No Greater Joy (16 page)

'We can hardly make love now, not when you're expected to show yourself at breakfast.' He pushed himself a little away from her, so that he could look down into her eyes. 'I wonder if you would have let me make love to you, Alison?'

She looked back at him wordlessly. Her body was on fire, the emotions that raged inside her like nothing she had ever known. She wanted to speak, but her mouth was so dry that the words did not make it past her lips.

'I'm a normal man, Alison, and I can't take this suspense much longer. More than anything in the world I want to make love to you. I'd like to stay with you all day.'

'I know...'

'But it's not fated to be.' With an obvious effort, he pushed himself away from her.

'No.' She was beyond saying anything more than the simplest words.

'I'll come and see you again tonight, Alison.'

'All right,' she whispered.

Clint pulled her to him for a final kiss. 'No partying with Brian tonight,' he warned. 'I can't answer for what will happen if you're not here!'

Breakfast was almost over when Clint walked into the big meal tent. He had showered and shaved and changed his clothes since Alison had seen him, and despite the fact that he'd had little sleep, he looked fresh and rested.

Virginia officially welcomed Clint back to camp. He made jokes with the children and friendly conversation with the counsellors, catching up on all the news that had happened in his absence. There were even a few innocuous remarks to Alison.

Alison moved through the day in a kind of glow. While she worked with the horses, and took the older campers for a ride through the foothills, her mind was on Clint.

When Timmy began his daily pleading to go on a trail- ride, she smiled at him. 'We've been over this, honey,' she reminded him.

'Camp will be over in a few days. I want to go so badly, Alison!'

'I know you do.'

'The older kids went on a special ride today—I heard them talking. Can't I just go on one small ride of my own?'

The eyes were as big and as eloquent as ever. Alison always found herself smiling whenever she looked at Timmy. Even now that he was over his accident, and feeling happier about his parents, there was something about the little boy that endeared itself to her.

'Virginia wouldn't like it,' she pointed out.

'She wouldn't have to know.'

He was a difficult child to refuse. Besides, he really wasn't asking for much. He was good with horses, and she knew he could cope with a ride. The fact that Virginia's rules were unreasonable wasn't Timmy's fault.

It was partly her relaxed and happy state, partly the fact that camp was almost over, that finally led Alison to give in. Would it really be so wrong to let Timmy have the one thing that he would remember long after camp had ended? Virginia need never know about it.

Timmy was quite ecstatic as Alison saddled up two horses. She smiled as she watched how confidently he mounted the smaller one. He was bubbling with enthusiasm as they left the paddock and walked the horses in the direction of one of the easier trails.

All the way he chatted happily. Watching how well he handled the horse and himself, Alison was glad she had given him the one thing he'd longed for so much. Timmy was as at home on a horse as she had been at his age. There were rules that were meant to be broken, and in breaking this one no harm would be done to anyone.

They were almost back at camp when it happened. A snake slithered across the path. Alison saw it in time, and managed to control her rearing horse. She shouted a warning to Timmy, but it was too late. Timmy's horse had reared as well. Timmy, caught off his guard, fell to the ground as the horse galloped away in the direction of the stables.

'Timmy!' Alison had leaped from her horse in a second and was kneeling beside the child. Her heart was in her throat as she saw his awkward, twisted position on the ground. 'Timmy, honey, are you all right?'

He grimaced up at her from the ground. 'My leg feels funny.'

She made an effort to control her panic. 'The leg that was broken in the motor accident?'

'Yes.' He was trying very hard not to cry.

'Do you think you can walk, honey?'

He shifted position. 'I don't know.'

'Don't even try.' Alison put her arm around him. 'I'm going to carry you back on my horse.'

His mouth was trembling. 'Virginia's gonna be angry.'

'Let's not think about Virginia now,' Alison said grimly. 'The important thing is to see that you're OK.'

But there would be hell to pay when Virginia found out what had happened, Alison knew. Which happened almost immediately. When a couple of campers saw Alison riding into the camp grounds, holding Timmy in her arms, they ran to tell Virginia. By the time Alison reached the stables she was met by a reception committee comprised of Virginia and Clint and a gathering of children.

Clint took Timmy out of Alison's arms. Alison tried to speak, but Virginia silenced her with a grim, 'Later.' It was a tense and silent group that made its way to the sick-bay.

Only when the door had been closed on the interested campers did Virginia speak. 'You took Timmy on a ride—against my orders!'

'I nagged her,' Timmy began, but Alison interrupted him.

'It was my own idea,' she said tersely. 'Look, I know I was wrong, but before we talk about that, please can we see if Timmy is all right?'

'Yes,' said Clint, who was bending over the little boy. 'Same leg, Timmy?'

'Yes.'

'We*d better have it seen to.'

The child looked scared. 'I don't want to go to hospital.'

Clint put his hand on his shoulder. 'We'll have to drive into totfn and see a doctor,' he told him.

Seeing the fear in Timmy's eyes, Alison said, 'Couldn't we let Wendy have a look at him first?' Besides being a counsellor, Wendy was also a registered nurse, and she looked after the usual minor ailments in the sick-bay.

'How typical of your irresponsible attitude, Alison!' snapped Virginia. 'Don't you realise this could be serious?'

Clint's eyes met Alison's. 'In view of the fact that the leg was broken previously, I don't think we should waste any time. I really think it's necessary for a doctor to see Timmy.'

'Yes, of course.' Alison forbore to point out that her suggestion that Wendy look at Timmy's leg first had been made only because the little boy looked so petrified.

'I'll come, too,' said Alison.

'You've done enough damage for one day,' said Virginia.

'I'd really like to go, Clint.' Alison threw the man she loved a look of appeal. 'I feel so bad about what happened. And I want to...'

But Virginia stopped her coolly. 'I'll go with Clint and Timmy. As for you, Alison, I'm sure you have work to do. I suggest you get back to it.'

Alison's eyes went once more to the man who just a few hours earlier had been in her bed, but the look he gave back to her was impersonal. 'It's better this way,' was all he said.

'Look,' said Alison, a little desperately, 'I'm so dreadfully sorry this happened. It was a freak accident—a snake frightened the horses.'

'It's a rule that children of Timmy's age don't go on trail-rides.' Virginia's voice was icy, and Alison sensed that she was restraining herself, that if it were not for the little boy's presence in the room she would be saying a lot more.'I know that,' said Alison. 'The thing is, I think an older child would have been thrown too, in the circumstances.'

'An older child is stronger and more competent.'

'Timmy
is
competent. I wish I could make you understand, Virginia. You see...'

'I understand that you decided to do what you wanted. This camp has been one of our best—no accidents, no mishaps of any kind, a spotless record until now. And with three days to go you've ruined it! All along, you and Timmy...' Virginia glanced at the boy and stopped. Perhaps she realised that she had already said too much in his presence.

'Instead of going on with this discussion,' Clint put in briskly, 'let's get Timmy seen to. Come on, old fellow.'

So saying, he lifted the little boy in his arms and walked out of the sick-bay. Alison followed them, hungering for a tender look, some comforting word.

But at the car she felt suddenly helpless. She looked at Clint, then at Virginia beside him. In the end, all she could do was give Timmy a quick, reassuring hug.

To Clint, there was nothing she could say.

T
HE NEXT
few hours were the unhappiest Alison had spent at Bushveld. Her thoughts kept going to Timmy. Although she knew that the accident could have happened to anyone, still she blamed herself for it. If only she had remained steadfast in the face of the little boy's pleading, nothing would have happened to him. The fact that it was his recently injured leg which he had fallen on was a particular cause for anxiety.

If only Clint would phone and let her know about the child! But the hours passed, and by the time the evening
braaivleis
had ended, and campers and counsellors had retired to their cabins, there had still been no word from him. It occurred to her that when Clint did get back, he would probably go straight to his cabin, and she would have to wait until morning to find out about Timmy.

It was quite late when there was a knock at Alison's door. She ran to open it.

'Clint! Oh, Clint, I didn't think you'd still be coming!' she exclaimed.

He stood still a moment, taking in her distraught expression. Something moved in his eyes, but she was in no state to notice it.

Then he said, 'Why not, Alison? I told you this morning that I'd come.'

'Yes, I know. But that was before... Clint, how's Timmy? Where is he?'

'He's fine.' Incredibly, he was smiling. 'He's gone to bed. We got back to camp about fifteen minutes ago, and I've just left him in his cabin. He's probably asleep by now.'

'Oh, Clint...' Alison felt weak with relief, 'I've been so anxious!'

'I knew you would be. I tried several times to phone you from town, but for some reason I couldn't get through to Bushveld. And on the road coming back we only passed one phone-booth, and the phone was out of order.'

Alison pushed a hand through her hair. 'I didn't know what to think... I was sure something really dreadful had happened to Timmy.'

'No, Alison, he's fine.'

'Virginia was right, I suppose,' she said ruefully. 'I shouldn't have let Timmy ride.'

Clint smiled his wonderful devil-may-care smile that Alison had thought never to see again. 'You gave that young man his best day at camp,' he told her.

Alison drew in her breath.
'Really?'

'Really.' Clint was laughing as he dropped his long body into a chair, and motioned to Alison. 'Come and sit on my lap while I tell you about it.'

There was nothing she wanted more.

For as long as she could she sat quite still, savouring the hardness of his thighs beneath her, the strength of the arms that circled her, feeling the beat of his heart against her chest, her own heart beating faster when his lips moved in her hair.

She didn't feel like talking, but there were things she had to know. 'Tell me about Timmy,' she invited.

'Because of the previous injury, the doctor sent us to the nearest hospital for X-rays. You'll be glad to know the leg was just bruised.'

Alison expelled a tense breath. 'Oh, thank God! You don't know how I worried. I kept blaming myself.'

'Needlessly. It was in fact a freak accident. There are snakes in the veld, and they scare the hell out of the horses. It could have happened to anyone.'

Alison tilted her head back to look at him. 'That's not what you said this morning. Actually, you didn't say anything—you just looked so grim. Why didn't you stand up for me, Clint?'

'Put yourself in my position, darling,' he said, and tucked her head firmly back where it belonged against his shoulder. 'I was as worried as you were about Timmy. I knew we had to get him to a doctor. And you'd deliberately gone against Virginia.' She felt the laughter bubbling in his throat as he added, 'Again.'

'So you do think I was wrong...'

'I don't.'

'Are you saying I was
right!'

'Not entirely.' Clint was laughing again. 'You were wrong to break a rule of the camp.'

'But?' She could hear that there was a 'but' in it somewhere.

'You did the right thing for Timmy. Guess what his first words were when we left the hospital? He wanted to know if he could ride again tomorrow. He said the trail-ride was the best thing that had happened to him in camp. You gave that little boy the happiest time he's had since the motor accident.'

'Then you don't
mind
that I defied Virginia?'

'I suppose I wish it hadn't been necessary.' He put a hand through her tumbled hair, stroking it away from her forehead. 'I wish you and Virginia had the same way of looking at things, but you don't. You explained it to me yourself after one of your set-tos. Virginia is methodical and efficient; she lives by learned theories and concepts. You let your emotions rule your head every time.'

'And break all the rules in doing so.'

'Yes. But then, some rules deserve to be broken. For Timmy, your way has been the better one all along.'

She snuggled closer against him. 'I want to see him,' she said.

'Tomorrow.' Clint's voice had changed. When he spoke again, there was a new tone in his voice. 'When you saw me tonight, you seemed surprised.'

'Yes...'

'Why, Alison?'

'I didn't think you'd come,' she confessed.

'Why not?'

He sounded so serious all at once that she was bewildered. 'I've already told you the reason.'

'I want to hear it again.

'Things had changed. There was Timmy—the accident ... You seemed so angry with me.'

'People do get angry, Alison. Even people who mean a great deal to each other. It's the way life is. But anger doesn't have to change the things that matter.'

'Maybe not,' she sighed.

'I was angry the night I came to your cabin and found you'd gone to Brian's party. But we got over that.'