by Jen Silver
What kind of life did she have with Lydia? Was it really love, or just the lust-filled excitement of catching her glance across a crowded staff room, knowing what they had been doing in bed that morning? Or the thrill of touching her hand when they passed in the hallway, passing on a message, their own secret code?
Beth followed the path that had been shown on the course map and, after winding through a wooded area, it led onto a green which had to be the thirteenth. A light breeze coming off the sea was welcome, but the warmth of the sun made her glad she’d thought to bring one of the small bottles of water from her room.
Clambering down the steep path was easy enough as long as she watched where she was placing her feet to avoid treading on spiky tufts of grass and sharp stones.
The beach was indeed covered in pristine sand, and deserted as Jordan had said it would be. Beth kicked off her sandals and enjoyed the feel of the coarse grains pushing up between her toes as she walked.
†
Andi could hear voices as she opened the door to the Temperley’s apartment. She followed the sounds to the dining area where both her hosts were sitting at the table facing each other. Tris was reading the Racing Post while Freya was staring at her laptop screen with a mass of paperwork spread out around it.
Tris put his paper down when she appeared. “We were just talking about you.”
“Talking about me? I hope it was interesting.” She pulled out a chair at the end of the table and sat, glancing from one to the other.
Freya looked up from her spreadsheet and gave her a sweet smile. “Tris has a proposal for you but I don’t think you’ll like it.”
“Okay. Spill it, Lord T. I’m all ears.”
Tris put his paper on the table and folded his hands on top of it. “Okay, it’s like this. Jeff Palmer is a family friend…”
“Is that a euphemism for what I think it is?”
“No. He was a friend of my father’s and I know it doesn’t necessarily mean anything but he is married with three grown up kids and grandchildren.” He grimaced. “And you’ve seen the man. Give me some credit for good taste.”
“So, what does this have to do with me?”
“Let me finish. I know fuck all about golf, as you’re well aware, even less than my lady wife, but she at least has some interest in the game, on a personal level, anyway.”
“Christ’s sake, Tris. You’re not in the House of Lords now. Just get to the point.”
Freya broke in. “He wants you to observe the instructors while you’re here. Give us your professional opinion on whether or not you think they’re up to the standard we want to promote for the business.”
“You want me to spy on them?”
“Discreetly, of course. Just happen to be practicing while they’re on the driving range with their groups, for example.”
“You’re serious.”
“I told you she wouldn’t like it.” Freya turned back to her spreadsheet on the laptop.
“It was just an idea.” Tris picked up his paper.
Andi stared past them to the window. There were storm clouds gathering on the horizon, and from what she could see, the tops of the trees were bending. With the wind picking up there wouldn’t be much in the way of outdoor activity later.
“I can give you an opinion now for what it’s worth.”
Tris lowered his paper and peered at her over his spectacles. “Really?”
“Yes, really. If you’re planning on holding more all-women sessions, you should consider having another female pro. At least half the clientele here this week are lesbians. And while they might not be unhappy about being taught by a man, it doesn’t hurt to have some more eye candy around the place. And for the other half of the group, you’ll need guys with a bit more sex appeal than Jeff and Roger.”
“I thought they would be learning to play golf, not taking part in mating rituals.”
“Just saying. Another way to find out what your punters think is to listen to their conversations. That can be quite revealing.”
Freya smiled at her. “I’ve already overheard someone asking if Jordan is your sister.”
“Oh, is that why you hired her? A replacement for when I’m on tour.” Andi crossed her arms over her chest and glared at her lover.
“Don’t be silly. No one could replace you.” Freya stood quickly and took Andi’s face in her hands to place a kiss on Andi’s lips. With a practiced move, Andi pulled the smaller woman onto her lap to deepen the kiss.
“Come on, girls. Take it into the bedroom. You’ll put me off my lunch.”
Andi didn’t need any further persuading and neither did Freya. As Andi closed the bedroom door with her foot, still holding onto Freya, she heard Tristan’s caustic comment, “At least someone’s getting some.”
Chapter Eight
There was no sign of Beth at lunch. With half an hour to spare before the next session on the driving range, Jordan put a selection of sandwiches on a plate, covered them with another plate, shoved a banana in her pocket, and set off for the chalet. It was a struggle against the wind and she had to hold onto the plate firmly.
She knocked loudly and peered in the front window. No signs of life. If Beth had gone down to the beach she might still be there. Jordan didn’t like the look of the weather. Once the rain started it would be pretty unpleasant in exposed areas.
Back at the manor house, she put the plate down on the reception desk and wondered what she should do. She didn’t like the thought of Beth caught out in a storm but surely she would have seen the way the weather was turning.
Roger came out of the dining room and leered at her. “Pleased to see me, Jordy? I’m flattered.”
Jordan looked down at herself to see what he was looking at. The angle of the banana in her pocket was doing a good impression of an erection. She pulled it out and slapped it onto the counter. “Eat shit and die, Roger. And don’t call me Jordy.”
“Change of plan, girly. We’re going to have a rules session instead of going to the driving range.”
He walked away and Jordan wondered how long it would be before she lost control and did him some serious damage.
“What a dick.”
Jordan turned to find Andi gazing after Roger.
“My sentiments exactly.”
“So, who’s the extra lunch for? Or were you saving it for later?”
“Beth Travers. She didn’t show up and I said I would take some lunch to her if she didn’t make it.”
“Oh, right. She’s the one you were checking up on earlier.”
“Yeah. I’m a bit worried about her, though. I suggested she go down to the beach. If she gets caught in this…look, sorry to impose on you again. Could you let someone know I’m going to look for her?”
“Hang on. I don’t think you should go alone. I’ll come with you. Have you got any rain gear handy?”
“Yes. In the clubhouse.”
“Okay. I’ll just text Freya to let her know.”
Who was Freya, Jordan wondered? There wasn’t anyone with that name on the course. Then the penny dropped. Of course. Lady Temperley. No doubts in her mind now, these two were definitely lovers.
†
Beth shook herself awake. Were those raindrops or spray from the incoming tide? The waves didn’t look so friendly now. The gentle lapping at the shore had turned into galloping, foaming mountains of water. She couldn’t believe she had fallen asleep. Looking at her watch she saw it was past lunchtime.
She struggled to her feet and headed back to the cliff path. Once there she wiped the soles of her feet to clear away sandy particles and put her sandals back on. A sudden gust of wind caught her and she stumbled. The path which had seemed an easy climb earlier, if a steep one, now looked like a mountain climber’s challenge and she didn’t have any crampons. The wind howled around and the crashing of the waves on the shore only added to her rising panic. Beth’s dreams for this holiday had included images of her and Lydia strolling down sunlit fairways, h
and in hand, occasionally letting go to hit a perfect golf shot.
Now it was turning into a nightmare. Lydia wasn’t here, she hadn’t yet hit a golf ball, and she was facing a stiff climb while gusts of wind tore at her clothes and rain beat on her back.
†
Andi quickly selected two rain suits from the rack in the pro shop. She didn’t know Beth’s size but if she was the woman with the curly hair she had passed earlier, she thought a medium would do. No time to be picky about colours and she would make sure the shop was reimbursed. Andi recalled that the woman had been wearing sandals so she picked up a pair of socks as well. Grabbing two rain hats, she met Jordan at the back door.
Jordan was already in her gear. She took the spare outfit from Andi. “I’ll bring the buggy around.”
Andi nodded and started to pull on the trousers. She was fully outfitted by the time Jordan arrived in the buggy.
“Carry on around the back here.”
“Oh, I thought…”
“It’s quicker.”
“I didn’t think you would be that familiar with the course.”
“I helped design it.”
“Oh.”
Jordan concentrated on driving as they were now headed directly into the wind. Andi directed her across several fairways. Once Jordan was sure of where they were headed, Andi decided to get more information.
“Anyway, Jordan, what’s going on with this woman? First she doesn’t turn up for the sessions this morning, or lunch. Instead she’s been sunning herself on the beach. What’s her excuse for skiving off?” The strength of the wind meant she had to shout.
“It’s complicated.”
They were approaching the cliff edge now. Jordan turned the cart so that the wind blew through the open sides. Andi gripped the edge of the seat firmly. One strong gust and the cart would either be tipped over or blown halfway down the fairway.
“Her girlfriend was supposed to be with her but isn’t coming now until next week. And her ex is here.” Jordan got out her side of the buggy.
Andi also stepped out and moved carefully, crabwise, toward the edge. Once there, she lay down to look down the path. So the stranded woman was Beth, Sam’s soon-to-be ex-wife. Complicated indeed. She thought she could see movement on the path but it was, unfortunately, closer to the bottom than the top.
Jordan had squatted beside her.
“She’s not going to make it on her own. I’ll go down.”
“I should go.”
“No. Stay here. Help haul her up when we get near enough.” Andi didn’t give Jordan a chance to argue further. She set off, sliding most of the way, ruining the new waterproof trousers as they snagged on a rock.
When Andi reached her, Beth was holding to a tuft of grass as if her life depended on it. The frightened face that looked up at her was the same one Andi had seen earlier, only now the curly hair was hanging lankly around her face.
“Hang on, Beth. Can you reach my hand?”
It took more time than Andi would have liked. Beth’s fitness helped though. With Andi holding one arm, she was able to let go of her grassy support and use her legs to push herself up. Andi got her to move past her and she followed, making sure Beth didn’t slip back. She would be having words with Freya about the quality of their merchandise, though. Only a few minutes out in this weather and she was soaked to the skin.
By the time they reached the top the wind had eased off, and with Jordan pulling Beth the last few feet, they were both soon safely back on firm ground.
“Don’t bother with the wet suit. Let’s just get back to her chalet.”
Jordan nodded her agreement and supported Beth to help her into the buggy. Andi took over the driving. It was a tight squeeze with three of them on the bench seat but the body heat could only be beneficial for the scantily clad woman.
None of them spoke on the drive across the course. Andi had to concentrate on keeping the vehicle upright as strong gusts of wind threatened to topple the cart over in the exposed areas.
When they finally reached the safety of the chalet, Jordan helped Beth up the steps and waited for her to find her keycard. She opened the door and Jordan followed her in. “I’ll get the fire going.”
Andi hovered in the doorway. “Good idea. I’ll see about getting some food from the manor.”
Freya was standing in the hall when she arrived, phone in hand.
“I just got your message. What’s happened?”
“Nothing much. Just rescuing one of your guests.” Andi squelched past her, aware that she was leaving a trail of wet footprints. The Library was empty so she went behind the bar and helped herself to a measure of brandy.
“You need to get out of those clothes.” Freya had followed her.
“You’re always saying that. I’d love to, but the poor woman needs some food. And I think a bottle of red wine would go down nicely too.” Andi took a quick gulp of the brandy, relishing the warmth as it spread down her throat and into her chest.
“I’ll sort that out. Where is she?”
“In Chalet One. Jordan’s with her.”
Freya reached up and brushed a strand of wet hair off her brow. “Go upstairs and get warm. I’ll join you as soon as I can.”
“Um, sorry about the suit. I’ll reimburse you.”
“Don’t worry about that. Now go! I don’t want you catching cold.”
“Yes, milady.”
“None of your cheek. Get going.” She softened the impact of her imperious tone with a light kiss on the lips.
“Don’t be too long,” Andi whispered, watching her disappear in the direction of the kitchen.
†
Sam followed Rosemary to the front of the meeting room, her mind befuddled by all the rules of golf they had just been bombarded with. As she had said to Andi the day before, she had always thought golf was a fairly simple game. Keep hitting the little ball until it goes into the hole. Rosemary had stayed behind to ask a question and Sam stood by because she also wanted to know the answer.
“So, when your ball has landed in the bunker, can you move it if it has ended up in a footprint? If the person before didn’t rake it?”
Roger gave her an indulgent smile. “Unfortunately, you have to play the ball as it lies. And when it is in a hazard, there are very specific rules about what you can’t do. But you needn’t worry about all that at the moment, dear. Once we get out on the course, a lot of it will start to make sense.”
Sam thought there were quite a few rules that didn’t make sense at all. She hoped it would become clearer when they started playing on the course. They had half an hour now before going down to the driving range. With the passing of the storm and the sun shining again, Jeff had announced that they would resume their earlier group activities.
Lady Temperley arrived in the hall with a paper bag in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other.
“Ah, Sam, isn’t it? I wonder if you could do me a favour.”
“Yes, of course.”
“Could you take this up to Chalet One? It’s the first one you come to when you take the path behind the manor. One of the guests missed lunch. I believe Jordan is with her, so perhaps you could let her know that the lessons are resuming and she’ll be needed on the driving range.”
“Right. No problem.” Sam took the bag and the wine from her.
With a quick smile Lady Temperley walked away towards the part of the house marked “Private.”
“See you in a bit, Rosemary.”
Sam followed the track that was signposted “Chalets.” It wasn’t a steep climb, but she wouldn’t have wanted to do it in wet and windy conditions. Rivulets of water were still running down well-worn channels made by the use of golf carts. Hard to believe it had been blowing a gale only a few minutes earlier.
She wondered which privileged guest was getting room service that included a not inexpensive bottle of red wine. Checking the label she recognised it as one of the brands on the top shelf of the supermarket that wer
e out of her price range. Second shelf from the bottom was her regular choice, unless it was a special occasion and she hadn’t had any of those in the last six months.
The chalet was set back from the path and Sam thought the overall chocolate-box English cottage effect was quite charming. She had been expecting something more along the lines of an alpine A-frame. Renting one of these for two weeks wouldn’t come cheap.
Sam knocked on the door and a voice called, “Come in.”
She was greeted with the unexpected sight of Jordan standing by the fireplace pulling her T-shirt over her head. Wondering what she had walked into, Sam held up the bag and the wine.
“Lady Temperley asked me to drop these off.”
Jordan looked flustered. “Um. Yeah, thanks. Just put them down on the table.” She made an attempt to smooth her hair. “We got caught out in the storm.”
If that’s what you want to call it. Obviously the lady of the manor condoned this activity, as she knew Jordan was here. Sam turned to leave but just then the door to one of the other rooms opened and Beth came out wearing only a bathrobe.
Sam looked from one to the other, the shock no doubt showing on her face.
Jordan held up her hands. “It’s not what you think, Sam.”
“What I think is you’re more than welcome to the two-timing bitch. I didn’t think I could feel sorry for Lydia, but I do now.”
Sam backed out of the chalet and blindly ran down the track. It wasn’t until she stopped and looked around that she realised she was somewhere on the golf course instead of near the manor house.
†
Having Andi on the premises was proving more of a distraction than Freya had expected. She hurried up the stairs to the apartment. The thought of her lover putting herself in danger both frightened and angered her.