Elise's Story: A Bentley Sisters Novel

by Lauren Beaumont

  "Sure is," Max said and the men walked over to retrieve the bags and load them onto the aircraft. Just then a pickup truck drove up with what were clearly the village supplies that Steve would also be responsible for taking into Alornekuk.

  After a few minutes Max walked back to where Elise waited, leaving Steve to finish up loading the village supplies. "Apparently there might be a couple of bumpy moments on the flight, but nothing too horrible, according to Steve. I promise you he knows what he's doing; he's being doing this flight for years now. Okay?"

  Still breathing deeply, partly from fear of the forthcoming flight but partly now through surprise at Max's actions and words a few minutes earlier, Elise just nodded quietly and let him take her hand in his as they waited for the plane to be ready for take-off.

  * * *

  Safely strapped in, Elise gazed out the window in awe at the rugged landscape beneath them. Even though it didn't exactly help her fear, the photographer in her could never resist peering out at the glorious views that flying offered. Max had been holding her hand in his throughout the flight, making sure that she was okay. Normally she'd have protested, but there was something soothing about his protectiveness that made her want to embrace it for the time being and not worry about the implications of what it all might mean.

  After about twenty minutes, Max touched her arm. "Look," he said, indicating out the tiny window the small number of matchbox-sized houses visible on the ground below. "That's Alornekuk, there. We'll be making our descent any minute now."

  "That's Alornekuk?" she asked, disbelievingly. "I knew it was small, but I hadn't realised it was quite that tiny!"

  "Yep. It's more of a hamlet than a village even. I think there's just three hundred or so residents, which probably isn't surprising, given how isolated it can be around here, but it's a close knit, friendly community."

  Suddenly the plane dropped and instinctively she gripped his hand tighter.

  "Shh... it's okay. It's just the approach we have to take because of the short landing strip. It's entirely normal, I promise you. Nothing to worry about." Through the confines of the seatbelt he gathered her as best he could into his side, just as the plane began its descent.

  Moments later they were on solid ground and Elise found she could breathe easier. Her tension ebbing, she continued to squeeze Max's tightly. Slowly, she exhaled the pent up breath she'd been holding and glanced to her right to see Max looking down at her with a look suspiciously akin to tenderness in his eyes. "Oh! Sorry!" She quickly jerked her hand away from his, embarrassed.

  "What on earth for?" He shook his head at her, and this time it was his turn to roll his eyes before he reached across her to unfasten her seatbelt as the plane came to its final halt. Helping her out of the seat, he escorted her down the steps to the reassuringly solid tarmac of the runway.

  * * *

  A couple of hours later they had commenced the three hour hike to Ingiyokke Lake. Max had insisted on them resting for an hour in Alornekuk, but after eating and making sure they were both well hydrated, they began the trek that would take them to their base camp at the lake. Although the weather was cold, the worst of the snows and ice had begun to melt as the temperatures became relatively milder, and they found that their multiple thermal layers were, thankfully, more than adequate.

  Elise had been explaining to Max how she'd been keen to be based near the lake as, with the receding glaciers, there was a greater chance of getting the shots she wanted. Her commission was pretty wide; she was to produce a series of articles focussing on the natural habitat of the Arctic wildlife, which could range from the numerous Arctic foxes and caribou to the indigenous, but less frequently seen, polar bears, all of which made the Ingiyokke Valley and Lake their home.

  It was, however, the Arctic wolf in which Elise was most interested. Although not an endangered species, the Arctic wolf was rarely photographed and was considered elusive. Just as the remoteness of the wolf's natural environment protected it from the worst of its human hunters and the damage of mankind's destruction of its territory, it also kept it sheltered from the range of an eager photo-journalist's camera lens. With this trip, Elise was hoping to get enough material to populate a series of four articles, one of which would focus exclusively on the Arctic wolf.

  "So you want an entire article on the wolf?" Max asked, slight scepticism in his voice, as they followed the river valley, pausing every so often while Elise photographed the lush vegetation that surrounded them where the ice of winter had already melted.

  "I can't believe it's so green here," she muttered, as she adjusted the lens on the camera. "It's barely the start of summer, and still so cold, but the heather is blooming, and look at those willows!"

  She turned to Max apologetically, knowing that the supposed three hour trek was going to take much longer now that she had discovered the rich flora and fauna of the valley. She was already planning in her head how it would make the perfect backdrop to one of the four articles. "A whole article would be ideal; as it would really set it apart from anything that's been done before in this area. No one has tried to get close to the wolves. The majority of photographers, if they go to the Arctic, concentrate on shots of polar bears, as that's what supposedly sells photos to the end consumer."

  "So how come you're not after that?" Max sounded puzzled. "Although I'm not encouraging bear trekking at all, you do occasionally see them in this area."

  "It's been done before," she said simply. "I want to do something different, and also something that will actually make a difference." She shrugged. "I know that sounds odd. Photo-journalism like this doesn't make a difference in the same way as, I don't know, war journalism, but it does provide a record and an archive for the future. We can learn and hopefully educate people about what's around them and why it's so important to protect it rather than destroy it."

  "I can see that." He nodded, genuinely understanding where she was coming from. "But the wolves tend to keep to themselves in these parts."

  "I know," she sighed as she replaced the cap over her camera lens and packed it back in her bag to protect it from the cold and damp. "I'm hoping that as this is around the birthing time for the females, we may have more luck as the mothers will need to hunt for food for the pups."

  He stopped in his tracks and pulled her closer to him, grasping her arm lightly. "You're not seriously thinking of potentially disturbing a female at birthing time?" He sounded incredulous. "You do know that she'll immediately attack to protect her pups if she thinks they're in danger?" As he spoke his eyes narrowed in a way that she was already beginning to recognise indicated his displeasure.

  "Of course not! I'm not a complete idiot, you know! I know enough to stay away from any place they're nesting. I was thinking more that if the female is out hunting, we'd be able to get some shots of that, and maybe, if she's with a pack, some shots of the pack that may be in the area as well." Annoyed at his assumption, she tried to shake off his hold on her arm but found that he was immoveable.

  He looked relieved at her words. "Ah, okay. Sorry, I had images of you walking into the nest of an angry and protective new mother."

  "No," she confirmed with a shake of her head, still trying to extract her arm from his hold. "As I told you, I'm not a complete idiot."

  Although his grip lightened, he didn't let her go. Instead, he tilted her head upwards so that her eyes met his, taking in her obviously irritated stare. "For the record, I don't think you're an idiot," he told her. "Far from it, in fact. You're clearly an intelligent, talented woman. But it's also obvious that you're a perfectionist as far as your work's concerned." He smiled. "I saw the care you took even with a few snaps of the willows and heather, which aren't exactly the main focus of your article!" His smile waned. "It's not beyond the realm of possibility that a talented, perfectionist photographer would want the best possible shots for her article, is it?"

  She sighed, knowing he was right and that it wasn't such a far-fetched concern. "Perhaps," she
muttered, more to herself than to him.

  "Elise." His hand on her arm stroked her in soft, smooth motions, but his voice was firm. "I thought I'd made it clear already, but just in case there's any doubt or confusion in your mind, my role here is to make sure that you're safe and protected at all times. That doesn't just mean guiding you through the park and making sure you're back each night. It means making sure you don't take unnecessary risks with your health or your safety, regardless of how good the photos might be otherwise. Do you understand?"

  The man was unwavering. Nothing of what he said surprised her, but she could tell that she wasn't going to get a moment's peace, and they certainly weren't going to make any further progress towards camp, unless she gave him an answer.

  "Elise, he said warningly, the resolute look in his eyes making it clear that ignoring his question wasn't an option.

  "Of course I understand," she answered reluctantly. "It's been pretty clear since before I left London. You forget that Tom also tried to lay down the law before I left."

  "Good," he said, clearly happy with her response and with her revelation that, as he'd suspected, his friend had also made it clear that Max wouldn't stand for any nonsense.

  "You know," she said after a moment's hesitation, "the main reason I'm taking such care with each shot here is that I know I won't have another chance. This is a one time trip. Although with the Kenyan series, and other features I've worked on, I've gone back and forth on location for months, with this it's different. It's unlikely I'll get a return trip, and so I need to make sure that each shot works."

  They walked more slowly now, settling in to an easy stride that allowed for conversation and wouldn't cause them to sweat – which would ultimately make them chilled. Elise had read up on arctic survival tips, and keeping dry was at the top. She should not sit directly on the snow, as it would melt and get her pants damp. And try not to get overheated, as sweat-damp clothing would lower her body temperature.

  "How come? Budget constraints?" His tone suggested that he sympathised with her if the journal that had commissioned her work had also put financial limitations on what they would pay in order to get that work.

  She paused, not sure at that moment whether she should confide in him so much, particularly after he'd annoyed her with his high-handed assumptions, but there was something about this man that made her want to be more open than was usual for her. She felt secure confiding in him. "Well, it's partly that. The budget isn't huge, but I could probably get funding from them for a second trip if I really needed it. If the articles go according to plan, they should be pretty good and get the magazine a fair amount of attention, so they're willing to be flexible."

  Puzzled, he asked, "Then why not plan a second trip rather than try to push everything into the one?"

  She drew in a breath, wondering if she could explain it to him when she wasn't sure of it herself. "For something like this it's still more difficult to justify a second trip, as I should be able to do it all in the two weeks. It's not like with Kenya, where the key aspect of the feature was to show changes in habitat through different seasons. But," she continued, "it's also my own timing that's the problem. I've got to make a decision about a possible new job when I get back, and if I take it, I won't have the time for a second trip."

  "A new job? That's great, Elise. Tom didn't mention anything. I had no idea."

  "Tom doesn't know yet," she admitted, knowing without looking up at him that his eyes would have narrowed. In just the last twenty-four hours she'd become attuned to his traits and could guess what would annoy him. "I've told my sisters, but I think they've kept it to themselves for the time being while I decide what to do."

  "It's not a job you necessarily want?" he asked perceptively.

  "It's not that." She exhaled a deep breath, figuring that now that she'd started, she might as well tell him the full story. "It's a fantastic job, co-editing one of the top magazines in my field. It's just that it's a permanent, full time position, whereas I've always been freelance. It would mean giving up a lot of the flexibility and freedom I've had and basing myself permanently in London."

  "And that doesn't appeal?"

  "It appeals in a lot of ways." She paused. "Sometimes the travel can be draining and the thought of a proper base, settling down a bit, is really attractive. The problem's more that I don't know if I'm cut out for city living, or if I'm ready to downscale the number of projects I take on myself in order to manage other people's work. It's a big decision."

  "It sounds like a great opportunity. However, you have to be happy that you're making the right decision. But," he was thoughtful for a moment, "you know, if city living bothers you, why would you opt to live in central London anyway? I work in the city, but live outside. Lots of open spaces, green fields, fresh air‑ probably fresher than in some of the places you've travelled to!" he began to tease her.

  Grinning, she punched him lightly in the arm, but then became more pensive. "I guess that's right. I hadn't really thought about it like that. I'd assumed that it would mean a tiny apartment in the city, just as my sisters started out." Silently she mulled over his words, as in a few short minutes he'd given her a different perspective on what could await her if she took the job that she was ninety per cent sure she really wanted to take, but which would mark such a change in her lifestyle.

  "Besides," he went on, "I'm guessing here, but I suspect that, as an editor, it doesn't mean you would have to give up ever going on location again? Wouldn't it just mean that you could control the projects, destinations and timing a lot more yourself? You know, pick the ones you really want to do, or create ones you really want to do, rather than have someone else dictate them?"

  She nodded vigorously. "I think so. That's one of the big attractions. I just need to make sure that that is how it would work, and it wouldn't involve giving all this up completely." She swung her arms around to indicate the beauty of the location surrounding them. "Purely for a desk job. I'd like to have a bit more of a base, and stability, but still have the option of shooting the projects that really interest me."

  "Sounds similar to what I did," he mused out loud. "Sure, it's a different kind of work, but the principles seem the same. I cut back on life on the road and made it into what on the surface is more of a desk job. But in reality, I take on the projects I want to take on, on the terms that suit me and only if they genuinely interest me. In a lot of ways, it's kept me going over the years, when, otherwise, burn out would have been too easy."

  "And you find it easy to live outside the city, even when your work is more central?" she asked curiously.

  "Absolutely," he told her without hesitation. "I love London, but living there wasn't really for me. I prefer the space you get outside the city, where there's true silence at night rather than wailing sirens, where you're not shoved up against other people every minute of the day." He laughed at himself. "Now I sound like an old man!"

  Without thinking, she grabbed his hand. "No! Not at all. I know what you mean! I love staying with my sisters, and I love everything London has to offer, especially after weeks of travel. But I'm not sure I could live with it 24/7 without wanting to find an escape route!"

  Spying a large rock close to them, he pulled her over and sat down, settling her next to him. "Then why contemplate that if you don't have to? You can have both, you know. The great job in the city and the personal life away from it. Though I'd had the impression from Tom that you liked the bright lights and big city life."

  She frowned, wondering how Tom had had that impression, but then heard him continue to say, "After all, your family is there and didn't you grow up in London?"

  "Richmond!" she exclaimed. "We grew up in Richmond, which was lovely, but it certainly wasn't central, built-up London. Though as a kid, even Richmond seemed busy and noisy to me, and I used to escape to Surrey as often as I could and lie in the fields all day!"

  He chuckled at the image of a young Elise running away into the countryside with
only her camera for company. "In which case, take the next couple of weeks to think about the options properly, but know that there may be more options out there to make it work in a way that best suits you than you might have thought. If you need someone to run ideas past, you've got my sole attention for the next two weeks and, even after that, I can help you sort out logistics if you'd like."

  Looking up at him, she saw the smile in his eyes and, without thinking, reached up slightly from where she sat and kissed his cheek with a grin. "Sounds like a plan, Max."

  Immediately, his eyes darkened to a smouldering smoky brown. "Don't tease a man, Elise. It's not a good idea."

  Startled, she moved away, only to find that his arms had looped around her waist lightly. He pulled her back towards him, catching her off balance so that she tumbled against him, and he lowered his head to capture her lips against his, exploring tentatively. He exerted only the smallest amount of pressure to encourage her to open her mouth to his as he nibbled on her lower lip.

  After long seconds, he raised his head from hers, but kept her firmly against his side. "If you're going to kiss a man, Elise, do it properly."

  Her heart was beating soundly against her ribcage and her pulse quickened, but Elise's brain had turned to pulp at his kiss. She lost herself in the sensation, not only of Max's lips and kiss, but also the strong reassuring loop of his arms around her. Eyes still shut, she nodded blindly. He laughed and lowered his head, his mouth demanding her acquiescence once again.

  "Don't stop!" she begged, as he broke off the kiss.

  "Much as I'd like to continue this, here and now, we need to keep walking if we're going to make the camp in good time.

  "Oh, sure, yes. " Confused and befuddled, she tried to get up from their rock, only to find herself still caught in his arms.

  "I'm not ignoring this, or pretending it didn't happen, Elise. So don't even think about going down that path, okay? I'm only stopping now because we need to get moving, and, as it's your first day out here, I don't want you to overdo it."