"It fits in with the flowers and everything."
"How long shall we stay here, Annalice?"
"Are you longing to go home?"
"I don't think I shall ever feel really safe until I am home."
"You know why I came. I am going to find out about my brother. As soon as I have, I'll be ready to go. But if you want to go before ..."
"No. I couldn't face going back to Sydney, getting on a ship ..."
"You see how Mr. Harrington works. I daresay he could arrange everything for you and make it all smooth and easy."
"No, no. I want to be with you ... and I think I am going to like it here. I do believe I ought to have a little time ... time away from all that... time to recover a little ... before I go home."
"Well, there is the long sea trip."
"I'd like you to be with me. I shall stay with you, and I hope you soon find out about your brother."
"So do I. Now I must go and get ready, and so must you. We could ask for hot water to be sent up. I'll see what I can do."
"Annalice."
"Yes."
"It's wonderful to be away ... to have escaped from all that."
I agreed that it was.
He came for us at seven and drove us up to his house in a carriage rather like the buggies we had seen in Sydney, but his was much more grand. It was highly polished and he drove two magnificent horses.
"I use this very little," he told us. "It is easier to go around on horseback. You'll want horses to ride. I'll have two sent up to the hotel for you."
"You overwhelm us," I told him.
"I'm so honoured to have you visit my island."
The day was drawing to an end for the sun set at half past seven. It was like that all the year, I gathered. There were not the seasons which we had at home. No winter; no summer; just the dry and the rainy season; I was glad we were not yet into the latter.
We came to some iron gates which were wide open and then we were in an avenue with high stalks of cane on either side. This was the plantation. I saw the house then. It was large, white and impressive and the scene was touched by the red glow of the setting sun. Everywhere I looked I could see sugar cane.
1 caught my breath in wonder.
"You like it' 7 " he asked.
"It's quite ... splendid.'"
"What were you expecting?"
"Something grand ... but not like this. I've never seen anything like it before."
"You've never been on a sugar plantation. I am glad the mill and the boiler houses are out of sight. They are slightly less beautiful."
We had come to a halt on a gravei path.
"Here we are." He leaped out of the vehicle and as if by magic a man appeared to take charge of the horses: and putting an arm through mine and one through Felicity's, he led us into the house.
We stood in a lofty hall built in the style of an English manor house. It reminded me a little of our own. There were light silk curtains at the windows: heavy velvet would have been out of place in such a climate. There was a long table with elegant chairs round it. It looked eighteenth-century.
**I hope you like my house." he said. "Shall we sit here and have a cooling drink before we go in to dinner?"
"It's just like being at home." said Felicity.
He smiled, well pleased.
Chinks were brought by a silent-footed girl in a long loose-fitting cotton gown with red and white roses patterned on a blue background: about her neck and arms were red beads, "It's a cooling native drink." Milton explained. "Not intoxicating, or not very. It's designed for a hot climate. It tasted delicious.
He asked about the journey and he told us that he had now heard of the tragedy for the news had been brought in by way of the ship.
"The coming of the ship means news from the outside world and there are always plenty to bring it. and here there are those to make sure it is well circulated. It must have been a terrible shock. The bushranger TU ff UM^ is growing. I belie j need have no fears here. We are a law-abiding island. The penalties for misdeeds are so great that no one is going to risk incurring them."
"It would be easier to catch criminals here than it would in Australia." I commented.
"It's true. So you can put your fears at rest."
He told us a great deal about the island and how the sugar was grown and marketed.
He took us to a very pleasant dining room, very much like ours at home. He even had a large tapestry on one of the walls. There were french windows which opened onto a courtyard. He said: "After we have eaten we can sit out there. It is rather pleasant after sundown. I'll give you a fan so that you can ward off the insects. You'U need one in the heat of the day."
The food was unusual. There was a great deal of fish such as I had never tasted before. I had my first introduction to baked breadfruit.
"It's an acquired taste," he said. "You'll find it palatable and get to like it very much in time." There were all sorts of fruit and the special drink of the island.
It was certainly the best meal I had had since leaving home.
After we had finished eating we went into the courtyard where our fans were brought to us. They were beautiful, made of ivory and painted in rich colours. Mine was blue and green—Felicity's red and white.
We exclaimed with pleasure when we saw them.
"Something to remember me by when you find the heat unbearable," he said.
So we sat out there in the scented evening. There were flowers in abundance in the courtyard; red hibiscus, pink jasmine and gladioli.
Sitting there I felt intoxicated with the perfume and the drink which I felt was more potent than he had admitted.
But perhaps I felt this dreamy contentment because I had escaped from the nightmare of William Granville's house, because I was starting on my quest, because it was all so strange and beautiful and because I did enjoy the company of this man.
That night I lay in bed drowsily going over the events of the evening. I could still smell the heavy scent of frangipani, hear the sudden whirring of an insect as it fell against one of the lamps.
"The flying beetle," he had said. "Nothing to worry about. They come in often. They're quite harmless and you get used to them. There are lots of strange things you get to know out here."
And we had sat on in that scented velvety night and I could savour nothing but a deep contentment.
He had brought us back to the hotel at ten o'clock. He said we needed a good night's sleep.
I told him we had slept most of the afternoon.
"A good night's sleep is what you want," he said firmly. So he took us home, along the drive with the cane on either side, down to the harbour. I could hear the clop clop of the horses' hoofs as we came down the slight incline; and I could see the little boats rocking on the water, and the ship, which would sail tomorrow, was still lying there in the bay.
And when I went to bed I tried to ward off sleep because I wanted to go on remembering.
I awoke feeling greatly refreshed. I threw aside my mosquito net, jumped out of bed and drew up the blind. I stepped out onto the balcony. Below me the harbour was already stirring to life. Carts drawn by bullocks were coming in—I presumed from the hills beyond. People with produce to sell were arranging their stalls.
There were several boats on the water—fishing I guessed.
Water was brought to my room and I washed and dressed. Then I knocked on Felicity's door. There was no answer so I went in.
She was lying on her back staring at the ceiling. As I came close I saw the tears on her cheeks.
"Felicity!" I cried in alarm. "What's wrong?"
She said: "He came ... he came in the night ... He came back ... He was here ... just as in that dreadful room."
"You've been dreaming," I told her. "It was nothing but a dream. You're here in Cariba. You loved it yesterday. The harbour is just down there. It looks so exciting."