ISLAND FIESTA 143 how do you think you will like working here ?' she asked her with a trace of anxiousness in her voice, for Joy had been remarkably silent since they had entered the salon.

  Joy swallowed and uttered a dry-sounding, 'Fine,' but seemed incapable of enlarging on this.

  Corinne came to her rescue with an amused, 'You did say it was a boutique, you know, and so we - -' she gave a half-shrug and left the rest unsaid.

  Carmen's eyebrow's lifted and then she caught the drift of Corinne's message. 'Oh, dear !' she said, and gave a comical moue. 'We have a boutique, of course, but it's only in its infancy. This is where the real work is done.' She gave Joy an apologetic look. 'And now you're worried, aren't you ? You've no cause to worry, you know. You will not be thrown into the work until you're ready,' she waved an airy hand towards the material on the bench. 'This is where we play around with ideas, and we could do with some bright new brains. You'll be able to create to your heart's content, but first I want you to get the feel of the business. I shall want you to assist Marcia in the fitting rooms for a start now you won't mind that, will you ?' she queried gently. 'It will not take you long to learn the rules of the house. For instance, from time to time we get new patronage from someone who happened to admire one of our dresses, and wants exactly the same style for herself, but this we do not allow, we would not be in business very long if we did. No, we offer to dress Madame in suitable but individual clothes.'

  She stopped here as the office door opened. `Ah, here's our coffee Juan ! For goodness' sake ! What are you doing here ?' she exclaimed, as the tall form

  144 ISLAND FIESTA of Corinne's husband entered the room.

  'You've no objection, I trust, to my taking my wife to lunch ?' he asked dryly. 'I had an idea you might end up here.' He gave Corinne a disturbingly possessive look. 'I suggest we leave these two to their business affairs. Are you ready ?' he requested in a tone that said that she had better be.

  Corinne could only give a silent nod and gather her handbag off the floor where she had laid it beside her chair, and stand up.

  'Really, Juan !' began Carmen in a highly indignant voice, but on meeting Juan's eyes she gave a light shrug and said, 'Well, enjoy your lunch, Corinne. I'll see Joy gets back to the hotel,' and left it at that.

  As Juan escorted her through the salon, and down the staircase towards the main street, Corinne felt like a bought slave, she could even feel the shackles around her wrists ! She knew very well why Juan had decided to take her to lunch, indeed take her anywhere, out of Carmen's business interests. Telling her, and Carmen, come to that, that he had no intention of letting her get personally involved in that or any other business.

  Carmen was right, she thought bitterly, you could not fight a man like that, not if you wanted a peaceful existence, and Corinne did want a peaceful life; the alternative was too miserable to contemplate.

  The restaurant that Juan had chosen to take her to for lunch was within walking distance of the salon, and as they entered the slightly darkened entrance of the restaurant, the rich velvet curtaining cutting off the bright sunlight, Corinne decided to follow Carmen's advice. It was not going to be easy for her, she knew, but somehow she must adopt a more con

  ISLAND FIESTA 145 ciliatory attitude towards this dominant man. Joy was happy, and it was Joy who really mattered, and she had no doubt now whatsoever that he would do exactly what he had threatened to do if she continued to annoy him. If he could treat the woman he loved to such harsh treatment, then he would not hesitate to exact an equally hard judgment on two comparative strangers, even though they were his wife and sister-in-law !

  Corinne gave a slight shudder at this thought and Juan, closely watching her as the waiter seated her at the table he had led them to, remarked, 'You are not in a draught, are you ?'

  This produced a look of consternation on the waiter's face as he looked at Corinne, and she hastened to reassure both of them that no, she was not in a draught, it was probably the fact that they had come in from brilliant sunshine, and really, the coolness of the restaurant was refreshing.

  Satisfied with this, the waiter then took their order which Juan gave in Spanish, and to which the waiter listened to with what appeared to be almost reverent attention, and his, 'Si, Señor Martel,' proved that Juan was known to him.

  While they waited for the lunch to be served, Juan poured Corinne a glass of the light wine that he had chosen as an aperitif, and while she sipped it she gazed around at the restaurant, in fact anywhere but directly at the man seated opposite her.

  'Joy will be happy with Carmen, don't you think ?' he said musingly, not allowing Corinne's interest to stray away from him.

  Corinne, who had been looking at a huge picture on the wall at the end of the restaurant, gave a start

  146 ISLAND FIESTA and reluctantly tore her gaze away from a pair of Spanish dancers depicted in the picture, and looked at Juan. `Oh, I'm sure she will be,' she replied quietly. 'She wasn't expecting quite such a grand set-up, though,' she added, with a touch of amusement in her voice as she recalled Joy's nervous reaction at her first glimpse of the salon.

  Juan's grey eyes searched Corinne's as she made this reply. It was the first time that they had had what might be called a normal conversation since they had met each other normal, that was, in the sense that there was no resentment on either side.

  It would have been better if it had been left at that, but Juan's next question threw the almost calm Corinne back into a state of flux, and she was instantly on her guard willing herself not to lose her temper. 'And you,' he had asked softly, 'with me ?'

  Her flushed cheeks and the blue sparks that flew out of her eyes gave their own answer, but she managed to reply calmly enough. 'That depends,' she said slowly.

  'On what ?' he demanded challengingly, and his eyes narrowed as his glance flicked casually over her. 'I shall not change my mind and allow you to take up an occupation, at least not a business one. Apart from that, I see no reason why you should not be perfectly happy with your situation,' he stated haughtily, then stared down at the table. 'In time,' he added significantly, 'changes will be made that will be more to your liking. It will be a question of patience on both sides, but mainly yours,' he said meaningly.

  Corinne's thoughts were on the annulment when he said this, and she felt an instant surge of relief.

  ISLAND FIESTA 147 'In that case I will be patient,' she replied lightly, and somewhat thankfully.

  She did not quite understand Juan's silent amusement at this, for he made no comment, but his eyes laughed at her and she wondered why.

  Lunch was then served, and it was not until they had reached the coffee stage that Juan mentioned the party that they would be attending that evening. 'You will be meeting several friends of mine,' he began as he handed Corinne the cream jug, 'people I have known for many years, and I shall want you to be especially vigilant. It will be necessary to give the impression that the marriage is a real one, you understand ?' And at Corinne's quick nod of comprehension, he went on, 'As I said before, no outward demonstration of affection will be required, apart from my casually placing my arm around your waist while we talk to people. That of course will be expected we are to all intents and purposes still on honeymoon, remember.'

  He gave Corinne a hard look. 'I shall not expect you to push my arm away, or jump out of reaching distance, or give me one of those extremely provocative looks of yours, that declare your abhorrence of the situation, either,' he added meaningly. His firm lips twisted. 'They are provocative, you know, and have quite the opposite effect on me. Perhaps one day I will answer the challenge that you issue out of those lovely eyes of yours, and you will learn to mask your thoughts.'

  Corinne's eyes opened wide as she stared back at him wondering how on earth the conversation had reached this embarrassing stage. She understood perfectly what was required of her, and although she

  148 ISLAND FIESTA did not see herself as a good actress she had been willing to try. 'Thank you for the compliment,' she replied stiffly, in a manner that said she did not consider it a compliment at all. 'I can only promise to do my best, but I'm not very good at duplicity, and I'm certainly not issuing a challenge when I'm outraged,' she added furiously, tacking on for good measure, 'but I do see the wisdom of keeping my thoughts to myself !'

  Juan's grim expression changed to an amused one, and his white teeth gleamed as he gave Corinne a wicked smile. 'You'll try, of course, but I doubt that you'll succeed, not with me.'

  Corinne took a deep breath and was about to give a very decisive answer to this taunting remark when she realised that Juan was enjoying himself at her expense. `I'm glad you're amused,' she said bitterly. 'It's all a game to you, isn't it ?' she demanded. 'You really should have chosen Clair, you know, she wouldn't have needed any prompting.'

  'She wouldn't, would she,' Juan agreed madden- ingly, 'but I chose you for better, for worse, remember ?' he quoted softly, making Corinne look hastily away from the mocking light in his eyes, as she felt her cheeks grow warm.

  Later that evening as she dressed for the party, Corinne listened abstractedly to Joy's pleased comments on how she knew the caftan would suit her and how right Juan had been in insisting on that certain colour, as it brought out the golden lights in her hair and emphasised the dark blue of her eyes.

  Corinne had just nodded and continued to brush her hair. Her thoughts were on her last encounter with Juan and his remarks in regard to their marriage,

  ISLAND FIESTA 149 particularly the 'for better,. for worse' comment, as if the marriage had been a real one and he had no thought of an annulment.

  She thought of the evening ahead of her, and her soft lips firmed. It had been his way of assuring her full co-operation, of this she was certain, but what manner of man was he to exact such punishment for what was only a natural act of defiance on the part of a woman who sought a little freedom from the confines of a loveless marriage ?

  Corinne shook her head slowly. And he had criticised her for her part in what he had looked on as a plot to ensure Clair's inheritance. What he was asking her to do now was even more despicable. Gabriel Mowbray had died happy, content that his will would be carried out, and it had been, although not quite according to the rule book. But what about Dolores ? How many months of torture was Juan going to inflict upon her ?

  'Your hair's fine,' exclaimed Joy impatiently, noting the way Corinne was fairly vigorously punishing it with the hairbrush. 'Come and see what Carmen sent over for you to wear with the dress,' and she pulled Corinne off the dressing table chair and into her room where on the bed lay a white fur coat. 'You shall go to the ball, Cinderella,' she said gaily, as she picked it up off the bed and gave it to Corinne, sweeping the soft luxurious fur around her shoulders in a triumphant gesture.

  Corinne had meant to wear a white fluffy cardigan over the dress, for although the days were warm, the evenings could be chilly 'We'll get above ourselves at this rate,' commented Corinne, trying to make the remark lighthearted, but she felt embarrassed by

  150 ISLAND FIESTA the gift and had it been given by anyone else but Carmen she would have refused it.

  'Carmen said it's a late wedding present,' Joy went on with shining eyes. 'I say, Corinne, I do like her, and she's frightfully successful, you know, but not a bit proud. I know I'm going to love the job,' she added with a misty note in her voice.

  That was all Corinne needed to ensure that she did not fail in her task that evening. So let Juan put his arm around her waist, he could even kiss her she baulked a little at this thought, and her knees were not quite as steady as they had been before as she walked towards the lounge to join him ready for their departure. As she settled herself in his car, and noted the grim expression on his hard face, she was comforted by the fact that he had said that there would be no exhibition of outward affection between them, apart from his placing a casual arm around her waist, so there was really nothing for her to worry about.

  The car purred along the busy streets and Corinne noticed that they were going towards the Ciudad Jardin area, where the wealthier citizens of Las Palmas lived in large palatial residences surrounded by landscaped gardens.

  Her nervousness increased as the car eventually swept up a long curving drive bordered by thick shrubbery and soon they were in sight of a well-lighted patio in front of an imposing-looking house, and Juan brought the car to a swishing stop next to several others that were parked along the front of the house.

  When she entered the house with Juan's strong hand on her arm, Corinne wished with all her heart

  ISLAND FIESTA 151 that Joy or Carmen were with her. She had never felt so entirely alone in all her life, and desperately wished that Juan would say something, anything, but he remained silent the whole time, thinking, Corinne surmised miserably, of Dolores.

  If he was miserable, then it served him right, Corinne thought bitterly. That was the strange thing about hurting someone you loved; you hurt yourself too, even more than the other person.

  The room they entered appeared to be full of people, and Corinne gave a quick nervous glance towards Juan as they walked to join the assembly, and his answer was a swift hardening grip on her arm, as if warning her not to give way to nerves.

  Corinne did not know whether it was her imagination or not, but she sensed a slight hush upon their entry, but the next moment everybody started talking again and the gay, frivolous chatter that marks such occasions filled the room.

  It was not long before they were in the middle of a huddle of guests, all anxious to be introduced to Juan's English wife, and as the names were reeled out, Corinne was amazed to hear Juan call her Corinne and not Clair, and although she was pleasantly surprised by this condescension on his part, she was also aware of his determination to see the whole wretched thing through.

  During all these introductions and the polite yet obviously curious looks she was receiving, Corinne steeled herself to meet Dolores, who must be somewhere in the room, but as the room, as large as it was, was so crowded, it was just possible that she had not seen their entry. Corinne darted a quick look at Juan, and while

  152 ISLAND FIESTA absently noting how handsome he looked, even more devastating in evening wear, she thought, she saw that he was smiling at something that someone had said, his strong white teeth gleaming against his dark features, and again she was reminded of his strength, and his cruelty. She felt bewildered too, for she could not believe that he was suffering in any way, and surely he should have been suffering, not looking as if he was thoroughly enjoying himself.

  She was warned of Dolores' presence by Juan's arm that was placed possessively around her waist as a dark-haired beauty approached them with a husky, 'Juan ! How long have you been here ? You're usually the last to arrive ! '

  The words were said in an amused-sounding way, yet Corinne took particular notice that the woman's dark eyes did not echo the lightness of her tone, and while she spoke to Juan they remained fixed on Corinne. 'So you took the plunge at last,' she went on, now transferring her gaze back to Juan. 'While my back was turned too, how very unkind of you,' she added, pouting her full red lips at him. 'You must tell me all about it. Come, we shall catch up on our news in solitude.' She held out an elegant lace-sleeved arm for Juan to take.

  'I think not,' Juan answered quietly, declining the very obvious invitation for a private tete-a-tete with her, and drawing Corinne even closer to his side. `Corinne, this is Señora Dolores Galdos, and our hostess this evening. Dolores, this is Corinne, my wife. I took the plunge readily enough,' he commented dryly, and lifted one of Corinne's small hands to his firm lips. 'And who could blame me ?' he added, as his lips caressed the palm of Corinne's hand, making

  ISLAND FIESTA 153 her want to snatch her hand away, but Juan's grip was very firm, and so was the look in his eyes as they met Corinne's.

  `How very quaint,' Dolores commented, as her watchful eyes took in the delicate flush on Corinne's cheeks at Juan's action. think I can see the attraction,' she said lightly, making Corinne's flush deepen as she caught the implication behind her words, reminding Corinne of a certain remark of Juan's shortly after their marriage, that he was tired of sophisticated women. Her knowing glance and her instant dismissal of Corinne as a rival made Corinne dislike her intensely, and she could understand Car-men's feelings on the matter.

  The hand that Juan still held disguisedly lightly " against his lips trembled slightly, and Corinne prayed that he would put her agitation down to temper, and not to fear, for those firm lips of his were awakening a response from her heart, a heart as yet unscathed by the traumas of love. Not that Corinne realised this, she only knew that her bones seemed to be turning to jelly and that she felt most peculiar.

  Having dismissed Corinne, Dolores fixed her dark eyes on Juan, clearly issuing a challenge as she remarked casually, 'Do circulate, we can't have you hogging each other's company all evening, can we ?' and moved gracefully away to join another group of guests.

  Corinne's eyes followed Dolores' slim back as she walked away, and she was disturbed to find that her hand was still held by Juan when she looked back at him, and he was looking at her and not in Dolores' direction. For a ghastly moment Corinne wondered if he had mistaken the cause of her agitation, but

  154 ISLAND FIESTA when he smiled at her and murmured, 'Well done ! ' her heartbeats slowed down, not quite back to normal, but at least to a manageable tattoo.

  When he lowered her hand, Corinne's relief was shortlived, because he did not release it but held it firmly in his as he commented dryly, 'So, we circulate,' and led her to a small knot of people grouped in the opposite direction to where Dolores was standing. 'We shall not be expected to stay long,' Juan said dryly, as they neared the group, 'not on our honeymoon, as it were,' he added.