take Teresa away with him when he returns to England, after our marriage.'

  'Our marriage?' echoed Juliet, in astonishment.

  The Duque smiled down at her, his eyes tender. 'Of course. Did you think I could wait much longer?'

  Juliet buried her face against his chest. 'Did I say I wanted to wait?' she murmured, and the Duque gave a lazy, triumphant laugh, as his mouth sought hers again.

  Then there was an apologetic cough, and Juliet turned in the Duque's arms to see her father leaning against the door jamb.

  'I don't like to be an intruder,' he remarked, smiling, 'but after combing every hotel in St. Lucia, not to mention the waterfront, I could do with a drink, and I don't mean coffee!'

  Juliet looked up at Felipe. 'I feel intoxicated already,' she said unsteadily, and Felipe, putting an arm across her shoulders led her across to her father.

  'I take it you will be staying for the wedding,' he remarked, smiling.

  Robert Lindsay frowned. Tell me,' he said, 'is there a stock exchange in St. Lucia?' and Juliet linked her arm with his, laughing merrily.

  Table of Contents

  THE ARROGANT DUKE

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

 

 

 
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