The sound of speedboat engines drew William to the balcony of his room. The night-lights and lanterns illuminated the path all the way to the water’s edge creating a carnival feeling. He could see a group of people on the jetty watching the Sunseeker Hawk 34 being tested. Justin was shouting instructions to Sammy at the wheel, and the engine came to life with a sound almost as loud as Concorde. The boat lifted out of the water leaving a foaming wash behind as it disappeared out of sight.
After a moment, the Sunseeker returned with Justin at the wheel. He circled the boat, putting it through various fast turns and surges, laughing and waving to the boys on the jetty. Then he cut the engines, drifted back to the shore and tied it up. He jumped out, then walked away from the jetty, each arm hooked around a boy’s shoulder. As they disappeared into the darkness, their disembodied voices and laughter hung in the air.
William wondered where Justin slept. Perhaps he was living in the servants’ quarters or in one of the thatched bungalows. He decided to take an evening stroll. Walking through the hallway, he paused and looked up to the ribbed ceiling, then at the paintings and tapestries. The elegant flowers, plants and ferns that hung and draped the stairs and balconies were so thick and voluptuous they might have been growing there for years. He had to admire Justin’s artistry, the way he had made the hallway a powerful, but not daunting, centrepiece of the mansion.
‘I like this,’ he said. He thought again of the Grand Plan as he surveyed the hall. It might just work. He had laid the groundwork during his year with Sylvina and the press had unwittingly made him a social star. He was sure the people on his list would accept his invitation to stay. It was just a matter of deciding when.
William stepped through the massive oak and iron doors, which appeared to be left open at all times, and walked down the white stone steps. He turned back and looked upwards: the night-lights threw gentle beams across the roof of the mansion, illuminating its magical structures. Plants cascaded in tumbling waterfalls of colour, and thousands of lilies, in hanging baskets and ornate pots, gave off a powerful aromatic scent. William had never given a moment’s thought to plants or flowers before, but now he touched, smelt and admired them. His pleasure grew as he walked along the main pathway to a smaller, darker lane that Justin had called Secrets Avenue.
William walked for about a quarter of a mile, and calculated that he was heading to the east side of the island towards one of the small coves. As the pathway sloped downwards, he could hear the thunder of the sea.
It will work. They’ll be bewitched by the place. He took such a deep breath of fresh air that he felt light-headed. It’s even got to me.
The path curved to the right and a white wooden railing with a thick rope marked out the steep slope to the side. The pebbled path was also slotted with thick wooden slabs, each one lower than the next, to create a set of steps down to the beach. The cove was carved out of the white cliffs, discreet lamps and platforms built into the rocks. The sun-loungers and cushions were lined up like soldiers, and tables with white parasols had been positioned to accommodate diners who wished to eat in the shade. Then, to his surprise, William thought he heard Justin’s laughter, carried on the wind, then the clink of glasses and a guitar playing softly in the dusk. He stayed in the shadows, scanning the darkness for him.
He spotted Justin lying stark naked on a small wooden jetty that extended into the sea. Sammy was with him, wearing an orange sarong tied loosely around his waist and a crown of flowers around his head. He was smoking a long joint, leaning back with his eyes closed. A beautiful girl with long braided hair entwined with flowers was massaging Justin, while another with red and white beads in her hair was dancing nearby, dressed only in a white chiffon scarf. A small girl was sitting between Justin’s legs placing strawberries along his thighs and eating them off him, one after the next. A fourth exotic creature, wearing Justin’s white kaftan, was playing the guitar. William watched in awed silence. The scene was like a painting by Gauguin.
He was just about to make his presence known, when the girl eating the strawberries began to eat Justin. For a moment William felt deeply embarrassed, then so shocked he couldn’t move. All of Justin’s beauties had begun to massage, suck and lick him. But when the girls stripped off their gauzy garments, William was aghast. The figures unintentionally revealed to him were male. William turned and ran away like a schoolboy.
The next morning William had already had breakfast and was sitting by the pool when Justin sauntered towards him. ‘Morning,’ he said, and flopped down on the sun-lounger next to William. ‘I’ve ordered cornflakes and every make of cereal you insist on crunching at breakfast. There’s also a selection of muesli. Did they leave them out for you this morning?’
‘Yes,’ William said. He hated muesli: all those nuts and bits got stuck in his bridge.
‘So, did you sleep well?’ Justin enquired, yawning.
‘Yes,’ came the crisp reply.
‘That’s good.’ Justin scrutinized William’s pink flesh. ‘You need some protection cream — there’s plenty in your room, plus some self-tanning lotion.’ He touched William’s thigh. ‘Look. You’re already burning.’ William pulled his legs away. Justin stood up. ‘Finish your breakfast while I have a swim,’ he said, heading back inside. ‘Then we can talk business.’
William tried to stop himself watching Justin stroll away through the double doors.
Twenty minutes later, William appeared at the pool, dressed in a dreadful pair of khaki shorts, a white shirt, loafers and a Panama hat. Justin clung to the rail at the side of the pool. ‘Going on safari, are we?’ he remarked.
William flushed and hitched up his pants in a defensive gesture. ‘I need to do some exercise,’ he said lamely.
Justin hauled himself out of the pool and placed a dripping arm around William’s shoulders. ‘There’s a well-equipped gym, and one of the boys is a fitness trainer. He’ll have you in shape in no time at all.’
‘I used to work out regularly,’ William muttered, ashamed of his body next to Justin’s.
‘I can see there’s still some muscle tone, so it won’t be too much of a strain,’ Justin lied. He felt sorry for William, surrounded by beauty but so deeply uncomfortable with himself. He led him through to where a large woman sat flicking through a magazine. ‘This is Ruby, Sir William. She’s the skin expert.’ He turned to her. ‘Check his sun lotions. And use some of that self-tan on him.’
‘Yes, sir, will do, sir.’ Ruby bobbed up. ‘Any time you wish, sir.’
Justin smiled at William. ‘Before you go outside again, Ruby will see to you. That’s an order.’ He threw his head back and laughed. ‘Now, let’s have that talk.’
Settled in the study, William tried to resume his authority. ‘I’ve given this thing a lot of thought, and no matter which way I look at it, it’s farcical. I mean, do I really want to invite these people here?’
Justin sighed. ‘You’ll never get it, will you?’ He leaned forward and looked William in the eye. ‘It’s a scam, William. We’re going to pull a scam that exploits the greed and selfishness of all these ghastly people.’ He gestured expansively towards the open window. ‘Look at the place. It’s the nearest you’ll find to paradise on the planet. We publish pictures, get a few articles in the press. It’ll be easy. “The Most Exclusive Villa in the World. The Most Expensive Villa in the World.” They’ll all fall for it. They’ll be over here and ready for the plucking.’