Corinne was fascinated by the leather work belts, intricately worked in Eastern designs, wallets, purses, sandals all proclaimed the Eastern influence left by the Moors many centuries ago. Corinne took a deep breath of appreciation as her eye 'caught a tall, magnificent-looking African woman, wearing a turban and flowing robes, regally sweeping her way through the crowded section of the market. She then glanced back towards where she had left Joy and Juan and saw that they were about to join her. She took a deep breath of dismay when she saw that Joy was holding a large white carrier bag in her hand, and knew her worst fears had been realised Juan had bought something for Joy.

  Her grey eyes held an accusation in them as they met Joy's slightly embarrassed ones that told her that she had tried to prevent Juan from buying the gift but had failed.

  It was here that someone hailed Juan and a young man strode forward towards them, giving the girls a hard scrutiny as he did so. 'I hear we're to expect another guest tomorrow evening,' he said, when he

  120 ISLAND FIESTA joined them, 'or perhaps two guests,' he added, giving the sisters an acknowledging nod of welcome.

  Juan's reaction to this intrusion could not be called enthusiastic, Corinne noted, as he introduced them to the man. 'This is Miguel Blanco, an old family friend of ours,' he said, with a note of austerity in his voice. 'Miguel, this is Clair, my wife, and her sister Joy.'

  While Corinne shook the hand Miguel Blanco held out to her, she noticed that the man was not as young as she had first thought. In his early thirties, she thought, as she murmured the conventional greeting in response to his rather effusive one, and decidedly did not like the way his dark eyes openly admired her, yet she sensed that there was more than just a passing interest in the meeting, and this was confirmed shortly afterwards by a fleeting remark of his to Juan, that Dolores would be charmed to meet his wife.

  Corinne presumed 'Dolores' to be the man's wife, but she was startled at the thunderous look Juan gave Miguel at the mention of the name, and the thin cynical smile given by Miguel in reply to the look, and could then only assume that the unknown Dolores was one of the sophisticated women who no longer held any attraction for the man Corinne had married. She wondered caustically if her days were going to be enlivened by such meetings, all anxious to meet the woman who had succeeded where others had failed. How surprised they would be if they knew the truth, she thought ironically, and wondered about Carmen, and what she thought about the sudden marriage of her fastidious stepson.

  When Miguel turned his attention to Joy, Corinne noticed with some amusement that Joy did not ap

  ISLAND FIESTA 121 preciate his bold scrutiny either.

  Miguel Blanco, as his name suggested, was also Spanish, but cast in a different mould from Juan. He was not as tall as Juan for a start, and was inclined to plumpness as against Juan's lean but physically fit figure. His clothes, like Juan's, were casual, but because of his rounded proportions they did not fit snugly to his figure. Apart from these small diversions, he was what might be termed as good-looking in a showy way.

  Eventually Miguel left them, after extracting a promise from Juan that he would attend the party being given the following evening, to which he had referred earlier, then favouring the girls with an embracing smile, he left them.

  After his departure Juan's mood improved, and they continued the tour. Corinne's mood, however, had reverted to a depressed one, and she wondered just what she had let herself in for when she had allowed Juan to dominate her very existence, although 'allowed', was hardly the right world. Blackmailed would be more appropriate, she thought miserably.

  As it was then close on lunch time, Juan suggested that they took some light refreshment at one of the market cafes. This pleased both the girls, for it meant that they could sit and watch the passing throng that not only consisted of tourists but of people of many nations.

  Las Palmas, Juan told them, was the largest city in the Canaries, and not only a city but a vital seaport as well, that held berths for all seagoing nations for commercial trading. Juan ordered coffee and sandwiches for the girls,

  122 ISLAND FIESTA but only had a glass of wine for himself, for although midday was the normal lunch time for the English, the Spanish custom was to take it much later, usually around three o'clock. The shops, Juan told them, had adopted the Spanish times of opening for business at nine o'clock and closing for lunch at one, a lunch that included a siesta, and did not open again until four or five o'clock, although many of the larger stores in the city maintained the Western hours of opening and closing to accommodate the ever-increasing tourist market, for the Canaries were a duty-free zone, and thus attracted trade from many countries.

  As far as shopping was concerned, the late afternoon opening of the stores meant a much later closing time, and this could have certain advantages for either the tourist or the working fraternity of the busy city.

  Corinne and Joy sipped their coffee and gazed around them, fully savouring the cosmopolitan scene. A few tables away from them a pedlar was showing some tourists his wares which he extracted from an old battered suitcase for inspection, dangling what looked like gold bangles in front of the ladies. At another table a little way away from him, a small boy was trying to interest some more tourists into buying what looked like packets of bubble gum, and a small curly-haired girl beside him was offering packets of stamps.

  The hopeful trading went on in a happy relaxed atmosphere and they moved on swiftly after receiving a dark glance from the table waiter as he circled the tables serving the customers. When the waiter had gone back into the cafe to

  ISLAND FIESTA 123 collect the orders he had been given, the pedlars were back on their rounds, and from out of nowhere the man who had offered jewellery to the tourists a few tables away appeared at Corinne's table and proceeded to show them his wares. Bangles, brooches, and watches were held out for inspection, and Corinne and Joy politely shook their heads to show that they were not interested, but the man was looking at Juan, and to Corinne's embarrassment she found that Juan was looking at her as if seeking to ascertain if there was something that had caught her fancy. She then remembered the white carrier bag that now lay at Joy's feet and it occurred to her that perhaps Juan felt it necessary to buy something for her too.

  Her abrupt shake of the head and firmed lips made it quite clear that she was not interested in any such gift, and even the hopeful pedlar got the message and moved on to ply his trade elsewhere.

  Juan's mocking look at her told Corinne that he was well aware of her thoughts on the matter, and made her dislike him even more. The wretched man was altogether too knowing, she thought crossly, and centred her attention on a small knot of people that had gathered round a table at the back of the outdoor cafe's precincts. 'Dominoes,' Juan said dryly. `It's a favourite occupation with the locals,' proving to Corinne that he was also aware of her wish to detach herself from his attention. `Gambling ?' asked a wide-eyed Joy.

  Juan gave a light shrug. `Sometimes,' he replied, still with his eyes on Corinne.

  Corinne was pleased when he suggested that they resume their tour after they had finished their light lunch. She was beginning to feel the strain of Juan's

  124 ISLAND FIESTA constant observance, and wondered miserably if Joy had become aware of it, but when she called Corinne's attention to a clump of palms set in an oasis-like setting of the market area that they were just passing, Corinne doubted that she had; she was too enthralled by her surroundings.

  The rest of that first day was spent in Las Palmas. Juan took them to the Plaza de Santa Ana, where the bronze statues of the heraldic dogs of Gran Canaria sat in dignified splendour flanking the front of St Anne's Cathedral. They did not visit the cathedral as Juan told them it would not be open until later that afternoon, but he promised them a visit at a later date.

  It was in this section of the bustling city that the museums were to be found. There was the house-museum of Columbus, and, Juan recommended, well worth a visit for its historic contents. A short distance away was the Canary museum that specialised in anthropology and archaeology, also the island fauna. 'These are well worth seeing, and there are many interesting places to visit locally,' Juan remarked quietly, and Corinne felt rather than saw his swift glance towards her as he said this. He was no doubt fixing an itinerary for her, she thought sourly, on recalling their conversation the previous evening.

  This section of the city was called Vegueta, and was the oldest part of Las Palmas. Juan called Corinne and Joy's attention to the narrowness of the streets so narrow in fact that the cars that had parked there had had to take up part of the pavement to allow a passage through for other traffic.

  The old houses with their small balconies told of the past, and it was easy to imagine serioritas peeping

  ISLAND FIESTA 125 over them with the proverbial rose in their carmined lips that they would throw to the singing troubadour who caught their fancy.

  As they passed down the narrow streets, they would suddenly get a glimpse of a hidden patio behind gates of ornamental splendour, with bright green ferns in raised urns, and various other exotic flora. This reminded Corinne of Gabriel Mowbray's house, and the intriguing glimpse she had had of just such a garden, set as it were in the middle of the house.

  The gates through which these tantalising glimpses could be seen were notable in themselves. Of fine wrought iron, some were in gold and black, with intricate designs of leaves and flowers of high' workmanship, probably as old as the houses themselves, and proudly preserved.

  So the day passed, and they finished the tour at the Doramas Park, named, Juan told them, after one of the Guanche kings.

  This area of Las Palmas was the Ciudad Jardin or Garden City, and was where the better endowed Canarians lived in palatial splendour surrounded by landscaped gardens. Through the foliage that nestled against elaborately carved balconies could be seen bright flashes of colour, mainly reds and pinks, but as Juan explained, as warm as it was, it was still the winter season, but within a few weeks these gardens would be ablaze with colour, as would the gardens of the hotel.

  The Doramas Park, though small, contained some fine examples of Canarian plant life. There were many species of cacti, giant specimens of the small potted variety to be bought in England, that soared

  126 ISLAND FIESTA up towards the sky to tree-sized proportions.

  There were tall stately palms, and a rather vicious-looking spiked plant satirically named 'Mother-in-law's tongue'. Begonias were well to the fore, and lined the pathways in bright clusters of colour. Geraniums also, with their bright red and pink flowers, considerably enlivened what otherwise might have been a landscape of variegated greenery.

  The park also contained a swimming pool, and a zoo, but these were not visited at that time. A little further on, Juan told them, was the Pueblo Canario, or Canarian village, built specifically to preserve local art and folklore, and where displays of folk dancing were held on certain days for the entertainment of the visitors, and Juan promised to take them to see the dancing that weekend.

  By the time it was five o'clock, Corinne and Joy were ready to return to the hotel. They had seen a good part of the city, but this was mostly the tourist's tour, and there was much more to be seen, such as the shopping areas where the cosmopolitan trading of European and Asian products were sold side by side, and which promised a fascinating tour of discovery.

  It was not until they were back at the hotel that Corinne realised just how tired they were. Joy fell on her bed as soon as she had entered her room and tossed the carrier bag towards Corinne. 'I hope you like the colour,' she said, stifling a yawn. 'I rather liked the darker blue, but Juan preferred the peacock blue.'

  Corinne, about to go and collapse on her bed, gave an annoyed frown. 'That's just like him, isn't it ?' she said crossly, 'You should have insisted on having the colour you liked what is it, anyway ?' she asked,

  ISLAND FIESTA 127 hoping that it was not one of the caftans, but an embroidered blouse, perhaps, that she had seen Joy inspecting earlier.

  'Oh, I had the colour I wanted,' Joy casually told her. 'It was yours he insisted on choosing the colour for.'

  Corinne stared at her in consternation. 'Mine ! ' she exclaimed. 'For goodness' sake, Joy, you didn't let him buy me anything, did you ?'

  Joy gave a comical grimace. 'Can you see me stopping him ?' she demanded. 'I had enough trouble trying to persuade him not to get me anything, but he went all haughty on me and made me feel awful.' She gave a wide grin. 'I've read about these masterful types, but I honestly didn't think they existed,' she added. 'You've got your work cut out there if you intend to throw that back at him,' she commented with a mischievous look in her eyes as she looked towards the carrier bag now at Corinne's feet.

  Corinne's lips folded grimly as she picked the carrier up and removed its contents. They were caftans, of course, she might have known it, she thought furiously, and the more expensive ones, naturally, with gold braiding round the high collars and beautifully worked designs on the wide sleeves and around the hems.

  One, as Joy had said, was of a heavenly peacock blue, and the other was an olive green. Made of a heavy silk material, they shimmered in the late afternoon light. 'Gorgeous, aren't they ?' Joy said enthusiastically. 'It's probably Arabian silk. I must ask Carmen when we see her.' She lay back on her bed and put her arms behind her head. `To think that the Sahara is just across the sea from here,' she breathed

  128 ISLAND FIESTA ecstatically. 'Did you hear what Juan said about the trading that goes on here between the East and the West ? He said the port area is like the League of Nations. He said he's going to take us down there---'

  She stopped when she saw that Corinne was not listening to her but staring dully at the caftans.

  Corinne's thoughts were on her previous evening's confrontation with Juan and his answer to her query on his right to make her decisions for her. `A husband's rights,' he had said in that soft silky way that she hated. Yet he had insisted that the marriage was a business deal only. You didn't buy clothes for your business partner, did you ? she told herself bitterly. But then it was all a game to him, wasn't it ? For all he knew she might have hated the colour he had chosen for her. She sighed deeply. If only he had chosen a deep red or some other colour that she heartily disliked, she could then have thrown it back at him in all honesty, but the peacock blue was a lovely colour and would certainly suit her.

  Joy, who had been watching Corinne's changing expressions, suddenly asked, 'Will you wear it to that party the man we met was talking about ?'

  `Certainly not ! ' Corinne declared vehemently, with wide eyes. 'Just because he bought me a dress, it doesn't mean that I have to wear it, does it ? I didn't ask him to buy me a dress, and as you so rightly commented, I can't very well give it back to him. No, I shall put it away in the wardrobe and forget it !'

  `Coward !' Joy taunted at her. `You'll look wonderful in it. It will suit you far better than the dark blue one I thought you'd like. I always said you ought to wear brighter colours, didn't I ?'

  ISLAND FIESTA 129

  Corinne did not reply, but gathered the dress up and went to her room, where she did exactly what she said that she would do and hung it at the back of the large roomy wardrobe, then shut the wardrobe doors firmly in an action that proclaimed finality on her part over the whole episode.

  During tea, however, it was not so easy to dismiss the gift of the dress and, fuming, Corinne knew she would have to say something about it. Joy had no doubt given her thanks at the time the gift had been made, and that left her in the obnoxious position of having to say thank you for a gift she had neither sought nor wanted. To say 'Thank you, but you shouldn't have bothered,' would sound trite and ungracious, and as annoyed as she was, she could not say that. In the end she settled for a stiff-sounding, `Thank you for the gift,' and left it at that, aware the whole time of Joy's amused eyes and equally amused thoughts.

  Juan's autocratic eyebrows raised as he accepted the tea she had just poured out for him. 'Wear it tomorrow evening,' he commented casually, but Corinne knew that he was giving her an order, an order that she was to obey without argument.

  Her fuming eyes met his cold grey ones as she handed him a plate of finely cut sandwiches, and the hand holding the plate shook slightly as she tried to control her temper, and it was all she could do not to throw the plate at him.

  `It will suit you,' he went on calmly, and before Corinne could reply he turned his attention to Joy who was trying to look as if food was the only thing on her mind and was helping herself to another sandwich. 'I'm afraid the hours will be too late for you,

  130 ISLAND FIESTA Joy, but no doubt there will be a few barbecues in the near future.'

  Joy gave him a smile that made Corinne wonder once again whose side she was on. 'Oh, don't worry about me,' she replied happily. 'I hate parties, and I want to do some sketches for Carmen to look at when she visits again,' she declared with a note of contentment in her voice.

  Juan excused himself after tea, leaving a still fuming Corinne and a thoroughly absorbed Joy working out a few designs in her mind ready to commit to paper. 'I wonder if there's anything around that I could use for sketching,' she said dreamily, not realising that her loving sister was harbouring unloving thoughts towards her traitorous acceptance of the way her new brother-in-law was stamping his authority on her sister, regardless of her feelings in the matter.

  'No doubt you've only to ask, and it will be provided,' Corinne replied bitterly, knowing it was no use slating Joy for Juan's behaviour; she had no one but herself to blame for the mess she was in, and could only hope that in time she would be able to accept Juan's dictatorial attitude towards her with as much placidity as Joy did, unquestionably accepting him as master of this new domain. Her soft lips firmed on this thought, for she could not envisage herself ever accepting such a role. She had had to fend for Joy and herself for too long to just hand over the reins and sit back,and enjoy the ride a ride that was inevitably to take her over very bumpy ground, and she didn't even know where she was heading, or what lay at the end of the journey. She glanced back at Joy, now idly folding her serviette into pleats but