Fancy Free

by Shelley Munro

  The stunned expression on his face made her want to laugh. She’d never spoken to him like that before, with such firmness and honesty. “Are you sure?”

  A snort escaped. “I’m positive. You might as well go home.”

  “Are you going to marry him?”

  “No, James is going overseas in two months.” She didn’t want him to go but she wouldn’t beg him to stay either. One thing she’d learned while living in Sloan and helping to run Fancy Free was that she could cope with anything that came her way. Money didn’t equate with security. Security came with the discovery of a comfortable niche. Sloan and Fancy Free were her niche. A man in the equation might be nice but it wasn’t necessary.

  Oh heck. Who did she think she was trying to kid? She wanted James badly. When he left, he’d take her heart as well.

  “If you change your mind, you know where to find me,” Steven said.

  Alice pushed aside her irritation and graciously inclined her head. “Thank you, but I won’t change my mind.”

  For the first time since she’d known him, he appeared uncertain. He raised his hand before dropping it again. “I guess I’ll go.”

  “That would be best.”

  “Are you still here?” James growled, appearing without warning.

  “Steven was just leaving,” Alice said. “I’m ready for a coffee.” Or something stronger.

  They had a quick coffee and a blueberry muffin at the cafe before James dropped her off to help Lindy.

  “That wasn’t so bad, was it?” he asked when he pulled up outside the bed and breakfast.

  “No, it felt worse,” Alice muttered. “Everyone stared.”

  “Tomorrow we’ll be yesterday’s news.”

  “Huh! I don’t know if I’ll survive until then.”

  “Course you will.” James leaned over and took possession of her mouth, moving his lips slowly, deliberately over hers. Stealing her breath. His hands cupped her face, holding her still. When he finally pulled back, they were both breathless. “You’d better go before Lindy comes outside to see what’s holding you up.” He smiled and ran his thumb over her swollen lips before pulling away. “Take care at the fete. Luke told me he intended to discuss the matter with the cult leaders and put the fear of god into them. His words, not mine.”

  “I hope it works. I jump at shadows now and I hate feeling that way.” She climbed from the SUV and waved when he drove away.

  “Lindy. I’m here,” she called, tapping on the door.

  “About time,” Lindy grumbled, unlocking the door to let her inside.

  The scent of orange and spice wafted through from the kitchen. Several tins were sitting on the table ready for transport to the fete. “Do you need a hand with anything? Luke said I could go back into my room. I’m going to move in with James so I thought I’d pack.”

  “I couldn’t bear cleaning up in there,” Lindy said. “I hired commercial cleaners from Auckland. They threw away anything damaged beyond repair. I hope that was all right.”

  “That’s fine,” Alice soothed, relieved she wouldn’t need to face the task herself.

  Working together, they packed the last batch of muffins and loaded all the tins inside Lindy’s car.

  The school grounds bustled when they arrived with parents and excited children racing in all directions. The fete started officially at one, and it was almost that when Lindy pulled into the car park and stopped in the drop-off zone. They unloaded and Alice and two eager students carried the tins of home baking to their allocated stall while Lindy parked the car.

  A familiar face reigned at the cake stall.

  “We’re all organized here, dear,” Harriet said. “Why don’t you wander around the stalls? Grab some bargains.”

  Alice was happy to oblige. She wandered past a variety of stalls—one selling secondhand books, the white elephant stall that appeared to sell all sorts of odd items, a plant and flower stall and one for clothes. The scent of coffee, candy floss and flowers filled her lungs. Alice smiled with pure enjoyment since she’d never attended anything like this before.

  A large bouncy castle wobbled in the soft breeze. Over the far side of the field, several parents organized games such as egg and spoon, wheelbarrow and three-legged races for the children. A group of adults took turns hurling a gumboot through the air. Alice noticed the judging was very serious indeed. A loud shout of pain rent the air when one of the fathers struck his thumb with a hammer in the nail-driving contest instead of pounding the nail into the huge wooden log.

  An hour or maybe longer melted away. Alice wandered aimlessly, fascinated by all the activities. There were displays inside the classrooms. Children had constructed animals from vegetables and decorated saucers with a floral theme. Excited children bounced up and down and shrieked when they saw that their exhibits had won coveted prizes. Another open classroom door beckoned and she wandered toward it. Alice grinned, wondering what she’d see in this room. She strolled inside, stopping several steps into the empty room. She’d come to the end of the exhibits and was about to retrace her footsteps when the door slammed behind her with a loud thump. Alice whirled around. Her eyes widened and she backed up rapidly, fear spiraling through her gut.

  The clown and the dog.

  Oh god. They had her trapped. Alice opened her mouth, ready to scream for help.

  “Don’t bother calling for help,” the dog growled. “Don’t give me reason to inflict pain.” Something about the voice struck a familiar note in Alice. The awareness seeped away when she noticed the dog outfit came complete with tail. It swished from side to side each time the dog moved, making it look like a friendly creature. Alice knew better.

  “How nice to see you,” the clown said, his voice at odds with his beaming, oversized grin. At least Alice thought the clown male. It was so difficult to tell.

  The dog didn’t say another word, merely strolled over to another door and opened it.

  Alice saw it was a small storage cupboard with a key on the outside of the door. Her legs developed a tremor and she thought for a moment they would cease to hold her upright. Dammit, she should have listened to Luke and not wandered off, but she hadn’t thought anyone would hurt her here at the school with so many people present.

  “Inside,” the clown ordered.

  The dog growled when she failed to comply rapidly enough, and Alice imagined she saw its hackles rise like a real dog.

  “Hurry,” the clown snapped. “Inside. Now.”

  Alice sidled past the clown and entered the storage cupboard. The door slammed shut and she found herself in total darkness. A lock shot home with a clunk.

  She waited for an instant, listening intently for any sound to give her a clue about the activities in the main classroom. Nothing. She couldn’t hear a single sound apart from her rapidly pounding heart and panicked breathing.

  Once her eyes adjusted to the darkness inside the storage cupboard, she checked out her surroundings. Her fumbling fingers found something wet and gluggy. Glue by the feel and smell of it. And that was a jar of paint brushes. She was locked in with all the art supplies. Panic unfurled from the tight ball inside her stomach. What were they intending to do? Frighten her? Because they’d managed that all right. But what if they intended to do worse? Like set the classroom on fire. Her panic rose then, seizing her tightly and making her hyperventilate. Alice grasped the edge of a wooden shelf, desperately concentrating on her breathing, just as the specialist had shown her all those years ago. She would not slip back into her old habits and have a panic attack. She would not.

  Time elapsed. Alice wasn’t sure if it were five minutes or fifteen.

  Slowly, she regained control over her breathing. It remained noisy and a little raspy but it was under control enough that she could concentrate on something else. Alice placed her head next to the door and listened carefully. She gave the door an experimental thump. It rattled but didn’t open. Half expecting it to open without warning, she waited. Either they’d left or they
waited outside entertaining themselves at her expense.

  Alice started thumping the door. “Help! Help! Someone help me.” She paused. Nothing bad happened. The clown and the dog didn’t protest her cries for help. “Probably because there are so many people about,” she mumbled. “They risk being seen if they hang around here.” But what if they intended to come back later once everyone had left? “Help!” Alice shrieked. “Help!” She thumped against the door with her fists and kicked it for good measure. “Somebody help me.”

  Alice screamed until her throat turned raw and ached at the thought of another shout. With no idea of how much time had passed, her panic grew. She’d offered to help out on the baking stall, but Lindy had told her to enjoy herself. No one would miss her. “Help! Somebody help me!” Alice beat her fists on the door, making it rattle.

  A thud came from the other side of the door.

  Alice froze, hope surging in her hard and fast. “Hello?” Her voice emerged as a low croak. “Help!” The second attempt wasn’t much better. Panicked, Alice kicked and beat her fists on the wooden door. After another frenzied series of thumps, she paused to listen.

  “There’s someone in there.” The voice sounded far away.

  Another voice sounded, young and high in pitch, but she couldn’t understand the words.

  Alice thumped the door again. “Please let me out,” she croaked. They had to let her out. She didn’t want to wait for the clown and dog to release her. No telling what they would do.

  The key rattled in the door. It turned. The handle turned and slowly the door opened. Alice blinked at the surge of afternoon sunlight that hit her directly in the face. Half blinded, she stumbled from the storeroom, blinking rapidly to focus and regain her sight. She turned to thank her rescuers. One glimpse and fear gripped her tightly. A scream of pure fear rippled from her strained throat and she backed up rapidly, her body hitting a wall. The three clowns stared at her, their smiley mouths gaping and red button noses jiggling.

  Alice screamed again and again and again.

  Dimly, she was aware of the sound of running feet and that her screams had made the clowns scatter.

  Finally, the clowns parted and she focused on a familiar face. Luke. Luke was here. He would make the clowns go away. Alice pushed away from the wall and threw herself at him. She shuddered when his strong arms closed around her. Safe. She knew she was safe. Luke would make the clowns go away.

  “Alice. Alice, it’s okay. You’re all right,” Luke murmured.

  She cuddled into his muscular chest, inhaling his musky scent. His blue uniform shirt felt soft under her cheek and his steady breathing soothed the ragged edges of her fear. Gradually her tremors receded.

  “Did you arrest the clowns?” Her voice came out low and raspy and it hurt to speak.

  “Alice, they were just kids. There’s a face painter here at the fete and they’re selling clown noses. Lots of the children are wandering around dressed in clown suits.”

  “The clown and the dog locked me in the storage cupboard.” Lord, it hurt to talk.

  “Okay, come with me. We’ll get you a cup of tea while I search the school grounds. Can you tell me what they looked like?”

  “The same as before.”

  Luke nodded and guided her from the classroom. Once they left the room and walked farther down the corridor, the noise from the people attending the fete increased. Alice heard the excited shrieks of the children and the strident words from a parent when she repeated her instructions not to touch the exhibits. With the amount of noise it was no wonder no one had heard her cries for help. Alice’s mouth tightened to a firm line. It also explained why the clown and dog had left her alone. They’d assumed she would remain there until they collected her later.

  “Alice, there you are. I wondered what had happened to you,” Lindy said.

  Luke spoke up.

  “She’s had a bit of a scare. She needs a cup of tea and a quiet place to sit. Can I leave her here with you?”

  “Sure thing, Luke.” Lindy’s freckled face creased in distinct worry. “Does she need to go to the doctor?”

  “No, I think it’s just shock.” Luke pushed her down into the chair and crouched to talk to her. He smoothed a lock of hair behind her ear and studied her intently, concern in his brown eyes. “Do you want me to call James?”

  “He’s busy,” Alice said. “I’ll be fine now that I’m out of the cupboard.” Her voice was scarcely louder than a whisper, and she swallowed to ease the throb inside her throat.

  “Okay, sweetheart. Just as long as you’re sure.” With a final smile he stood and strode away. Alice watched him until he disappeared from sight. Tears stung her eyes while each movement of her throat caused a twinge of pain that echoed in her heart. Why couldn’t James be more like Luke? Oh, she knew James cared for her, but he still intended to leave.

  “Here’s a cup of tea,” Lindy said. “What happened?”

  Alice sipped a mouthful of tea, the warm liquid easing her throat. She took another sip before attempting to answer. “I was looking at the exhibits, going from classroom to classroom. I walked into a classroom right down the far end of the corridor, not realizing that it was empty. After I walked inside the clown and the dog followed—”

  “The ones who Luke thinks broke into our house?” Lindy cut in with a scowl.

  “Yes. They locked me in a storage cupboard and left me there. Luckily some of the children heard me and let me out.”

  “Alice.” Lindy squeezed her arm in sympathy.

  “I hope Luke catches them,” Alice muttered after sipping her tea again. “They’re making my life miserable.”

  “But why? What have you done?” Lindy asked.

  Alice sighed, lingering traces of terror bringing a tremor to her hands. After wiping at the tea she’d sloshed on her skirt, she frowned. She’d probably dream about clowns tonight. “I don’t know. It seems tied to the company and the cult, but honestly, contraception isn’t that big a deal.” Scorn laced her voice. “The culprits need to focus on bigger issues. Maybe world peace or something.”

  * * * * *

  The emergency board meeting they held the day after the fete went well. They worked out a plan and James assigned jobs and responsibilities to them all. Alice loved the way they took the problem in their stride, treating Rita’s betrayal as a hiccup rather than a full-out disaster, although not one of them understood why she felt so slighted.

  “Is everyone clear on what they need to do?” James asked.

  Everyone nodded.

  “What do we do if Rita has done other things that we haven’t discovered yet?” Katarina asked.

  “We deal with them,” Alice said. “Alicia believed in this company and you obviously do too otherwise you wouldn’t be here. We all give one hundred and ten percent and that’s what will make this company a success.”

  Ben started clapping and the others joined in.

  James’ grin widened to broad and he closed the distance between them to draw her into a crushing hug. “That’s my girl! Are you sure you’re well enough to be here? Luke said you were in a bad way yesterday and you weren’t very well this morning.”

  “I’m fine. It was a bit of a scare, that’s all.” Being locked in the cupboard was definitely frightening. And feeling ill this morning wasn’t so hot, especially since she’d realized she hadn’t had a period for some time. The more she thought about it, the more she worried. James wouldn’t be too happy if she were pregnant. Alice attempted to push her worry aside and concentrate on Fancy Free. The other…if it eventuated…well, she’d have to deal with it.

  A dark slice of humor slithered through her. She’d wanted security and a family, a place to call her own. It seemed she had received everything she wanted, but it was jumbled and out of order.

  “Has Luke learned anything else about the clown and the dog?” Ben asked.

  They all turned to Richard. He snorted. “He has reports of clowns coming out his ears. It seems every man,
woman and child sighted clowns yesterday. No dog sightings at this stage.”

  “You need to take care, Alice.” Katarina reached over to pat her forearm, but a tiny pucker between her eyes highlighted her unease.

  Harriet’s knitting needles clacked in a comforting manner. “Don’t go off on your own.”

  A shudder of remembered horror hit Alice. Her stomach roiled without warning. “Believe me, I intend to be very careful. It was horrid being locked inside the cupboard.”

  “I’m off to ring around more companies,” James said. “Take care, huh?” He stooped and pressed a chaste kiss to Alice’s lips, unconcerned with the presence of the oldies and the fact they were witnesses to the intimacy. He strode from the boardroom seemingly unaware of the silent speculation he’d fired to life in the oldies.

  Not one of them said a word until James’ footsteps faded.

  “What’s up with you and James?” Joseph asked.

  “Besides the obvious,” Harriet added. “We know you’re doing the wild thing but that was for work purposes only.”

  Richard groaned. “The wild thing? Where did you get that from?”

  “It’s a modern term. You should get with the times,” Harriet said with a delicate sniff.

  Alice looked from one face to the next. Maybe she could sneak out of the boardroom and they wouldn’t notice? She stood, pushing back her chair, ready to escape the approaching torment.

  “Where do you think you’re going, missy?” Ben asked.

  “To my office.” Alice took a couple of steps toward the door.

  “It’s not safe for you to work on your own,” Katarina said. “Come back right now. You can do your assigned tasks in here easily enough. Harriet and I will keep you safe.”

  It sounded more like a prison, being babysat by the two oldies. She frowned but the oldies all nodded and smiled at her in a friendly fashion. Some of the smiles bore a distinct predatory flavor in her opinion, but she knew when she was beaten. Alice returned to her seat as Ben spoke up.