‘I’d rather you saw the cabin when it was finished,’ said Delphine. ‘Are you thinking of renting it? I’ll give you a good deal.’
‘Well,’ said Austin. ‘I’m not planning to stay here much longer, but if I need to come back to Dominica it would be good to have a place to stay.’ He gave Bastian a smile of fake gratitude. ‘I can’t sponge off this guy here forever.’
‘No,’ said Delphine. ‘You’ve done that for quite a while already.’
‘You’ve been very welcome,’ said Bastian, gettingup and giving Austin a small bow. ‘But feel free to leave at any time.’ He then went off to his study.
‘This woman!’ said Austin, smiling, pretending he was paying Delphine a compliment. ‘What would we do without her?’
‘I suggest you don’t do anything, with me or without me, Mr Austin,’ said Delphine.
‘Sorry, Delphine,’ said Austin. ‘I didn’t mean anything by that. I’m just impressed by you. Cass, are you ready to show off your handiwork – whatever you’ve been doing in Delphine’s rental?’
‘No,’ said Cass, emboldened by Delphine’s feistiness. ‘I’ll show you when it’s ready, not before.’
‘But I may not still be here,’ said Austin. ‘I may have a plane to collect me and get me out of here. And don’t forget, I’m planning on taking you too!’
‘Only if she wants to go,’ said Delphine, very much in charge.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Later that evening Bastian found Cass at her usual spot, staring out to sea, admiring the stars. ‘Take a walk with me?’ he asked. He was carrying a head torch like a lantern.
Cass followed his torch that shone down the path to the opposite side of the house which led to the other side of the beach, away from where the archaeological dig was going on.
‘Did you want to say something? Something private?’
Bastian had stopped at what was obviously a favourite spot, and he and Cass found a couple of rocks to lean on.
‘I have a problem.’ Bastian got to the point. ‘I have very nearly finished my work. I have lots of notes, but they are in longhand.’
‘Oh?’
‘Toussaint and I only actually saw and photographed the petroglyph the other day. And thank you for making it comparatively easy to find, by the way.’
‘You found it? Oh, Bastian! I’m so thrilled! That’s so exciting!’ Cass could hardly contain herself. ‘All thedifficulties we’ve been through have been worth it. The petroglyph was why I came, after all.’
Bastian smiled, pleased by Cass’s excitement. ‘But I need to write up that last bit.’
‘And you have no computer because of not having electricity,’ said Cass. ‘What a shame they haven’t invented a solar laptop.’ She paused. ‘They probably have, only obviously you don’t have one.’
He laughed. ‘You don’t need electricity and fancy equipment if you have a typewriter.’
‘And have you got one?’
Bastian nodded. ‘My father wrote all his books on it.’
‘So did mine, years ago! So, how can I help? I’m quite good at typing. I taught myself to touch type when I was bored one summer holidays. I practised on a manual typewriter I found in Dad’s shed.’
‘Oh!’ Bastian seemed taken aback. ‘I wasn’t going to ask you to type it for me. I was going to ask if I could share your space at Delphine’s. I don’t want to type at the house as Austin will hear me. I told him my paper was finished. He doesn’t know we found the petroglyph, so he doesn’t know I had more to write.’
‘OK,’ said Cass slowly. ‘I just hope we’re going to have time to do it.’
‘Errol is a very obliging fellow,’ said Bastian with a laugh.
‘What do you mean?’
Bastian laughed again. ‘We’ve known each other since we were kids. He’ll contrive to give me all the time that I – and you – need.’
