Roumelia Lane - The Scented Hills

by Roumelia Lane

  The thought of anyone helping her to undress sent Tessa jerking up in sudden panic. Her case with her pyjamas and all her belongings in it! She had put it in the boot of Barry's car! He had been back for some time, but would he have thought to… ?

  She tumbled off the bed alarmed at her spinning vision, but fumbling and groping towards the big wall wardrobe and probing its inner depths. Her heartbeats slackened. It was there inside, just as she had fastened it up not long ago. And if she knew Barry, he would have got it back up the stairs without a soul seeing it.

  Finding it was one thing, dragging it out was another. She trembled over the locks and searched for clean cotton pyjamas, and because everything had been thrown in, in a state, everything came out in a state. Luckily the room had that 'lived-in' look when Nicolette tapped at the door and hurried in with a deeply solicitous air.

  Tessa had never expected to find herself under the professional gaze of Madame Devereux's docteur, and the speed with which he arrived kept her from the doze she had promised herself. She sat up while he looked her over, and Neil paced, watching. She felt relieved to know that Nicolette had tidied her room, although her own tear-stained face and tousled hair couldn't have added much to the scene.

  The two men talked in French at the foot of the bed, but she could pick out the word 'sedative' and later experienced its ghastly taste.

  Awful it might have been, but the effect was quite pleasurable. She felt herself sliding down into the most delicious drowsiness, where the sounds of the house and the outside world seemed to come from the distant end of a mile long tunnel and the thumping of her pulses, no more than a whisper in her brain.

  It was almost noon the following day before she opened her eyes to the sunshine flooding the room. A glance at her watch told her the awful hour, and because it was so late, there seemed little point in leaping out of bed now. She lay back and took her time in contemplating the move. Gazing about her, she noticed that the mosquito net had been draped over her bed since yesterday afternoon, and the two double doors were thrown wide as she liked them. She doubted whether it was Nicolette's doing, for the maid didn't hold with all that fresh air at night, and there was only one other person who knew about the net.

  The thought of Neil standing over her while she slept brought the colour to Tessa's cheeks. But she quickly shook it away. He would do anything for Barry's sake, even see to the needs of the girl he himself despised. So why linger on it?

  She rose and took a cool shower and dressed as she would have done on any normal day, in simple dress and sandals. Her face gave her a mild shock when she saw it in the mirror. It was paler than she had expected, considering that she felt quite normal, and the smudges under her eyes looked dark in contrast. Happily a light touch of make-up disguised the worst and after a brush at her hair, she looked alive if not bursting with health. All she had to do now was venture from the safety of her room, and look as though she hadn't a care in the world.

  In spite of her carefree pose, her heart thumped wildly as she came down the stairs to the hall. She could hear the businesslike rustle of papers from the room off the side, but no one came out, thank heavens.

  Out on the terrace Barry was kicking a beach ball around in a desultory fashion. Tessa realised she hadn't seen him since Neil had blazingly ordered him back from the gorge yesterday. There was a subdued light in his eyes now as he came towards her, but it didn't prevent a certain swagger in his walk, the slightly arrogant way he took her appearance for granted.

  'About time you got up,' he said with an unabashed grin and a barely suppressed eagerness. 'I didn't get to see Elaine at all yesterday, but we can start out straight after lunch if you don't take too long collecting your beach gear.' He scuffed the ball around with his toe, then looked at her with the merest flicker of uncertainty to state rather than ask, 'You're coming with me to Juan?'

  'If you want me to,' Tessa said slackly. She hadn't forgotten his threat to run himself over a cliff if she refused, and though looking back on the incident now she suspected he had only driven that way to frighten her into submission, how could she leave him not knowing for sure? He was young enough and foolish enough to do anything.

  She was gazing searchingly into the bland baby blue eyes to see what she could read there when a voice came lazily from nearby. 'Tessa won't be fit to leave the house for a couple of days, Barry, no matter what she's telling you.'

  Neil strolled out on to the terrace big in silk shirt and light- coloured slacks, a glint of something showing in the narrowed green eyes. Tessa felt his glance soaked up her paleness and smudged eyes even though it appeared only cursory. He came to stand facing Barry and added in harsher tones, 'And I don't have to tell you my views on the fool pranks you get up to when you are out. If I hadn't been on my way back yesterday I could be gathering you both up from the bottom of the gorge.'

  Barry coloured as though he was well aware of the extent of Neil's anger. He put on an uncomfortable grin and thrusting one hand into the pocket of his orange slacks remarked with forced casualness, 'I've been meaning to ask you how the trip went.'

  'You can do better than that,' Neil clipped. 'You can come to the factory with me this afternoon and see for yourself.'

  Barry's face collapsed in a blush of horrified disappointment. 'Me? But I haven't… I mean we haven't been to… to the beach in almost two days,' he stammered.

  'It'll keep,' Neil snapped. 'It won't hurt Tessa to take a break, and in the meantime you can show some interest in the work that goes on around here. We'll leave directly after lunch.'

  Tessa went meekly ahead of him as he guided her inside. He hadn't said a word in her direction, but that was fine by her; she wouldn't have had the voice to answer back anyway.

  Apparently nothing had been said to Madame Devereux about yesterday's escapade, except that her young guest was feeling a little off colour. There was no fuss as Tessa went in to lunch, but the concern was there. The warmth and affection with which the older woman received her at the table after missing only dinner last night did a lot to bring the soft light back into the deep violet eyes.

  After the meal Tessa passed the afternoon dozing and stretching in comparative ease in the garden. With the two sources of unrest away from the house, her frightened heart could come out of hiding for a while and beat appreciatively at the pure beauty and peace of the world. Lying on the lawn she could watch the leaves of the trees, a deeper richer green now against the midsummer sky, breathe in the warm elusive fragrance of the garden and valley.

  She thought of Barry down there, scowling through an afternoon's work under Neil's supervision, and the perfume chemists and petal sorters all drifting through their tasks on this hot lazy day. But most of all she thought of Neil. The way he had looked a short while ago on the terrace. Big, and tanned, and inflexible; teeth gleaming hard and white as he rapped out the orders.

  She remembered the times she had seen him look less forbidding. The afternoon they had visited Grasse. She could see the lazy gleam of his humour now as he gazed down at her outside the cafe. And that night at Miramar. She had been very close to his smile then… oh, so close!

  Her lashes lowered over the ache that engulfed her. Trapped here at the Villa Valrose she had promised herself she would never think like this, but surely alone here in the garden… who was to know?

  Her convalescence lasted no longer than the two days that Neil had stipulated. He didn't demand any more of Barry's time after that first afternoon, but the latter seemed to consider it wise to keep within the bounds of the house and garden. What it must have cost him to stay away from Elaine, Tessa had a fair idea. His boyish features were set with suppressed impatience and frustration, and the day they were able to make ready to roar off to the beach, she was afraid he would give himself away with pure exuberance.

  Breathtaking in cream knitted shirt and slim white slacks, that afternoon, the tan of his skin as gold as his rippling waves, he kicked and joked around the car, unable to contain h
is eagerness to be off. One would have had to be built of iron not to melt at the sight of him, and Tessa was far from that. Even her uneasiness fled under his smile. Today he was the old carefree Barry that she knew, and in spite of herself was fond of, and impatient as she was at his inability to see through Elaine, she found it difficult not to laugh along with his high spirits.

  Indeed, just then, with the sun caressing her bare arms as she sat in her seat, the cloudless blue sky deep with the summer heat, it was difficult not to smile a little at life in general; to look forward to this coming change in scenery. The villa gardens along the way would be dripping with colour, and the sea at Juan would stretch smooth and blue and vast. It was quite a world! And who could fail to appreciate it? Not Tessa. True her heart was cracked and hollow- sounding, but that was her inside world and nobody need ever know.

  Straw hat framing her hair, the floral prettiness of cotton blouse, pale against a warm honey-toned skin, she let her laughter and gaze lock with Barry's now as he leapt over to drop into his seat behind the wheel.

  Too bad, though, there was one person who didn't share their intoxication for the day. Neil had strolled out to witness their departure, and watching Barry, who was itching to get at the controls, he said tight-lipped, 'Between the two of you, you should have enough sense to keep clear of trouble. The rest…' Tessa didn't miss the veiled sneer in his tones as he eyed her upturned smile for Barry, 'should take care of itself.'

  She was glad the boy at the wheel was too impatient to listen to further advice, but Neil didn't move from his position near the car and after revving up and saluting gaily, Barry was obliged to curve sedately away towards the drive instead of shrieking off, as was his usual practice. She noticed too that he took infinitely more care on the curves down the roads, but there was no dulling of the eager light in his eyes, and at the beach they searched hungrily among the crowds for the sight of the slender swim-suited figure.

  Elaine was in the midst of a group of virile young men, as she often was. At the sight of the boyish figure she drifted languidly away, and draped down elegantly in her sun-chair. Barry was on his knees beside her before Tessa had negotiated the foot-dragging sand. She saw the sky-blue eyes drink in the soft pouting mouth and silken-lashed gaze and then carried on to sink down beneath the trees.

  She noticed that the dove-grey eyes had shown no surprise at her appearance, and gathered that the bedside phone at the villa had been in constant use during the separation. But apparently Barry hadn't elaborated on how he had persuaded Tessa to stay.

  Later, during drinks on the hotel terrace, Elaine, radiant and unrestrained among the rich, slim form in peach sundress and picture hat, the focus of every male eye in the place, strolled over to where Tessa felt more at ease trailing her fingers through the waters of a palm-shaded fountain. She watched the childish action with the tolerant slant of peach-painted lips and drawled, 'So our little rabbit is still with us. What did Barry offer you to stay?'

  'Not a thing.' Tessa tilted her chin.

  Elaine looked at her sharply and replied with a throaty laugh, 'I don't believe you, darling, but as long as you don't get any bright ideas about stepping into my shoes, you're welcome to what pickings you can get.'

  She turned and sauntered back to her expensive drinks and companions, and Tessa watched her go with weighted spirits. If only Barry could see through the beautiful facade! But he never would. To him Elaine was a cool and lovely goddess, an exciting prize that he came nearer to possessing with every day that passed.

  In the ones that followed he lay alongside her on the beach, trailing his fingers over the smooth pale arms as though he couldn't believe their perfection. In the evenings on the hotel dance floors, he guided her round as though she were of fine and delicate glass, to be held and admired, but not to be crushed. Tessa kept herself as far removed as possible. She had plenty to amuse her in among the Devereux set, and the Cannes night life. Now that she was in on the secret of the affair that had been going on under her nose, Barry's friends were proving to be quite entertaining. Spread out in some dimly lit corner, they would draw her languidly into their conversation on the weirdest subjects and she was often being asked to dance.

  At times she almost forgot about the couple indulging in their own entertainment in some other part of the room, and to her mind it seemed unfortunate that in all the evenings she had spent apart from Barry and Elaine, she should be standing with them on the one night that a certain heavily built frame showed itself- in the doorway.

  They had frequented most of the first-class hotels and places of entertainment in Cannes without incident, and all fears of running into Neil had finally dropped from Tessa's mind. It was fairly late in the dancing area of an exclusive hotel of Elaine's choice, and she had wandered over to Barry to ask if he intended to be long before leaving, when her eyes caught sight of the man in the midst of a small group just entering. There was no mistaking those wide dinner- jacketed shoulders, the dark hair and gleaming smile.

  Her heart rocked at the sight of him, but at the same time a tenseness gripped her, for Barry and Elaine and herself. They were caught now, and there was no escape. She didn't have to look at the others to know that they had seen who she had seen, and even as they watched Neil swung his gaze over the room and then brought it back to rest on the three of them standing on the edge of the dance floor.

  He must have waited a while, for the music had struck up again and couples were drifting on to the floor, but to Tessa the moment wasn't long enough before he was nodding himself away from the group he was with and making his way over. She could feel Barry fidgeting beside her and sensed him colouring violently, but his manner when his guardian arrived was one of easy boyish humour.

  'Hi, Neil. What brings you to this neck of the woods?' he dropped an arm possessively about Tessa's shoulders and with a casual nod to the other side of him, he grinned, 'This is Elaine Fields. She's a friend of Tessa's.'

  Neil flicked a thoughtful glance over Tessa and took it on to say with a tight smile, 'We have met, I think, Miss Fields.'

  'I think we have,' Elaine smiled archly, but there was the light of something like defiance in the lovely silk-fringed eyes. The green gaze met the look, held it, then moved lazily back towards Barry. There was a weighty silence. The beat of the music seemed to stab out the seconds as the four of them stood there. Tessa felt her heart knocking. She wished she could just disappear, but Barry held her tightly.

  She saw Neil's chest expand as he must have inhaled a deep breath, then he was drawing Elaine into his arms and turning to say to Barry with a white smile, 'You obviously can't cope with two of 'em, old man, and I know Elaine is something of a polished performer.' As though to give credence to his words, he turned skilfully on the floor, moulding Elaine's form against him and with a glint of something that Tessa couldn't quite make out down into the dove-grey eyes he moved away with a suave, 'We'll leave you kids to it.'

  Barry, obviously pleased with himself on the way he had wriggled neatly out of a tight corner, pulled Tessa out on to the floor as though the arrangement suited him perfectly. Whether it did or not, he didn't get to see Elaine for the rest of the evening, except at a distance. Close in Neil's arms, she was kept well apart from their side of the room.

  Tessa became weary of dancing. She had been ready to go an hour ago, and the added strain of Neil's presence had drained her of life. Also, she didn't want to admit it, but the sight of the slim beautiful Elaine leaning against the muscular frame set her teeth on edge.

  She was glad when Barry fumbled half-heartedly at last for his car keys and led the way out to the car park. But it was too much to expect him to go without Elaine. He hung about in the shadows, scuffing his feet, and keeping his eyes on the doors of the hotel.

  Seated in the car, Tessa thought he would have been wiser to leave it tonight. The amber car was parked not far away, and he had already had his share of luck. She was just about to mention this when the brilliantly lit doors o
pened and a big dark figure guided a slim pale one down the steps and across the forecourt. Opening the door of his car, Neil flicked a grin to where Barry had hastily settled behind the wheel of his own car, and drawled, 'I'll drop Elaine off at her hotel. Time you two were thinking about getting home. Take it easy on the roads back.' He assisted Elaine into her seat, slammed the door and strode round to his side. As the car slid away, Tessa could just make out Elaine's mask-like features, but coming face to face with them briefly as the car turned past theirs, there was no mistaking the warning light in the hard grey eyes that told her to keep her designs off Barry. As though there was the slightest chance of anything when his heart was in his gaze watching the amber car disappear, Tessa thought wryly. And personally, all she was interested in was getting back to the security of her own room at the villa, where she could shut the events of the evening out of her mind. As it had turned out things had gone smoothly for Barry, but he might not be so lucky next time. As though he realised his narrow escape, he stirred himself into switching on the engine, and sliding a half-grin across at Tessa, whistled his relief under his breath all the way back to the villa.

  Neil made no mention of the evening as far as Tessa could gather, and Barry was only too happy to let it pass. But the encounter had unnerved him, and he wasn't quite so sure of himself after that. To be on the safe side he reverted to the back-street cellar clubs in the old part of the town for their entertainment, but Elaine pouted at the idea of having to sit cramped and unnoticed in some dim smoky corner and the evenings were not a raving success.

  Tessa was as jumpy as ever, but there seemed little likelihood that Neil would drop in on them in these haunts. Whether he had been down into town again after that particular night there was no way of knowing, but the green gaze was thoughtful around the house and glinting steel when it rested on her.