Dangerous Waters by Rosalind Brett Read Free Book Online Page A

from England and the hoped-for meeting with Annette. And even Annette seemed remote and not too important. Very odd.
    Pete finished off the bread with the last of his scrambled egg, ate a banana and leaned back on one hand, holding a tin mug of coffee in the other. The fire had almost died, but a faint radiance came from the river, a reflection of a sky which must be lit by at least half a moon.
    “ A fortnight ago I was in Bangkok, ” he said. “ I stayed with friends who run a motor agency. It ’ s quite a city. ”
    “ What did you do? ”
    “ I ’ d already toured the district, so I settled for a few days of high living. If you ’ re staying with locals you can be very sophisticated in Bangkok. We had parties and picnics and generally made hay. ”
    “ Do you carry a dress suit? ”
    “ A thin white jacket, black trousers and a nylon shirt. They get one through. ” He put down his cup and leant right back, with his hands under his head. “ What were you doing a fortnight ago? ”
    “ I was on the sea, also having a gay time. ”
    “ Did you break any hearts? That ’ s what girls hope to do on long voyages, isn ’ t it? ”
    “ I had fun, but I ’ m not a heartbreaker. ”
    “ No? Why is that—because you really do have someone in Penghu you ’ re hoping to marry? ”
    Sitting there, not a yard from him, she looked down at his recumbent figure and said casually, “ It hasn ’ t got that far. We met a few times in England and have corresponded over the past few months. ”
    “ He works in Penghu? Maybe I know him. ”
    “ I hope not! ”
    He turned his head her way, lazily. She could detect mockery in his tones. “ Why? Am I going to be a dark secret in your past? ”
    “ Well, it may sound ungrateful, but ... I don ’ t think you and I should know each other in Penghu, do you? ”
    “ How do you propose explaining the fact that you got there—always supposing you do arrive—with no trains running from Vinan? Of course, you could say you had a canoe-boy and made it all alone, or that some self - effacing chap brought you and disappeared the moment you landed. Take your choice. ”
    “ I thought it would be better for both of us if we forgot this trip, once it ’ s over. ”
    “ You may be right. What ’ s the name of the cove you know in Penghu? ”
    “ Roger Payn. ”
    “ Payns, the importers? I know him by sight—the scion of an old Far East family. He hasn ’ t got the red blood of his forebears. No offence, of course. ”
    “ I like him, ” she said flatly.
    “ Sure you do, ” he answered encouragingly. “ He ’ s a very pretty boy. ”
    “ You like to jeer, don ’ t you? Roger ’ s just normally good-looking, and he ’ s certainly the nicest man I know! ”
    “ Up the Roger, ” he murmured. “ Why didn ’ t he meet you at the coast? ”
    “ He couldn ’ t get away, and it wasn ’ t necessary, anyway. My sister ’ s fiancé had arranged for me to travel out with Mrs. Pryce, who is the wife of an accountant at the construction company. If she hadn ’ t had the accident on board I ’ d have gone the whole way to Penghu with her. ”
    “ I doubt that. They might have let her through, but not you. Roger would kick himself black and blue if he could see you now. You see, if he ’ d got through to Shalak and met you, you could have married him at Vinan. ”
    “ Very funny, ” she said unsmilingly. “ How soon shall we be through Vinan territory? ”
    “ If we could carry on at the rate we ’ ve moved today, we ’ d be through by tomorrow evening, or even earlier. But I ’ ve an idea that round about midday we ’ ll meet the swamps. They ’ ll slow us down, but if it doesn ’ t rain we ’ ll get into Penghu three nights from now. ”
    “ I thought it rained every day. ”
    “ Not at this season—the average is every other day, but we sometimes go a week without a shower. Let ’ s hope this is one of those weeks. Like a cigarette? ”
    “ Thanks.