New Boss at Birchfields (15 page)

She wasn
’
t too surprised to hear his burst of laughter,
‘
it
’
s easy to see you
’
re no lover of poetry!
’

‘
Oh, but I am,
’
she protested.
‘
I know I can
’
t
write
poetry, but I love to read it.
’

‘I
s that so?
’
His voice held amusement.
‘
Come in a moment, and I
’
ll try to rout out something helpful.
’
When they went into the house he led her into what at one time had been the main sitting-room of Birchfields. But how different it looked now!

When he switched on the central lights Briony found herself in a room that seemed much larger and more spacious, now that the clutter of Hettie
’
s days had been swept away. In place of the worn, shabby furniture were broad
modern
armchairs covered in cream-coloured vinyl and brilliantly tinted rugs lay on the shining wood floor.

‘
Take a seat,
’
he ordered, as he crossed to one of the low bookcases against the walls. As he threw open the glass doors and plucked out a couple of volumes, Briony slowly laid his coat over the back of one of the armchairs and took a seat near the bright fire.

‘
Now here
’
s the kind of thing I like,
’
Blane was saying.
‘
The old ballads, so simple that you
’
d think anyone could copy them, but full of good stories, like the one about the man from the North Country who stole away the bride on her wedding day. They believed in the success of first love in those days. If a new man came into the lady
’
s life, the hero just rode in and abducted her.

“
He
’
s ta
’
en her by the milk-white hand

And by the grass-green sleeve.

He
’
s mounted her behind himself.

Of her kin he asked no leave.

His broad brown fingers rapidly turned the pages.
‘
They knew the price of love, these old poets. Here
’
s the story of Willie who had to fight fifteen knights to win his fair lady.

“
He has gone to his lady dear

And given her kisses, many a one.

Thou art my own, I have bought thee, dear love,

And now we will walk the woods our lone.

‘
A man doesn
’
t have to fight fifteen knights to win his fair lady nowadays, but love can still cost a man as dearly; but here, you
’
d better look through this yourself.
’

As he spoke he handed her the book.

She took it from him, opened it and pretended to be studying the pages, but she had a curious sensation of unreality, a breathless feeling as if she were being swept along too quickly in some great tide. She had never seen him in this mood before, never heard him talk like this! This was a new Blane Lennox—a person she had not even suspected existed.

The volume in her hands was beautifully bound in pale green with the title
Old Scottish Ballads
written on it in gold, and as she turned it in her hands it fell open at the flyleaf and she saw:

‘
Then win me, win me, if you will,

For well I know you may.
‘

and
‘
Senga
’
written in bold lettering with a great stroke of the pen underneath.

Briony, seated rigidly upright in her chair, was unconsciously turning over and over in her hands the volume of love ballads.

Blane was walking restlessly about the room, talking more to himself than to her.
‘
But then I don
’
t suppose this means an awful lot to you. After all, you
’
re very young and probably, apart from a few sentimental affairs, have no notion what a deep love is like.
’

His bright penetrating eyes were fixed upon her and she gazed at him in speechless confusion. What if she were to reveal to him that she had known what it was to be madly, crazily, and completely in love?

For an instant she closed her eyes as she remembered Jeremy—his quick, utterly charming smile that could make the day brighten up for her. And how an angry word had cast her into the depths of misery!

What if she were to reveal to Blane that she had known heartbreak? Would it make a bond between them when he realised that instead of being the naive and inexperienced girl he imagined her to be she had experienced all the bitterness of being rejected by Jeremy
Wa
rn
e? But then, she reminded herself cautiously, Blane Lennox was a man of quick temper and unpredictable emotions. Was it not more likely he would feel nothing but contempt for her? No, she daren
’
t risk confiding in him, no matter how much she longed to spill out her troubles.

But how clearly this had brought Jeremy before her mind, reminding her of a past she had tried to thrust behind her.

And yet she knew she did not want to bring this episode to a close.

In a very short time Blane would very likely bring this little chat to a short and brisk termination. After all, he would be having dinner with Senga in Aberdeen this evening and he would have to change and drive to Laureston to collect her. What attraction could she possibly hold for him that Senga wouldn
’
t have a hundredfold? She could visualise the other girl dressed for the evening, looking almost beautiful in red silk, perhaps. Her dress floating about her tall slim figure, her hair drawn smoothly back to emphasise those high cheekbones, her wide mouth heavily lipsticked, she would be more elegant, more interesting than any other woman in the room.

And no doubt this would be the very night when Blane would propose! Surely this had been in his mind when he had reached for that volume of ballads? So that explained the strange uncharacteristic mood that seemed to hold him. He had really been speaking his thoughts aloud to her, probably no more aware of her presence than of the chair she was sitting on. And the thought struck her like a blow. She stood up.
‘
I
’
d—I
’
d better be getting home.
’
The words came from stiff lips.

She held out the book, but he said quickly,
‘
Keep it for a while. Take care of it. It was given to me by a friend and I wouldn
’
t like to lose it.
’

‘
I
’
ll—I
’
ll take good care of it and let you have it back in a few days,
’
she heard her own voice say as though coining from a distance. All she wanted now was to be out in the dusk of the evening, to collect her thoughts to introduce some calm into the whirlwind that seemed to envelop her.

But as she spoke they could hear the phone ringing in the office across the hall.

When Blane went out, Briony left the sitting-room and began to move across the hall. But as she was about to leave the house, the door of the office was thrown open.
‘
That call was from Senga,
’
Blane told her.
‘
It seems Sandra hasn
’
t arrived at Laureston yet.
’

‘
What? But she left ages ago!
’
Briony exclaimed.

‘
I know. I saw her leave just as I returned,
’
he said.
‘
What on earth can have become of her? Well, one thing is clear—she
’
ll have to be found. Senga is making up a search party of the older girls right away. And oh, by the way, she asked about you. I told her you were here and she wants to speak to you for a moment.

CHAPTER EIGHT

It
was with reluctance that Briony entered the office and picked up the receiver. What would Senga have to say to her? Nothing pleasant, she felt sure! And she was right!

‘
I just wanted to ask you if you don
’
t feel that you should have driven Sandra back to the school,
’
Senga
’
s voice enquired.
‘
Blane tells me he saw her go off on that damned diminutive cycle of hers.
’

‘
But I
did
offer to drive her back,
’
Briony said quickly.
‘
I thought she looked tired, you see, but she insisted, and
—’

‘
She insisted!
’
Senga
’
s voice broke in cuttingly.
‘
Sandra insisted—and you gave way to her! And yet Blane tells me you
’
re a wonder with children. I must say that
’
s not
my
idea of how children should be handled! Sometimes they have to be taken firmly for their own good. Anyway, you
’
re out of it now. Blane
’
s coming over right away and bringing Johnny and Andy with him to help in the search. You can go home and rest. You
’
ve done a good day
’
s work—and managed to spoil my evening—but that will hardly cost you your night
’
s sleep, I expect!
’

And the receiver was abruptly replaced at Senga
’
s end.

Briony found Blane waiting for her in the hall. He was wearing a windcheater and had put on rubber boots and was carrying a storm lamp. He flashed it on for a second and Briony saw that it had a powerful beam.

‘
This is my fault,
’
Briony said miserably.
‘
I should have insisted on driving Sandra back.
’

‘
There
’
s no use crying over spilt milk,
’
he replied.
‘
Come, get into the car and I
’
ll drop you off at the cottage on my way to the school.
Mrs.
McPhee has gone to rout out the two boys, and we
’
ll pick them up on our way.
’

‘
But I must have a part in the search,
’
Briony protested.
‘
After all
—’

‘
After all, it was all your fault!
’
he broke in.
‘
Really, Briony, who on earth could tell what a child like Sandra will get up to? Any other child could have cycled home safely considering it
’
s a perfectly plain, flat road with the school visible for miles—but not Sandra. She has a genius for being different. But this I do notice—that while at times you can be rather severe with the other children, you seem to feel that Sandra must never be corrected.
’

‘
It
’
s—it
’
s just that she
’
s rather a lame duck,
’
Briony defended herself, feeling rather foolish.
‘
She
’
s easily discouraged, and one likes to encourage any little show of initiative.
’

‘
Well, this is one show of initiative that
’
s going to cost us dear. It just so happens that I had rather an important appointment this evening, but between you, you and Sandra have managed to put paid to it.
’

‘
All the more reason why I should have a part in the search,
’
Briony said stubbornly.

‘
All right. I
’
ll drop you off at the cottage for a moment and you can let your godmother know where you
’
ll be. But I warn you, don
’
t keep me waiting, or I
’
ll go off without you.
’

They found Johnny and Andy waiting by the gate. They piled into the back of the car and after a moment or two Johnny said on bated breath,
‘
How did she manage to get lost? The road
’
s perfectly clear.
’
He turned to Briony.
‘
There
’
s no chance she
’
s run off, is there?
’

‘
What?
’
Briony gasped. The idea had not occurred to her.

But to her surprise Blane said,
‘
The same thought crossed my mind, and that
’
s why I
’
m taking you with us, Briony. You have more influence over the child than anyone else. If Sandra is up to mischief you might be able to coax her to behave.
’

Give a dog a bad name, Briony was thinking indignantly. But she did not dare to defend Sandra openly. When she reflected that this should have been the evening when Blane became engaged to Senga, she was only surprised that he was not in a rage, instead of showing a sort of weary contemptuous resignation to the situation.

They drew up at the cottage. Briony was out of the car and racing along the path in a moment.

‘
Now just where have you been?
’
Hettie greeted her as soon as she put in an appearance.
‘
Don
’
t tell me you
’
ve been all this time showing that Lennox man the hole in the oak tree?
’

‘
Don
’
t delay me, Hettie,
’
Briony pleaded as she turned towards the stairs.
‘
Sandra is lost, and we must search for her immediately.
’

To her relief this diverted the kindhearted Hettie.
‘
Is that the little girl you were telling me about—the one who rides a donkey?
’

‘
The very same,
’
Briony agreed.
‘
And Hettie, do me a favour! Make up a flask of coffee—the instant kind will have to do. Oh, and Hettie, if you could find the electric torch I could take it with me.
’

She ran on upstairs and changed into warm slacks and a sweater. She put on sturdy ankle-length boots and tucked the ends of her slacks into them. There was no time to comb her hair, so she snatched up a cap made of creamy Aran wool surmounted by a pom-pom and pulled it on. Then, taking a rainproof jacket with capacious pockets, she ran downstairs.

Hettie had risen to the occasion. She hurried out of the kitchen with a big flask of coffee.
‘
Here, here it is,
’
she said.
‘
A good thing I had the kettle boiling! And here
’
s the torch. The battery is still going, but I don
’
t know how much longer it will hold out.
’

‘
Thanks, Hettie.
’
Briony slipped on the jacket, stuffed the flask into one of the pockets and snatched up the torch.
‘
You
’
ve been wonderful. But don
’
t wait up for me. We don
’
t know what
’
s happened to her, or how long it will take to find her. There
’
s no use in sitting up worrying. Try to get some sleep.
’

‘
You may be sure I
’
ll get plenty of sleep tonight!
’
Hettie told her ironically.
‘
What do you take me for, Briony? I
’
ll be waiting up for you when you return, with hot soup. Now be off!
’

Trust Hettie to turn up trumps, Briony was thinking as she gave her godmother a hug and rushed out to the car.

‘
This must be the world
’
s record for a quick change,
’
Blane remarked as he started the engine.
‘
I must say I didn
’
t hope to see you for another ten minutes.
’

‘
What
’
s more, I brought a flask of coffee,
’
she told him triumphantly as she took her place beside him once more.
‘
If Sandra hasn
’
t been able to find shelter, she
’
s sure to be chilled this evening.
’

After that there was silence in the car as in tense concentration they watched the road as the powerful beam of the headlights illuminated it.

‘
It
’
s a complete mystery,
’
Blane said after a while.
‘
Where can that child have disappeared to—that is if she
’
s not hiding somewhere trying to scare us and make herself important.
’

‘
I don
’
t believe she is,
’
Briony told him quietly.
‘
Sandra is doing her very best these days. The last I heard from her was that she was looking forward to her next lesson.
’

‘
What exactly did she say?
’
Blane asked.
‘
Did she give any hint as to what was going on in that strange little mind of hers?
’

‘
Let me think.
’
Briony wrinkled her brow.
‘
I warned her to keep to the road and she said she would, and she said that she could see the school from quite a distance. Then she said that she wouldn
’
t get lost in this part of the country, because Senga takes the girls out on paper
-
chases and they
’
ve learned to find their own way back
to the school. But surely
—’

While she had been speaking the eyes of everyone in the car were fixed on the terrain through which they were passing, a wide expanse of moor, boulder-strewn and overgrown with heather and clumps of bracken.

‘
But surely even Sandra wouldn
’
t be mad enough to attempt a short cut,
’
Blane ended for her.
‘
If I were you I wouldn
’
t count on it. I only hope Sandra knows her way through the moor as well as she thinks. Over there to the east,
’
he pointed to a rise of ground which could be detected as the headlights swept through a slight bend in the road,
‘
there
’
s a deep hollow where some quarrying work was carried on for a short while. The quarry was closed down, but the spot still remains dangerous. There
’
s what amounts to a short cliff face, and if she fell over that she certainly would be in trouble.
’

‘
But surely she must have been here while it was still light,
’
Briony protested.

‘
That
’
s true,
’
he agreed.
‘
We may as well cease trying to figure it out, because we won
’
t know the explanation until we find her.
’

He stopped the car on the gravel sweep before the school. And here everything was a scene of activity. Senga, assisted by a few of the other teachers, was organising the older girls into search groups.

The two boys were out of the back of the car in a trice and went to get their instructions. Blane went forward to speak to Senga and more slowly Briony got out of the car. As she did so she caught sight of the book of ballads l
y
ing on the Seat of the car. She picked it up and put it into one of the pockets of her jacket.

As she stood beside the car she saw Senga turn her head for a moment, fix her with an angry stare, and then return her attention to Blane once more. In her heart Briony could not blame the girl for this deliberate cut. She knew that had she been in Senga
’
s place she would have felt the same.

She heard Blane speak of the disused quarry, and heard Senga say that it had been searched and that Sandra was not there.

It was not long before Briony found herself one of a small party setting out on the search. They followed in single file a path which was invisible to her, but which apparently these girls, shining their torches before them, were able to make out. In spite of their guidance Briony found herself stumbling and wandering from the path, and once or twice when she struck her foot against an outcrop of rock, she would have fallen had not one of the girls grasped her by the arm and held her up. At length, feeling she was holding them back, she told the girls to go ahead and that she would keep up with them as well as she could.

It could hardly have been a more difficult night for the search, Briony was thinking as she edged along in the wake of the others. A chill wind was blowing which carried away the voices of the girls ahead, so that when they called out instructions to her she had great difficulty in making out what they were saying. Clouds scudded across the sky, occasionally revealing a rather pale and watery moon, but when these closed in again the going seemed even more difficult than before. Gradually she became a little separated from the girls in front who were edging forward confidently, flashing their torches from side to side.

Briony, following more slowly, tried to imitate them. She cast her torch in wide sweeps over the gorse and boulder-strewn wilderness, and as she did so she thought she detected a silvery gleam behind a clump of bracken.

Cautiously she made her way around a large granite boulder that was in her way, only to discover that the gleam she had seen was the reflection of the moon shining for an instant on Sandra
’
s bicycle. And to her amazement she found the child lying curled up on the ground beside her bicycle fast asleep.