Read Island of the Heart for Free Online Page B

moment, the blue eyes narrowed, then
    shrugged again. 'In that case,' he said, 'I'm sincerely sorry for you.'
    'And I don't want your bloody sympathy either!' she snapped
    angrily. 'Oh, why did you have to come back—and spoil
    everything?'
    'Put it down to natural perversity,' he said. 'You fight well, Miss
    Beaumont, although I enjoyed your struggles last night even more,'
    he added with an elliptical grin. 'But appearances, your own in
    particular, are against you. It's best you go back, to England without
    delay, and I intend to make the necessary arrangements. You may
    not believe it now, but it's for your own good.'
    The door behind them burst open and Magda Sinclair surged into
    the room. She was wearing a scarlet silk caftan this morning,
    lavishly embroidered with dragons, but the tartan scarf still
    protected her throat.
    'Flynn darling,' she exclaimed, 'Crispin tells me you're planning to
    send this charming child away. But you can't—you simply can't!'
    Flynn's expression suggested he was counting to ten very slowly. He
    said quietly, 'And why is that, precisely?'
    'Because there's been some terrible misunderstanding,' Magda said
    earnestly. 'Sandie's come here for me—to take poor Janet's places—
    although why on earth she had to marry that man—but what's the
    use?' She paused. 'And this dear girl has given up her summer to
    help me instead. Isn't that sweet of her?'
    'Sweet,' drawled Flynn, 'is not the word. There seems no end to Miss
    Beaumont's versatility. But I'm afraid you'll have to look elsewhere
    for your accompanist, Mother. The young lady is leaving us shortly.'
    'Oh, but that's quite impossible,' Magda said swiftly. 'Why, it might
    take me weeks—months even- to find someone suitable. And
    darling Sandie's right here on the spot, and ideal for the job. I won't
    let you take her away from me.'
    'That's nonsense, and we both know it.' Flynn was tight-lipped. 'Miss
    Beaumont is far from irreplaceable. Whatever Crispin may have
    claimed, there are better pianists around too.'
    'But I like her.' Magda spread her hands dramatically. 'Oh, Flynn
    darling, sometimes you can be so- unkind—unthinking even. When
    I remember your beloved father—so sensitive to my every need.'
    Her eyes filled with sudden tears. 'How can I explain to you? I need
    someone who is sympathique. Someone I can get on with. Rapport
    between us is essential.' Her shoulders slumped dejectedly. 'But
    what's the use? You've never understood the artistic temperament.'
    'Perhaps not, but sheer bloody-mindedness doesn't cause me too
    many problems,' Flynn said with a kind of weary anger. 'I don't need
    to ask who's prompted this little outburst.' He shrugged. 'Let Crispin
    have his way, then, as he usually does.' He went round and sat down
    behind his desk. 'And now, as we all have so much work to do,
    maybe we should get on with some of it.'
    'Of course.' Magda's face was wreathed with smiles. 'I knew you'd
    see you were being the teensiest bit hasty over poor Sandie.' She
    took Sandie's arm. 'Come along, my dear.'
    Sandie followed her to the music room, feeling slightly stunned.
    She said quietly, 'I'm very grateful to you, Mrs Sinclair, and I'll try
    not to disappoint you.' She paused. 'I got the impression yesterday
    that you didn't really think I was suitable.'
    'Well, that rather remains to be seen,' Magda Sinclair said briskly.
    'But Flynn does tend to be rather overbearing in these matters,
    particularly where Crispin's concerned. And he'd done quite enough
    harm in that direction already. Now my boy deserves a little
    happiness.'
    Sandie bit her lip. Her own private dreams were one thing, but she
    didn't want the rest of the household sharing Flynn's unpleasantly
    biassed view of what she was really doing at Killane.
    She said awkwardly, 'I hope you don't think...'
    'What I think is that it's time we got down to some serious practice,'
    said Magda, in a voice that brooked no argument. 'I've decided to
    add some traditional