The Emerald Valley (67 page)

The fastening gave and as he eased the dress down over her shoulders her skin seemed to yearn up to his touch. His fingers traced the lines of her back and as they moved around to caress her full breast, she felt herself coming alive inch by inch. Her head was pressed against his chest; she could hear his heart hammering beneath her ear and she wriggled in close so that their bodies were pressed close together, and eased her fingers between the buttons of his shirt, stretching out to fan over his chest with its covering of crisp reddish hair.

Then his mouth was on hers again and he was pressing her back, back … lowering her until she was lying full length on the rug, his mouth still covering hers. The weight of his body was driving her crazy and she tried to part her sensitised thighs to have him still closer, but she could not move. Fully clothed apart from her bared breasts, she was tinglingly aware of his nearness; just as her need rose almost to screaming pitch he shifted slightly to reach down and pull up her skirt.

Oliver …' She arched, aching, tingling, her whole being concentrated in that one throbbing centre of her body. He moved away briefly and as he did so the knock came at the door.

How is it that passion can be running so high in one moment and stone cold the next? The knock made Amy freeze and she knew from Oliver's absolute immobility that he too had reacted in exactly the same way.

My God, there's somebody at the door! The kitchen door! Just a few feet away! For a brief second they clung together, then into that silence when even breath was suspended the knock came again, loud and insistent.

Panic flared and Amy tried to move.

‘Quick – quick – get up …' Her voice, though a whisper, was harsh with urgency and Oliver clamped a hand over her mouth.

‘Ssh! Keep quiet and they might go away!'

‘No!' she whispered through his fingers. ‘Whoever it is will know we're here; they have seen the light. I'll have to answer it!'

Oliver swore softly, but he let her move and she scrambled to her feet, pulling down her skirt and hoisting up the bodice to cover her breasts and shoulders.

‘Quick – do me up!' she hissed.

His fingers fumbled against hers as they struggled with the fastenings. She ran her fingers hastily through her hair as she hurried to the door, glanced over her shoulder to see Oliver straightening his clothing and opened it.

Ruby Clarke stood there with a brown paper parcel in her arms.

‘Amy, this came for you while you were out …' She broke off, looking past Amy and seeing Oliver. ‘Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know you had company.

Later, Amy was to think: Liar! You must have known – must have seen the car outside. You came especially!

But in that awkward moment she could only wonder: Will she know? Is it obvious what she interrupted?

Her cheeks were flushed, she could feel them burning and was painfully aware of her tumbled hair, and imperfectly fastened dress. Should she invite Ruby to come in? Would it look stranger still to leave her standing on the doorstep? She glanced round at Oliver again – he too was flushed, the pink blush that is so disfiguring on people with red hair was staining his face and extending down his neck. She decided against asking Ruby in and took the parcel from her hastily.

‘Thanks, Ruby. I don't know what this can be – I wasn't expecting anything …' She knew she was gabbling, her voice conveying the fluster she was feeling. ‘I won't stop if you don't mind. Oliver is here and we were talking …'

‘Yes, I can see that,' Ruby said. She sounded almost triumphant, as if she had confirmed exactly what she had come to find out. ‘Don't worry, I can't stay myself, Amy. I'll see you tomorrow.'

When she had gone Amy closed the door and leaned against it, shaking.

‘Oh, why did she have to come? I don't believe it! How awful!'

Oliver, clearly shaken, was still straightening his clothing, patting pockets and now that it was too late, neatening his tie.

‘Who is she?'

‘My neighbour. She's very good with the children, but such a gossip … Oh Oliver, do you think she noticed … do you think she knew?'

‘God, I hope not!'

‘But she must have! How could she
not
know? It must be written all over us … oh, I could die! And what about you? It could be serious, couldn't it?'

‘Yes. But she couldn't
know
.' Oliver was trying to compose himself. ‘There was nothing to see.'

‘Only us. We look – well, we hardly look as if we've just been chatting, I'm sure! Oh my goodness, it's awful – it couldn't be worse. Ruby, of all people …'

‘I ought to go.' Trying to move decisively, Oliver kicked into the chair, his guilt and embarrassment obvious. ‘Amy, I'm sorry; I've put you in a terrible position.'

‘It wasn't your fault alone. It was mine too. Well, it just happened, didn't it?'

‘But I should have known it would. And with Grace in hospital … Christ, if she gets to hear about this …'

He was fumbling in his pockets. ‘My keys. Where are my damned keys?'

She saw something gleaming in the middle of the carpet. ‘Here. They're here.'

He took them. ‘I must not come again. It's a bit late to say that I suppose, but …'

‘Oh, don't say that! Maybe she didn't realise …'

‘We can't afford to take the chance. I'm going, Amy; I should never have come.'

‘No, I know. Oh, Oliver, I hope it will be all right …'

In the doorway he paused. ‘I'm really sorry, Amy.'

There was no secret desire in his eyes now, only haunted anxiety, and Amy realised she had never been anything for him but an escape from reality. He had wanted her, yes, but only because she represented all the things in which at this moment Grace was lacking. But that was not to say he had stopped caring for his wife. With the possibility of scandal rocking Hillsbridge, with his very career in jeopardy, his first thought had been to worry what Grace would say or do if she came to hear of it.

‘Don't worry, Oliver, if anyone asks me I shall deny everything,' she assured him.

He nodded. ‘Yes. Well, thanks for that anyway, Amy.'

When he had gone she sank into a chair, covering her face with her hands as all the possible horrors of discovery raced before her closed eyes. If Ruby suspected, if she talked … oh, how will I ever hold up my head again? Amy wondered.

Then her natural optimism began to take over.

Perhaps Ruby had not noticed. Perhaps she wouldn't talk. For the moment, at any rate, this was all she had to hold on to.

It was, of course, a vain hope, as Amy knew next day when she met Ruby hanging out the washing – the suspicion and the secret delight of having been the one to walk in on the intimate scene was written all over her. And within a couple of days Amy was sure that Ruby had shared her knowledge. She saw people looking at her and whispering … hoped it was imagination fired by a guilty conscience and knew it was not.

Then, on the third evening, she had a visitor when Eddie Roberts came knocking on the door, his face like thunder.

‘Amy, what the devil are you thinking of?'

‘What do you mean?' she demanded, though she was shaking inside.

‘There's talk everywhere about you and Dr Scott. Do you mean to tell me there's nothing in it?'

‘Talk? What talk?' Sick to the core, Amy took refuge in sharp attack.

‘Don't play the innocent with me, Amy. You must know about Grace?' When she did not answer, he went on impatiently, ‘She tried to drown herself down by the Mill – and they're saying she did it because her husband was carrying on with you.'

Amy gazed at him aghast. ‘You can't be serious!'

‘I am, perfectly serious. His car's been seen outside here a good many times since they came back to Hillsbridge. People notice these things – you should know that. In a place like this it spreads like wildfire.'

‘Then they have wicked minds, that's all I can say!' Amy flared.

‘You don't deny he's been visiting you, then?'

‘Why should I deny it? I have nothing to be ashamed of. He comes to check up on me – I had terrible headaches after my fall.'

‘That's all right, then,' Eddie said pompously, then had second thoughts.

‘What about last Saturday night? The night Grace – well, did what she did. He wouldn't have been making a professional visit then. But he was here, wasn't he?'

Amy shrugged angrily. ‘If you say so.'

‘I'm not the one who says so, it's Ruby Clarke. She's been saying so all over Hillsbridge – and a good deal more besides. She says …'

‘Yes?' Amy demanded defiantly.

He faltered, then continued, ‘She says she caught the two of you at it,' he stated. His voice was loud and accusing and the words hung in the air and echoed in her ears.

Her first reaction was cold, debilitating fear. They had been found out, Ruby had talked! Then her anger returned with a rush, heightened by the edge of underlying guilt.

‘How dare you?' she demanded. ‘How dare you come here accusing me and judging me? Who the hell do you think you are?'

Eddie took a half-step backwards.

‘Your brother-in-law. That's who I am.'

‘Huh!'

‘I know you don't like me, Amy, and we've never got on. But Llew was my brother and I won't see him made a fool of. He had a good name in Hillsbridge; people respected him.'

‘And why shouldn't they respect him now? It's a sorry state of affairs if I can't have friends call to see me without people making up all these wicked lies …' But there was an uncertain note in her voice now and her cheeks flushed. Sensing that he had found her most vulnerable spot, Eddies drove on to the attack once more.

‘Is it lies, Amy?' he demanded.

Her flush deepened. ‘Yes. Yes – of course it's lies! Ruby certainly did not “catch us at it” as you put it. She burst in on a private conversation. Oliver was upset – confiding in me. I was the first person he had felt able to talk to all day. Haven't you one ounce of common sympathy in your body? His wife had tried to drown herself and he had to have her taken down to Wells. Think how you would feel! You'd be only too glad to be able to talk it over with someone, wouldn't you? Well, so was Oliver. But there aren't many people he
can
talk to. He's a doctor and people take their troubles to him, not the other way around.'

‘Oh yes, and what makes
you
so special?' Eddie asked, heavily sarcastic.

‘Don't ask me. He treated me when I was a little girl and nearly died. He was like a father to me. This is the first chance I've had to repay him – and you have the nerve to come here saying …'

‘I wasn't the one who said it,' Eddie argued hastily. ‘I'm only telling you what others are saying. And to be truthful, you can't blame them. A young attractive woman like you, widowed and on your own – when a man comes calling on you, people are bound to talk.'

‘Let them!' He stared at her, shocked. ‘Let them, I don't care!' she repeated.

Eddie drew in a deep breath so that he swelled with his own self-importance. ‘You don't give a fig for propriety, do you?'

‘What do you mean by that?'

‘The way you carry on. I might as well tell you now I'm here, Amy – the whole family has been shocked by some of the things you do.'

‘Oh? Like what, may I ask?'

‘Running a business isn't very ladylike, for a start.'

‘But better than letting you get your hands on it!'

‘Smoking – driving a car – bringing that boy here …'

She was shaking with fury now. ‘That boy, as you call him, is your brother's son, don't forget!'

Eddie went white. It was as if he had forgotten this, or at any rate pushed the knowledge to the back of his mind.

‘You would have swept him under the carpet, I suppose!' Amy raged on. ‘Pretended he didn't exist? You would have let Llew's son go to an orphanage or an institution!'

‘Keep your voice down!' Eddie implored, looking anxiously around at the still-open kitchen window.

‘Why should I? If people are determined to talk about me, then I'll give them something to talk about!'

‘Amy, for the love of Mike! I've got a reputation to keep up, even if you haven't!'

‘Yes, that's it, isn't it?' Amy accused. ‘That's why you're so concerned about my moral welfare – because you're worried what people may say about
you.
I've heard how you're hoping to get on the council when they have the next election, Eddie Roberts. I suppose you want to look whiter than white so that everybody will vote for you? Well, I'll tell you one who won't! I've seen you in your true colours. Brother-in-law? I'd be better off without one. And if you're not careful, that's what I shall tell the whole of Hillsbridge. Now – get out of here – and don't come back!'

‘But Amy!'

‘Get out!' She opened the door and in the end he went hastily, anxious the neighbours should not hear more of the quarrel than was inevitable.

For a few minutes Amy stood with her hands bunched to fists, shaking with temper. What right did he have to come here and tell her how to live her life – him with his fancy ways and an eye on making a name for himself. And she was disappointed in Ruby, too. Some friend she had turned out to be!

Well, there was only one way to stop her spreading more stories – and that was to counter-attack. Amy went to the bottom of the stairs, listened to make sure there was no sound from the children and then went round and banged on Ruby's door.

‘Amy! What a surprise!' Ruby gushed but her guilt was written all over her.

‘What do you mean by spreading stories about me?' Amy demanded.

Ruby took a step backwards. ‘I don't know what you mean.'