Pirates' Lair

by Jane Corrie

  Her weariness must have shown in her face as she put the phone back on its receiver after assuring Pauline that everything was all right, and found Mrs Welling hovering at the door of the lounge. This time the old lady did not ask if everything was all right, as she had obviously heard what Thea had told Pauline. 'You go right on up, Thea,' she said soothingly. 'I can see you're tired. Tell me all about it tomorrow,' she suggested kindly, and Thea needed no second bidding and went to her room.

  The first thing that came to mind when she awoke the following day was that she would be free to leave the island on Friday. The thought stayed with her while she showered and dressed, then went down to breakfast. She ought to have felt light-hearted and immensely relieved that the uncertainty was over, that she could now begin a new start to her life without fear for the future, but it was that part of it that was causing most of her misery. At least she had known what to expect if she stayed in St Thomas, but what could she look forward to if she returned to the U.K.? An even lonelier life than she would spend here, she thought dully, spending her days waiting for another Marcus to enter her life only there wouldn't be another Marcus, there couldn't be. She swallowed as she sat down at the breakfast table. As it was all over now, at least she could admit it. She loved him desperately and there was no room in her heart for a replacement.

  `Could you manage two eggs this morning, dear?' queried Mrs Welling as she entered the dining room, and Thea gave a swift shake of her head. She couldn't manage even toast, a cup of coffee was all she needed, but she did not say so, for she knew that her breakfast had already been cooked for her.

  While she struggled with her egg and bacon, she tried to give a lighthearted account of what had ensued the previous evening, deliberately leaving Marcus's part out of it.

  Mrs Welling's next question, however, proved

  that she might not have bothered. 'Well, wasn't it a good thing that Mr Conan knew where you were?' she said, as she poured herself another cup of tea.

  Thea, in the act of pushing her plate aside, paused and stared at her. 'But he didn't,' she said, `at least, not until the police rang through to get him to verify my statement.'

  `Oh, but he did, dear,' replied Mrs Welling comfortably. 'He rang here shortly after you had left with Pauline, and I told him.'

  Thea blinked as she digested this startling piece of news, and the beginning of a suspicion filtered through her mind. He couldn't have—could he? She gave herself a mental shake. Of course he hadn't, she told herself firmly; the very idea was ridiculous.

  `You know, Thea, you're lucky,' commented Mrs Welling cogitatingly, 'having a man like that watching out for you. You'll come to no harm with him around, that's for sure,' she added happily.

  This simple statement was about all Thea could take at that time, and she closed her eyes. Mrs Welling didn't know the half of it. What if she told her what was behind his pursuit of her? she wondered. Would she be so sympathetic towards him then?

  `Thea, are you feeling all right?' Mrs Welling asked anxiously, as she studied Thea's set expression and closed eyes.

  Thea gave a short laugh that was not far short of hysteria, then swallowed hastily in an effort to get herself under control. She so badly wanted to talk to someone, and her hopes of talking to Pauline had come to nothing. Suddenly she had made her mind up, and opened her eyes and fixed them on the orange condiment set in the middle of the table.

  `What if I told you that he asked me to marry him, and that I'd refused,' she said slowly but deliberately.

  There was a short silence after this, and Thea, waiting to hear Mrs Welling's gasp of astonishment, felt a spurt of surprise when no such reaction came, and she looked at the old lady, and got another surprise when she saw that she was nodding and smiling to herself as if she had received confirmation of her own thoughts on the matter. 'And he won't take no for an answer,' she murmured, still busy with her own thoughts, then looked back at Thea. 'Why did you say no?' she asked curiously. 'And don't tell me you don't care for him, I've got eyes in my head, you know,' she added gently.

  Thea bit hard on her lower lip, but couldn't stop the tears cascading down her cheeks and wiped them away with an impatient action. 'Because he doesn't love me,' she said quietly, seeing no point in lying. 'Oh, he's attracted to me, of course,' she stared dully at her hands twisted together in her lap. `I don't know why, because I'm different, I suppose,' she added lamely. Her lovely eyes met Mrs Welling's sympathetic ones. 'He told me that himself,' her eyes fell quickly back to her hands. 'That was the only reason why he proposed, he said he knew I wouldn't go along with any other proposition.'

  `Did he actually say that?' Mrs Welling asked gently, again surprising Thea, since she was not at all shocked and Thea felt that she ought to have been.

  Thea nodded dully, and drew in a deep breath before she asked in a low voice, 'Would you have said yes, under those conditions?'

  `As a matter of fact, I did,' replied Mrs Welling with a dreamy look on her face as she went back through the years. 'My, but it takes me back,' she said softly. 'My Charles was just like your Mr Conan. Oh, he hadn't his money, of course, or good education, but his thinking was just the same. Good-looking and a regular heartbreaker was my Charlie in those days. He could have had his pick of the girls in the neighbourhood, but for some reason he got stuck on me, and like you, I could never fathom it out. Just cussedness, I used to think, because I'd have none of him.' She broke off, and looked at Thea. was scared of him, to tell the truth,' she admitted, then added, 'Well, not of him, but the thought of joining all those other girls he'd dropped when he lost interest in them,' she amended, and nodded slowly. 'Like your man, he wouldn't let go, hung on like a regular terrier, until he'd worn me down. I was in love with him, of course, always had been from the moment I'd met him, but I wasn't letting on.'

  She sighed, and reached over for the teapot, testing it first to see if the brew was still drinkable, then poured herself out another cup when Thea refused to join her. 'Well, when he proposed, I accepted him. He hadn't proposed to any other woman, and that was good enough for me.' She took a sip of her tea. 'So I married him, because I loved him, but it didn't stop me worrying about the future. I'd got it into my head that one fine day he'd walk out on me.' She gave Thea a small smile. 'Divorces weren't easy to come by in those days—leastways, not for the likes of us—but there was nothing to stop him walking out of the door and not coming back.'

  She was silent for a few seconds before she went on slowly, 'There was one thing I didn't take into consideration, and that was that we were made for each other. Looks have nothing to do with it, or circumstances. If you were made for each other then you would marry. Charlie knew we belonged together right from the start. I didn't, until after we were married, then I knew. It's not something you can explain, it just happens,' she looked back at Thea. 'I think you'll find your man's like my Charlie. He'd no more admit that he loved me than fly to the moon. It's not always what they say that matters, but what they do.' She stared at the dark liquid in her cup. 'You know what? I think if a survey was conducted on all married folk, and the women answered truthfully, they would have to admit that their men never actually came out with the words "I love you", not without prompting, that is.' She looked suddenly up at the watching Thea. `If that's all that's holding you back, then it isn't worth it, Thea. We all like to hear those words, of course, and I guess some have, but when it's the real thing, it's only a sort of icing on the cake, isn't it?' she asked earnestly.

  Thea gave a swift nod, but did not say what she was thinking. She knew she belonged to Marcus, but Marcus belonged to no one but himself, she thought sadly.

  `Remember that he didn't have all that happy a childhood,' Mrs Welling commented, accurately tuning in on Thea's thoughts. 'So he's soured on marriage. I guess that's what you're trying to tell me, isn't it?' she asked. 'Well, you listen to an old woman. Nothing in the world is plain sailing. You

  have to work at it, and you only get what you give, an
d that's even more important in marriage. I've a feeling that if his mother hadn't been so strong-willed the marriage would have been a happy one. It's give and take all the time, and knowing when to back down even though it hurts your pride.'

  Thea gave another small nod at this. 'So you think I should marry him, do you?' she said quietly.

  Mrs Welling smiled at her. 'It's my guess you won't get much peace until you do.' Then her expression sobered as she added, 'It's your life, Thea. Only you can make that decision. I can only remember how I felt at the time. I kept imagining what life would have been like without Charlie, and it didn't bear thinking about. I thought I was taking a gamble when I married him, but it turned out to be the wisest thing I ever did in my life.'

  Mrs Welling's words stayed with Thea over the following few days, and she knew she would never forget them. They would haunt her through the years to come if she took that flight home, and turned her back on what might have been.

  By the time Friday had come she had made up her mind to marry Marcus—if he should ask her again and the thought that he might not made her turn cold. He knew she was thinking of leaving St Thomas, and surely he would make some attempt to stop her going—unless he had changed his mind, and her heart gave a painful lurch at this distinct possibility, visualising him handing her her passport and casually remarking that he hoped she had a good journey back.

  While she waited for him to arrive that evening, she stayed in her bedroom, not wanting Mrs Welling to see how strung up she was, for her nerves felt close to breaking point, and if he should just hand over her passport and then be on his way again, and there was no reason why he shouldn't do just that, since he had not made a definite date with her, she simply did not know how she was going to face the kindly old woman—or face anyone, come to that.

  Although his car drew up with a sleek whisper of tires, to Thea's heightened senses it sounded like an explosion, and she made her way down the stairs and towards the door, willing herself to take it easy, but she could not prevent her hands clenching themselves into small fists.

  His casual 'Hi!' when she opened the door to him made her heart beat faster, and at first she didn't understand why his brows were raised at her appearance in just a sleeveless dress. 'You'll need a cardigan,' he commented, 'and that precious article no woman would be found dead without— a handbag.'

  It took a second for Thea to get his meaning, and when it gradually got through to her that he intended taking her out somewhere, she felt her heart lift in hope, and muttering something about not being a minute, she dashed back up to her room to collect them.

  As the car left Beach House, she tried not to stare at his handsome profile or at his strong nicely shaped hands that held the wheel of the powerful car so effortlessly, and when he spoke to her she almost jumped. 'I want your opinion on a place I've found for John,' he said. 'He's decided to move over here lock, stock and barrel.' He gave her a quick sidewise look before he added, 'He'll trust your judgment rather than mine in these matters.'

  Thea swallowed hard. He was making sure that the conversation kept on an even keel, she thought, and in a way she was being used again. When she had given her opinion she supposed that would be the time when he would hand her her passport, with a 'bon voyage' thrown in.

  The drive was in the direction of Pirates' Cove, but they turned off the main highway before they reached the hotel and followed a winding track up a hillside until a large white residence came into view. Thea held her breath. Without going any further, she knew that the view from the house would be breath-taking, as it was in a commanding position on the top of the hill it was built on.

  The immaculate lawns that surrounded the house, and the finely laid-out gardens beyond, enhanced the scene, and she wondered if Moira would have the sense to appreciate the beauty of her surroundings.

  Without even going into the house, Thea could have said that the house and grounds were ideal, for she simply couldn't see anyone turning it down, not if they had the money to purchase it, that was, and John Smythe certainly had.

  Her heart was heavy as she followed Marcus into the house, since she couldn't see the point of further exploration. The place was large enough, if John had entertaining in mind, and she could almost see Moira standing at the top of the steps in front of the house welcoming their guests.

  As they went from one stately room to another, the absence of furniture emphasising the proportions of each room, Thea thought of Moira again, and

  found herself envying her the task of furnishing this lovely house, particularly as there was no shortage of money in that direction.

  The house consisted of four storeys, the ground floor containing the usual large lounge, dining room, study and what could have been a small sitting room. Then there were the domestic quarters, an ample sized kitchen, a butler's pantry, and two reasonable sized rooms, probably used by the staff as a dining room and lounge.

  The second floor contained the masterbedroom, and three more bedrooms, a luxurious bathroom in turquoise and black tiling, and separate shower unit. The bath itself was set in the floor in the middle of the room in the shape of a seashell, and looked like a miniature swimming pool to Thea's bemused gaze. If Moira didn't appreciate the gardens, she would certainly appreciate that, she thought ironically, as they went up to the third floor.

  By the time they had got through the third floor that contained three more bedrooms, and to Thea's embarrassment, a nursery, she felt she had taken enough punishment without being reminded of a certain conversation she had had with Moira about children.

  Marcus had been remarkably quiet during the inspection, as if letting Thea make up her own mind on the suitability of the house for John, and she thought he was probably hoping she would hurry her decision so that he could drop her back at Beach House again, and out of his life.

  `I don't think it's necessary to see any more,' she said quickly, as Marcus turned towards the stairs leading to the fourth floor. 'You can tell John that it's

  .

  a beautiful house,' and coloured as she felt his searching eyes on her face. 'Well, not in those words, of course,' she amended hastily. 'Just say that I approve of your choice.'

  `There's not much more to see,' Marcus replied mildly, 'only a few more rooms, but the view's worth it.' He stood determinedly by the stairs waiting for Thea to go ahead of him.

  Thea had no choice but to lead the way to the upper storey. Each of the front rooms had had a lovely view, and she had purposely refrained from lingering at the windows. She could well imagine the splendid vista shown from the upper floor, and could see no reason for his insistence on showing it to her.

  There were four bedrooms on this floor, and they were probably the staff rooms, for they were of smaller dimensions than the lower rooms. Two faced the front of the house, and it was in the larger of the two that Marcus drew Thea's attention to the window and the view beyond.

  She stood by his side and looked out on the glorious scene before them. She wasn't sure which bay they were looking over, but thought it was probably Magens Bay. The sun had begun its descent and the bright orange rays fanned the bay and were reflected in the water, now a dark velvety blue.

  It was breathtakingly beautiful and a sight that Thea knew she would never forget in the long lonely days ahead of her. She had seen other sunsets on the island, but this one was special because of the silent man by her side. The man she loved so much, and who would shortly grant her her ticket to freedom, a freedom she no longer wanted.

  Her breath caught in her throat as the sun slipped even further below the skyline. Why couldn't she tell him how she felt? —plead with him, tell him that she loved him, and that she would marry him, if only he would ask her again. She swallowed. Marcus hadn't bothered to see her even once after she had told him that she was leaving the island, and had only arranged to see her that evening to bring her her passport. She could have been catching a late night flight for all he knew, she thought bitterly—or cared, but at le
ast he had been honest about that, and she could blame no one but herself for her unhappiness.

  `I hope the electricity isn't cut off,' she said curtly, in an effort to break the spell of utter despondency that threatened to engulf her. 'It will be dark in a moment, and we've three flights to negotiate, remember?' she added waspishly, and gave a gasp of indignation as she felt Marcus's arm steal around her waist and draw her near him. So that was what this little expedition was all about, she thought bitterly; he didn't intend to waste any opportunity before she left, and she struggled to extricate herself.

  `Shame on you!' said Marcus with a trace of amusement in his voice. 'Thinking of things like that, at a time like this! I prefer starlight, it's more appropriate for the occasion.'

  `It's not an occasion,' Thea snapped back, still frantically trying to free herself and feeling the old weakness steal over her senses at his nearness.

  To her surprise he released her, and stood gazing out at the darkening landscape where the first of the evening stars were appearing. 'When do you plan to leave?' he asked her, in a casual voice as if not really

  interested but asking for politeness' sake.

  `As soon as possible,' Thea got out on a grating note. 'Now, please can we go?' she demanded.

  `So you like the house,' Marcus commented, ignoring her request. 'What if I told you it could be yours?' He looked at her. And mine,' he added significantly.

  Thea felt a lump gathering in her throat. If he was playing with her—She swallowed. 'I thought you said it was for John,' she answered in a low voice, not knowing what else to say. She couldn't believe that he could be so cruel as to try and bait her like that.

  `So I'm giving you first refusal,' he replied harshly. 'I closed the deal on this place the morning after we got engaged. I'd planned to bring you out here that evening.'

  Thea held her breath, then closed her eyes. He

  had said nothing of this before, and still she was finding it hard to believe. 'Is that true?' she whispered, her eyes searching through the shadows on his face. 'Be fair, Marcus—don't play with me!'