'Herr Gruber? It's Fraulein Summers! Has Rudi been found? No, I haven't seen anything of him this side of the village.' The innkeeper told her that Franz and Trudi had gone to search the woods near the village. 'I'll go up to the turret and see if I can see anything from there,' Lee offered. 'I'll hang up and phone you back again shortly.'
By the time she reached the topmost room in the tower she was wishing fervently that a lift had been built into it instead of the spiral stone staircase that ran up inside. Throwing open the window, she leant out and savoured the fresh air while she got her breath back. It was quiet here away from the village and she noticed that the wind had become quite strong now and was tossing the tree branches from side to side and whistling eerily round the tower in which she stood. Lifting her binoculars to her eyes, she carefully scanned the countryside. Suddenly the wind changed and brought her the faint sound she had been listening for; the frightened yelping of a dog. Yes, it came again, more certainly this time, and seemingly from the direction of a large tract of forest over half a mile away, where the trees grew so thickly that it was impossible to see anything among them. But she was sure that it must be Rudi and the dog. They were probably stuck somewhere again. She had been concentrating so closely on the trees that it was not until she drew back to run down the staircase to telephone the hotel that she saw something that made her stand frozen with horror.
On the skyline, above the trees, and slightly to one side of where she thought the barking was coming from, was a threatening pall of black smoke! A forest fire! And the wind was momentarily becoming more violent and pushing the flames towards Rudi!
CHAPTER NINE
Like a whirlwind, Lee dashed towards the stairs and ran down them two at a time, regardless of the possibility of a sickening fall against the hard stone. Once she stumbled, but managed to save herself and reached the ground floor where she sped as .fast as she could across to the stables. No time to telephone the hotel, no time to find the old gatekeeper and tell him where she was going—every second was precious if she was to get there in time. A bay mare whickered a welcome as Lee threw open the stable door and pulled a hastily snatched-up harness over its head. To strap on a saddle would take too long, so she sprang up on to the mare's bare back, pulling the unfamiliar skirts of the Dirndl up above her knees as she kicked the horse's flanks. The postern gate was left open behind her as she encouraged the mare with heels, knees and voice to gallop across the fields towards the outer trees of the forest and the fire that was every minute raging more fiercely and nearer and nearer to the little boy trapped there.
Without bothering to look for a patty through the trees, Lee rode on through the forest as fast as she dared, being careful to keep her head low over the horse's neck; it would never do if she were to be unseated by a low branch now. Twigs cracked like pistol shots beneath the mare's hooves; it hadn't rained since the great thunderstorm that she had watched with Max several weeks ago and the brushwood was dry as tinder. Now that a fire had started nothing would stop it until it had consumed the whole forest, Lee reflected grimly.
Prinz's frightened barking was much nearer now and she yelled Rudi's name. Immediately there was an answering shout from over to her left, and soon she was slipping lightly from the mare's back and tying it to a tree near where Rudi was ineffectually trying to scrape the dirt away from an old rabbit hole that Prinz had got well and truly stuck in. He was using a stick and his bare hands, but Prinz was struggling so wildly to escape that he was becoming more deeply embedded and had only his head protruding from the hole. But his head was making enough noise to deafen them!
It took only a quick glance for Lee to see that it would take a little time to free the dog, but the wind must have changed again, for there was as yet no sign of the fire in their vicinity, thank goodness. Stooping down, she made soothing noises to Prinz while Rudi poured out his story to her, although she paid him scant attention. With sinking heart she saw that the dog's legs were pinned beneath a tree root inside the hole, and then, for the first time, she caught the rich smell of wood smoke carried on the wind. She knew that she must get Rudi to safety, but how to make him leave the dog?
'Rudi, can you ride a horse?' she asked, pointing to the mare to make him understand. He nodded uncertainly. 'Good. Go to the Schloss,' she said slowly. 'Telephone Max at the Hotel Erlenbach.' She mimed making a telephone call. 'You understand? Get help. Verstehen?'
'Ja, I understand. But Prinz?'
Suddenly a frightened deer sprang out of the thicket and went bounding past them. Rudi looked round and then he, too, smelt the smoke. '1st fire! Prinz will be burned!' His voice was high-pitched with fright and he clung, desperately to Lee's skirts.
'No, I'll get Prinz out. You go to the Schloss.' Lee lifted him on to the mare's back and used the cord from round Prinz's neck and the apron from her costume to tie him on as firmly as she could. 'Don't worry about Prinz, I'll bring him. Remember to keep your head down and hold tight. The mare knows the way.' Hoping that he understood, she gave him a quick hug and sent him on his way with a smile.
But as soon as he was out of sight she turned hurriedly back to the puppy. The fire was still some way off and she should have enough time to get the dog out of the hole and run to the edge of the forest before the fire reached them, but there was no time to be lost, Tearing the buckles from her shoes, Lee used them to enlarge the hole, knowing that she wasn't strong enough to break the roots that held him. As she worked small woodland creatures hurried, past in increasing numbers; rabbits, marmots, hedgehogs, and once or twice a chamois, its usual extreme shyness forgotten, raced past them heading for the safety of the mountains.
As Lee dug deeper the soil became harder and her hands were cut and bleeding from the sharp edges of the buckles. Prinz, sensing the danger, had become quiet, merely whimpering and licking her hands whenever they came near him.
'Yes, boy, I know you want to get out of there, but I'm doing my best.' Eventually she was able to get a good hold on him and, with much pulling from Lee and much scrabbling from the puppy, he at last came free. 'Phew! Only just in time, I think.' Afraid that if she left the dog to run beside her he might get caught down another hole, Lee picked him up and began to run in the direction she had come.
Despite the uneven ground and her heeled shoes, the smell of smoke became fainter as she hurried along and she became increasingly confident of getting to safety in plenty of time; almost she wished that she hadn't sent Rudi to telephone for help because she didn't want to start an unnecessary alarm or get the child into a row. She ducked her head to pass under a low tree when, without warning, a small herd of deer crashed past her at an angle, their terror of the fire sending them thudding against her. Desperately Lee tried to turn aside, but as she did so the heel of her shoe caught in a root and the next moment she found herself rolling dizzily down a steep slope, the frightened dog still clutched in her arms. Brambles and undergrowth tore her clothes and the headdress from her head as she tumbled, her shoes falling off her feet as she struggled to stop herself. Then her head struck a protruding piece of rock and a sharp, numbing pain shot through her head before she lost consciousness.
Something warm and damp kept touching her face. Vaguely Lee wondered why someone was trying to wash her face when she was asleep and she tried to move her head away, but this hurt so much that she gave a cry of pain. Slowly she put a hand to her head and felt a large bump. 'Oh, my head!' Dizzily she sat up and Prinz immediately barked with delight and tried to lick her face again. 'It was you, was it? Hey, okay, you're a good dog, but I'm fine now.' Lee pushed him away and struggled to her feet, then started to cough. Slowly, sickeningly, she realised that there was thickening smoke all around and she could distinctly hear the crackle of the fire behind her. Then, only a hundred yards away, a tall pine burst suddenly into flames, its branches swallowed in seconds by the blaze.
Panic-stricken, Lee's only instinct was to do as the animals had done and turn to run before the fire, but she had e
nough sense to tear a piece of material from her skirt to tie over her nose and mouth; she knew that the smoke could be just as deadly as the flames. Snatching up Prinz, she tried to run as fast as she could, but the pine needles stuck in her bare feet and she kept blundering into trees because the gusts of smoke made her eyes water. Prinz was struggling and barking with terror in her arms and at last, completely exhausted, Lee let him jump to the ground while she leaned against a tree trunk, gasping for breath.
'Go on, go home, boy,' she panted. 'Go home, Prinz!' But the little dog only barked louder than ever and tried to leap up her. 'No, Prinz, go home. Go find Rudi. I can't carry you any longer.'
All at once a huge shape loomed up out of the smoke and Lee gave a cry of terror as she remembered that bears sometimes came into these forests. The shape came nearer and Prinz turned to bark defiantly, but the last of Lee's courage deserted her and she sank cowering to the ground.
Then, unbelievably, she felt herself picked up in two strong arms and looked up into Max's anguished eyes. 'Lee! Are you all right? Oh, meine Liebling, meine Geliebte! I was afraid I would never find you!'
Lee tried to answer, but could only cough. The next instant Max had lifted her on to the broad back of the quivering black stallion and was about to leap up behind her when Lee pointed desperately to Prinz. 'Don't leave him. Please, Max,' she gasped.
Quickly he turned and scooped up the dog, dropping it into her lap, then he was behind her, his arms like mighty bastions as strong as the castle walls to protect her from danger. He seemed to be making for higher ground, the frightened horse held firmly in check by his iron hands, and soon they came to a wide ride cut through the forest. They turned to make for the edge of the woods—but they were too late! They had only gone a little way when the freak wind threw burning sparks ahead of them and they found their way completely cut off. 'Verdammt!' Max cursed fluently, turned the horse round and headed in the opposite direction.
'But, Max, the fire is worse this way!' Lee turned frightened eyes up to him.
'Trust me, little one.'
Then she wasn't afraid any longer. She had complete faith in him and if he wanted to go that way then it was all right by her. Before long he jumped down and pulled off his shirt, tying it securely over the stallion's eyes so that the flames which were now rapidly closing in on them wouldn't terrify the animal into blind panic. Then he climbed up again and, taking the reins from Lee, dug his heels into the horse's sides and pushed him into a canter. The blaze on either side came even nearer as Max broke into a gallop and to Lee it seemed as if they were thundering down a long tunnel of fire. The heat was intense and she could hardly see,-but suddenly she gave a cry of warning. A tree had fallen across the ride ahead of them!
Max didn't hesitate but gathered the horse and gave a yell of encouragement as the magnificent beast jumped clean over the blazing trunk. Still they went on, and Lee wondered frantically if Max was trying to take them through the fire to the other side of the forest, but then she heard him give a cry of triumph as they broke through the flames and dashed headlong into a mountain lake.
The water was icy cold and very deep, so that soon the horse was swimming in the direction of a small island in the centre. Other animals, too, had sought refuge here, and as they climbed up the bank rabbits and squirrels darted away into the trees and shrubs that grew there. Max lifted her and Prinz down and while he tied the stallion to a tree she turned to look behind her at the fire. It seemed impossible that they could have come safely through such a holocaust; even now a great pine, its branches a living bonfire, came crashing down to completely block the ride. If they had been a few minutes later!
Putting her hands over her face to shut out the mental pictures, she began to shake uncontrollably.
'Lee, my dear one, don't cry. You're safe now. Safe with me.' Max's arms came about her and Lee felt the hairs on his bare chest soft against her face.
'Oh, Max! Max, I was so afraid!' Lee clung to him tightly, his warmth and nearness giving her strength and comfort. She raised her face to him, love taking the place of fear in her eyes. Her hands came up to touch his face. He gave a little moan, and then his lips were on hers avidly, exploring, seeking, filling her body with, a longing she had never known before. Ecstatically she returned his kiss and his lips became more passionate, more demanding as he held her close against him. His mouth sought the curve of her chin, the hollows of her cheeks, her neck, her eyes.
'Max. Oh, Max,' she gasped as she moved against him, lost to everything but the aching need she felt for him. Slowly she became aware that he had drawn away and was standing perfectly still.
'I'm sorry,' he said harshly. 'I shouldn't have done that.'
'But—but why?' Lee stared at him confusedly, unable to take in the sudden change in him.
Max's voice was suddenly savage. 'You ask me why? Because I have no right to kiss you—to touch you! Because you're promised to another man, that's why!'
'Max, I…" Lee tried to speak, but he wouldn't listen.
'By kissing you like that I was behaving worse than
Hendrik—at least he didn't know you were already engaged. But I do.' He stared down at her, a dark, desperate look in his eyes.
'Max, if you'll just…'
But again she wasn't allowed to finish, for he lunged, forward and caught her to him again. 'Oh, Gott, it's no use! I can't hide how I feel for you any longer. Lee, meine Liebchen, you can't marry him, I won't let you. He doesn't deserve you,' he added forcefully, and kissed her again.
'If you'll just listen to me for a moment!' Lee somehow pushed herself away from him and looked up with shining, misty eyes. Tremulously she said, 'Max, I'm not going to marry Richard. I wrote and told him so when we were in Vienna.'
He stared at her incredulously. 'But it was in Vienna that you said…'
'I know what I said,' Lee interrupted, 'but it wasn't true. I only said it as a kind of—of defence..'
Almost as if afraid to ask the question, he said slowly, 'Why, Lee? Why did you say it?'
'Because—because I thought you were going to marry Katrina, and I didn't want you to find out that I…' She lowered her head and then raised, it again to look steadily into his eyes. 'That I was so very much in love with you.'
Slowly Max raised his hands to cup her face. He looked at her like a blind man who could suddenly see for the first time, as if he were memorising every detail of her face. 'My dearest love,' he said softly. His lips brushed against her throat, the softness of her cheek, the lobe of her ear, her eyes, never quite touching her mouth, all the while whispering endearments. 'My little love, my darling. Oh, Lee, ich liebe dich! I love you so much, my dearest. Can you ever forgive me? I've bullied you and made you unhappy. I think I fell in love with you the first time I saw you, but I tried so hard to fight it that I was rude and overbearing and made you hate me.'
Lee smiled tremulously up at him. 'I did at first, but…'
'But now?'
'I'll never love anyone but you,' she said simply.
With a little sound of triumph Max crushed her to him and this time sought her mouth greedily. 'Lee, Liebchen,' his voice was thick. 'I tried so hard not to love you. It was pure hell, with my instincts in turmoil— wanting you, yet knowing that you could never be mine. But I couldn't keep away from you. I had to see you! I was even glad when you hurt your arm because then I could have you near me, see you every day, even though seeing you was exquisite torture.' He pressed her close against him, but it wasn't close enough. The weeks of longing were over and she moaned as his hands touched her body, exploring, caressing.
'Why on earth didn't you tell me you had broken your engagement?' he said at last, his eyes still slightly glazed.
'I wanted to, but—I didn't know whether you cared,' Lee said slowly as she remembered the agonies of unhappiness.
His hands gripped her shoulders tightly. 'Oh, I cared. You'll never know how much I cared.'
'So why don't you show me?' she said softly
as she ran her fingertips gently across his shoulders and down through the silky hairs on his chest.
A light flared in his eyes as he pulled her fiercely to him, and it was only when the stallion neighed with fear that he let her go and turned to see that a spark had blown across the lake to set light to some undergrowth on the island. Quickly he ran across and stamped it out.
'You'd better try and get some rest,' he advised her. 'We won't be able to leave here until, the fire has burnt itself out and the forest has cooled down.'
He found her a place to sit against a rock, but himself tirelessly patrolled the little island, ready to beat out any spark that blew in their direction, guarding them, keeping them safe. Prinz came to snuggle in Lee's lap, gently licking her hand before settling down to sleep. But she couldn't sleep; the conflagration that now completely surrounded the lake was too frightening. It wasn't until the fire had passed and there was no longer any danger of flying sparks that Max came to sit down beside her. Happily, trustingly, she then pillowed her head on his shoulder and was soon asleep in his arms.
The Fohn, the terrible wind that had caused the fire to spread so relentlessly, had at last blown the smoke away as the fire burnt itself out, and the orange glow in the sky was giving way to the grey dawn of a new day as Lee awoke. None of the forest had been spared. It had been killed overnight and would lie black and dormant for a long time before new shoots would start to push their way through the ashes to the/light of the sun. But some of the small creatures, restless for their homes, were already slipping quietly into the water and swimming back to the shore,
Lee stirred and realised that Max was no longer beside her. Sitting up, she saw him down at the water's edge looking across at the blackened forest. Quickly she got to her feet and ran to him, eager to be near him, wanting to feel the reassurance of his hand warm on hers.
Sally Wentworth - King of the Castle Page 15