Across the Lagoon by Roumelia Lane Read Free Book Online Page A

garden?'
    •Why, yes!' Carol smiled, a little taken back by the question. But later, watching the younger girl drift on ahead, she thought she understood.
    Stephanie's parents had lived abroad for five years. They were apparently quite content to let the responsibility of their daughter's upbringing rest with the boarding school or anyone else who was willing to take her on for a while. Though she had been quick to defend her mother and father after her carping complaints at the school, Carol hadn't been fooled. She had seen enough in the short space of time since they had met to guess that Stephanie was an unwanted child.
    When the younger girl had asked just now, with something like envious wonder in her tones, 'Do you have a garden?' she had really been saying 'Do you have a home?'
    Arriving back at the table they went off to freshen up for the rest of the journey. They were ready beside the gate when Gray Barrett came out from the bar. He led the way over to the car and wasting no words, took his seat behind the wheel. They were soon back on the road again.
    It was not long after this that they began to touch on the outskirts of London. The roads became wider, busier and thundered with traffic. There was nothing to do but watch the shapes spin by. When it seemed that the motorway would never end, they at last came into the suburbs of the city. Here it was a tedious succession of stops and starts at various traffic lights.
    Stephanie grew restless. She sighed at the closed windows and commented, fidgeting 'It's awfully stuffy in here.'
    'It's even worse outside with the fumes,' her uncle replied tetchily, sharply avoiding a looming bumper. 'And there's no point in garaging the car until we've finished the business that's got to be done.'
    The bulk of this was apparently the purchasing of Stephanie's holiday garments, for a short while later they drew up alongside an elegant store in a quiet, exclusive area.
    It appeared that uncle and niece were no strangers here. As soon as they entered, a coolly smiling manageress hurried across the floor towards them.
    'Good morning.' Gray Barrett acknowledged the woman's courteous greeting with a brisk nod of his head. 'My niece will require a complete summer wardrobe. We expect to be in Italy about three months.'
    'Certainly, Mr Barrett.' The manageress inclined her smile in the direction of the interior. "Would you come this way, please.'
    Gray Barrett strode off beside her and Carol and Stephanie trudged along behind, over the thick carpet to a luxurious salon up a low flight of stairs. Here, while a young lady assistant was being briefed discreetly, Gray Barrett settled himself in one of the padded armchairs and opened the paper he had bought from a newstand during a recent traffic jam.
    The assistant was beckoning smilingly from across the room, and gathering from the shut-down expression behind the newspaper that she was expected to go along too, Carol led the way.
    The beach outfits and summer ensembles which were brought out for Stephanie's approval were breathlessly expensive. Prices were not mentioned, of course, but Carol could see at a glance that one item would have cost her at least a month's wages.
    The assistant's enthusiasm knew no bounds. Obviously aware that the cost was immaterial, she set herself out to be as imaginative as possible. Holding up one garment after another, she sparkled such encouragements as, 'You'll find this gorgeously cool for the beach,' and, 'This is a pretty little dress for evenings.'
    Carol worried a little about Stephanie's choice of attire. The girl seemed to go for things which were obviously a little too old for her. Carol tried to point this out to her when she felt it was necessary, only to find that, though Stephanie viewed most of the buying with placid indifference, she had, when she set her mind on something, a surprisingly strong will. The assistant was no help at all on these occasions. She was mainly concerned with pleasing