by Pamela Pope
Now she could see the window of the room where Colin Frank had locked himself in, the sun glinting on the glass. His father, Sid Frank, was talking to Joss in an alcove piled high with crates of empty bottles; and after a moment they both disappeared inside, accompanied by a police officer. The window of the upstairs room swung open.
'Only Mr Hamblyn,' Colin Frank yelled. 'None of you other sods are to come near!'
Meredith saw the man at the window and her heart nearly stopped. He had a shotgun clasped to his chest, his chin resting on the barrel, and even at a distance it was possible to see madness distorting his face. This was the man Joss was about to approach, unarmed, defenceless except for his strength. She pressed her hand to her mouth and dug her teeth into her index finger to stop herself calling out, bringing blood as her fear increased. It curled inside her, spread like icy fingers down her spine, gripped her scalp in shock waves as if an electric current was attacking every nerve. But the fear was not for herself. It was for Joss, and never in her life had she been so distraught with worry for someone's safety.
'Oh, Joss, Joss,' she murmured, his name repeating itself over and over in her brain as if it was a talisman. She closed her eyes and the words became a prayer. 'Oh, please, take care of him. Don't let anything happen to him!'
The minutes ticked by and Colin Frank stayed by the window, the gun still pressed to his chin. Every now and then it sounded as if he was answering someone who was trying to reason with him on the other side of the locked door, but he didn't move.
Huge black clouds hung over the moors. The sun disappeared and the stormy air was heavy with brooding tension, every living thing waiting, suspended in a motionless silence like an ominous prelude to disaster. Strands of hair that had escaped the knot on Meredith's head clung in damp tendrils to her neck and it seemed as if perspiration oozed from every pore of her skin. Her breathing was shallow, her heartbeats hammering with a force that made her dizzy. The abnormal atmosphere seeped deeper into her, attacking her nerves, and she didn't know how long she could stand it.
There was a movement inside and the police officer came out again with Joss. Sid Frank lingered near the door. The officer came over to the van and reported failure to gain entrance to the room, his statement confirmed by a volley of foul language from the upstairs window.
'I said only Mr Hamblyn could come up here!' Colin Frank bellowed. 'If any of you bastards come up with him I'll use this!' He lifted the shotgun and released the safety catch so that no one could be in any doubt he meant what he said.
Another police man accompanied Joss to the van. He didn't even notice Meredith was there. In the confined space his tall figure dominated everything, dwarfing even the uniformed men, and he had to bend his neck So that his head didn't touch the roof. He listened a moment to the planned strategy, then protested.
'Look, I'm going in there alone, the way he wants it,' he said, his deep voice ringing with authority. 'I'm well able to take care of myself, and if you'll just keep your men out of sight he won't harm me.'
'That's all very well, sir....'
'I can get Colin Frank out of there, as long as you give me free rein,' said Joss emphatically.
He argued with them, his hand to his neck where it was cricked uncomfortably, and in a short time he won his case. Meredith watched him, marvelling at his ability to sway police judgment, and beset by an insane urge to try and stop him being too smart for the sake of his own ego. His self-assurance permitted no contradiction, that lofty pride proclaiming that he was always right, and the familiar antagonism towards him made her blood begin to boil. But when he turned to give her an unexpected smile she became too confused to think straight any more.
'We'll cover you,' said the officer, as Joss stepped outside again, flexing his cramped shoulder muscles. A moment later he was standing alone in the dusty yard, midway between the inn and the security of the police van, head held high.
'Okay, Colin,' he called, 'you win. I'm coming up to talk to you. I've seen your old friend Jim this morning and he told me all about the rough time you've been through. I want to help you.'
Colin had rested the gun on the windowsill, pointing it towards the yard with suspicious uncertainty.
'No tricks!'
'No tricks, I promise you.'
Meredith clasped her arms round her body, tightening them until pain in her ribs made her ease the pressure. Her eyes were riveted on Joss as he stood there unflinching, the gun trained on him, and she couldn't draw breath until it was slowly withdrawn with a beckoning motion to indicate acquiescence.
She tried to tell herself she would have felt like this no matter who it was out there facing such extreme danger, but an inner voice scorned the pretence and dared her to admit the truth. She felt this way because she was in love with Joss Hamblyn.
She watched him move away from the spot where he had made his stand, no glance in any direction to betray the men in hiding, and she identified with him in a way no one could unless they were in love. The set of his head and the straightness of his broad back were outward signs of the strength that was not only physical but part of his character, and a fresh pain stabbed at her ribs as awakening pride stirred violently in her. His sensitive hands that had caressed her and stroked her hair were now by his sides declaring his good intentions as he took slow, easy strides towards the door, and the most extraordinary reaction of all was a sudden desperate impulse to fly after him and share whatever experience awaited him in there.
If anything should happen to him she felt it would be the end of her existence. She couldn't begin to contemplate a life in which he had no part, and when she tried to think whether this was the same desolation she had gone through when Piers was killed she was stunned to realise there was no comparison. Her grief for Piers had been genuine enough and she had felt lost for a while, but it had been no deeper than the sorrow she would have felt at losing a very dear friend, she could tell that now. Beside this surging, passionate longing for Joss that had erupted within seconds of this threat to his life, she knew her feeling for Piers had been a very lukewarm emotion indeed. In fact, she had never really been in love with him at all.
As if sensing the depth of her revelation, Joss turned once he was out of sight of the man at the window, and across the distance his powerful green eyes sought her out. She felt them bore into her, compelling her to have faith and not be afraid, but when he swung round with an upward flick of his thumb before disappearing through the door, she stifled a gasping sob.
'It'll be all right, miss,' one of the policemen said sympathetically. 'We wouldn't let him go in if we weren't reasonably sure Colin Frank is only a threat to himself. He trusts Mr Hamblyn.'
The minutes ticked by and the gunman continued to sit by the window with the weapon pointed defiantly at his chin, but he was talking to someone, so Joss was in there. Then a shadow crossed the backcloth and he moved.
Seconds later a shot rang out.
CHAPTER SEVEN
They wouldn't let her leave the van. She screamed and tried to make a dash for the inn, but strong arms held her back, while uniformed men appeared from all directions and swarmed across the yard. There was ho movement from the window.
'Joss!' she cried, struggling against her captor. 'I've got to go to him! Please let me!'
'All in good time. It's no place for you until we know what's happened.'
There was nothing she could do but wait, and time had never gone so slowly. Behind her another man was in radio contact with the scene and she strained her ears to hear what was being said, every nerve in her body quivering with fear, but the one way conversation was too disjointed to make sense. She crept closer, and presently the man took pity on her.
'That's a brave bloke you've got there,' he said.
'You mean he's all right?' she breathed. 'What was that shot? Was anyone hurt?'
'Hey now, have patience!' With infuriating calm he started taking down more notes on his pad as the distorted voice recommenced,
but this time Meredith was near enough to catch odd words and an icy chill ran down her spine. There was mention of first aid and calling an ambulance, but Colin Frank was already on his way downstairs, it seemed, with an escort.
'Joss is hurt, isn't he?' she persisted.
The policeman put a friendly arm round her shoulder. 'It's nothing to worry about. Frank was about to pull the gun on himself, but Mr Hamblyn managed to get it away from him just in time and the shot winged his shoulder. It's only a surface wound, and he saved Frank's life, for what it's worth.'
Meredith closed her eyes with relief and sent up a silent prayer of thanks, but she couldn't stop trembling. The incident was over quickly, before any wind of it got down to the village and sent newsmongers up to cover the story, and it was all due to Joss's courage. He wouldn't want any publicity, she was absolutely sure, and she was choked with pride at his achievement. There was no one in the world like him.
She watched a very subdued Colin Frank being led away to a waiting police car, dejection in every line of him, and anger rose fiercely to the surface at all the trouble he had caused. Yet compassion stirred as he was driven away, for all this had been brought about by love and jealousy, and who knew what demons could be unleashed in similar circumstances, when emotions were heightened beyond endurance. Until this morning she hadn't known herself that love could have such an overwhelming effect. Her whole system felt shattered.
The sergeant came across the yard.
'You can go up there now if you want to, miss,' he said.
She went out into the gloomy light just as the first spots of rain began to fall and picked her way between the crates and boxes by the door, her heart racing. It was scarcely half an hour since she had seen Joss, yet in that brief time her feelings had undergone such a drastic change she didn't know how she was going to hide them.
She climbed the narrow stairs, her fingers trailing nervously over the oak panelling, and she remembered her father telling her how Royalists had sought refuge here during the Civil War until the Roundheads came and ran them through without a shred of mercy. Blood had been shed on these floors before, and Meredith had the eeriest feeling that ghosts of those sad victims had missed nothing of the newest chapter of violence to take place in this ancient building. She had never felt so cold, and her feet dragged unwillingly up the last few steps as if something was holding her back in spite of her anxiety to reach Joss.
Two of the staff stood on the landing, numbed by what had happened, and neither acknowledged Meredith. She went into the room, her eyes immediately seeking out Joss amidst the throng of police. He was near the window now where it was lighter, his shirt off so that Sid Frank could temporarily bind the wound in his arm and stem the bleeding. A pain zipped through her temples at the sight of it, and when she saw his grey jacket on the floor with the sleeve ripped she knew it was a miracle she wasn't witnessing something ten times worse.
Joss saw her and raised his eyebrows, a wry smile lifting the corners of his mouth. She went over to him, trying to match the philosophical ease with which he appeared to be coping with the situation, but it was the hardest bit of acting she had ever done.
'Sorry, Meredith, but it looks like you'll have to cancel this afternoon's appointments as well,' he said lightly. 'I'm being taken over to the hospital—it seems this scratch needs a few stitches.'
'I can drive you,' said Meredith.
'Afraid not, miss.' The policeman nearest to Joss was adamant. 'This is a police matter.'
Joss looked down at her, and as their eyes met for a crazy moment it felt as if they were alone in the room. She was deeply conscious of unspoken emotion, as if there was something he wanted her to understand, but there was nothing that could be said in that small, overcrowded room. He put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, and where it rested there was a burning sensation, as if the sun had been scorching it. She had a tremendous urge to lift her shoulder until his hand was trapped against her cheek, but that was sheer nonsense, the sort of affectionate trick played by lovers, and if he knew how ridiculously her feelings for him had changed she would probably be subjected to seering scorn.
'I'll follow you, then,' she said. 'You'll want someone to drive you home-afterwards.'
She wanted him to need her. The sight of his bronzed chest made her remember how she had pressed herself against him last night, and she longed for physical contact again. She was amazed at herself, confused, irrationally preoccupied with a mere gesture ' of friendship, which was all the hand on her shoulder implied.
'I'd rather you got back to the office and told Howard what's been going on,' Joss was saying. 'I don't know how long I shall be waiting around at the hospital, but if you could give Corinne a ring she'll do the running around. I've asked Mrs Burns to live in until Ellen gets home, so there won't be any problem about the children.'
Meredith shrugged his hand away, the dictatorial tone cutting at her raw nerves like a knife, and she was brought back to reality with shattering abruptness. It wasn't that she had forgotten about Corinne, but the events of the morning had pushed her to the back of Meredith's mind, and Joss's cool reminder returned her to earth with a jolt. Thank heavens she hadn't made a complete fool of herself just now and thrown herself at him as she'd been of a mind to do.
'I'll go now,' she said, lifting her head and making sure all trace of emotion was hidden behind the mask of efficiency she had trained herself to wear at difficult times. She smiled at the policeman nearby, gave a curt nod to Sid Frank, and turned to go.
'Meredith!' Joss called. She looked back. 'Thanks. I'll see you later.'
It seemed like days ago she had left the office, but when she got there it was still only lunchtime. She managed to catch her father before he went home and put him in the picture. He gave an incredulous whistle and bombarded her with questions, only some of which she could answer, and her head felt as if it would burst.
'Always thought there was something odd about that boy,' her father said. 'I can always tell. Not that I've had that much to do with them, but in the year they've been here Joss has been kept pretty busy. I think Colin's mother went off with another man when he was quite young and it must have played on his mind. I guess seeing it happen all over again with his wife must have just tipped the scales. It'll be quite a tough case for Joss to handle. Nasty.' He picked up a file of notes and put them in his briefcase. 'Come on, young lady, let's get some lunch.'
'I won't, if you don't mind, Daddy,' said Meredith. 'There's all this morning's work to catch up on, and I've got to phone Corinne. And honestly, I couldn't eat a thing.'
Her father paused with an affectionate smile. 'Poor Corinne, it'll be quite a shock for her. Fancy coming here to find herself landed with a brood of children to look after, and now a wounded fiancé!'
'Well, she doesn't need to stay.'
'No—o,' he said sagely.
'Poor Corinne, my foot! She took over the children of her own accord. I was perfectly capable of coping. In fact we were getting on very well.'
'Ye—es.' Howard stroked his chin thoughtfully and his eyes lingered on his precious only daughter. The way she had reacted to a casual remark had surprised him. He hadn't known her fly off the handle quite so forcefully for a long time; not since she first took up with Piers Loring, if he remembered rightly. 'Meredith, you wouldn't be falling in love with Joss Hamblyn yourself, by any chance?'
Meredith's mouth dropped open and she stared at her father in disbelief. Was it so pathetically obvious that even he could see she had temporarily taken leave of her senses? There was no doubt about it, she needed to sort herself out, and the first step was to deny it hotly.
'What a ridiculous suggestion!' she stormed. 'You know I've detested the man since the first moment I set eyes on him, so why come up with that idea? I am most definitely not in love with him!'
And may I be forgiven, she added silently.
Howard didn't look absolutely convinced, but he had more sense than to contradict. 'Good,' he
said. 'Because I should hate to see you hurt a second time. I have the highest regard for Joss as a business partner, but there's been no shortage of competition in the marriage stakes, and it wouldn't surprise me at all if even Corinne. failed to get him to the altar, in spite of her high hopes. Joss likes his freedom too much.' He snapped the briefcase shut and walked to the door. 'By the way, your mother phoned this morning. Your grandmother's making good progress and they've found a nursing home for her up there until we can find somewhere suitable nearer to us. She sent her love and told me to tell you she's planning on having the barbecue at the end of next week. I daren't tell her about Ellen being away.'
'I'm sure Corinne will be eager to help,' said Meredith. 'If she's still here.'
It was difficult to even mention Corinne's name without malice creeping into her tone. She would have to cure herself of it quickly. Almost as self-punishment she made the phone call to her that Joss had requested, and somehow managed to make her voice full of friendly concern.
She couldn't stay in the office over lunchtime. She couldn't clear her mind of the terror she had experienced when Joss stood alone in that dusty yard with a gun pointing at him, and her head ached violently. She sat in his chair, fingered the notepad where he had scribbled messages in bold, familiar writing, and touched the phone, wondering whether to ring the hospital to know if he was all right. Of course he was all right. They would think her mad, and Joss would just about blow a gasket! She had to get outside.
Almost of its own volition the car headed up the hill again towards the New Inn. It drew her like a magnet, yet as she slowed down to pass it there was nothing to see except a couple of customers' vehicles parked innocently outside during lunchtime opening; no sign of the drama that had taken place there only a short time ago. Meredith went on up to the moors and stopped at the spot where she had broken down on her first day home, memories crowding in with such clarity she had a job to disperse them. Like someone in a dream she opened the door and got out, breathing slowly and deeply as she had been taught in the yoga class she had attended the previous winter, and gradually she felt calmer.
