The Man From Ti Kouka

by Rosalie Henaghan

  ‘You mean you ...?’ Trudi suddenly realised her matchmaking had worked.

  ‘Are getting married? Yes. We’re still getting used to the idea ourselves.’

  ‘That’s marvellous news, Rita, I’m truly pleased for both of you, and the children. When’s the big day?’

  ‘We’re not quite sure. Alf and I have been wondering about it. Alf wants to get the designs for the next season in hand and take me off overseas.’

  ‘Right!’ Trudi checked her diary. ‘You can go on the twenty-fourth and your first stop will be Sydney, to finalise next season’s contracts,’ she smiled cheekily. ‘I give you my blessing to make the negotiations as protracted as you like. If Mr. Maugh wants to fly over to Italy, Paris, London and New York to view the latest designs, he’ll need someone like you to help.’

  ‘Sounds great!’ grinned Rita.

  ‘Your eldest’s at university, isn’t he? If you go then he’ll be home with the first term break for three weeks. Could you get someone after that?’

  ‘You know, it might be possible. I’m sure my sister would stay for another three weeks,’ put in Rita thoughtfully.

  Seeing Rita’s face light, Trudi found herself smiling too.

  ‘Next, what type of ceremony?’

  ‘We’d just thought of a few friends and the family at my local church. I’d hate a big wedding.’

  ‘That sounds lovely,’ Trudi agreed.

  ‘By the way, apart from the children, no one else knows,’ said Rita. ‘Keep it under your hat?’

  Trudi nodded. The work buzzer sounded as she studied the figures. Collating them, she paused, and watched the staff in friendly groups chattering like starlings as they made their way out.

  With sudden decision she laid down her papers. They could wait until another day. She wanted to look for a gift for Rita and Mr. Maugh, and to buy a present for Maria and John.

  The next day Trudi sat at her desk checking supplies of a fabric when her secretary came in.

  ‘Miss Carr, Mr. Maugh wants your thoughts on this letter.’

  ‘Read it, please,’ said Trudi, as she signed three of the letters the girl had prepared. As she listened she could see why the boss wanted her opinion. The letter invited them to take part in a fashion show in order to raise funds for the Handicapped Children’s Society. She looked at the date involved and knew that Mr. Maugh hoped to be on his honeymoon at that time. Being fair, he had left the decision to her. She knew it would be extra work, but she welcomed it.

  ‘Write back offering all assistance, and give them my name.’ She smiled, guessing the secretary’s curiosity. Soon the whole staff would start wondering, as Mr. Maugh looked more cherubic than ever and Rita was continuously bursting into little snatches of song.

  Trudi picked up the papers in front of her and checked through the previous day’s figures. Her head began to ache and she pushed her hair back from her face. A walk would fix it, she thought, and her gaze fastened on the beach scene that featured on the calendar. As always it reminded her of Ti Kouka with its diamond-bright water. She thought of Dan swimming out to her on her island. That had been when he told her he loved her.

  ‘Miss Carr, are you all right?’ asked her secretary anxiously. ‘You look awfully pale.’

  ‘Sorry, I was miles away,’ Trudi conceded. ‘I’m due at the fabric warehouse in a short time with Mr. Maugh, so I’ll check the rest this afternoon.’

  She gathered up her bag and went along to Mr. Maugh’s office. Mr. Maugh drove expertly to the warehouse and they found the new representative was an excellent salesman. Both Trudi and Mr. Maugh liked him immediately. The substantial order must have pleased their new friend, as he suggested lunch at their favourite hotel.

  During the meal Mr. Maugh commented about his forthcoming marriage. Immediately their host called for champagne and toasted the happy pair, believing Trudi to be the bride. Quietly she corrected him, and he apologised with a graceful turn of phrase. Trudi glanced around the large room, and her breath caught sharply.

  Dan was sitting only two tables away, and from the fury and contempt on his face he had evidently heard the toast. Trudi felt his eyes strip her slowly and mercilessly, then he stood up and strode out, evidently not even prepared to sit in the same room with her. Somehow the mistiness in her eyes she put down to choking on the champagne. Her heart thumped madly and she was totally unappreciative of the fine meal before her.

  ‘Trudi, remind me to see the executive manager about the Gold Room while I’m here,’ said Mr. Maugh. ‘Rita suggested it would make a good place for the reception.’

  Trudi rejoined the conversation with an effort. ‘That’s a lovely idea. But it’s a popular venue, so dates could be a problem. They have so many functions here.’

  Mr. Maugh spoke to the waiter, asking him if it was possible to see the manager later. Consequently, after their meal Trudi found herself walking to the Gold Room with the hotelier and Mr. Maugh. Having satisfied himself, Mr. Maugh accompanied the manager back to his administration area to check times and dates. Trudi was more than happy to wait on her own in the quiet richly furnished room, until Mr. Maugh returned. She did not dare to think of Dan.

  The gold velvet curtains caught her eye with their gracious looped style. Two curtains had not been caught back, and Trudi felt an impish desire to hide behind one like a child. She went up to investigate what was behind them. Stepping between them, she could see a small entrance hall leading to a concealed service door.

  ‘In here, Mr. Johnson, I’m sure you’ll find it most suitable for your function.’ A waiter’s voice spoke as the outer door opened.

  Trudi stiffened, not daring to breathe. She realised her presence behind the curtain was not known and she guessed that so long as she stood still no one would know.

  ‘It looks fine.’ The voice was achingly familiar, deep and with a warm lilt. ‘How many could it hold?’

  ‘The executive manager should be available and he can tell you all the details.’

  Trudi could not hear Dan’s reply, but the soft thud of the door reassured her that they had departed to, meet the man in question. Thankful that she had not had another explosive encounter, Trudi pulled back the curtain and stepped out.

  ‘So! It was you. I thought I recognised the ankles. I hear you’ve hooked one golden fish. I suppose I should congratulate you.’ His voice grated.

  ‘Stop it, Dan! You’re wrong,’ she pleaded.

  ‘I was, wasn’t I?’ He looked at her, his face drawn and hard. ‘Circe enticing me on the beach, as cold and treacherous as the limestone rocks.’ He walked up to her, studying her face as though to imprint it on his memory.

  Trudi stood quietly under his gaze, determined not to show the feelings that raced through her. Almost idly he stroked the lobe of her ear, delicately moving the finger of his hand around the curve of her neck, and she drew a sudden shuddering breath at his touch. Her mouth felt dry and parched and she moistened her lips slowly with her tongue, a nervous movement he followed with his eyes.

  ‘So you have some feelings, my nereid?’

  Instinctively, knowing she could not handle his presence any longer, she backed away. His hand moved quickly to hold her and she stood still, knowing that to flee was impossible.

  ‘A kiss from the bride is traditional, isn’t it?’ Dan remarked silkily, his eyes holding hers, burning her with their fire, then his arms pulled her closer.

  Trudi had meant to remain perfectly still, knowing she was unable to stop him kissing her. His mouth took hers insultingly, and she was aware of the remembered tang of his aftershave, before she attempted to pull away. Instinctively his grip tightened and the kiss deepened. Despairingly she felt her own unconscious response, as her whole body trembled and her arms wound around him. The familiar joy of being in his arms, and the lean hardness of his body, intoxicated her as her pulses leapt and danced. The room seemed to spin round them, as if they were reliving an earlier moment at Seal Bay. She could feel Dan’s anger and h
urt being replaced by doubt. She pulled her head away to hide her tears, but his hands forced her chin up. Agonised, she looked at him, meeting the questions in his gaze. Hope flared in her as she knew he wanted to believe what his senses had told him.

  ‘I’m not marrying my boss. You had the wrong idea,’ she whispered huskily.

  On his face she could see the desire warring with his hurt. Releasing her, he stepped back as though her physical nearness clouded his judgment.

  ‘My mother told me you were mistaken about my name. True?’

  Trudi nodded, and saw the light of the knowledge flood through him.

  ‘I want to believe you,’ he muttered.

  ‘Oh, Dan, you can trust me. I wouldn’t lie.’

  The door opened and Mr. Maugh walked in, his face beaming.

  ‘All fixed, Trudi. The twenty-fourth, as you suggested. A small wedding reception for fifteen.’

  Trudi saw the words nail themselves into Dan. He seemed to reel for a moment, then he turned and looked back at her with a disgust, before he walked from the room.

  Trudi knew he would never believe her again. Mr. Maugh’s words could hardly be more innocent, yet more damning, after her plea. Frozen, she followed Mr. Maugh out to his car. She spent the afternoon on an emotional boat, swinging first one way and then another as she wondered what she could do. One minute she would convince herself that Dan would hate her more than ever, the next that he still loved her.’

  All through the weekend she was unable to decide on the right course of action.

  On Monday, Rita and the boss announced their engagement. The factory bubbled with the news. Mr. Maugh arranged a giant staff party to be held at his home and as well Trudi organised a small party for their friends, at her own flat. Only then did she wake up to the fact that she had allowed her social life to stop once Dan had left her life. Knowing that she had to improve, she made an effort and found herself enjoying the fun.

  Another evening she took Glenn and his brother to the movies, and they mentioned the likelihood of their parents’ visit on Friday evening, as there was a weekend break. When, on Friday, the bell pealed she was delighted she had done some baking, hoping they would visit her.

  ‘You said wine biscuits were your style!’ commented Anne with a smile, as Trudi served an elaborate sherry cream gateau topped with walnuts.

  ‘This was always Maria’s favourite and I don’t have her to spoil, now she’s in Wellington,’ she explained.

  ‘You should make this for S. Jay,’ enthused Glenn. ‘He’s nuts about walnuts!’ He reached for another slice and Trudi was glad when Angela spoke.

  ‘Hey, that’s a smashing watch. Can I have a look, please?’ her eyes were round.

  Trudi slipped it off her wrist. Her own had been repaired after the ducking at Ti Kouka, but it had prompted Rita and Mr. Maugh to give one to her as a thank-you. She explained about the forthcoming wedding to Anne and Dave, and showed them some of the photographs of the party. When the family left Trudi knew they would be late reaching Ti Kouka. She waved them off, feeling tom, wishing she had been able to ask about Dan or to explain her last encounter with him.

  The sun appeared only fleetingly for the wedding day, but that didn’t dampen the happiness of the occasion. A number of the staff had turned up to watch the ceremony and afterwards the guests were taken to the hotel. Trudi hid her pain as they were shown into the Gold Room. This time the curtains were looped back to allow the waiters access way. The memory of Dan kissing her haunted her.

  Rita made a charming bride, and the bridegroom smiled so much on his new family, it made the happiness contagious. Trudi knew the children would miss their mother and she invited them to have tea with her the following day.

  At work the next morning Trudi had the factory to run, and that responsibility challenged her. She had prepared carefully and with her friend’s assistance the workload was lighter. At lunchtime she slipped home to put a casserole in the oven for Rita’s family.

  Later in the day she had an appointment with the fashion compere for the charity parade she had agreed to so long before. She had arranged a sample showing and checking the garments through with the models took time, despite assistance from her staff.

  In a week they were to have the rehearsal, and she noted the time and place in her schedule with a wry grimace. The Gold Room and the hotel seemed destined to play reminders, she thought sadly. She didn’t need them, she knew; the man from Ti Kouka was always in her thoughts.

  As Trudi marked off another week she studied her face, feeling dissatisfied. On impulse she rang her hairdresser. Normally she coped with her hair, but suddenly she wanted it cut. Dan had loved to wind strands of it round his fingers; at least if it was short that would be one less memory.

  The hairdresser cut it to a curving neckline, and Trudi stared at her new face, unsure whether it suited her or not. He demonstrated ways she could adorn it by clipping it to the side and waving it to the top to form a tiny coronet for gala occasions.

  She wished Maria was there to give her an opinion. Once the boss was back she would go to stay with Maria and John for a couple of weeks, then she might take off overseas herself, she mused.

  The thought had no doubt been inspired by Rita’s excited chatter about travel, she told herself. There was the possibility that if she saw new countries and met new people she would soon be able to erase the constant ache.

  In between checking progress of the monthly figures from the new wing, Trudi was busy checking on the mannequin parade. Most of the staff intended supporting the charity with their presence. Their talk reminded Trudi that she had the rehearsal the next day. The compere had outlined the programme, and now she went back to her office to refresh her memory.

  Looking at the models at rehearsal, Trudi stood admiring as one after another entered the tiny catwalk that had been built along the conference room in the hotel. She felt disappointed as one of the models was unable to attend and her absence was throwing out the timing.

  The compere had worked out a series of dance-like routines which showed off the various garments, but the gaps were obvious. She became aware of the compere staring at her thoughtfully.

  ‘Miss Carr, you can see the problem. You’re about the same build as Jenni. Would you mind standing in for her?’

  ‘Why not?’ laughed Trudi. ‘I always had secret dreams of being a model at one stage. So long as it’s only the rehearsal!’

  She changed rapidly, and grimaced as the bathing wear reminded her of the beach at Ti Kouka. One of the models threw her the beach ball and she ran on bouncing it to the compere’s instructions, turning to throw it to the next model, in time to the music.

  At first she was stiff and awkward, but then she reminded herself that it was just for fun and she relaxed and began to enjoy it.

  ‘You’re a natural!’ said the compere at the end. ‘Sorry I was a bit tough on you at times, but I forgot you weren’t one of the girls. That’s about the highest compliment I could give. I’ll know where to come for an extra model in future.’

  ‘No, thanks. I’ll stick to my sewing, it’s not such hard work!’

  Trudi thought of her earlier experience, on the day of the parade. The event was a formal occasion and Trudi had received her official invitation for the supper after the show. Mr. Maugh had left a substantial cheque to be given to the society and Trudi held it thoughtfully, before putting it in her bag.

  She had decided to wear the sea-green dress, and she studied herself in the glass. The mirror showed her a fairy-like princess with deep, dark eyes. They shadowed even as she realised there was no handsome prince.

  Two friends had promised to pick her up on their way to the hotel, and their delighted comments about her appearance comforted her. Their own dresses were beautiful too.

  As the usher showed them to the seats in the front Trudi knew a sudden panic. Seated beside the President of the local Society was a tall, dark-haired man with broad shoulders and a straight back. He gl
anced up and their eyes met.

  ‘Dan!’ she gasped.

  ‘Ah, I see you’ve met the New Zealand patron of our Society, Miss Carr.’ Somehow Trudi found herself sitting beside Dan, the introductions to her friends completed.

  ‘What are you doing here?’ she hissed at Dan.

  ‘I might say the same to you. I thought you’d be in Europe. This happens to be a charity I’ve taken an active part in for some years. Don’t worry, I’ll be on my best behaviour, Miss Carr. I see you’re still using your own name. May I add that you look more of a nereid than ever? Marriage evidently suits you.’

  Trudi frowned. She didn’t want to have a shouting match with Dan at such a function, but she had to correct him.

  ‘You’re quite wrong, Dan Johnson. However, I’ve no intention of telling you the truth here and now.’

  ‘Cutting your hair doesn’t seem to have shorn you of your contradictory habits,’ he snapped sotto voce.

  He turned away to address the local president and Trudi looked sickly at the floor, wishing there was some way she could avoid the next hour and a half. The smell of Dan’s aftershave, just hinted at as he had touched her hair a moment before, had almost made her cry. His dinner suit made him look more handsome and distinguished than ever. Despairingly she looked up towards the stage and saw one of the backroom assistants signal to her. Puzzled, she excused herself and went to the backstage entrance.

  ‘Trudi, Jenni ate lobster for tea and it’s made her violently ill. You’ll have to take her place.’ The compere was very definite. ‘You know the moves, and the routines from the other day. Otherwise we’ll have to scrap that presentation and just do it straight, which would be a shame when you’re the right size.’