Sea Gem by Wallis Peel

where you were and if you were all right. He loves you desperately. Oh! He said nothing else but I know my grandson.’
    Mary’s shoulders slumped. The forces lined against her were too strong, her greatest enemy her own conscience. What about Victor?
    ‘If you marry Duret you will become a rich woman,’ Louise said gently. ‘Your past fears of poverty and charity will vanish for ever. Your children will grow up never knowing
want. You will be sole mistress of a fine home, respected by the islanders, a lady of consequence. Remember—when poverty walks in the door, love flies out of the window and what exactly can
le Page offer you that is as good as marriage to Duret? Do you think all marriages are based on love? Goodness me, girl, you’ve had a sound education. What about the gentry and aristocracy
who marry to unite land and wealth—the same even with royalty? Don’t tell me, child, that wealth and position are to be scorned. You’ve more sense in your head than that! You
marry my grandson and perpetuate my line and you will be Madam Noyen, a lady of importance and respect. You marry le Page and where will you end up? God knows! I don’t!’
    Mary did not immediately reply. Louise’s shrewd comments accurately hit the bull’s eye.
    ‘But I don’t love Duret,’ she protested weakly.
    Louise sensed she was winning. ‘Love grows,’ she said softly. ‘And the variety that takes time to come is often far better than the hot flush of the all-at-once
stuff!’
    Mary closed her eyes miserably. Victor’s wild ideas of going abroad were magnificent but—what if they did not work out? What if babies came and they did not have two halfpennies to
rub together? Duret meant security; Victor offered risk. If it were herself alone she knew where the choice would lie but she must think of possible children. She could feel Louise’s eyes
boring into her.
    ‘I doubt I’ll ever love him,’ she whispered ruefully.
    ‘But surely you must like Duret?’
    Mary nodded at that. ‘Yes, that I do.’
    ‘Well?’ Louise asked with forced gentleness. She sensed they had reached the crux of their talk but which way would the girl jump? Mary Hinton was a far more complex character than
she had imagined and she had a temper to boot. She fully approved of this. Mary was the ideal mate for Duret but Louise had enough sense to know when not to press. She held her breath, feeling her
nerves jangle with agitation though her expression was smoothly bland from long practice.
    Mary made her decision. ‘I will marry Duret—on one condition!’
    Louise stiffened. ‘Which is?’
    ‘That it is done as quickly as possible with neither frills nor fanfare,’ Mary said firmly then unbent to explain. ‘Victor le Page is away from the island for a number of
weeks. It’s better for me to be a wife when he returns. I will then see him—and tell him.’
    Louise’s breath came out with a rush of relief. She had played her cards right after all, thank God she had found out about le Page’s antics with Mary in time. Praise be for
gossiping island tongues! It had enabled her to formulate a plan, put it into action, then pray something tangible would happen. Duret’s wounding had not been exactly what she’d had in
mind but it had sufficed admirably. The editor of the newspaper, an old acquaintance of hers, had been most obliging and thought her idea of letting the cub reporter loose on his own, an excellent
way to test his abilities. He had been delighted and wondered why he had failed to think of this himself. Of course, he knew who young le Page was and Louise’s interest in promoting the
boy’s career had not been untoward. Louise Noyen was well known to have a finger stuck deep in many pies and if she wanted le Page away from Guernsey for a few weeks, that was her business.
He had no intention of questioning her as to her motives.
    ‘You’ll not regret this, Mary. That is a promise!’ Louise vowed.
    Suddenly, Mary felt