Read Online The Sun and Catriona by Rosemary Pollock - Free Book Online Page B

accomplished. Now it would have to be scrapped.
    In front of Palazzo Vilhena he moved round to open the car door for her, but before he had an opportunity to touch it she sprang out unaided. Her easel, the case containing her colours and her folding stool were all in the back of the car and he remarked that he would have them sent up to her.
    ‘Thank you,’ she said, ‘but I’ll take them myself.’
    He shrugged. ‘Very well.’
    With a certain amount of difficulty Catriona carried her equipment into the house. Not glancing at her again, the Count got back into his car and drove it away to its garage.

 
    CHAPTER SIX
    When she reached the door of her own room Catriona had a certain amount of difficulty in turning the handle, but as soon as she was inside she dropped all her burdens and leaned against the closed door. For a moment she shut her eyes, while helpless resentment swept over her. Then a sound caught her attention, and she opened her eyes abruptly.
    Toni was lying face down on the bed, sobbing violently. Catriona thought for a moment, then went over and shook the other girl lightly by the shoulder. ‘Hello! It’s me, Catriona.’
    The sobs subsided and slowly Toni rolled over on to her back. Her eyes were red and swollen, her face streaked with tears.
    ‘D id he bring you back?’ she asked huskily.
    ‘Yes.’ Catriona sat down on the bed. She examined her own paint-stained fingers. ‘I’m sorry, Toni, but I don’t think I can take any more of your brother. I’m going back to England.’
    ‘No, you can’t!’ Toni sat up, her face even more a mask of distress than it had been a few seconds earlier. ‘Please, it will be dreadful if you go. There is no one else, except ... ’ She stopped, and her colour deepened.
    ‘Except the boy you met this afternoon?’
    ‘My ... my brother told you about Vittorio ? ’ Catriona nodded.
    ‘He told me that he found you having coffee with a friend.’
    ‘He’s the boy I told you about ... do you remember? When we were talking, on the plane?’
    ‘I remember.’
    ‘His name is Vittorio Falzon. I ... I liked him a lot, even when I first met him. You must have guessed.’
    The older girl smiled a little. ‘You obviously found him attractive.’
    ‘Yes, but it was more than that. Then, last night, at the party, I met him again. He remembered me — really remembered, I mean. He said he had been wondering when I was coming back to Malta. We talked and danced, and—I suppose nothing else seemed to matter. Then he asked when I would be able to meet him somewhere, and I didn’t know what to say. I knew that if I went out alone Peter would want to know why, and it all seemed so difficult. But I thought that if you and I went out together, and I arranged things so that I could go off by myself for a while ... ’ Toni broke off. ‘I’m sorry. It wasn’t fair, but I thought nobody would find out.’
    Catriona stood up. ‘Nobody would have found out if your brother hadn’t caught sight of you, and there’s no need to apologise to me. Why shouldn’t you meet a friend for coffee ? You’re quite old enough ... ’ She shrugged. ‘Oh, it’s all absurd. Anyway, I’ve told your brother what I think of him.’
    ‘You ... what did you say?’ Toni’s eyes widened.
    ‘I’ve told Count Vilhena that he can’t go on behaving like this. It won’t make any difference, I’m afraid, but at least I said it. And I really will have to go.’
    ‘No! No, I can’t do without—without someone to talk to. ’
    ‘You’ll make friends,’ Catriona pointed out. ‘Presumably your brother won’t object to girl friends.’
    ‘They wouldn’t be like you. They wouldn’t know what to do.’
    ‘I don’t know what to do,’ Catriona said honestly. ‘If you want my advice, though ... ’ She hesitated, and Toni looked at her expectantly. ‘Couldn’t you get in touch with your father? I’m sure he’d agree that—that Count Vilhena is being very unreasonable. A letter