The Islands by Di Morrissey

Author:Di Morrissey
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

10

IT WAS COOL IN the coconut grove. There were few early morning risers about. Catherine wandered by the ponds where the wild ducks paddled among the water lilies. The Palm Grove buildings might need a freshen up but the grounds and the grove were beautiful, mysterious, romantic. Catherine imagined them to be like the secluded gardens of a maharajah’s palace, the grounds built for a prince and his concubines, or, perhaps, she thought, they were perfect for a dreamy Hawaii Hollywood movie set.

It was a calming place, with the serenity of still water, stately palm trees and silence, save for an occasional bird sweeping through the grove and the sounds of Eleanor’s caged exotic birds.

It had taken a day to start to deal with the enormity of her encounter with PJ. It was as though it had been a dream, except – if she allowed herself – she could still feel his physical imprint on her skin and in her body and she quivered at the recall. But no matter what she felt and no matter what the circumstances, the bald, damaging fact remained. She’d been unfaithful to Bradley. She tried to put the whole thing out of her head, pretend it had never happened. But sneaking into the pores of her skin came the remembered sensations of PJ’s touch and the exquisite power of his lovemaking, something more wonderful than anything she’d ever experienced before. But, she thought, it will never happen again. I’ll never ever let Bradley down again.

A long canoe, paddled by one of the torch lighters standing in his malo, slid along the canal under flowering trees. Sitting in its centre was Mouse, the Hawaiian gardener and balladeer, strumming his guitar and singing an Hawaiian love song. He gave Catherine a quick wave and she remembered that a sunrise wedding was to have taken place under a flower-bedecked canopy by the main pond. The wedding breakfast must be underway and Mouse was providing part of the entertainment.

Catherine felt a sudden tear trickle down her cheek, shocking herself. It was so little time ago that she and Bradley were here, newlyweds . . . looking forward to a future together, lives entwined, adoring each other . . . At least that’s what she had believed then. How could she have made love to another man such a short time later? She berated herself. What had happened to her?

She longed for someone to talk to about this, to reassure her that she wasn’t a shallow, unfaithful wife. Mollie? But as much as they’d shared everything, Catherine couldn’t bring herself to do that. She didn’t want to admit to her best friend that even the most romantic-seeming marriage could have rents in it already. And, she acknowledged, there was the matter of pride. Bradley had seemed such a catch in their eyes at home. Mollie would tell her she was being a fool, forget what had happened with PJ, everyone makes a mistake sometime and just get on with life with Bradley.

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