*I give this an ‘R’ rating because of one scene. (Hey, it’s me – what can I say?!)

Holiday Hoax

by

IvanaBgood

Only the ticking of the shelf clock filled the room as Niles polished
the mahogany desk to a pristine shine. His mind was not really in his
work as he watched her from the corner of his eyes. A smidgen of a
smile filled his face as he noticed her tap the air with her shoe after
she re-crossed her legs.

`I really enjoy this time of day,' he mused to himself as he rubbed
the wooden corner with his dust cloth.

The compatible silence continued to fill the room as a ray of
sunshine broke through the cloudy day and beamed its way onto the
desk thus catching Niles' attention.

CC looked up from her work as she felt a refreshing breeze touch her
skin. She watched as Niles' broad shoulders seemed to fill the
doorway when he opened the terrace doors. Her eyes shone as she enjoyed
watching the movement of his body take a deep breath of fresh
air.

"Beautiful day," he voiced quietly to himself.

"What?" CC found herself asking with a slight growl, not use to
Niles' normal, unsarcastic voice when she was present.

`And so it starts.' Niles turned around, his left eyebrow already
beginning its ascent upwards. "I was making a comment about the
beautiful weather. I know how much you prefer the gloom and doom to
sun and fun.

"That's not true," CC protested as she stared directly at him.

"Isn't it? Then why are you here working on a gorgeous Saturday
morning?"

"Why are you here?" she challenged back. She wasn't about to admit
that she looked forward to the peaceful solitude of Saturday
mornings, when Maxwell, the kids and that annoying Nanny left the two
of them alone in the office.

"I'm here because Mr. Sheffield's desk needed brightening," Niles
puffed in annoyance, knowing right away what a pitiful excuse that
was. "But unlike you I do have plans."

"Oh sure. A day of betting on horses and gorging on hotdogs – big
plans!" she sniggered.

"How did you know I did that?"

CC's face reddened. "I heard Nanny Fine mention it once or twice when
I was bored enough to listen."

"At least I have plans."

"I have things to do also," she replied as she began to toss papers
into her briefcase.

"Mommy & Me makeovers with Chester at the dog salon doesn't count,"
he retorted.

Her eyes snapped hotly at Niles. "For your information, Chester and I
have been invited to take part at a regatta."

"Schmoozing another backer for an upcoming play?"

"No. Nothing to do with business whatsoever" She stood up and picked
up her purse. `What am I saying?! I don't want to go to this thing. They are always so very boring. Filled with all the right people, as my mother would say. With their insipid smiles and their insipid stories.'

Niles watched her leave the room, his deep-seated sigh followed in
her wake.

~~~~

"No thank you Roger, I'm busy that night. Yes, that night too. I
don't care what my mother told you!" CC slammed the phone as she
sifted through her mail. "I knew that damn regatta was a bad idea,"
she grumbled. The phone rang yet again. "Hello," she snarled after
the first ring.

"Miss Babcock?" a dry voice inquired.

"Yes, who is this?"

"This is Sebastian Beckman, Miss Babcock, you're grandfather's
attorney."

"Yes, yes – what is it? Does he need to be picked up at the airport
again?"

A clearing of a throat was heard. "No, Miss Babcock. I'm surprised
your mother did not tell you, but he passed away last Saturday."

"Grandfather Philip died?" CC's voice was small. "How… w-when is the
funeral?"

"There wasn't any. He was cremated as per his wishes and his ashes
spread across the Aegean Sea."

"I see," CC swallowed. Her eyes misted a bit, but she gathered
herself up quickly. "Thank you for informing me Mr. Beckman. My
mother must have had more pressing things on her mind this past
weekend." CC's mind wandered to the memory of her mother entertaining
a tableful of boring people at the Country Club.

"No, Miss Babcock, the reason for my call is to inform you that you
are one of three beneficiaries in his will. I would like you to come
by my office tomorrow for the reading. Let's say 10 a.m. sharp? Here’s the address…"

Keeping her business demeanor to the end, CC managed to write down all the pertinent information. "Fine, I'll be there." CC's hand shook as she set the phone down.

~~~~

"In the absence of the third party," said the lawyer as he consulted
his old-fashioned fob-watch, "I think we had better begin."

"Quite so," said GG Babcock. "It's getting rather late and whoever
this person is, can always pick up the details later. Don't you agree
CC?" She turned her glistening blue eyes towards her cousin who was
seated in the third chair in front of the lawyer's desk.

"If you like," replied CC. "Who is this third party Mr. Beckman?"

The sunshine glanced off of the lawyer's silver head of hair as he
looked down at his paperwork. "I've met the man only once myself, but
your grandfather has him down as Sigñor Carlo Gallo.

Sebastian Beckman, the senior partner of Beckman, Bobb, & Troy,
picked up the red-sealed envelope and looked at the two women in his
office. He absently noted the blonde voluptuousness beauty of one and contrasted it with the hothouse sultriness of the other.

"Before I proceed to explain my client's will," he began, "I should inform both of you ladies that I am fully acquainted with its contents. I helped your grandfather draw it up and I must tell you that I disapproved most strongly of the course Mr. Courtland wished to take. It struck me as most eccentric."

"Eccentric?" repeated GG, gold cigarette lighter poised in-between scarlet-nailed fingers. A hard edge crept into her plummy voice. "Eccentric in what way, Mr. Beckman?"

The lawyer held up a thin hand. "You will see in a moment Miss
Babcock. Please be patient. Now," he turned towards CC, "Miss
Babcock, do you remember the last time you spoke with your
grandfather?"

"It was sometime ago, I was supposed to pick him up at La Guardia, but
I wasn't able to." CC's guilt was overcome by childhood visions of a delightfully mischievous grown-up, who understood so well what made children laugh.

"Did you visit with him frequently before that?"

"No," she frowned thoughtfully. "The last time I spent any time with
him was when I was eight or nine. After the quarrel with my mother,
Grandfather Phillip never came back to our house. And as he grew more
eccentric in his later years, he simply refused to see anyone. I use
to write to him regularly when I was at boarding school and he would
answer now and then. But I never saw him again."

"Grandfather Philip was a nutcase," said GG smoothly, exhaling a
plume of smoke. "Pure and simple. Hiding himself away on that island
like that – it was ridiculous!"

"I am inclined to agree with you Miss Babcock," said Sebastian
Beckman. "Your grandfather had some very peculiar notions. And I
found it was all the more unsatisfactory," added the lawyer, looking
down at the will, "when one considered the very large size of the
estate he possessed."

"You don't say," drawled GG, as she glanced over at CC with
glittering eyes. "Did you know how much the old man was worth?"

"Well," replied CC, brushing the blond hair away from her temples, "I
knew that he owned that island off Sicily, but I never really thought
about it much."

"You astonish me," GG's immaculately made-up face registered
skepticism. "Maybe Aunt BB is right, these past few years you seemed
to have changed." She blew out another feather of smoke and raised
one eyebrow at the lawyer. "Well Mr. Beckman, we all agree that
Grandfather Phillip was off his rocker. And Mr. Gallo still hasn't
arrived. So why don't you spill the beans?"

"Very well, Miss Babcock," Mr. Beckman broke the seal and pulled the
will out of its envelope. "The wording is rather complicated, would
you like me to explain what it says in layman's terms before I read
it out."

"I'm sure I will understand it perfectly Mr. Beckman. After all, I
read contracts all day in my line of work," CC answered.

"Since I don't partake in anything remotely close to being called
work," GG shuddered at the word, "I would appreciate an explanation."

CC smiled at her cousin's distaste and folded her hands, wondering
what Phillip Courtland's last joke was going to entail. Because she
was quite convinced that Grandfather Philip's Will would embody the
mocking, teasing attitude with which he had always treated a family
who misunderstood him. Although she had not seen him for so many
years, CC knew that of the family, she was the only one who felt any
inkling of understanding for Philip Courtland. In the few letters he
had sent her, she had seen the lonely plight of a truly loving and
mischievous man who had simply been too unconventional for the stuffy
Courtland family. Grandfather Philip had been a forbidden topic in
her mother's households and it had taken CC years to learn of his
love for the theater and acting which had first ostracized him from
his community. And his bouts of excitability which had necessitated
psychiatric treatment. And the sparkling practical jokes which had so
infuriated his staid relations. And the drinking. And the car
crashes. And all the hundreds of things which made Philip Courtland
impossible – simply impossible - as a relation to the Courtland-
Babcock line.

"There are three beneficiaries," Mr. Beckman intoned in his quiet,
precise way. "Miss CC Babcock, Miss GG Babcock, and Sigñor Carlo
Gallo. Now…"

"Burning with curiosity though I am," drawled GG, as she brushed
invisible specks off her expensive wool skirt, before we hear
Grandfather's Will, might we know exactly who Sigñor Carlo Gallo is?"

Mr. Beckman sighed inwardly. "That will become clear when I read out
the will, Miss Babcock. In the meantime, I can tell you that Sigñor
Gallo is – was, I should say, a close friend of your Grandfather's.
He helped fill the days of a very lonely man. They shared the same
interests."

GG's eyebrow lifted fractionally again.

Mr. Beckman was struck with admiration. `An eyebrow like that,' he
reflected, `could win cases in the criminal courts.'

GG gave CC the benefit of her eyebrow. "Have you heard of this
mysterious gentleman, CC?"

"Well, yes…in a way," acknowledged CC. "Mother mentioned how she
detested Grandfather's friend, and refused to call him Carlo. Only
referred to him as `that detestable man'. But I don't know him."

"You don't?" The eyebrow was still skeptical as GG turned her
attention back to the lawyer. "Continue, Mr. Beckman."

Somewhat dreading the reaction he was going to get, Sebastian Beckman
tapped the will nervously on his desk. "I say there are three
beneficiaries, but to be absolutely precise my dear ladies, there
will actually be two. You see, Mr. Courtland left an unusual
provision in his will and I am not entirely displeased that Sigñor
Gallo is absent from these proceedings for the moment." Mr. Beckman
cleared his throat gently, "His presence might have proved something
of an embarrassment."

"Will you go on with it old man, this all is getting quite tedious."

"The bulk of Philip Courtland's estate, consist of the island of
Delia, which is off the coast of Sicily. What Mr. Courtland's will
states is this, that the island and everything on it will
immediately devolve to any two of the three beneficiaries who are
married to one another within three months," He cleared his
throat. "It means in effect, that the island of Delia will belong to
whichever of you two ladies marries Sigñor Gallo within the stated
period of course." He folded his hands.

GG's face was pale with anger. "Does Gallo know this?" she snapped.

"Oh no, Sigñor Gallo has yet to hear the terms of the will."

GG whipped round to face CC. "And what do you know about this?"

"Nothing GG," CC looked calmly into GG's darker blue eyes. "Grandfather Philip was addicted to practical jokes – you know that. This is his last little prank."

"Prank," snapped GG. "Some prank!"

"Your cousin is correct," Mr. Beckman watched them both speculatively. "Your grandfather's Will is not a joke. It's very legal and binding. And Mr. Courtland left no conditions concerning the length the marriage has to last."

GG's expression changed abruptly. "What are you saying Mr. Beckman?"

"I am simply pointing out that Delia is an extremely valuable
property. I don't have any estimates, but it's easily worth over 20
million dollars."

GG's eyes glittered. "And it seems that this Gallo can't lose?"

"Sigñor Gallo cannot inherit without the… er… cooperation of one of
you," Mr. Beckman pointed out. "But marriage – and divorce – is not a
difficult matter nowadays." He looked at them both. "It will
certainly be worth discussing the matter with Sigñor Gallo when he
makes himself available."

"Mr. Beckman," asked CC, "what if there's no marriage?"

"In that case, the Island of Delia will be turned into a home for
retired donkeys." There was a ghost of a chuckle and to her surprise,
CC realized it had come from Mr. Beckman.

GG looked across at CC with bright eyes.

"Interesting situation, eh, cousin?"

"Very," said CC calmly. "Grandfather Phillip was an expert at setting
up interesting situations."

"Let me explain the rest of the will ladies. It's not complicated,
but I want you to understand your position perfectly." Mr. Beckman
took three envelopes out of a file on his desk. "In the first place,
there is a small package for each of you from Mr. Courtland. I may
tell you that each one contains a letter and a banker's check for
quite a generous sum of money."

CC took her envelope and smiled at her grandfather's familiar
writing, C2 scrawled on top. C Squared was the name in which he
addressed her in his odd, delightful letters.

"In the second place," continued the lawyer, "provision has been made
for all of you to visit Delia at any time within the next three
months. You may stay there as long as you like. The island, the
houses on it, and all the servants will be completely at your
disposal. There are many more minor details, but we'll come to them
later – they're not important. Do you both understand what I've said?"

"Perfectly," said GG. Her sly eyes were inwardly looking and a smile
curved her glossy lips.

Mr. Beckman turned to CC, "Miss Babcock is everything that I've
stated clear?"

"Crystal," she nodded.

"Good. And now I better read the will."

Sebastian Beckman had been very thorough.

~~~~

"It looks like this Carlo Gallo holds our future in his hands," GG
stated as she sipped her Margarita outside the sidewalk café.

"Not my future," CC snorted as she downed her Vodka Martini.

"Don't even try to pull the wool over my eyes CC. I know you better
than most people. We Babcocks may have a lot of things, but an island
is not one of them."

"So? That doesn't mean I'm going to prostitute myself and marry a
total stranger for it." Her thought touched quickly to a vision of a handsome suited man who at this moment, she glanced at her watch, was probably shopping for fresh bread.

GG's eyes widened incredulously. "Are you serious? You heard Mr.
Beckman. The marriage doesn't have to last. One of us gets married to
him, gets divorced, and then we sell the island and split the
profits. Grandfather Philip just didn't understand who he was playing
this silly game with," GG chortled.

"Naturally I'm interested in the island, but I have my life here in
New York and I'm not about to enter a hollow marriage for a few
dollars."

"A few dollars?! Since when is 20 million dollars considered a few
dollars? You have lost it, dear cousin."

CC looked out into the street and at the pedestrians who jaywalked
during the infrequent pauses in traffic. She hid her smile, but she
sympathized with her cousin. It was difficult to really like GG.
Beautiful in a sultry, petulant way, careful to always present a
veneer of sophistication, she could on certain memorable occasions
erupt into the fury of a screaming fishwife. CC had seen her do it.
And though the Babcock family had a hard time with trust, GG was
pathologically suspicious. Pretty as she was, she attracted plenty of
men. But CC was certain that the reason GG's 40th birthday had come
and gone with not the slightest sign of a permanent engagement was
that GG was unable to trust any of the men who courted her. Not that
she herself was much different, but trust was not what withheld CC
from accepting the many offers of dates that came her way.

"You mean you would marry this Carlo Gallo simply to get Delia?"

"Yes," answered GG briskly. "And don't tell me you wouldn't, either,
because I won't believe it. Now CC, listen to me. We have to come to
some kind of arrangement."

"An arrangement?"

"Yes. This is what I've worked out. When we meet this Gallo, we all
agree to split Delia between us, three ways. So you and I draw lots
to see which one will marry him. Then, before the marriage, we all
sign a contract agreeing that there'll be a divorce within such and
such a time and all agreeing to sell Delia and split the proceeds.
What do you say to that?"

"Not bad," smiled CC. "But it won't work."

"Why not?"

"For one thing, it's illegal to make a contract saying you're going
to divorce someone before you've even married them. And if that part
of the contract was illegal, the whole thing would be null and void."

GG's face fell. "Are you sure?"

"You could always check with Mr. Beckman, but I believe that's
correct."

"I see," GG sipped her Margarita thoughtfully.

"Grandfather Philip's tricks always had subtle depths to them," commented CC. "They were never quite as simple as they first seemed."

"Yes," GG looked at CC strangely. "So – it's between you and me, CC."

"What is?"

"Delia is. Or, to be precise, Sigñor Gallo is."

"If you can persuade this person to marry you GG, good luck to you.
But I'm convinced you'll be infinitely more miserable if you do so
than you can possibly imagine."

"Is that what you think?" GG smiled at a man at a table near them
and CC saw the man's face light up.

"Yes," replied CC firmly. "And please count me out of any little
schemes you might be hatching."

"Schemes?" asked GG innocently. "No schemes, my dear CC, I assure you.

"I don't even want to see this Carlo Gallo. And as for…"

"Who are you trying to kid?" GG's face was ugly with suspicion and
anger. "You seem to attract enough boyfriends. Men seem to go for
those big blue eyes and that golden hair – and you know it. What I
don't understand is why you rebuff them. It's not like you have
someone you're seeing right now."

CC's face flushed red and changed the subject quickly. "Try and see
the funny side. Grandfather Philip evidently wanted to tantalize us with this precious island of his. Can't you see that? He never intended either of us to have it. You know how shoddily the whole family treated him, well, this is his revenge."

"I want that island," said GG petulantly. Her face was like a spoiled
child's, but there was real passion in her eyes.

"You worry me sometimes, GG. You don't know anything about this man
Gallo. He might be a dreadful person or a… a drug dealer for all we
know. He could even be married already."

A look of anguish passed over GG's pretty face. "Oh hell! I never
thought of that. You don't think it's possible?"

"Anything is possible with Grandfather Phillip! Though I doubt Gallo
is actually married – the will wouldn't have been able to be made the
way it is."

"If this Gallo is a man," swore GG, "I'm going to marry him."

"Whatever. I'm going to work. But listen to one last word, GG. I'm familiar with Grandfather's tricks. And take it from me, they're very seldom what they seem. There are bound to be hidden catches in this one. And considering it's his last little joke, the catches are likely to be extra-special."

"Excuse me, Madam."

"Yes?" GG turned to the young waiter. "What is it?"

"There's a gentleman looking for you, miss. He said to tell you he
just met with Mr. Beckman."

CC was aware that her heart had begun to beat a little faster. GG
glanced at her with wide, excited eyes, and then turned to the
waiter. "Where is he?"

"He's just coming now, miss. Over there."

The two women turned to watch a tall man, all in black, making his
way through the crowds towards them. A large smile was stretched
across his face.

"Miss GG Babcock?" he boomed, as he greeted GG. "And you must be Miss
CC Babcock," his eyes twinkled jovially. "I would know you anywhere."

GG had turned white as paper. She put out a hand to steady herself on
a chair. "My God!" she breathed.

"Amen," said the friendly man.

CC began to giggle helplessly. Trust Philip Courtland to have the last laugh! For Mr. Gallo, who was watching the two women with an air of perplexity, was dressed in the black cassock and white collar of a Roman Catholic priest.

~~~~

It was CC who recovered first. Swallowing her laughter, she took the
priest's outstretched hand.

"How do you do Father? I'm CC Babcock. And this is my cousin GG
Babcock. Would you care to… er… join us for a drink?"

"Orange juice," he boomed happily, wringing CC's hand. "Nothing more –
not while I'm in uniform, eh?"

He pulled chairs out for both of them and GG sat down weakly. The
color had returned to her cheeks and by the hunted look in her eyes,
CC guessed that she was feverishly seeking the solution to this
latest obstacle.

GG leaned forward. "Father – you are really a father? A priest, I
mean?"

"A priest? But of course I'm a priest."

"Then there's no joke?"

"Joke?" His round, honest face furrowed with doubt. He clearly
suspected that he was dealing with two escaped lunatics.

CC hastily intervened. "My cousin is a little confused. She'll be
alright in a few moments."

"Alright," GG spluttered, "That old joker, that-"

"Here's your orange juice," CC interrupted. "I suppose you were just
at Beckman, Bobb & Troy?"

"Yes, I was," said the priest. He raised his drink cheerfully, "To
your health," he said amicably.

GG watched him drink with annoyance.

"Now," he said, "down to business."

"Did Mr. Beckman read the Will to you?" CC asked.

"The Will? Oh no, of course not," replied the priest happily. "That
would be wrong."

"So you don't know the contents?" put in GG.

Once again a puzzled expression appeared on the priest's open
features. "No, I don't know the contents, of course not."

"But didn't you ask?"

"Ask?" He looked from one to the other. "That is for the third party
to hear, don't you think?"

"Well, isn't that you? Aren't you Carlo Gallo?"

Light dawned suddenly on the priest's face. He threw his head back
and barked happily with laughter. Several amused faces turned their
way.

"No, no, no," he shook a large forefinger in negation. "I came to
send apologies for his absence, Niles wasn't able to attend." He turned towards CC, "You know Niles, you both work for the same man."

"Niles?!" CC's voice raised. "What does Niles have to do with Carlo
Gallo?"

As he looked up from his glass, he caught the back of the beautiful
blond woman striding away quickly, with the brunette following
questioningly behind.

~~~~

The front door of the Sheffield mansion slammed open. "Niiiiiles!!"

The two women strode inside with the priest further behind as the butler entered the room from the hallway.

The priest’s rotund face was red with strain as he gasped for breath. "I suppose I played the hand too early Niles," he leaned against the
door frame of the Sheffield mansion.

"No, you did just fine," Niles answered.

"So he isn't really a priest?" CC asked, her hands on her hips as she waited impatiently to be answered. Her right hand then lifted up and began to ball into a fist.

"Before you begin your prophesied descent to Hell, I should warn
you that he is in fact a priest. May I introduce Father Anthony."

"I wasn't going to hit him. I was going to hit you!" She strode towards him, until his back was against the banister. "I want an explanation and I want it now!"

"CC, what is the matter with you?" GG asked in surprise as she watched her cousin's face flare up even more with anger as she touched Niles' shoulder. "Hello Niles, I'm GG Babcock."

"Miss Babcock, a pleasure," he smiled warmly as he took her hand and led her to the couch. "One moment, please."

Soon Niles came back with a silver tray and began serving everyone
ice tea and cookies. Father Anthony gulped the frosty liquid down. GG's hand stayed a moment longer on Niles' fingers as he passed her glass to her.

CC sat down next to her cousin, scowling at the sight.

He murmured something to GG that CC couldn't quite make out, but the
silly, girlish, flirtatious giggle of GG's was unmistakable.

"Now that everyone is comfortable I can explain," Niles said all around as he slid CC's glass towards her, the liquid almost sloshing out. "Do you remember that day when you couldn't get over how you looked in that fur coat of yours?" Niles leaned back against the wing chair.

"Fur coat?" CC shook her head in confusion.

"Yes, the one you bought from Mrs. Sheffield. The one she inherited from a passing relative?"

"Vaguely. What does that have to do with you, Grandfather Philip, and this Will?"

"It began to rain that night and you didn't want to get your precious fur coat wet so you sent me out to get your grandfather at the airport for you."

"Oh… "

Niles nodded at her look of comprehension. "That's the night I met your grandfather and I am grateful to you for that. He was a man after my own heart."

"Sneaky. Deceptive…" CC spat out.

"And cunning," Niles interrupted. "Let's not forget that. Anyway,
rather than another boring poker night with the boys, I would instead
visit with your dear grandfather."

"You would fly to his island?" GG asked reaching for another oatmeal-
raisin cookie. She caught her cousin's look. "I can't help myself.
Niles, these cookies are marvelous."

"Now you know why it's hard to keep a figure in this household," CC
remarked. "That toad is constantly baking things."

"The day I bake a Scotch on the Rocks than you can blame your
weight on me," he replied dryly.

"You two don't like each other, do you?" GG asked between bites.

"On the contrary…" Father Anthony began.

"Have a cookie," Niles practically shoved one in his friend's mouth.

CC stared in curiosity at Niles before she asked her next question. "So you got Grandfather Philip to fly you back and forth to his island?"

"He didn't always stay on his island. He use to come here to
the city and watch you girls, wanting to see how you two were doing."

"I find this bit of news appalling. Grandfather would come all
the way here and instead of choosing to visit us, he would spy on us?"

"I tried to convince him to talk to at least one of you, but he was a stubborn old codger." Niles smiled in remembrance. "I enjoyed my visits with him. We would go to the theater, play chess, but because of his stroke he had a hard time getting around. His speech did improve in time."

"Enough of this traipsing down memory lane. What's with all this Carlo Gallo stuff?" CC growled.

"I'm thinking your grandfather didn't want to let everything out all
at once. He made me promise that should his lawyer contact me for the
reading of his Will one day, I was to miss it and send Father Anthony
to pass along a message of apology. No phone call." Niles explained
before finishing his drink. "I'm sure if you two were to look at the
papers Mr. Beckman handed to you, my real name will be there."

CC quickly opened up her package, and gasped at the amount on the
banker's check. Then she read the Will. There it was, his real
name, in black and white. "So that means you are the… "

"Groom," GG finished with a delightful smile.

Niles began to cough. Just as he was about to reply, another cough
overtook him. Father Anthony began to pound his back. GG took over
and her hand patted gently, moving in circles in between pats.

"Groom," he managed to gasp, "What do you mean by that?"

A long slow smile spread across CC's face. Taking the copy of the
Will in hand, she snapped it open and read it out loud from start to
finish.

"Your grandfather is mad," Niles' eyes widened. "How can he expect me
to… for us to…?"

Father Anthony laughed uproariously. "Niles, did you hear that sound?"

Still in a daze, "What?"

In between guffaws. "I do believe it was the death knell for your
bachelor status."

An idea began to formulate in CC's mind. This was the perfect opportunity to make Niles suffer for all of the things he had done to
her over the years. After all, she could tell he was attracted to her
a little even though he tried to hide it. Just as she was about to
flatten him with a remark, GG's soothing tones to Niles caught her
attention.

"Poor baby," GG cooed, as her hand rubbed his back in commiseration.

"Poor rich baby," Father Anthony teased.

"I can't, I can't… " Niles was speechless.

"Grandfather and his silly ways," GG said. "But there's no reason why
we cannot take advantage of his generosity. Why don't you join us
on the island? It's ours for the next three months. It would make a
lovely vacation."

CC's face began to twitch. She had forgotten about her cousin. And
usually what GG wanted, GG got.

~~~~

"Not going?" GG's voice was shrill and CC removed the telephone from
her ear slightly. "What are you talking about, you have to go!"

"I don't have to do anything."

"Stop being so childish CC. You are coming to Delia and that's the
end of it."

"I don't understand why you're so indignant about it," rejoined CC,
getting angrier. "I'm giving you the opportunity you wanted to
bamboozle Niles. Besides my life is my own and I don't have to go
if I don't want to."

"I don't know how you can be so selfish," shrilled GG and CC was
astonished to hear the tears in her voice. "It's very unkind of you. Why don't you think of someone else for a change?"

"GG, I would think you would be pleased that I wasn't coming."

"Why would I be pleased," crackled the telephone furiously.

CC looked blankly at the afternoon sunlight on the windowsill.

"You don't understand, you idiot," squeaked GG. "Niles won't come to
Delia unless you're there. He won't go if it's just going to be me!"

"How do you know that?" asked CC curiously.

There was a pregnant pause.

"I… um …asked him," replied GG at length.

"What did you ask him?"

"After we left last night, I called him as soon as I got home. I asked him whether he wouldn't like to come to the island with me alone. Without you, that is."

CC said nothing, feeling curiously angry, but not surprised.

When CC didn't reply, GG's voice became defensive, "Well, all's fair and all that, CC. You'd have done the same thing if you'd had the brains to think of it."

"Would I?" said CC coldly.

"You made it plain enough on the cab ride home that you're not interested in Niles whatsoever," said GG righteously. "And speaking
quite frankly, you are a little old for him, aren't you? Men nowadays prefer a certain age gap between themselves and their prospective brides."

"If you say so GG," said CC frigidly, trying not to let her anger show. "It's not really very relevant."

"Exactly," crackled GG with relief. "The point is whether you're
coming to Delia or not. Because if you don't come, you'll be doing me
out of my inheritance."

"I wouldn't want to do that," replied CC dryly.

"You ought to have more consideration for others, CC. You were always
selfish, even as a child. I remember my mother saying once-."

"I've changed my mind," said CC quietly.

"What's that?"

"I'm going to come after all, GG."

"Well, I should think so," said GG with satisfaction. "And I'm glad
to hear you admit once and for all that Niles wouldn't be interested
in you."

"When did I say that?"

"Isn't that the reason why you weren't going to come, so that you could avoid the embarrassment of becoming a fifth wheel on the island? Now I want your solemn promise that you're not going to get under our feet in Delia. I shall want Niles all to myself on this holiday and I shall expect you to give us a wide berth. You do understand what I'm saying, don't you CC?"

"Oh, I understand alright," said CC through clenched teeth.

"I'm glad to hear it. And I trust you're not going to make yourself
obtrusive?"

For a few seconds, CC's mind boggled with so many sarcastic replies
that she was speechless. "You'll have to excuse me GG, I need to go out and buy myself a bikini."

She replaced the receiver without waiting for an answer and stalked
out of her front door, slamming it behind her. Within a few minutes
she was striding outside, waiting for her doorman to hail her a
cab. `What a little cat that GG could be! Well, this time she was
not going to get her own way.’ It had taken GG's arrogant assumptions
about Niles to wake her up. She knew she wasn't indifferent to
the man.

CC stepped inside the cab, her anger preventing her from feeling the
warm afternoon sunshine. She thought of Niles and all that they've
been through, she couldn't let him simply walk out of her life
and into her cousin's arms. That man had touched her in a way that no
man had ever done. And it wasn't the way he filled a tuxedo either.
She was certain that her feeling for him, whatever it was, rose above
simple desire. The cab stopped at her destination. CC looked at her
reflection on the glass before pushing it open. She knew what she had
to do now – in the words of Nanny Fine - go shopping!

~~~~

Three days later she was walking across the tarmac to a big jetliner,
whose roaring engines were already filling the air with the smell of
excitement. CC glanced up at the mighty engines poised above her,
wondering as she always did how so vast a mechanism could ever fly
and then she was walking up the aluminum ladder, carrying her bag in
one hand and a light coat in the other.

As she settled into her seat, snapping her seatbelt closed, she could
not suppress a shiver of nervous anticipation. Niles and GG would
already be at the island. Niles had left a couple days earlier, wanting to visit his family on the way. CC had only seen him once, briefly, before he left. As he was about to pass her in the hallway, he quietly said, "Make sure your seat is in a full and upright position before your broom takes off." His shoulder accidentally pressed against hers as he tried to pass by, making him pause. CC had to fight an urge to rub her shoulder back and was so disturbed at the feeling, that she couldn't meet his eyes and turned and walked away without a word.

And GG had left yesterday. Since the day CC had phoned her to say she
had decided not to go to Delia and then changed her mind, GG had
maintained a frigid silence towards her. Even though her cousin got
her way, she was upset that CC made her confess about calling Niles.
Mentally, CC shrugged her shoulders. GG was capable of extremely
childish behavior. And as for what may be happening between the two
of them right now, CC closed her mind resolutely to the subject. For
once she was just going to allow things to evolve.

She stowed her bag under her seat. Inside it were some of the clothes
she had bought for the holiday. Disobeying years of tailored instincts, she had found a small shop where in the end she had purchased three bathing suits. Of the two bikinis, she knew that she would need unusual courage to wear the smallest - two scraps of thin gold material which had looked so good on her pale voluptuous figure that she had scarcely recognized herself in the big walled mirror of the boutique. The other was not much bigger, but the blue and crimson Lycra hugged her body less shamelessly. The third suit was her favorite. It was a sheer black one-piece, sewn with magical skill. Low enough in the neckline, but high enough at the hip to flatter her figure. It was a classic, elegant thing in which she would feel superbly confident. And at the same boutique, she purchased a couple colorful silk scarves, a long, simple dress and four pairs of rather enticingly cheeky shorts. She wasn’t sure if she had the nerve to wear them, but buying them made her feel much better.

She watched the airport through the small round window next to her
seat as she waited for take-off. Eventually everything was ready. The
doors thumped shut, closing off the whine of the engines and the
dark, attractive stewardess was demonstrating the use of the survival
gear `in the unlikely event of depressurization' as the plane taxied to the take-off runway.

CC noticed that a good-looking blond man had taken the seat next to
her. He was smiling rather nervously at her and she saw that he was
clutching his armrests tightly.

"Your first flight?" she asked in answer to his polite greeting.

He nodded ruefully, "Does it show?"

CC snapped open a magazine as her only reply.

"Are you going to Rome," he persisted.

She sighed to herself, `CC, you're getting soft.' And then she turned
to him, "No, I'm going to Sicily, and you?"

"I'm going to Siena on business for my firm." He stuck out a large hand, and CC noticed that his wrist was covered in pale blond hairs. "Bryan Weber," he said.

"CC Babcock," she shook his hand.

The roar of the engines rose to a deep throbbing howl as the jet began to accelerate along the runway. Almost dreamily, CC watched the airfield whip past with blurring speed as the acceleration thrusted
her back into her seat like a giant hand. Then the nose of the plane
rose up and the rumble of the wheels was still. For a minute or two,
the long cabin was at a forty-five degree angle as the plane climbed
steeply towards the sun and then it began to level off slowly. With
a little ping the seatbelt sign went off.

Bryan Weber let out his breath with a whoosh. "My god," he muttered,
wiping his face, "I thought we had it there!" He turned to CC with a
look of admiration. "You're a pretty cool customer, Miss Babcock. May
I buy you a drink?"

CC rolled her eyes, "This is first class, the drinks are free."

As the plane winged its way towards Rome, CC somehow found herself falling into conversation with the young businessman. As the hours passed, each dozed at times and at other times just sat next to each other in companionable silence. CC gazed out of the window at the clouds below, gilded with the late afternoon sun. It was a beautiful, dreamlike vista.

The intercom pinged once again for attention. "In twenty minutes
we shall be landing at Rome airport," intoned the stewardess. "We shall be beginning our descent shortly."

As the tiny buildings of Rome drifted into view thousands of feet
below, washed with the pale orange of the setting sun, CC felt her
nerves get to her again as she realized she was getting a little
closer to her destination.

In the Arrivals lounge, she waved goodbye to Bryan and made her way
to Domestic Departures. Within an hour she was boarding another
flight bound for Sicily. The sun had set and the sky was a dark blur
outside the window as she looked out once again.

At midnight exactly, the jet was touching down at Catania airport.
The night air was warm as she walked across to the Immigration building. In the darkness, she could see the high mountains that
surrounded the landing field. Once through the formalities of arrival, she waited for a skycap to load her suitcases onto a trolley and then followed him as he trundled it to the reception lounge. She was due to meet one of the staff from Delia here. As she looked around the half empty hall, she caught sight of a short, plump man holding up a card reading `Ca Ca Babcock'.

`That Niles.'

When the man saw her coming towards him, he waved vigorously, showing
silver fillings in a welcoming smile. "Sigñorina Babcock? Welcome
to Sicily."

She nodded her greeting while she watched him take her bags.

"My name is Rosario," he told her. He bustled a pathway for her out of the building. "I am to take you to Delia. Right now, we go to the dock," he explained as he led her to a waiting taxi. "The boat is
there to take us to Delia."

As they drove through the night to the docks, CC asked, "Is Delia far, Rosario?"

"No, only about fifteen miles from the coast. You can see the mainland very clearly from Delia."

"People tell me it's very pretty," she prompted.

"Oh, sigñorina - " Rosario made an eloquent gesture with one chubby
hand, " - it's like Paradise, believe me!"

At the wharf, he paid off the taxi and hefted her luggage aboard a large motor boat.

"Have the others arrived yet?"

"Sí - the other Sigñorina Babcock has been here since this morning
and Sigñor Niles since the day before that." He helped her aboard,
started up the engines and began to steer the boat out into the open
sea.

A cool, fresh, marine smell met CC's nostril and she inhaled deeply.
They left the lights of the harbor behind them and the powerful boat
cut through into the darkness ahead.

"Tell me a little about Delia," she asked as he held the wheel. "Is there a lot of staff there?"

"Only four, sigñorina. I myself, then old Tomas and Santino, who
look after the island and the gardens between them, and Hortencia. She is my wife," he grinned at CC, "but she is twice my size. Hortencia does all the housework and the washing. You must not argue with
Hortencia," he told her mock-solemnly, "because she is plenty of woman!"

Giving him a quick short smile, CC left him to pilot the boat in
peace and went out to lean on the rail. The fresh sea-spray was
clearing her head, lifting her tiredness a little, though she was by
now ready for bed. Over the east, a smudge of grey heralded the
coming dawn.

"Not far now," called Rosario. "If you look ahead, you can see Delia."

CC looked forward and saw a dark hump against the horizon. Silhouetted against the silver of the coming dawn she thought she could see woods, a large hill.

"It looks very big," she called back.

His cherubic face nodded happily in the cabin light. "It is quite
big, sigñorina. There are lots of beautiful beaches. The padrone,
your grandfather, made it very pleasant while he was alive."

The island was looming out of the darkness now. Rosario was steering
the boat towards a long jetty which projected from a small natural
cove. CC could see a wide beach and a small slipway. Above it, steps
climbed steeply up to a large terrace overlooking the sea. And as the
boat chugged slowly to moor at the jetty, she could see a figure
waiting with folded arms on the edge of the planking. It was Niles.

~~~~

He smiled at her as if they hadn't seen each other a couple days
ago. "What did you drag home with you Rosario? Looks like you
netted a big one."

"Sigñor?" Rosario looked confused.

"Don't mind him Rosario, he thinks he's a comedian," CC replied, her
heart beating fast as she watched Niles muscle down her suitcases
from the boat.

As Rosario chastised him for doing so, Niles led CC up the stone
stairs to the terrace. The coming dawn showed a long, beautiful villa
stretched out on the slope above the beach. Fronted by a long
balustraded verandah, it looked over the sea serenely in the pale,
blue light. She followed Niles through the front door into the
darkened house, along a corridor and to a bedroom facing the sea.

"This is your bedroom," he said. "GG's is the farthest down the hall
to your left."

Rosario set her bags down and bade them both a goodnight, but not before smiling at the couple who pretended anger with each other.

"And so you don't mistake my bedroom for the kitchen, mine is to your
right, four doors down."

"Thank you, now I know which room to avoid," CC curtly replied.

By the bedside light, his eyes seemed darker as his smile broadened.
Before leaving, he called over his shoulder and said nonchalantly, "You can explore the house in the morning and you'll be safe if you should venture onto the beach later today."

"Safe?"

"Yes, these are protected waters. No whale hunting allowed," he smirked and pulled his fingers in just in time before she slammed her bedroom door on them.

Stupid with tiredness, CC looked about her. The bedroom was large and
airy, furnished with a simple yet exquisite taste which surprised her. She had expected Philip's house to be fantastic, bizarre. She had not been prepared for the elegance of this cool white furniture, the very beautiful materials of curtain and bedspread, the opulent rugs on the floor, nor the sandalwood shelves that scented the whole room. Leading off to the right was a red tiled shower. Past it was a large bathroom, with one of the biggest bathtubs CC had ever seen, and she had seen plenty. She gaped at it, fascinated. The tiles were hand-painted and the floor had been covered with a thick soft pile carpet, thoughtfully made for wet, bare feet.

She walked back into her bedroom, this time noticing the charming
little chandelier that hung from the ceiling, the watercolors that
hung on the walls. This was a woman's room, she decided, cool,
elegant, and beautiful. Who had it been furnished for? On a little
ebony table, among a collection of pretty shells, stood a photograph
of Philip Courtland. CC picked it up, gazing down into the lined,
smiling face of the grandfather she had not seen since childhood.

"Poor Grandfather," she whispered softly. She put the silver-framed photograph on her bedside table, deciding to unpack in the morning. She kicked off her sandals wearily, took off the clothes she had worn for the journey, and clad only in her underwear, slipped between the cool sheets, exhausted. Her last thought was of Niles' smile when she stepped from the boat and then her mind slipped into the depths of sleep.

~~~~

Despite her weariness, CC slept only a couple hours and awoke refreshed. The villa was silent and she lay in bed for a few minutes, listening to the sounds of the sea through the half-open window. Finally, unable to lie in bed any longer, she jumped up and went over to the window. The sky was a magnificent clear blue. It was only seven-
thirty and the sun was already climbing steadily to the meridian. And
the sea! It was a color CC had never dreamed of - a deep ultramarine, with turquoise glints, as transparent as tinted glass. Her heart rising with joy, CC decided that she must go down for an early morning swim. Hastily she rummaged through her suitcases until she found what she wanted, the sheer black one-piece bathing suit. Just as she was about to slip it on, Niles’ whale remark popped into her head. And with a couple of choice words directed at the butler under her breath, CC instead took out the little gold bikini and a white towelling dress. Slipping the minuscule costume on, she covered herself with the cool dress, slipped her feet into sandals and picked up a towel, and emerged cautiously from her bedroom. As she walked down the corridor, a woman was sweeping in the sitting-room ahead. She was quite short, but extremely plump, with an enormous, comfortable bosom, and a merry face.

"You must be Rosario's wife… Horten…"

The woman grinned, showing white teeth, and nodded like her husband. "Io sono Hortencia," she affirmed. "No speaka good English, sigñorina."

"That's alright," said CC, charmed by her smile. Reaching into her
memory for the Italian she remembered learning, "Io vado alla spiaggia - I'm going for a swim."

The plump woman nodded happily, waving her hand at the direction to
take. "Later, I bring breakfast," she said. As she walked through the
long sitting-room to the wide French doors, CC decided that she was
going to enjoy staying on Delia.

The sitting-room was as beautifully furnished as her own bedroom had
been. The smooth stone floor, obviously the original floor of the old
building, had been strewn with Persian rugs. The furniture was sturdily practical for a beachside villa, yet stylish and attractive nonetheless. Wide-cushioned in some pretty, flowered material. The
walls were hung with paintings and a delightful, eccentric collection of objects lined the shelves. From the resinous beams of the roof, bunches of dried herbs hung down, filling the room with a faint pleasing aromatic smell. It was a spacious, charming room, made to live in and be enjoyed.

CC walked through the fragrant lemon-grove down to the sea, sniffing
the air appreciatively. In the distance a man was packing oranges. He
gave her a cheery wave, and she thought what the hell - and waved
back, guessing that this would be either Tomas or Santino.

The beach itself was like something out of a dream, white and
incredibly clean. The purple shape of Sicily was visible across the
sunlit sea and the tiny triangles of a few yacht sails drifted in the
early morning breeze. The sand was deliciously warm between her toes
and she dropped her clothes on her outspread towel against a friendly
sand-dune, and scampered down to the water in her tiny gold bikini.
She never felt so alive and care-free.

The sea had not yet had time to warm in the sun and it was wonderfully cool against her skin. Joyously, she plunged into the water and submerged her pale body in its ultramarine depths. As she floated, entranced among the gentle waves, she turned to look back at Delia. The villa set on the hills was beautiful. Perfectly matching its wonderful setting. Its walls were the color of vanilla ice cream and the long orange roof was intricately tiled. It stood on its lawn, behind the lemon grove, looking down on to the sea.

The cool water bobbed CC gently in its arms. `This is the type of
vacation I've needed for years,' she thought to herself as she relaxed.

Signs of life were stirring in the villa. A little trickle of smoke
appeared momentarily at one of the chimneys, a stove being lighted,
she guessed and two figures appeared at the French doors. She rolled
on to her stomach and paddled towards a group of smooth grey rocks
covered with spongy seaweed. She hauled herself out of the water and
drew her knees up on the warm perch, gazing back at the long shape of
Sicily. Smiling, she peered down into the water that swirled around
the rock. It was an unbelievable blue and as clear as bathwater. She
could see tiny fish darting in the blue depths and the sandy bottom
was strewn with shells and pebbles.

`A little piece of paradise indeed!'

Happier than she had been for weeks, CC slipped back into the cool water and swam to shore. The welcoming warmth of the beach lulled her into a delicious sleepiness. Adjusting her bikini, she lay face-down on her dry towel and closed her eyes. The sun was a giant, hot caress on her back and she felt her body relaxing, like melting butter.

She was aroused by the sound of GG's clear voice answered by Niles'
deep laugh. They were walking towards her and she stiffened with
resentment for a moment and decided to feign sleep. She lay with her
head on one side, her eyes tightly closed and listened to them approaching.

"Ah," Niles' softly said, "looks like your cousin beat us to the
beach this morning."

"So I see," came GG's cool tones. "Did she arrive last night?"

"Yes, I went down to the jetty to meet her at two a.m."

"You're too kind to her," said GG disapprovingly. Then her voice
changed to the saccharine coo of a turtledove. "Would you be an
angel, Niles, and help me with this zipper? It seems to be stuck."

There was a pause, the sound of a zipper being undone. And then a
little coy shriek from GG, followed by her flirtatious giggle. It was
difficult for CC to stop her toes from curling with fury. She listened to the sounds of Niles and GG settling down next to her, trying to keep her breathing even.

"Isn't it heavenly?" came GG's fluting voice.

"Mmm. Are you glad you came?"

"Oh, definitely. I can't tell you how glad I am," GG's voice,
heavy with meaning. Then her voice changed again. "She's a bit under-
dressed, don't you think?"

"I don't think so," purred Niles' deep voice. "It's a beautiful outfit, don't you think?"

"It's very small," said GG.

"Oh, I disagree. Besides, a figure like that deserves to be shown off."

"Do you think she's pretty?" GG asked casually, but with a ripple of
jealousy under the smooth tone. "I think she's rather on the plump
side, myself. Niles, sweetie, could you rub some lotion onto my back?"

CC lay still, listening with rising indignation to GG's barely-suppressed sighs of delight as Niles rubbed the suntan lotion onto
her back. `Really, GG was shameless! She was behaving like a cat in
heat!'

"No, I don't agree," came Niles' calm voice. "I've always though CC's
figure was rather splendid. She's very well proportioned and look how
luminescent her skin is."

"Hmm," said GG, somewhat bitterly.

"And she has splendid hips, don't you think?"

"I don't know," said GG shortly.

"Oh yes, quite perfectly shaped. Womanly, without being heavy. And
she has a delightful bum too. Look at the way her thighs taper so
elegantly down to her knees - like a courtesan in a Bronzino painting. As for her calves…"

The blush that was washing into CC's cheeks made all pretense at sleep ridiculous. Hearing her body so minutely described by Niles was incredibly embarrassing… and a bit of a turn on. She raised herself up
on one elbow, pink-cheeked and glared at him. The mocking smile on the bold mouth told her that she had fallen for one of his wicked jokes again.

"So, the beautiful beast awakens."

"We were just talking about you CC," said GG coolly.

"I know," retorted CC. "I heard you." She sat up, dusted sand from
her knees and studied them. GG was wearing a vivid foamy green bikini
that showed her rather slender figure off well. Niles, who was lying
on his back, half-raised on his elbows, wore only a narrow black bathing brief. The kind most Europeans favor as swimwear. Unfortunately, most men shouldn't be wearing them. And even more
unfortunately for CC, Niles wasn't one of them.

His body was stunningly beautiful. The way he was laying had brought
his stomach muscles into relief, taut and hard under his velvety
golden skin. Her eyes strayed to his broad smooth chest. Then she
looked up and met his eyes with a sense of shock. She always tended to
forget quite how splendid Niles was, how vivid his physical presence
could be. He was usually covered up in a suit or those ugly cardigans, that it was very rare to see any more of his skin than his face and hands. And then she began to regret having worn such a tiny bathing suit. The gold material was wickedly thin and her own body had responded in no uncertain terms to the directness of his gaze. She could feel the skin on her breasts becoming taut under the thin material and she folded her arms hastily. But not before his eyes
had dropped to them and detected the unmistakable signals. The smile on his face widened naughtily and his eyes met hers again with almost a cerulean sparkle to them before taking the rest of her body with calm interest.

"You'd better not get much sun today, CC," said GG acidly. "Your skin
is very white and you'll burn yourself to a crisp. Perhaps you'd better put a shirt on."

CC knew she should heed her cousin’s words, but just to spite her she stayed uncovered all the while avoiding Niles’ eyes. `What had possessed me to buy this tiny bikini in the first place?' She sat cross-legged looking out to the sea, her side turned resentfully to Niles.

"We're being pampered this morning," he said. "Here comes Hortencia
with some breakfast."

Hortencia arrived with a large tray full of fruit and a steaming
percolator which breathed out the fragrance of fresh coffee. She said
something in the Sicilian dialect to Niles. And he replied back
before turning to the cousins.

"She wants you to know that all the fruit is grown on Delia," he
explained. He held up a magnificent yellow peach. "Peaches,
tangerines, oranges, pears - the fruits of paradise."
He poured coffee for them all and passed a dainty little cup to
each. "So you've had a swim already?" he asked CC smoothly.

She ignored his question, and instead asked her own. "How do you know
how to speak Sicilian?"

"One of the things Philip insisted on doing was to teach me to speak and understand it fluently.

"This beach is so beautiful Niles and so clean!" gushed GG.

"We can explore the whole island later on," he smiled. "There's more
to see than the beach."

"It must be worth more than 20 million," said GG loudly. "Surely, it
can't sell for less?"

"Perhaps not," Niles shrugged.

"I'm sure of it," persisted GG. "From what I've seen of it, there
should be quite a line of people waiting to buy it."

Tired of her cousin's prattle, CC gulped her coffee down. "I'm going
for a walk," she announced and without looking at either of them,
stalked off along the beach.

"Really!" She heard GG say.

She strode down to the waterline and walked along the edge of the
waves, up to her ankles in the cool, foaming water. About two hundred
yards from the others, she turned and looked back. GG was lying
ecstatically on her tanned tummy, while Niles rubbed suntan lotion
onto the backs of her thighs. Angrily, CC turned away and stalked on.
The beach was endlessly beautiful before her.

She walked for about twenty minutes, picking up shells until her
fists were full of their smooth, sharp-edged shapes. By some black
rocks, she settled down in the sand to examine her treasure trove.
Anything so she wouldn't have to go back to the `Blue Lagoon' couple.
As she laid the shells out into little groups, she studied their
lovely patterns absently. She looked up with a start. Niles was
strolling across the sand towards her, carrying her towel. She sat
back on the sand, quickly squelching a desire to walk away. `Why give
him the satisfaction?'

He moved with the unconscious grace of a panther, his legs carrying
him with a smooth power. He seemed so at home here, so unlike the
proper butler that she saw day in and day out for years.

"You left your breakfast behind," he said as he came up to her. He
was holding a large pink-and-yellow peach in his free hand.

"Where's my cousin?" she asked coolly.

"She fell asleep in the sun and I thought if I didn't feed you, I knew this island wouldn’t be able to handle the tsunami that may happen if you should fall from hunger. The waves that could occur," he shuddered, eyes closed, mockingly.

"Oh shut up and give it here!" Her hand swiped it from his open
palm. "And just in case you did anything to it," CC bent down and
rinsed the fruit in the frothing water.

"You are so distrusting, Babcock," Niles grinned as he watched her bite
into the peach's softness.

The salt of the seawater on its surface made a piquant contrast to
the nectar sweetness of the flesh.

Niles stretched out sun-kissed arms and sighed. "This is Eden. To think of all the days I spent dusting furniture and cleaning bathrooms when I could have taken Philip's offer and visited him here."

"Why didn't you?" CC asked as she licked the juice from her fingers.

"No idea," he murmured, amorous thoughts filled his mind as he ogled her standing there in the most amazing bikini he ever saw in his life.

CC looked up and caught him staring. Before she knew it, Niles had
taken her hand and began kissing her fingertips. A gasp escaped as
she felt the tip of his tongue touch the sticky space between her
fingers.

"Delicious."

A seagull circled overhead, eyeing the fallen peach on the white
sand, ignoring the embraced couple kissing each other furiously.

~~~~

Lunch, though delicious, was a strained affair. GG's expression told
CC quite plainly what she had thought of Niles' little walk along the
beach to find her. And CC herself was tense and moody. That kiss by
the shore, like the other kisses they've shared from their past, shook her to her core. Niles alone seemed unaffected, making conversation with Hortencia and Rosario as they served the meal.

"I know, let's go for a boat ride. We'll circle the island, get to know it better," Niles suggested.

"That sounds like a lovely idea Niles," GG smiled back, her lashes prompted CC into thinking of a hummingbird's wings.

"Count me out," CC replied as she set her glass of water down.

"Why," Niles smirked, "scared?"

"Of what? Nothing scares CC Babcock."

"I know it scares me when you start talking about yourself as a third
person," he retorted.

"It's okay CC, we don't mind if you stay here," GG put in, "lots of
people get seasick." She kicked her cousin under the table.

"Really Babcock. As long as you stay on the boat, the harpoons from
other ships won't hurt you."

"I thought you said there were no whale hunters…" she caught herself
and seethed as Niles chortled. "Fine, count me in. The docking bay
could use another bobber and a certain dark blonde Englishman will
definitely suffice."

"Okay then," Niles grinned. "I suppose I better change into some ship
captain-type outfit."

"Isn't Rosario driving us around?" CC asked.

"No, sigñorina, I must help Tomas and Santino with the orchards," Rosario answered.

CC looked up and saw how Niles paused from behind his seat, smirking at her, waiting for her to back out again.

"Niles, if your life vest feels heavy, like it's filled with weights?"

"Yes?"

"Ignore it," she fluttered her lashes at him.

Niles laughed as he turned away, both of them missing the red-faced anger showing plainly on GG's face.

When CC stood up to change for the outing, her cousin grabbed her wrist. "You little witch!" GG whispered vehemently. "You are trying
to cut me out of this Will, aren't you?"

"What are you talking about? Both of us are going."

"You promised you would stay away from Niles."

"As a matter of fact, I didn't," CC replied coolly. "But in any case,
I've been trying to get away from both of you all morning, in case
you haven't noticed."

"Really? Then what made you wear that shameless bikini this morning?
You looked positively pornographic!"

"Your confection in green wasn't much bigger," CC pointed out grimly. "And I had no idea you two were going to come and join me there."

"Indeed?" snapped GG. "Well, you didn't lose any time in spiriting
Niles away, did you? And what were you two doing on this so-called walk?"

"Nothing!"

As the cousins whispered furiously at each other, Rosario and
Hortencia had their own conversation silently across the room. The
way all married couples are able to communicate with one another. The
certain degree levels of an eyebrow, a tilt of a head, and of course
the eye play. It was better than Morse code.

"Don't try and tell me you haven't been conspiring with Niles behind
my back, CC. And there's another thing…" GG got up to follow as CC
left the room.

~~~~

"Why don't you just borrow some of my things, GG?" CC offered again.

"Because I don't want to. I've never worn other people's clothes and
I don't plan on starting now," she answered crossly. "I'll tell you
what I will do," she told her cousin out of Niles' earshot, "When I
get this island, those damn donkeys are history!"

As she was about to hand her husband a picnic basket, Hortencia had
to turn around and muffle her laughter. Rosario's cheeks puffed out
as he held his mirth in.

Niles waved at the three as the boat sped across the glittering water, taking him and CC away with it. "You know, I don't recall Philip ever mentioning having a problem with those donkeys that he insisted on taking care of on that island. I'm sure he would have told me if they were prone to walk inside the villa and chew on clothes."

"If you're implying what I think you're implying, you can forget it,"
CC replied.

"I'm not trying to imply anything. Just that it's an amazing coincidence that after your protestations about this trip, you're
here with me - all alone - and your cousin's wardrobe becomes lunch
to some four-legged animals.

"Niles, that kiss wasn't that great," CC smirked as she rolled her
tongue against the inside of her cheek, shaking her head all the
while.

He laughed, "Okay, Babcock. Just make sure you stay in the middle, I
don't want this poor ship to list."

"Keep it up Niles and I'll be using you as bait for all the hungry fish out there."

He put his hands up in surrender, "All right, truce."

"Truce… with the enemy? I don't know about that."

"Well, if you want any of Hortencia's delicious picnic basket, you
better cease-fire."

"I suppose that's a good enough reason to hold my tongue."

The couple smiled at one another and CC sat on the cushion next to
the Captain.

Niles steered the boat expertly around the island and they had fun
pointing out the flora and fauna to one another.

"I don't know about you, but my stomach is growling," Niles said as
he found a shady spot to park the boat under. "I don't think I had
enough at lunch."

A little table magically folded out between the seats and Niles
brought the basket over. It was a lovely day, a lovely spot, and once
again CC found herself facing Niles across the table. As they drank
their wine, they began to fence with their eyes. When they each
realized that the other was following the agreed upon truce, guards
were let down… a little.

While they munched on cheese, crackers and the occasional grape, CC
asked Niles questions. He told her entertaining stories about his
childhood and she watched the light in his eyes as it danced and
glittered and at the proud curve of his bold mouth – a mouth to set
any woman dreaming. And suddenly it came to her – the reason why she
had always sought Niles out at the Sheffield's, why she came to this
island, why she was sitting here, this moment, with Niles. It was not
because she was attracted to the way he filled out a tux or a pair
of swim briefs for that matter. It was not because he never kowtowed
to her like so many others.

It was because she loved him.

The realization dropped through CC's being like a stone dropped through clear water, ripple-changing everything she had assumed until that moment about herself, Niles, the world. She had been falling in love all these years and she never knew it.

And at the same time, she realized with bitter force that she would
never be able to tell him how she felt. He would think that she was
being like GG, after him for the island and the money it was worth.
She sat staring at him as he talked, the knowledge of her own love
swelling inside her, dominating every other thought. It was an
emotion which seemed to fill her whole body, not so much a thrill as
a deep ache, a kind of delicious bruise that had taken over her mind
and heart completely.

He looked up, suddenly aware that she was gazing at him with huge,
brilliant eyes

"What's wrong, do I have food on my face or something?"

"What?" she asked in a whisper.

"You look strange Babcock, are you getting seasick?"

She blinked, emerging from her shell with an effort. A little color
touched her cheeks, but she managed a small smile as she shook her
head.

"Maybe we better head back. All this sun is not good for your tender
skin."

CC looked at him in surprise.

Niles, redfaced, looked away and steered the boat back towards the island. As they breasted the waves past the breakwater and set course across the sparkling waves, CC realized something else.

"When did you learn how to pilot a boat?"

They looked at each other, "Philip!"

~~~~

Their shared smiles disappeared into uncomfortable silence so Niles concentrated on the water and CC looked off into the distance and began thinking about her predicament. She knew Niles was attracted to her, but love - that was inconceivable! And what of Delia itself? The beautiful island was a brick around her neck. Would Niles seriously marry GG in order to secure their rights to the island? Why wouldn't he?! The thought shot through her like a spear, making her gasp with pain. She could never stand by and watch Niles go through the mockery of marriage to her cousin. Rather let Delia be turned into a home for retired donkeys than that!

And what if - what if the dice fell the other way? What if Niles
chose to marry her, a brief, meaningless alliance to satisfy the
shallow legal whim of a bizarre Will? What would she say then? Again
CC winced. That would be a bitter irony, indeed! To have been married
to Niles for a week, to be able to call him her dear husband in name,
but not in fact. It was too cruel to contemplate. She decided with
sudden clarity that she would never concede to such an arrangement.

’Oh Grandfather Philip,’ she sighed into the salty breeze, ‘If you
only knew what you'd done to me!’ She stared absently at the long,
dark line of clouds that had appeared on the horizon behind them,
trying to puzzle her way through the strange position she was in.

As they approached the villa, Niles turned to her. "Let's not go
straight back to the jetty," he suggested. "There are some beautiful
beaches on the eastern side of the island that I remember your
Grandfather talked about once. You can only get to them by boat,
because they're completely closed off by cliffs. It's very wild, but
very beautiful. What do you say?"

CC laughed. Niles looked like a little boy excited about a new
Christmas toy as his hands rubbed the wheel fondly. "Sure, why not?"

He nodded and swung the wheel, then accelerated past the long jetty
and began to steer the boat around the island. Within a few minutes
they were out of sight of the villa, and steering past the wild,
rugged side of Delia. CC gazed up at the steep grey cliffs, gleaming
in the brilliant sunlight. Like a passionate lover, it was
alternately rough and gentle, kind and ruthless. About three miles
past the villa and the long white beach, Niles began to urge the ship
inshore. CC looked apprehensively at the jagged black rocks that
protected the coast like savage sentinels. The normally blue water
became an odd, disturbing green near them and the yeasty froth that
the waves made over the volcanic rock was alarming.

"Are you sure it's safe?" she asked nervously.

"Nothing's absolutely safe as far as the sea is concerned, not even in
the placid Mediterranean. But I've done things like this before." He
steered the boat through a gap in the foaming reefs and the powerful
boat shuddered violently in the turbulent water.

All the blue had suddenly vanished and everywhere CC looked, the sea
was a livid cloudy green. The black teeth of the rocks seemed
frighteningly close to the fiberglass hull, and the crash of the
waves against them had become almost loud enough to drown out the
comforting thud of the engines.

Only her utter trust in Niles prevented her from giving way to panic
as the boat thrust vigorously against the surging water, fighting a
path through the reefs. CC had a horrible feeling that any second a
razor-sharp submerged reef was going to rip the boat's bottom out.
But within a few seconds, Niles had piloted the boat safely through
the ugly place and the white-and-green terror of the reefs was
fading behind them.

Niles' eyes met hers with a grin. The danger had brought a light into
his eyes and it made her heart ache.

"Were you scared?"

"Not a bit," she quavered, forcing a smile.

"I was," he chuckled. "So what do you think now?"

They were in a delightful little bay of calm blue water, encircled
all around by the black teeth of the reef. The crescent-shaped beach
ahead was golden-white, gleaming invitingly in the sun. It too was
sealed off at either end by the rocks and behind it the crumbling
grey wall of the cliff rose upwards for two hundred feet. The gulls
wheeled in the air above, greeting them joyfully. It was a savage and
beautiful place, as wild as any scene that humans had ever set eyes
on, yet tamed by a Mediterranean softness, bathed in blessed
Mediterranean sunlight.

Niles beached the boat carefully, sprang out, and moored it by its
thick nylon rope to a great solid peak of basalt that lay at the
water's edge. CC took off her shoes and lifting her dress modestly,
waded ashore after him. The place was charming, a safe little
enclave, utterly private, utterly secluded. She threw herself on the
hot sand, and thrust her fingers and toes into its welcoming warmth.
Niles arrived carrying their towels, and stood next to her, hands on
hips, looking at the sea.

"It's marvelous out here, isn't it?" he said. "Let's go for a dip!"

"I can't. I didn't bring a bathing suit," she wailed regretfully.

"That's not exactly a tragedy, there's no one here to see."

"You're here," she said firmly.

"Very well then, we'll go in our underwear," he said, "like civilized
people."

CC thought of what she had put on that morning after she showered
from her swim and her heart failed her.

"Male underwear is always a lot more suitable for swimming in than
female underwear," she said awkwardly. "I'm sure mine isn't
appropriate."

"Stop being such a prude - you'll miss out on all the fun," he
teased. "Come on, I promise you, I'll be good." He stripped off the
clothes he was wearing, while CC sat, staring pointedly in the
opposite direction.

"Come on," he growled, "or I'll throw you in."

Alarmed, "You better not!" Her eyes widened even more, not from his
threat, but his attire. "Nice leopard spots Niles, do you have the
matching zebra stripes that went with that Tarzan Jungle package?" It
took all of CC's brain power to come up with that remark, inside she
was quaking at the sight of him. The briefs he wore were almost
indecent. CC stood up unhappily. "Look the other way," she commanded,
as she slipped the light dress off.

"I'll be waiting for you in the water," he laughed and she watched
his broad back departing, her heart sinking. The lacy bra and
flowered panty she wore were alarmingly flimsy, but a quick
examination reassured her that she was not exactly indecent. She
tugged her bra a little tighter and followed Niles' strong figure
into the water.

It was delicious. The natural barrier reduced the waves to little
more than light ripples and the water was almost as calm as a
swimming bath and easily as clear. The sun had warmed the water
unevenly, and alternating warm and cool current drifted across her
body delightfully. She allowed herself to float, feeling the sun hot
on her shoulders and gazed up into the deep blue sky.

Niles swam up to her with powerful strokes and she smiled at him.

"I knew you'd like it," he grinned. His handsome face was beaded with
water and CC watched the muscles in his shoulders swelling rhythmically as he treaded water.

"It's very nice," she replied. `Understatement of the year!'

They drifted lazily in the blue water for half an hour. CC was enchanted with the bay. Through the clear depths she could see shells
on the sandy bottom, starfish, pink and white stones. She half expected to see a treasure chest lying half-open, its gorgeous contents spilling out into the calm, ultramarine water.

At length they waded ashore. CC had almost forgotten the flimsiness
of her attire until she saw Niles' expression. She looked down in
dismay. The water had reduced her panty and bra to a stage of such
clearing transparency that she was little better than naked! Hastily
she wrapped her towel around her torso, her face feeling hot.

Niles shook his head ruefully. "I had to promise to be good." Then he
saw the caves Philip told him about. "Come on, let's go and explore
them."

She followed him to the bottom of the cliff, ogling his near-naked
figure. The briefs he wore hugged his body disturbingly close and
CC just couldn't break her gaze away.

The cave before them was overhung by a shelf of rock and although its
entrance was wide, it seemed to extend quite a long way into the
cliff. The sand on the bottom of the cave was cool under CC's bare
feet and the back of the long rock chamber was dark.

"Nothing… lives here, does it?" she inquired apprehensively.

"You mean like lions and tigers," he suggested rather dryly. "No,
these caves were worn out by the sea, millions of years ago, they're
not inhabited by anything."

CC glanced back thoughtfully at the blue water. "The sea doesn't come
up as far as this, does it?"

"Not in the normal course. I suppose it might do in very bad weather,
but it's quite safe now."

The interior of the cave was pleasantly cool and dark after the hot
afternoon sun and she settled down in the sand, running it through
her fists.

Niles grinned down at her. "You're going to have to sacrifice your
towel," he said gently.

"What?"

"For the common good. I can't sit next to you because my briefs are
wet, but if you lay your towel down, we can both sit in peace."

Grumbling, CC unwound her towel, thinking that it was probably too
dark in the cave to see much anyway. She spread it out and Niles sat
down next to her, his hard, warm arm brushing her naked side. She
shivered, and clasped her arms tightly around her drawn-up knees.

"What's the matter?" he asked in concern. "You're shaking, are you
cold?"

"A little," she said quietly, unable to stop her body's instinctive
reaction to his proximity.

Niles' deep voice was worried. "I hope you haven't got a chill. It's
not impossible, even in the middle of summer. Perhaps we better go
back to the villa."

"No, it's okay. I'll be alright in a second. I'm just not use to…"

"What?" His brow furrowed. He lifted his arm and then brought it back
down again, unsure what to do with it. But when he saw her shiver again, his arm came around her trembling shoulders. "Better?" he asked softly.

"A bit," she whispered.

Niles pushed her gently on to her back.

"No, Niles -."

"Shh, I'm just warming you up. I promised I would be good didn't I?"

"Yes, but -."

"Don't be so tense," he brushed the soft hair away from her forehead,
his mouth smiling down at her calmly. "Since we're still on truce, I
guess it's safe to say that I've wanted to tell you all day how
lovely you look. It's been hours since we kissed last."

"What are GG's lips like?" she asked irritably. His touch on her face
was maddingly gentle and she could feel her stomach fluttering rapidly.

"Don't be silly," he said.

"GG is very beautiful."

"Who wants to talk about GG?" he asked. His lips brushed her cheek and she felt his warm breath stir in her hair. She could not stop a little moan breaking from her.

"You were rubbing sin cream on her. I mean sun cream."

"Sin cream sounds better," he said, his laughter soft and low. "What of it? I couldn't very well leave her to roast, could I?"

"Do you like her?" CC blurted.

"GG? Of course I like her."

"No," she said, "God, I feel like I'm in fifth grade again! Do you like her in that way?"

"Oh," he smiled, "in that way…"

"Niles, you're this close to being brained with volcanic rock!"

He laughed long and hard. "Enough about GG," he said, "I want to get
to the bottom of this shivering of yours. I wonder if there's any way
I can stop it?"

She tried to resist the sweet coercion of his mouth and turned her head away, but that only invited him to her neck. His soft lips kissed her lightly along her nape causing her body to shudder. When she felt his teeth begin to nibble enticingly, a hollow ache grew from within.

"Niles, let's get back into the boat and go back to the villa," she whispered hoarsely. Knowing that his desire matched hers was making her head swim. Yet she knew that he would only want her until his need was spent, while she - she would want him forever.

"Don't you trust me?" he asked softly.

"No. Let's go."

"No," he said, his voice a tender growl, "I want to kiss you."

~~~~

CC had expected his lips to be demanding and rough, yet his gentleness took her breath away. It was a kiss designed to give pleasure, not only to take it. It was impossible to fight against so wonderfully tender a caress.

"There," he purred, "was that so bad?"

"YES!"

His mouth silenced hers with another soft meeting.

"I like kissing you so gently," he smiled, "now kiss me back."

"No," she gasped.

"Stubborn wench," he growled. His lips met hers fiercely this time,
forcing her mouth open, demanding a response. CC tried to clear her
mind, tried to ignore the throbbing need that was welling up in her.
She shut her eyes.

"Kiss me back," he commanded. She shook her head, her breath coming
light and fast. "Very well," he said quietly, "I'll make you kiss me."

CC braced herself for the onslaught, but none came. Instead, his lips
brushed her face with wicked, tantalizing skill, leaving a little
trail of fire from her throat to chin, touching her ears and temples
with the lightness of a butterfly's wing. Wherever his lips met her
tender skin, a new awareness seemed to flicker into life, and her
arms were beginning to creep across his naked back. Desire was
running through her in a long flame, the way a brush-fire possesses
dry grass, beginning to dominate her entire being with vivid,
irresistible heat. She drew her face away, her heart pounding in her
ears, and tried to sit up, brushing her hair away from her face with
a trembling hand.

She heard Niles as his breathing quickened, and then his arms reached
for her, pulling her against him with ruthless power. His chest was
warm, and CC could feel the potency of the muscles under his velvety
skin as he pressed her to him. She buried her face in the warmth of
his neck, breathing the intoxicating smell of his skin into her
nostrils. She could taste the sea-salt on his skin and her arms
clasped his powerful, infinitely secure shoulders.

"Niles," she whispered against his neck, "Let me go!" But her fingers
tightened around him at the same time.

"Are you sure?" he asked with bone-melting gentleness.

She gazed almost hypnotized into the vivid blueness of his eyes. As
if she was in a trance. She shook her head helplessly.

He smiled, pushing her down on to the soft towel again, and leaning
over her with a smile. "I want you so much." With each kiss, he had
made CC's senses swim a little more and her pulse leaped.

"I-I," she gasped, "don't want this. You're just playing games Niles
and-"

"Babcock, what kind of cad do you think I am?" he said against her
ear.

"The worst kind!" She managed to say almost haltingly as his breath
excited her even more.

"Is kissing me such a horrid idea?"

She lay completely still, determined not to respond to his kisses
again.

He took her lower lip in his teeth, and nibbled softly. His arms slid
underneath her, crushing her against him with iron force, pressing
their near naked bodies together and the searing flame of his lips
ran across her mouth, from corner to corner, in an expert, dizzying
caress. "Babcock..." His voice softly appealed. His mouth met hers
with no revealing mockery now. His lips sought every depth and
secret, consuming even as he cherished. After a time, he kissed the
line of her jaw, sampled her earlobe, traced a path of fire down the
creaminess of her neck and then back to her lips.

Her arms clasped his neck without thought as her own passion, for too
long held in check, rose to meet his. They were too scantily clad for
his desire to be concealed from her in any way. CC shuddered
voluptuously against the hard heat of his body, all pretense at
indifference evaporating. In the consuming fire of his kiss, against
the naked power of his body, she wanted to become his. She pressed
her lips deeply against his.

A quick thought flashed through her mind, `This is madness…' She
wanted him to hold her, kiss her, love her. But she couldn't say any
of those things. Her throat constricted.

Niles read the need in her eyes and in the flush on her cheekbones.
She loved the clean scent of his hair and skin, the tender threat of
his powerful body. She kissed him, tentatively at first as
though she expected him to mock her, her trust in him still minimal.

But when she heard his moan, the kiss deepened and his hand began to
caress her body while his other cupped the back of her head. After a
very long time, she felt crooned in sleepy surrender, arching her
back slightly.

That's when Niles reluctantly drew back, and rolled slightly away
from her, his own breathing shallow and rapid. The wonderful smile
that curved his lips thrilled CC. "Thank you CC, I'll remember that
kiss forever." His eyes dropped to her body with deliberate,
unselfconscious admiration. "Your skin is the color of cream," he
whispered, tracing a finger across her flinching stomach. His
fingers, almost unconsciously, were at the catch of her bra, between
her breasts. She laid her own fingers on his gently.

She had meant to stop him, but somehow her hand was merely guiding
his now, and the clasp opened, letting her bra slip gently away to
either side. The expression in Niles' eyes melted her very soul and
she gasped aloud as he stroked the rounded contours of her naked
breasts with intimate, stunning, gentleness.

"CC," his voice was a sigh, "you're amazing…" His fingers brushed the
aching tips of her breasts and then she was in his arms, holding him
desperately.

"Niles -."

"Wait, I must tell you something, CC," he murmured into her
ear. "About Delia and your Grandfather and you and me…"

Suddenly there was an icy buffet of wind in the cave. Niles' eyes
widened, holding hers for a moment. In the silence, CC could hear a
dull booming echoing down the mouth of the cave. It had become cold
too and unless she was mistaken, a good deal darker. He whispered an
expletive under his breath, his face serious.

"Niles, what is it?"

"Bring your towel," he said turning and striding to the entrance of
the cave.

CC followed him, frightened, feeling the cold wet air blowing into
the cave now, utterly unlike the warm air of half an hour earlier.

~~~~

A terrible change had come over the bay. The sky had disappeared into
a maelstrom of black, swirling cloud, and a high wind was whipping
the sand off the beach like shrapnel. nd the sea! Where a calm blue pool had been before was now a boiling mass of white and green waves. The protective crescent of rocks had disappeared under the yeasty torrent of the incoming sea.

CC clutched Niles' arm desperately. "What is it?" she repeated, her
heart pounding.

His face was grim, his eyes terrible.

"It's a summer gale," he grated. "God, I've been a fool! I didn't
think to listen for a gale warning, we were going such a short
distance!"

Suddenly CC remembered the long line of ominous clouds that she had
noticed on the journey back to the villa and cursed herself for not
having registered its meaning better, for not having told Niles.

A sudden crack above the roar of the coming storm drew their
attention to the boat. The wild sea had lifted it off the beach, and was now slamming it with horrible force against the basalt slab.

"God, I've got to try and cut it loose!"

"No - Niles!" She tried to pull him back, but he thrust her into the
entrance of the cave and raced across the whirling sand towards the
boat. She watched in terror as he struggled with the mooring rope,
waist-deep in the swirling water. The blackness of the sky was
suddenly split with a livid flash of lightening, followed almost at
once by a crash of thunder. CC screamed and at the same time Niles
lost his footing in the wild, evil water.

She stared desperately through the blowing sand, but there was no
sign of him. With a flash of realization that life would not be worth
living if he were dead, she ran down to the water's edge, calling his
name. The sea was smashing up the beach with terrible hammer-blows
and as she searched for a trace of Niles in the increasingly savage
water, the boat was lifted again, as if on the back of some vast,
rearing sea monster, and dashed on to the rock. With a splintering
sound, the fiberglass hull was rent open. The sea snatched it up
again, and again the boat careened into the rocks, splitting further.

Niles' head suddenly appeared through the yellow whirlpool of the
waves. CC called to him again, the rising wind snatching the words
from her mouth. She saw him swimming with powerful strokes against
the riptide that was dragging him without remorse towards the jagged
black gallows of the rocks.

Again the sky flashed blue-white and the thunder steamrolled across
the bay. Taking advantage of a pause in the huge suck and surge of
the waves, Niles swam desperately towards the shore. He was almost
within arm's length of her and she could see the muscles straining
across his shoulders, when the sea dragged him back with monstrous
playfulness, and within a second he was lost in the waves again.

Panic stricken, she pulled the hair out from her eyes, searching for
something to throw to him. The wind was increasing by the minute and
the sea was getting visibly higher. Near naked as she was, the spray
and sand were lashing her cruelly. With another horrible splintering
crash, the boat was battered on to the rocks again. The mooring rope!
It had broken free of the boat's hull and was floating at the water's
edge, one end still tied to the basalt slab that was now half
submerged. Frantically, CC struggled with the knots, fear and cold
making her fingers clumsy. After maddening moments, it came free and
she raced with her prize to the foaming edge of the waves, looking
for Niles. There was no sign of him for an agonizing minute, and then
she caught a glimpse of his tanned skin, appearing between the white
shoulders of the breakers, mercifully close to her. She shouted to
him above the howl of the gale, and hurled the rope to him. It fell
short. Cursing despairingly, she dragged it back, and cast it out
again, and this time Niles caught it, slipped a little, then held on.

Bracing her legs against the near-impossible strain, CC hauled with
every ounce of strength against the murderous pull of the sea.

A lucky breaker crashed on to the shore, throwing Niles forward. In
the pause, she ran backwards and pulled again. Suddenly he was in
shallow water again and staggering forward exhausted. She met him
knee-deep in the foam, seizing both his hands in her own and dragged
him back to the beach. They fell together on the cold sand, the wind
lashing at them as they held each other with desperate strength.

~~~~

CC found she was sobbing. Her fingers were locked in the salty cold
tangle of his hair, and his own arms were right around her waist.
With tightly shut eyes, she breathed an inarticulate prayer of
thankfulness. The sea crashed over their legs, warning them that
their position was by no means safe and Niles hauled himself to his
feet, pulling her up. Her vision blurred with tears, she gazed into
the blue depths of his eyes, catching the glint of his tired grin.

He called into the teeth of the wind. "Let's go back to the cave." He
pulled her after him towards the base of the cliff. The sea had raced
halfway up the beach by now. And with another mighty crash, the rain
came, a pelting fury that knocked the breath out of CC's lungs. Niles
paused to snatch their clothes out of the sea's grasp, wet and filled
with sand, then ran with her to the mouth of the cave.

In the shelter of the rock overhang, she fell into his arms, her own
strength now utterly gone. "Oh Niles, thank God you're safe - I
thought I'd lost you!"

"I'm safe," he smiled, hugging her tenderly, "thanks to you." For the
first time she noticed the thin red stain on her own arms, and then
looked anxiously at his side.

"You're hurt!" she gasped, stooping to examine the wound.

"It's nothing," he assured her. "Here, put your dress on, CC. I know
it's cold, but it'll help to protect you."

But he winced as he held the sodden dress out to her and CC examined
the cut worriedly. He had been dashed against the razor-edge of a
submerged rock, and the long, ugly gash beneath his ribs was welling
bright hot blood across his cold skin. She bit her lip. The cut was
unpleasantly deep, and she was horrified to see the torn edge of the
wound was bruised and livid.

"That must hurt terribly," she said, looking up at him. His face was
a ghostly white and the strain around his intense eyes told her that
he was suffering. Quickly, she tore a long strip from the bottom of
her dress and bound it as best as she could around his ribs, trying
to stem the oozing blood that continued to flow.

A shattering sound above the roar of the storm made them both turn to
look down the beach. The boat had burst open and even as they
watched, the wild sea ripped the stern away and sucked it into the
maelstrom.

"Well," Niles sighed bitterly, staring at the wreckage, "that's the
end of that." He turned to her, his eyes dark. "I'm so sorry CC, this
is all my fault. I can't think how I was so stupid as to bring you
here without checking the weather."

"I wanted to come," she said, smiling uncertainly. "And it's my
fault, too - I noticed the clouds coming up behind us, but I didn't
think to warn you."

"CC," he said, taking her shoulders in his hands and looking into her
eyes, "I'm afraid our position is serious."

"Why?" she asked anxiously. "Can't we just shelter in the cave until
it's over?"

He shook his head gravely and turned her to face the sea. The gale
was blowing full force now and the sea was hurling itself three-
quarters of the way up the little crescent of beach.

"The sea will be here in a very few minutes," he said gently. CC's
heart sank "In one quarter of an hour… maybe less… this cave will be
submerged."

She looked at him, fear clutching at her throat for a second. "You
mean, we're going to die here?"

"If we stay here, we'll drown," he nodded, his eyes calm on her face.

Suddenly she felt a great calm surge through her, too, and she smiled
up at him. "Then I'm glad I'm with you," she said simply.

"And I'm glad I'm with you," he smiled. "But we're not going to drown
if I can help it. There is one way out… up the cliff."

She stared at him in horror. "But - it's practically vertical," she
gasped.

"I know," he nodded. "But it's our only chance. I've got the rope, for what it's worth. And that is thanks to a very smart and brave lady," he smiled giving her a quick kiss. "Also, I noticed what looks like an easy way up."

"Easy?" she queried and he grinned ruefully.

"At least not so impossible," he admitted, and then looked at her seriously. "It's either that or drown like rats. We'll scale the
cliff and then find our way back to the villa."

CC nodded understanding. As he pulled his pants and shirt gingerly
over himself, she saw his eyes flicker to their feet. They were both
barefoot, the sea had taken their sandals. She realized that his
confident expression was merely a mask, designed to reassure her, and
felt her love for him welling up inside her. It also occurred to her
that they might both die in the next few minutes without her ever
having told him how she felt about him. She took his hand quickly.

"Niles…"

"Tell me later, sweetheart," he interrupted, the endearment easily
slipping from his lips. "Go and put your dress on now, we haven't got more than a few minutes."

She tugged the cold wet dress on. She had torn most of the bottom off
to bandage his side and it barely covered her thighs now, but it was
better than nothing.

"I'm ready," she told him.

He nodded briskly. "Good, let's go." He grasped her hand and led her
out into the raging storm.

The wind smashed against them like a giant fist and the rain battered
at them like a flail of rope ends. CC had never experienced such
naked power. It was as if the beautiful blue bay had never existed at
all. As if it had been some sorcerer's mirage to lure them to this
terrible violence.

CC and Niles leaned against one another as they made their way along
the beach. She glanced back for a second. All trace of the boat had
vanished, though she thought she caught a swirl of something white
being tossed in the breakers. But the sea was nearly at the cliff's
edge and beginning to thrust into the cave they had just left. At a
crumbling ledge in the cliff, Niles stopped. He did not bother trying
to make himself heard above the appalling noise of the tempest,
merely pointed at the ledge, waited for her nod, then hoisted her up.
She scrambled to retain her foothold in the sharp, splintering rock
as he clambered up beside her. The wind ripped at them angrily. With
dismay, she saw that the scarlet stain at the side of his shirt was
spreading.

Ignoring it, he pointed to another ledge higher up. CC's heart failed
her - it seemed impossibly far away, but he was already stooping to
lift her up.

She grasped at the naked rock, feeling her fingertips scrape on the
roughness of it and slithered her way desperately upwards, trying to
blot out the pain of her scraped knees and shins. For a horrible
moment she was falling backwards, and then he was beside her, one steely arm holding her forward against the cliff-face. She met his eyes, loving unsaid messages passed. Her lungs were heaving and her heart pierced with cramps, but he was already showing her the long, narrow ledge that led steadily upwards to the next crumbling platform.

Exhausted, she scrambled upwards, trying not to lean back by so much
as a fraction of an inch. The wind clawed at her, as though trying to
hurl her down into the raging sea below, but once again he was close
behind her, his sure strength ramming her back against the rock. At
the next ledge they paused, their chests heaving. She glanced down at
the sea, and her spirits lifted at how far they had already come. But
when she looked upwards into the beating rain, despair swamped her
again. Her muscles were aching and she had scraped her breasts
painfully against the unyielding stone. Then her eyes alighted on the
redness of Niles' shirt. She shook herself and looked back up
determinedly.

Niles tapped her on the shoulder. "Wait here, I'll pull you up!"

She nodded as she watched him loop the end of the boat's mooring-rope
around her waist and fastened it expertly. Then with a grim smile, he
reached upwards and hauled himself with sheer animal force on to the
next tiny ledge, the end of the rope clenched in his teeth.

CC watched him climb, the brutal rain pelting into her upturned face.
At the top of the little step he turned carefully, so that his back
was against the cliff, and shouted down to her. His words were
snatched away by the gale, but she understood his meaning and braced
herself. As he hauled steadily at the rope, it cut cruelly into her
ribs, making her gasp with pain, but she was lifting! She scrabbled
at the rock with her feet, thrusting herself upwards and after a
stomach-turning few seconds, she was in his arms and he was pulling
her on to the ledge next to him.

Tears of pain and fear had streaked her cheeks, mingling with the
rain and sea-spray. Niles brushed them away with a brief smile,
hugging her wordlessly, as the wind wrenched at their bodies. He
pointed at the overhang above, not more than a scramble away, and then
thrust her onwards. Her ankle twisted agonizingly as she pushed
herself on to the harsh platform of rock and lay there, shaking and
exhausted. He clambered up next to her, the side of his shirt soaked
red by now, and lifted her so she can see upwards. There was barely
twenty yards to go and new hope fired her.

It seemed an eternity later that they were facing the last ledge
before the top. CC looked up, her stomach heaving. The ledge was just
out of reach, and her aching shoulders could barely support the
weight of her upraised arms. Niles knelt, clasped her around her
hips and heaved her up. She grasped at the rock wildly, as he placed
her feet on his shoulders, and pushed her up. Suddenly to her horror,
the crumbling rock gave way, and she slithered back in a landslide of
stones and rubble, the top of the cliff so tantalizingly close. She
tottered on Niles' shoulders for a second, then collapsed on to him
with a shriek.

She was certain that they were falling, falling down to the hungry
sea below, but he had grasped her waist and was holding her with the
strength born of desperation, as she swayed out over the void. Then,
slowly, surely, he drew her back and without hesitation, lifted her
up to the ledge once more. This time the rock she seized held firm,
and she dragged herself painfully over the lip of the cliff, to
collapse on to the bracken at the top, as the wind howled resentfully
over her. CC reached over and helped Niles claw his way to her and
soon he was lying beside her, his broad chest heaved in the lashing
rain. CC shut her eyes, too numb to do anything but hold on to Niles.

Another frightful crash of thunder stirred her, Niles was on his
knees next to her, his handsome face drawn and grey. Yet there was
still a smile on the bold mouth and his blue eyes were alight. He
pulled her carefully to her feet. She gasped as the pain darted
through her sprained ankle, and he led her through the pouring rain
to a little clump of twisted olive trees, whose tangled branches were
lashing in the wind.

In the partial shelter, she clung to him, suddenly conscious of a
thousand pains that she had been too overwrought to notice before.
The stinging laceration on her hands and bare feet, the bruises
across her ribs and hips. He stroked her wet hair gently, his arm
comfortingly about her shoulders. The sea below bore not the
slightest resemblance to the calm blue Mediterranean she had bathed
in less than two hours earlier. Cold and shivering, she stared with
glazed eyes at the raging waves for a few moments. Had they remained
in that cave, had they not succeeded in their terrible climb, they
would now both be cold and dead, tossed in the vast claws of that
monster below.

"Can you walk?" Niles asked as she told him about her ankle.

She nodded, "Yes, we better start. We can't stay here, nobody knows
where we are."

"Yes and now that the boat's gone, if they find the wreckage, they'll think we've drowned."

CC nodded again. "It's getting late, too and I don't like the way you're shivering. I need to get you back to the villa as soon as
possible."

Niles squeezed her hand as CC bent wearily to look at the cut in his
side. Under her inadequate makeshift bandage, the gash had begun to
clot at last. But it was still seeping blood and a dark bruise had
spread across his ribs.

Niles shook her attentions away impatiently, shaking his head. "I'll
be fine. By my estimate, it's about two miles to the villa. Not more
than three." The lightening speared down again and another burst of
thunder brought a renewed onslaught of rain and wind.

"Will you be able to walk that far?" he asked seeking her eyes seriously.

"Yes, don't worry about me."

"Why don't you put your arm over my shoulder?" Supporting her against
his own good side, they leaned on one another as they walked from the
edge of the cliff, into the thicket of thrashing olive trees.

CC had been unaware until now of her exhaustion and every time she
put her injured foot down, a frightening pain shot through her ankle.
Within a few paces she was giddy with pain and tiredness and she
sagged against him. The thunder roared savage mockery overhead and
the wind thrust her to her knees. Niles hauled her up again and urged
her on. The three miles ahead seemed as impossible to CC as three
thousand. They staggered forward into the teeth of the wind for five
minutes and then rested. Fighting the will to surrender, they walked
slowly on, through a landscape that was torn apart with rain and
wind. It was becoming much darker now.

Through the howling of the gale, CC caught Niles' shout. She followed
his pointing finger, trying to see through the sheets of rain. A
path! They made their way towards it slowly and at last CC's spirits
began to rise. The pain in her ankle was a vast ache, but a steady
numbness was taking over her senses. The only thing that pushed her
forward was the thought that Niles might die.

As they stumbled on into the storm, their surroundings became more
familiar. The trees they were passing under, they were lemon trees!
Relief swept through the couple and a little flicker of new energy
drove them on. Soon the lights of the villa were twinkling ahead of
them. And almost at the same time they both saw someone hurrying
towards them with a hurricane lamp and an umbrella. CC smiled weakly
as Rosario took her other arm and guided them down to the house.

~~~~

Hortencia's round face was worried as she carried steaming mugs of
cocoa over to them.

"We were so afraid that you'd drowned," said GG looking at them with
huge eyes. "You two look like you've been through a battle!"

We'll get cleaned up in a minute," said Niles. He turned his pale,
exhausted face to Rosario. "Have you been through to the coast
guards?"

Rosario shook his head. "This storm is bad. Everything is down. We
were unable to call out a search party for you and Sigñorina Babcock."

"But Niles needs help right away!" CC said urgently. She gently lifted the blanket that was wrapped around him and raised his shirt to examine the wound under his ribs.

Hortencia and GG gasped, their eyes widening in horror.

Hortencia's eyes were grief stricken as she looked at the wound. Ospedale," she said, pointing to the cut and making sewing motions with her hand.

"Is there a first aid kit in the house?" CC asked Rosario.

Rosario spoke to his wife in rapid dialect and she nodded, answering
him eagerly. He disappeared and came back a moment later carrying a
large white box with a red cross on it.

CC hobbled over and inspected the contents. "Do you know anything about first aid?" she asked GG anxiously.

GG shook her head hastily. "I'm no good at that sort of thing at all," she said. "I can't bear the sight of blood."

Niles drank off the rest of his cocoa and smiled rather painfully at
CC. "You'd better attend to me yourself."

CC studied his face, feeling her own exhaustion giving way to anxiety. He was deathly white and dark bruises had appeared under his eyes that still glowed with fierce energy. The wound was ugly and the whole area seemed to be angry and swollen. Her heart tripped unpleasantly. The storm was still raging and there was no chance of getting to a hospital within hours – perhaps days. The cut had been savagely deep and in the hours since those dreadful moments at the bay, it had never been cleaned. With the terrible exertions he had undergone, the torn muscles had been strained and overworked to a serious degree. The skin around the wound was hot. She touched his forehead quickly, it was burning.

He looked at her with an ironic smile. "Will I live?" he asked dryly.

"There's no way I'll let you escape now," CC answered trying to stop
her anxiety from showing. "I'll try and clean the cut a little."

"Count me out," said GG as she smiled uncertainly. "I'll end up fainting."

After they had eaten a little, Rosario helped CC support Niles into his bedroom. And left her there with the first aid kit and a pot of boiled water.

As Niles rested on the pillows, he drawled, "Have you done any nursing before or am I your first patient?"

"You saved my life today," she said quietly, as she dipped one of the
cotton swabs in the hot water and began to dab at the encrusted blood.

Niles smiled at her, "And you saved mine. If you hadn't thrown that
rope to me, I would be halfway to Africa by now – underwater."

CC shuddered at the thought and dabbed at the edges of the wound as gently as she could. The area around the long gash was a dark red and it seemed to CC that she could see the sinister stain spreading.

Niles watched her with enigmatic eyes, "Are you going to stitch it?"

She shook her head, "I don't think I could bear to, I'll just get as
much dirt and dried blood out of it as much as possible." She bit her
lip as she sponged the wound, well aware of how dreadfully painful it
must be for him. He did not flinch, but at one point his eyelids dropped over his eyes and when he opened them again, they had become
dark.

"Niles, we've got to get you to a hospital and soon." She laid a big
bandage over the cut and gave him aspirin to bring his fever down. As
he handed the glass of water back to her, he settled his head back on
the pillows and she pulled the covers over him carefully.

He smiled at her slightly as he closed his eyes. Within a few seconds, his breathing had become regular and shallow. At last CC gave way to the luxury of a huge yawn and stretch and then sank down at the bottom of the bed, her exhaustion finally claiming her.

~~~~

GG's touch awakened her. The wind was still roaring over the house and it was cold. She had fallen asleep with her head and arms at the foot of Niles' bed. He was still sleeping.

"Don't you want to get some sleep?" asked GG, her pretty face concerned. "I'll stay with Niles, if you like."

CC rose stiffly, feeling each bruise in her body. "What time is it?"

"Four o'clock in the morning," replied GG. "The gale is still blowing." She looked at Niles, "Is he - going to be okay?"

"Of course he is," CC answered quickly and nodded a good-night to her
cousin as she left.

CC looked down at Niles' sleeping face. He was frowning, making him
look stern and terrible and every now and then, pain tugged at his
mouth. Apart from bruises and stiffness, she herself felt refreshed
by her sleep. She was still filthy and encrusted with salt and her
ankle ached. As she listened to the vicious anger of the wind, she
decide to take a quick shower while Niles slept.

She found a fluffy dark-blue bathrobe hanging on the back of the door
and let herself silently into Niles' bathroom. Standing under the
water, CC listened to the thunder that rumbled around the villa. If
the storm continued for very much longer, she was under no illusions
as to the danger Niles would be in. The infection from his wound
would begin to seep into his system, making him seriously ill. There
had not been a tube of penicillin cream in the first aid kit and she
was helpless to fight the infection.

The gentle heat soothed the ache out of bruises and the sting out of
cuts and grazes. Her own pale body, which had just begun to become a
little golden under the influence of the Mediterranean sun, was
marked here and there with bruises and scratches. She rinsed the salt
gratefully out of her hair letting the hot water run down her back.

She then stepped out and dried herself and her hair in one of the
vast towels that hung in the bathroom, absently noting the simple,
elegant toiletries that Niles had left on the glass rail under the
mirror. Toothbrush, old-fashion razor, a bottle of Gendarme cologne,
(given by whom? -she wondered jealously), and a wooden handled
hairbrush. She splashed a little of the Gendarme on to her throat.
Its spicy smell was delicious.

CC then opened the bathroom door silently, wrapped in the bathrobe
that was sizes too big, feeling greatly refreshed. Niles' eyes
flickered open, met hers with a tired glint. CC padded quickly to his
side and laid her hand on his forehead, wincing at the heat of his
skin.

"How are you feeling?" she asked softly.

He closed his eyes without answering and a faint smile touched his lips. She sat down on the chair next to him, and wiped the beads of
sweat gently off his face.

"You smell nice," he whispered, his voice dry. His eyes opened again,
and he turned his head to look at her, the formidable light of his
eyes undimmed by fever.

"Do you want some more aspirin?"

"In a while. Very hot…"

"Is your cut hurting you?"

"Numb…"

She shook some more tablets into her hand and offered them to him. He
was too weak to take the glass and she held it to his lips. Soon he
was asleep. Within the hour, he began to shiver uncontrollably. From
time to time he moved restlessly, muttering in his fretful sleep. The
fever had taken him under its wild spell and CC watched in horrified
silence, fighting back her panic. Her own helplessness filled her
with anger. She wiped the sweat off his brow delicately.

"Don't die Niles," she whispered, "please. I need you here with me…"

~~~~

The Head Nurse emerged from the isolation ward and came towards them,
her hands folded in that way that head nurses all over the world seem
to learn and spoke to them briefly in Italian.

Rosario turned to CC, his eyes concerned. "They are worried about
Sigñor Niles. They fear an infection of the blood…" he groped for the
English word.

"Septicemia?" ventured CC

Rosario nodded and CC groaned in dismay. Rosario took her arm in a
gentle hand. "Come, sigñorina - let us get something to eat."

The storm had broken early on the day before and they were able to
summon the coast guard as soon as the antenna was fixed. A motorboat
rushed Niles, unconscious and raving, to the ultra-modern hospital at
Sicily. With characteristic Sicilian bluntness, the doctors had made it plain that Niles was in danger of losing his life. After the senior consultant had also made it plain that without CC's admittedly inadequate care, he would already be dead.

They walked down the corridor to the cafeteria, a silent little group. Niles' sister, Diane, had arrived that morning, a pretty middle-aged woman with short reddish blonde hair and greenish-blue eyes. Along with her, came the family barrister, Edmund deBurrie and GG.

"So you are CC Babcock," Niles' sister inquired as she reached her
hand out. "Thank you so very much for saving my brother's life."

CC looked at the pretty woman and shook her hand solemnly. She saw
the family resemblance right away.

Mr. deBurrie cleared his throat, "Miss Babcock," he said frankly, "I
knew nothing of Niles' involvement in this bizarre Will of your
grandfather's until your cousin told me of the details this morning.
It is a very strange business."

"Philip Courtland was a very strange man," put in GG. "He adored
practical jokes of this sort."

"Undoubtedly," mused Diane, "but this is one of the strangest things
I have ever heard." She glanced at GG. "Do you have any idea why
Niles would have agreed to make this extraordinary arrangement
concerning Delia?"

"He wanted us to have the island," replied GG over her cup of coffee,
her eyes looking first at the woman and then at the pensive man.

"I just don't understand what Niles was thinking of!" Diane shook her
head. Realizing that may have been taken wrong, she looked at
CC. "Marriage is a serious business for our family," she smiled. "We
were brought up Catholic and divorce is very much frowned upon."

"Yes, but a divorce is easy to get in Mexico," said GG archly. Then
her face fell, "Not that the idea seems like a good one right now."

"From what I remember of my brother, I cannot imagine that he would
easily agree to such a proposal. He did not take these things
lightly."

"I must agree," added the lawyer, nodding at CC and GG. "I have known
Niles for years and have corresponded with him since his Oxford days,
he was very serious about such things as marriage. It is one of the
traits of his character which he inherited from his grandmother - a
mystical reverence for the rites of marriage and the sacredness of
the marriage bed. It is difficult to imagine him agreeing without
question to this."

CC stared at him in surprise, and he nodded. "Yes, I understand the
idea repelled you too Miss Babcock, what I cannot understand is why
Niles didn't react the same way also." The lawyer rose and nodded to the women. "I must go," he said, "May I offer anyone a lift?"

"Yes, please," GG rose, straightening her newly bought dress, "I'm
going back to Delia, there's not much I can do here. I'll see you
back on the island, CC, there's a motor boat service from the jetty.
Bye, call if anything happens."

Diane watched them leave with calm eyes, then turned to CC. "You care
very much about Niles, don't you?"

CC looked up from the table, her eyes misted. With trembling lips,
she nodded. The thought of Niles in there, fighting for his life was
terrifying.

The woman patted her hand consolingly, "Drink your coffee and have a
bite of that cheesecake, you'll need your strength. Niles will be
fine, I'm sure of it."

CC thought of the white, restless face on the stretcher the last time
she had seen Niles and tried to smile.

Diane watched her for a few moments and then brought her cup to her
mouth. "I think I can explain a little about Niles and this strange Will to you, CC. May I call you CC?"

"Of course," CC leaned forward urging her to go on.

"I did not want to talk about this in front of Edmund nor your cousin,
shall I try to explain?"

"Please."

"My brother is a lone wolf," Diane began, her eyes becoming introspective. "Partly because he had a lonely childhood, but also
because he is such an exceptional human being. After he outgrew that
awkward chubby phase of his teenage years, many women threw themselves at him, CC, but none ever captured his heart." She took another sip. "Father and Mum were most adamant that he follow in the family business, but I knew he had a better future than that. Sadly, my brother isn't as headstrong as I. He allowed himself to do what would
please the family and… well, you know the rest."

CC nodded, "He became Maxwell's butler."

"Yes," Diane sighed. "Many times he told me he was happy. His work,
alas, was not fulfilling. But he loved the Sheffields very much and
something else, something I could not figure out and he would not
confide in me. And now I know."

CC sat back in the plastic chair, the sunlight washing over her
face. "Can you fill me in on it because I'm still lost."

Diane grinned, "If you do not understand now, I'm sure you will soon."

CC pushed the plate of food away. "You're his sister all right. I
could never get straight answers from Niles either."

"I will say this, Niles has obviously taken the Will very seriously,
practical joke or not. He is like that, very loyal to people he
loves. And Niles was very taken with your grandfather. Maybe the two
had another side agreement with one another that you don't know
about?"

CC's eyes widened.

"It's something to think about."

"I suppose…" she broke off.

The Head Nurse was hurrying towards them, her severe face concerned.
Rosario had wandered away to give them all privacy, but at once he
was at CC's side to translate.

"Signor Niles is very ill," he told CC, "He is conscious and wants to
see you - right away."

~~~~

CC gazed in wonder at the grim, white face on the hospital pillow.

"To marry me?" she repeated, stunned. "But why?"

"Because of your grandfather's last wish concerning Delia," he
answered his voice little more than a whisper. Despite his physical
weakness, his eyes were burning passionately. They held hers with an
utter command, so that she could not look away. "If I die, then Delia
will be lost," he breathed. The fist that was clenched on the sheet
was white-knuckled.

The drip that went into Niles' arm bothered CC.

"He is on intravenous antibiotics," the doctor had warned her before she had gone into the isolation ward. "He is very ill - do not tire him."

Niles' opening words to her as she had gone in had struck to her
heart like a dagger - `I want to marry you.'

"But I don't care about Delia…"

"I have sent for a priest already," he said, the frighteningly
luminous blue eyes held hers, "Will you do what I wish, CC?"

She looked up at the doctor's grave face, silently asking for help.
The doctor nodded imperceptibly.

"Yes," she said quietly, "I will marry you, Niles."

He closed his eyes, breathing so lightly that CC's heart jumped with
fear. She sat down to wait, thinking bitterly about the irony of the
situation. The idea of marrying Niles was so precious to her, so
terribly important, that undreamed of reality was here, but in what
circumstances!

She stared around the little room, her eyes blurring. She had come a
long way since that morning in Mr. Beckman's wood paneled office, as
she waited almost bored for the red-sealed will to be opened. And
the magical story was ending in tragedy. She looked at Niles' face,
pale and terrible, and at the young nurse who was gazing down at him
with a mixture of tenderness and compassion on her open face, wiping
the sweat from his brown. Could he possibly survive? It seemed too
cruel to be Niles' widow, almost before she could be his bride. The
door opened silently, and a young priest came in with the doctor,
followed by Diane. Catching sight of her, the priest came up to CC.
His face was almost boyish, and his dark, wise eyes met hers gently.

"Sigñorina Babcock?"

"Yes, I'm CC Babcock."

"Please tell me honestly - do you want to go through with this?"

"Yes," she nodded sadly.

"Of your own free will? Not just to please a sick man?"

"I love him, Father," she whispered simply.

His face cleared, but his eyes remained dark. "Then come quickly."

She walked over to the side of the bed. Niles' eyes opened and
lighted on the priest with a feverish brightness.

"Have you a ring?" the priest asked quietly.

CC shook her head. She knelt beside Niles, and took his hand. "We
need a ring," she said, her voice catching in her throat.

He nodded, and his eyes held hers intently as he tugged weakly at the
big gold signet ring that he wore on the little finger of his left
hand. It was a heavy, antique thing, bearing a family crest on it. CC
never saw him wearing it before in New York, but it was on his finger
constantly at Delia.

Niles put the ring in her hand, the fine gold glowing in the
afternoon sun. She passed it to the priest, who laid it on the open
page of his Bible with a nod of thanks.

CC held Niles' hand tightly, trying to fathom his cloudy eyes.

"What are your first names?" the priest asked.

"Chastity Claire," she answered, her throat aching with grief.

The priest smiled at her, his face compassionate. "Will you please
repeat after me - `I Chastity Claire.'"

"I, Chastity Claire," she whispered.

"Take thee, Niles."

"Take thee Niles…"

~~~~

Outside the door of the room, CC gave way to her grief. Diane put an
arm around her and led her to a little seat in a sun-filled room.

"He may recover," she told CC softly.

CC nodded and gazed at the heavy ring glittering on her wedding
finger.

The doctor came out and sat next to CC. "Sigñora, your husband is
sleeping now. If septicemia does not set in, then there is a chance
he may recover. Do you understand that?"

"Yes, thank you Doctor."

Diane walked her along the corridor to a small room at the end. With
a sisterly kiss on the cheek, she led her gently to a long couch, and
went out.

CC lay still, her tears spent. The gold ring was cold against her
face. She shut her eyes and tried to remember the sound of Niles'
mocking voice, his crooked smile. Now he was facing death, waging a
long, grim struggle and she was unable to be with him. With the
supreme irony of one of Philip Courtland's wild pranks, she was
married to a dying man, a man to whom she was of no more significance
than an act of duty to a dead friend. Sleep stole up on her unawares…

~~~~

"Excuse me."

CC awoke to find Edmund deBurrie standing next to her. She sat
up, "How is he?"

"Not any better, I'm afraid. I saw him a few minutes ago. By the way,
may I congratulate you on your marriage?"

She took his hand, "Thank you," she said dryly. "This is scarcely the
happiest day of my life."

"Of course, of course," he said. "But we must all have hope." He sat
down on the chair next to the couch, and opened his briefcase. "You
are now Niles' next of kin," he said, looking at her carefully. "You
do understand that?"

"I hadn't thought of it," she admitted.

"It means, please excuse me for mentioning this - that in the event
of Niles' death, you will inherit his estate…"

"Niles' estate?"

"Yes, it was given to him long ago, passed down from generation to
generation." He flipped through papers, "There are many decisions to
be made, one of them concerns the island."

"Delia? What about it?"

"I saw Niles a short while after the… er… wedding, and he instructed me
to make arrangements to dispose of Delia immediately. The island will
be sold at auction next week, and the proceeds are to be divided
between your cousin GG Babcock and yourself."

"I see."

"I hope you have no objections?"

"Not if that is Niles' wish," she said simply.

"Excellent," said the lawyer. "Even after the sale of the island,
several weeks will elapse before the transfer to its new owner will
be complete. If you wish, you will be able to continue living at the
villa there."

"I understand."

"Very well…" the lawyer's thin distinguished face took on an almost
embarrassed look and he tugged awkwardly at his white beard.

"Was there something else?"

The lawyer nodded unhappily. "There was something else which your
husband requested. I hope it will not offend you, but he has
requested that you stay away from the hospital completely from now
on."

"I see," said CC bitterly.

The lawyer met her eyes sympathetically. "Your husband will send for
you when he wishes to see you," he said.

"He'll send for me, will he?" CC asked with sour irony. She twisted
the heavy gold signet ring on her finger. "Am I not even to be allowed to visit my husband's bedside then?"

"It is his wish. A wish of a very sick man and it would make him rest
easier if it is followed," he answered placatingly.

"Oh, it would, would it?" snapped CC. She tugged her coat straight
and walked over to the door her heart aching with the double hurt of
Niles' illness and this last snub. "Will you tell my husband then, that when he condescends to see me, I'll be on Delia?"

The lawyer nodded, plainly discomfited and CC walked blindly down the
corridor.

~~~~

The taxi that carried CC to the hotel was driving along the sea front
from the dock and she stared out of the window with absent eyes. She
twisted the heavy masculine ring on her finger, a gesture she had
performed countless numbers of times since her marriage ten days ago.
Oddly, the ring had fitted her perfectly. It even had a strange
beauty against her slender hand and it was not for any physical
discomfort that she twisted it nervously, to and fro, to and fro.

She had been living on Delia since then, alone with Rosario and
Hortencia, who had treated her with compassion since she returned.
She had spent the time trying not to think, alone with the mild blue
sea that had so nearly claimed Niles' life. Nearly, but not quite.
The first news that he was recovering had come a week earlier,
bringing CC an unspeakable relief. And today, the imperious summons
had come from the hospital - your husband wishes to see you. Anger
and resentment filled CC, but she couldn't fight the need to see him
one last time.

She twisted the ring nervously. She had examined the finely-engraved
coat of arms, with the beautiful phoenix carved into it so often that
she could have drawn it with her eyes shut. And now it was going back
to its true owner.

Delia had been sold. Mr. deBurrie had come to tell them that a
millionaire from Texas had purchased it for just over twenty million
dollars. He had presented GG and CC with a check apiece for a third
of the sum. GG, well satisfied, had left for New York at once,
without even waiting to hear whether Niles was recovering or not. To
CC's faint surprise, there had been no malice in GG's farewells at
the airport.

"I thought I had a chance with Niles," she said. "It doesn't matter
now, I've got my share of Delia and anyway, you can't trust men, can
you?"

"I suppose not," CC had answered absently.

"You've done the right thing Sigñora," GG teased. "Besides you'll be
in for more money if he pops it or not. I'm happy with what I ended
up with, it'll buy me a few more furs."

CC had seen her off without regrets and the turbulent holiday was at
an end. She was under no illusions as to what the arrogant summons
from Niles portended - he would explain to her that everything was
now over, that the divorce in Reno, or Brazil, or wherever the
fashionable place for quickie divorces was nowadays, must soon follow.

"Ospedale, sigñora."

The taxi pulled up at the front of the sprawling modern hospital and she paid her fare absentmindedly. The roses outside nodded their wise, beautiful heads at her as she walked up the steps, telling herself not to cry, not to grow angry and not to show Niles by so much as a wince how desperately badly he was going to hurt her.

Her heart was thudding as she pushed the door of Niles' private room.
He was sitting in a deck chair by the open window and he turned as he
heard the tiny sound of the door opening.

The magnificent eyes jolted her square in the heart as they had
always done, always would do. He stood a little stiffly as she came
towards him, her mouth dry. He looked so well! The terrible pallor
was gone and so was the tenseness in his face. The lazy, mocking
smile that met her was burning with energy.

"Let's get this over as quickly as possible," CC said, as coldly as
she could.

"That's not the sort of greeting I expected from my wife," he purred,
his eyes flicking over her body with amusement.

"Can it, Niles," she retorted. "Here I am, an obedient slave to your
summons. What is it you wanted?"

"Aren't you going to kiss your husband?"

"Niles," she gritted, "say what you have to say - but if you keep it
up, you're going to end up needing another IV - so stop playing with
me."

"Playing with you?" he asked in mock-surprise, coming over to her. "Is a kiss on greeting not one of the accepted marital privileges?" He raised her chin with his hand and kissed her tightly compressed lips sightly. "Ah, ice maiden! Such reserve no longer becomes you

sweetheart. You are a married woman, and you must learn to melt a little."

"So, you're going to begin exercising your marital privileges?" she
asked with soft anger, rubbing her mouth as if to rub his kiss off
her lips.

"Sooner than you expect," he said, with a heart-stopping smile. "I've
been discharged today."

"Are you better already?" she asked, her eyes dropping to the pad of
white gauze across his ribs.

Niles looked carefully into her face. "I can go home," he told her, "As long as you agree to changed the dressings for me. Will you do that for me?"

"Why should I?" she said shortly, trying to conceal the trembling in
her legs that his proximity had brought on. It was extraordinary that
he could not see her love, her unashamed desire for him burning in
her clear blue eyes.

"Because you will instill pain each time you do it," he answered with
an ironic smile. "I hope the act will not turn your delicate stomach."

"How can you be so mocking," she retorted angrily. "When I bandaged
it the first time, in the midst of the storm?"

"True," he smiled. "Yet then your face did not wear the anger and
disgust it wears now."

CC tore her gaze from the erotic message in his eyes and twisted the
heavy ring on her finger bitterly. "You were cruel to send me away
from the hospital, Niles. I was worried okay. Laugh at me if you
want, but I had no idea whether you would live or die, whether you
were getting better, or sinking…" she broke off, her voice trembling.

"It made a difference to you then?"

"Don't be stupid," she said shakily. "You didn't have to exile me from your side. I have no illusions about our marriage."

"Indeed?" he asked softly.

"I'm no fool," she said dryly. "You didn't need to snub me like that
to give me the message."

"What message would that be?" he asked quietly.

"The message that our marriage was merely an obligation to my grandfather, nothing more." Abruptly she twisted the gold ring off her finger, an act that tore at her very heart, and held it out to him. "Here's your ring back."

"Put it back!" His eyes blazed with terrifying anger.

She gaped at him for a moment.

"Do as I say!" Hurt and fury fought for dominance in his eyes as he moved towards her with an almost threatening air.

CC slid the ring back onto her finger, her heart thumping.

"If you ever take it off again," he said, "I may have to fulfill some of those threats I've thrown at you over the years." He drew a deep calming breath, "That ring has been handed down in our family. It is no bauble, but your true wedding ring."

"What are you talking about?"

"We're married CC, really married!"

"I know that! I was here when the priest proclaimed us man and wife…
but don't you want to divorce me?"

"Divorce?" he repeated. "Has no one told you that you've married a
Catholic? I may not be a very good one, but I certainly don't want
the word `divorce' in my family. Come on, let's go home."

"I've already packed. The new owner will be moving into Delia soon."

"You mean the American millionaire? That's me. I do have my
citizenship, you know."

CC's eyes widened.

Niles chuckled and gave her a quick kiss. "Don't stand there gaping, let's go home."

~~~~

The late afternoon sun was warm and golden on their naked skin. The
long drawn sigh of the sea drifted up the beach, as they lay in the
hot sand. CC watched Niles' face with her heart thudding in her throat.

"Okay, I did what you wanted and I'm sick of giving in to you all the
time. We're here at the beach and now I want an explanation!"

Niles rolled over onto his good side and looked into her eyes with the bone-melting intensity she had first learned to love.

His finger traced a line from the corner of her eye to the corner of her quivering mouth.

"I love you, CC."

"What?" she whispered, shocked.

He kissed her. His lips were as warm and as deep as a sun-warmed sea. Suddenly her mind was tired of asking why, of trying to explain the miracle that had just happened to her. She surrendered to his kiss, her arm sliding around his strong neck, her lips meeting his timidly then adoringly, finally passionately.

She pulled away as it ended. "Why did you send me away from the hospital, Niles?" she asked the deep hurt still shone plainly in her
eyes.

"I could not bear the thought of you having to watch me die," he said
gently.

"You ass!" she said, "Did you think it would make my worry any easier?"

"I don't know. I guess I wasn't thinking right. Perhaps, I was wrong," Niles confessed.

"Perhaps?" CC mocked.

He chuckled. "I was wrong. There - happy?!"

"Only if I get it in writing," she quipped, her eyes teased him. "I do know one thing, I'm not ever going to forgive you for flirting with GG like that."

"I wouldn't call it flirting," he grinned. "It was more a way of
getting you jealous. I had to find out what you really felt about me."

"Oh, really? And what if GG had fallen in love with you?"

"GG's got a heart of volcanic rock," he replied. "She wasn't in any
danger. I have other things I must confess. I've come to the conclusion that your grandfather set us up."

"What do you mean?"

"I owe Philip a great deal, CC. He was like a father to me in many ways, mischievous as he was. In his last months, he became obsessed with the hope of leaving you Delia and of you marrying me."

"No!" she gasped.

"Yes," Niles' smiled. "It was his last dream. He really loved those
letters you sent him years ago. And he always regretted not seeing you anymore. But that night when you left him stranded at the airport, he thought you had become like your mother, cold and heartless. But I think he began to see you through my eyes. As much as I protested his barbed comments, he knew how much I cared for you."

CC stroked Niles' chest as she listened.

"He shared your letters with me. He was so proud of what you've done
with your life, not giving way to resting on your family fortune. He's been to all of your plays."

CC's eyes misted.

"Every time we met, he would show me another of your letters. Very
delightful letters, CC, so full of wisdom and wit. And all the little
drawings in the margins, and sometimes pressed flowers. They told the
story of how one lonely girl had grown from innocent immaturity to
determined adulthood." He turned to look at her as he felt a tear
drop on his skin. "CC, are you okay, baby?"

"I… I just wish so many things" She wiped her face with her fingers.
She took a deep breath, "But what about GG and this island?"

"Philip was no fool," Niles answered gazing out across the setting
sun. "At first he toyed with the idea of leaving you the island on
the condition that you marry me. But then he realized that you… and I
for that matter would be too willful. He knew that you wouldn't succumb to such a bribe. So he devised this idea, I'm sure, of splitting the island between you, GG and I. His idea, probably, was that once he got us together in this tropical paradise, we would fall madly in love with one another. For some reason, he was convinced that we were perfectly suited to one another."

"What an extraordinary man!" she breathed, following his gaze to the
orange splendor of the setting sun.

"Yes, he was extraordinary. He also had a soft spot for your cousin
and knew that she would love to have some extra spending money," he
chuckled. "Anyway, it was the last marvelous, unselfish act of his
last months, to bring us together - the two humans in all the world
who had returned his love. And like all Philip's jokes, this one had
a deeper meaning, a special significance."

"Did you know all this all along?"

"Not in full," he said, the sun gilding his face as he turned to give
her his wonderful smile. "When old Mr. Beckman told me the terms of
Philip's will, I was as taken aback as you were. In fact, when you
read your copy of the Will, I didn't truly believed you. But as I
read the cryptic letter Philip left me, and from years of being the
amused victim of his jokes, I was able to work out what he had in
mind."

"So GG was simply a decoy, to divert attention from the real point of
the joke?"

"Which was to bring us together in a ridiculous inhibition-destroying
situation. Yes," Niles twirled a bit of her hair lovingly around his
finger. "And Delia itself was just a decoy too, simply a stage on
which to place two characters."

"A lovely stage… and a lovely plot," CC smiled at him.

"The plot was our own," he smiled, touching her lips with his. Then
brushing her eyelids with them. "Philip was simply the stage manager -
a shadowy author in the wings. All he wanted to do was to throw us
together, involve us both in some crazy situation. In the hope that
we would fall in love."

"As we did."

"Yes," he said quietly, "we did."

CC's eyes blurred with her tears.

"Don't cry," Niles murmured against her cheek. "At the end of a good,
romantic comedy, you should smile."

"I'm trying," she said shakily. "I love you, Niles."

He laid her gently down and kissed the soft flower of her mouth.

She gazed up at him, lovesick for his touch. "Then you asked your
lawyer to buy the island?"

"Yes," he nodded. "I wanted it to be here for us always, CC - a place
for our children, a place to come to when the rest of the world gets
to be too much for us. I had to work a way of ensuring GG got her
inheritance and she seems to be happy."

"She is," confirmed CC. "And the island is really ours?"

"Delia is your wedding present," he said quietly. "Your grandfather
was quite generous in all that he has given me."

CC traced the long red scar on his flank with a finger tip and the
ripple of goose bumps that spread over the tanned skin made her own
stomach muscles contract with sympathetic desire.

"To change the subject," he said, his voice a deep purr, "this bikini
of yours has fascinated me ever since I first saw you in it." He tugged at the thin golden strap that secured the top.

CC gasped, "But Rosario and Hortencia…."

"Have gone to bed, as all married couples should do on a day like
this. Besides it's dark and warm…"

She gasped again, in a different way, as his lips touched her flesh,
finding the places where pleasure laid waiting, with delicious
sensuality. "I love you so much, CC," he whispered strongly.

"Niles…" she moaned.

He looked up, estimating the distance to the villa.

"I might just make it," he growled. "And the bed is more traditional.
Shall we?"

CC pulled him down, "Since when have we ever been traditional?"

Niles' chuckled as he and his wife enjoyed their tropical paradise.

Back to Fan Fiction

Back to The Really Unofficial Nanny Home Page