Passionate Choice

Chapter 6.1

   The next morning was cool and tranquil, the best part of the day in the tropics, Selena thought, as she made her way with Heather along the path through the trees to the jetty, when everything was fresh and clear after a good night's rest. Emerald and turquoise, the water gleamed, satin smooth, in the bay. On land the fringed fronds of the palms seemed  as if they had been newly washed and the delicate petals of oleander blossoms edgings the pathway looked as if their hints had just been touched up by an artist with his brush.

   Yet Heather's mood was anything but tranquil, Selena guessed, glancing sideways at her companion. Dressed in white slacks with a loose pink shirt, Heather was walking along in sullen silence, her sunglasses hiding her eyes but not the fierce scowl of her finely plucked eyebrows or the de of her square jaw.

   "Look, Heather, if you would rather not come..." Selena began, only to be interrupted roughly.

   "Who said anything about me not wanting to come?" Heather demanded tautly. "I have to come. Someone in authority has to be on board while Ben is out of action, to keep an eye on that arrogant bastard."

   "I suppose you're referring to Keith Walker," said Selena.

   "You're darned right I am."

   "I thought you liked him, found him attractive," Selena couldn't help teasing.

   "Not any more. Not since I've found out how untrustworthy he is. He's been diving, while you and Ben have been underwater, poking about where he has no right, on the other side of the reef."

   "How do you know he has?" exclaimed Selena. "Did he tell you?"

   "No. Gary told us. Yesterday afternoon. I'm not having him diving where he had no right to dive today. I'm going to make quite sure he stays on board."

   "But there's nothing to stop me or Gary from going over to the other side of the reef and poking about too," argued Selena. "Once we're underwater, you'll have no idea where we are. And the water is free, you know."

   "The wrecks aren't. Nor are the sites of wrecks," retorted Heather stubbornly. "You have to have permission from the government of these islands to dive and we have permission to examine only the site that Louis discovered. If Keith Walker goes diving again today against my orders, I'm going to report him to the government. If I let him go behaving as he is doing without attempting to restrain him, we might lose our permission to explore..."

   "I don't believe you would," said Selena. "The government has no way of policing the underwater areas. And I haven't seen any signs of a coastguard or a security patrol in this bay or near the reef."

   "That's because I haven't reported him yet," snapped Heather. "But I will if he doesn't do what I say. I'll make damned sure he loses his diver's license."

   "Oh, this is really silly," protested Selena. "For all you know, Keith might find the Santiago for you. He's an excellent diver and explorer, will go into dangerous places without turning a hair..."

   "Oh, yes. You should know. You lived with him for nearly a year, didn't you?" sneered Heather. "You must know all about him."

   "Ben told you then about my having cruised about the islands with Keith," said Selena quietly.

   "About your affair with him? He told me you'd confessed at last to having met Walker four years ago. But I knew you'd had an affair with him. I heard you and him talking the first night he was here. Who do you think suggested to Ben that he ask you where you'd been and what you'd done during that year? Me." Heather laughed scornfully. "Bill Davis really scared you last night, didn't he? I thought somehow you'd be telling the truth to Ben before the day was over."

   "I'm glad now I've told him. It hasn't made any difference between us. We're till going to be married when the expedition is over," replied Selena coolly, and stepping on to the jetty, she strode ahead of Heather towards the gangway of the Sea Lion, noticing as she did that the charter yacht captained by Bill Davis had gone and so had the sports fishermen's powerboat.