Authors: Isobel Chace
‘But, Megan, you can’t think so
!
Nobody has ever kissed me! Not even Carlos would do so until after we’re officially betrothed—perhaps not until after we are married
!’
‘I don’t want to talk about it,’ Megan said abruptly.
‘I should think not!’ Inez agreed. ‘I am glad Carlos would have more respect for me than to—to kiss me
before
—’
‘
But you know that Carlos kisses other women
!
’ Megan interrupted her, quite suddenly furiously angry.
Inez pouted in silence. ‘Has he kissed you?’ she asked.
Megan could feel herself blushing.
‘
Don’t you think you ought to concentrate on which way we’re going?’ she enquired.
‘
We’ll be at Valldemosa in a moment.’
I
nez leaned forward, peering out into the darkness.
‘You
must turn off at the next road,’ she directed.
‘
You can see the gates from here. You see those carved pillars? You go in there.’
Megan turned the
little
car off the road and parked it neatly between two coaches bearing the names of various travel organisations who had brought their clients from their hotels to the barbecue. A young man, dressed as a cowboy, helped them out of the car and directed them into the courtyard of the old farmhouse. A long fork, with a sausage stuck on the end, was pushed into their hands and they made their way over to the nearest charcoal brazier to heat up their sausages and to receive their glass of
sangria,
a drink made of wine, brandy and lemon juice.
The courtyard was full of excited people, their pale faces made red by the blazing coals around which they huddled eagerly, for the wind was decidedly cold. Megan stood back from the others, sipping her
sangria
and trying to control the cold, clutching sensation that had settled around her stomach. In that moment she decided that she hated Carlos. He had humiliated her m a way she had never known before, not even bothering to tell the truth about her. He must have known that Tony’s kiss had meant nothing to her
!
He must have known that she had been taken by surprise he
had
known, so why had he lied about it to Margot?
She made a half-hearted gesture of toasting her sausage, giving her full concentration to keeping her place in front of the brazier.
‘
Hey there
.
You’ve been there long enough!’ someone said in her ear, and she turned quickly to apologise.
‘Tony
!
’ she gulped, not caring that her sausage had fallen off the end of her fork.
‘
B
y all that’s wonderful
!’
Tony exclaimed. ‘Darling! My lovely Megan Meredith!’
CHAPTER
VIII
‘
Oh,
Tony
!’
His smile was bitter, but at least he was smiling. ‘Do I detect a certain change in your feelings for me, Megan my love?’
She took refuge in confusion. ‘I don’t know what you mean,’ she said.
‘As feminine as ever
!
’ he accused her.
She sipped nervously at the pretty red liquid in her glass. ‘The thing is,’ she said with difficulty,
‘
the Witch’s Cauldron wasn’t my scene.’
‘
You’re so right, my love
!
Between you and me, it wasn’t mine either. But, as you can see, the boys and I have progressed, even without your help, and here we are, singing nightly and playing for the dance after the barbecue at this respectable dump. Care to join us?’
She took a swift look at him through her eyelashes. ‘No funny business?’
‘
Cross my heart and hope to die
!
’
‘
Then I would like to sing with you—just for tonight
!
I’ve missed it all so much
!
You’ve no idea what it’s been like
!’
‘Well, love, it was your choice. I didn’t tell you to
g
o
—’
‘
No, you didn’t,’ she admitted.
‘
But you made it inevitable—in a way
!’
His smile flashed out.
‘
Oh, Megan
!
Are you going to pretend that you didn’t want to be kissed?’
‘
I didn’t
!’
she protested.
He leaned forward, looking at her very closely.
‘
Funnily enough, I believe you,’ he pronounced. ‘What’s it all about, darling? Keeping yourself for the one and only?’ He came very close indeed and sh
e
didn’t back away as she knew she would have done before. ‘Hmm,’ he said, ‘not
quite
so untouched as I remember. Do I understand that that Spanish knight in shining armour has been staking a claim?’
Megan blushed.
‘
He’s very particular,’ she said.
Tony’s eyebrows shot up in a droll look of enquiry. ‘And you are not?’
‘
I don’t understand Spanish customs very well. I keep on doing the wrong thing. The girls here are so restricted and protected. I think, in their eyes, I’m the next best thing to being a scarlet woman
!’
Tony’s laughter was oddly comforting. ‘If they think that about a little puritan like you, they must be strait-laced! Poor poppet, knowing you, I don’t suppose you’re even enjoying shocking them all
!
’
‘No, I’m not
!
’
His laughter rang out again.
‘
I thought not! Poor, poor Megan!’
‘Yes, well—’ Megan began uncomfortably. She was rescued from having to say any more by the sudden activity of everyone around her.
‘
It looks as though we’re going in to eat,’ she went on with relief.
‘
Are you going to sit next to me?’ he pleaded.
‘I don’t know. I’m here with a friend.’ She looked about her vainly for Inez, wondering where the Spanish girl could have got to.
‘If he brings you here, he can’t be totally without any life,’ Tony teased her.
‘
It isn’t a he
,’
Megan told him, searching the crowd with her eyes. What a lot of people there were, crowding into the courtyard, all of them intent on enjoying themselves. There were quite a few girls in trouser suits, she noticed, and very nice they looked in them too! She was glad that she didn’t have to be snobbish about tourists and what they chose to wear. Why, she thought, in future if she wanted to wear trousers,
any
trousers, she would do so, and the Valloris would just have to put up with it!
She spotted Inez standing in the shadows by the wall
and knew that she was afraid of being recognised. Megan beckoned to her and introduced her quickly to Tony. Inez stood, as stiff as a poker, and extended her hand, not quite looking at Tony.
‘I
have heard about you,’ she said. ‘You are one of Megan’s friends, aren’t you?’
‘I hope so,’ Tony answered, sounding so sincere that Megan suspected he was trying not to laugh.
‘
I hope to be a friend of yours too
!’
‘
But that wouldn’t do at all
!
’ Inez told him. ‘My friends are all very respectable. Megan is the only person I know who has men friends. My parents would not approve of my knowing you and—neither would Carlos
!’
‘
Am I so terrible?’ Tony asked her, laughing.
‘But of course you are
!’
Inez’s eyes fell demurely. ‘I have heard all about the way you kissed Megan—’
‘Really?’ Tony said dryly. ‘Megan should learn to keep her mouth shut
!’
Inez smoothed down her skirt with a fragile hand.
‘
Why?’
‘Because I don’t come out of the incident very well,’ he answered promptly.
‘
Are you two ladies going to allow me to escort you in to dinner?’
‘
Please,’ said Inez, all her doubts gone. ‘If we go in with all the others, Senor Valdez will not notice me.’ She lowered her tone to a confidential whisper.
‘
I prefer that my family do n
ot know that I have come here!’
‘
Very understandable,’ Tony assured her.
‘
A pretty girl like you needs all the protection she can get against eager fellows like myself
!’
Inez burst into ready laughter. ‘You should not say such things
!’
‘
You should not be so pretty and then I wouldn’t
!
’ he retorted.
Well pleased, Inez led the way into the old stables where the tables were laid out for the feast. There were tiny baked potatoes, bowls of salad, great, thick slices of bread, and a bottle of wine between every four people. As soon as they were seated, the barbecued chickens were brought and served, piping hot, by waiters dressed in traditional Mallorquin costume, as dexterous as they were handsome.
A group of young Spaniards went from table to table singing the songs of Majorca, songs that were softer and more tuneful than the better known flamenco songs of the mainland, but which nevertheless had the same distinctive Arab intonation. They asked for requests from the visitors and sang a song or two in English, with more gusto than accuracy. Megan enjoyed their efforts, however, and clapped as loudly as everyone else as they disappeared into another room where yet more tables were laid out.
‘Have some more wine, Megan?’ Tony offered, scarcely taking his eyes off Inez’s vivid features. ‘If you’re going to sing with us later on, you’ll need to keep your strength up
!
’
‘
No, no
!’
Inez interrupted.
‘The
sangria
was stronger than you suppose. You must be careful! If you are not accustomed to drinking much, it is easy to take more than one means to
!’
‘I’ll be careful,’ Megan said thoughtfully. She sat back in her chair and watched Tony and Inez talking to each other, so interested in what they were saying that the rest of the world might well have not existed for them.
Carlos wouldn’t approve, she thought. Inez had no experience of choosing her own friends, and Tony was certainly not the sort of friend her family would have chosen for her. It was a pity that they had run into him so early in the evening. It would have been better if they had met later, when Tony was safely mounted on a platform, well away from the dancers, and then Inez would not have needed to have spoken to him at all.
‘Am I going to sing for you, Tony?’ she asked suddenly.
His eyes met hers briefly. ‘Isn’t that why you came?’
She nodded uncomfortably. ‘I suppose so. Inez wanted to come.’
Tony laughed easily. ‘Of course she did! She had more sense than to tell her family where she is, which is more than I can say for a certain other young lady
!’
Megan blushed.
‘
My parents came to hear me sing,’ she said, stung.
‘
And the Spaniard too?’
‘
Carlos
?’
Inez breathed, much excited.
‘
Is that his name?’ Tony drawled indifferently.
‘
No,’ Megan answered evenly,
‘
Carlos was only walking along the street, if you remember? That was no doing of mine
!’
Tony felt his jaw reflectively. ‘I haven’t felt the same since,’ he said.
‘
What business was it of his?’
‘
Everything is Carlos’ business,’ Inez assured him.
‘
He is a very good friend of my family—’
‘
Inez is going to marry him
!’
Megan put in.
Tony gave her an interested look.
‘
And how do you feel about that?’ he asked quietly.
‘
Having your knight in shining armour snatched from under your nose?’
‘I
don’t like him,’ Megan stated.
Inez was plainly shocked.
‘
Why not, Megan? Is it because he brought you to Mallorca against your will?’
Megan refused to answer.
‘
Let’s not talk about him
!’
she said instead.
‘I
feel as if he’s going to walk in on us at any moment as it is—’
‘
And you feel guilty about that?’ Tony suggested.
‘
Only about Inez
,’
Megan said firmly.