Sherry watched as Tim’s expression became vague and Faith picked up the signals. She accelerated, ignoring her sister’s panted “No, no, no…”
Hope stayed on Tim’s lap after it had all happened. She lay limp against him, eyes closed. Faith came back to Sherry. “So quickly,” she said, sitting down again.
“I’m surprised at the pair of you,” said Alistair. “I thought you were going to be very long and slow. I think Tim has made you both crazy. He must have something special about him.”
Faith clapped her hands and laughed delightedly. “Oh yes, very special. We like it too much!”
“Well, I’m sorry, Sherry. My two little girls were meant to put on a real show for you, and all they’ve done is indulge themselves. And wear Tim out, perhaps. I apologise for them. I’ll have a word with them when we get back and they’ll do better next time.”
“No, no, it’s fine. Really. They did very well. I mean, it was nice, and Tim certainly enjoyed it.”
“Well, if you’re sure… but they can do better, believe me. I’m going to take them home anyway. I expect they’ll be tired after all that excitement.” He went into the cabin for a torch and flashed it out to sea.
Listen to me, thought Sherry. Complimenting the girls on satisfying my own husband—what’s got into me? But he did enjoy it; I could see that. I wonder if he looks like that with me?
The girls had dressed again and pulled the iceboxes out of the cabin. Tim emerged looking a little sheepish. “When will we see you again, Alistair?”
“Not tomorrow. I’m on the mainland then. The day after. We’ll bring some more food and the girls can cook again. What would you like? Any special orders?”
“What do you say, love?” Tim asked Sherry. “What do you fancy? Chilli prawns?”
Sherry was taken aback. Being asked for her opinion had surprised her. “Er—yes—if Alistair likes it too.”
“Hey girls, sambal udang next time.”
“Good, good. We like,” they replied, and Ahmed’s boat was rushing up onto the sand.
Sherry stood waving, with Tim’s arm around her shoulders, as the boat backed away from the beach.
Chapter 18
Tim led her by the hand back to the cabin. In spite of the good food and company, she felt bitter.
“I suppose you enjoyed that.”
“Oh yes!” said Tim, without shame. “It was fantastic. I can see why Alistair keeps them.”
“I hate you!” she spat with tears welling, and tearing away from him, ran into the bathroom.
He had stretched out inside the mosquito net when she returned. She tried the cabin door. It was locked. She would have to sleep on the floor again. She reached under the net to take a pillow.
“Come and sleep up here,” he said.
“Take off this chain.”
“Sorry, you know I can’t do that. Come up here. You’re not proving anything by sleeping on the floor, and you’ll get bitten again. Look, come on up. I won’t think any less of you, I promise.”
She lowered herself to the floor. It was cold and hard and she felt tempted to give in. Then the image of Tim being ridden by the twins came back to her and she refused. She cuddled the pillow and found her eyes were leaking.
She woke from a restless night to find Tim scooping her up and dumping her onto the bed. She slept as he went out to swim and was only vaguely aware of him returning and making breakfast. The smell of coffee and frying penetrated her dreams and she crawled out of bed.
They sat at the table watching the sea. Tim had turned the remains of last night’s feast into fried rice and she ate gratefully.
“That was good food last night, don’t you think?” he asked. “Did you get the recipe?”
“I think so. I think I can make the same when we get home.”
“Good, and we’ll have to try hard and get the exact recipe for the sambal udang next time. I keep trying to get that right, but it’s never the same.”
They were chatting like a married couple again. Sherry moved her foot to feel the drag of her chain. “You like those girls, don’t you?”
“Like them? Definitely. They’re a lot of fun.”
“Why don’t you get one like them, then? Or two?”
Tim laughed. “Wouldn’t that be nice? And they could do all the housework for you as well. I don’t think we could afford it though, and besides, you’d go crazy.”
“If they were in the house, I wouldn’t be. I don’t know what you see in girls like that. They just fuck, and you men love them.”
Tim laughed happily. “Yes, we’re terrible, aren’t we? You know, I’m sure there’s a bit more to them than that, or Alistair wouldn’t keep them. Anyway, I expect he’s got an official wife or two to be intellectual with. It’s harder for you and the other Western women. You have to be intellectual and make love too. Multifunctional.”
“You think we’re just here to please men, don’t you?”
“But you do! I’m very pleased with you. Beautiful, intelligent, well-educated, versatile cook, and much more as well.”
“And stupid enough to let you run around with little brown girls? You’ve got a nerve.”
“I always think that the best way to keep a husband from looking at other women is to keep him permanently satisfied. Simple, and you’ll enjoy it too.”
She jumped up in frustration. “Keep on dreaming!” she snapped and started to clear the dishes away.
She had finished tidying when Tim came from behind the cabin with her trainers and a long bush knife. “We’re going for a walk. You’ll need your hat, and sun cream.”
“Where are we going?” she asked as he rubbed cream all over her.
“Top of the island. Let’s go and look out over the South China Sea. Perhaps we’ll see some pirates. Or a handsome young man with a helicopter coming to rescue you. Wouldn’t that be nice?”
“Mmh. That would depend. I don’t want to be rescued wearing only trainers.”
“And a dog collar,” he said, snapping it around her neck. “Now, let’s get that ankle free.”
The path plunged into the trees and within a few steps they reached the stillness of the jungle. He stopped her and took an aerosol from his back pocket. “Cover your eyes. I’ll give you a spray.”
The insect repellent felt cold on her skin but she was grateful. The bugs had already discovered her. They walked on following a rough path. Tim cleared vine tendrils away with slashes of his bush knife but found it awkward to slash with his other hand looped in her lead. He handed her the knife. “You do it. There shouldn’t be many more.”
Slowly they moved along the path, gaining height, with Sherry removing anything that might reach out and scratch her exposed skin. She was hot and sweating freely in the still air. Tim followed at the other end of her lead.
After about half an hour the jungle suddenly faded. They had reached the stony crest of the island where the thin soil could support no more than sparse clumps of grass. A trade wind beat on their faces. At their feet the island fell out of sight to the grey sea below. It looked fierce and unfriendly, nothing like the gentle bay by the cabin. Tim stripped off his shirt and folded it for her to sit on. He sat beside her, arm around her waist, and they enjoyed the wind on their bare skin.
The path continued along the crest. “What’s down there?” she asked.
“Nothing much. It just carries on and peters out on a rocky point. No beach.”
“Do you think this island is really Alistair’s?”
“Oh yes. Why not? He’s a prince or something. I don’t know if he gets to be Sultan when his father dies. I didn’t like to ask, but he’s obviously important. Works for the Government and has private business as well. He’s not short of money either.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who owned an island. If he was normal, I might fall in love with him.”
“Go into competition with the twins?” Tim laughed.
“I said, if he was normal. I wouldn’t b
e one of several wives. Or concubines.”
“Yes, I’ve often wondered how that works. I should think a house full of wives would be a nightmare. Either they’d all be arguing or they’d gang up to make the man’s life a misery.”
“I expect Alistair keeps them in line. Do you know he stranded Hope here by herself for a week once? As punishment?”
“Really? Poor girl. I wonder what she did.” he mused.
“You won’t believe this. He told her not to wear panties one evening, but she did. That’s all.”
“Just that? Oh well, it’s a matter of principle, I suppose. Doesn’t seem to have done her any harm, though. They’re both cheerful souls.”
Sherry thought about that. The girls said they loved Alistair, and that certainly seemed to be true. Hope could even laugh about her spell alone on the island. Sherry knew she would not be so forgiving.
They hurried back down the path. Bursting at a trot out of the jungle they ran straight into the sea and lay gratefully in the shallows. Leaning back on her elbows, Sherry looked over her naked body. She would have a respectable full tan by the end of the week. She watched the ripples pretending to be waves as they curled past her. It was funny how she felt content to do nothing here. Living in Singapore with no friends, no schedule, no television would be frustrating but doing nothing felt natural on this island. The sea and the view satisfied her. Perhaps the life of a beachcomber was all she needed. She resolved to cook something respectable for dinner. That should soothe her conscience.
The sun reached its zenith and they took shelter in the cabin. Tim stretched out on the bed, pretending to read. Sherry took her book outside and, as her eyes became heavy, wished for the comfort of the bed.
That evening she did her best to provide a formal dinner. Tim sat and admired her as she brought out the fruits of her labour, even down to rice pudding prepared in a saucepan and cooled in the fridge. When she brought out the coffee, he grabbed her arm and pulled her to him for a kiss. She did not resist but turned her face to offer only her cheek.
She slept on the floor again feeling satisfied with her dinner but also a little stupid. She was no longer sure what point she was trying to make by suffering alone down on the cold floor while Tim lay comfortably in bed.
Chapter 19
Sherry woke with anticipation. Today Alistair and the girls would come for dinner. She would start to clean the cabin as soon as breakfast was finished. She would do the laundry first, and while that dried on the verandah, she could clean the kitchen properly. No morning sleep on the bed today. There was work to be done.
Tim returned from snorkelling and joined her for breakfast. Then, seeing what she planned, he disappeared. She started work. It filled her morning.
Sherry flung her book aside and, picking up her chain, ran down to the water’s edge. Alistair’s boat, full of smiles, coasted into the beach. She caught the bow as Tim ran up to lift the girls and their iceboxes out onto the sand. Alistair had dressed in white and wore a yachting cap. He jumped ashore to give Sherry a cuddle and a kiss.
“Even more beautiful than ever!” he complimented her. “You must be driving Tim mad, dressing like that all day.”
“Stop it!” she said, but let him keep her hand.
“I’ve come to take you on a voyage around the island. What do you think?”
She looked at Tim who nodded. “OK, but it looked very rough on the other side yesterday.”
“Don’t worry, Ahmed will take care of us. Come on, let’s put all these things away and we can go.”
They sat Sherry in the bows. Our figurehead, as Alistair put it. She enjoyed the sensation of the boat lifting and falling under her as Ahmed accelerated away from the beach. Soon they were skimming across the reef. The boat was long and narrow, a fast shape for rivers and calm seas. She sat high in the bows and turned her back against the spray. She looked aft at Ahmed and he smiled for her.
The island passed by only a short distance away. The jungle came right down to the water, held back only by a narrow line of broken rocks. There were no beaches, no more cabins. The shadowed coral flashed by beneath them, only three or four metres deep. Sherry sat back and enjoyed the ride.
They had not been running long, only one or two kilometres she guessed, before the boat started to feel the swell and began to pitch. Ahmed slowed down. The shaggy backbone of the island was dropping towards the sea until the trees gave way to a rocky claw reaching out and sinking beneath the waves. Beyond the point the sea looked grey and restless. As the boat started to labour Ahmed throttled right back. Now he would have to work with the sea and not against it. He swung very wide around the point.
A long, unbroken cliff formed the seaward face of the island. Grey and vertical, it towered above them. Some grass and small plants struggled to survive in corners and cracks. Distant white dots covered the rock; seabirds nesting.
“This is the place to dive, they tell me,” shouted Alistair over the engine noise. “There’s a Japanese battleship not far offshore. From the second war. The wreck’s deep and dangerous. Not for me.”
Or me, thought Sherry, looking at the unwelcoming sea. She decided she was a creature of calm waters and sandy beaches. No communing with the deep ocean for her. Her stomach resisted the heaving and pitching of the boat, but she did not enjoy it.
They followed the cliffs for a long time before they started to yield. Then, suddenly, she could see the point with the cabin and its coconut palms halfway along it. Her spirits rose and she felt happy again when Ahmed looped around to drop them on the beach.
The twins settled on the verandah and the men decided to take the old windsurfing board out to the reef. Sherry sat alone in the bathroom. She had made an interesting discovery. Hair conditioner was very slippery. She had sat on the concrete floor and rubbed conditioner onto her ankle and under the cuff. This began to look promising. She had forced the cuff down until her heel and her instep held it. Not good. It was still very tight and she worked more conditioner under it. Careful not to rattle her chain, she started to twist it around her foot. It slid a little further. She twisted and pushed some more. Then she heard voices outside, at the back of the cabin, coming clearly over the bathroom wall. Tim and Alistair, coming for the surfboard. The cuff seemed to be moving over her heel and she struggled silently to force it further.
“I’m just going to wax this a bit. Make it a little less slippery,” she heard Tim say. “I’ll get you some proper wax, if you like. This candle is not right at all, but I suppose we aren’t going to be standing on it or anything.” He must have laid the surfboard flat and she heard the sounds of rubbing wax onto the surface begin.
“So, how’s Sherry coming along?” asked Alistair.
Tim stopped rubbing. “I don’t know. She’s a tough lady, you know. Still sleeping on the floor by herself. I’m worried about her.”
“Sleeping on the floor? She must be tough.”
Sherry almost grunted with the effort, but she was winning. With a final push the cuff slipped free. The chain clinked as it fell and she stopped still, hoping that they had not heard.
“I hope you’re right,” Tim was saying. “She doesn’t show any sign of giving in yet, and we’ve only got a couple of days left. I’d hate to lose her.”
“I don’t think you’ve got anything to worry about. She’s bound to realise why you’re doing it eventually. She’s not stupid.”
“I hope so. I love her, and I don’t know what I’d do if she took off to England.”
“Don’t worry. If she’s still confused when I pick you up, I’ll straighten it out. Or I can take her home with me and the twins can do it. Ready? OK, I’ve got my end.”
She heard them moving away with the board. She was still sitting on the floor, holding her cuff and trying to understand what she had just heard. Tim loved her. He had said so in honesty and she had heard it in his voice. So why was he doing this to her? What did he want? Surely he did not want a broken-spirited slave beside him, an
d she would not allow that anyway. Perhaps he just wanted her to be a slave sometimes, to use her like a toy when he felt like it. That did not sound very attractive either.
However she looked at it, the important thing was that he wanted her. Her illicit flute playing did not seem to have worried him. He wanted her to stay, and he wanted her enough to take a lot of trouble to convince her. No matter that she did not understand how she was meant to react, he wanted to tie her to him. That sounded far better.
She realised that she had taken off her cuff and now she had a problem. The last thing she wanted to do was upset Tim by appearing without her chain. At least, not until she had figured out what was going on. She put her toes back into the cuff and started pulling and turning. It would be difficult, but she would win.
The twin’s cooking was heavenly. She had tried to follow the recipe, but they had bundled her out onto the verandah with the men. She had taken a pillow and settled herself on the floor at Tim’s side. Apart from short excursions to refresh their drinks, she stayed on the verandah until the twins finally emerged with the food. As never before, Sherry appreciated that this was the way that humans were meant to eat, in the open air, next to a warm sea and above all, in the company of their friends. The softness of the lamplight glittering their glasses, the rich smell of the prawns, the chatter around the table, would all stay with her forever.
Finally, when the meal had been cleared away and the table set down on the sand, Alistair rang his glass and announced that he had something important to say. The twins looked up at him from their places on the floor beside him as he began to talk.
“Firstly, my friends, let’s say thank you to our delightful chefs for a splendid meal—wonderful!” He raised his glass with a smiling face and toasted them both as they clapped and laughed in appreciation of the compliment.
Her Master's Voice Page 14