Fires in the Forest

by Oliver, Marina

  'I always mean to, Nicola, but she makes me so mad! Oh, what can I do?'

  She wept again, but eventually Nicola consoled her sufficiently to persuade her to undress, bathe her face, and get into bed. Worn out, Sarah nodded sleepily when Nicola said 'Goodnight' and switched out the light.

  Nicola groped her way to the door in the darkness, and as she went into her own room heard a slight sound behind her. Robert was coming down the stairs and as she nodded briefly to him he paused to look at her scornfully as she entered her room.

  *

  On the next morning Sarah appeared with a tray of tea for Nicola, all signs of the previous night's despair apparently forgotten.

  'When we've had breakfast I'll take you to see the stables,' she announced. 'We'll have time for a quick ride before we have to change. Mother's got some people coming for lunch.'

  Thankful she had included some jeans in her luggage, Nicola dressed quickly and went to the dining room where Mrs Trotter provided her with eggs and bacon. Then Sarah led her out through the kitchen which was beyond, and along the drive which curved away and behind some trees. They passed a large garage and as well as the Mercedes, a Range-Rover, a small Fiat and a couple of horseboxes were visible. Beyond the garages was a square yard with a couple of dozen loose boxes opening onto it. Above these were small windows, and Sarah explained the grooms had flats there. There were several paddocks behind the yard.

  Robert, in green corduroy jeans and a white open-necked shirt which showed his tanned chest, was watching a powerful looking black stallion, almost sixteen hands high, being led about the yard by a small wrinkled man who might once have been a jockey. He looked across and smiled briefly at the girls, then spoke to the groom who led away the black to tie him to a ring against the wall before going into a box and bringing out a much lighter and smaller mare, bright chestnut in colour, who pranced coquettishly as she was led across the yard.

  'The black is Night Demon. Robert thinks he is a winner, but he's not fully trained yet,' Sarah said as they watched. 'He's entered him for the Novice Cup this year. The chestnut has already won some three-day events, and Robert hopes to breed from her in a year or so.'

  Robert walked across to them and Sarah, after a few words with him, said she wanted to look at her own mare, Polly, and went into one of the loose boxes. Robert watched her go and then turned back to Nicola.

  'Don't sympathise with her too much, Miss Browne. She has to learn discipline and her behaviour last night to a guest was inexcusable.'

  Nicola would have liked to have said that it had been cleverly provoked, but she held her tongue. There would be no benefit for Sarah in arguing that, for he would merely assume it was Sarah who had first made such an observation. She commented on another horse which was being led out, a sleek roan.

  'That is my own hunter, Wilmington Pride in full, usually called the Pride. His dam was bred by my father just before he died twenty-five years ago, and he always maintained she would produce winners. How well do you ride? Would you prefer a safe old pony or something more lively?'

  'A very safe old pony,' Nicola said, laughing. 'It's years since I rode and I was never very expert although I enjoyed it.'

  'Old Punch will do. Get him, will you, Tim?' he said to a lad standing nearby. 'We'll go just a short distance today and I'll see whether I think you ought to go out alone. There is always a groom here who could go with you and Sarah if you don't feel confident at first. I don't think she would appreciate my company too often.'

  He was helping Nicola to mount when Tim gave a shout of warning and Nicola, insecurely perched on the old, fat pony's back, looked up as Robert let go of her and she saw Sarah, crouched on the back of Night Demon, heading for the archway which led out of the far side of the yard.

  *

  The black horse was obviously more than she could control. He was tossing his head, and Sarah was clinging to the pommel as one stirrup swung free. Robert swore under his breath and raced for the Pride, swinging himself up into the saddle in one fluid, graceful movement and feeling for the other stirrup as he guided the roan through the archway in his sister's wake.

  Punch followed of his own volition but at an ambling pace, and Nicola was able to gather up the reins and settle herself in the saddle before she came through the archway, to see Night Demon galloping furiously away from them along a straight wide avenue between two plantations of young saplings. Thundering along behind, slowly appearing to gain ground, was Robert, crouched low in the saddle and urging on the Pride to his fullest stretch.

  Several grooms had run out to watch and Nicola heard one of them laugh and say that young Miss Frayn was a rare demon herself. 'She'll think herself fortunate to get away with no injury,' an older man said reprovingly. 'He's likely to go straight across the cattle grid and break his legs. Thank the Lord the Pride was saddled and Mr Robert was here. He'll catch them if anyone can!'

  It seemed he was right. The two flying figures began to converge at the end of the avenue where the plantations ended and fields could just be glimpsed, and Nicola saw Robert lean over and catch the loose reins, then tussle with the frantic horse as the runaway tried to rear and throw off the restraint.

  'Quick, saddle Polly, he'll need another horse to bring Miss Frayn back,' the older groom was saying, but as he spoke Nicola saw Sarah slip from Night Demon's back and stand aside as Robert turned the horses and started to lead them back, leaving Sarah to follow on foot. By the time he reached the yard the grooms were all busy apart from the older man who took Night Demon from Robert without a word and led the fretting horse into a box.

  'I'm sorry, Miss Browne, we'll have our ride tomorrow perhaps,' Robert said, his lips tight with anger, a thin line of white showing round them. 'Tim. Come and rub the Pride down.'

  He dismounted and Nicola did the same and stood watching Sarah, a forlorn little figure plodding slowly back along the avenue towards them.

  'I trust you will not encourage her with sympathy today,' he said abruptly, turning towards Nicola.

  At that precise moment Punch, obviously feeling neglected after so short a ride, pushed his nuzzle into Nicola's back searching for his customary lumps of sugar.

  She stumbled and would have fallen if Robert had not swiftly put out his arm and caught her, swinging her round so that she fell against him instead. Catching her breath at the unexpected contact Nicola looked up at him, nervous and apologetic, and found he was eyeing her strangely, a brooding look in his face.

  'Did you understand?' he asked quietly and Nicola nodded, biting her lips to still their trembling, for she was overwhelmingly conscious of his hand on her arm and his nearness. She pulled away from him and he promptly released her.

  'Yes,' she stammered, then a spark of defiance spurred her on. 'I understand, but I don't – '

  'Please don't wait for Sarah, Miss Browne,' he interrupted. 'My mother has guests and you might prefer to change at leisure. Can you find your way back to the house?'

  *

  Nicola turned away speechlessly and left him. Some time afterwards as she was putting on the same dress she had worn the previous evening she heard Sarah go into her room from the patio, and a tape recording of the Planets Suite was soon being played at full volume.

  Half an hour later several people were assembled on the terrace, seated at the white painted iron scrolled tables sipping a delicious champagne cup. Most, Nicola gathered, were neighbours from other houses along the shore or different parts of the Forest. One couple had come over in a motor boat from Cowes where they were staying on a friend's yacht, and were conspicuously nautical in navy and white trousers and shirts. Jane and a thickset, fair-haired man barely taller than herself were the last to arrive.

  Jane greeted everyone, looking cool and expensive in a sleek lime green dress, white shell jewellery and white kid sandals.

  'My dear Miss Browne, this is my brother, Paul Moncrieff. He lives in Lymington,' she introduced the fair man, and he held Nicola's hand for rather too
long, looking intensely into her eyes. 'I do like that dress,' Jane continued, her voice honey-smooth. 'I thought last night how well it suited you.'

  'Indeed, it does,' Paul Moncrieff said in a low voice. 'So you are the French boffin? Do you know the Riviera well?'

  'I have spent several holidays there,' Nicola answered coolly.

  He seemed rather taken aback and smiled quickly at his sister, but Jane had moved away.

  'Nothing to beat it, eh? What are you drinking? Can I fill it up for you?'

  She refused but she could not easily make her escape, and several times was aware of Robert's eyes on her as he moved about amongst his guests. Sarah, in a simple white dress, had appeared and was talking with some of the older guests, carefully avoiding Robert but occasionally glowering in his direction.

  *

  After lunch the guests lounged about the terrace and swimming pool while four young and energetic men played tennis on the court just beyond. Jane had changed into a white bikini and lay supine on a black lounger chair beside the pool. Her skin was evenly tanned and her figure was slender yet voluptuous. Nicola wondered derisively if she had chosen that lounger as the best background for her white swim suit.

  'Are you going to swim?' Sarah asked Nicola as they drank coffee.

  'I didn't pack a swim suit,' Nicola replied regretfully. 'I didn't think it would matter for a few days until my other cases came.'

  'I'll lend you one of mine. I think we're about the same size although you are taller. Come on.'

  Nicola followed her down the outside staircase and into her room.

  'Robert was livid with me,' Sarah announced as she searched through a drawer. 'He'll never let me ride decent horses since I fell off that one last year. And it wasn't my fault – the girths had worked themselves loose.'

  'Well, that black one was a bit of a handful,' Nicola responded.

  'Pooh! I was getting him under control apart from Robert pounding up behind and scaring him again. Don't tell Jane, will you? She rides a marvellous mare and would be horridly superior again.'

  'I won't. Thanks,' she added as Sarah handed her a black and exceedingly brief bikini.

  'It's stretchy material so it should fit. It only looks minute,' she giggled as she saw Nicola's dubious look. 'Do you want to change here?'

  'No, I'll go into my own room, and thank you.'

  Nicola went through the hall and into her own bedroom where she changed into the swim suit. It was far briefer than she had been accustomed to wearing, but when she surveyed herself in the full-length mirror in the bathroom she smiled in satisfaction. It was very flattering to her pale skin and she did, she thought, have a reasonably good figure, if not quite so spectacular a one as Jane's.

  Her legs were her best feature, long and shapely, and at least she was good at swimming.

  *

  Somewhat shyly, however, she walked out and joined the guests at the swimming pool. Paul immediately came to sit beside her and his lingering admiring glances made her blush with annoyance.

  'You live in Lymington I believe,' she said when his silence became oppressive.

  'Yes, I've a small cottage there near the Marina. I've got a shop in Bournemouth. I deal in antiques.'

  'Really? Furniture, or smaller things?'

  'Mostly furniture, but also Victorian bits and pieces. There are still lots of those to be picked up when old houses are sold. You must come and see it some time. Do you know much about it?'

  'Hardly anything. Do you attend many sales?' Nicola asked, unwilling to commit herself to his invitation so soon.

  'I do that most of the time. I have a couple of girls who run the shop for me. I'll take you with me one day, and Sarah too if Big Brother can be induced to let her off the leash for a day. Poor kid, he's very hard on her.'

  'I'm going to swim,' Nicola said abruptly, reluctant to discuss Robert with Jane's brother.

  Several people were already in the pool and Robert had just appeared from the house. In dark green swimming trunks he was even more handsome than in his formal clothes, Nicola thought in some confusion. He was tanned and slim, with broad shoulders and narrow hips, and long, muscular legs.

  He stopped briefly beside Jane as she called out to him, then went on and dived smoothly into the pool causing barely a ripple. He swam several lengths with apparently effortless but powerful strokes, and as Nicola swam slowly across the pool herself, heading for Sarah who was laughingly throwing a ball with two more young people, she watched him.

  He reached the end of the pool, turned, and dived to swim under water and surface nearby.

  'I'll race you,' he said briefly to Nicola and Sarah, his eyebrows lifted. Sarah immediately turned away as if she had not heard, but Nicola nodded.

  'How many lengths?' she asked briefly.

  'We'll start this end, and do six? You've got a good action, you should be fast.'

  As if I were a horse, she thought indignantly, and swam to the end ready to start. Robert watched her, an odd smile on his face, and then came after her.

  'Ready?'

  They were off and although Robert gave no quarter Nicola was level with him as they made the first turn. She dropped behind a little on the second length as he put on a spurt, but gradually and steadily drew level again so that on the final length she was only a few inches behind him as they touched.

  'I thought you looked like a swimmer,' he commented, and Nicola, breathing deeply, was annoyed to find that although he had been swimming several lengths more than she had before they began to race he was breathing only slightly faster than normal.

  'Did you go slowly on purpose?' she demanded, and he laughed.

  'I think you might have beaten me if we'd had a few more lengths. You're a much better swimmer than florist. I usually swim each morning. You'll have to come and practise with me,' he added and she gasped with indignation. Was that an invitation? Before she could decide, or wonder why he had just then referred to their previous encounter, he had turned to answer a comment from another man, so Nicola climbed out of the pool and sat rubbing her hair dry, aware with a secret sense of satisfaction that Jane, although very decorative in her brief costume, had not ventured into the water. And from his jocular remark Robert appeared to have forgiven her about the mistake over the flowers.

  Stretching out on an airbed she relaxed in the warm sun, and for the first time was able to think of the episode in the shop without shuddering, a small unconscious smile playing across her lips as she reflected how terrifying Robert was when he was angry, and what an entirely different person he seemed when, as now, he was being pleasant and friendly.

  *

  Chapter 4

  The next few days passed peacefully. Robert seemed restored to good humour again, although Sarah had been roundly scolded for her escapade with Night Demon. Each day Robert spent hours training the horse for the Novice Cup. Nicola resolutely spoke French to Sarah whenever they were alone and to her surprise Sarah made every effort to improve her grasp of the language, with good results. Jane came to dinner once more but by that time Nicola's cases had been delivered and she appeared in one of her new dresses, a deep yellow sleeveless full-skirted dress with a close-fitting bodice edged with delicate creamy lace. She knew it suited her admirably and she caught a look of appreciation in Robert's eyes as she entered the drawing room.

  Several times Nicola and Sarah rode out in the Forest and Nicola grew to love the many different aspects of it, the wildness of the heaths, the ancient oaks, gnarled and mysterious looking, the grassy dells and glades, and the burgeoning new plantations.

  Sarah dutifully rode Polly and Nicola soon began to feel thoroughly at home on staid, reliable old Punch.

  They were riding across Beaulieu Heath one afternoon when Sarah hailed a solitary horseman riding towards them.

  He cantered up to them, grinning all over his snub-nosed, freckled face.

  'Tony,' Sarah exclaimed. 'Nicola, this is Tony Scott. Tony, my companion and gaoler, Nicola Browne
.'

  'Hush, Sarah, don't be rude,' he said quickly, and turned to smile apologetically at Nicola. 'I'd heard you were at The Lodge. How do you like this part of the country?'

  'It's beautiful,' Nicola replied enthusiastically. 'It's far more varied than I expected, having seen only the northern parts before.'

  Tony nodded. 'It used to be a royal hunting ground, it's over a thousand years old. But this part was an airfield during the war. Sections of the runway still exist and people come up here to practise driving, and to fly model aeroplanes. Have you been into Lymington yet?'

  'No, we're planning to go tomorrow. Sarah is going to show me around.'

  After a few more polite remarks he turned to Sarah and, feeling remarkably guilty, Nicola dropped back slightly so that they could exchange a few words in private. She could not help their meeting like this, she told herself and could hardly ignore the man. Sarah would probably disobey her if she ordered the girl to ride away and she could do nothing about it. Better, surely, to supervise the meeting and bring it to an end as soon as was decently possible.

  Before she could do so, however, Tony himself turned to bid her farewell and was soon cantering away in the direction of some rooftops which denoted a small village in the distance. Sarah appeared content with the brief exchange and Nicola congratulated herself on not creating a fuss, and wondered whether Robert's suspicions about Tony's motives could possibly be correct. He had appeared to be a sensible, pleasant enough but ordinary young man. So ordinary, in fact, she was rather surprised Sarah should appear to be so devoted to him. Was it simply that she was rebelling against her brother by her preference for what he considered an unsuitable young man? Possibly, when she met others who might, simply because they had money, be more acceptable to Robert, the affair would die a natural death. How foolish of Robert to make more of it than was warranted, she thought, and by so doing make matters worse. And, contrarily, how snobbish of him to object to a pleasant young man simply because he had no fortune to match Sarah's.