The Whispering Grove

by Margery Hilton

  Furiously Toni glared at the receiver, then slammed it down, more concerned than she dared admit. How dare Lucy Sandanna take it upon herself to carry Juliet off to her house? Without any previous warning. And why? Toni lit a cigarette and speculated as to Lucy’s motive. If her own impression and everything she had heard about Lucy were accurate she was not the type to find a child’s naive companionship exactly stimulating. Or was she so avid for admiration that even a child’s brought a measure of gratification? Admittedly Juliet had been a little dazzled by Lucy’s benevolence and the opulent Sandanna set-up; and Juliet was undeniably a lovable child. But every instinct in Toni protested that maternal indulgence was not the strongest of Lucy’s qualities. Justin had recognized that. Otherwise he might have ...

  Toni’s anger abated to a chill foreboding. Surely Lucy wasn’t in some devious way trying to recapture Justin’s interest, his affection ... Using Juliet ... But it was impossible. Surely Lucy would be too proud. Justin was no longer free. But the chill little voice persisted: would that worry Lucy?

  She did not know whether to be relieved or disappointed when Ray Sandanna brought Juliet home. Perhaps it was just as well, she reflected bitterly, wondering if she would have been able to maintain dignity face to face with Lucy.

  She forced herself to be calm with the child, who had obviously enjoyed the unexpected outing, and told herself that Juliet was not to blame. But perhaps Juliet sensed that all was not well, for she broke off abruptly in the middle of her account and said anxiously: ‘I wasn’t sure whether I should go with Aunty Lucy without you knowing about it, but she said it would be all right as long as we phoned you and told you. Was it, Toni?’

  ‘Yes, darling, this time. But it would be best to arrange it beforehand another time. If Daddy had been home he might have been worried.’

  ‘Oh, Aunty Lucy said Daddy wouldn’t mind — she’s been friends with him for ages - but you might.’

  ‘I see.’ Toni took a deep breath. ‘Juliet, do you like Aunty Lucy?’ she asked slowly.

  ‘Mm,’ Juliet tilted her head to one side, ‘she’s quite nice, not in the same was as you are, though. But she’s a super swimmer and the pool’s absolutely smashing.’

  For a long time after Juliet had gone to bed she wondered how best to broach the matter to Justin. Her first impulse had been impatience to pour out the story indignantly, but as her annoyance lost its initial impetus in the lapse of time she began to wonder if she had been over hasty in judgment. Were her own emotions overcolouring what might have been exactly what Lucy averred: an impulse of the moment? Supposing Justin did not view it in the same light as herself. Supposing he were merely amused, or even surprised by her anger.

  She heard the car door slam and suddenly her thoughts underwent a strange reversal. A fierce reluctance even to mention Lucy’s name possessed her and as she greeted Justin she knew she was going to obey the odd little instinct that warned: Say nothing -this time. Forget it ...

  The week passed uneventfully and by the following Monday she had almost succeeded in banishing the incident from her mind. Then it happened again. This time there was no phone call, and she was forced to call the Sandanna home, wait what seemed an interminable length of time before Lucy finally came to the phone, only to hear Lucy say blandly:

  ‘Oh, hello! I was about to get round to ringing you. Yes, she’s here.’ And then, with an exaggerated sigh, ‘Isn’t it stifling today -I’m sure something’s in the air.’

  Toni was not interested in Lucy’s casual prophecies. She said sharply: ‘I wish you wouldn’t do this, Lucy.’ Lucy laughed with apparent good humour. ‘Oh, sweetie, must you be so stuffy? Juliet loves coming here.’ She paused, then said quickly, ‘Look, I must go

  — she’s ready. You should see her - she looks cute in my old green two-piece tucked in with safety pins.’

  Speechless, Toni heard the line click and the resumption of the dialling tone. Her small mouth set determinedly; if Lucy thought this was to become a regular occurrence it was high time she was disabused of the notion. Whatever Lucy’s motive be it was unfair and underhand to involve Juliet in her schemes. This time, Toni thought, she hoped that Lucy would bring Juliet home. If she did ... well, it would be the last time. Lucy would not want to pretend friendliness after this!

  Detached by anger, Toni failed to hear the sound of a car arriving. Footsteps on the veranda and the click of the screen door sent her scurrying along the hallway, braced ...

  It was Justin, and she fell back a little, almost disappointed. The beginning of his greeting checked and he frowned. ‘Hallo! What’s the matter? Is this what you look like when I’m not around?’

  ‘Of course not - I didn’t hear you, Justin ...’

  ‘Not the foot again, I hope.’ He slung his jerkin on the hall table and brushed past her into the kitchen. ‘Juliet not back yet?’

  ‘No.’ She followed him and halted in the doorway. ‘She’s at Lucy Sandanna’s place.’

  ‘Lucy’s?’ His hand stayed its reaching into the fridge. ‘What’s she doing down there?’

  ‘Swimming. Justin, it’s the second time it’s happened. But she doesn’t tell me! She just invites Juliet after school and then .’

  He listened in silence, taking out a can of beer and opening it briskly on the wall opener, until she paused and looked at him pleadingly. ‘It’s not that I mind Juliet going there, it’s the casual way it’s done. I - I don’t think it’s right.’

  ‘No,’ he said after a perceptible hesitation, ‘I agree. It is a bit

  casual.’

  ‘Casual! I think it’s a sauce.’

  His brows went up and he set the empty glass on the draining board. ‘You are in a paddy! Cool down.’ He rubbed her cheek. ‘Like a shandy?’

  ‘No, thanks.’ She remained in the doorway, dismayed that he apparently regarded the matter so lightly. ‘Don’t you object?’

  He gave her a sudden sharp glance and leaned back against the fridge. ‘Yes, if it upsets you. But I don’t think Lucy means any offence. She’s rather impulsive, and actually generous at heart. At least I’ve always found her so.’

  Naturally! thought Toni sardonically. Before she could respond he went on:

  ‘And look at it this way, if she likes to take Juliet off your hands now and again then let her. It’ll give you a break until that foot’s strong again.’

  ‘I don’t want any break,’ she said stubbornly. ‘And I want to know where Juliet is when she’s not at home.’

  ‘I see.’ He sighed and straightened. ‘Very well, it’s quite simple. To all intents and purposes you are now Juliet’s mother. Use that authority and instruct Juliet to accept no invitations from anyone without your prior permission.’ He smiled slightly. ‘Like me to speak to Juliet?’

  ‘No.’ Now that the matter was cleared as far as Justin was concerned she was aware of a feeling of flatness. ‘I did speak to Juliet - and Lucy - the first time it happened. This time I will make it clear.’

  He frowned. ‘Perhaps I’d better have a tactful word with Lucy. She’ll understand.’

  ‘No.’ Toni met his gaze steadily. ‘I’ll do that. I - I just wanted to discuss it with you before — before I—’

  ‘Before you sailed in to do battle for a principle?’

  ‘Yes.’

  His mouth twitched, but there was an underlying tenderness. ‘Were you in doubt whether I’d take sides against you?’

  She could not admit that this possibility had occurred to her, and she looked down uncertainly. He said quietly: ‘Listen, my dear, I know that you have Juliet’s well-being very close to your heart and that’s all that matters to me. I shall never question any decision you may make regarding Juliet, no matter who is involved.’ He touched her shoulder. ‘All right?’

  She nodded, and accompanied him obediently when he said lightly: ‘Now let’s go and see if there’s any sign of child-errant.’ But she could not subdue that small ache which persisted or the conviction that somehow i
t had been an empty victory; it all came back to the part she played in Juliet’s life, never the other part she longed for with all her heart.

  About an hour later Juliet arrived, escorted this time by Roger

  Drew. A certain expression of wariness on Juliet’s small piquant features told Toni quite plainly that she was uncertain of her reception, and Toni wondered what Lucy had said to the child. It did not need much feminine imagination to picture Lucy’s warnings that for some reason or other the little swimming sessions at Sandanna House did not meet with Juliet’s young stepmother’s approval.

  She sighed and wondered how best to approach Juliet without seeming unduly censorious or uncompromising, but Justin, ignoring her glance, said coolly:

  ‘You’re late, Juliet. No, don’t bother explaining. Just remember to ask permission in future before you go visiting, no matter who it is. Drink, Roger?’ He turned away and poor Juliet stared forlornly at his retreating back.

  Clutching her schoolbooks, she said uncertainly: ‘I’m sorry, Toni, I forgot what you told me, but it was so hot ...’

  ‘I know,’ Toni could not remain stern, ‘But I think you understand now, and Lucy shouldn’t have encouraged you to be disobedient. She’s an adult and should know better.’

  ‘She didn’t give me a very long lesson, anyway. Only about twenty minutes, then Uncle Roger came and she just talked to him. And she didn’t—’ Juliet stopped. ‘What’s that?’

  ‘I don’t know.’ Toni had felt the odd tremor run through the villa, almost as though a train had passed through a deeply buried tunnel nearby. But there were no trains on the island. She glanced across the peaceful garden and turned back to Juliet. ‘Now go and put your books away. Did you have tea with Lucy?’

  Juliet shook her head and the unhidden expression of disgust was almost comical. ‘Never mind,’ Toni told her. ‘Ellie will have something for you. Run along, then perhaps we’ll go down to the beach and see if it’s any cooler there.’

  Happy again, Juliet trotted away, and Toni remained where she was, leaning on the veranda rail and reflecting wryly that the swimming business, would have fizzled out of its own accord very soon. Lucy would soon find the role of benevolent aunty a boring part to play, and Juliet, for all her tender years, was sensing that already. If only her own disturbed concern could be so easily resolved. If only she could dismiss the ominous threat she was certain Lucy presented ...

  ‘Toni, your drink’s getting warm.’

  She moved into the cooler shade of the room and stopped. There was that strange tremor again. Roger and Justin had ceased speaking and were sitting upright, and Roger was staring at the drink poured ready for Toni. The unnerving tremor had passed, but the liquid in the glass was still moving, rocking gently up against the rim of the glass.

  Roger said, ‘A quake?’

  ‘I don’t know.’ Justin stood up abruptly and moved to Toni’s

  side. ‘It’ll be the first in the island’s recorded history.

  ‘That was the second one,’ Toni said, her heartbeat beginning to quicken. ‘There was one while I was talking to Juliet a few minutes ago.’

  They stood uncertainly, unconsciously braced, waiting, then Toni cried: ‘I’ll get Juliet ...’ She moved, and at the same moment Juliet called urgently from outside.

  As one the two men and Toni reached the window. Juliet was standing at the veranda corner just outside her room, staring fixedly into the distance. Without turning her head, she pointed and cried: ‘Look! The Eye! It’s smoking. It’s alive!’

  Far across the island, beyond the blue curve of the bay and the vivid green of the hillside, the Eye of the Salamander towered. From it rose an ominous spiral of smoke. The volcano was no longer dormant.

  Justin was the first to break the spell of shock. While Roger and Toni stared with horrified fascination at the cloud hissing and writhing against the innocent blue of the heavens Justin rushed to the telephone.

  ‘Is it going to erupt?’ Juliet asked in a fear-filled whisper.

  ‘I don’t know.’ His boyish face taut with alarm, Roger shook his head. ‘Sometimes they steam for days first. Sometimes they just— But I don’t like those earth tremors.’

  ‘Where’s Daddy?’ Juliet made a sudden rush indoors and in automatic accord Toni and Roger moved after her, to wait in silence until the one-sided staccato exchange came to an end. Toni knew instinctively that it was the District Commissioner whom Justin had contacted, and the seconds seemed like hours until Justin slammed down the phone and spun round to face them.

  ‘He’s treating this as a state of emergency. We’re going to evacuate Indano. Thank God two of the sugar boats are in port -we’ll get most of the women and children into them and sail round the west coast to safety. The rest we’ll have to transport by road. Come on, Roger, we may not have much time.’

  Frozen with horror, Toni at last comprehended his intention. She saw him seize his jerkin and shoulder into it, and incredulity spurred her into motion. She cried: ‘Justin, you’re not going to Indano? Not right underneath that— No! You can’t. It’s crazy!’

  ‘I must.’ He shook off her restraining hands. ‘There are over three hundred people in Indano. A lot of them are my workers and their families. We’ve got to help them. Already they’re organizing emergency accommodation down in Port.’ His taut features momentarily relaxed. ‘I have to go, Toni. It may not happen, but we can’t afford to take that risk.’

  ‘Then take me, please,’ she begged. ‘Let me come with you. Let me help.’

  ‘No. I want you to stay here. Unless it’s cataclysmic and engulfs

  the entire island you’ll be reasonably safe here.’

  ‘I don’t want to be safe!’ Her face was blanched with agonized dread, and all normal defence was stripped away. She no longer cared what happened as long as she could stay by his side. ‘I don’t want to be safe,’ she repeated despairingly. ‘Not unless you are.’

  Roger looked away, his eyes troubled and embarrassed, and moved to the door. Justin drew Toni gently into his arms and said firmly: ‘Now listen, little one. I’m not going to die. I’m simply going to try and ensure that a lot of other people don’t.’

  ‘But if it erupts while you — while you’re—’ Her voice choked and she clung to him fiercely.

  ‘It’s in the Hand of God,’ he said quietly. ‘Now promise me you’ll stay here. Look after Juliet, and don’t go down to Port. I’ll be back as soon as I’ve done what I have to do. All right?’

  ‘All right,’ she said in a despairing whisper.

  For the first time he tilted her chin and kissed her hard on her mouth. The sweetness stayed, a comfort that lingered with the ghost of the smile he gave as he gently freed himself and followed Roger.

  His steps across the veranda faded to hollow echoes and for a long time she stood there, Juliet pressed within the circle of her arm, staring at the familiar peaceful vista she had come to love as home. Was it to be destroyed by a dreadful force no man could measure or predict the extent of? Was it only the reflecting brilliance of the deepening sun that glowed on the dark, ominous crest, or was it the first irradiation of the simmering furnace that gathered power within?

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  The volcano erupted at sundown.

  One moment there was only the dark cone silhouetted against a sky shot with saffron and mauve, the next - a fiery belch that licked the sky and paled the glory of the sunset to a feeble, washed-out glimmer. Even across the great distance it was possible to discern the rock exploding like a giant firework and showering like black rain through the incandescence.

  For a long time Toni, with an awe-struck Juliet and the trembling Ellie, watched the holocaust wax and wane its intermittent fury. It was a sight she had never witnessed and hoped she would never witness again. She was almost beyond lucid thought, except the soundless prayer for the name hovering constantly behind her lips.

  Less than an hour after Justin had left the sad procession had begun to
trickle down the long road to Port and safety. Cars, trucks, vans, sugar transporters ... sweeping by on their mercy mission, filled with frightened men, women and children clutching the possessions they had snatched from their doomed homes. Toni had watched despairingly, torn by obedience to Justin’s instructions and a longing to help. How were all these people to be accommodated in Port? The authorities would open the schools, the two missions, the churches and the clinic; but these people would need so much, food, clothing, blankets ...

  She went to the phone and eventually contacted Dr. Pierne’s assistant, Jean Kincaid, a cheerful Scots girl. Her soft burr was calm and reassuring. Yes, everything was under control. It had been a miracle getting the people out. No, she wouldn’t advise coming down — there were so many volunteers they were getting underfoot, but they would be glad of blankets, anything she could spare. Could Toni get them down to her?

  ‘I’ll get some stuff down, somehow,’ Toni promised, and rang off.

  She dispatched Juliet to flag down the first transport that passed and with Ellie’s help made up a large bundle of everything she could find which might be of use. That done, she tried to keep calm and wait for Justin’s return.

  There was no hope of persuading Juliet to bed that night, and it was impossible to restrain the morbid fascination that drew her back to the vantage point on the veranda to watch the fiery glow surging against the midnight sky and the liquid white fire spewing from the crater and writhing down towards the stricken land below.

  A dreadful silence had descended on the island now. There was no sound of transport, no voices, only the pungent drifting cloud of ash that was settling like a pall over the countryside.

  Toni shivered and finally drew Juliet and Ellie indoors, closing all the screens and shutting out the sight of the dying volcano. If only Justin would come! Jean had said casualties had been remarkably light, due to the speed and promptitude with which the evacuation had been accomplished. There had been burns from falling debris on the last truck to leave, and another had been overturned by an unskilled driver half-way between Indano and Port. It was too soon yet to ascertain how many were missing.