Dragon's Lair (29 page)

have to find the means to convince him herself. But how? She

shivered at the memory of his rejection of her arguments earlier.

She went slowly out of the room and up the stairs to the bedroom.

Mrs Parry was there, re-making the bed with fresh linen.

'I had to put your mum in here last night, see. I knew you wouldn't

mind, and there was nowhere else. She seemed very upset that you

weren't here, even though I told her you'd come to no harm with

your man with you.' She sighed. 'I asked her to stay for lunch, but

she will have it she must get back. Is she going to bring that car all

the way down the track to fetch her again?'

'I would imagine so,' Davina said rather drily. 'Walking any distance

is not one of her pastimes.'

'There now.' Mrs Parry's eyes widened. 'And how's your poor arm?'

Davina glanced at it. 'I haven't given it a great deal of thought so far

this morning, so it must be all right.'

'How did you do it?' Mrs Parry shook open a pillowcase and began

to insert the pillow.

'Didn't Gethyn tell you?' Davina raised her eyebrows. 'I thought you

were in his confidence.'

'I wouldn't say that.' Mrs Parry laid the pillow on the bed, frowning

slightly. 'He wouldn't thank me for putting my nose too much in his

affairs, good as he is. He told me he was taking you to spend a few

nights up at the old mill cottage or I'd have been worried, but he

doesn't say a lot about his plans.'

'I see.' Davina hesitated for a moment. 'I had a slight accident on the

cottage stairs.'

'What a shame!' Mrs Parry gave the plaster an indignant look.

'Spoiling your second honeymoon like that.'

Davina turned away. 'I would hardly have described it in those

terms,' she muttered.

'Well, that was what Gethyn called it. Wanted to get you on your

own, he said, and talk it all out.'

'He said that?' Davina stared at her, conscious of the stirring of a

sudden hope. 'Aunt Beth, you don't know where he is, do you?

I—I'd like to have a word with him.'

'He's not here. He's gone round to Huw Morgan's to return the

Landrover and collect his own.'

'I see.' Davina subsided, disappointed again. 'You've no idea when

he'll be back, I suppose?'

'None.' Mrs Parry smoothed the blankets into place. 'Although he

did say not to expect him back for supper.' She gave her wristwatch

a distracted glance. 'Oh, dear, I'm all behind this morning.' She

hurried away, muttering.

Acting with sudden decision, Davina grabbed her suitcase. She

couldn't pack anything properly, but tumbled her possessions in,

one on top of the other, pressing them down ruthlessly with her left

hand. She opened the drawers in the dressing chest and took out

some of Gethyn's sweaters and underwear, adding them to the

things already in the case before going along to the bathroom and

finding his razor and shaving soap in the wall cabinet. She didn't

think she'd forgotten anything, but if she had they would just have

to improvise, she told herself with more optimism than she had felt

all day.

Getting the overstuffed case shut with only one arm proved a more

difficult matter, and she was struggling with it, swearing under her

breath, when a voice spoke from the doorway.

'Packing?' It was Rhiannon.

'Spying?' Davina returned.

The other girl flushed and came forward into the room. 'No, I'm

not,' she retorted. 'I'm looking for that little nuisance Tim Fenton.

His family are all waiting to go and there's no sign of him.'

'I think you'll find he's-in the stable giving the horses some farewell

carrots.'

'Indeed he's not. That's where I looked first. Here, let me do that.'

Rhiannon took the case from her and forced it shut.

'Speeding the departing guest?' Davina asked with open sarcasm.

'Well, you don't expect me to weep over you, do you?' Rhiannon

said defensively. 'I could have made Gethyn forget all about you in

time. I know I could.' She sighed. 'Well, I can't stand here arguing. I

have that kid to find.' She gave Davina a curious look. 'What made

you think he'd be with the horses?'

'Something he said downstairs. He was hanging about in the hall

when I came in.'

'Hm.' Rhiannon pursed her lips. 'I wonder if Gethyn saw him?'

'Well, he had the Landrover at the gate ...' Davina paused as a

thought occurred to her. She flushed slightly. 'I suppose Tim

wouldn't-have climbed into the back of the Landrover without

Gethyn seeing and gone joy-riding over to Morgans' farm?'

Rhiannon stared at her. 'Why should he do that? Mucky old way to

ride, that.'

'Precisely,' Davina said rather dryly. 'It struck me it's the sort of

thing a kid might do.' And some supposed adults, she added

silently.

'I'll give Huw a ring,' Rhiannon decided. 'It's worth a try, I suppose.

I hope you're right in a way, because his mam's getting anxious

about him.'

She went out, and after a pause to make sure she hadn't left

anything, Davina followed her. There was quite a council of war

gathered in the hall below. Mrs Parry was there, looking more

harassed than ever, but attempting to allay the fears of Mrs Fenton,

who was sitting on the hall chair looking rather pale. Even her

mother had joined the group, Davina noticed with faint surprise. As

she came down the stairs, Rhiannon returned to the hall.

'He's not there,' she reported briefly. 'But Huw's coming over to help

us look.'

'God help him when we do find him,' Mr Fenton said grimly. 'He's

too fond of roaming off like this. He never sees the slightest danger

in anything.'

Mrs Greer detached herself from the group and came over to where

Davina was standing.

'What an unfortunate thing to happen,' she said in a tone of

complete indifference. 'I suppose one can hardly blame the Parrys,

but it is to be hoped that the child will be found safe for their sakes.

Are you ready, Davina? The car is here. I told the driver to give us

five minutes.'

'I'm not going with you, Mother,' Davina said patiently. 'I couldn't

leave now anyway even if I wanted—not with Tim missing. If

there's going to be a search party I want to help.'

'With a broken arm? You'll be a complete liability,' Mrs Greer said

scathingly. 'Don't get involved. After all, these people mean nothing

to you, Come along, Davina. I can't keep the driver waiting any

longer.'

'Then go,' Davina said, quite gently. 'You see, Mother, I am

involved for better or worse. This is Gethyn's home, and I'm his

wife.'

Mrs Greer's eyes were inimical as they met Davina's. She gave a

short mirthless laugh. 'Then I wish you joy of it, my dear, and of

your husband's garrulous aunt, and that sulky daughter of hers. I

hope you won't have too many regrets.' She turned away. Davina

followed.

'I'll see you to the car.'

Mrs Greer did not reply. Her back very upright, she swept down the

path towards the gate. At the gate, she stopped.

'You needn't come any further,' she said dismissively. 'You've made

your decision, and I don't suppose I shall see you again. I hope

you'll have the courtesy to tell your uncle what you've decided.

Though no doubt he will encourage you. He always did have a soft

spot for Gethyn Lloyd—that "Welsh fire-eater", as he called him.'

Her smile was pure ice. 'I hope you don't get scorched by the

flames, Davina. Goodbye.'

She did not make any attempt to embrace Davina or touch her at

all. She climbed into the back of the car and motioned the

long-suffering driver to be on his way. Davina watched the car

lurch uncomfortably up to the first bend in the track, then turned to

go back in the house. Then she stopped, remembering what her

mother had just said. 'A fire-eater,' she thought. 'A dragon. And Tim

talked about the dragon. He wanted to go up to the cave to say

goodbye.' A feeling of chill settled in the pit of her stomach as she

remembered the deep pool and the slippery rocks. Quite safe when

there were adults around to keep a watchful eye. But for a small

boy on his own? She had taken one step towards the house when

she heard the sound of a vehicle and turned back eagerly, hoping it

might be Gethyn. But it was Huw Morgan's cheerful face smiling at

her over the steering wheel.

'Don't look so stricken,
bach,'
he greeted her as he jumped out. 'The

kid won't have got far.'

'He might—and I can't help feeling I'm partly to blame.' Swiftly she

told him of Tim's preoccupation with the dragon story and her own

light-hearted encouragement. 'I practically told him there was a

dragon,' she ended tragically. 'Oh, Huw, if anything's happened to

him, I'll never forgive myself!'

Huw glanced at his watch. 'And when did you see him in the hall?

Come on then, let's put your mind at rest. He won't have got that

far, if that's where he's heading. I'll take the Landrover for part of

the way, to save time. Get in.'

Davina sat beside him, hunched forward a little, her eyes scanning

the distant horizon for a small figure. Huw glanced at her. 'Relax!

You're like a cat on hot bricks. It's not just the disappearance of

young Master Fenton that's upsetting you, is it?'

'No,' she said.

He sighed. 'I suppose it's you and Gethyn again. Oh, hell and

damnation! I really thought things were going to work out for you

after last night. I was telling myself I'd done the right thing when I

phoned him and told him you'd suddenly arrived out of the blue.'

'You phoned him?' Davina stared at him. 'But I thought it was

Gethyn's aunt.'

'No, it was me. I had a nasty feeling you might just vanish again if I

didn't do something drastic.'

'And was that why you took me out dancing?' Davina enquired

dryly.

He reddened a little. 'Only partly. And I did tell Gethyn.'

'I wish you'd told Mrs Parry. She started regarding me as the scarlet

woman.'

He grinned. 'I think she'd regard any girl I took out apart from

Rhiannon in that light.'

'How are things now—between you and Rhiannon?' asked Davina.

Huw shrugged lightly. 'Static, you could say. But I'll win through in

the end, have no fear.'

Davina regarded him with amused wonderment. 'I believe you.'

'And up on the hill,' said Huw with great satisfaction, 'is boyo.'

He stopped the Landrover and they got out. Huw put his hands to

his mouth and bellowed Tim's name, but the distant speck went on

climbing steadily away from him.

Huw hesitated. 'I'll go and get him,' he said. 'Will you wait here for

me?'

'I think I'll follow slowly.'

'Well, mind the old arm,' Huw warned solicitously as he loped off

up the slope. 'One bit in plaster at a time's quite enough!'

Davina found herself smiling as she followed his flying figure at a

sedate pace. She had no real reason to feel sorry for Rhiannon, she

thought. Rhiannon had it made.

It was even warmer on the hill than it had been the previous day,

and the flies were persistent and annoying. It was quite a relief to

sink down on the grass and watch for Huw returning, a protesting

red-faced Tim hoisted on his shoulders.

'It's not fair!' he was saying loudly as they came within earshot. 'It's

nearly dinner time and the dragon would have woken up by now.'

'Then that's just the time to keep out of his way,' Huw returned.

'And your mam's worried sick about you. If you don't consider other

people's feelings, then you don't even deserve to see a dragon.'

He dumped Tim on to the front seat and turned to Davina. 'Jump in,

bach,
and I'll run you both back.'

Davina hesitated. In the distance she could see the jumble of grey

stone and slate that was the mill and its outbuildings and an idea

had occurred to her.

'I don't think I'll go back yet.' She smiled at Huw. 'I feel like a stroll.'

'All right, then.' He gave her a dubious look. 'But don't go overdoing

things. We don't want any more accidents— or searches,' he added,

aiming a playful swipe at a downcast Tim, plainly contemplating

the wrath to come.

Davina meekly promised to take every care and stood watching as

the Landrover swayed and lurched down the track towards Plas

Gwyn and out of sight. Then she turned and continued up the valley

towards the mill.

It was the first time she had seen it in daylight. It was a tall rather