Serpent in Paradise

by Rosemary Carter

  Serpent in Paradise

  By

  Rosemary Carter

  Contents

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  SERPENT IN PARADISE

  It was the answer to Teri's prayers when elderly Mrs Emma Roland offered her a job and a home near Cape Town. But what business was it of Sloan Garfield's? Why did he have to be so hostile and suspicious? And why couldn't Teri get him out of her mind?

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  ROSEMARY CARTER

  LION'S DOMAIN

  Nicola had set her heart on getting the job as tour-guide for a firm specialising in game-park holidays in Africa. But if she had known how much trouble she would be in for at the hands of the spiteful Gloria Payne—not to speak of Blye Patterson!—she might have had second thoughts!

  MASTER OF TINARUA

  What did the infuriating Wayne North know about her marriage to Alec Morrison? Teslyn thought furiously. It had been a disaster from start to finish—which was why she was not prepared to discuss it with anyone, and why, now Alec was dead, she wanted to put the whole thing behind her. How dared this man tell her what to do?

  DAREDEVIL

  Trisha Maxwell's first encounter with Raoul Vareen hadn't been any too promising—so when she was sent by her editor to Raoul's home to get a newspaper story it was hardly likely that he would welcome her with open arms. In fact, she rather expected him to send her packing straight away. But that wasn't what happened at all!

  ANOTHER LIFE

  Sara Demaine was young, beautiful, on the verge of a brilliant career, and in love with Clyde Montgomery and looking forward to marrying him. Yet a year later each of them was married to someone else and Sara's career was over. What had gone wrong?

  First published 1983

  Australian copyright 1983

  Philippine copyright 1983

  This edition 1983

  © Rosemary Carter 1983

  ISBN 0 263 74446 9

  CHAPTER ONE

  Teri glanced at her watch and saw that it was even later than she had realised. Her lunch-hour was half over and she still had to get to the supermarket before popping in to Mrs Roland.

  It was the storm that had delayed her. Tropical thunderstorms were always to be reckoned with in Johannesburg in the summer. There had been one each day for the last week, always in the late afternoon, when the traffic out of the city was at its busiest. This storm had erupted unexpectedly, and Teri, caught in open-toed sandals and without an umbrella, had had to shelter beneath the wide awning of a shop-front until the worst of the downpour had abated.

  She grimaced as water squelched in her shoes, and just for a moment she wondered if she had been foolish not to go back to the library without visiting Mrs Roland. Emma Roland would have understood. But she would have been disappointed. With her twisted ankle keeping her temporarily immobile, she was depending on the groceries that Teri had promised to bring her.

  She was not far from Mrs Roland's flat now, and across the road was the supermarket. Teri usually crossed the road at the traffic lights, but they were some distance away; with her sandals waterlogged and uncomfortable she decided to jaywalk.

  She had just stepped off the kerb when she saw the car turning in to angle-park. She took a hasty step backwards, but she was not quick enough to escape the rush of muddy water stirred up by the tyres, and a swirl of it hit her dress.

  It would be the one good dress she possessed! she thought, throwing a furious look at the car. It was silver-grey, long and sleek and expensive-looking. For some reason its elegance served only to enrage her further. Without thinking she bent, picked up a ball of mud and hurled it at the car. The sight of the mud spattered on the shining chrome gave her a moment of intense and gleeful satisfaction.

  She had reached the opposite kerb when she felt a hand close on her arm, and spinning round, she found herself looking up, quite a long way up, into a pair of intensely blue eyes, and she felt the oddest quiver. She had never seen a face that was so handsome, nor quite so self-assured. Thick fair hair was vivid against a deep tan, and the lines of a hard mouth and chin combined in an unusual mixture of power and sensuousness.

  Fear was delayed, coming seconds later than it normally would have done. This was not one of the more desirable parts of the city, strangers were not to be taken lightly. What did he want of her? In sudden panic Teri glanced sideways, wondering if anyone would come to her aid if she screamed.

  'I won't harm you.' The blue eyes were mocking, as if he understood the gist of her thoughts. 'I'm the owner of that car.' He made a small gesture. 'Why did you chuck mud at me?'

  'You dirtied my dress,' she said, thinking that his dark suit and silk shirt went well with the car. Both had the same look of money and elegance.

  His eyes left her face and descended to the dress. There was something blatant in the way that he studied it, as if he was seeing through the garment to the shapely figure it clothed. Teri's earlier outrage returned.

  'A pretty dress,' was all he said.

  'It happens to be the only one I possess.' Not true, but not wildly over-exaggerated either.

  'You were jaywalking,' he pointed out mildly.

  'My sandals were wet through and the traffic-lights are a million miles away. You must have seen me.'

  'Actually I didn't.'

  'You could have let me pass anyway. Did nobody ever teach you to be considerate?'

  'Illogical and a virago.' The corners of his lips lifted. 'At worst I was looking for an apology. At best I thought you might offer to clean off the mess you made. I certainly didn't expect an attack.'

  Teri drew herself up to her full height—five feet and six inches seemed oddly small beside what was surely six feet two of leanly muscled manhood. 'You must be crazy if you thought I'd do either! May I have my arm back—I'm in a hurry.'

  She was walking away when she heard him chuckle. For a moment she was tempted to turn so that she could see how the autocratic face looked when it was amused, but pride stopped her just in time. Stiffening her shoulders, she squelched her way with as much dignity as she could into the supermarket.

  'You look as if the weight of the world rests on those slender shoulders,' a smiling voice remarked.

  'That bad, Andy?' Teri was rueful. 'I was caught in the storm, and then I was splashed by a car—the most arrogant man you ever met!' The last words were said on a burst of passion.

  'You know him?' The young man regarded her quizzically.

  'We exchanged words,' Teri said carefully. 'You see, I'd revenged myself by throwing mud at his car.'

  Andy laughed affectionately. 'Little mischief!'

  'He called me a virago. You should have seen him— tall, well-dressed, the kind who's convinced he's God's gift to women. He had the gall to think I owed him an apology.'

  'He seems to have made quite an impression on you.'

  'A bad one,' Teri said firmly. 'Just look at this dress!'

  'It will wash out, won't it? What's bothering you, love? It's not like you to get so upset over a bit of mud.'

  'I am over reacting.' She took a breath. 'I heard this morning that the rent of the flat has gone up.'

  'You were going to ask for a raise.'

  'I did—and didn't get one.' She frowned. 'And I'm worried about Jill. She's not looking well.'

  'There is an answer for you and your young sister.'

  Teri looked up quickly. 'Andy…'

  'You k
now I want to marry you. I earn a decent wage here at the supermarket.'

  'Don't go on,' she said gently.

  'I could take care of you both.'

  'I know you could, and you're a darling to suggest it. I'm so fond of you, Andy, you know that, but don't tempt me—I don't want to marry you for the wrong reasons.'

  'The right ones—if you'd let them be.' For once Andy looked serious. 'I won't pester you, love, not between the sugar and the oranges. Let's go out for dinner tonight.'

  'Oh, Andy, thank you, but I don't think so. I should be with Jill.' Teri glanced at her watch. 'Just look at the time! Mrs Roland must be wondering if I got lost. I just popped in here to get her some groceries.'

  'You've been really good to her,' Andy remarked.

  'She has no one else.'

  'Lucky for her that you happened to be around when she fell. You've been pretty marvellous to her ever since.'

  'I like her,' Teri said simply. 'She's sweet, and so very lonely. I must run, Andy, I know Mrs Roland is waiting for me, and I don't want to be late getting back to work.'

  Andy's offer of marriage was more tempting than he realised, Teri reflected, as she walked in the direction of Emma Roland's flat. The young assistant manager of the supermarket had all the qualities a husband should have. He was a fine person, kind and considerate. Dependable. A man to rely on in a crisis. And his affection for her was genuine.

  Marriage to Andy would bring solutions. No more worries about rent and food. More time with Jill, time that could be spent out of doors. Sunshine and fresh air were what Jill needed.

  There were so many reasons why marriage to Andy made good sense. And one reason why it made no sense at all. She did not love him. He was nice, he was also just a little boring.

  Unbidden an image came into her mind—a tall lean man with a gauntly handsome face and mocking eyes. Arrogant and doubtless very opinionated. But exciting with it.

  Thrusting him from her mind, Teri wondered why she had given a moment's thought to the nameless stranger who had made her so angry. That kind of man was not for her. He would move in an opulent world very different from hers. She could see him surrounded by hordes of sophisticated women, all eager for his attention.

  The very worst sort of man, and quite definitely not for her. When she did get married it probably would be to Andy or to someone very like him. And that would be the end of a passion she dimly perceived in herself but had never experienced. Cursing herself for the rebellious streak that said there must be more to life than security and dependability, she kicked her foot at a puddle of rainwater and turned into the building where Emma Roland lived.

  After ringing the bell twice with no response, she tried the door and found it open. 'Mrs Roland, it's me, Teri,' she called with a cheerfulness that belied a tinge of apprehension. It was unlike the elderly woman not to be at the door to welcome her. Perhaps her ankle was giving her trouble today?

  'In here, dear,' came an answering voice.

  Teri paused in the kitchen to put down the groceries, then went into the living-room. 'Sorry I'm so late, but…' She stopped in shock. Standing by the window, one long leg extended carelessly across the other, was her stranger.

  'Hello, dear, I want you to meet Mr Garfield. Sloan, this is Miss Malloy.'

  'How do you do, Miss Malloy.' The low voice was bland, with no sign of recognition.

  So that was the way he wanted to play it. Crossing the room, Teri held out her hand. His eyes flickered— she had taken him by surprise, she thought, and was satisfied for the second time that day—but the hand that took hers in return was calm and unhurried. His fingers were cool, the handshake firm.

  'How do you do, Mr Garfield,' Teri said pertly, and wondered why she could not control the sudden racing of her pulses.

  Withdrawing a hand that felt as if it was burning, she turned to Mrs Roland with what she hoped was an air of indifference. 'I've left the groceries in the kitchen.'

  'That's kind of you.'

  Caught by a note of strain, Teri looked at Emma Roland, really looked at her for the first time since she had entered the room. It must have been her shock on seeing Sloan Garfield that had prevented her from noticing her friend's strain, she realised now. Mrs Roland's face was a little pale, and her eyes lacked their usual sparkle. Come to think of it, there was a sense of strain in the room itself, in the atmosphere.

  'Mrs Roland, are you all right?' she asked anxiously.

  'Quite all right.'

  She was not all right. Teri knew that quite certainly. Casting a glance at the hard taut figure by the window, she put an impulsive hand on the elderly woman's arm. 'Something's wrong, isn't it?'

  'No, Teri, you're imagining things.' Mrs Roland allowed herself a brief smile. 'But why don't you drop by a little later?'

  A dismissal, though gently put. Sloan Garfield remained silent, but on his face was an expression which seemed to warn that angels would not tread the ground on to which Teri was now trespassing.

  Cheeks warm, she hesitated a moment longer. It was not her imagination that Emma Roland was upset, and that Mr Garfield had something to do with it. But Mrs Roland was not about to confide the cause of her distress, that was clear enough, and Teri did not have the right to insist that she did.

  'Thank you.' She gave a bright smile. 'I'll come if I can.'

  She looked at the arrogant stranger again. This time it was her turn to let an expression take the place of words. The tilt of her chin proclaimed a warning of her own. 'Don't try any trouble or you'll have me to reckon with.' Aloud she said politely, 'So nice to have met you, Mr Garfield.'

  Teri did not visit Emma Roland that evening. Arriving home from work in the late afternoon she found that Jill was not well. Her two-year-old sister was asleep in the big rattan armchair belonging to her baby-sitter, Louise Miles. The small face was flushed, the cheeks hot to Teri's touch, and she stirred restlessly, giving a cough that shook the small body.

  'She's been like this all day,' Louise said.

  'Poor little mite! No sooner does she get over one infection than she starts another. I wish I knew what to do, Louise.'

  'I'd take her to the park more often, fresh air is what she needs, but I don't have the time.' Apart from looking after Jill while Teri worked, Louise was the caretaker of the building, and her duties kept her busy.

  'I know, and you're a darling to look after her for me at all. I wish I had more time for Jill. As it is'—a worried frown creased Teri's forehead—'I may have to start moonlighting.'

  'The rent?'

  'Right. It really is going up, then?'

  'Afraid so.' Louise grimaced. 'What will you do?'

  'I can probably get an evening job cataloguing books.' Teri gave a little laugh. 'Andy asked me again to marry him.'

  'Perhaps you should consider it.'

  As he had done once before, Sloan Garfield invaded Teri's mind. Wretched man! They had barely exchanged three sentences, why did she keep thinking of him! She gave her head a violent shake.

  Louise was amused. 'I like Andy.'

  'I like him too,' Teri said, without explaining. 'But it wouldn't be fair to marry him.'

  'How will you manage?'

  Teri looked across at Jill. Poor baby! Had their beloved parents not perished in a boating accident, Jill's life would be so different. The lovely fun-loving mother, who at forty had been young enough to have a baby twenty years after the birth of her first daughter, would have devoted her days to her. Perhaps the rambling old house with its wooded garden would not have been sold after all. Teri remembered the happiness of her own childhood in that garden.

  'I'll have to manage,' she said slowly.

  'Don't be too hard on yourself.' Louise's words were unexpected. As Teri jerked up to look at her, she went on, 'It's not the first time I've seen that pensive mood in your face, and I know what it means. You've done your best for Jill.'

  'I want to see her well. I want to see some colour in her cheeks, and I don't mean a fl
ush brought on by fever. I want her to build up some resistance against these endless infections. I want to give her a secure home.'

  'It will all happen,' Louise soothed.

  Words. Words came cheaply. But Teri knew them to be well-meant, and she drew comfort from them.

  'It will happen,' she agreed with sudden fierceness. 'Don't ask me how, Louise, but it will. Thanks for looking after Jill.'

  Gently, so as not to waken her, she lifted the little girl into her arms and carried her up two flights of stairs to her own flat.

  It was almost a week before Teri had a chance to visit Emma Roland again. The days had been busy. In addition to her normal library hours, she was now working an evening shift. It was work she enjoyed, and she was thankful of the chance to earn money to pay the increased rent, but her time with Jill was even more limited than before.

  The little girl was still coughing, and her face was tired and wan. Louise, a gem of a friend, took her for the odd walk, but what Jill needed was several hours at a time out of doors. They would go picnicking over the weekend, Teri decided. Perhaps Mrs Roland would join them. She had a feeling the elderly woman would enjoy the outing.

  'What a lovely idea,' was Emma Roland's response to the invitation. 'You're a kind girl, Teri—helping a stranger in a supermarket, continuing to befriend her.'

  'Anyone else would have done the same,' Teri protested, a little embarrassed, though warmed by the compliment.

  'I'm not so sure.'

  'You'll join us?' Teri changed the subject.

  'I'd love to.' Emma put down her tea-cup. 'And I have a question for you too, my dear, one I want you to consider very carefully before giving me an answer.'

  Caught by the seriousness in her tone, Teri looked up curiously. There was something different about her friend today. She had noticed it from the moment she'd entered the flat. Now she wondered what was coming.