Cass shrugged. ‘Perhaps his plan was always to dump me on the side of the road.’
Ranulph turned abruptly to look out of the window, obviously angry suddenly.
‘Hey! It’s Cass!’ said a man who emerged from an old ti kai, followed by several small children and a teenager.
Cass realised that before, during the hurricane, she’d never had a chance to look properly at the house. Now she had time to admire the traditional sloping roof and wooden shingles. ‘Yes! I’ve come back. I have presents for some of you,’ she said. ‘This is Ranulph.’
The man nodded. ‘The man who came to get you after the second hurricane. We’re Garvin and Irma.’
‘That’s me,’ Ranulph said. ‘Thank you for taking Cass in.’
A woman with an ample figure and a wide smile had joined her husband and children. ‘You’re welcome. Now come in! Have a drink. Rum?’
‘We’d love to come in, if that’s all right, but maybe we shouldn’t have rum—’ Cass didn’t want to be rude, but she didn’t want to drink rum either.
‘I have some freshly made sorrel,’ said the woman. ‘Made from bushes just behind the house.’
Soon they were all sitting on the veranda looking out over the mountain and across to the sea, just visible in the distance.
‘This is so refreshing,’ said Cass. ‘I must find out how to make it.’
‘Delphine will show you,’ said Irma.
Cass picked up the laundry sack she had stowed between her feet and looked at the children who had gathered. ‘Now, you guys? Can you find your brothers and sisters and cousins? I have presents.’
The presents were all opened instantly. There were fidget spinners, high bouncing balls, magic sand, some dominoes, several little cars and some packets of colouring pencils.
The children inspected them with delight and Lola, the teenager, was delighted with her gel nail kit with stick-on gems.
‘I didn’t really know what to get them, and I certainly didn’t know what to get you,’ said Cass, turning to Irma. She suddenly felt shy giving a present to someone who was virtually a stranger. ‘I hope this is all right?’ She handed over an extremely heavy parcel, bubble-wrap under the Santa with his sleigh paper that covered it.
It took Irma a few moments to realise what Cass had given her. ‘A set of Pyrex dishes?’
Cass nodded. ‘And they all have watertight plastic lids. You can stack them in the fridge.’
‘How did you know I needed these?’ asked Irma, delighted but suspicious.
‘I was in your house for a while,’ said Cass. ‘I thought they might be useful, when you have a big family.’
‘But so bulky in your luggage!’ Irma exclaimed.
Cass nodded. ‘But I didn’t need to bring many clothes so it was fine.’
Irma nodded. ‘Thank you.’
She wasn’t effusive but Cass knew her present had hit the spot.
After more chat Ranulph got up. ‘Cass? I think we should get back. We don’t want to be late for lunch.’
‘No, you don’t,’ said Irma. ‘That Delphine, she doesn’t like it if you’re late for meals.’
After the goodbyes were said and Ranulph and Cass were back in the car, Cass said, ‘I can’t remember how Irma and Delphine are related, but they are.’
‘It’s a small island, really,’ said Ranulph, who was now in the driving seat. ‘Shall we go straight back?’
‘Yup. Or is there anywhere else you’d like to go?’
‘Well, not now, but I’d love to see the petroglyph sometime,’ said Ranulph. ‘I was sorry to miss it the first time. Except you wouldn’t have gone if I had – so it worked out for the best.’
