"How terrible."
"I don't know how I should have lived through that time but for Milton," said Magda.
"I did what any neighbour would. I came over, sorted out the trouble with the men and put the fear of God into them."
"And made them feel," continued Magda, "that in acting against us they were acting against themselves."
"They believed that with any more trouble I would close down the plantations," said Milton. "They didn't want that. They have the sense to see that their prosperity comes with sugar and they need to keep the plantations going if they are to enjoy their present standard of living."
"Yes, Milton saved the plantation for us. Something for which I shall always be grateful."
She was looking at him with such tenderness that I felt: She loves him. He is her sort. There is something wild about her. They fit together. She would have the same outlook, the same ideas, the same morals which would be less rigid than those with which I had been brought up. I believed that like him she would stop at nothing to get what she wanted.
"And then," she was saying, "he found us George."
Now her smile was turned on him.
"It was the luckiest day of my life when I was found," said George.
"George is a natural for this sort of work," said Milton. "I knew it as soon as I set eyes on him."
He was looking at them benignly and I felt there was some deep emotion in this room. I thought: She has asked me here to have a good look at me. She is angry because she will have heard of his attentions to me. She is very beautiful, the kind of woman to whom he would be drawn.
But he was drawn to me and I was not in the least like her. I saw myself as quite different. She was softly spoken, experienced with men; she knew how to attract them with that subtle flattery which was irresistible to them and which I would disdain even if I could master it. I was prickly, terribly uncertain, quite inexperienced.
They were talking about hobbies.
"George, you know, is an astronomer."
George laughed deprecatingly. "A very amateur one."
"He came out to Australia because he was tired of the night sky on the other side of the world," said Milton.
"That," replied George, smiling at me, "is not exactly true."
"I've always liked to hear about the stars," I said. "It is so fantastic to think of them all those light-years away. I've always found that particularly fascinating. To think that when you look at a star you may be looking at something which is no longer there because it is so far away that its light is only just reaching you."
"It's all very scientific," said Magda. "And it is not only the stars, is it, George? It's the Earth and its age and everything. What was it you were saying about climates and the ice melting and all that?"
"Are you really interested?" asked George.
"I am ... very," I told him.
"I was just saying what a difference climatic conditions make to the Earth. While everything is neatly balanced life remains predictable. But you only need a sudden change ... a slight change ... and there could be chaos. An ice age would freeze us all up ... or suppose it became warmer. The ice at the poles would gradually melt. Imagine the influx of water all over the Earth. Continents could be submerged."
"Let us hope that doesn't happen," said Magda. "We complain of the heat but an ice age would be terrible. And the idea of being submerged by flood I suppose even worse."
"I believe within the last hundred years there has been change," said George. "I was reading that there was a period of excessive warmth which melted some of the polar ice and the seas did rise a
little because of it. It wasn't all that noticeable as far from the poles as we are ... but it did happen according to geologists."
"I hope there is a warning if it happens again," said Milton.
"It would probably happen gradually."
We had finished the creamed pudding and Magda suggested that we go back to the drawing room.
I complimented her on the excellent meal and she asked if I would like to see the house and I said I would.
"Then we'll leave the men to chat," she said. "They know the house very well and don't want to see it again."
She took a candle and led the way up a carved staircase. There was something rather Spanish about it which I supposed was to be expected. I guessed from his name that Jose must have been Spanish, and very possibly Magda was too.
"My husband built this house when he came here," she said. "I think he tried to make it like a corner of home. But you can never really do that in a foreign country."
She showed me her bedroom. There was a large bed with dainty white curtains about it. I thought of Milton visiting her here, and I wanted to get out of that room. She took me through to others. I was not paying much attention. All the time I was wondering about her and Milton.
I said: "You have made a charming home here."
"I wonder," she answered. "We are rather remote. I was brought up in a big city. It is very different here. There is very little on this island. We have to go to Cariba for everything. It is nice to have friends there. I could not have survived after Jose's accident without Milton."
"I can imagine that."
"He did everything for me. He is a wonderful friend. And Jose was fond of him, too. We relied on him."
"And now you have Mr. Callerby. I should imagine he is very efficient."
"George ... oh yes. And I never forget that Milton found him for me. You see, he is my benefactor. He is a very good man although people don't always realize this because ... Well, he rules Cariba with a rod of iron. They are all in awe of him. It is wonderful to be able to inspire such feelings."
I agreed that it was.
"They know that if there was trouble here Milton would step in. That is a great comfort to us. On him really rests the prosperity of Cariba. Well ... I think we had better join the men. They will wonder what we are doing all this time."
We went down.
"I thought you had decided to desert us," said Milton.
"We were talking," explained Magda.
"Not about me, I hope."
"There," said Magda, "you see how important he thinks he is! Even when he is not present he thinks we are talking about him."
He looked at Magda intently and I guessed he was wondering what she had said to me.
"As a matter of fact," I told him, "you were mentioned."
"Don't look alarmed," put in Magda with a laugh. "I only told the nice things about you."
"What else could there be to tell?" He added: "It is time we went back."
"Must you? It is not eleven yet."
"My dear Magda, I have to take this young lady back to her hotel after rowing her across."
"Well, I suppose we must let you go."
"You will come and dine with me soon. You too, George. We will have a foursome."
My cloak was brought. It was a flimsy cashmere affair which I had brought with me because the night could be a little chilly.
As we came out of the house, Magda exclaimed: "It's still misty."
"Thickened up a bit," added George.
"Milton, do you think it is clear enough? I could put you up here."
"It's nothing," said Milton. "After all we only have a short distance to go and if anyone knows the way, I ought to. Heaven knows I've done it times enough."
A look flashed between them then. Was that significant or was I imagining it? I pictured his going over to the island at night, going quietly into the house. The invalid husband would be sleeping. Magda would come out to meet him. They would cling together passionately ... and he would go into the house with her.
"Come on, Annalice. You're dreaming."
Yes, I thought, picturing you and Magda together and not liking it at all and despising myself for harbouring such feelings. What was his past life to do with me? But that past was impinging on the present.