Paradise Calling

Chapter 1

When Caroline woke, it was early morning and the mist had cleared. In the boat, to her dismay, were two of her worst teachers, Mr and Mrs Graham. Then there was her, and a 19-year-old student teacher called Andrew Grant. She had been on a school cruise in the Seychelles, but the boat had run into danger in a storm. Caroline was fourteen, but she looked older. She was about five foot seven with short curly black hair and strange grey eyes. The colour of them was pale, but there was a dark ring round the iris which gave a startling effect.

Caroline was very pretty, intelligent, and full of fun. She had a lot of good friends but some very bitter enemies as well. She was kind, confident, and generous, and there was a strange silent side to her nature. Her ex-boyfriend, Chris, had once described it as though she was staring out to sea.

And that's just what Caroline was doing now. As she stared out across the waves she saw... land! "Land!" she cried, "over there, look, land!"

Mr Graham turned. He was in his late forties or early fifties - Caroline couldn't decide.

"Yes, you're right," he said. "We'll drift there soon enough. Mr Grant if you could kindly take the left oar I suppose I shall have to take the right."

"...No, don't, I'll take it!" said Caroline. "I don't mind!"

"Don't be so silly, girl!" objected Mr Graham, "you probably don't even know how to row! And, when speaking to me, kindly address me as 'Sir'."

"Oh, come on, Derek, give her a chance," protested Andrew Grant. "You can't tell if she rows well without letting Caroline try!" He gave Caroline the oar and smiled at her. Andrew Grant was nineteen. He had brown hair, freckles and gorgeous dark blue eyes. He was exceedingly good looking, and many of the girls at St Andrew's were crazy about him. Caroline had to admit to herself that he was irresistibly attractive. But Andrew was also quite shy and quiet. He was very kind, but most people didn't really bother to look further than his outward appearance.

Caroline came to her senses and took the oar. She was a strong, swift rower, and the two kept in good pace. With the sun beating down and the world looking so innocent of its fearsome crime the other night, one could easily imagine they were at paradise. The sky was bluer than Caroline had ever imagined, and the sea also. True, rowing was warm work, but they were cooled by the salt spray in the gentle, light breezes. The journey only took about a quarter of an hour, during which Mr Graham kept up a steady mutter of complaints, with his wife's sighs and wails. Andrew and Caroline remained silent: as Caroline gazed ahead she was oblivious of Andrew Grant's eyes upon her so often. She saw nothing but the beauty of the sea, shore and sky.