Free The Stars of San Cecilio by Susan Barrie Page B

Beatriz seized upon this permission to issue an invitation to lunch for that very day.
    But because he could not possibly have failed to sense the cool and quite definite reluctance behind the doctor’s seconding of Dona Beatriz’s invitation, Peter declined — with thanks, however, and a particularly attractive smile for the Spanish woman, who said that in that case he simply must come to dinner one evening. And then she vanished into the house to prepare herself for lunch, and the doctor followed her, and Lisa made it clear, by means of a slightly agonized look, that she wished Peter to execute a prompt disappearance also. He smiled at her — a much more warm and understanding smile than the one he had directed at Dona Beatriz — and waved a hand, and turned on his heel.
    ‘But you’ll be seeing me!’ he promised. ‘For, after all, we are two people of the same nationality abroad, and I, for one, definitely wish to pursue the acquaintance! ’
    And with a still more impish smile he climbed into a decrepit sports car he had left outside the gate, and roared off in it.
    The following morning Dr. Fernandez drove Dona Beatriz, Gia, and Lisa into San Cecilio. Dona Beatriz slipped gracefully into the seat beside the driving-seat as if it was hers by right, and Gia and Lisa were relegated to the back. The outing was because Dona Beatriz had decided that Gia needed new sandals for the beach, and apparently it was a selfimposed task for her to see to it that the child’s wardrobe was constantly replenished. (Hence, Lisa thought, the lovely almost too-smart outfits the doctor’s plain little daughter possessed)!
    She herself had no idea of accompanying them until the doctor saw her waiting at the side of the white, dusty road, within a few yards of the villa, for the bus that would presently make its leisurely appearance and deposit her also in San Cecilio. The big white car drew in towards the verge and pulled up with rather a sudden application of brakes, and Julio Fernandez leaned frowningly from his window.
    ‘Why are you waiting there, Miss Waring?’ he asked.
    ‘I’m waiting for the bus,’ she explained. ‘I have some shopping to do for Senora Cortina— at least,’ she added, rather hurriedly, ‘ something was suddenly discovered to be in rather short supply, and I offered to fetch it. ’
    He reached in behind him and held open the rear door.
    ‘Get in,’ he said curtly.
    She hesitated, aware that Dona Beatriz was biting her scarlet lower lip, as if the temporary halt — or more probably the cause! — annoyed her.
    ‘It’s quite all right,’ she said, with nervous diffidence.
    ‘ The bus will be along in a minute, and-- ‘
    ‘Get in! ’ the doctor repeated, his voice not merely curt this time, but impatient.
    Lisa clambered in, assisted by Gia’s eager hands, and the child’s shrill voice declared delightedly: ‘We’ll have ice creams at Antonio’s Parlour! I was simply hating not having you, and now it’s going to be fun! ’ Dr. Fernandez asked over his shoulder:
    ‘Do you normally do Senora Cortina’s shopping for her, Miss Waring?’
    ‘Oh, no,’ she answered at once. ‘Only sometimes — if she runs out of something. Normally everything’s delivered. ’
    ‘I see.’ But she thought that the ‘I see’ was sceptical, as if he doubted the smooth running of his holiday household while he was away, and surmised that there might be a considerable amount of wasted time — or, worse still, neglected duty! — when he was not there to keep an eye on things, with Senora Cortina making use of his highly-paid governess to fetch and carry for her, and the highly-paid governess, looking upon visits to the little local town as a respite from governing.
    She felt so guilty because she had involved Senora Cortina
    — it didn’t matter that she herself was to be so frequently suspect! — that she was very quiet and anxious to escape as quickly as possible when they reached the town, and