Victoria Holt - Road to Paradise Island

I was restless and I decided to take a walk along the waterfront.

As I walked down marvelling at the colourful sky and sea I saw smoke some way inland.

I stopped to look at it and as I did so it spiralled upwards. I saw a great flame and then more smoke. Something was on fire. My heart began to beat uncertainly for the direction from which the smoke was coming was the plantation.

The plantation was on fire!

A terrible fear came over me. Milton was there. I could not think of anything but that I had to find him. I had to assure myself that he was safe.

I went to the stables. I mounted my horse and in my flimsy dress rode bareback to the plantation.

I was right. The place was on fire. I could hear men shouting. I had never seen such a sight. It was like an enormous tower of fire and the flames were racing through the canes. I saw men standing round the edges with buckets of water, rats and a mongoose scuttled out of the burning mass.

I tried to make my way to the house.

"Keep away," shouted one of the men.

"Mr. Harrington," I cried. "Where is he? I have to find him. Where ... ?"

Then I saw him. He was coming towards me. I ran to him and he caught me in his arms and held me fast.

I cried out in relief: "You're safe. Thank God. I thought... I was terrified. I couldn't have borne it if... "

"Does it matter so much?" he said.

"You know."

He held me tightly. "You're committed now, you know. You've betrayed yourself."

He was laughing with triumph.

I looked at him in amazement. "Your plantation is on fire ... and you stand here..."

He said: "This is the happiest moment of my life. Look at you. Distraught. Tearful. In a state of panic ... and all because you feared you had lost me. Let this be a lesson to you."

"How can you ... now ... at such a time ..."

"It is really very amusing. This is a great joke. It is the best joke I ever heard."

"You are mad."

"With joy. My love loves me. Look. She deserts all even the saint himself ... to ride to me ... because she thinks I am in danger. Come into the house. I want to tell you something."

"Your plantation is burning down "

"I want to tell you how much I love you."

"I don't understand you. Don't you care. You are losing everything."

"What would that matter if I gained my love... which I have. You can't go back on this. You stand betrayed. You have revealed yourself. Admit it."

"Milton ..."

"Well, let me tell you. The plantation is not burning down. Tomorrow all the canes will be cut the easier for the fire. This is what we call a field burning."

"You mean you deliberately set the place on fire?"

He nodded. "It's a periodic exercise. When the time is ripe we put a torch to the green sugar. It burns the cane to clear it so that it will be easier to cut in the morning."

"So it was all planned."

"It needs very careful planning. Waiting for the wind to be in the right direction... watching all the time... cutting firebreaks round the fields. We have to be on the watch all the time. If it got out of hand it could be disastrous. It could even destroy the whole of the island."

I was so relieved I could only laugh.

"And you rode out to save me ... just like that. Oh Annalice, my darling Annalice, this is surely the happiest moment of my life."

"You said that before."

"Well, it is worth repeating. I shall always remember it. The day she came to me ... If you could have seen the fear on your face... and all for me."

I could only cling to him laughing, I think, rather hysterically.

"I was so frightened," I said.

He kissed me. "And now you have no doubts."

I shook my head.

"You are going to stay with me. You let him know."

"I think he knows already."

"I am going to give you a drink and take you back to the hotel."

"They will be wondering what has become of me. I'll go back alone. You have to be here to make sure the fire is kept under control."

"There are men here to do that. They know what has to be done." He looked out. "It's almost over now. The blackened stalks will cut well tomorrow. The operation was a success ... the greatest success I have ever known. Come along. I'm going to take you back in the carriage. I'll send your horse back tomorrow. You can't ride as you are. No saddle. How very indecorous. And all for me. I am so happy tonight. Tell me how very scared you were."

"You know."

"I saw it in your face. There was that other time. Do you remember when I went pearl diving?"

"I remember it well."

"You did not like my going down to the sea bed, did you?"

"I thought of sharks."

"I promise I won't dive for pearls when we are married."

I touched his face lightly. "You are a very forceful man," I said.

"Well, you are no meek Griselda yourself. After all it's you I have fallen in love with and you with me. Just as we are ... warts and all, as they say. I wouldn't have one little bit of you changed and that's the truth."

"Nor I," I said.

"Come, take this. It will do you good. You were very shaken, you know."

"Yes, 1 do know that."

"Riding through the night ..."

I sipped the drink and he sat beside me and put his arm about me. I felt suddenly happy. It was as though this evening everything had been resolved.

He drove me back in the carriage.

They had been wondering what had happened to me.

I explained and Milton went into some detail about the way in which they burned the canes every now and then when it was necessary to make cutting easier.

"Annalice was so worried on my account. She thought I was in my burning plantation and dashed over ... just as she was ... on horseback. I think she was going to plunge in and haul me back to safety."

"I don't know what I was going to do," I said. "I thought the whole place was on fire."

"Won't you stay and dine with us?" asked Raymond.

"Thanks, no. I must get back to make sure everything is all right. It's under control but one never knows. It's a tricky business."

"I can understand that."

"I should retire early if I were you," said Milton to me. "Take a little coconut milk before you go to sleep. It's very soothing. I'll tell Maria to take it up to your room."

He was already assuming a proprietorial air. I wondered if the others noticed it. I did not care if they did. I was experiencing a kind of exultation. Tomorrow I must speak to Raymond. I would explain and I was sure he would understand.

Milton left. "I'll see you tomorrow evening. I'll give you the day to set everything in order," were his parting words.

He meant of course my speaking to Raymond.

I wanted to talk to him. I even thought of doing so that evening. But I could hardly do so with Felicity there; and now that he had arrived she did not go to her room early as she had done before. She wanted to be where he was all the time.

I was glad. I felt everything could work out neatly after all. Raymond would go home and take Felicity with him. And in time... perhaps before very long... they would marry. I saw how suited they were to each other. Raymond needed someone to lean on him, that he might take care of her; and Felicity needed Raymond because he was the only one in the world who could wipe out memories of her terrible experiences.

I was happier than I had ever been, I think, on that night.

I was absent-minded during dinner and I retired early. The first thing I saw when I opened the door was the glass of milk on my table.

I smiled. He had spoken to Maria then. I did not want the milk, but it was his wish that I should take it and just because of that I would, I supposed.

I looked at myself in the mirror. I saw there was a smudge on the bodice of my dress. No one had mentioned it. My hair was a little loose too. My eyes were bright though. I looked slightly dishevelled but very happy.