Grand Canary Read Free Page A

courts. Perhaps not. Certainly, at thirty-two, she was physically quite magnificent. But it was a careless magnificence. Only a tenth part of her mind seemed occupied by external affairs – a tiresome business! – the remainder was concentrated upon herself. If her face showed no animation it was because she had now decided that the situation was unworthy of her attention. Yet her expression was striking – faintly challenging and, now that her features were in repose, arrogant, almost sullen. She was handsome in her vivid way. She had a dashing colour, her eyes were splendid, her mouth wide, her teeth strong and white.
    Beside her the girl seemed strangely young; that, indeed, was the quality in Mary Fielding which instantly possessed the eye; though she was twenty-five, she looked, at times, no more than fifteen years. She was of medium height, her figure slender, small-boned, and light. Her hands and feet were small, her face both eager and alive. Her hair, of a deep rich brown, was worn short, falling away from a wide forehead; her teeth were small and perfect; her eyes blue, with irises circled curiously by much darker rings; and very deep they were – brimming with light that seemed upon the edge of darkness. Though there were moments when those eyes could hold a strangely puzzled sadness, now they were dancing – singularly gay. She was dressed quite carelessly in brown tweed clothes that hung about her in some disarray.
    They drew near. And, preparatory to their passing, Harvey pointedly averted his gaze. It was then that Mary Fielding saw him.
    She gave a little gasp; her face went quite pale; and into the brightness of her eyes there flashed a look both joyful and afraid. She hesitated, made to stop. And then, lifting his head, his gaze met hers. He did not know her, had never in his life seen her before. He stared at her in stony and complete unrecognition.
    At that her eyes fell. Again deep within her she felt frightened, terribly frightened, and yet glad. Her face was still white as she walked forward with Elissa. Out of the corner of his eye Harvey observed them enter their cabins, which, with a cold indifference, he saw to be adjoining his own.
    The doors closed; he forgot about it all. Wearily he turned and leant against a stanchion. A bell rang sharply from the bridge, then rang again; a muffled throbbing stirred inside the ship, which pulsed as with the awakening of life. He felt the vessel slowly move and, like a man released by a sudden signal, he swung abruptly round.

Chapter Three
    He stepped into his cabin, flung himself upon the settee, and immediately pressed the bell. He waited; then with a sudden impatience he rang the bell again. Violently. In a moment the steward entered, flurried and apologetic, sweating from his haste. He was a little fat man, bald on top of his head, with brown bulbous eyes that popped out of his round face above the whiteness of his short drill jacket.
    â€˜What’s your name?’ asked Leith abruptly.
    â€˜Trout, sir.’
    â€˜You thought twice about answering the bell, Trout.’
    â€˜Very sorry, sir. I’ve been extra busy with the luggage. You see, sir, Lady Fielding just came aboard now. And I had to look slippy of a sudden. Sir Michael Fielding – her husband – is a big man with Slade Brothers. Large interests in the company he has, sir.’
    â€˜Fielding?’ said Harvey. ‘You mean the specimen with the monocle?’
    Trout looked deprecatingly at his cracked boots, rubbed his moist palms along the shiny seams of his blue serge trousers.
    â€˜Sir Michael is not travelling, sir. You might mean the Honourable Daines-Dibdin, intending no offence. An oldish gentleman, sir, but very classy, as you would say. He came aboard with her ladyship and Mrs Baynham.’
    Harvey looked gloomily at the steward’s bald head.
    â€˜I’ve got no title, Trout. And no influence with the company. But I’ve got a