Island of Mermaids Read Online Free PDF

our minds to like or dislike on so short an acquaintanceship. ’
    ‘ Oh, do go on! ’ broke in Kent. ‘ It ’ s delightful to hear oneself talked about like this, as though I were not here. ’
    ‘ I ’ m sorry, ’ Althea apologised immediately. ‘ I didn ’ t mean to discuss you, but —’
    ‘ But you had to defend yourself against Carla, ’ he finished for her. ‘ I understand. As for you, Carla, ’ he swung round to address the girl. ‘ Be very careful you don ’ t offend me in any way or I shall refuse to support you over those singing lessons in Naples. Don ’ t rely on me to persuade your mother when she says “ No!” ’
    Carla was immediately all contrite smiles. ‘ Oh no, Kent. You must not threaten me so. That would be cruel. ’
    ‘ I can be very cruel, ’ Kent said sternly. ‘ As cruel as any of those Roman emperors who lived here and devoured little boys, so they say. ’
    Carla shuddered delicately. Her large dark eyes gazed at Kent with unaffected adoration.
    Cristo interposed briskly, ‘ Why don ’ t we all go somewhere and dance? ’
    ‘ Oh, that would be marvellous !’ exclaimed Carla, linking her arm in Kent ’ s.
    ‘ D ’ you want to dance, Althea? ’ He emphasised her name, and she knew he was trying to goad Carla and perhaps Cristo, too.
    ‘ Not particularly ,’ she replied quickly. ‘ I ought to be going back to my father and, anyway, I ’ m not dressed for dancing. ’
    ‘ Oh, that son of thing doesn ’ t matter here, ’ Carla assured her. ‘ And your father can do without you for an hour or two. ’
    Very gently Kent disengaged his arm from Carla ’ s entwined fingers. ‘ You two go and enjoy yourselves, ’ he said kindly, almost paternally. ‘ I ’ ll take Althea up to the villa. ’
    He gave the other pair little chance to argue, for he almost dragged Althea away by the wrist and marched her towards the place where taxis waited.
    ‘ Ci ao, Carla, ’ called Althea over her shoulder. ‘ C i ao, Cristo. ’
    In the taxi she was mainly silent on the drive up the winding road to Anacapri.
    She was reflecting that every time she met Kent Sanderby trouble followed. To veer her thoughts away from the scene which would surely follow when Carla had her first opportunity, Althea asked, ‘ D ’ you think Carla ’ s mother will allow her to go to Naples for lessons? ’
    Kent made a slightly derisive noise, then grinned. ‘ I find this business of lessons in Naples a useful stick to beat Carla when she ’ s naughty. You ’ re the more likely one to persuade Signora Marchetti. ’
    ‘ How could I do that? I know nothing of the singing masters in Naples. ’
    ‘ It might do you a power of good to meet a few of them. ’
    ‘ I haven ’ t much of a singing voice. ’
    ‘ I wasn ’ t talking about singing, ’ he retorted.
    By now they were almost outside the Villa Stefano. ‘ This is probably the wrong moment to come in, ’ he said. ‘ I ’ ll leave you just outside the gate. ’
    She stepped out of the taxi. ‘ Thank you for a delicious dinner, ’ she said.
    ‘ If you get into too much hot water over it, telephone for me, ’ he said airily, and drove off.
    Althea hardly knew whether to laugh or be very angry indeed with Kent Sanderby. She was convinced, however, that her best plan was to steer clear of him as much as possible in future. She found him interesting, but all her instincts cried out that to develop a friendship with him would be extremely unwise.

 
    CHAPTER TWO
    Althea approached what she called the ‘ gingerbread house ’ at the Villa Stefano and let herself into her apartment. She needed a few moments to compose herself before meeting Signora Marchetti.
    As her father was not in their own rooms, Althea guessed that he was in the salon. The sitting-room at the villa was always designated the ‘ salon ’ rather than ‘ il salotto ’ and Althea considered that the room with its beautiful proportions, its high, painted ceiling