A Walk on the Water

Alannah was only half-listening to him as he spoke to her, but both physically and emotionally she had withdran into herself. Seeing this, he stopped speaking to consider her.

At last, he said quietly, "So it's true then. Matias has misappropriated your money and abandoned you here. That's very odd . . . that he would risk leaving you here after I'd put him in fear of his life. Would you like me to fetch him back here and have him set things to rights?'

Alannah sat there listening to him in silence until Dominic mentioned Matias's return. "What you you mean by set things to rights?"

"I mean,' Dominic told her, 'that I will compel him to return your money and take you back to the Bahamas where he plucked you from, where you can catch a ship back to New York."

Alannah writhed and shuddered when faced with such a prospect. "I'll take the money back, Señor Beringer. But I do not wish to go back to New York, nor will I set foot on that death trap of a plane! I'd sooner swim or paddle a dory! Would there be work for me in the Bahamas, do you think?"

Dominic raised an eyebrow at this and was silent for a long moment, considering. At last, he said, "I suppose there is work to be had in the Bahamas, but not for a single, beautiful young girl who travels alone. Regardless, Matias is not to be trusted, and my mother would be unduly concerned, should you have any further unsupervised contact with him. That man may be an American but he is scum. No, now that I consider the matter further, I think it best that you remain here as our guest for the time being. As my mother says, this is not a resort, but, well . . ." he chuckled, withdrew a small black case from his breast pocket, took out a small cheroot and lighted it. "This beautiful island holds many quaint fascinations which may amuse you, Port Lira being not the least of them. And both Mother and Maria have told me that they enjoy your company. In my entire lifetime they have agreed upon very little, so with your leave I would like to keep you here a while yet."

"Are there jobs in Port Lira? Alannah found herself asking hopefully.

Again, Dominic raised an eyebrow. "You might find a job on the docks cleaning fish or sorting shellfish, or at one of the plantations picking coffee beans, but why would you want to leave our hospitality?" he told her, studying her reaction carefully. "You might even find work on a fishing vessel or a farm or orchard. But it's hard work and long hours you'd be looking at…"