Free Bride in Barbados by Jeanne Stephens Page B

voice.
    They were greeted by a small, round-faced black woman whom
Travis introduced as Mala. Mala was accompanied by a younger version of
herself, who turned out to be her daughter, Amii.
    Both women were frankly amazed to discover that their
employer had returned home with a wife. "How come you not tell me you
gettin' married?" Mala demanded in an aggrieved tone.
    "There wasn't time," Travis said. "It happened too fast."
    "This not like you," Mala commented, studying Susan with
an expression that clearly reserved judgment on what kind of wife she
would make. "You always rush, rush to work—but not with the
women."
    "I'd better warn you," Travis said to Susan with a twinkle
in his eyes, "that Mala is the real boss around here, and she doesn't
like surprises much."
    "Not two big ones all at once, for sure," Mala said.
    "There's another one?" Travis inquired.
    Mala nodded solemnly. "We got company. Your cousins from England show up early this mornin' and
say they wait for you."
    "Curt and Violet?" All the lighthearted banter was gone
from Travis's voice suddenly. "Damnation! They couldn't have picked a
worse time for a visit. Where are they?"
    "On the back veranda, las' I knew," Mala said, "drinking
up all our rum."
    Grim-faced, Travis strode quickly toward the back of the
house. After looking questioningly at the closed faces of the two black
women, Susan followed him.

Chapter Five

    The impression she got in her hurried journey through the
house was one of large rooms and dark furniture, but she was too intent
on keeping Travis in sight to pay close attention.
    She caught up with him in the kitchen and followed him
through an open door onto a wide veranda overlooking more well-tended
lawn. Two people sat in wrought-iron patio chairs with a small, round
table between them. There were several empty liquor glasses on the
table. The couple heard their approach and both of them looked up at
the same moment and got to their feet.
    The man was almost as tall as Travis but not as well
muscled. He was about thirty, with narrow shoulders, light brown hair,
a thin mouth and a receding chin that gave him a look of weakness. He
was smoking a cigarette in a long ivory holder.
    The woman appeared to be a year or two younger than the
man. She had thick red hair and green eyes and although she had applied
her makeup with a too-generous hand she was pretty in a brittle sort of
way. Both of the visitors had first looked at Travis and then,
startled, at Susan.
    The woman recovered first and stepped forward to give
Travis an obviously unwelcome hug. "Travis, darling! How wonderful to
see you again. We were crushed when we arrived and learned you were
away."
    Travis extricated himself from the woman's arms and said
tensely, "Hello, Violet. And Curt." He drew Susan to his side.
"Darling, these are my cousins, Violet Graves and Curt Winston. Violet,
Curt, I'd like you to meet my wife, Susan."
    Violet appeared to be struck momentarily dumb, but Curt
extended a hand that felt soft in Susan's grip. "Well!" Curt said with
a heartiness that sounded forced. "This is a surprise. We had no idea,
Travis, not that I can blame you now that I've seen her." He smiled at
Susan. "How long have you and Travis known each other?"
    "Long enough," put in Travis tersely. Susan glanced up at
him uncertainly. It was obvious that he disliked these cousins of his
intensely. She decided to keep her distance from them until she learned
more about the background of that dislike.
    "You both have our congratulations," Curt was saying.
    "Thank you," Susan murmured.
    Violet spoke. "Mala didn't see fit to tell us you were
married."
    "My employees don't discuss my business with others,"
Travis said in the same tense tone he'd used with Curt.
    Violet's painted lips curved in a smile that didn't soften
the glitter in her green eyes, a glitter that looked to Susan very much
like anger. There were undercurrents here that she couldn't begin to
fathom.
    "How odd that you should put your