Read Online Nantucket by Harrison Young - Free Book Online Page B

the darkness again.
    Just touch me somewhere.” He let his hands find her breasts. “You are very brave,” she said. “Whatever happened on that phone call, you managed to lock it up. Don’t worry. You looked fine. But I could tell. If you’re married to a man like Shiva, you see a lot of supplicants. I know what suppressed fear looks like in a man. And I like you, sweet Andrew, who took me to the beach but wouldn’t take advantage of me. I think I’m going to like you very much. Whatever it is you’re trying to accomplish here, I’ll help you if I can. I never pay attention to the business aspects of our existence, you realise. Shiva’s and my existence, that is. All the nice invitations.”
    â€œI want your husband and Joe to merge overlapping bits of their respective empires,” and Andrew.
    â€œSo they need to become friends,” she said, “at least for a while?”
    Andrew took a deep breath. “Yes,” he said. He certainly hoped they would. “Quite a while,” he added.
    When they got to the house, Andrew told Rosemary to go up to her room. He’d wait on the porch for a while. She was back within seconds, however. “Shiva’s not there,” she said.
    â€œDoes he know about your night-time prowling?”
    â€œHe knows about my insomnia . I’ll just slip back into bed, and be asleep when he returns from whatever he is doing. He must be trying to seduce your wife, by the way, because I hear voices coming from your room. I would recommend you not confront him.”
    â€œI will go into the maid’s room at the end of the pantry,” said Andrew, not sure he should have agreed so readily. “I’ll pretend I snore. He does that too, I think you said.”
    â€œA good listener and a wise banker,” said Rosemary. And kissing him lightly on the cheek, she scampered upstairs again.

5
    Andrew woke up in the maid’s room. It took him a moment to remember where he was. Thick curtains covered the windows but there was bright sunlight at the edges. Something had happened in the middle of the night, but he couldn’t let himself get distracted remembering it. He had a weekend to manage.
    Feeling foolish in his red-and-white striped nightshirt, he hurried through the pantry to the kitchen, saw the remnants of several breakfasts, began to panic. His watch and mobile phone were upstairs, he thought, but from the brightness of the sun it could be after nine. The house was quiet. What if everyone had left? Shiva could have sent for his plane. Joe could have chartered a boat. Sally could have quit.
    He looked into the living room. Rosemary was sitting on the sofa, reading. That was a relief. It was very nice, in fact. Looking at her was like eating honey. She was wearing linen long pants and a matching long-sleeve blouse. The colour was hard to name: faded apricot? It complemented her white-blonde hair. Her hair was a mess – and perfect. She was what had happened in the middle of the night.
    â€œYou’re awake,” she said, looking up from her book. “Come sit next to me.”
    He did, leaving space between them.
    â€œI’ve sent Joe and Shiva walking to the lighthouse, which should take them a couple of hours. I told Shiva he could regard a lighthouse as a kind of temple. Joe took his map. He’s a bit nutty about maps.”
    Ah.
    â€œThe girls have gone for a run in the opposite direction, so as not to be in the way. Cathy made sure of that. She’s good. I expect they’ll get into the water before they come back. Cathy went to town early and bought muffins and lobsters. Stay put. I’ll get you one – a muffin, that is – and how do you like your coffee?”
    â€œBlack. No sugar.”
    â€œOh, and good morning,” she said. She leaned across the space he had left between them and kissed him on the mouth.
    â€œIndeed,” said Andrew, blinking. The kiss