Island in the Dawn Read Online Free Page A

ever seen in her life. There was a slight scar above his right eyebrow, but otherwise his face was unmarked and the features were curiously perfect. His eyelashes were thick and black, lending a queer intensity to the jewel-like eyes, and his hair was blue-black. In the dimn ess of the room it shone. By contrast his skin was a clear, pale bronze. His slim hand rested gracefully on the dog’s neck.
    “I’ve seen you before!” she exclaimed suddenly. She didn’t beg his pardon for what she had said—she wanted him to tell her where she had seen him before. There had been a lot of people all collected together. He was in an evening dress suit, and all the women in the audience were spell bound by his looks, and by those slim, graceful movements of his hands. One hand upheld a baton ... There was a great deal of applause ... “I know!” Her voice was triumphant. “You’re Paul Halloran, aren’t you? The conductor who vanished ... ? Your mother was an Italian opera singer, and your father was Irish—an Irish landowner, I think! Your last concert was in Milan, and I saw you before that in London! ... The place was packed, and you were as big a success as if you were a film star! No, you had a much more wonderful reception than a film star! And after that you flew to Milan, and then something happened ...”
    “A car crash on the way to Rome!” He bowed to her ironically. “I am flattered that you should be able to recall so much about me! I had thought my past was dead and buried!”
    “Of course not—and it’s only a year ago, anyway! You can’t expect to be forgotten in so short a time!” All at once the color was flooding her cheeks, drawing attention to the perfection of the skin, and she was smiling at him brilliantly. “Everyone said it was the Irish-Italian mixture that made you such a success — Irish charm plus Italian musical genius! Obviously you inherited the latter from your mother!”
    “Obviously.” But his voice was cool as withered leaves. “But nowadays music doesn’t have very much part in my life.”
    “You mean because you lost your sight?”
    “That—and there is another reason. But I’m sure you would like to be shown to a room that will be yours for so long as you care to remain here—after all, the house is your uncle’s, and I’m sure he would wish me to act host in his place!—and as soon as you are ready for it breakfast will be served to you either in your room, or on the veranda here, where it will be very pleasant in another half hour or so, when the sun leaves it.”
    “And you are quite sure our arrival isn’t terribly inconvenient?”
    “Quite sure.”
    But, as Felicity reflected, standing there and feeling as if her whole body was one large blush of embarrassment because Cassandra had not merely said something inexcusable the instant she entered the room, but followed it up with a blithe impertinence that had actually taken Felicity’s breath away a little, he was not the sort of man to admit to inconvenience under the circumstances. There was no hotel on the island, no other house where they could stay, and no boat for a fortnight. Even if he was appalled at the prospect of having to entertain them, unlik e Cassandra, he would never let them guess.
    Felicity had never before realized that Cassandra could be so crude.
    "I’m terrified of blind people! . ..
    It was inexcusable, and yet now she was not merely turning on the charm ... She looked as if she was preparing to enjoy her stay!
    Across the dimness of the lovely room Felicity met their host’s vivid blue eyes, and the expression in them was quite unreadable. His glance was fixed on her, on her small, abashed face. She thought there was an element of humor in it, and something that attempted to reassure her a little. Cassandra’s words had not hurt him ... Perhaps he was not easily hurt! Perhaps he had been hurt too much in the past, and now he was immune!
    Yet he admitted recovering his sight ...