The sea was icy cold, and they spent only a short time in its chilling depths, coming out on to the pebbly beach to towel themselves dry.
‘How about lunch?’ Kelly asked with a shiver.
‘Fine. Where do you want to eat?’
‘Right here,’ she grinned. ‘You lay out the towels, I’ll go and get the fish and chips.’
‘I’m sure your menu was a bit more refined in Barbados,’ her father laughed.
Kelly flushed, at least remembering she was just supposed to have come back from there. ‘It may have been more refined,’ she teased. ‘But it was certainly no more enjoyable. Give me ten minutes and then send out the search-party.’ She pulled her denims on over the bottom of her bikini. ‘I’ll be over at the nudist beach if you can’t find me.’
‘If you go I go!’ he warned.
She was back within minutes, watching with enjoyment the unusual sight of her father eating fish and chips out of a newspaper. An exclusive restaurant was more his venue, although he seemed to enjoy the food she had bought him.
‘No dessert?’ he teased her as they disposed of the vinegar-soaked newspaper.
‘No. But I bought us these instead.’ She produced two cans of Coca-Cola from her handbag.
‘You really know how to provide a stylish lunch!’ he drank thirstily.
‘Go on, you know you loved it,’ Kelly laughed, lying back on her towel, and quickly fell asleep in the sunshine.
‘You’ve been sleeping like a baby,’ her father told her when she woke up. ‘Jordan keeping you awake nights, is he?’ He chuckled as she blushed fiery red.
He was so near the truth that she couldn’t help her blushes. She had been so tired just now that she had fallen into an exhausted sleep.
‘Just for that,’ she stood up, ‘you can buy me that candyfloss after all!’
They both had one in the end, Kelly laughing uproariously as her father got it all over him.
‘It’s all right for you to laugh!’ he untangled himself from the sticky confection. ‘As I’m a lot older than you it’s a damned sight longer since I had any of this stuff, and I know everyone says this, but it isn’t as good as it was when I was young. And talking of ages—’
‘Yes?’ Her voice was sharp, sure that he had realised she no longer looked like a naïve eighteen-year-old. In fact, she was surprised he hadn’t mentioned it before.
‘I keep getting funny looks from people.’ He disgustedly disposed of the candyfloss in the nearest litter-bin. ‘I’m sure they think I’m your aged boy-friend.’
Kelly had noticed a couple of curious looks in their direction, but she hadn’t realised their reason. She grinned at her father. ‘Let’s really give them something to look at!’ She stood on tiptoe and kissed him, putting her hand through the crook of his arm. ‘How does it feel to be thought a dirty old man?’
‘Quite good, actually,’ he laughed. ‘Quite a boost for my ego.’ He suddenly became serious. ‘Marriage seems to agree with you.’
Her smile became forced. ‘Did you think it wouldn’t?’ she asked lightly.
‘I wasn’t sure,’ he shrugged. ‘Knowing how Jordan feels abo
ut you—’
‘He told you about that?’ she interrupted sharply.
‘He and I had a chat when he asked you to marry him. Why do you think I tried to make you wait a while? I knew that it wouldn’t be easy living with a man who feels about you the way Jordan does.’
It seemed that at least Jordan had admitted to her father that his sole interest in her was physical. ‘If you knew how he felt why did you let me marry him?’ she wanted to know. ‘Surely you must have realised how difficult I find it to accept these feelings.’
‘I thought you could cope with it. Besides, you wanted to marry him.’
‘Yes,’ she agreed dully. ‘Yes, I did.’
‘Aren’t you happy, Kelly?’ he asked anxiously.