knew wore. It was soft and expensive, like the clothes she had seen in the shop window in Kingstown. and the tawny silk matched the feline lightness of his eyes.
'Hello.' he said, when he neared her. his eyes narrowed now against the glare, and she was made instantly aware of the brevity of her own attire. His stare was as comprehensive as hers, and his voice was husky as he added: 'I guess you're going swimming. I wish I could come with you.'
Ruth moistened her upper lip. noticing as she did so that his skin was covered with a gilding of perspiration. In spite of his words and his apparent recovery, she guessed he was exhausted by his exertions. and her first words mirrored her anxiety.
'Ought you to be up?' she exclaimed, forgetting her embarrassment in her concern for his welfare. 'Doctor Francis said—'
'I know what Francis said.' Dominic interrupted her flatly. 'And you didn't answer me.'
'Of course I intended to go swimming.' Ruth admitted. 'But I think I ought to get you back to the house—'
'I'm not an invalid,' he averred, sinking down on to the sand at her feet and spreading his long legs. 'Nor do I need you to tell me what to do. Go and take your swim. I'll watch you. I need a break from the monotony of those four walls.'
Ruth hesitated, looking down at him. and he reached up to tug the towel from her fingers. 'Go on.' he said, his eyes heavy with fatigue and something else she couldn't identify. 'I won't leave here. I promise you.'
Ruth shifted restlessly, scuffing her toe in the sand. 'I ought to talk to you.' she murmured, glancing sideways at him. 'When I went to the bank yesterday—'
'—they told you who I was, right?' Dominic shaded his eyes with one hand as he looked up at her. 'So—okay, you know now. Does it make any difference?'
Ruth sighed. 'Why did you lie? Why did you tell us the wrong name?'
'I didn't." Dominic dropped his hand and fixed his gaze on the far horizon. 'My names are Dominic and Howard. I just didn't give you all my names, that's all.'
'You deliberately misled us.'
He shrugged. 'As you say.'
'And why don't you want anyone to know where you are? Mr Templar—he's the bank manager—he told me your friends in Bridgetown are frantic to know your whereabouts.'
'I can believe it.' Dominic's tone was uninterested. Then he looked up at her again. 'He didn't tell them?'
'No.' Ruth moved her shoulders. 'But he'd like to.'
'I'll bet!' he grimaced. 'I'll handle my—friends, in my own time.'
'But if anything had happened to you!'
The words burst from Ruth's lips, and his lips twisted. 'Yes? If anything had happened to me— what? It wouldn't matter, either way.'
'It would to us.' exclaimed Ruth indignantly, then flushed when he fixed her with a steady gaze. 'Well—' she defended herself, 'I can imagine your father's reactions if we'd let you die.'
'Oh. I see. You'd do that, would you? Let me die. I mean?' he teased, his mouth humorous now. and she shifted uneasily.
'You know what I mean.' she declared. 'Mr Templar said—'
'Oh. it was Templar, was it?' Dominic relaxed back on his elbows, wincing as he jarred his arm. and then silently daring her to say anything about it. 'I thought that didn't sound like you or your father. Believe me. that's only my family's way of putting on the pressure.'
'Putting on the pressure?' Ruth echoed blankly. 'What do you mean?'
Dominic shook his head. 'Go and have your swim.' he directed, studying the horizon once again. 'We'll folk again when you come out.'
Ruth was reluctant, but the sea was enticing and she was sticky from the terrors of the night. With an inconsequent shrug, she bowed her head, and without another word left him to take ever quickening steps into the ocean.
Despite her awareness of her audience, it was impossible not to find enjoyment in the chill transiency of the water. It was like silk against her skin, soothing her anxiety, and cooling her blood. She swam smoothly, effortlessly, her arms moving through the water
'Hello.' he said, when he neared her. his eyes narrowed now against the glare, and she was made instantly aware of the brevity of her own attire. His stare was as comprehensive as hers, and his voice was husky as he added: 'I guess you're going swimming. I wish I could come with you.'
Ruth moistened her upper lip. noticing as she did so that his skin was covered with a gilding of perspiration. In spite of his words and his apparent recovery, she guessed he was exhausted by his exertions. and her first words mirrored her anxiety.
'Ought you to be up?' she exclaimed, forgetting her embarrassment in her concern for his welfare. 'Doctor Francis said—'
'I know what Francis said.' Dominic interrupted her flatly. 'And you didn't answer me.'
'Of course I intended to go swimming.' Ruth admitted. 'But I think I ought to get you back to the house—'
'I'm not an invalid,' he averred, sinking down on to the sand at her feet and spreading his long legs. 'Nor do I need you to tell me what to do. Go and take your swim. I'll watch you. I need a break from the monotony of those four walls.'
Ruth hesitated, looking down at him. and he reached up to tug the towel from her fingers. 'Go on.' he said, his eyes heavy with fatigue and something else she couldn't identify. 'I won't leave here. I promise you.'
Ruth shifted restlessly, scuffing her toe in the sand. 'I ought to talk to you.' she murmured, glancing sideways at him. 'When I went to the bank yesterday—'
'—they told you who I was, right?' Dominic shaded his eyes with one hand as he looked up at her. 'So—okay, you know now. Does it make any difference?'
Ruth sighed. 'Why did you lie? Why did you tell us the wrong name?'
'I didn't." Dominic dropped his hand and fixed his gaze on the far horizon. 'My names are Dominic and Howard. I just didn't give you all my names, that's all.'
'You deliberately misled us.'
He shrugged. 'As you say.'
'And why don't you want anyone to know where you are? Mr Templar—he's the bank manager—he told me your friends in Bridgetown are frantic to know your whereabouts.'
'I can believe it.' Dominic's tone was uninterested. Then he looked up at her again. 'He didn't tell them?'
'No.' Ruth moved her shoulders. 'But he'd like to.'
'I'll bet!' he grimaced. 'I'll handle my—friends, in my own time.'
'But if anything had happened to you!'
The words burst from Ruth's lips, and his lips twisted. 'Yes? If anything had happened to me— what? It wouldn't matter, either way.'
'It would to us.' exclaimed Ruth indignantly, then flushed when he fixed her with a steady gaze. 'Well—' she defended herself, 'I can imagine your father's reactions if we'd let you die.'
'Oh. I see. You'd do that, would you? Let me die. I mean?' he teased, his mouth humorous now. and she shifted uneasily.
'You know what I mean.' she declared. 'Mr Templar said—'
'Oh. it was Templar, was it?' Dominic relaxed back on his elbows, wincing as he jarred his arm. and then silently daring her to say anything about it. 'I thought that didn't sound like you or your father. Believe me. that's only my family's way of putting on the pressure.'
'Putting on the pressure?' Ruth echoed blankly. 'What do you mean?'
Dominic shook his head. 'Go and have your swim.' he directed, studying the horizon once again. 'We'll folk again when you come out.'
Ruth was reluctant, but the sea was enticing and she was sticky from the terrors of the night. With an inconsequent shrug, she bowed her head, and without another word left him to take ever quickening steps into the ocean.
Despite her awareness of her audience, it was impossible not to find enjoyment in the chill transiency of the water. It was like silk against her skin, soothing her anxiety, and cooling her blood. She swam smoothly, effortlessly, her arms moving through the water
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