achieving painful red patches.
There had been no further calls from Ash, either to herself or to Bettina. Although she disliked having to admit it, she found herself beginning to feel some impatience for his return.
That morning she was able to swim two hundred strokes without being even mildly puffed, and she knew that already this open-air life she was leading had exercised neglected muscles and improved the tone of her skin.
Surprisingly very few holidaymakers came down to the beach before breakfast. This morning she had it to herself until, on the third and final lap of her walk, when the breezy sunshine had already dried her arms and legs, she saw a man leave the gardens and cross the beach to the sea's edge.
At first, from a distance, she took him for someone staying at the Colony. And then he turned in her direction, and his height and something about his bearing made her catch her breath slightly. But it couldn't be Ash, not at this hour. Surely it couldn't.
That it was Ash, she knew for certain when he raised an arm and waved to her. What was he doing here so early? He must have flown over last night. Even so, seven o'clock in the morning seemed a peculiar time to call on her. For all he knew, she might be enjoying sleeping late, as most of the other guests seemed to. Unless . . . unless he had spent the night at the Colony, in Bettina's cottage, and had come to the beach merely to swim, not expecting to find Christie up yet.
As these thoughts were going through her mind, the distance between them was lessening, and her heart was beginning to beat in quick, nervous thumps.
During his stay at her flat she had been aware of the strength of his tall, lithe body. Now, as he strode towards her wearing only the briefest of briefs, the pattern of muscle from his broad shoulders down to his hips made her think of a suit of bronze armour. He was as splendidly built as any of the young Antiguans who came to the beach at this hour to exercise and swim before work.
Her mind shied away from a mental picture of Ash and Bettina, both naked, in a narrow bed. For the rest of the way, until they were within speaking distance, Christie averted her gaze and pretended an interest in the goats which were grazing on the open land outside the boundary of the gardens surrounding the Colony.
'Good morning. I didn't expect you to be about for some time yet.
Most people, having adjusted to Antigua time, tend to like to "lie in",'
were his first words.
'But this is the best time of day. I love it down here before breakfast.'
Only after this preliminary exchange were they close enough to shake hands, and the warm, firm clasp of his fingers sent a curious tremor down her spine.
She would have withdrawn her hand quickly, but his strong grip forced her to wait until he ended the contact, and this he did not do until he had looked her up and down, and said, 'You've been sensible, I'm glad to see. By the end of the week you'll be a very nice colour.
Already you've lost that sickly look.'
'Sickly! I may have been white, but I wasn't unhealthy,' she protested.
'Wait till you go back, and see if you don't agree that people with white skins look sickly. You've been in already, I see. Will you join me in another dip?'
Christie shook her head. 'I must go back and fetch John for his bathe.
He wakes up later than I do, but he has a swim before breakfast.'
'Okay. I'll see you presently.'
Ash turned to sprint into the sea for a flying header which flung up a shower of spray. He came up with his face to the sun, black hair glistening and teeth very white as he grinned at her. 'This is the life!'
Yes, for a favoured few, she thought as she turned away. But not many can live like this. Even the Antiguans themselves could not all remain in their birthplace. The maid who serviced the cottage had spoken of a cousin in London, and a sister who had gone to America.
A life in the sun, surrounded by beauty and peace, was almost everyone's
There had been no further calls from Ash, either to herself or to Bettina. Although she disliked having to admit it, she found herself beginning to feel some impatience for his return.
That morning she was able to swim two hundred strokes without being even mildly puffed, and she knew that already this open-air life she was leading had exercised neglected muscles and improved the tone of her skin.
Surprisingly very few holidaymakers came down to the beach before breakfast. This morning she had it to herself until, on the third and final lap of her walk, when the breezy sunshine had already dried her arms and legs, she saw a man leave the gardens and cross the beach to the sea's edge.
At first, from a distance, she took him for someone staying at the Colony. And then he turned in her direction, and his height and something about his bearing made her catch her breath slightly. But it couldn't be Ash, not at this hour. Surely it couldn't.
That it was Ash, she knew for certain when he raised an arm and waved to her. What was he doing here so early? He must have flown over last night. Even so, seven o'clock in the morning seemed a peculiar time to call on her. For all he knew, she might be enjoying sleeping late, as most of the other guests seemed to. Unless . . . unless he had spent the night at the Colony, in Bettina's cottage, and had come to the beach merely to swim, not expecting to find Christie up yet.
As these thoughts were going through her mind, the distance between them was lessening, and her heart was beginning to beat in quick, nervous thumps.
During his stay at her flat she had been aware of the strength of his tall, lithe body. Now, as he strode towards her wearing only the briefest of briefs, the pattern of muscle from his broad shoulders down to his hips made her think of a suit of bronze armour. He was as splendidly built as any of the young Antiguans who came to the beach at this hour to exercise and swim before work.
Her mind shied away from a mental picture of Ash and Bettina, both naked, in a narrow bed. For the rest of the way, until they were within speaking distance, Christie averted her gaze and pretended an interest in the goats which were grazing on the open land outside the boundary of the gardens surrounding the Colony.
'Good morning. I didn't expect you to be about for some time yet.
Most people, having adjusted to Antigua time, tend to like to "lie in",'
were his first words.
'But this is the best time of day. I love it down here before breakfast.'
Only after this preliminary exchange were they close enough to shake hands, and the warm, firm clasp of his fingers sent a curious tremor down her spine.
She would have withdrawn her hand quickly, but his strong grip forced her to wait until he ended the contact, and this he did not do until he had looked her up and down, and said, 'You've been sensible, I'm glad to see. By the end of the week you'll be a very nice colour.
Already you've lost that sickly look.'
'Sickly! I may have been white, but I wasn't unhealthy,' she protested.
'Wait till you go back, and see if you don't agree that people with white skins look sickly. You've been in already, I see. Will you join me in another dip?'
Christie shook her head. 'I must go back and fetch John for his bathe.
He wakes up later than I do, but he has a swim before breakfast.'
'Okay. I'll see you presently.'
Ash turned to sprint into the sea for a flying header which flung up a shower of spray. He came up with his face to the sun, black hair glistening and teeth very white as he grinned at her. 'This is the life!'
Yes, for a favoured few, she thought as she turned away. But not many can live like this. Even the Antiguans themselves could not all remain in their birthplace. The maid who serviced the cottage had spoken of a cousin in London, and a sister who had gone to America.
A life in the sun, surrounded by beauty and peace, was almost everyone's
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