"Thank you for coming."

"My dear Annalice, I am always at your service."

I smiled at him. He seemed different, tender, gentle almost. I warmed towards him—not with that heady excitement which I had felt on some occasions but with something deeper.

"Sit down for a moment," he said. "You must not let this make you ill, you know. You have to be the strong woman, the comforter, the healer, the good nurse. It would be an excellent idea if you moved up to my place."

"I must stay here."

"You would be more comfortable there ... and so would Felicity."

"No. I must be here."

"You say that with such finality that I know you are determined. You are an obstinate woman."

"I suppose I am and I'm sorry to be so ungracious."

"We should allow ourselves to be frank. I know why you won't come. You want to pursue your enquiries, for one thing, and the other is that it might not be comme il faut. Conventions are not so rigid here as they are in Merrie England. You think I am not to be trusted, and I'll tell you a secret as we are being frank. I'm not."

I laughed and I realized it was the first time I had done so since I had gone into Felicity's room and found her lying there lost and bewildered.

"Sit down here," he said. "Watch the harbour ... its very bustle will make you feel sleepy."

"Yes," I agreed. "It has that effect. I am sorry for calling you in. I could have sent for the doctor. I must have called you away from your work."

"It would always be a pleasure to be called by you."

I shrugged the remark aside. I felt this was no time for light flirtation.

He was serious at once. "Know always that if you are in difficulties I am here to help."

"I am grateful."

"One day," he said, "I shall want more than your gratitude."

"Please ... not now ..."

"I was merely stating a fact. I can see how worried you are. Whatever happens I'll look after you."

"Thank you," I said.

"All this is understandable. She was actually present when he fell and killed himself."

I nodded. Then I burst out: "It was not only that. That was just the climax. It was before..."

He was looking at me wonderingly.

Then because I was overwrought, because I felt I must make him understand, I found myself blurting out everything ... the arrival at the house, the presence of Mrs. Maken, those terrible nights which Felicity had had to endure in the room with the balcony, the participation of Mrs. Maken, the stolid acceptance of Felicity, her pent-up emotions about matters of which she could not even talk to me.

"He had an evil reputation. Drink and women. But one does not always pay a great deal of attention to scandal and rumours."

"In his case no rumour could have been bad enough."

I told him about the guns and how one night he had come into my room and I had threatened to shoot him.

"Good God!" he ejaculated.

"I should have done so, too," I said. "I never thought I could kill anyone, but I believe I would have killed him. I said I would shoot him in the leg... cripple him... and that frightened him. He knew that I meant it and that I was a fairly good shot."

"If I had known ..."

"What could you have done?"

"I should never have let you go with him."

"How could I have left Felicity? She is frail and gentle. She couldn't take care of herself and yet..."

He said: "That night ... on the balcony ..."

"They said he was about to take aim at what he thought were bushrangers."

"And there were no bushrangers?"

"I don't know. I think she had come to the end of her endurance. There was a struggle and the gun went off and he fell."

"No wonder she is in this state. I'm glad you brought her here. We'll take care of her together."

My lips trembled a little. I said: "I'm glad we're here... with you. How can I thank you."

"You just have," he said, "in a way which means more to me than anything."

We sat there in silence for some minutes looking out over the harbour. I hardly saw it. I was back in that house. I was reliving it all again. I would never forget. How much more deeply had it affected Felicity!

The doctor's assistant came with the pills. I took them to my room and hid them at the back of one of my drawers beside the map.

Then I went to Felicity. I sat beside her for some little time. She was sleeping peacefully.

When I went downstairs Milton was still there.

"She's asleep," I said.

He nodded. "That's what she needs. We'll have lunch together and then I shall send you to rest. Siesta is the order of the day here. In the afternoon it is too hot to do anything else but sleep. Everything is silent from two o'clock until four. This evening I shall come to see how you both are."

"Thanks—again thank you," I said.

I could eat nothing more than a little fruit. I was very shaken by Felicity's state. That blank look in her eyes had worried me more than anything.

Milton seemed to understand my mood. He tried to divert my attention by telling me stories of the island, the plantation, the habits and customs of the people. Sometimes he made me smile faintly; and all the time I was overwhelmed by my gratitude towards him.

I kept asking myself what I should have done had he not been here.

After he had left I went to my room, first looking in on Felicity. She was lying on her back with her eyes closed, and there was a look of tranquillity on her face.

I could not sleep. I kept turning over and over in my mind all sorts of possibilities. What if she were really ill? What if she lost her reason? What should I do? She was my responsibility. I thought comfortingly: He is there. He will help.

And thinking of him I was able to doze a little.

Felicity slept through the day. At sundown I went in and sat up by her bed. She opened her eyes and smiled at me.

"I feel tired ... so tired," she said.

"You need rest," I told her. "Sleep all you can."

She smiled and closed her eyes.

I went downstairs. Milton was there. He asked about Felicity and I told him she was sleeping all the time.

"It's what she needs," he said.

We dined together in the hotel. I was rather silent but he talked cheerfully and somehow I got through the evening. When he said good night, he took my hands and kissed me tenderly on the cheek.

"Don't forget, if you are frightened, you only have to send for me.

I went up to my room and from the balcony watched him ride away. He turned to wave, putting his fingers to his lips and then blowing a kiss towards me.

I smiled and waved. Then he was gone.

I went to Felicity's room.

"Is it night now?" she asked.

"Yes."

"I'm afraid of the night."

"There's no need to be now you are here in Cariba."

"I dream ... nightmares."

"Remember I'm next door. The walls are thin. Just knock if you wake ... and I'll come in."

"Oh yes ... I will. You are so kind to me, Annalice."

"Nonsense. I'm looking after you and I fancy I am rather good at that."

I settled her down and adjusted the net over her bed.

"I feel shut in," she said. "Just like ..."

"You're miles away from there. That's all behind you. This is quite different and remember I am on the other side of the wall."

I kissed her lightly and sat beside her till she slept and then went to my room. I was really very tired.

It must have been about two o'clock when I was awakened by the knocking on the wall. I hastily rose and putting on my dressing gown went into Felicity's room.

She was sitting up and wildly staring about her.

"No, no," she was moaning.

"It's all right," I cried. "I heard the knock. I'm here. Was it a dream?"

"He came in ... " she stammered. "The whisky ... I could smell it. I hate whisky because ... because ..."

"Listen to me," I said. "It's all over now. You've got to forget it. As soon as you can you'll be all right. There's so much to do here. It's such a lot of fun really. Milton is ready to help us. All you have to do is get well. I'll give you a pill," I went on. "The doctor said you might have one ... only one ... each night. Perhaps I should have given you one before I went to bed but you were sleeping so peacefully. However, I'll give you one now. It will make you sleep and give you pleasant dreams."


* * *

I went to my room and brought the pill to her. She took it obediently.

"I'm here ... in Cariba, aren't I. You're with me and he's dead ... dead. He was lying there with all the blood round him ..."

"He's dead," I said, "and buried. That is the end of him. He can never torment you again. He's gone and we are here; and that is all that matters."

She said: "Yes."

"Now lie still, close your eyes. I shall stay here until you are asleep."

"Will you promise to?"

"I promise and if you have a bad dream all you have to say is: This is only a dream.' And if you need me, all you have to do is knock on the wall."

"Yes... yes... that's all. It's all right, isn't it? It's all right."

"It's all right," I repeated.

She lay still murmuring: "It's all right ..."

The pill took effect quickly and soon she was breathing easily. She would soon be asleep.

Then I heard her say something. "Raymond ... why ... if only... Oh, Raymond..."

I sat there looking at her.

I thought: If I had never gone to the conference... If I had never met Raymond ... none of this would have happened.

She was fast asleep and I rose and went to my room.

I could not sleep. I was thinking what a tangle we had got ourselves into. She loved Raymond. What she needed more than anything now was Raymond to come and say that he loved her.

Fervently I wished he would because it was becoming increasingly clear to me that if I said goodbye and sailed away from Cariba— and by that I meant Milton Harrington—I should never be completely happy again.

Next morning, as soon as I was up, I went to see Felicity. She looked blank but at least she was quiet in her mind.

I went downstairs and ate breakfast in the courtyard at the back of the hotel. It consisted of yams with fresh bread and coconut milk. While I was eating it the quadroon girl came out and asked about Felicity.

I told her the doctor would be coming later, and that Felicity seemed a little better but was still very tired.

"If you need anything, ask me," said the girl. "I'm Rosa. I know people here."

"Yes, I suppose so. In your job you see everyone who comes into the hotel:'

"Poor Mrs. Granville. She looks so ill."

"She'll soon be better, we hope."

"Mr. Harrington is really concerned for her... and for you."

"He has been very kind and helpful to us."

"He is a very important man. The island depends on him. We don't forget that... nor does he."

Was that a faint criticism? I wondered.

I merely nodded.

"The plantation is good for the island. All this prosperity ..." She waved her hand.

"Yes, that must be true."

"So many people want sugar ... so many people. Our plantation is bigger than Manuel's on Second Island."

"That's the island closest to this is it? The next biggest of the group?"

She nodded. "Mr. Manuel ... he died not long ago. Mr. Harrington was in England then. Mrs. Magda ... she manage it now. She very clever lady."

"How interesting. I want to see the other islands while I am here."

"Perhaps Mr. Harrington will take you to Second Island, yes? Perhaps not."

She seemed to find the situation amusing, then she said suddenly: "Forgive me ... I have work."

I sat back thinking about the other island and wondering what was significant about Mrs. Magda Manuel which had seemed to provide Rosa with some amusement.

I finished breakfast and then went to take another look at Felicity. She opened her eyes as I entered and I asked if she would like a little breakfast. To my joy she said she would and I went down and asked them to bring up some milk, fruit and bread.

I sat with her while she ate it. She seemed much better and did not refer to my visit during the night; and indeed appeared to have forgotten it. She said she still felt tired and I told her that was probably due to the medicine and she clearly needed sleep.