Wealth of the Islands (11 page)

Helen bravely stood her ground.
“
If you
’
re referring to me,
”
she
said distinctly,
“
I reckon I gave you a pretty fair day
’
s work today.
”

Gregory relaxed, the tautness leaving him as suddenly as it had come.
“
You
’
re right, of course,
”
he apologised.
“
You mustn
’
t mind me. I find employing females an added responsibility I hadn
’
t looked for, that
’
s all.
”

Helen turned her back on
him,
to show her disapproval more clearly.
“
We can look after our selves!
”
she said.

“
Are you sure?
”
She knew he was laughing at her, but she didn
’
t care. She was there and so was Anita, and that, for the moment, was enough for her.

“
We
’
re quite sure!
”
she said.

His laughter followed her down the companionway ma
ki
ng her feel uncomfortable. In fact, she had quite forgotten what had taken them on deck in the first place until she caught a glimpse of Anita
’
s pale face.
“
Are you feeling any better?
”
she asked her, wondering at her own lack of sympathy that her attention should have been distracted so easily.

“
A little,
”
Anita said uncertainly. She took a deep breath.
“
Who
w
as that man?
”
she added in a hushed voice.

Helen smiled.
“
He
’
s one of the Polynesian sailors. They
’
re two brothers. You mustn
’
t mind them, they
’
re very good at their work. And they
’
re so jolly!
”
she
added, remembering their easy laughter.

“
But his teeth!
”
Anita shuddered.

Helen shrugged.
“
I suppose it
’
s some kind of tribal mark,
”
she
suggested.
“
It does make them look pretty fearsome, but I hardly notice it now. The Island people are some of the nicest there are. You mustn
’
t be frightened of them.
”

“
I
’
ll
try not to be,
”
Anita agreed meekly.
“
But I do hope that I don
’
t see them very often!
”

“
You
’
ll have to see Taine-Mal fairly often,
”
Helen told her dryly.
“
He keeps the boat supplied and you
’
ll be getting the supplies from
the
hotel. In fact you
’
ll have to work with him—
”

“
I
’
ll try,
”
Anita said immediately.
“
I will try, Helen. Only I
’
ve never had to earn my own living before. You will help me, won
’
t you?
”

“
Of course I will, dear!
”
Helen agreed willingly.
“
It will be quite easy, you
’
ll see. Besides, you
’
ll like Peter Harmon—he
’
s the manager of the hotel— and he
’
ll help you with anything you don
’
t understand.
”

“
Was it he I spoke to on the telephone?
”
Anita
”
asked timidly.

“
That
’
s right,
”
Helen nodded.

“
He
’
s an American,
”
Anita muttered, without enthusiasm.
“
I could tell by his accent
!”

“
It
’
s an American hotel!
”
Helen said carefully, her patience fast evaporating.

“
Mother—
”
Anita began, and then she stopped, blushing faintly at the expression on Helen
’
s face.
“
I
’
m sorry,
”
she said unhappily.
“
Only I lived with her for such a long time and one gets into bad habits!
”

And of course Michael
’
s mother didn
’
t like Americans, Helen remembered. But then whom did she like? she asked herself with wry humour.

Na-Tinn
’
s fleshy legs appeared at the top of the companionway. By bending nearly double, he could see them without coming down any further. He grinned awfully at Anita.
“
Feel better now?
”
he asked her with real concern.
“
Not good sailor, no? Never mind, land coming now!
”
He retreated up the stains again, not expecting an answer, completely unaware of the quake he had left Anita in down below.

“
Was that the same one
?”
Anita quavered.

“
His brother,
”
Helen grinned. Really she couldn
’
t help laughing at Anita
’
s expression.
“
It won
’
t be much longer now!
”

They came in to the jetty so quietly that down below they were hardly aware that they had arrived. It was only the blocking out of the portholes on the port side that told them they had come alongside.

“
Good,
”
said Helen.
“
Now we can get you to the hotel and get a good meal inside you! I expect you
’
re tired after all this travelling?
”

Anita nodded wearily.
“
I am tired,
”
she
admitted.

“
I expect it
’
s all the excitement of coming out of hospital and then coming straight here. But I
’
m all right, truly I am!
”

Helen went up on deck first. She was delighted to see Miss Corrigan
’
s comfortable figure on the jetty, her legs stiffly apart as she tried to keep her balance on the gimcrack erection which was swaying back and forth as the Polynesians jumped up and down on it, tying up the
Sweet Promise
and throwing ashore the used cylinders of compressed air, to be replenished before morning.

“
Where
’
s Anita?
”
Miss Corrigan called out immediately.

“
She
’
s here,
”
Helen answered her. She stood aside so that the old lady would be able to glimpse Anita behind her.
“
How kind of you to come and meet her,
”
she said as she jumped down on to the jetty.

“
Not kindness at all,
”
Miss Corrigan contradicted her.
“
It
’
s because I
’
m a curious old hag! I couldn
’
t wait to see her for myself. After all, we shall all be living in the same building, so we need to get along well together.
”

Anita shook hands with Miss Corrigan demurely. She had taken advantage of the extra minute she had spent in the saloon to run a comb through her hair and to set her hat back on her head at the same jaunty angle she had had it earlier.
“
Miss Corrigan,
”
she breathed,
“
I
’
m so delighted to meet you. Helen says that you knew her father.
”

“
Knew him well!
”
Miss Corrigan agreed.
“
You
’
re a great deal prettier than I expected,
”
she added, her obvious delight in the other
’
s good looks softening the personal nature of the remark.
“
Are you fully recovered from your time in New Zealand? Helen was very worried about you.
”

“
Yes, I
’
m quite recovered,
”
Anita assured her.
“
Really, one is much better off without one
’
s appendix, don
’
t you think? It was a long trip today,
though, and I must admit I
’
m exhausted after crossing that little piece of sea
!”

“
She was sick!
”
Gregory called down from the deck of the
Sweet Promise.
“
She
’
ll get over it with a bit of practice!
”

“
Oh no!
”
Anita cried out
“
Never again! I couldn
’
t!
”

“
You won
’
t have to!
”
Helen said protectively.
“
Your job is to see to the supplies. It
’
s mine to go on the
Sweet Promise
—
”

“
She
’
ll love it if she comes with us once or twice,
”
Gregory said loftily from his perch above them.
“
Almost everyone is seasick at first.
”

“
Let me tell you that
nothing
would induce me to go on board that boat again! Not willingly anyhow
!”

He grinned at her.
“
You
’
ll change your mind!
”
he assured her cheerfully.
“
I
’
ll come and look you up at the hotel, okay?
”

Anita nodded and waved cheerfully. Helen hesitated for a moment longer. She wondered if she ought to ask him again to go easily on her sister-in-law, to explain how nervous she was and how easy it was to fluster her, but she decided that she had better allow him to find out for himself. At least he seemed to like Anita as a person, which was more
t
han she thought he did her. She, Helen, he only tolerated, she knew, seeing her as a useful member of his team, but not at all as an attractive woman to dally with when neither of them were on duty.

Miss Corrigan walked between the two girls as they made their way to the hotel. Her ample figure provided a dumpy contrast to their slimness, a contrast which possibly only she appreciated.

“
This is my village,
”
she told them with pride, as they walked through the plaited palm huts of the fishermen.
“
I come here often. They are an interesting people, you know. When you have time, I
’
ll take you about and introduce you to the headman.
”
She tucked
her arms into theirs and gave them a squeeze.
“
What fun it is to have the two of you here!
”
she exclaimed.

Helen grinned at her, knowing exactly what she meant.
“
Do you ever get lonely, Miss Corrigan?
”
she asked her.

“
Never
!”
the old lady affirmed immediately.
“
I never have! But it
’
s still nice to have you two young things to talk to in the evenings. Now, what I shall do is arrange a party for you both. Yes, that
’
s it! We
’
ll have a party!
”