by Betty Neels
She saw them on their way and then made a cautious round of the vast place to make sure that there was nothing left alive in it. A bull, she thought despairingly-if there's a bull I'll not dare go near it, but there was no bull, only a cow dog, growling at her from his fenced-off pen in a dark corner. Lavinia remembered now that she had heard him barking when she had been seeing to the horses. She went to him at once and started to untie the rope attached to his collar, talking hearteningly the while, so anxious to set him free that she hardly noticed his curled lip. `Good dog,' she encouraged him as she let him go, still happily unaware of his fierceness, `run along and look after those cows.' And he rolled a yellow eye at her and went.
The smell of smoke was strong now and wisps of it were oozing through the end wall of the barn. When Lavinia found anothri small door, obviously leading to the house, and went through it, she was instantly enveloped in a thick smoke which set her coughing, and made her eyes smart and water, but there was no going back; she wasn't sure where she was, but Radmer must be somewhere close by and he might be needing help. The though sent her blundering ahead, out of the worst of the smoke into a comparatively clear space which she took to be a lobby between the kitchen and the front of the house. She could see the fire now and hear it as well; and although the stairs were still intact she saw flames licking the stair head above. There seemed to be no one downstairs. Lavinia started to climb, just as Radmer came carefully down, a child in his arms.
`I told you to stay in the car,' he said calmly, `but since you're here, will you take this infant? Not injured, just terrified.'
She received the small, shaking form. `Who else is there?"
'The mother-had a baby yesterday-I'll have to carry them down. The man of the house got up to see what was the matter and was overcome by smoke. I dragged him on to the doorstep.' He grinned at her and went hack upstairs.
The farmer was lying outside his front door, recovering slowly, not really aware of her, all the same she told him in a bracing tone as she stepped carefully over him, `Don't worry, you'll be all right. I'll be back in a minute.'
Lavinia put the child in the back of the car and closed the door on its frightened bawling; she would have liked to have stayed to comfort it, but she had to go back into the house again. Radmer couldn't manage the mother and baby all at once and the fire might get fiercer.
There had been more smoke than flames, but now, looking up the narrow stairs, she could see that the landing was well alight and filled with a thick smoke. She ran through to the kitchen, snatched up a tea towel, wrung it out with furious speed under the sink tap and swathed it round her nose and mouth and then ran upstairs, where she was far more frightened by Radmer's furious look than the fire. `Get out of here!' he told her furiously. `You little fool, do you want to be killed?"
'No!' She had to shout because of the tea towel. `But now I am here, I'll take the baby.'
She snatched the small scrap from the bed and raced downstairs and out to the car, saying `Excuse me,' politely to the farmer as she stepped over him once more. The baby was whimpering; she laid it on the car's floor, begged the toddler not to cry and went back to the man. He was feeling better, although his colour was bad. 'Mijnvrouw-die kinderen,' he muttered urgently, and tried to get up. Lavinia didn't know the word for safe, so she smiled, nodded reassuringly and said OK, a useful phrase which she had found of the greatest help since she had arrived in Holland. But he had lapsed into semi-consciousness again and could offer no help as she began to heave him to one side-and only just in time, [or a moment later Radmer came through the door with the woman in his arms. Lavinia got to the car ahead of him, flung open the door, whisked up the baby and toddler and hugged them to her while he deposited his burden on the back seat, then handed them over to be tucked in with their mother.
Radmer spoke in a reassuring voice, shut the door again and said briefly:
`See if you can get the man to come round a bit while I get the animals out of the barn.'
`I have.'
He looked at her in astonishment. `All of them? Cows-horses?'
She nodded. `And a dog. There's nothing left there, I looked to see.'
He said on a laugh: `You brave girl-were you frightened?"
'Terrified. The man... ?' As he turned away: `Is there anywhere I can go for help?'
He paused. `I imagine someone will have seen the fire by now even in this remote area; thank heaven it took its time before it got a hold. If I could get the man on his feet wkmight save quite a lot of furniture, but we can't put the fire out, I'm afraid.' He gave her a thoughtful look.
'Lavinia, can you drive?"
'Yes. I took lessons and passed my test ages ago-I haven't driven more than a couple of times since.'
`Think you can handle the Bentley? I'll reverse her for you-take her back to the road and stop at the nearest house.' He saw the look on her face and went on: `I know you're scared to do it, my dear, but the woman need to go to hospital as soon as possible.' He smiled suddenly. `Do you suppose you could make yourself understood?"
'I'll do my best.'
`Good girl-now let's get the car turned. " He left her for a moment and went to bend over the farmer; when he came back he said: `I think he'll be all right-I'll get to work on him when you've gone.'
She waited while he turned the Bentley and then got into the driver's seat. He had left the engine running, she only had to drive away... She turned a white face to his as he put his head through the open window.
`Off with you,' he said cheerfully, and kissed her.
She went very slowly at first; the car seemed huge, and although she hadn't forgotten how to drive, she was decidedly slow. But there was nothing to hinder her and the moon was still bright, lighting up the countryside around her. She gained the main road, turned clumsily into it and put her foot down gingerly on the accelerator; there must be something within a mile or so, and at the worst, Loenen was only a short drive away.
The road wound along, close to the water and there were no houses at all, but presently, as she slowed down to take a bend in the road, she saw a massive pair of gates opened on to a drive. The house might be close by; it was worth trying anyway. She edged the Bentley between the posts and sent the car up the tree shadowed drive, to slither to a halt before a sizeable house, shrouded in darkness. She got out, murmuring reassuringly to the occupant of the back seat, and then turned back to lootk at the clock on the dashboard. Two o'clock in the morning-whatever would the occupant say? She rang the bell, not waiting to give herself an answer.
The elderly man who came to the door after what seemed a very long time, stood and stared at her in astonishment; as well he might, she conceded. Callers in grubby evening dress didn't usually ring door bells at that hour of night. She wished him good evening, and not wanting to get involved in a conversation she surely wouldn't understand, asked urgently: `Telephone?' She added helpfully: `Politie,' and waved towards the car.
The man gave her a sharp look and spoke at some length until she interrupted him with another urgent `Telephone?' but he still hesitated, and she was marshalling her Dutch to try again when there were steps behind him and a voice demanded: " Vat is er aan de hand?'
`Oh, if only someone could speak English,' cried Lavinia, very much frustrated, and found herself looking over the man's shoulder at a woman's face that smiled at her and asked: `What is it that you want? You are in trouble?"
'Yes,' said Lavinia, and drew a relieved breath before explaining briefly what had happened. `And my husband says that the woman must be got to hospital as soon as possible,' she finished. `Could an ambulance be called?'
The woman smiled again. `Of course, but first we bring the mother and children in here. Does your husband know where you are?'
Lavinia shook her head. `No, he told me to go to the first house I saw.'
Her questioner turned to the elderly man and spoke quietly and he went away; Lavinia could hear his voice somewhere inside, presumably telephoning. `And
now the children...' The lady held out a hand, obviously meaning it to be shaken. `Mevrouw van der Platte.'
It seemed funny to stop for introductions at such a time, but Lavinia shook the hand and murmured: `Mevrouw ter Bavinck.'
Her hostess's smile broadened. `The wife of Radmer? We know him slightly.' She nodded her head in a satisfied fashion, pulled her dressing gown more closely round herself and followed Lavinia to the car, and in a moment the elderly man joined them.
Between them they bore the woman and children indoors, into a large hall, comfortably furnished, where the three unfortunates were made comfortable on a large sofa and the elderly man was dispatched to warm some milk.
`My husband is away from home,' explained Mevrouw van der Platte. 'Henk is our houseman, he lives here with his wife, who is the cook, but I think there is no reason to call her. Can I do anything to help you, Mevrouw ter Bavinck?'
Lavinia was bending over her patient, who looked ill and very pale. The toddler was asleep now, and the baby tucked up with his mother.
`I don't think so, thank you. I don't think they have burns, but the smoke was very bad. Will the ambulance and fire engine take long?'
As if in answer to her question she heard the sing-song wail coming towards them along the road, followed by a second. `Fire engine, police,' said Mevrouw van de Platte unnecessarily, and handed her a glass of warm milk. `You will want this for your patient. When you have done, there is coffee for you.'
She watched while Lavinia gave the woman the milk. `Tell me, you saw the fire?"
'We were coming home from Baarn-Radmer thought it would be pleasant to drive through the country roads.'
`And he is there now? At the fire?"
'Yes. If he could get the farmer on to his feet, he thought they might be able to save some of the furniture.'
`The animals?"
'I let them out of the barn-I do hope they won't stray. The dog was with them.'
The companion eyed her with respect. `You are a sensible girl-your husband must be proud of you.'
Lavinia wiped her patient's mouth and said nothing to that, only: `I hope he knows where to find me.'
`He will. Henk told the police where you were and they will tell your husband. The ambulance should be here very soon now.'
Radmer got there first, though. Lavinia heard his voice when Mevrouw van der Platte went to answer the door bell. He came III quickly and went at once to her and took her hands. `You're all right?' he wanted to know, wasting no time in greeting her.
Her heart had given a joyful skip at the sight of him although she answered hini calmly enough. `Yes, thanks-I'm fine, but will you take a look at Mum? I've given her some milk, but she doesn't look too good.'
They were bending over the woman when their hostess came back with a tray of coffee. Radmer straightened himself as she set the tray down. `She needs treatment-there's a» ambulance on the way?"
'Yes-are the babies to go with her?'
`Yes. The father went straight to hospital in one of the police cars-he's all right, but he'll need a check-up. They'll keep him there until they've had a look at this dear soul and the children.'
`Do you want me to go with them?' Lavinia was sipping coffee and looking quite deplorable, with her pretty dress covered in soot and bits of straw and a great tear in its skirt. Her hair had tumbled down too, giving her the look of a lost waif.
Radmer shook his head. 'There'll be a nurse with the ambulance, once we've seen them safely on their way, I'll take you home.'
She smoothed back a wisp of hair in an absent-minded fashion. `You're coming home too?"
'I shall go over to the hospital when I've seen you indoors.'
Lavinia put her cup down. 'I'd like to come with you-that's if you don't mind. Just to be sure she's all right-and the babies.'
He raised his eyebrows. `My dear girl, it's getting on for three o'clock in the morning.'
He smiled at her kindly. `Besides, what could you do? And I'll probably be there some time.'
She stooped to pick up the toddler who had wakened suddenly and burst into outraged tears. `Yes, of course,' she answered in a colourless voice, `how silly of me not to think of that.' She began wandering about the hall, the moppet against her shoulder, murmuring to it, not looking at Radmer at all.
The ambulance came almost immediately after that and she went and stood out of the way, in a corner with Mevrouw van de Platte, watching the mother and her children being, expertly removed by two ambulance men and a pretty nurse, with Radmer quietly in charge of the whole undertaking, and presently, when he had bidden their kind hostess good-bye, she added her own thanks to his, wished the older lady good-bye in her turn, and went out to the car with him.
`You must be tired,' Radmer observed as they went down the drive and into the road. `Did you find the car difficult to handle?'
`Yes,' said Lavinia baldly, `I did. At least, it wasn't the car, it was me-I've only ever driven an Austin 1100, and that was years ago.'
He grunted noncommittally and didn't speak again for quite some time, and then it was to make some remark about Peta and Sibby's return; it was very obvious that he didn't want to talk about the fire; which was a pity, for she longed, like a little girl, to be praised for her help. She swallowed tears and stared resolutely out of the window at the dark streets of Amstelveen. They would soon be home.
At the house he got out with her, opened the massive front door and followed her in, and when she said in a surprised voice: `Oh, I thought you were going to the hospital,' he said with the faintest hint of impatience: `I can hardly go like this-I'll change.'
Lavinia looked him over carefully. His clothes, at first glance, appeared to be ruined; filthy with stains of heaven knew what and grimy with soot and smoke, and there was a jagged tear in one trouser leg. She asked suddenly: `You're not hurt?'
`Not in the least. We look a pretty pair, don't we?' He smiled briefly. `Go to bed, Lavinia.'
She went towards the staircase, her bedraggled wrap trailing from one arm. At their foot she turned to encounter his hard stare. `Good night, my dear, you were splendid.'
She didn't answer; she wanted to be hugged and fussed over and told she was the most wonderful and bravest girl in the world. She summoned up a smile and went slowly up the stairs, dragging her feet, sliding her hand along the polished balustrade. She was almost at the top when he spoke again, so quietly that she almost didn't hear him. His voice sounded as though the words had been dragged out of him. `These last few hours have been the worst I have ever known-and I've only just realized it.'
She supposed him to be talking about the fire and the efforts he had made to rescue the farmer and his family; he must be tired... She said in a motherly little voice, meant to soothe: 'Yes-I was scared too, and I wasn't even in danger...'
Radmer had started towards the staircase, now he stopped to laugh so that Lavinia looked at him in bewilderment. She was on the point of asking him what was so funny when Mevrouw Pette, swathed in a dressing gown and with her hair severely plaited, appeared on the landing above and leaned over the head of the stairs to stare down at them both, burst into speech and bear down upon Lavinia, whom she swept under a motherly wing and led towards her room, exchanging a rapid fire of question and answer with the professor as she did so.
Lavinia was tired and dispirited; it was pleasant to be fussed over, to have a bath run for her, to have her ruined gown removed with sympathetic tuts, and after a quick bath, to be tucked up in her vast bed like a small child. She drank the hot milk Mevrouw Pette insisted upon and went to sleep at once despite the kaleidoscope of events, nicely muddled with her tiredness, going on inside her head.
She woke to find Bep standing by her bed with a tray in her hands, and when she looked at the little bedside clock she saw to her astonishment that it was almost ten o'clock. She sat up, struggling to assemble her Dutch, and came out with: `Late-I must get up.'
Bep smiled and shook her head, put the tray on Lavinia's lap and
indicated the folded note propped against the coffee pot. It was a scrawl from Radmer, telling her simply that he would go straight from the hospital after he had finished his work there, to fetch Sibby and Peta; she could expect them all home for dinner, he hoped she would enjoy a quiet day, he was hers, R.