Kate said. “This lotion has
made me more comfortable. I didn’t sleep at all last
night.”
“Poor Kate,” sympathised Pallas.
When she had gone Kate lay, in the semi-darkness of
her room, gazing at the white shutters which Pallas had
closed. Faint beams of light struggled through them and
lay in bars across the floor. Her headache was better
now, but her eyes felt hot and dry, and she was grateful
for the cool shadows around her.
Marc had carried her up here yesterday and laid her
gently on the bed. Through the hazy mist of pain she had
stared up at him, wondering why he looked so savagely
angry. She couldn’t help getting sunburn. Then she had
been suddenly, violently sick, and when she came back
from her desperate race to the bathroom, she had found
him gone, and Sophia waiting with cool water and
gentle, soothing hands.
Her eyes closed. She preferred to forget what had
happened yesterday. It had been a traumatic experience.
The next few days were quiet and peaceful. Pallas and
Sam came in every morning. Sometimes they played
cards with her, or just sat and talked. Sometimes she
slept for most of the day. The burning sensation had
lessened gradually. Her skin was now merely hot and
dry. In places it was beginning to peel, and she watched
it discontentedly. She was going to look a sight when it
flaked off on her back. She would not be able to wear her
bikini for the rest of the holiday.
On the Friday morning the doctor said she could now
get up. “But,” he warned sternly, “no more sunbathing.
No exertion.”
She promised eagerly. “It’s been such a waste of a
holiday,” she said to Sam.
He was looking pleasantly tanned, his freckles
merging with his healthy brown skin.
He gave her his hand. “Come on,” he said, “I’ll help
you downstairs.”
“I’m not an invalid,” she protested.
Sam grinned at her. “You’ve been acting the part jolly
well, then!”
To give herself confidence Kate had put on one of her
new dresses, a cool white voile, very feminine and
delicate, with a full skirt which reached half-way down
her calf, soft frills which left her throat bare, and tight-
fitting sleeves.
She met Mrs. Lillitos as she and Sam were going
down, and the older woman smiled delightedly.
“My dear child, how enchanting you look! A vision
from the past. But you need a hat.” She smiled. “I have
just the hat you need, ma chere .” She walked stiffly
back to her room, leaning on her cane, and returned in a
short time with a large picture hat of white straw,
trimmed with one very floppy pink rose.
Kate stood still while Mrs. Lillitos adjusted it. Sam
watched, smiling.
“Great, kid,” he enthused. “You look ...” he hesitated,
lost for words.
“Beautiful?” Mrs. Lillitos suggested teasingly.
Sam grinned. “You took the word out of my mouth,
Mrs. Lillitos.”
“And it covers up my sunburn,” Kate told them
confidentially. “My back and arms are still very un-
sightly. I wanted to hide them.”
They sat on the verandah, out of the treacherous sun,
until lunchtime. There was no sign of Marc, and Kate did
not dare to ask after him, but she gathered later that he
had been engrossed in business during her illness, and
had rarely emerged from his office, which was at the far
side of the house.
They were about to move in for lunch when Marc came
out on to the verandah. He stopped dead, catching sight
of Kate, and stared at her in silence for a moment, then
said politely, “You look much better. How do you feel?”
She murmured a vague reply. Sam and Pallas dis-
creetly wandered into the house, leaving them alone.
Kate stood up, feeling ridiculously overdressed. Marc
was wearing a light blue shirt and casual grey slacks.
“I went up to the temple and told your fiancé about
your illness,” he said abruptly.
“That was very kind of you,” she said stiffly.
“He would have come down to see you, but he had to
finish his
made me more comfortable. I didn’t sleep at all last
night.”
“Poor Kate,” sympathised Pallas.
When she had gone Kate lay, in the semi-darkness of
her room, gazing at the white shutters which Pallas had
closed. Faint beams of light struggled through them and
lay in bars across the floor. Her headache was better
now, but her eyes felt hot and dry, and she was grateful
for the cool shadows around her.
Marc had carried her up here yesterday and laid her
gently on the bed. Through the hazy mist of pain she had
stared up at him, wondering why he looked so savagely
angry. She couldn’t help getting sunburn. Then she had
been suddenly, violently sick, and when she came back
from her desperate race to the bathroom, she had found
him gone, and Sophia waiting with cool water and
gentle, soothing hands.
Her eyes closed. She preferred to forget what had
happened yesterday. It had been a traumatic experience.
The next few days were quiet and peaceful. Pallas and
Sam came in every morning. Sometimes they played
cards with her, or just sat and talked. Sometimes she
slept for most of the day. The burning sensation had
lessened gradually. Her skin was now merely hot and
dry. In places it was beginning to peel, and she watched
it discontentedly. She was going to look a sight when it
flaked off on her back. She would not be able to wear her
bikini for the rest of the holiday.
On the Friday morning the doctor said she could now
get up. “But,” he warned sternly, “no more sunbathing.
No exertion.”
She promised eagerly. “It’s been such a waste of a
holiday,” she said to Sam.
He was looking pleasantly tanned, his freckles
merging with his healthy brown skin.
He gave her his hand. “Come on,” he said, “I’ll help
you downstairs.”
“I’m not an invalid,” she protested.
Sam grinned at her. “You’ve been acting the part jolly
well, then!”
To give herself confidence Kate had put on one of her
new dresses, a cool white voile, very feminine and
delicate, with a full skirt which reached half-way down
her calf, soft frills which left her throat bare, and tight-
fitting sleeves.
She met Mrs. Lillitos as she and Sam were going
down, and the older woman smiled delightedly.
“My dear child, how enchanting you look! A vision
from the past. But you need a hat.” She smiled. “I have
just the hat you need, ma chere .” She walked stiffly
back to her room, leaning on her cane, and returned in a
short time with a large picture hat of white straw,
trimmed with one very floppy pink rose.
Kate stood still while Mrs. Lillitos adjusted it. Sam
watched, smiling.
“Great, kid,” he enthused. “You look ...” he hesitated,
lost for words.
“Beautiful?” Mrs. Lillitos suggested teasingly.
Sam grinned. “You took the word out of my mouth,
Mrs. Lillitos.”
“And it covers up my sunburn,” Kate told them
confidentially. “My back and arms are still very un-
sightly. I wanted to hide them.”
They sat on the verandah, out of the treacherous sun,
until lunchtime. There was no sign of Marc, and Kate did
not dare to ask after him, but she gathered later that he
had been engrossed in business during her illness, and
had rarely emerged from his office, which was at the far
side of the house.
They were about to move in for lunch when Marc came
out on to the verandah. He stopped dead, catching sight
of Kate, and stared at her in silence for a moment, then
said politely, “You look much better. How do you feel?”
She murmured a vague reply. Sam and Pallas dis-
creetly wandered into the house, leaving them alone.
Kate stood up, feeling ridiculously overdressed. Marc
was wearing a light blue shirt and casual grey slacks.
“I went up to the temple and told your fiancé about
your illness,” he said abruptly.
“That was very kind of you,” she said stiffly.
“He would have come down to see you, but he had to
finish his
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