Wealth of the Islands (22 page)

Anita was still disapproving when they met at the lift shaft.
“
Honestly, Helen, I think you look lovely,
”
she said,
“
but it isn
’
t
right
! It
’
ll give everybody the wrong idea!
”

“
And who is everybody?
”
Helen asked, her voice catching ominously in the back of her throat.

“
Well,
”
Anita said unhappily,
“
Mr. de Vaux fo
r
one! I
’
m sure he
’
s very susceptible—
”

“
Gregory
!”
Helen could feel the tingling sensation in her spine again.
“
Do you really think Gregory will notice?
”
she asked with interest, unable to conceal her pleasure at the idea.

“
He could hardly help it!
”
Anita snorted.
“
But at least he can look after himself. What about Peter?
”

Helen had to bite the inside of her lower lip to keep herself from laughing.
“
Oh yes, Peter,
”
she agreed carefully.
“
Peter won
’
t care!
”

“
I don
’
t see how you can be so sure!
”
Anita complained.
“
He was asking about you all over again. I told him you were still getting over Michael and weren
’
t interested in anyone else, but he
’
s hardly going to believe me with you in that dress!
”

Helen shook her skirts and listened with satisfaction to the rustle they made.
“
You
’
re looking lovely in your dress too!
”
she told Anita firmly.
“
I
’
ve never seen you looking half so pretty
!”

Anita preened herself happily.
“
Do you really think so! Oh, Helen, you are good to me, bringing me here and everything!
”

Helen kissed her gently on the cheek.
“
Have a lovely evening,
”
she told her.
“
And try not to worry about me! I
’
ll behave very well, I promise you!
”

Anita bit her lip and looked away from her.
“
As well as they
’
ll allow you to!
”
she said sharply.
“
Peter promised the first dance to me, but—
”

Helen
’
s eyes widened slowly as she looked at her sister-in-law.
“
I don
’
t think I shall be dancing much with Peter,
”
she said immediately.
“
To tell the truth, it
’
s one thing to get all dressed up, but another to dance all night. I don
’
t think I want to dance much at
a
ll!
”

Anita
’
s relief was so patent that Helen nearly laughed. But she was more than a little cross too, for she loved to dance and had been looking forward to it all day. Oh well, she thought, she
’
d join Miss Corrigan on the sidelines and watch the others as a widow should. It was another thing about widowhood that she would have to learn—if she could!

Miss Corrigan, however, had no intention of sitting on any sidelines. She had taken the Hawaiian-type band aside and had drilled them carefully in their duties.
“
As
many Island dances as possible!
”
she had roared at them.
“
If no one else can do them, I can! It will loosen them all up to swing their hips! Have you heard me?
”

They all laughed like mad.
“
Sure
thing
!
”
they shouted back in unison.

The guests were cautious at first, but most of them managed something that resembled the graceful Island dances and they were all eager to learn how to do it properly.

“
You show them, Helen,
”
Miss Corrigan said at last, exhausted by her own efforts.
“
And slow the music down! Do it by yourself, girl! Show them how it should be done!
”

Helen was shy at first, but the music caught at her and she could no more have stood still than died. She made a nervous start, not sure that she could remember the steps that her father had taught her so long before, but after the first few seconds the rhythm was enough and she didn
’
t have to think at all. She shut her eyes and gave herself up to the music. It was the loveliest feeling, to sway as gently as a palm-tree in the wind and then to break out as the music quickened, into a dance that spoke easily of her loneliness and her sadness and the curious fancies that haunted her dreams.

When the music came to an end, it was the Islanders who led the applause. Helen opened her eyes, embarrassed by the mild sensation she had caused.
“
I—I learned as a child,
”
she explained baldly, and did her best to lose herself in the crowd of dancers that edged the space that had been cleared for her solo performance.

“
I thought you said you weren
’
t going to dance!
”
Anita accosted her fiercely.

“
I shouldn
’
t have done!
”
Helen admitted.
“
I
’
d forgotten—
”

“
And in that dress!
”
Anita added in a shocked voice.

“
What
’
s wrong with the dress?
”
a masculine voice demanded, and Helen was horrified to discover that she had run practically straight into Gregory
’
s arms.

“
It isn
’
t really suitable for a widow,
”
Helen told him breathlessly.
“
Only it
’
s pretty and I wanted—
”

Gregory
’
s enigmatic eyes looked the dress over carefully.
“
Very revealing,
”
he said with laughter running through his voice,
“
but not half as revealing as that dance!
”

Helen drew herself up.
“
I wouldn
’
t have called it particularly revealing!
”
she said witheringly.
“
It has rather a modest neckline, in my opinion!
”

“
Oh, quite!
”
he agreed.

“
Michael wouldn
’
t have liked it,
”
Anita put in nervously.

“
Well, that
’
s a point in its favour!
”
Gregory drawled.

“
It may be in your opinion,
”
Helen informed him loftily,
“
but to me it matters a great deal what Michael would have thought—
”

“
Rubbish
!”
Gregory said roundly.

Helen stared at him.
“
How can you—
”

Gregory cut her off with an impatient gesture.
“
You don
’
t give a damn for what Michael would have thought! Even supposing that he thought about you at
all!
”
He forced her chin up so that her eyes met
his.
“
You
’
re less of a hypocrite when you don
’
t bother to think, Helen Hastings,
”
he told her roughly.
“
You
’
d better get back on the dancing floor.
”

“
But I don
’
t want to dance any more,
”
she said breathlessly.

He laughed unkindly.
“
If you think I can
’
t dance because of my leg, you
’
re very much mistaken!
”
he almost shouted at her.
“
And you
’
ll dance with me! And you
’
ll like it!
”

There didn
’
t seem to be any future in arguing with him. Already she thought a lot of people must be looking at them, and the very last thing she wanted was to go on being in the centre of attention.

“
A
ll
right,
”
she said.
“
I
’
ll dance with you—and if you open up your leg it will be
your
fault!
”

He grinned, but he said nothing. His arm went round her and held her tightly against him. It was
the
first time she had ever been so close to him, except when he had handed over the wheel to her on the
Sweet Promise,
and she didn
’
t remember that it had been at all like this!

“
If you would allow me to breathe—
”
she said aloud.
“
Or am I holding you up, as well as dancing with you
?”

“
That tongue of yours will get you into trouble one of these days,
”
he warned her.
“
Is that better?
”

It wasn
’
t better at all! Even with him standing away from her as if they were strangers and didn
’
t approve of each other at all, she still had difficulty in breathing properly, a sensation which she didn
’
t like and didn
’
t intend to put up with.

“
This is ridiculous!
”
she said sharply.
“
Have you forgotten that you
’
re supposed to be diving in the morning?
”

“
Helen, can
’
t you relax and shut up?
”
he pleaded with her.

“
But I
’
m worried—
”

“
Then don
’
t!
”
he advised. He
broke away from her, looking down at her with
exasperation.
“
If I hadn
’
t seen you with my own eyes—
”
he began.

“
Seen me what?
”
she asked him nervously.

“
Dance
!
”
He waved to the band and they broke out into another Island number, grinning and nudging at one another as they did so.

“
But we can
’
t dance this!
”
Helen protested feebly, for already the music had set her feet following the rhythm whether she would or no.

“
Why not?
”
he asked, his arm coming round her again as tightly as before.

“
It
’
s a courting dance,
”
she murmured.
“
It isn
’
t proper!
”

His laugh caught in the back of his throat.
“
My lovely Helen, you have the oddest ideas of propriety, he said.
“
I should have said it was eminently suitable!
”