a
modern sink unit, and next to it a cooker and refrigerator.
'I cook with bottled gas, but I also have my own generator for
electricity,' Flynn explained, seeing her puzzled look. 'O'Flaherty's
starting it up now. When it's running, and we've brought up the rest
of the stuff from the boat, I'll make you some tea.'
Transporting the supplies took a couple of journeys, and by the time
most of the things had been stowed away in the various cupboards
and drawers, Sandie's arms were aching. She sat by the scrubbed
table in the middle of the room and watched Flynn fill the kettle.
'It's a real home from home,' she said, after a moment. 'How long do
you usually stay here at a time?'
'That all depends.'
'And do you always come here by yourself?'
He laughed. 'Now there's a leading question!'
She flushed. 'I—I didn't mean... What I wanted to say was—don't
you ever find it lonely?'
'There can be worse things than loneliness. When I come here,
generally it's for peace and quiet, and if that means solitude, then it's
all right with me.' Flynn began to rinse out a big brown teapot. 'But I
won't be lonely this time—not with you to keep me company.' He
gestured towards the remaining bag of provisions on the table. 'Are
you hungry now, or can you wait until supper?'
Sandie stared at him, aware of a faint frisson of alarm. 'I don't want
anything to eat,' she said slowly. 'In fact I'm not sure if there's really
time for tea either. We should be getting back. I have to see Crispin-
talk to him—make arrangements. And we—we'll be late for dinner.'
'There's no gong to be obeyed here.' Flynn leaned back against the
sink, his arms folded across his chest. 'We can eat when we like.'
'But I don't like.' Sandie got to her feet, her mouth dry suddenly. 'I
really must go back to Killane. People will be wondering where I—
where we are.'
'Then O'Flaherty will enlighten them. So sit down and wait for your
tea in peace.'
'I don't want to,' she said. 'I want to go back to Killane—this
minute!'
'Then I hope you're a good swimmer.' His voice was almost casual.
'Because that's your only way of getting there—unless, of course,
you walk on water.'
'But—the boat...' she stammered.
'The boat is half-way back to Killane by now, with O'Flaherty.' He
gave her a brief hard smile. 'Which means, my lovely Alexandra,
that you stay here—with me—for all the days and nights till he
returns.'
With total incongruity, the kettle began to whistle.
As if in a dream, Sandie watched Flynn make the tea.
'There's only powdered milk,' he said. 'Or will you take it black?'
'Neither.' She moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue. 'I just
want to go home, right away.'
'So you still regard Killane as home.' Flynn set a steaming mug of
tea and the powdered milk in front of her. 'That's interesting in the
circumstances,' he added with irony. 'But don't be tempted to try and
entrench yourself here, will you, darling? Your stay on the island is
purely temporary, I assure you.'
Sandie pounded a clenched fist on the table. 'I'm not staying here at
all!' she shouted. 'I won't be kept here against my will, and you can't
make me!'
'I seem to have made a pretty good fist of it so far,' Flynn returned
coolly. 'Here you are, and here you're bound to remain, until the
boat comes back.'
She was shaking with temper. 'And how long will that be?'
He shrugged. 'As long as it takes. Until things at Killane—settle.'
'My God!' A thought struck her. 'Did your mother put you up to
this? Did she tell you to bring me here?' Her laugh contained a note
of hysteria. 'She tried to use the excuse that I might have some
stupid cold to keep me out of the way. But that wasn't enough. I
have to be—marooned with you. She's obsessed!'
'I wouldn't deny that, particularly where germs are involved,' Flynn
said drily. 'But Magda's whims and fancies don't apply here.
Bringing you to the island was my own idea entirely. I did
modern sink unit, and next to it a cooker and refrigerator.
'I cook with bottled gas, but I also have my own generator for
electricity,' Flynn explained, seeing her puzzled look. 'O'Flaherty's
starting it up now. When it's running, and we've brought up the rest
of the stuff from the boat, I'll make you some tea.'
Transporting the supplies took a couple of journeys, and by the time
most of the things had been stowed away in the various cupboards
and drawers, Sandie's arms were aching. She sat by the scrubbed
table in the middle of the room and watched Flynn fill the kettle.
'It's a real home from home,' she said, after a moment. 'How long do
you usually stay here at a time?'
'That all depends.'
'And do you always come here by yourself?'
He laughed. 'Now there's a leading question!'
She flushed. 'I—I didn't mean... What I wanted to say was—don't
you ever find it lonely?'
'There can be worse things than loneliness. When I come here,
generally it's for peace and quiet, and if that means solitude, then it's
all right with me.' Flynn began to rinse out a big brown teapot. 'But I
won't be lonely this time—not with you to keep me company.' He
gestured towards the remaining bag of provisions on the table. 'Are
you hungry now, or can you wait until supper?'
Sandie stared at him, aware of a faint frisson of alarm. 'I don't want
anything to eat,' she said slowly. 'In fact I'm not sure if there's really
time for tea either. We should be getting back. I have to see Crispin-
talk to him—make arrangements. And we—we'll be late for dinner.'
'There's no gong to be obeyed here.' Flynn leaned back against the
sink, his arms folded across his chest. 'We can eat when we like.'
'But I don't like.' Sandie got to her feet, her mouth dry suddenly. 'I
really must go back to Killane. People will be wondering where I—
where we are.'
'Then O'Flaherty will enlighten them. So sit down and wait for your
tea in peace.'
'I don't want to,' she said. 'I want to go back to Killane—this
minute!'
'Then I hope you're a good swimmer.' His voice was almost casual.
'Because that's your only way of getting there—unless, of course,
you walk on water.'
'But—the boat...' she stammered.
'The boat is half-way back to Killane by now, with O'Flaherty.' He
gave her a brief hard smile. 'Which means, my lovely Alexandra,
that you stay here—with me—for all the days and nights till he
returns.'
With total incongruity, the kettle began to whistle.
As if in a dream, Sandie watched Flynn make the tea.
'There's only powdered milk,' he said. 'Or will you take it black?'
'Neither.' She moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue. 'I just
want to go home, right away.'
'So you still regard Killane as home.' Flynn set a steaming mug of
tea and the powdered milk in front of her. 'That's interesting in the
circumstances,' he added with irony. 'But don't be tempted to try and
entrench yourself here, will you, darling? Your stay on the island is
purely temporary, I assure you.'
Sandie pounded a clenched fist on the table. 'I'm not staying here at
all!' she shouted. 'I won't be kept here against my will, and you can't
make me!'
'I seem to have made a pretty good fist of it so far,' Flynn returned
coolly. 'Here you are, and here you're bound to remain, until the
boat comes back.'
She was shaking with temper. 'And how long will that be?'
He shrugged. 'As long as it takes. Until things at Killane—settle.'
'My God!' A thought struck her. 'Did your mother put you up to
this? Did she tell you to bring me here?' Her laugh contained a note
of hysteria. 'She tried to use the excuse that I might have some
stupid cold to keep me out of the way. But that wasn't enough. I
have to be—marooned with you. She's obsessed!'
'I wouldn't deny that, particularly where germs are involved,' Flynn
said drily. 'But Magda's whims and fancies don't apply here.
Bringing you to the island was my own idea entirely. I did
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