Roumelia Lane - The Scented Hills

by Roumelia Lane

  A young man came to claim her for a dance and moving out on to the floor she made an effort to lose herself in the music. It was many dances later before she gave Elaine a thought, and that was because she saw from where she was standing that the figure was approaching from across the room.

  There was no mistaking that perfect form, even among the other expensively attired females in the room. Tessa saw the dove grey eyes take in her own simple silk dress and plain shoes. The coolly amused look made her feel like a poor relation at a fashionable wedding reception, but even poor relations can keep their sense of humour, she told herself, twinkling her recognition back.

  The brilliant smile wavered slightly at the twinkle, but she came forward to say lightly, 'So you know all about our little game, Miss… er… Brownlow, is it? Well, I must say it's a relief. These hole-and-corner affairs can be damned boring.' The tones were husky but no warmer than the look in her eyes. Tessa wished she didn't have to force herself to say, 'I hope everything goes well for you and Barry.'

  'Well, it's nice to know you've decided to see it our way,' Elaine said, looking her over. The grey eyes came up to fix themselves on her face again as she reaffirmed, 'We can depend on you not to do anything to give Barry away?'

  'You can depend on me,' Tessa said quietly.

  'When we're married, of course,' Elaine chatted, the brilliant smile back, 'it won't matter. But right now, you understand, we're terribly grateful for your help.'

  'Any time,' Tessa smiled, suddenly wishing the conversation was at an end.

  The feeling must have been mutual, for Elaine prepared to sway on her way. In slightly condescending tones she departed with 'Well, bye-bye, Miss… er… Nice to have met you. Have a lovely time.'

  Tessa swallowed and fixed her gaze dead ahead at the dancers. What she had to tell herself was that Barry was desperately in love with Elaine, and all the things that rankled, he probably adored in her the most. She did tell herself, and often and eventually she was able to forget her silly resentments. She was glad she had, for Barry's face on the drive home was reward enough. The look in his eyes and his smile said he was in love with the most wonderful girl in the world.

  Back at the villa and in the safety of her room, Tessa felt only wild relief. Offering to help Barry had been one thing, but actually participating in his dangerous game of keeping one jump ahead of Neil was wearing, to say the least. All the evening she had expected to find a big figure looming at her shoulder and even now she felt that glinting green gaze wasn't far away. Of course, she told herself, pacing the floor, it was only her own foolish fears playing tricks, but intrigue wasn't her strong point and she hoped it wouldn't be long before Barry made other arrangements for seeing Elaine.

  If those first few days helping him out had seemed trying enough, the ones following proved even more so. It wasn't just that Barry had fallen too easily back into the old routine of going, or appearing to go, to the beach in the afternoons and Cannes in the evening. What worried Tessa was the fact that the minute Elaine was back on the scene Barry let go completely of the part he was supposed to be playing at the villa, leaving her to do all the work to make it look convincing. She had to admit that the bewitching Elaine looked lovelier each time they all met, in the outfits she had bought in Paris, but her effect on the youthful Barry was such as to dissolve everything else from his mind.

  He was back to sleeping in late in the mornings or cradling the phone against him, probably still in bed. It was fairly certain that Elaine didn't rise until noon, otherwise there would have been a meeting somewhere. As it was Tessa was left to her own devices until lunch time, which meant drifting around the house and garden, or trying to take a walk on her own without being seen.

  During meals and on other occasions when they were in the company of his grandmother and Neil, Barry would talk away to the room generally as though she was a mere house guest. And if all this wasn't nerve-racking enough when she was getting into the car ready for setting off, she might have been invisible for all the notice he took of her.

  When they were out she tried to warn him of the dangers of going to places where his guardian might show up, but he laughed and told her that Neil only came out on a Saturday night and he knew all the places he went to anyway. He laughed too when she tried to remind him to put on a more convincing show at the villa, telling her she worried too much.

  Perhaps she did, but she couldn't help thinking that if he hadn't, in his enthusiasm, rather over-acted his part in those first few days his neglect of her now wouldn't be quite so glaringly obvious.

  The worst of it was, it wasn't Barry who came under Neil's scrutiny. She was the one who seemed to spend all her time evading that sharp green gaze these days. She wondered often what was going on behind it. He could be thinking anything, she told herself wryly; that his warning to her not to play the siren with Barry had had its effect, or that he had been right the first time about her being on her way out, and he was just waiting to sweep up the pieces.

  Oh dear! She didn't know now how she could have ever grumbled about her job at the salon. Life had been so simple and uncomplicated in those days. It was no good blaming Barry too much. He was so completely bowled over by Elaine he couldn't see straight. It was up to her to hold things together for him until he came back to earth. But it was difficult, especially when he did things like bringing her back to the villa and then sliding off for a late night rendezvous with Elaine. And then there was the afternoon when he blithely let everyone know that he was going off on his own.

  Tessa tensed on the sun-bed she was reclining on. Barry always took longer than she did to get ready, and she was in the habit of waiting in the shade of the striped awnings along the terrace until he made an appearance. There was always time for a pleasant chat with Madame Devereux before she settled down for her afternoon nap, and Neil would be around somewhere stretched with a paper before returning to the fields. There was nothing to indicate today that Barry wouldn't come bouncing out as usual, ready to drive her off as he always did.

  He came bouncing out all right, but Tessa didn't come into his glance. Dazzling in red corduroy slacks and orange shirt, he hovered around the chairs for a while and then announced with a grin to nobody in particular, 'I think I'll take a run out with the fellers.'

  Tessa knew by now what that meant. As he moved off towards his car, she tried desperately to catch his eye with a discouraging look. When he ignored her, she injected disappointment into her tones and wailed with the first lie that came into her head, 'Oh, Barry I You promised to take me round the factories this afternoon!'

  Her words were enough to make him stop and turn, thank goodness, but just when she thought she was getting through to him, deep lazy tones came from the side of her to say, 'Go ahead and have fun, Barry. We know Tessa's not the possessive type. If you like I'll do the honours.'

  'Thanks, Neil,' Barry was already half-way to Elaine. 'See you all at dinner.' He vaulted over the door of his car, started it up and swung off with a wave up the drive.

  Tessa stared after him biting back a sigh. It was too late now to worry for him or about him, and perhaps it did just look as though he wanted some time on his own. She didn't mind him going off. It was being left at Neil's mercy that made her feel weak at the knees.

  She dropped back small in her chair and hoped he would forget his words to Barry, but a few minutes later he lowered his paper and rose to say casually, 'Shall we go?'

  She gazed up into the sea-green eyes and stammered, 'I… I'll just go upstairs to freshen up.'

  Already cool and neat in primrose cotton and simple sandals, there was nothing else she needed to do, but she had to have time. Time to gather her panicky emotions and mould them into some kind of defence against… well, that was it. After those turbulent moments in the garden that night, she didn't know what to expect, but just to be on the safe side—she pulled a quivering breath before stepping out of her room—she had better be prepared for anything.

  A
few minutes later she had to twinkle at her upstairs tremblings and coping with flying nerves. It all seemed slightly ridiculous now when she stepped out into the sunshine and found Neil waiting for her with a lazy smile, and a look that held something—she wasn't sure what, but it wasn't the light of battle.

  He looked relaxed in pale blue slacks and darker blue shirt, and beside him Tessa couldn't help but feel herself relaxing too. As he dropped an arm lightly about her shoulders ready to move towards the gleaming amber car her fears fell away from her as though they had never been. The world seemed suddenly more golden, the sky more blue. For once she didn't have to think about Barry. He had gone off to his Elaine and now this was her day and she could enjoy it as she wished.

  Of course she mustn't lose sight of the fact that Neil was just being courteous in offering to show her around, but she didn't have to deny, did she, that there was something about being close to him like this, feeling his strength at her side and the light touch of his fingers on her arm.

  Madame Devereux, long since deep in her daze, stirred not at all as they stepped lightly past her chair and across the terrace. Tessa found herself being assisted into her seat and then those dark-clad shoulders were brushing hers as Neil took his place behind the wheel. He started the car effortlessly and steered it slowly out on to the curve of the drive.

  The afternoon was heavy and languid, and locked in beneath the trees was the hot scent of pine and cedarwood. Out on the road a slight breeze wafted over the windscreen, but the sun was all-powerful and it beat down on the surrounding fields extracting every ounce of perfume from the unstirring flowers. Most of the crops were in now, and in the sultry July heat Tessa could see why the bulk of the flower growing took place in the early months of the year. Neil cruised unhurried along the road circling the valley and then turned down a steep winding track that led to the cluster of neat brick buildings.

  The gentle hum of pumps and machinery came from all around and extracts of French conversation drifted out from the open doors. Tessa had always had a picture of the salon in her mind, with its gleaming elegantly shaped bottles and rich displays, but she soon learned that a perfume factory was nothing like where the end product was sold.

  With Neil guiding her around, she saw long high beamed sheds and ladders leading to iron-railed balconies where rows of silver vats nursed their fragrant secrets. Men stripped to the waist worked in petals as thick as grain on the floor, and others in black vests and trousers threw them up in the air from long scoops. To prevent mildew, Neil told her lazily.

  In another building she saw the new distilling plant where everything seemed to be pipes and steel drums and huge globe glass bottles that dripped the mystical names she had seen on the Devereux labels. It was all tremendously fascinating and Tessa couldn't disguise her surprise at all it took to produce one tiny phial of perfume. Walking through the well-equipped laboratories, she asked in mild amazement, 'Did Barry's grandfather start all this?'

  'From one field of jasmine, I believe,' Neil nodded.

  'Imagine!' Tessa swung dreamily gazing at the shelves of oils and essences. 'One man, and now all this perfume.'

  'But don't forget, he wasn't the originator.' Neil sloped a smile and went on to add drily, 'It all started when Eve accidentally crushed rose petals in her hair. Woman has been leading man by his nose ever since.'

  Tessa turned to twinkle up at him, tilting an eyebrow. 'And yet it's men who supply the means. But then I suppose it's just another business to them.'

  'The business of illusion,' he shrugged.

  She lifted the odd lid to inhale rapturously and said lightly, watching him, 'I prefer to think of it as the breath of romance. That's not an illusion, is it?'

  'You should know that better than me,' he replied cryptically.

  But Tessa didn't want to be sidetracked, not right now. 'Why just me?' she laughed. 'It's everywhere, isn't it, if one cares to look.'

  'I won't argue about that.' With a lazy smile he dropped an arm about her shoulders and guided her out.

  Up at the entrance were the firm's showrooms, and here the females among the visitors were happily dabbing themselves from the rows of sample bottles along the counters. Tessa went for one with an exotic name and found its contents powerful and tantalising and equally exotic. She was admiring its saleable counterpart, a rich square-shaped phial with a huge cut crystal stopper, when Neil leaned in and taking it from her to replace it back on its shelf he drawled, 'You'll never be the Cleopatra type.' He picked a simple floral blend, dropped it into her hand and led her out.

  As they were strolling back to the car Tessa offered helpfully, 'I can walk back to the villa if you like. Save you making the trip.'

  Neil carried on to open the door for her and replied casually, 'I thought we'd take a run into the town.'

  'Grasse, you mean?' Tessa looked at him, her heart floating, 'I haven't been there yet.'

  'Barry never was one for sightseeing, was he?' he said drily, shutting her in.

  As he came round to drape in behind the wheel she asked demurely, 'Haven't you got work to do?'

  'Nothing that won't keep.' A lean brown hand flicked the car into life and after a wide curve they swung off up the road. It wasn't long before pale orange craggy-tiled rooftops began to show up against the dark upsweep of wooded mountains. The town itself with its winding streets and charming old villas shimmered in the afternoon glare, but in the square, tourists were strolling leisurely where an old stone fountain spilled crystal water into a cool-looking pool, and plane trees provided a blissful canopy of shade.

  Under their green fronds Neil led her to a cafe table and holding her chair asked lazily, 'What will it be? Something cool?'

  Tessa looked up with a tentative, 'Would it be possible to have tea, do you think?' As he crooked an eyebrow she shrugged, smiling. 'All this sun gives me a head. I can usually get rid of it with a cup of tea.'

  He took his seat beside her, his mouth tightening. 'Why haven't you said before this?' he asked harshly. 'Or more to the point, why haven't you done something about it? You could be ruining your eyes, not protecting them.'

  'Well, I…' Tessa found herself faltering under his stringent gaze. Sunglasses cost money, and nothing was cheap in France, and as she had spent all she had, anyway, on her beachwear it hadn't occurred to her to even think about them.

  Neil pulled a slim case from the breast pocket of his shirt, and pushed it across the table to her, saying crisply, 'Put these on for now.'

  Tessa drew out the light gold rims and obeyed meekly. They were too big and slipped a little down her nose, but the tinted lenses were like balm to her hot eyes. She breathed a thankful sigh at the difference.

  'Better?' Neil asked in gentler tones.

  'Heaven!' Tessa smiled. 'But I'll still have that tea if I may.'

  The sweet reviving liquid did the trick as she knew it would. Ten minutes later she rose from the table with clear head and eyes, laughing lightly as she caught Neil's glasses before they slipped off the end of her nose, and handing them back to him. He laughed too as he pocketed them and dropped an arm across her shoulders, and gazing up at him Tessa felt her heart lurch at the gleam of his smile.

  Afraid that something of this inner commotion might be showing in her eyes, she turned her attention to the leafy square, with its gaily shuttered blocks, and shops set back under a line of cool arched alcoves. Looking beyond the square to the narrow winding streets, she asked eagerly, 'Can we walk for a while?'

  'As soon as we've got you fixed up,' Neil said, guiding her to a nearby shop. Inside he spoke in his easy French to the white-coated assistant and before Tessa knew it she had the pick of half a dozen trays in sunglasses. With so many to choose from it was difficult to know what would suit her, but Neil was already making his selection. She had to stand shyly in front of him while he slipped each pair on in turn and then stepped back to gaze at her critically.

  In the end she settled for a pair that were plain and unclu
ttered but felt good around her temples and ears. The pearly white frames seemed to go well with her coppery hair and softly tanned complexion and the lenses were pleasantly tinted without swamping everything in gloom. Neil nodded approvingly and thrust his hand into his pocket. Tessa didn't know how much the glasses cost, but she had an idea they were very expensive.

  Outside again she couldn't wait to get her fill of the town, but Neil chose a leisurely stride, and in the afternoon heat it proved to be the right pace. He guided her through the old quarter where the streets were cobbled and lively with people and the shops here, dark cavernous openings, with their wares strung up high inside. They walked where steps curved up and around old fountains set in the walls and over ramps winding under archways that joined dignified Provencal houses. It was impossible not to be delighted with the picturesque setting and Tessa made no secret of her pleasure. She couldn't if she had wanted to. Each new scene seemed to draw a happy exclamation from her lips.

  Back towards the square she stepped beneath the trees and out on to a wide terrace where tall mellow-bricked houses rose up steeply behind. Below was a breathtaking view of plains and flower gardens falling away clear down the valley to the sea. After feasting her eyes for a long moment Tessa noticed a track leading down the slope between old French cottages. Lifting her eyes, she asked eagerly, 'Can we see where that road leads?'

  'Another time,' Neil looked down at her with lazy good humour. 'You've walked me off my feet.'

  'I did get a bit carried away, didn't I?' She drew in her lip, but there was laughter in her eyes. She had no reason to feel dejected. Neil had said 'Another time' and the thought of another time like today did anything but weigh heavily on her heart.

  As he guided her back to where the amber car gleamed darkly in the shade, and opened the door for her, Tessa said spontaneously and without thinking, 'It's been a heavenly afternoon.'

  The hand on her elbow seemed to grip a little tighter, but Neil made no comment until he had moved round to his side and then he said, watching her with the laconic tilt of an eyebrow, 'But you missed Barry?' For a second Tessa was taken unawares, then she managed a light, 'Naturally!'