This was something she had not considered, the possibility of meeting Jane. She picked up the menu and hid her face in it before it occurred to her that this café, a cheap and far from fashionable one, was not the likeliest place in which to encounter the glamorous Jane Prendergast.
The voice came again and Nicola was more certain. She peered cautiously round the edge of the menu and saw Jane walking towards the door of the café. A small, badly dressed man followed her, but it did not seem remotely likely he was with her. She had probably been speaking to the waitress, very likely paying the bill, for she nodded to the man sitting beside the cash desk and walked straight out. The shabby-looking man stopped and handed over some money, and by the time he had left the café Jane had walked down the street and round the corner.
Breathing a sigh of relief she had not been seen herself Nicola waited for another five minutes and then left the café to join the rush-hour traffic out of the centre of the town. Getting tired of sitting in the procession crawling along the coast road Nicola turned off along the Ringwood road as soon as she had crossed over the River Avon, and tried to follow the route Robert normally used. But he drove along it the opposite way, or after dark, she soon realised, as she quickly lost her sense of direction and meandered about until she came to another main road leading towards Lyndhurst. Abandoning the side lanes, and thankful that at least this road was clearer by now, Nicola went along it until she saw a sign to Brockenhurst.
She reached The Lodge and guiltily switched on the television, thinking she had better watch something as an alibi. After an extremely boring hour she made herself an omelette and a salad and then decided to have an early night. She tried desperately not to do so, but lay sleeplessly waiting for the sounds that would indicate Robert's return.
Although she lay in the dark, unable to concentrate enough to read, her curtains were open and the moon showed a faint light. The hands of her watch were luminous and agonisingly slowly they crept round to midnight, and then one and two and three, and still there was no sound of Robert.
Nicola at last gave up trying to pretend that there were many possible reasons for his late return which had nothing to do with Jane. If he had been involved in a breakdown or accident there would have been some news of it from the police or Robert himself who would have telephoned her. He and Jane, if they had gone to dinner together, or even if they had been dancing, must surely have left by now and there had been ample time for Robert to have driven Jane home. The only possible explanation was that he had stayed with her.
The thought pierced Nicola like a hot needle. If she had been with them it would not have happened, she thought, and then she knew that it would not have mattered. If Robert wanted to he could go to be with Jane at any time. When he had kissed her, Nicola, he had been amusing himself for he did not care for her. She had never truly believed that he did, she reminded herself, but the thought brought no comfort. She knew now, and was quite unable to deceive herself any longer, that she loved him and had done so from the moment, so long ago it now seemed, when she had first set eyes on him in Mrs Cooke's shop. She loved him but he had no such feelings for her. His casual kisses had given her a glimpse of the bliss that might have been, but she could not decide whether she was glad to have had even so little, or whether it made the knowledge she would never have any more of him harder to bear.
The weak tears came easily and she did not attempt to brush them away. Why, she raged inwardly, did I have to fall in love with someone so impossible as Robert Wilmington? Why choose someone so out of reach, rich, handsome, successful, totally unlikely to spare a thought for someone so insignificant as herself, and certainly never considering the possibility of loving her.
She was so lost in these painful reflections that the first indication she had of Robert's return was when the handle of her door was turned carefully, giving a tiny click. Nicola froze, with a wild thought it might be a burglar, but as she peered cautiously through her half-closed eyes the moonlight was sufficient to show Robert's face as the door was pushed further open.
He came into the room and she shut her eyes hastily, remembering not to hold them too tightly closed. She tried to control her breathing and make it smooth and slow and even as he looked down at her before turning and going softly from the room.
*
Chapter 8
At last Nicola slept, and it was late when she awoke on the following morning. Mrs Trotter smiled when she walked into the kitchen and said she hoped Nicola wasn't too tired after her late night. She must have assumed I was with Robert, Nicola thought, resentful of the fact she had not been. But at that moment Robert himself came in. He was wearing jeans and riding boots, and a white sweat shirt which contrasted with his tanned skin.
'Hello there. Is that coffee, Trottie? Thanks,' he added as she poured him a cup. 'I'm schooling Night Demon this morning, Nicola. Would you like to see him go through his paces?'
'Yes please,' Nicola replied listlessly. One part of her wanted to escape from the agony of being with Robert, knowing there was no reason to hope he would ever love her, but she was not strong enough to resist the stubborn half that pleaded to be with him as often as she could before these few weeks were over and she would never see him again.
He waited until she had eaten her breakfast and walked down to the stables with her, talking easily about his hopes for Night Demon.
'He's young and strong willed, but if he can be persuaded to co-operate he jumps everything. I think he's gaining confidence in me, but he's an exceedingly high-strung animal.'
'When is the Novice Cup?'
'On Friday, the last day of the show. The horses will go on Wednesday to get them settled down, but we can drive over each day, it's not very far. I assume you would like to come?'
'Yes, of course, but what of Sarah? She will probably be out by then and I must stay with her.'
'Trottie will enjoy cosseting her and she won't be feeling like French conversation, I suppose?'
'No,' Nicola agreed slowly. 'But I feel such a fraud. You – your mother is paying me and I am doing so little. At least I could keep her company.'
'Yes, apart from the two days of the show. She will want your account of it, since she is so suspicious of me and would not trust my version.'
They had reached the stables and Nicola was saved from having to reply. Night Demon was being trotted round the yard, and he whinnied to Robert as they walked towards him, and nuzzled at him, seeking the sugar lumps he knew would be forthcoming. Robert stroked his nose and talked to him and then, warning Nicola to stand clear, mounted him and wheeled to leave the yard. Nicola followed with Tim, who was enthusing about Night Demon, saying he would tolerate only Mr Wilmington and Roddy Fowler, one of the grooms who had once been a steeplechase jockey.
Beyond the yard were the paddocks, and the nearest one was arranged as a show ring with a variety of what to Nicola seemed enormous jumps. For the work with Night Demon all of them had been raised and Robert was already riding him round the perimeter of the field, but soon he turned and put him at the jumps. Night Demon soared over most of them but as Robert, appearing to miss out one of the straightforward gates, turned and pointed the great stallion at the wall, Nicola heard Tim beside her give a gasp and glanced at him, seeing he had gripped the rail in front of him tightly and was staring intently at the rider and the horse.
'What is it?' she began, but Tim suddenly let the breath go in relief and Nicola turned back to find Night Demon halted, his legs splayed, while Robert unconcernedly patted his neck.
'He hates the wall,' Tim muttered. 'He'll go over it sometimes, but he hates it and tries to avoid it when he can. He'll buck and rear, or try to scrape his rider's leg against the wall, anything to get out of it. If that would go away we'd win the Cup easily.'
Robert had ridden Night Demon away from the wall and was turning and approaching again. This time Night Demon skidded to a halt and bucked, trying to unseat his rider. Nicola gasped but Robert skilfully kept
his seat and again soothed the horse and led it away. He put it at some other jumps, and when the horse had appeared to regain his confidence sent it again at the wall. Again Night Demon refused and this time Robert immediately went on to other jumps. Then he rode over to where Tim and Nicola stood, and dismounted, patting the horse on the neck. He chatted easily and appeared to ignore the horse, which began to crop the grass by the fence.
'We'll try the crowd noises now Tim,' he said after a few minutes, and Nicola noticed the Range-Rover parked unobtrusively to one side under a clump of trees with a loud speaker system on its roof. Tim walked across to it, and with a smile at Nicola, Robert swung himself up on Night Demon again and trotted him round the outside of the ring. Gradually Nicola became aware of an increasing noise, a record of mingled shouts and cheers, with background music and an occasional announcement from some public address system. As Robert urged Night Demon into a canter and took him over some of the easiest jumps Tim gradually increased the volume, and if she closed her eyes Nicola could imagine she was in the midst of a crowd at some sporting event.
The noise did not appear to disturb the horse, who had pricked his ears forward when he first became aware of it but carried on and over the jumps. Several more times Robert attempted to persuade Night Demon over the wall and every time Night Demon refused, using a variety of tactics, so that Nicola marvelled Robert maintained his seat. Several times she had been poised to rush to him as she was certain he was going to be dislodged, but every time he countered Night Demon's efforts to throw him and patiently turned to another jump. At last he went round the perimeter jumps at speed, and then rode Night Demon through the gate out of the paddock, and as they came alongside Nicola Robert slid out of the saddle and patted the horse, giving it more sugar lumps. Suddenly Tim switched off the loud speakers and in the contrasting silence Nicola heard the sounds of birds twittering, the sweet call of a blackbird and a gurgling trill she could not identify.
'He'll do,' Robert said, and looped the reins over his arm to walk back to the stables.
'I don't know how you stayed on,' Nicola said admiringly. 'He did his best to get rid of you over that wall.'
'Mere playfulness. I could force him over but it would upset him, and there's time yet to get him used to it. He can rest for this afternoon and we'll work again tomorrow.'
He smiled at her, and suddenly Nicola felt confused again. Why had he been so late the previous night? If he had been with Jane, and he must have been, he should not be smiling at her in that intimate teasing way which implied they shared some pleasant secret. She tried to talk about the horses, and escaped as soon as she could. She remained in her room until lunch was served and left immediately afterwards.
*
She arrived at the hospital to find Sarah furiously angry.
'What is it?' she asked as Sarah greeted her with a frown.
'The hospital is stopping Tony visiting me,' Sarah replied. 'The little red-haired nurse told me he had been but the sister said she had orders not to let him in. How dare Robert interfere so! At least Tony has not given in to him. He has the courage to defy him even if the wretched nurses have not.'
She refused to consider the reasons Nicola suggested for her brother's ban, and scornfully rejected her advice to be patient.
'It's four more years until I get my money and Tony cannot possibly afford to marry me without it,' she explained.
'Then perhaps he is not a suitable husband for anyone yet,' Nicola commented. 'Even these days most men would like to think they could support their wives. Has Tony asked you to marry him?'
'He said we would have to wait,' Sarah confessed. 'He has just a tiny flat above his stables and wants to be able to afford a house, but I don't mind, I really don't. What's the use of a lot of rooms and luxury if Tony is not there?'
Nicola tried to interest her in other things but inevitably she mentioned Robert's hopes for Night Demon, and Sarah said pettishly that she didn't care a jot for him or his horses. Sympathising, thinking they had equally insoluble problems, Nicola soon left to drive back to The Lodge and get ready for her date with Paul. It would at least help to take her mind off Robert, she told herself when she was tempted to phone Paul and make some excuse for not going out with him.
She drove the Fiat straight to the garages and walked back, stopping in the kitchen for a much needed cup of tea. Mrs Trotter, not having a meal to prepare, had finished early and she and her husband had gone to visit their daughter. Nicola drank her tea at the kitchen table, then picked up her bag and walked through the dining room and the archway into the hall. She stopped suddenly, for a loud angry voice was speaking.
The door to Robert's study was slightly open and Nicola recognised Tony Scott's voice coming from there. He was clearly beside himself with fury.
'I'm sick of your damned overbearing ways, Wilmington! There was no need for me to come to you, but I did, I wanted to be above board and honest with you, telling you I could afford to keep Sarah, even if not in the pampered luxury that's been stifling her. She knows what she wants and there'll be another scandal in your family of an eloping sister if you're not careful!'
'Above board?' Robert's cold tones cut in, and Nicola shivered, feeling sympathetic towards Tony, for she could imagine so well how Robert's brows would be drawn together, his eyes seeming to bore right through the person he was talking to. 'Above board to go sneaking into the hospital to see Sarah after I personally told you I have forbidden her to meet you? You had best leave. I have no more to say to you.'
'You told me! You didn't wait to hear whether I agreed. Well, I didn't. But you involve the hospital authorities and try to act like a Victorian father! If you behaved like this to Emma it's no wonder – '
'We will leave Emma out of this discussion. She made her mistake, and my present concern is to prevent Sarah from behaving foolishly. There is no more to be said, apart from repeating my warning about not trying to see her.'
*
Guiltily Nicola suddenly realised she was eavesdropping and began to cross the hall towards the stairs, but before she reached them the study door was flung open and Tony, his face red with anger, stormed across the hall without seeing her and out of the house. Robert strolled after him and stood, his eyebrows raised sardonically, looking at Nicola.
'The love-lorn swain,' he commented bitterly. 'I suppose you heard?' he added as he crossed to close the front door which Tony had left open.
'I – am sorry, but the door was open and I could not help it,' Nicola apologised.
'He was so angry and shouting so much I would not have been surprised to find that the entire Forest had heard,' he said with a scornful laugh. 'Was Sarah very annoyed?'
'Yes, she was. But she seemed to think Tony could not afford to marry until he could offer her a house. I take it he has decided otherwise?'
'He came around with pages of figures to try and prove it. That does not really concern me. I don't think Sarah is fit to be anyone's wife yet. She hasn't the sense.'
'Might it not make her feel less resentful if she were permitted to see him? After all she might grow tired of him, while at the moment she is determined to prove you wrong,' Nicola suggested.
Robert stared at her, his eyes narrowing and his brows contracting with anger.
'Oh, my God, don't you start theorising about them! That is precisely what happened with Emma. These psychologists with their fancy notions don't know what my sisters are like. Give them an inch and they'll take several miles.'
'It's a pity you can't handle your sisters as you do your horses,' Nicola snapped at him, suddenly furiously angry at being drawn into their affairs.
'Some women have a good deal less sense than horses!' he replied. 'Nicola, forget my wretched sisters. I must go and see Sarah, but I do not propose to stay long tonight. Neither of us could endure being polite for more than a few minutes. Are you still going out with Paul? Won't you put him off and we will have a pleasant, peaceful dinner alone somewhere and forget the w
hole lot of them.'
Oh, the temptation to do just that, to revel again in his attention and forget Jane as well as Sarah. But Nicola reluctantly shook her head.
'I ought not to,' she answered slowly, and before she could say any more Robert inclined his head slightly and walked past her and through the front door.
*
Miserably Nicola bathed and dressed. Feeling perverse she put on the dress she had worn on her first evening at The Lodge, and which she had decided was unsophisticated and childish. She had no desire to look her best for Paul Moncrieff, she thought crossly, but since she had bought the dress she might as well wear it sometimes.
She was ready when he called for her and they drove to a restaurant on the northern edge of the Forest where a minute dance floor and crowd of diners forced everyone to dance very close to their partners. She would have enjoyed that with Robert, Nicola told herself gloomily, but Paul's nearness made her shiver with an unpleasant sensation, totally unlike the emotions Robert kindled in her when he held her close.
The food was uninspiring and not particularly well cooked, and Nicola found herself appreciating Robert's choice of restaurants and the excellent food and service she had received there without realising quite how exceptional it was at the time. Several times Paul tried to kiss her as they were dancing, but she managed to evade his seeking lips so that his kisses landed in her hair and once on her ear. She found it more difficult to evade the hold he kept on her arm or hand, and when he guided her from the floor he put his arm round her waist and squeezed tightly.
The evening seemed endless to Nicola, replying as politely as she could to Paul's attempts to amuse her with racy anecdotes about the people she had met while she wanted to scream at him to leave her alone. The only time she felt any genuine interest was when he talked about his antiques, but then she was hard put to it to invent excuses for not visiting his shop in Bournemouth.
Fires in the Forest Page 11
