Across the Lagoon Read Free Page A

glistening jets of water within a circle of flowers.
    The vista was lost on the man at the desk, presumably Gray Barrett, who sat, pen in hand, frowning over papers before him. Because he didn't look up, Carol felt obliged to move into the centre of the room if only to attract his attention. He went on scribbling, casting his glance up only for a second to flick it over her with a curt, 'Miss Lindley, I take it?'
    Carol nodded while she searched around for her voice. She needn't have worried. It seemed that nothing - was expected of her—or at least not until several seconds later when the man suddenly looked up again. He fixed her with a sharp eye and rapped, 'Are you the person I spoke to earlier on the phone?'
    'That's right,' Carol replied, a resentment growing in her at his brusque manner. Face to face with him she had a full view of his appearance. He had fleshy, rather angular features toned down to what one might call attractiveness by a head of tightly curling dark hair. His brown eyes reminded her of his house, broody and withdrawn.
    Glueing them on her now, he threw his pen down as though it was a nuisance to him. She thought she detected exasperation in the movement. He rose to a formidable height, his well-cut suit covering an athletic, if somewhat bulky frame, and came round the side of the desk to rasp at her, 'And you think you could take care of a girl of fifteen in a place like Italy?'
    Completely unnerved now by his manner, Carol stood slightly petrified, fighting the pink on her cheeks. She felt like a horse being looked over as he moved around her. His raking gaze taking in her pale straight hair, candid blue eyes and rather thin figure, he commented testily, 'You're little more than a child, yourself.'
    This was enough to trigger off Carol's rising indignation. 'I'm going on for twenty,' she retorted spiritedly. 'And I've been used to helping at home with my six younger brothers and sisters.'
    'My niece is an only child,' the man said with smug implication as though large families were distasteful to him, 'and as such, she has a way of being different.'
    Carol was silenced by his overbearing manner. He took himself back to his desk and sat down heavily, the scowl -on his face deepening.
    'I was depending on you for the job,' he flicked a morose look over her. 'I pictured you with a little more' ... his humourless mouth sloped grimly as he searched for the right word ... 'maturity.'
    Annoyed at the way he was blaming her for everything, Carol was stung to reply, 'I wonder you didn't ask my age over the phone 1'
    'I was relying on your judgement of your capabilities,' he snapped. 'I haven't time to do other people's thinking for them.'
    Carol braved his displeasure to persist pertly, 'I think I'm capable of looking after your niece.'
    He looked at her long and darkly, then swivelling impatiently in his chair he fired his verdict at her. 'Well, quite frankly, I don't. As a chaperone for my niece, you'd only add to my problems.'
    Carol heard his words with no surprise. He had made no secret of his disappointment from the moment he had set eyes on her. She couldn't say she was sorry to be saying goodbye to the idea of haying him for a boss.
    'It was a last gamble, trying the local paper for one afternoon,' he said grouchily, picking up his pen. 'As I've no more time to waste on the matter I shall have to make do with my housekeeper.' He settled down to work again, shooting Carol a glance to add finally, 'I will of course be glad to refund your train fare.'
    'Please don't bother,' Carol said, her cheeks reddening haughtily. 'I'm not that hard up.'
    'Very well,' he dismissed her with a nod towards the door, 'Mrs Vernon will show you out.'
    Carol turned away. Her legs trembled beneath her as she made her way out of the room. The housekeeper was on hand to show her to the front door. Once out on the drive she wasted no time in putting as much distance as she could between herself and Rowan House.
    Well! Her