Passionate Choice

Chapter 3.7

   Selena was early in the dining-room but not before Ben, Keith, Gary and Max, who were all breakfasting together and being waited on by the fussy Heather, who as a way of touching each man on the shoulder and leaning over him in a confidential way, pressuring him to have more to eat, more coffee, as if his welfare was all important to her. Particularly did she linger over Keith almost possessively.

   "No headache this morning, I hope," Ben greeted her, pulling out a chair for her.

   "None. I feel great," she said. "And you?"

   "Rating to go diving," he replied.

   He smiled at her and she felt relief rush through her. She was sure now he knew nothing about her and Keith. Perhaps heather hadn't had time to speak to him alone this morning.

   "I took a walk along the beach before turning in last night and that took care of the headache," she said lightly, shaking out her table napkin, giving him an opening to say he had seen her walking with Keith. "After that, I slept like a log."

   "Good." He smiled at her again and went on to talk about his plans for the morning's dive, mentioning the freighter. "We don't have to bother with exploring inside that. It was cleared out long ago. Apparently, it was British and was holed on the reef before World War Two. Of course, being made of steel, it had only rusted and been covered with barnacles. I suspect the hull of the Santiago was pretty well broken up and scattered by the surge."

   "More of it may have been buried in the sand," said Selena.

   "Well, we'll soon found out," said Ben.

   "See you both at the ship in about half and hour?" suggested Keith. He had stood up and was pushing his chair under the table. Gary and Max has already left. Keith didn't look at Selena nor had he greeted her when she sat down.

   "We'll be there," replied Ben.

   Keith left the dining-room and Heather came bustling in with Selena's breakfast.

   "The girl who usually waits at table in the morning is sick today so I'm waitress," she said brightly.

   "Are you coming with us this morning?" asked Ben.

   "Not today, Ben dear. Today, I must do my accounts. And then I'm expecting another group of fishermen to fly in this afternoon. I'll come another day. How do you feel this morning, Selena? Headache gone?"

   She leaned over Selena, out a hand on her shoulder. Selena looked up at the square tanned face. She looked into the small grey eyes and saw nothing in them, no expression of concern. They seemed as cold and hard as lead pellets.

   "Yes, thanks," Selena replied. "The walk I took along the beach last night cleared my head." She glanced at Ben. "I met Heather when I was coming back from my walk last night. She told me you and she were out for a walk too and saw me on the beach with Keith Walker."

   It was another opening for him to say something about having seen her and having overheard part of her conversation with Keith. He liked across at her, his eyebrows crimped in an expression of puzzlement. But before he could say anything, Heather rushed into speech.

   "Oh, I didn't say we were sure it was you or Keith. We were too far away for us to be sure, weren't we, Ben?"

   "I...I can't seem to recall," he was beginning slowly when Heather cut in again forcibly.

   "We just assumed it was you and Keith. You must excuse me now. I have to talk to Veronica, give her instructions about tonight's dinner."

   Smiling her bright yet insincere smile, Heather hurried away. The door to the kitchen swung to and fro for a few seconds after the speed of her exit.

   "She is the most amazing person," Ben said smiling, his glance returning to Selena after he had watched Heather leave the room. He didn't seem to have noticed that Heather had spoken for him. "A bundle of energy. She runs this place single handed, deals with all types of people, some of them really tough characters. And the island people who work for her adore her."

   "She was telling me that if she doesn't get someone to in with her, she might go bankrupt," said Selena.

   "I fear so," Ben sighed and shook his head from side to side sadly. "It's costing more and more to keep a place like this in god repair, far away from everywhere as it is, everything having to be brought in from other islands or from the States. She was showing me the maintenance bills yesterday. They're horrific. I think she's going that we can find something that will prove conclusively that a Spanish galleon was wrecked near here as then more tourists who like diving around wrecks will want to stay at this resort."

   "You mean, she'll use our exploration as a way of publicizing the resort?"

   "Right. So I hope we find some really good artefacts. Some which could only have been on the Santiago."

   "Such as a piece of wood with its name carved into it," suggested Selena drily. "Or an old cannon or two which could only have been forged in Spain at the beginning of the eighteenth century. Finding shards of pottery or some glassware isn't going to price that the Santiago's remains are under that freighter. The treasure, the identifiable jewelry belonging to passengers, was probably all looted."

   "I know that. Except the pieces Louis found." He looked very worried for a moment then it with an effort, shook off his anxiety. "But the sooner we get started, the sooner we'll find something. Are you ready to go to the ship, yet?"

   "Yes, I'm ready," she said, laying down her knife and fork and wiping her lips. Since he hadn't referred to the walk she had taken last night with Keith, she could only guess he wasn't at all interested or concerned about her nocturnal rendezvous with another man, so she decided not to raise the matter again. Let sleeping dogs lie, she thought with a wry grin. No point in stirring up trouble where there wasn't any.