New Boss at Birchfields (21 page)

‘
What on earth do you mean?
’
she demanded.

‘
Well, you
’
re obviously not one of the girls he left behind him,
’
he told her dryly.
‘
Abergour isn
’
t so far from Aberdeen, after all. You
’
ll have plenty of opportunities for rendezvousing.
’

‘
Considering I spend so much of my time at the Lennox Riding School, working like a slave, I certainly won
’
t have much opportunity to see him,
’
she replied tartly.

His eyes lit up with amusement and she realised she had hit the right note. Blane Lennox was the sort of man who liked a girl to speak up for herself, and her reply had completely disarmed him—for the time being at least.

But as they strolled towards the car he was silent, and she wondered if it could be possible that he was resentful of her meeting with Jeremy. But she dismissed the thought immediately. Blane had so much
self-confidence
that the idea of his resenting her interest in another man was ridiculous. Anyway, it was only too clear that Senga was the girl he was interested in!

The reason for his attitude became apparent as they drove swiftly towards Abergour.
‘
You know, Briony, I wonder how long you
’
re going to be content at the Riding School?
’

‘
What on earth do you mean?
’
She turned to gaze at him in amazement.

‘
Well, you
’
ve not very many young people to turn to, have you? Oh, you hit it off well enough with the boys, Johnny and Andy: you always seem to have something to laugh and chat about. Now there
’
s this chap in Aberdeen! To begin with, he
’
s more your age than I am, but apart from that, I expect he
’
s good company. It
’
s natural you should get along well. As for me—well, I
’
m too wrapped up in business perhaps. I never seem to have time to relax. I expect it
’
s because I took on responsibility while I was still very young.
’

Briony
’
s first reaction was one of relief. So he suspected nothing more in her relationship with Jeremy than that they had been good pals in her previous job. Somehow she shrank from the thought of his knowing how deeply she had been involved with Jeremy at one time. The story of her humiliating rejection was the last thing she wanted to come to his ears.

She gave him a covert glance. He drove swiftly and expertly, she realised, his eyes fixed on the road, dark and withdrawn. Suddenly she felt a tenderness well up in her heart for him. Strange to think that this
stern
man should envy the sound of the laughter she shared with Johnny and Andy many a time in the tack room. She could hardly let him know that, since meeting him, Jeremy
’
s facile charm and the fascination that he had once exerted over her had quite faded. And as for Johnny and Andy, as far as she was concerned, they were mere babies! Never at any time had she even remotely thought of taking them seriously.

Well, at any rate, better he should think that what she desired was youthful companionship, than suspect the thrill of happiness she felt when sitting side by side with this vital, mature man who held an attraction for her that frightened her with its intensity.

What would be his reaction, she wondered a little wildly, if she were to tell him now that he was the most fascinating man she had ever met and that she was madly in love with him? To her dismay she heard herself give a little hysterical giggle.

He glanced at her.
‘
What
’
s the joke?
’

‘
Oh, just thinking of something utterly ludicrous,
’
she told him.

His lips curved in a smile that, to her surprise, was almost tender.
‘
Well, at any rate you seem to have enjoyed our little outing.
’

‘
Yes, of course I have,
’
she told him truthfully. Not even Jeremy could spoil this for her, she thought, and it
was something she could remember in future days, when this hard taskmaster of hers brought her temper to boiling point.

In companionable silence
the
y drove through the village and finally stopped outside the little wooden gate to Amulree Cottage.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

As the car stopped, Briony said,
‘
I
’
ll change into working gear and come along for the rest of the afternoon. I shan
’
t be long.
’

‘
No need to do that,
’
Blane replied.
‘
You
’
ve done well enough for one day as far as I
’
m concerned.
’

She hesitated before getting out of the car. How she longed to be able to prolong the occasion by inviting him into Amulree for tea! But Hettie
’
s antagonistic attitude towards him made such a thing completely out of the question.

Reluctantly she reached for the door, but her hand had barely touched it when Blane enclosed her fingers in a firm grip that prevented her from pulling on the handle.

Startled, she turned to face him.

‘
No need to go right away, Briony.
’
His voice was low and urgent and something in the steady, almost fierce look that raked her face made her heart beat faster.

‘
Hettie will be wondering why
—’
she began.

‘
Let
’
s keep Hettie out of this. Would you be so anxious to part from me if I were Jeremy Wa
rn
e, I wonder?
’

‘
But that
’
s nonsense!
’
she said, attempting a laugh which, even to her own ears, sounded nervously
u
ncertain.

‘
You mean you
’
ve never as much as exchanged a parting kiss?
’
he asked sardonically.

‘
What do you mean by that?
’

‘
Look, you can
’
t pull the wool over my eyes, Briony. I
’
ve seen you and this Jeremy together. Don
’
t tell me you
’
ve not been very close friends!
’

She attempted a show of indifference.
‘
But of course we have! I
’
ve told you that we worked together in the same office. People can
’
t meet day after day and remain strangers. Naturally we got to know each other well.
’

‘
How well?
’
he rapped, his eyes steely.

She turned her head away, as she realised with a rush that whatever feeling she had once had for Jeremy was nothing like the overwhelming attraction she felt for this man so close beside her.

But before she could gather her wits to form a suitable answer, his arms were about her.
‘
Dear Briony, can
’
t you see I don
’
t want you to leave me—ever,
’
he said, his voice very low, as his lips met hers.

It was then, with dizzying happiness, she realised that she had been right, for never in Jeremy
’
s arms had she felt such ecstasy.

She was breathless when he released her. But as her head stopped whirling, a cold monitoring little voice seemed to whisper a warning in her ear, reminding her that Jeremy had caused her heartbreak. How much more so would it be with a man like Blane, were she fool enough to fall for what was probably, as far as he was concerned, no more than a moment
’
s indulgence. To him, this couldn
’
t mean anything serious or lasting, when it was obvious that he had his future pretty well mapped out with Senga.

Well, this time she was not going to be a dupe, she told herself with sudden overriding fury. Never again would a man attract her and then discard her as casually as Jeremy had done! And before she realised just what she was about, she had struck out wildly at Blane
—
ineffectually, as it proved, for in her rage, her fingers barely grazed his jaw.

She didn
’
t wait to see his reaction, but wrenching at the car door, she sprang out and raced up the path. But as she pushed on the cottage door, she found that it was locked. Hettie must be out. Tremulous with agitation, she fumbled in her bag for her key. As she did so, she heard Blane
’
s car roar off, scattering gravel that spurted beneath the wheels like an expression of his anger and contempt.

Sick at heart, she went into the sitting-room. It was a consolation that Hettie was not at home, she thought drearily. She would not, at least, have to face her godmother
’
s reproaches had she been a witness to the scene.

Wearily she climbed the steps to her room and sank down on her bed. Her thoughts whirled round and round in confusion. Why on earth had she acted so impulsively? If only she had retained her dignity and, instead of letting emotion overwhelm her, had dismissed the episode with the sort of sophistication Senga would have shown. Instead, she had reacted impulsively. He would bitterly resent her behaviour—of that she was certain. So proud a man would not take that treatment without retaliating, and she dreaded facing him in the morning.

On the following day Briony lingered over her breakfast, reluctant to face the walk to Birchfields and the moment of encountering him. It would be like confronting a dragon in his den, she decided apprehensively.

Hettie glanced at her curiously, as she bustled around collecting the ingredients for her weekly bread-making session.
‘
It
’
s not like you to dawdle over breakfast. Usually you can
’
t get up to Birchfields fast enough! Not that it would be any harm if you lost that precious job of yours!
’

With a guilty start Briony got to her feet. It was true that she was reluctant to leave the familiar and sheltering walls of Amulree. But Hettie was beginning to clear away the breakfast table in such a marked manner that Briony realised she would have to set off.

As she approached the Riding School she seemed to
be seeing it with fresh eyes. Smooth green turf enclosed by gleaming white railings; severely symmetrical loose
-
boxes—it occurred to her that this new Birchfields that Blane had created was strictly functional. Even the flower-beds in front of the house seemed regimented. No doubt he would consider a brightly coloured herbaceous border a waste of valuable space!

At the moment there was no sign of him, and as she walked along the drive she wondered if she could slip into the tack room without encountering him.

But she was out of luck. As she went into the yard she saw him approach and to her dismay she realised that things were much worse than she had expected. Instead of looking irate, he looked dangerously calm, his face set, as though carved out of hard stone, his eyes cold.

‘
You
’
re late!
’
he said shortly, his voice full of contempt, and to her dismay Briony felt her cheeks redden.

She was trying to think of a reply that would be conciliating without sounding too apologetic, when he said abruptly,
‘
Well, don
’
t stand around. Get cracking! There
’
s plenty of work for you to do this morning. First of all, I think you
’
d better start and muck out the stables.
’

She glanced at him in surprise. Usually the lads did this job as .a matter of course, and, without thinking, she blurted out,
‘
But the boys usually do that!
’

‘
Well, you
’
re doing it this morning! What the boys usually do has nothing to do with the matter,
’
he replied grimly.
‘
When I engaged you it was on the understanding that you would be a capable stable-hand. Now, it seems, you
’
re too grand to sully your dainty fingers by mucking out.
’

‘
No, of course not,
’
she said hastily.
‘
I
don
’
t mind doing it at all, if that
’
s what you want.
’

‘
That
’
s exactly what I want!
’
he told her dryly.
‘
But if at any time you feel incapable of carrying out the ordinary duties of a stable lad, just let me know, and I certainly shan
’
t hold you against your will!
’

She had finished and was leaning a little wearily against the half door of the last loose-box when he approached again. Had he been watching her, and timed his visit almost to the exact minute when she would have completed her task?

When he had inspected the work he turned and stared at her remotely.
‘
I suggest now that you clean the tack. I want it washed and thoroughly saddle-soaped. It seems to me that Johnny and Andy have been skimping on the job, but I have the feeling that you
’
ll prove more conscientious.
’

His voice still held its dry ironic tone. But the idea that she should spend a boring session in the tack room instead of attending to her beloved Shetlands filled her with rebellious dismay.

‘
But what about the ponies?
’
she asked quickly.

‘
It
’
s about time you realised that you
’
re not going to get all the cushy jobs here,
’
he told her brusquely, as he left her.

Briony stared after him, her mouth set mulishly. She wasn
’
t sorry now, she decided, that she had behaved as she had done on the previous evening. Blane had had it coming to him! And as for her getting the cushy jobs
—
how typical of the man! She had done nothing but work her fingers to the bone since she had come to Birchfields.

But she
’
d show him, she told herself firmly, as she walked towards the tack room. Never again would she give him the slightest assistance over and above her ordinary duties. She
’
d leave his beastly tack room glittering like the sun, she told herself, but not one finger would she lift for him apart from that. In future she would treat him with cold aloofness, she thought with a certain amount of satisfaction. Let him organise the treasure hunt himself, if he wanted to, or, better still, let Senga organise it for him!

But even as she realised that this was most probably what he would do, she felt cold fingers clutch at her heart. She had enjoyed working on the treasure hunt with Blane. The idea of Senga taking her place as his assistant, with all the intimacy it implied, filled her with gloom.

She set to work right away on the monotonous business of examining each piece of tack; washing and polishing the leather until it gleamed, and the buckles until they glittered. She missed the company of the two boys. Usually when they were there they kept the rather battered transistor going at full pelt. Now she worked in silence, only her frustration giving speed to her fingers.

She was still at it when the boys came in for their morning break, and soon it was clear that Johnny too was not in the best of humours. He was particularly vitriolic concerning Blane
’
s Hanoverian.
‘
That animal is a proper devil,
’
he said, disgruntled.
‘
You don
’
t know what trouble I had trying to handle him this morning, and I
’
d no sooner finished with him than I had to see to the Shetlands. The boss has given them to me—and mind you, that
’
s something I hadn
’
t bargained for.
’

Briony could feel her cheeks grow pale.
‘
You mean you
’
re
to take care of them in future?’

‘
Yes, the little darlings are all mine from now on,
’
Johnny replied grumpily. It was plain it was a task that was not at all welcome.
‘
What on earth has happened between you and the boss? I could see he was doing it just to spite you, because he knows how keen you are on the little fellows. You must have rubbed him up the wrong way on that trip to Aberdeen and, believe me, he
’
s taking it out on Andy and myself in no small measure.
’
He glanced towards Andy for confirmation.