After about ten minutes, they drew up outside a long, low, thatched building which proclaimed itself to be the Farrier’s Arms and had a large board outside advertising lunch.
“This do you?”
“Looks lovely.” Kate peered out at it. “Can we sit outside? It’s so hot today.”
“Sounds good to me.” Sam parked the Land Rover, and they made their way through the open door at the front of the building.
The interior of the pub was very dark after the bright sunshine, and Kate took a moment for her eyes to adjust. It was low-ceilinged, with a patterned carpet and wood-panelled walls, adorned with a variety of pictures and horse brasses. The beamed ceiling was hung with glasses and tankards.
“What d’you want to drink?” Sam asked.
“Diet cola would be nice, thanks.” Kate stared around her, looking for a menu. There didn’t appear to be one, and she found that everything was written on a chalkboard to the side of the bar. She moved away slightly to read it, and by the time Sam joined her and handed her her drink, she had decided on cauliflower cheese. They ordered the food, then made their way out to the beer garden at the back of the pub. It was fairly large, and they chose a wooden bench-style table next to the river.
Kate slid onto the seat and sighed. “This is nice. Thanks. I must pay you back.”
“Don’t be daft. I invited you.” Sam slid in opposite her and took a long drink of his cola. “That’s better. God, it’s so hot today. Really heavy, too. Feels a bit like thunder.” He glanced up at the clear blue sky. “Doesn’t look much like it, though. At least not yet.”
Kate sipped her drink and watched him over the rim of the glass. Why did he have to be quite so beautiful? He always had been, and if anything he had improved with age. As usual he was wearing old faded jeans, this time with a very old Motorhead T-shirt. He had an open blue-checked shirt on over the top, the sleeves rolled up to just below the elbow. Kate felt her stomach do a flip as she watched him. It really wasn’t fair. He was far too good-looking. She found herself wondering why he hadn’t got a girlfriend.
He smiled across at her. “Feeling more relaxed yet?”
“In a way.” Kate made a face. “It’s certainly good to be away from home and my mother anyway.”
“But?”
“But I do feel a bit guilty being here with you and lying to my mother.”
“Shouldn’t have come, then.” Sam took a long drink, his eyes never leaving her face.
“Oh, that’s really helpful, Sam.” Kate wriggled in annoyance. “You invited me. It was perfectly innocent and seemed like a good way to get away from Mum.”
“So stop feeling guilty and just enjoy yourself.” Sam shrugged and put down his glass. “All we’re doing is having lunch, as old friends, in a pub on a nice afternoon. No one, not even Reginald, could object to that.”
“Richard, his name is Richard.” Kate frowned at him.
Sam grinned evilly at her. “If you say so. Well, not even he could object to you having lunch with an old school friend. And that’s all we’ve ever been, isn’t it, Katy?”
The food appeared just then, so Kate was saved from answering, and they both tucked into their meals with enthusiasm. Kate was very quick to devour her cauliflower cheese, and she sat back with a satisfied sigh while Sam was still finishing his sausage and mash.
“Nice?” He popped a forkful into his mouth.
“Lovely. Yours?”
He nodded. “Great. I guess you want pudding now?”
“Always.” Kate grinned. “Will you join me, though? Don’t want to eat alone.”
“I can probably manage a little something.” He scooped up the last of his potato and put down his fork. “That was good. Shall we have a little break, or do you want the pudding straight away?”
“A little break is okay.” Kate took a sip of drink. “Not too long, mind.”
“So what shall we do this afternoon? D’you want to go and see the prison? We can, if you like.”
“No, it’s okay. It might be nice to go for a walk. Maybe by a river or something? It’s so pretty round here.”
“Fine. I know just the place. You’ll love it.” Sam looked smug, and Kate couldn’t help smiling at him.
“You look so pleased with yourself,” she said with a giggle. “Like a schoolboy again.”
A shadow crossed Sam’s face, and he picked up his plate. “Let’s order pudding.” He reached over and took Kate’s plate. “I know what you like. Shall I order for you?”
“How very nineteen fifties.” Kate grinned. “But yes, you may. I trust you.” She watched him as he walked away towards the pub, wondering about the look on his face when she’d mentioned being a schoolboy. Was it still the incident with Cerys? There was something there that he wasn’t telling her. Maybe today would be the last chance she’d have to find out what it was. She’d ask him when they were walking.
****
“D’you like it, then?” Sam glanced down at Kate as they strolled along the river in the shade of the overhanging beech trees.
“It’s lovely.” Kate sighed and smiled up at him. “Thanks. Good call. It’s very relaxing. Still so hot, though.”
“We could go skinny-dipping.” Sam’s eyes were shining with mischief.
“Don’t push it.” Kate giggled. “Nice though that sounds. We could paddle, I suppose.”
“Actually, not here.” Sam took her arm and steered her away from the riverbank. “Look how fast-flowing it is, and how rocky. It could be rather dangerous.”
Kate looked up at him quizzically. He did still have an issue with what happened eight years ago. Not surprising, really, but she wanted to know what he wasn’t telling her. She took a deep breath.
“Sam?”
“Yeah?”
“The other week, when we had that picnic, you said there was some stuff about—that night—that I didn’t know about. What did you mean?”
“Not now, Katy.”
“It’s now or never, Sam. I’m getting married in three days. I doubt we can continue these little trysts after that. I want to know what you meant. I was there that night. I know exactly what happened. What did you mean?”
Sam sighed. “Not about the night. I know you were there. Of course you know what happened then. No, I meant stuff you didn’t know about, that had happened earlier. With me and Cerys.”
“What stuff?”
“Not now, Katy. Let’s not spoil the walk. I promise I’ll tell you later. Okay?”
“Later today?” Kate stopped walking and looked up at him. “Promise?”
“I promise. We’ll talk on the way back. Now look, that looks like somewhere we could paddle. See, a shallow pool. Come on.” He led the way through the trees, and by the time Kate had caught up with him, he had kicked off his Converse and socks and was rolling up his jeans.
She laughed and followed suit, although her skinny jeans only allowed her to paddle in the very shallowest part. They tentatively stepped into the freezing water, and Kate caught her breath.
“God, that’s cold! But so nice and refreshing.” She bent down and cupped some water in her hands. “Sam!” He turned towards her, and she threw the water at his face. She missed, and it soaked his T-shirt, leaving a dark patch all down the front.
“Right, like that is it!” He grinned, scooped some water up, and expertly aimed it at her. His aim was better than hers, and it hit her squarely in the face. With a squeal, she scooped up some more and advanced towards him, hands at the ready.
“That was bloody freezing!” She flung the water at him, this time getting him on the neck.
“You started it!” Sam was laughing so much he leant against a large rock to get his breath. “It’s colder than you’d think, isn’t it?”
Kate joined him and vaulted up onto the rock, leaving her legs dangling down next to him. “It is. I’m soaked now. My hair’s probably gone frizzy.”
Sam looked up at her over his shoulder. “It looks lovely. It always doe
s. Now come back down here. I don’t think we’ve finished this game yet.” He caught her legs and pulled her down off the rock, catching her round the waist as she landed.
She swayed as her foot slipped on a slimy rock, and leant against him for support. His arms tightened around her, and he looked down at her. “You okay?”
“Fine, thank you.” Kate was suddenly acutely aware of his warm body pressing against hers, and she started to pull away. “Let me go. I’m okay now.”
Sam kept hold of her, and she looked up at him. His dark eyes were burning into her, and she was shocked at the emotion she saw there. For a few seconds their gazes locked and something unspoken passed between them, and then Sam loosed his grip, and Kate stumbled back to the shore. She sat down on the grass, horrified to find her hands were shaking and her heart beating faster than normal. She bent her head and pretended to fiddle with her shoes. Sam waded out of the water and sat down a few feet away.
“Shall we go back to the Land Rover now?” He picked up a sock and attempted to dry his feet with it. “The weather looks like it might break in a minute.”
Kate looked up at the sky through the canopy of leaves above them and noticed for the first time the gathering clouds. It was still just as hot, but there was the definite feel of rain coming. Silently they dried their feet the best they could, then replaced their shoes and walked back to the Land Rover in silence, carefully keeping a few feet apart. Kate’s head was spinning. She was right. This had been one of those Very Bad Ideas she kept having. This might even be the worst one yet. And they were stuck in each other’s company for another couple of hours.
She sneaked a glance sideways at Sam, but his face was inscrutable. Maybe if she managed to get him talking about the Cerys incident, in the car, that would keep their minds off what had just—nearly—happened. She bit her lip.
But what had just nearly happened? She had been sure that if she hadn’t pulled away he would have kissed her. And properly this time. And she had so wanted him to. The feel of his body pressed against hers had been electric. Oh, why had he had to come back now?
They reached the Land Rover, and Sam pulled the door open for her. She clambered in and kicked off her damp shoes. Her feet would dry much better if they were bare. Sam climbed in, and they set off in silence, Kate still struggling with the seatbelt.
The rain started to fall before they had gone a hundred yards, and the sky was turning a dark purple colour. Sam glanced in the rearview mirror.
“It’s coming from behind us,” he remarked. “I reckon there’ll be thunder in a minute. It’d be nice to get onto a bigger road before that happens.”
“How far is that?” Kate felt her voice sounded false.
“No idea. I’m actually not sure where we are.” He gave a self-conscious grin. “I came here once before, but I wasn’t driving, so I didn’t take that much notice. I think this is the way back to the main road, though.”
Kate peered out into the gathering gloom. “There don’t seem to be any houses around. Are there no villages round here?”
“This is the most remote part of the moor. There are miles between villages here. Don’t worry, I’ll get you home.”
“I know.” Kate managed a small smile, and settled back in her seat.
They drove on for several miles, the rain getting heavier and the narrow road almost turning into a river. Finally they reached the top of a hill, the high hedges left behind, and the moor opening out below them. Sam stopped the Land Rover, and they both stared at the sight ahead of them. The rain was lashing down on the windscreen, and there was no habitation in any direction. The road ahead was still very narrow and winding, with no sign of a main road.
“Shit.” Sam slapped his hand down on the steering wheel. “We really are in the middle of nowhere. Sorry, I must have gone wrong somewhere. Don’t worry, we’ll get there in the end.”
“It’s all right.” Kate managed to restrain herself from putting her hand on his leg. “We’re okay. It’s not like we’re out in the rain, is it? Dartmoor can’t be that big. We’ll find our way. Don’t you have a built-in SatNav?”
Sam stared at her and laughed out loud. “Yeah, right. In this? They’d barely invented maps when this was made. SatNav indeed! No, we’ll just have to find our way in the old-fashioned manner. Come on.” He put the car in gear and set off down the hill, the windscreen wipers screaming as they struggled against the heavy rain. As they approached a crossroads near the bottom of the hill, Sam peered intently out the window. “I reckon we should go that way.” He pointed to the right. “Just got a gut feeling about it.”
Kate shrugged. “Whatever you say. You’re the driver. This rain is making it difficult to see.”
“Yeah.” Sam was concentrating intently, his tongue slightly protruding and his eyes fixed on the road. “It is.” As he spoke something suddenly leapt out from the side of the road and passed in front of them. Kate screamed and clutched at the dashboard, and Sam swerved the Land Rover to avoid it.
There was a second when the deer paused and stared in through the windscreen at them. Then it was off and across the road as quickly as it had appeared. Sam had slammed on the brakes, and the vehicle skidded on the wet road and slid rapidly towards a very deep ditch on the left-hand side.
“Hang on!” Sam yelled through gritted teeth as he struggled to control the heavy vehicle. He managed to pull it slightly round to the right, but it wasn’t enough, and with a huge crash the two front wheels went into the ditch and they juddered to a halt, the back of the vehicle leaving the ground for a moment before landing with an ear-splitting crash. Kate, still gripping onto the dashboard, her knuckles white, was thrown against the side door, and Sam was thrown forward, despite his seatbelt, slamming his face hard on the steering wheel.
There was silence for a moment, apart from the lashing rain, and Kate slowly released her grip and sat back, her eyes immediately darting over to where Sam was slumped over the steering wheel.
“Sam, are you all right?” Her voice was shaking and she fumbled to undo her seatbelt with numb fingers. “Sam, speak to me.” There was no reply, and she tugged at the resistant belt frantically. “Sam! Oh, god, Sam, please be all right—you must be all right.”
There was a slight groan from the driver’s seat, and slowly and painfully lifting his head, Sam edged back in his seat, his hand going up to his face. “Jesus, that hurts. Are you okay? Katy, I’m so sorry, there was nothing I could do…”
“I know. Of course it wasn’t your fault.” Her seatbelt finally released, and Kate slid along the seat towards him. “Oh, god, that looks awful! I think you need to see a doctor. We must call someone.” She found to her horror that her voice was quivering and tears were beginning to fill her eyes. She rubbed at them ineffectually with her hand and tried to get her phone out of her pocket. “We need to call an ambulance.”
“No, Katy, no. I’m all right. Unless you need one. Are you hurt?” With an effort, Sam sat upright and twisted round to look at her. “Katy, you’re crying. Are you hurt?” There was an edge of panic in his voice, and he reached out a hand to her.
She shook her head, suddenly unable to speak, and the tears began to run down her cheeks. She took his hand and squeezed it tightly.
“No,” she managed. “I’m okay. Just shocked. But you—I thought you…” She moved slightly closer to him. “Are you really all right? You look awful. Your poor face.” She reached out her other hand and gently touched just above his right eye, where a dark patch was growing as she watched. A trickle of blood was running down the side of his face, and she wiped it away with her finger. “You’re really hurt. That needs attention. Do you have a first-aid kit?”
Sam was watching her closely, and he caught her hand in his. “I’m fine, Katy. I’m more worried about you. And no”—he managed a small smile—“I don’t have a first-aid kit. You may have noticed this vehicle is not very well equipped. Come here.” He pulled her towards him and put his left arm around her shoulder
s. “You’re shaking.”
Finally giving in to her emotions, Kate began to sob in earnest and buried her face in his shoulder. “That was awful!” She hiccupped. “I thought—I thought—you were dead.”
“It’ll take more than that to kill me.” Sam’s arm tightened around her, and he brushed his lips lightly over the top of her head. “But thank you for caring.”
“Of course I care.” Kate’s voice was muffled by his shirt. “But are you really all right? People die from hitting their heads.” She struggled upright and pulled back to look at him. “I really think you should see a doctor.”
“It wasn’t my head, it was my face, and I’m not going to die. I shall probably have a whopper of a black eye and a bit of a headache.” He put up his hand and winced as it touched his face. “That’s about all. But how about you? Did you hurt anything?”
Kate shook her head and fished in her pocket for a tissue. “I was thrown against the door, but I don’t think it did me any damage.” She blew her nose noisily. “What do we do now?”
Sam peered through the window, out into the gloomy afternoon. The rain was still thundering down on the roof of the Land Rover, and the sky was dark and threatening. “Well, I don’t think this rain is going to let up, so I suggest we phone for help and then sit tight until someone rescues us.” He felt in his pocket for his phone. “Shit, now my phone has gone. Can you see it anywhere?” Kate peered around and eventually located it under the clutch pedal. She got down on the floor and retrieved it, holding it out to Sam with a grimace.
“I think you may have trodden on it,” she said sadly, noting the shattered screen. “That’s a shame.”
Sam took it and surveyed it philosophically. “Right. Well, that’s not going to be much use. Is yours okay?”
Kate fished hers out of her pocket and nodded. “Yeah. Seems to be. Who shall I call? The AA?”
“Not a member. No, I think my dad will be the best bet. May I use it?”
Kate handed over the phone and watched as he dialled his parents’ number and held the phone to his ear. Even in the whole horror of the moment, she was well aware that her presence in the car was going to cause complications for all of them. She wondered if she should try and find another way home.
Breaking All the Rules Page 16