Wealth of the Islands by Isobel Chace Page B

boat, without having bad sailors amongst them? Well, haven ’ t we? ”
    Helen bravely stood her ground. “ If you ’ re referring to me, ” she said distinctly, “ I reckon I gave you a pretty fair day ’ s work today. ”
    Gregory relaxed, the tautness leaving him as suddenly as it had come. “ You ’ re right, of course, ” he apologised. “ You mustn ’ t mind me. I find employing females an added responsibility I hadn ’ t looked for, that ’ s all. ”
    Helen turned her back on him, to show her disapproval more clearly. “ We can look after our selves! ” she said.
    “ Are you sure? ” She knew he was laughing at her, but she didn ’ t care. She was there and so was Anita, and that, for the moment, was enough for her.
    “ We ’ re quite sure! ” she said.
    His laughter followed her down the companionway ma ki ng her feel uncomfortable. In fact, she had quite forgotten what had taken them on deck in the first place until she caught a glimpse of Anita ’ s pale face. “ Are you feeling any better? ” she asked her, wondering at her own lack of sympathy that her attention should have been distracted so easily.
    “ A little, ” Anita said uncertainly. She took a deep breath. “ Who w as that man? ” she added in a hushed voice.
    Helen smiled. “ He ’ s one of the Polynesian sailors. They ’ re two brothers. You mustn ’ t mind them, they ’ re very good at their work. And they ’ re so jolly! ” she added, remembering their easy laughter.
    “ But his teeth! ” Anita shuddered.
    Helen shrugged. “ I suppose it ’ s some kind of tribal mark, ” she suggested. “ It does make them look pretty fearsome, but I hardly notice it now. The Island people are some of the nicest there are. You mustn ’ t be frightened of them. ”
    “ I ’ ll try not to be, ” Anita agreed meekly. “ But I do hope that I don ’ t see them very often! ”
    “ You ’ ll have to see Taine-Mal fairly often, ” Helen told her dryly. “ He keeps the boat supplied and you ’ ll be getting the supplies from the hotel. In fact you ’ ll have to work with him— ”
    “ I ’ ll try, ” Anita said immediately. “ I will try, Helen. Only I ’ ve never had to earn my own living before. You will help me, won ’ t you? ”
    “ Of course I will, dear! ” Helen agreed willingly. “ It will be quite easy, you ’ ll see. Besides, you ’ ll like Peter Harmon—he ’ s the manager of the hotel— and he ’ ll help you with anything you don ’ t understand. ”
    “ Was it he I spoke to on the telephone? ” Anita ” asked timidly.
    “ That ’ s right, ” Helen nodded.
    “ He ’ s an American, ” Anita muttered, without enthusiasm. “ I could tell by his accent !”
    “ It ’ s an American hotel! ” Helen said carefully, her patience fast evaporating.
    “ Mother— ” Anita began, and then she stopped, blushing faintly at the expression on Helen ’ s face. “ I ’ m sorry, ” she said unhappily. “ Only I lived with her for such a long time and one gets into bad habits! ”
    And of course Michael ’ s mother didn ’ t like Americans, Helen remembered. But then whom did she like? she asked herself with wry humour.
    Na-Tinn ’ s fleshy legs appeared at the top of the companionway. By bending nearly double, he could see them without coming down any further. He grinned awfully at Anita. “ Feel better now? ” he asked her with real concern. “ Not good sailor, no? Never mind, land coming now! ” He retreated up the stains again, not expecting an answer, completely unaware of the quake he had left Anita in down below.
    “ Was that the same one ?” Anita quavered.
    “ His brother, ” Helen grinned. Really she couldn ’ t help laughing at Anita ’ s expression. “ It won ’ t be much longer now! ”
    They came in to the jetty so quietly that down below they were hardly aware that they had arrived. It was only the blocking out of the portholes on the port side that told them they had