Read Online Island of Mermaids by Iris Danbury - Free Book Online

across the garden. In a few moments she was practising scales and arpeggios with joyous abandon.
    ‘ Trips to Naples merely for singing lessons are going to seem very dull to Carla after all this initial send-off, ’ murmured Mr. Buckland.
    Althea laughed. ‘ Oh, she ’ ll simmer down. ’ She spoke casually, but her thoughts were not at all casual. Carla was doubly vulnerable where Kent was concerned, in her desire to please him by her singing and, much more important, as a woman. Was it fair of Kent to build up the hopes of an impressionable girl and then cast her down when it suited him? He would stay at his Villa Castagna for two or three months, then when he returned to England, Carla would be left forlorn and unhappy. Unless, of course, Kent Sanderby was going to change his plans and his whole way of life and marry Carla.
    Althea asked herself how could she know what was in his mind and the answer was that his future was no concern of hers.
    She packed up the breakfast tray ready for Rosanna to take later, then sat down close to her father. ‘ I ’ ve thought over your ideas for a shop here, ’ she began.
    Tes? With what result? ’
    ‘ I think I like the idea, provided you can be relied on not to work yourself to death. ’
    Lawrence Buckland patted Althea ’ s shoulder. ‘ I ’ m glad, my dear, although I don ’ t want to force you to stay here. Nor do I want you to work yourself to death. It shouldn ’ t be necessary for either of us to put in more than a part-time stint. I guarantee you ’ ll have ample time for leisure. ’
    ‘ What ’ s the first step? ’ she asked.
    ‘ Approach the local authority first for a permit to trade, I should imagine. My good friend, Dr. Fortini, will advise me there. Then suitable premises. ’
    ‘ I ’ ve noticed some new shops being built near the piazza in Anacapri. One or two are occupied, but there are others not quite finished. ’
    ‘ We shall have to find out what we can get. I don ’ t want some dark little place next door to a cheese shop or a tavern. ’
    ‘D’ you think Kent Sanderby would be of any help to you? ’ She had spoken before she could stop herself. She would be the last person to ask Kent for the benefit of his professional knowledge, even on behalf of her father.
    ‘ He might be most useful, ’ her father agreed readily. ‘ He could at least point out faults and snags in a place. ’
    ‘D id you know he was an architect? ’
    Her father glanced at her. ‘ Of course. He told me he specialises in restoring old properties. ’
    Althea was silent for a moment or two. So Kent had revealed his profession to her father and naturally he would assume that she would also be aware of it. Instead, she had taunted him with having a certain amount of bricklayer ’ s knowledge.
    ‘ I don ’ t want any mention of our plans in front of Emilia or Carla. ’ Her father ’ s quiet warning cut through Althea ’ s thoughts.
    ‘ Naturally I won ’ t say anything about it. ’
    ‘ We ’ ll wait until we ’ ve something definite started. Then I ’ ll te ll Emilia. ’
    After a pause Althea asked, ‘ When you have a shop, would you want to continue living here or find some place of your own? ’
    Her father gazed out into the garden before answering. ‘ I ’ m not sure. We shall have to settle that question when the time comes. I ’ m very comfortable here and I hope you are. ’
    ‘ Could hardly be better from my point of view, ’ she said. ‘ We ’ ve practically a little villa to ourselves and at the same time there are other people around. ’
    She did not ask why he wanted a certain amount of secrecy. No doubt he had his reasons and would reveal them in due time.
    ‘ And Kent? You don ’ t mind if he knows? ’
    ‘ No harm there. He ’ ll be discreet. Besides, if we want help from him, we ’ ll have to be frank and honest with him. ’
    When Althea accompanied her father later during the morning on his walk to the centre of