The Arrogant Duke Read Free

de Castro was a Portuguese gentleman, who had sugar estates on the island, and that apart from herself his household accommodated several servants, including an American nurse for Teresa. Altogether it sounded quite delightful, and Juliet, enchanted with her own freedom, was revelling in it all.
    The hydroplane came down on the smooth surface of a bay, which was edged by a small community of cottages, the boats by the jetty rocking as the plane caused the water to swell considerably. Juliet loosened her seat belt, looked back at Louis, and said:
    'We've arrived?'
    Louis nodded his head. 'Sim, senhorita ,' he said. 'This is Venterra. You like?'
    Juliet smiled. 'Yes, I like. What do we do now?'
    Louis stood up and came to her side. 'See, Pedro has already started for the plane with his boat, eh!'
    Juliet looked through the window as he pointed, and saw the small rowing boat approaching them. 'Oh, yes. Thank you, Louis. ' Then: 'How will I get to the de Castro home?'
    Louis unstrapped her suitcases from their position in the rear, and then said: 'Do not worry, senhorita. A car will have been sent for you.'
    'I see.' Juliet wished she could dispel the apprehension which was rapidly overtaking all other emotions. 'Is it far to the house?'
    'The quinta, senhorita ! No, it is not far. Miguel will take you. '
    Juliet decided she had asked enough questions. It would not do to sound too curious about her employers. She wondered if Senhor de Castro was married. It seemed likely, and yet Mr. Forster had not mentioned it. He must be quite old. Mr. Forster had said that Teresa was the daughter of his younger brother, and as Teresa was sixteen it did not take a great deal of mathematical skill to work out that this man must be in his forties at the very least. She hoped, feeling a twinge of nervousness assail her, that he was not the kind of man to make passes at his employees. Such an idea had not occurred to her before, and yet now it loomed large and rather disturbing.
    The small craft touched the hydroplane, and the pilot threw open the door so that Juliet could emerge and climb into the boat. She had decided to wear a slack suit for the journey, and now she was glad she had. Getting in and out of small rowing boats was not the easiest thing to do while endeavouring to hold down a skirt.
    The heat here was tempered by a faint breeze, and the boat rocked gently. The scents of the island, a tang of salt and sea and the perfumes of the flowers, mingled with the sweet smell of the cane, and Juliet took a deep breath, shedding a little of her apprehension.
    Pedro, the boatman, was dark-skinned like Louis, but with more European features. He grinned cheerfully at the pilot and Louis, and gave Juliet a speculative glance before taking the cases and stowing them in the bottom of the small boat. After a brief conversation with his compatriots, he again took the oars and rowed rhythmically back to the stone jetty. Juliet was aware that their progress had attracted quite a deal of attention from women and children on the jetty, and she tried to interest herself in her surroundings to exclude her embarrassment. There was certainly plenty to see, the attractively painted cottages jostling each other, the fishing vessels with dark nets stretched out to dry, the palms that encroached almost to the water's edge in places, and most incongruous of all a low-slung cream convertible which was parked on the road which wound between the narrow ] houses.
    Pedro nodded to the automobile. 'Miguel,' he said, by way of an explanation. He pointed to himself. 'Er - Pedro's - brother.'
    'Oh yes,' Juliet nodded politely, recalling that Mr. Forster had not said she needed a foreign language here. It would prove awkward if they all spoke mainly Portuguese. Although she knew Spanish, Portuguese was not one of her languages.
    They reached the jetty, Pedro threw out the painter, and another man who was very much like Pedro caught it and tied the boat securely to the