by S M Mala
Delores stood there, rooted to the spot, as she saw her lover’s face exam the young beauty from the balcony. Something twisted hard in her heart and gut, as well as her deepening fear. She gulped knowing she had to do something so nothing would come between them. That’s when she noticed Jake staring at her as she walked back into the house.
‘What on earth are you doing up so early!’ laughed out Murray as he sat on the table on the balcony, over-looking the gardens, while having his breakfast.
Jake sat down and poured a coffee.
‘I decided to get up.’
‘Are you feeling ill?’ his father asked, puzzled. ‘You know it’s seven?’
‘I’ve been known to get out of bed before noon,’ he replied, discreetly searching for Hatty. He spotted her with the wheel barrow looking like she was hacking down a rose bush. ‘She does know what she’s doing, doesn’t she?’
‘What?’ said Murray, looking over his newspaper then focussing on Hatty for a few seconds. ‘I wouldn’t stand near her with shears or scissors, like I’ve said before.’
‘Dad,’ Jake said, taking a little gulp. ‘Why did you keep me away from here?’
‘Not his again,’ his father replied, the paper still over his face.
Jake noticed he was reading the ‘New York Times’ from the day before.
‘I’ve not been here before and now you say it’s okay for me to visit. I was wondering if you had a reason, that’s all.’
‘No reason,’ his father said. ‘I’ve better properties in the States and other islands. I never thought this was finished enough for you. Do you think I’ve got motives?’ Murray laughed and turned a page. ‘I’d be interested to know what.’
‘I’m not saying anything,’ he shrugged, sipping on his coffee and discreetly eyeing up Hatty.
‘If you want to waste your time listening to idle gossip about me, it’s up to you, but I’d have thought you’d know better.’
‘What gossip is there?’
‘So someone has been talking to you?’ he replied, folding his newspaper and putting it down. ‘Do you want to ask me or will it be an investigative piece?’
‘You seem to be an enigma to these people,’ replied Jake, slouching in his chair and looking around the grounds as people walked through. ‘There’s so much I don’t know about you.’
‘Enigma? I’m your father. What’s there to know?’ he replied. Suddenly the dog came bounding up to him and started to yelp. Hatty came rushing towards them, menacingly with a piece of wood in her hand. Jake noticed his father let out a loud sigh before looking at Hatty. ‘What’s Barney done now?’
‘That!’ she said, pointing to the dog who was staring back defiantly at Hatty. ‘It keeps digging up plants and pooing in my herb garden. Put it on a lead!’
‘It’s his home,’ said Murray gently, as the dog jumped onto his lap. ‘He only does it to get your attention.’
‘He’s always in the way,’ Hatty scowled, looking at Jake, then bending to check the time on his watch. ‘Oh no!’
Hatty dropped the piece of wood and ran into the house.
‘Where’s she gone?’ asked Jake and instantly stood up.
‘Television,’ came the reply as Murray pushed the pooch off his lap. ‘Her friend presents the weekly weather show every Thursday morning.’
Jake got up, taking his coffee and followed the sound coming from one of the other rooms. Hatty was focussing on the television then clapped when she saw the girl he spotted with her the other day. He grimaced seeing the poor quality of the picture but realised Hatty was smiling at the screen.
Thirty seconds later, she rushed out of the room and barged into his father’s study. He took a step back seeing she went behind the desk and flipped open the laptop, pressing a few buttons. Soon as he walked into the room, she’d shut the lid down and ran out of the patio doors.
He stood there speechless for a moment.
‘Do you know…’ Jake began, walking back onto the patio as his father read his paper. ‘…she just marched into your office and used your computer without asking?’ He noticed his father made a little grunt. ‘Aren’t you going to say something?’
‘‘She’ being Hatty?’
‘Yes.’
‘What’s there to say?’ he eventually replied. ‘Every Thursday, for the past six months, she’s done the same thing.’
‘She’s an employee!’ wailed Jake and noticed his father flick him a glance. ‘Isn’t she?’
‘If you want to tell her off then feel free,’ Murray replied and smirked at his son. ‘But from what you’ve been doing over the past six weeks with some of my employees, you’re not really in the position to say anything, are you?’
‘And she didn’t even say ‘hello’,’ Jake grumbled, sitting back down as he watched Hatty disappear around the corner. He looked at the other people working on the grounds. ‘She’s not even a good gardener.’
‘What’s wrong with you?’ asked Murray, folding his paper. ‘If you’re going to be grumpy first thing, you might as well stay in bed.’
‘I’m not grumpy,’ he said and bit his lip wondering when Hatty would return to continue destroying the plants in the garden.
‘All this because Harriet didn’t say ‘hello’?’
‘No!’ he said and stood up, taking a piece of toast and walking off to go around the house and past the kitchen.
He saw Hatty playing catch with Barney and stopped in his tracks as they ran around the tree. For a moment he glared at her.
‘Good morning Jake,’ Delores said, coming out of the kitchen and then glancing at Hatty.
‘I thought she didn’t like the dog?’
‘She loves Barney but he has a habit of destroying the things she plants. I think he does it to get her attention and it works,’ she said, walking down the steps towards him. ‘She mentioned to me last night you wanted her to show you around the island. Considering it takes less than two hours from one end to the other in a car, there isn’t really that much to see.’
‘I think there’s a lot to see,’ he said, turning to face the very handsome woman next to him. ‘There’s a lot of gossip about Hatty, do you know that?’
‘I don’t listen,’ she mumbled. ‘And luckily Hatty doesn’t.’
‘Talk about her parents, her background and the accident.’ Jake noticed Delores flinch for a moment before her startled eyes stared back at him. ‘Did I say something?’
‘I’d prefer if we didn’t talk about this,’ she gulped hard. ‘They tease that poor child, laughing at everything she does and she lets them. I hear what people say and I know the truth. That’s all that matters. Don’t dig too deep as the only person you’ll be hurting is Hatty.’
‘What’s her mother got to do with my father?’ he quietly asked.
‘Jake, don’t go there,’ Delores whispered, suddenly looking angry. ‘It’s not good for Murray and it won’t be good for you.’
‘Someone said-.’
‘Hey white boy!’ Hatty shouted as she threw something, hitting the back of his head.
‘Harriet!’ snapped Delores. ‘Behave!’ Barney came bounding up to Jake, took the stick and gave it back to Hatty who was laughing. ‘You haven’t had any breakfast. Come inside!’
‘Ethel not made salt fish an’ bake so me do without.’
‘Morning Harriet,’ Jake said, knowing he was frowning at her pretty face and wondered what lurked behind her dark brown eyes sparkling at him.
‘Morning Master Jake,’ she sweetly smiled. ‘You never usually come out so early. Gina Glory Glory kick ya tail out of bed?’
‘Harriet! Don’t be so rude!’ barked Delores, though Jake could see she was trying not to smile.
‘Or was it you, Auntie Ethel?’ shouted out Hatty to the elderly woman walking towards the house. ‘Keeping Master hot and bothered last night?’
‘Me wish me could satisfy me desire wid ‘im but me ‘ave a bottle of Guinness wid some milk instead,’ laughed out Ethel as
Jake felt himself blush.
Then he noticed Hatty was staring at him for a moment when he caught her eye.
‘Hatty, haven’t you got things to do?’ asked Delores frowning.
‘I’ve got to go and see Philip to pick up a package,’ she shrugged and sighed.
‘What package?’ Delores groaned.
‘He got one of his friends to get me something and said I could pick it up today.’ Hatty shoved her hands in her pockets and looked at her defiantly as Ethel, walking at a snail’s pace, went past. ‘Spray from Europe.’
‘Perfume?’ asked Jake and was met with a blank stare from Hatty.
‘Dat child collect mosquito repellent like woman collect gold,’ mumbled Ethel, hobbling up the stairs.
‘What she doing here?’ asked Hatty, ignoring Ethel. ‘She’s not supposed to be working today and if she is, where me salt fish?’
Jake couldn’t help it but was looking at her up and down, imagining her naked in the fresh water pool. She caught him then frowned.
‘Have you bought more repellent!’ huffed Delores, shaking her head.
‘You told me the last lot stank so there’s some new organic thing. Apparently it smells like lemons and what’s Ethel doing here?’ Hatty flicked Jake a glance before looking back at her Aunt. ‘And you know, as I finished my exams, I promised Master Jake to take him on a bike ride at nine.’
‘What?’ he said feeling tired. ‘Today?’
‘You have less than six weeks left so we might as well start today. I will map out the tour and give you your schedule tomorrow when-.’
‘You can’t,’ said Delores quickly. Jake turned to her and noticed Hatty’s frown. ‘Tomorrow night we have the estate barbeque.’
‘Oh,’ she grumbled and shrugged. ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’
‘What’s that?’ asked Jake, watching Hatty kick the ground in annoyance.
‘Every year we have a barbeque on the grounds. It’s so much fun and-.’
‘And everyone gets drunk, dances and stuffs their faces. It’s very dull,’ added Hatty, instantly looking upset. ‘Plus they all talk a lot.’
‘I didn’t know,’ he smiled at Hatty’s unhappy face. ‘We can still discuss your plans for my sightseeing.’
‘Not really’ sighed Hatty, turning around and walking away with her head down. ‘Maybe you’ll find someone else to take you.’
‘What’s wrong with her now?’ asked Jake, exasperated by her sudden mood change, watching her bottom move into the distance.
He then realised her aunt was looking at what he was doing. Jake stood up straight for a second and smiled, knowing he'd been caught.
‘You’ll get to see why she doesn’t have many friends due to idle gossip. And why I try my hardest to protect her from it all, and you should too.’
Five
She knew she was going to cry but bit her lip really hard. The next few hours would be really bad but she had no choice but to show up. Sitting in her bedroom wearing just her bra and knickers, Hatty looked at her pale blue dress and sighed deeply.
‘Are you ready?’ Delores shouted out, walking into her room looking glamorous in a dark green silk dress. ‘Why aren’t you dressed?’
‘I don’t want to go,’ she whispered and looked out of the window as the paper lanterns hung on the trees while the staff laid out the tables and chairs. They’d started the barbeque and Hatty tried not to cry. ‘People are mean to me.’
‘Don’t listen to what they say,’ Delores said gently, sitting next to her and putting a comforting arm around her shoulders.
‘They say it when they don’t think I’m listening. But I hear them and I see the way they look at me.’ Hatty buried her head in her hands and cried. ‘And they think Mister Murray’s my father and I’m his bastard. Even Jake told me he asked his own father about me. Plus they all think I’m mad.’
‘They’re all envious you live here and have a lovely life.’
‘Why do I live here?’ she said, looking at her aunt, hoping for an answer. ‘Why don’t we live somewhere else?’
‘Because I work for Murray and he was kind enough to let us live on this estate with you after the accident. He helped us and people question his kindness.’
‘Last time,’ Hatty gulped hard, as the tears splashed down her cheeks. ‘Some man asked if I was sleeping with him.’ She looked as Delores’s face distorted into an angry twist. ‘I told him I wasn’t and-.’ She couldn’t hold the burning shame and hurt bubbling away inside of her as she sobbed uncontrollably. ‘Let me stay inside here, please?’
‘That man, Peter Quelly, he’s not allowed to come here ever again, do you hear me? I know he was drunk but he shouldn’t have spoken to you like that.’
‘Then even less people are going to speak to me now!’ Hatty yelled, knowing how quickly gossip spread. ‘They’re going to really think I’m a little stuck up spoilt bitch.’
‘You missed the last one and you need to show your face and hold your head up with pride. It’s been two years.’
‘Don’t want to.’
‘I’m going to go down to the house and you have exactly one hour to pull yourself together or I am going to come back and drag you out, you hear me?’
‘Yes,’ gulped Hatty sadly, wiping her eyes as Delores gave her a frustrated then an annoyed one look before walking out.
Jake was standing by the bar as calypso music filled the air and people started to gather on the grounds. He noticed a very thin dark skinned beauty wearing a clinging yellow dress, giving him the eye. Then he saw Gina smiling over while surrounded by admirers.
‘Everything okay son?’ asked Murray, walking up towards him, dressed in his old man surfer’s outfit, long baggy shorts and a loud checked short-sleeve shirt.
‘This is such a cool party. I wish you told me about this years ago,’ laughed out Jake, gazing out in wonderment. ‘And the women!’
‘Son,’ Murray quietly said and put an arm around Jake’s shoulder. ‘I’ve been doing this for years to keep some of the influential people on the island on my side and to get planning permission.’ He touched his nose and looked at the mass of people. ‘It’s usually great fun. Have you eaten? The food is amazing and we eat it for days afterwards. Ethel loves to cook.’
‘Dad, it’s only nine, the night is young and we can eat later,’ replied Jake, noticing Gina walk slowly up to them.
‘You have to set a good example tonight,’ Murray whispered into Jake’s ear. ‘Keep off the women until tomorrow and I mean it.’
‘Yes sir,’ he replied, admiring the feline beauty approaching him as his father gave a warning look and walked off.
Then he noticed Delores march up to Gina, grab her arm and pull her away before saying something. Gina stuck her nose up in the air and skulked off. Delores then proceeded to walk towards Jake.
‘Hello,’ she replied, looking anxiously around. ‘Each time there are more and more people.’
‘I hear it’s the place to be,’ replied Jake. ‘Where’s Hatty?’ He noticed her grimace for a moment. ‘Is she okay?’
‘Not really,’ shrugged Delores. ‘She doesn’t feel well.’
‘Really?’ he said.
He saw her cycle back onto the grounds late afternoon. She looked well enough when she gently kicked Barney, who was sleeping under the tree.
‘She hates parties.’
‘You mean she hates this party,’ corrected Louisa, who was standing nearby.
Jake hadn’t noticed her and smiled.
‘Louisa you gave me a fright!’ shouted out Delores. ‘Where’s your gentleman friend?’
‘He couldn’t make it,’ replied Louisa, looking pissed off. Jake noticed she was taller than Hatty, more studious looking but pretty. ‘She won’t come out then?’
‘Maybe you could talk to her?’ Delores gently asked and looked embarrassed for a moment as she glanced at Jake. ‘Is Philip here?’
He immediately recognised the name and quickly searched to see a few
young ladies talking to him. The man’s eyes were searching for something else. He suspected he knew who.
‘That brother of mine is sniffing around,’ she replied and smiled at Jake. ‘And you’re Jake Logan.’
‘Yes,’ he said, putting out his hand as she shook it.
‘I’m going to check on the food,’ said Delores, turning to Louisa. ‘Please go and talk to Hatty and pull her out.’
‘Sure,’ shrugged Louisa as they watched Delores walk away. ‘That woman doesn’t listen. Poor Hatty has such an awful time. When people are drunk their tongues tend to get a bit loose and she gets the brunt of it.’
‘Aren’t you going to get her?’
‘No,’ said Louisa flatly. ‘If she wants to come then she’ll come. It’s not fair she’s forced if she hates it so much.’
‘Didn’t I see you on the television the other day?’ said Jake, realising he’d have to go onside with Hatty’s friend to gain points.
‘Yes,’ Louisa replied brightly. ‘I’m trying to become a television presenter. Hatty says you’ve just finished studying to be a journalist. I finished my course a few years ago. It’s tough out there.’
Jake then saw Hatty walking round the outskirts of the party as he held his breath.
She looked stunning in light blue dress, her hair was loose as she quietly tip toed, as if not wanting to be noticed. He knew she was drawing looks and seemed uncomfortable. People politely smiled, then turned to speak as he noticed her eyes close for a second, as if she was going to cry. Hatty bit her lip really hard. She was about to turn around and walk away when Philip came up to her, towering over her small frame, and put an arm around her, taking her around to the other side of the house.
‘I think you found Hatty,’ said Louisa with a bright smile. ‘But I think by brother got there first.’
‘Excuse me,’ Jake said and marched across the party, meeting the glare of Gina’s eyes.