Fortune's Lead (24 page)

‘I’m—I’m sorry—’

‘Don’t worry, I’m only teasing.’ He caught me to him again: he had let me go while he thought. ‘Now then. Providing Charlie’s got a car ... Yes, that should be easy enough. I’ll smuggle, you in up the back stairs, just as you smuggled yourself out, and you can change back into evening dress—in which you were looking very lovely, in case I didn’t mention it—and then you can come down looking as if you never went out at all. It’s still surprisingly early, now I come to notice the time—not much after eleven. I think it should work, don’t you? If anyone thinks they saw you over at the Dog and Duck tonight, they must obviously have been mistaken, because there’ll be plenty of witnesses to say you were dancing the night away at Thurlanger House—and announcing your engagement to me, into the bargain! ‘Looking down at me, he added mischievously, ‘And that
is
part of the bargain. If we don’t include that, I’ll put you up and ride away with you without more ado! Agreed?’

‘Yes, Kevin,’ I said meekly.

‘Good,’ he said, while I reflected that the Thurlanger family were demons for bargaining. ‘Stay here then, darling, while I nip round the front and talk to Charlie.’

‘I’d—I’d rather come with you!’ I said quickly as he made for the window. ‘I can wait outside so that no one sees me—but I
don’t
want to stay in here!’

‘All right, but don’t catch cold.’ He opened the windows and climbed out, holding out his arms for me as I scrambled on to the sill. I heard him chuckle in the darkness. ‘Very clandestine we look, don’t we? Where’s Thunder? Ah, good fellow—he hasn’t slipped that hasty knot I put round the post. Come and say hallo to him, at least—he deserves that, doesn’t he?’

I went obediently, though nervously, with Kevin’s arm round me, half-blinded in the darkness but aware of the dark shape of Thunder ahead. We seemed to be in a yard—and I remembered abruptly another yard into which Michael had driven. I remembered something else, too, and clutched at Kevin.

‘It’s all right, don’t be scared—’

‘It’s not that. I—I left my suitcase in Michael’s car—’

‘Then I expect he’s gone off with it. Serve you right,’ Kevin said with equanimity, and took my hand to place it gently on his horse’s neck. ‘There now, boy, here’s Charlotte. Just show her you’re friendly. That’s it—you see? He likes you.
He’s
got taste, too!’

Thunder turned his head towards me in the darkness, and blew softly into my face. I decided I would get used to him. I would have to, anyway... Stroking his neck timidly, I felt the warmth of him under the silky coat, and the powerful muscles. He was a beautiful beast, and it would be uncharitable to go on being afraid of him when he had rescued me twice. He seemed disposed to accept me and I stroked him for a moment longer, more confidently, until Kevin stepped back.

‘All right, now, I’ll go and see Charlie. He must have just closed up, I should think. Stand over there, in the shadows, till I come back. You’ll be all right, won’t you?’

‘Yes—yes, fine—’

He kissed me quickly, and left me to stand in the shadowy corner away from Thunder. I shivered a little, and glanced up to see stars—the same stars which had witnessed my precipitate flight from Thurlanger earlier tonight. People said you could read fortunes by the stars...

When Kevin came back I caught hold of him with the urgency of my thoughts still on me. He began to say something about a car waiting, and everything being fixed—but I interrupted him breathlessly.

‘Kevin, I’ve just realized—what the gypsy said didn’t
have
to mean what I thought it meant! And the dark man I wasn’t to trust could have been Michael—he’s
much
darker than you!’

‘My darling idiot, what
are
you talking about?’

I ignored the uncomplimentary epithet. ‘I only
came
here because I’d had my fortune told, and—no, I suppose that
wasn’t
the only reason, but it did all seem to fit in! She said there was an older man whose name began with H and he’d have a great influence on my life—and he
has,
hasn’t he? And she said I’d have a short journey with my heart’s desire at the end of it, and the first person I met when I got here was
you
!’

‘I suppose tonight hasn’t sent you right off your head?’ Kevin asked mildly, keeping a tight hold on me as if I might fly off at any moment. ‘Your
fortune
told? My darling, you sound even
less
sensible than usual! Though I must say,’ he added, his teeth flashing in the darkness as he grinned at me, ‘I like the last bit. Very much!’

I knew he’d never believe me—and besides, I wasn’t at all sure myself that tonight hadn’t sent me right off my head. Still, if I was out of my mind, it was a very good place to be out of, at that moment. With Kevin’s arm round me as we went to find Mr. Hetherley’s car a few minutes later, I felt so happy that I ought to have been dreaming. But I wasn’t, I was awake; and the things Kevin said to me as we drove back to Thurlanger House made it seem likely that I was going to be happy for a very long time.