blew cool and refreshing on her face, teasing the hair she had so vigorously brushed only a moment ago. She turned suddenly, moved rather by instinct than by sound. Leon stood in the doorway between their rooms, clad in a black dressing gown so that he did at this moment seem like Satan himself. Her heart turned a somersault as, dry-throated, she asked,
'Wh-what d-do ydu w-want?' Fear choked her - for what reason she knew not. But that all-black figure standing there was enough to frighten the bravest heart.
'Come here,' he ordered in a very soft tone, and pointed to a spot on the carpet in front of him.
She stood very still, wondering if her heart would give up, and she would fall where she was, for undoubtedly it was undergoing a tremendous strain.
'Leon,' she faltered, putting a hand to her throbbing breast, 'I don't understand. Why have you come into my room?'
'I said, come here—'
'No! You frighten m-me— Oh, no!' With furious strides he had reached her and she was caught by the wrist and dragged from the window alcove into the centre of the room. 'You're hurting me!'
'Who,' he said between his teeth, 'is the man you've had here while I've been away!'
CHAPTER SIX
SHE stared for a moment, conscious only of the burning fury in his eyes, and of the excruciating pain running right up her arm, the result of his merciless grip on her wrist. The man? But why should he care?
'He was a friend,' she managed, amazed at the steadiness of her voice.
£He was a friend at home, that is, and he came to visit me.' She tried to glance through the mirror, wondering if she were as white as she felt, but the tall lean figure of her husband intruded.
'Friend!' he snarled, pure savagery glaring from his eyes. 'Friend, you say! Lover, more like! To bring him here - to my house, making me the laughing-stock of the whole island—'
'No - no, you're wrong,' she began, but stopped, crying out as he gripped her bare arms and shook her so violently that she came close to losing her senses. The room swam before her eyes; the black-clad figure with the fiendish expression seemed to be on top of her, crushing the very life out of her. Oblivion would have been welcome.
She wept, and before very long great sobs shook her whole frame.
'How c-can you accuse m-me of such a th-thing?' she cried, soothingly touching the bruises on her arms as he released her. 'Ricky came to - to see m—'
'Ricky ... and who is this Ricky?' The change of tone was staggering but no less frightening. His voice was soft now, dangerously soft; the fury still burned like molten embers beneath the surface. Frantically she glanced around. If only she could escape!
'I knew h-him at home. Leon—' She stretched out her hands. 'You're frightening me. I haven't done anything wrong - believe me.' She looked at him straightly; her grey eyes, glistening with tears, were wide and honest, but he seemed so incensed that his vision was impaired.
'You brought your lover here - to my house , in my absence! No sooner had I stepped foot off that boat than I was told of it! And of your throwing kisses to him as he left - a few hours before my return - a few hours—' His teeth snapping together, he took hold of her once again and shook her so ruthlessly that, almost insensible, she gripped at the front of his dressing- gown, terrified that she was going to faint.
The action seemed to sober him and he stopped. But the fire in his eyes remained and, picking her up, he dropped her on to the bed. 'You can prepare yourself for another lover,' he said, and undid the girdle of his dressing- gown.
'I won't!' She sat up, and tried to get off the bed, but a hand pressed her down again. 'Leon, for pity's sake listen to me! Allow me to explain. Ricky was ill, that's why he had to st—' The rest faded, smothered by the barbaric pressure of his mouth on hers. His dark face swam before her eyes and blackness had begun to close in on her even before, with an outstretched hand, Leon snapped off
'Wh-what d-do ydu w-want?' Fear choked her - for what reason she knew not. But that all-black figure standing there was enough to frighten the bravest heart.
'Come here,' he ordered in a very soft tone, and pointed to a spot on the carpet in front of him.
She stood very still, wondering if her heart would give up, and she would fall where she was, for undoubtedly it was undergoing a tremendous strain.
'Leon,' she faltered, putting a hand to her throbbing breast, 'I don't understand. Why have you come into my room?'
'I said, come here—'
'No! You frighten m-me— Oh, no!' With furious strides he had reached her and she was caught by the wrist and dragged from the window alcove into the centre of the room. 'You're hurting me!'
'Who,' he said between his teeth, 'is the man you've had here while I've been away!'
CHAPTER SIX
SHE stared for a moment, conscious only of the burning fury in his eyes, and of the excruciating pain running right up her arm, the result of his merciless grip on her wrist. The man? But why should he care?
'He was a friend,' she managed, amazed at the steadiness of her voice.
£He was a friend at home, that is, and he came to visit me.' She tried to glance through the mirror, wondering if she were as white as she felt, but the tall lean figure of her husband intruded.
'Friend!' he snarled, pure savagery glaring from his eyes. 'Friend, you say! Lover, more like! To bring him here - to my house, making me the laughing-stock of the whole island—'
'No - no, you're wrong,' she began, but stopped, crying out as he gripped her bare arms and shook her so violently that she came close to losing her senses. The room swam before her eyes; the black-clad figure with the fiendish expression seemed to be on top of her, crushing the very life out of her. Oblivion would have been welcome.
She wept, and before very long great sobs shook her whole frame.
'How c-can you accuse m-me of such a th-thing?' she cried, soothingly touching the bruises on her arms as he released her. 'Ricky came to - to see m—'
'Ricky ... and who is this Ricky?' The change of tone was staggering but no less frightening. His voice was soft now, dangerously soft; the fury still burned like molten embers beneath the surface. Frantically she glanced around. If only she could escape!
'I knew h-him at home. Leon—' She stretched out her hands. 'You're frightening me. I haven't done anything wrong - believe me.' She looked at him straightly; her grey eyes, glistening with tears, were wide and honest, but he seemed so incensed that his vision was impaired.
'You brought your lover here - to my house , in my absence! No sooner had I stepped foot off that boat than I was told of it! And of your throwing kisses to him as he left - a few hours before my return - a few hours—' His teeth snapping together, he took hold of her once again and shook her so ruthlessly that, almost insensible, she gripped at the front of his dressing- gown, terrified that she was going to faint.
The action seemed to sober him and he stopped. But the fire in his eyes remained and, picking her up, he dropped her on to the bed. 'You can prepare yourself for another lover,' he said, and undid the girdle of his dressing- gown.
'I won't!' She sat up, and tried to get off the bed, but a hand pressed her down again. 'Leon, for pity's sake listen to me! Allow me to explain. Ricky was ill, that's why he had to st—' The rest faded, smothered by the barbaric pressure of his mouth on hers. His dark face swam before her eyes and blackness had begun to close in on her even before, with an outstretched hand, Leon snapped off
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