The Man From Coral Bay

by Jan Anderson

  Before he could answer Pat swept down on them. ' Now, you two, that's enough of the tete-a-tete! Food's on the table and you can't monopolise Rossi any longer. There are heaps of people I want her to meet. People who will tell her the right things about Ceylon,' she added, pulling a slight face at him

  Barney cocked an eyebrow. Then you'd better make sure she's warned about Matthew Lincoln, hadn't you?'

  It was as though everyone in the room stopped talking together. It seemed to Rossi that those who did not turn to look at him or give him a furtive glance stayed quite still, as if waiting to see what Pat would reply.

  She said in a brisk, schoolmarmish sort of voice, Now, now, Barney, don't start spreading scandal. Rossi has come here purely to gain first-hand knowledge of the country, the climate, the food and what clothes to take—not to learn about our troublemaker.'

  Or, thought Rossi silently, about what directly concerns me: Tom, Julia and the children. It was as though all these subjects were taboo and that these people here were determined to talk to her about

  everything but what really mattered. Suddenly she was glad she was going to Ceylon. Something was wrong, something that she was not supposed to know about.

  She was relieved when the party broke up and she was able to slip away to bed. Everyone had been very pleasant and helpful, but for some reason it had been an exhausting evening.

  Barney sought her out again and held her hand

  briefly. I won't say goodbye, Rossi, because

  you'll probably be seeing me sooner than you think. I tend to turn up like a bad penny. You're flying out next Friday, aren't you?'

  She nodded.

  He flicked his thick hair away from his forehead. Then lots of luck, and don't take us all too seriously.'

  Not even Matthew Lincoln?' she said warily.

  There was not a flicker of expression in his eyes as he answered. No, not even Matt Lincoln. I'm afraid I can't say forget him, because he'll be rather an important part of your life.'

  ' Who is he, Barney?'

  Tom's neighbour. I wish I could say friend.' He shrugged. ' I suppose some would call him the black sheep of Ceylon.'

  ' Would you call him that?' she persisted, suddenly feeling the unknown Matthew Lincoln was part of the emerging pattern.

  I'm not one of the old school,' he told her, therefore I'm a bit more broadminded. But I can't say that I care for the fellow any more than anyone else does. He's out to ruin Tom.'

  With that he disappeared and she was left gaping after him, even more bewildered than she had been a few minutes ago.

  As soon as she decently could after breakfast Rossi asked the Hales if they would mind if she left before lunch. She murmured about realising suddenly all there was to do before next Friday. And when they demurred she added her worries about seeing a little more of her mother before she left.

  She finally left about ten-thirty, knowing she would have to keep going if she were to reach London Airport at the time she had set herself.

  She parked the car and ran across to the arrival lounge to find that the flight from Colombo had already landed. Mercifully, however, the passengers had not yet cleared Customs.

  For some peculiar reason Rossi felt nervous. She was dry-mouthed, tense and could barely control her impatience. And then, across the heads of people craning to see into the Customs hall, she saw two familiar people, a middle-aged man and woman. Who . . . and then the penny dropped. Of course, they were Julia's parents. She had only met them at the wedding and one other time, when the whole family gathered at Christmas.

  Should she make herself known to them now, or wait until Julia came through? But before she could make up her mind Mrs Fletcher had somehow seen her, so she walked slowly across, her hand outstretched.

  ' Why, hello, dear,' the older woman said, pleasantly, but with a puzzled air, ' we didn't expect to see you here. Julia said she had told no one but us of her flight. How strange!' She spoke as if she was not too happy to see Rossi there and would have been relieved to get rid of her before Julia appeared.

  ' You know,' she rattled on, ' poor dear Julia has had a dreadful time . . . she's not at all well. We're very anxious to get her home as quickly as possible.'

  Drat the woman, Rossi thought; it was going to be even more difficult than she thought.

  As reasonably as she could she said, ' Well, I thought it would be rather nice to speak to Julia. It's two years since we saw each other. Besides, I want to ask about the children. I imagine she'll want just a few moments' rest before driving all the way to Devon. Perhaps we could have some coffee. ..

  Her voice tailed off as she and Mrs Fletcher spotted Julia at the same time. Always a tall slender girl, she was now painfully thin, and the tiredness about her eyes was something more than of the normal traveller who has just flown six thousand miles with little sleep.

  Mrs Fletcher rushed towards her daughter, twittering away. Why, darling, how wonderful to see you! Have you had a good journey, are the children all right, and how would you like a nice cup of tea ? ' Like a lot of women of her type she asked a lot of questions and never waited for an answer.

  Julia allowed herself to be hugged by both her mother and her more retiring father, but without visible enthusiasm.

  Then she looked over their shoulders and saw Rossi. The change that came over her was instantaneous.

  She pulled abruptly away from her mother, picked up her cabin bag and seemed to try to hustle them off. Her eyes were wide with . . . no, it could not be fear .. . more like the brilliant, hunted look of a stag when it knows it is cornered.

  Rossi sensed she should not have come, but having done so was determined not to be pushed aside.

  Julia,' she said warmly, I felt I had to come

  and see you. There's so much I want to ask you about Ceylon, about the children and the house. You will be able to spare a few moments, won't you?'

  No,' cried Julia explosively, I can't. I won't!'

  Rossi stepped backwards as if the other girl had hit her. But why? It's about the children mostly —your children. You must want to give me instructions. You must want to tell me things, for their sakes.'

  The eyes watching her were suddenly dark and bitter. Ask your brother. He was the one who told you to come out, not me. He seems to think you can look after them as well as I can, so why should I interfere? Why should I even care?'

  ' Julia . . . please. What you're saying can't be true.' Shock was bewildering Rossi.

  Think what you like. But I'm certainly not coming in any corner with you to get all matey and confidential. If you're bent on going out there, then don't expect one single shred of help from me. You always were Tom's slave, weren't you? Well, now's the time to go and put it into practice! ' She swung round, done with Rossi and her intrusion. Come on, Mother . . . Dad. I don't want tea or anything. I'd like to get home, quickly.'

  Rossi stood and watched them go, her heart plummeting. What she had only sensed at the Hales' party was proving to be a very substantial fact. Something was very wrong between Tom and Julia And what else would she find when she landed over there in a week's time?

  CHAPTER II

  The V.C.IO was high in a sapphire blue sky, leaving behind London and its bitter east wind, before Rossi was aware of the shuffling movement nearby. Then the business man who had been sitting in the next seat suddenly gathered together his belongings and disappeared and someone else was sliding in beside her.

  Hello, Rossi.'

  Her eyes widened. Barney—how on earth did you suddenly appear? And why are you on this plane anyway?'

  Answer to first question : I was late. I only caught the flight by the skin of my teeth and they pushed me into a seat right forward, so I persuaded them to swap me over. Answer to second question: Well, I told you I was going back within a few days anyway, so I decided after the weekend that London, a freezing temperature and me simply did not go together, and besides, it would be nice to have some company on the flight. You do
n't mind, I hope?'

  ' Oh, no.' She did not try to conceal her pleasure. Apart from the inevitable boredom of a long flight, she had liked what she had seen of Barney Lawrence. And he would not be able to wriggle out of answering questions up here.

  That's fine, then.' He took his jacket off and settled down in his seat. I loathe these flights back and forth. Somehow people in planes don't cornmunicate any more than they do on English trains. I know if I start up a conversation with anyone either he's a salesman selling shoes, or else he's in oil and insists on telling me his life story. Girls are a rarity

  —particularly pretty ones.'

  Rossi smiled. ' I think you may wish you'd never said that after this particular girl has asked all the questions I intend to ask. And you can't escape this time!'

  He pretended to put on a woebegone expression. ' I jumped straight into that one, didn't I? Still,' he spread his hands expressively, I have no secrets. So why shouldn't I want to answer questions?'

  Rossi glanced out of the window, trying to marshal her thoughts. England—or were they already over the Continent? —was hidden below a white, fluffy blanket. Up here it was hard to think the sky could ever be anything but this stunning blue. And then the stewardess was bringing round drinks, more postponement. She noticed that Barney ordered for them both without referring to her, a gesture she found she rather liked.

  When it came, it was champagne. She started to protest, but he touched her lips with his finger. I always do this when I go back. My last act of defiance. Liquor is very, very expensive in Ceylon. Besides, that's what you were drinking at the Hales', wasn't it?'

  You've got a good memory.'

  Only when I want to.' He watched her over the top of his glass and while there was laughter in his eyes, there was also something else. Surely, she thought in sudden panic, Andrew wasn't forgotten as easily as this. Besides, she was not sure whether she wanted to embark on anything quite so soon.

  Quickly she said, It's about Tom I want to ask.'

  About changing his job, you mean? I guessed you didn't know about that. Tom told us that he didn't intend to tell his family until he was firmly established. I suppose he felt his mother would have

  worried, and perhaps you wouldn't have approved.'

  ' And Julia? She obviously didn't approve?'

  ' Too right she didn't! '

  She took another sip of the sparkling liquid. One thing about champagne, it made it much easier to talk to strangers—particularly attractive ones.

  Go on, Barney,' she said quietly, tell me.'

  ' Well, as you know Tom's been in tea all this time, and I don't know whether it was because he was a little bored with the stuff, or whether he saw that his chances of big promotion were growing small, or perhaps it was a bit of each, but he became restless and started to look around. . .

  She stopped him. I'm sorry to interrupt, but

  why wouldn't he get promoted? I always thought he had a big future.'

  ' Oh, it's not Tom,' he returned quickly, it's mainly the political situation. Many of the big promotions are going to the Ceylonese themselves, all part of the general change throughout the country. It's happening to planters too, and I imagine in an awful lot of industries. Most of us say that when we're thrown out we'll get a job back home—but not Tom. He wants to stay in Ceylon. He's determined to stay in Ceylon; and the only way he can be sure of doing that for more than a few years is to work for himself.'

  ' And that's what he's doing?'

  He nodded, reached over to fill her glass, then lit up a small cigar.

  ' He's bought a piece of land on the coast and has started a plantation of coconuts. I haven't been there, but I believe it's a beautiful spot.'

  ' Can he make a good living out of it?' She wanted to ask if Tom knew anything about coconuts, but loyalty prevented that.

  ' Not at the moment,' he told her, ' but it could be very profitable one day.'

  I wonder why he felt he had to leave his job so quickly,' she mused, ' or is he doing something else as well?' Without waiting for a reply she smiled.

  Tom always did have the courage of his convictions. That's one of the reasons why I've admired him so much. He's always been brother, father, friend, adviser to me. He'll make a success of it, I know he will.' She stopped suddenly and turned to him. ' Where does that man . . . Lincoln fit into things? He does, doesn't he?'

  Matt Lincoln? Oh, yes, indeed he does. While Tom is determined to succeed, Lincoln is equally determined that he won't.'

  But that's awful! ' She was appalled to think that anyone could be against Tom. ' Why is he against him?'

  For a moment she thought he wasn't going to tell her, then he said rather cautiously, Well, to be honest, Rossi, I don't know many of the details. Only that the whole business seems to have started over a strip of land that lies between Tom and Lincoln's properties. Tom wanted it, I believe he even thought he had it, when Lincoln pulled a fast one on him. Ever since then there've been all kinds of niggling disputes, but Tom will have to tell you himself. I only know that Matt Lincoln isn't exactly a popular man. He rides roughshod over too many people—if he deigns to speak to them at all! And now, please—I will answer your questions if you want me to, but I'd prefer you to ask Tom himself. He's a good friend of mine, you see, and . .

  Of course, I'm sorry.' Rossi was full of apologies. I didn't stop to think It's all been so unexpected, rushing out here, not really knowing why,

  and then Julia behaving so strangely. It's not fair of me to try to involve you, but there wasn't anyone else to ask. Poor Tom,' she added ruefully, he really is going to need some sympathy and support, isn't he?'

  Barney nodded. That's about it. He's lucky to have a sister who believes in him.'

  ' That means you haven't?'

  He grinned, I've got three older than I am who still treat me like a kid brother.'

  Deliberately, Rossi swung the conversation away from herself and the problems she was going to face and asked Barney how he came to be in Ceylon. She learned that he was brought up there as a child when his father was in business in Colombo, but returned to England when his father was transferred.

  I never settled very well,' he explained. I think by then the East was in my blood. I tried various jobs, and then I got an offer to go back again to train on a tea estate. I've never regretted it. I come home on leave to visit the family, but as you see by today, I can't get back quick enough. I hope you'll come and visit High Rocks estate before you go back. It's quite a place, very high and wild and beautiful. There's only one snag.'

  Oh,' she said, what's that?'

  You've got to like tea! ' And they both laughed.

  Rossi was beginning to enjoy herself, finding Barney a marvellously stimulating companion. When they touched down in Ankara around midnight he insisted she had a cup of real Turkish coffee, thick and syrupy, and then took her up to the duty-free shop and picked out the only things worth buying.

  As dawn broke he woke her to point out the most exciting part of the flight, the sight of the endless,sandy, barren ridge of mountains, desolate in their slendour that, after thousands of miles, tapered `down to the Persian Gulf. . . .

  There they touched down again, in the early blue-gold light, and she saw her first Arab staring curiously through the gates of the airport in the middle of nowhere, yet there were also men in business suits talking interminably of oil. The final stop was at Bombay, and there the relentless, suffocating heat hit her for the first time. Outside, as they walked from the plane to the airport buildings, she felt herself taking great gulps of air while at the same time trying to get out of the sun. Even the handrail up the steps made her flinch.

  Will . . . will Colombo be as hot as this?' she asked Barney.

  ' Not at this time of year, at least most of it won't. The humidity will be lower, and that's the whole secret.'

  Inside, she had a cool drink and fingered the fine [silk scarves, the ivory figures and brass ornaments. She remembered T
om bringing home to their mother the odd brightly coloured scarf. London was a long, long way away and it seemed impossible to recapture the bitter cold she had left. She had, on the Hales' advice, packed a light dress and had changed at the last stop, but still she felt the cool fabric clinging to her.

  For the last leg of the journey they were crossing the sea. Less than two hours later Barney was shaking her, pointing out of the window. There she is,' he said with evident pride, ' the Pearl of the East.'

  She stared down at the tip of lush green coastline that showed briefly before the plane turned over the sea again. ' I wonder,' she said, almost thinking

  aloud, ' what it holds for me. I know it's silly, but suddenly I'm afraid of what I might find.'

  Her hand that lay on her lap was suddenly covered and gripped. ' You won't find anything, Rossi,' he said softly, that you can't cope with. Just Tom, your brother, who needs you now instead of you needing him. But if ever there's something you want, remember me, won't you? It's a small country, and I can move fairly fast if I want to.'

  She turned to thank him, not wanting to take her hand away, and saw his eyes were both grave and tender. ' I mean that, you know. Just whistle and I'll come.'

  Thanks, Barney,' she answered softly. I know you mean it, and it makes things a lot easier realising that not everyone in the country is a stranger. I don't know why I'm feeling like this suddenly. It isn't as though I have anything to go on.'

  Tiredness,' he said promptly. A long journey like this can play havoc with your mind as well as your body. If you take my advice you won't let Tom tell you anything of his troubles tonight. You'll wait until tomorrow to get things into perspective. You'll need about twelve hours' sleep, and don't skimp on it. I always do, and I'm as old a hand as any.'

  The wheels hit the runway with a rushing sound —hot tyres on hot tarmac. They were down at last and Rossi peered eagerly through the windows at the small crowd gathered to meet the passengers.