Read Online Welcome to Paradise by Jill Tahourdin - Free Book Online

know. Look, I’ve got a flask of coffee on board. Come and have some, won’t you?”
    Alix hesitated.
    Richard’s boat lay at anchor now, a little distance away. She could see that he had brought two rods, and was baiting them both. His back was towards her, and looked unconcerned—if a back can express emotion, she thought with a little grin.
    Eric Gore’s hand was on her bare shoulder. He had started to propel her towards the launch.
    No , she thought.
    “Thank you, Mr. Gore,” she said. “I’d love to see your launch some time. But not now. I’m just going to have a lesson in casting.”
    She saw him glance over at Richard, sitting there in the dinghy, not looking their way. A look of—surely it couldn’t be menace, though that was what it looked like—appeared for an instant in the ice-blue eyes. Then he was pulling himself lithely aboard his boat. Smoothly, and loud enough for Richard to hear, he said, “I’ll take you outside with me, one morning this week, for some real fishing. I guarantee you’ll find it exciting. We’ll fix a date on Tuesday, when you come to Northolme, shall we?”
    “Oh, I’m afraid I shan’t be able to come,” Alix told him, treading water. “I’m flying to Salisbury on Wednesday. I shall be on the bus on Tuesday, going to Port Elizabeth.”
    She saw a look of extreme chagrin cross his face.
    “You’re going away? Why?”
    “A change of plans.” What business was it of his?
    “But I thought ... Look here, you can’t possibly travel by the bus. If it weren’t for this meeting, I’d drive you over myself. You must let me send you in my car. My driver will take you. I must insist..
    “You’re very kind, Mr. Gore,” Alix said coolly. “But I’ve booked my seat on the bus. It’s the ‘Luxury’ bus — my aunt says it’s most comfortable. Look, I must go now. Thank you. Goodbye.”
    Without waiting to hear his reply—or to see the look of furious annoyance he directed at Richard’s back — she swam hard towards the dinghy. She said breathlessly, “I’ve come for my lesson, Richard, after all.”
    “Good,” he answered pleasantly, turning round and giving her a pull over the stem.
    “Thanks,” she said, and sat down in the stem sheets, lau ghin g up at him suddenly happy and at ease.
    Richard had suffered a sharp shock at finding Alix with Eric Gore. But he had no intention of spoiling what slender chance he might have with her by a display of jealousy or petulance. As the launch raced off up - lagoon—
    “Nice-looking craft that, isn’t it?” he observed equably. “Powerful too. But don’t you be persuaded to go outside unless it’s a dead calm day. The swell out there can be devastating.”
    “And I’m not a foolproof sailor, by any means.”
    “Aren’t you?” He was foolproof himself, but didn’t choose to diminish her by saying so.
    Nelson, who had unaccountably vanished while she was with Eric Gore, now reappeared and exhibited every intention of coming aboard.
    “Go home, Nelson. Home,” Alix told him in a firm voice.
    But Nelson had other ideas. Lifting his lip in a canine grin that said “Nothing doing,” he swerved and set off for the other side of the lagoon. “Back when I’m ready,” said the flick of his ears, so plainly that they both laughed. The laughter seemed to bring them closer. Richard said, “That’s a real dog. Got character. Knows his own mind.”
    “He’s usually much more obedient than that.”
    “Obedient—but not servile. He rightly sees no reason for going home now. Can’t stand a servile dog. You must meet mine. A Labrador. Finest dogs there are, I think.”
    “Oh, yes. We have one at home. He’s old now, and a bit lazy. But he’s—well, one of the family.”
    They talked dogs for a moment longer. Richard was busy with the rods. He looked up to say, “So you’re going, Alix?”
    “Yes. How did you know?”
    “Val told me.”
    “Oh. Yes, of course.”
    “Why, Alix?”
    Funny, when Eric Gore