The Flyer (18 page)

At one point, when Christopher and Sophie were dancing together, William overheard a thin, rather cool looking woman ask Elizabeth who Sophie was.

‘She works in a solicitor’s office in town, I think.’

The woman raised a disdainful eyebrow. ‘I didn’t think she could be one of us.’

‘Oh, don’t be such a dreadful snob, Hilary,’ Harry Thwaites said. ‘She’s a marvellous dancer, not to mention an absolute cracker.’

‘What do you think, Mister Reynolds?’ the woman asked.

‘I doubt that you’d be interested in what I think,’ William said, and with a tight smile he excused himself and got up from the table. As he crossed the floor, the music ended and somebody grabbed his arm.

‘You haven’t asked me to dance,’ Sophie said.

‘I haven’t had a chance, everybody keeps getting to you before me.’

‘Well, you can take my place,’ Christopher said. ‘I could do with a drink.’

‘But only if you want to,’ Sophie added.

‘Of course, I’d love to.’

The band started to play another tune and William put his hand on her waist. ‘I’m not much of a dancer, I’m afraid.’ He was conscious of his old injury, and Sophie seemed to sense it because she looked down at his feet.

‘Have you hurt yourself?’

‘No. I was injured when I was young, and sometimes it bothers me, but I think it’s really up here.’ He tapped a finger to his temple.

‘You’re sure it isn’t because you don’t want to dance with me?’

‘Why would you think that?’

Sophie smiled, but didn’t answer him. ‘You have to listen to the music and relax. That’s better.’

They danced in silence for a little while. William wondered if the thin woman was watching them and asking who he was now. He glanced towards the table, but she wasn’t there anymore.

‘Have you seen Arthur lately?’ Sophie asked, unexpectedly.

‘I went to the garage the other day, actually,’ he said guessing that Christopher must have said something to her.

‘How is he?’

‘He seems alright. The garage was busy. Although he’s been neglecting the books a bit.’

‘Hasn’t he got somebody to help him yet? I told him he should.’

‘Did you?’ he asked in surprise.

‘Yes. Why do you look at me like that?’

‘I don’t know. It’s just that Arthur mentioned something about you helping him, that’s all.’

‘I might’ve said I would to begin with, but I decided not to. I told him after the airshow. It would only have given him the wrong idea and I didn’t want to encourage him.’

William wondered if Sophie’s attitude would be different if she hadn’t met Christopher, but he knew he was being unfair. He caught her watching him, and had the uncomfortable feeling that she knew what he was thinking. He was relieved when the tune ended and Christopher cut in on him again. He went outside for some air and lingered on the edge of a group of people who had the same idea.

‘It’s terribly hot in there, isn’t it?’

He turned around to find that Elizabeth had followed him outside. ‘Yes, it is.’

A man said hello to her and she spoke to him briefly, and when he went back inside she asked William if he wanted to go for a walk.

‘Emily was quite taken with you after she discovered you’re an aviator,’ Elizabeth said. ‘She thinks you’re terribly dishy. She wanted to know all about you.’

‘What did you tell her?’

‘I told her that you’re the enigmatic type. Of course that only made her even more curious.’

‘Like your other friend who wanted to know about Sophie.’

‘You mean Hilary? She’s not a friend of mine. You shouldn’t worry about her.’

They walked on in silence for a few moments until they came to a gate. The moon was in its first phase. The air was fragrant with the scent of burdock and rosehip growing in the hedgerow.

‘Is it really true what you said the other day about being in love with me?’ Elizabeth asked suddenly, facing him.

‘Yes, I’m afraid I am.’

‘Why are you afraid?’

‘Because I know you don’t feel the same way.’

‘I didn’t say that.’

She had spoken so quietly, turning her face away from him that he wasn’t sure he’d heard her properly. It was almost as if she was speaking to herself.

‘What I actually said was, that I wish you weren’t in love with me.’

‘Isn’t that the same thing?’

‘Not necessarily. You also accused me of being in love with Christopher.’

‘Are you?’

‘I want to try and explain something to you about us,’ Elizabeth said. ‘You know that Christopher and I have known each other since we were quite young. I was especially young. I had a crush on him then. Of course it was inevitable. A young and impressionable girl, the dashing older boy. But of course eventually Christopher wasn’t a boy anymore, and he started going around with a girl of his own age, and I was heartbroken. I cried my heart out. I was convinced I couldn’t live any longer.’ She laughed wryly. ‘Just the sort of dramatic, highly emotional rubbish you’d expect really. I thought I was in love, you see. Have you ever felt like that?’

‘Not quite like that.’ William thought of Emmaline.

‘But there was someone when you were young?’

‘Yes.’

‘I’d like you to tell me about her one day. But for now, just tell me this: if she were here now, if she just appeared out of the hotel and came towards us, how do you think you would feel?’

‘I don’t know,’ he said, though he could see what Elizabeth was getting at.

‘But you’d feel something?’

‘Something, yes. Are you telling me that’s how you feel about Christopher?’

‘I’m telling you that Christopher has never been out of my life, and we were friends long before any complicated adult feelings cropped up. It’s just that I find it difficult to separate my feelings. I’ve always found it difficult, especially when I see him with some other girl. But this time it’s much worse.’

‘Why? Is Sophie so different from the others?’

‘Yes, I think she is, actually. You only have to see the way men look at her to know that. But that isn’t what I mean. It’s worse because of you.’

‘I don’t understand.’

‘I said that I wish you weren’t in love with me,’ Elizabeth explained. ‘But what I really meant is that I wish you hadn’t told me, because it made me confront the things I’ve been trying to ignore. Things I wasn’t sure I wanted to feel. About you - not Christopher.’

‘Are you saying you…’ he hesitated, not sure what word to use.

‘I’m saying I care for you more than anybody I’ve ever met, except for Christopher. And what I feel for you is different from the way I feel about him. I’ve never experienced anything like this before. Perhaps a part of me has always felt that I was in love with Christopher, but this has made me realise that feeling was only a kind of leftover from when I was younger. Do you understand what I’m trying to say?’

‘I think so.’

‘It’s just that letting go of things that you’ve always believed isn’t easy. I know it might sound silly, but the only analogy I can think of is when a child first discovers there really isn’t any such person as Father Christmas. At first, you don’t want to accept it.’

Elizabeth looked at William, her eyes swimming in confusion, and he didn’t know what to say or what she wanted him to say. He only knew that half an hour earlier he wouldn’t have dared dream any of this.

He knew that if he kissed her she would let him, that she wanted him to. She both did and didn’t. He bent towards her and she turned her face up to him, her eyes closed.

*****

It was three in the morning before the band played their final number, and then as people began to leave, Christopher took William aside and gave him the key to his car.

‘Listen old man, would you mind awfully driving Liz home?’ he asked.

‘No of course not. But what about you and Sophie?’

‘Actually, I’ve arranged a room for us here for the night.’

William was surprised, though he didn’t know why he should be. They went back to the table and Christopher told Elizabeth about the arrangement. For just an instant she was taken aback, but then she recovered and kissed Sophie’s cheek.

‘Well, goodnight then.’

‘Goodnight.’

As they were leaving, William remembered the bill. He had been dreading it all night. Their table had consumed more than half a dozen bottles of champagne not to mention the late supper they’d been served.

‘What do I owe you?’ he said taking out his wallet but Christopher made a casual gesture.

‘Oh, don’t worry about that. Harry and I sorted it out earlier.’

‘I’d prefer to pay my share.’

Christopher hesitated. ‘Yes, alright then. A couple of pounds ought to do.’

As William gave him the money he realised that he should have considered the cost earlier. Two pounds was, to him, a vastly extravagant amount to spend on an evening out. ‘How will you get back tomorrow?’ he asked. ‘Do you want me to pick you up?’

‘No need to do that. Get Hedges to drive over. And if anyone asks where I am just say I went on somewhere with Harry.’

‘Yes, alright.’

When he went outside, William started the car and waited for Elizabeth, who had gone to fetch her coat from the cloakroom. When she appeared she climbed in beside him and they set off, following the lights of other cars going the same way. William glanced at Elizabeth, wondering if she was thinking about Christopher and Sophie.

‘Can I ask you something?’ she said.

‘Of course.’

‘Have you been to bed with very many girls?’

He was taken aback by such a direct question. ‘Only one.’

‘Was it the girl you thought you were in love with?’

‘No, that was a long time ago, when I was at Oundle.’

‘Who was she then, this other girl?’

‘Just somebody I knew.’

‘Were you in love with her?’

‘No.’

‘I’m sorry, I expect you think I’m being nosy. You don’t have to tell me.’

‘It’s alright. It was several years ago. Before I had the garage. I don’t think about it anymore.’

‘Your secret past,’ she murmured.

William was tempted to tell her that there was nothing mysterious about it.

‘I’ve never slept with a man,’ Elizabeth said candidly. ‘I don’t suppose I know much about that sort of thing. Do you mind?’

‘Why should I mind?’

‘I don’t know. Men are confusing. They all want to sleep with you, but they want the girl they marry to be a virgin, don’t they? Do you want the girl you marry to be a virgin?’

‘I’ve never thought about it before. But I don’t think it matters.’

‘What if I told you I’d had lots of lovers. Well, perhaps not lots, let’s say two or three. Would you still love me do you think?’

‘Yes.’

‘You wouldn’t mind about the other men I’d slept with? I’m not sure I believe that.’

‘I would mind. But only because I’d be jealous.’

She thought about that. ‘I think I might be a little bit jealous of the girl you slept with. Did you like sleeping with her? I’m sorry, you needn’t answer that. I’m curious you see. Anyway, as I said, I haven’t slept with anyone.’

She fell silent until they reached the turnoff towards Earls Barton where she lived, and then she suddenly asked him to keep going.

‘Where am I going?’

‘It isn’t far.’

When they’d gone another few hundred yards she pointed out a track through a gap in the hedge, but when he turned onto it the ground was too rutted for the car.

‘It’s alright, we can walk from here, anyway,’ Elizabeth said as she climbed out.

‘Where are we going?’

‘I’ll show you.’

He let her lead the way, and within a few minutes they reached a barn. Inside, the air smelt sweetly of fresh hay. It was dark without the moon and the stars, but after a little while their eyes became accustomed to it.

‘Do you think I’m brazen to bring you here?’ Elizabeth said quietly.

William kissed her. His heart was thudding so hard he thought it would burst from his chest. At first she was hesitant, uncertain, but then her lips parted and she held him tightly.

‘What do we do now?’ she breathed when they parted.

He led her to the hay and they lay down, and he kissed her again. He undid the first few buttons of her dress, exposing her throat, and then he kissed her there and felt her sharp intake of breath at the touch of his lips. She made a sound, a soft exclamation of pleasure, and then he felt her fingers between them unfastening the rest of her clothes. In a fumbled rush they undressed. Her body was pale in the darkness, patches of shadow and darkness that excited him. He kissed her breasts and felt her nipples harden, and then she held him against her, arching her hips against his erection and he felt her hands seeking him.

‘I want to touch you,’ she said, her voice a husky whisper.

He groaned, and they kissed deeply again. He slid his hands over her body. He loved the feel of her skin. He loved the softness of her breasts and the firmness of her narrow hips, the hard slope of her belly. Her pubic hair was fair and sparse, and when he lowered himself to kiss her there she moaned and held his head in her hands.

‘William….’ she said, urging him away, embarrassed by what he was doing. But he put his hands underneath her and she surrendered to his touch, and when he kissed her again she gasped. When he entered her, she pushed herself against him and there was a delicious sensation of slippery warmth and tightness, and then they were moving together.

He told her he loved her and kissed her again, and she looked into his eyes.

‘I love you, William,’ she said. ‘With all my heart I love you.’

CHAPTER 16

Throughout the summer the plane gradually took shape, and though sometimes William altered aspects of the design after he’d read of some new innovation, or because of a theory of his own, it seemed certain they would finish in plenty of time for the army trials. They even received good news from the Gnome factory in France when a letter arrived to say that a cancelled order meant that their engine would arrive earlier than expected.

Quite often William and Christopher would have their dinner brought out to them so that they could keep working and make the most of the light and the warm evenings. Several times during the week, however, Christopher would drive into town to meet Sophie and wouldn’t return until the early hours of the following morning. He would take a room at the Grand Hotel, and when Sophie finished her work he’d take her for dinner somewhere, and perhaps dancing if there was a band playing, and afterwards the two of them would spend most of the night together. Lady Horsham occasionally made dry observations regarding Christopher’s nocturnal habits, but he always claimed that he’d merely been out with Harry Thwaites or some other fellow he knew. It was clear that she didn’t believe him for a moment.    

On these occasions William would drive over to Earls Barton to pick up Elizabeth, and they would go somewhere local for a meal or a drink. Afterwards they would return to the barn where they’d first made love to spend a few hours together before he took her home again. Though William made their assignations a little more comfortable with the aid of some rugs and other comforts that he kept in his car, he worried that Elizabeth thought he was being cheap, but whenever he offered to take a room somewhere, she wouldn’t hear of it.

‘I think it’s terribly romantic here,’ she told him one evening when they were lying together beneath a rug. ‘Besides, if we went to a hotel or somewhere I’d hate the idea of people looking at us and knowing why we were there. This way it’s just you and I.’

He sometimes wondered what Elizabeth’s parents thought about their relationship. When he’d met them at the airshow he’d found them to be pleasant and friendly enough, but the first time he arrived to pick Elizabeth up their manner was quite different. He was invited into their substantial manor house in Earls Barton and offered a drink before being subjected to a subtle interrogation about his background. The fact that he’d gone to Oundle stood him in good stead, but as usual he was vague about his parents other than to say that they were dead.

Later, he told Elizabeth that he thought her mother disapproved of him, but she brushed his concerns off.

‘When she gets to know you better she’ll love you as much as I do.’

‘I don’t think I’ll ever tire of hearing you say that, you know,’ he told her.

‘What, that I love you? I’m glad because I intend to keep on telling you for a very long time.’

He kissed her and held her close, inhaling her scent. ‘What about your father, will he grow to like me too do you think? I’m sure he imagines I’m after your money,’ he said when he released her.

‘Actually I don’t think he does,’ she said. ‘I’m afraid I might have given them the impression that you’ve got your own money. You don’t mind do you?’

‘I suppose not,’ he said, though he couldn’t deny that he wished that she hadn’t. ‘What exactly did you tell them?’

‘Only that you and Christopher have gone into partnership, that’s all. Though I think when I told them you’re planning to build aeroplanes for the army, they sort of assumed that meant you must be well-off. Anyway, I expect you’re going to be tremendously successful and rich one day, so it won’t matter will it?’

He took heart from the inference that she thought of a future in which he was still a factor.

In August, Lady Horsham and Henry left to spend a few weeks in London before leaving for a month in Italy and France. The day afterwards, Christopher suggested that William invite Elizabeth over to stay for the weekend.

‘I’ll ask Sophie to come. We’ll have a marvellous time, just the four of us, what do you say?’

‘It sounds wonderful.’ William agreed.

On Friday afternoon Elizabeth arrived early. William was working when he heard her car come into the yard behind the house and he went outside to meet her.

‘Hello,’ she said. After he’d kissed her she peered beyond him into the dim interior of the garage. ‘Are you going to show me your plane?’

‘Alright.’ He pulled the doors fully open and led her inside.

‘Gosh, what’s that awful smell?’ she said, covering her nose with her hand.

‘It’s what we use on the canvas to stiffen it,’ William explained. ‘I was doing some earlier. Anyway, here she is. What do you think?’ He gestured with a flourish to the biplane standing before them.

Compared to Christopher’s old pusher, the new plane was very streamlined in appearance, and because the fuselage was entirely covered rather than consisting of primarily an exposed skeleton, it had a far more solid look.

‘I didn’t realise you’d done so much,’ Elizabeth said, clearly surprised. ‘Is it finished?’

‘Not yet. We have to fit the engine and propeller, though with any luck the engine will be here next week. It shouldn’t take long after that. Of course we’ll have to do a few test flights, and I expect there will be adjustments to make, but on the whole I think we’ve done pretty well.’

He showed her the two cockpits, explaining that the pilot sat behind with the observer in the front, and then helped her up so that she could sit inside and see how it felt.

‘You ought to let me take you up in her one day.’

Elizabeth looked horrified by the idea. ‘I told you, I’m not very good with heights.’ She climbed down and kissed him. ‘But I do love your aeroplane and I think you’re very clever.’

‘Thanks.’

‘And now you might like to offer me a drink.’

‘Alright, let’s get your things.’

After they’d fetched her suitcase they went inside, and on their way through the house they met the butler in the hall.

‘Good afternoon, Miss Gordon,’ he said, obviously pleased to see her.

‘Hello Morton, how are you?’

‘I’m very well, thank you, Miss. Shall I fetch Edward to take your things to your room?’ He looked at the case William was carrying.

‘It’s alright,’ William said. ‘I’m going up anyway.’

‘Very well, sir,’ Morton said, managing to sound faintly reproachful.

‘Do you know I find him a bit intimidating,’ William joked as they went upstairs. ‘I always feel as if I’m going to do something he disapproves of.’

‘You just did when you wouldn’t let him fetch a footman to take my case,’ Elizabeth laughed.

‘But what was the point? We were coming up anyway.’

‘Yes, but that isn’t the issue. Morton is old school. He’s an absolute stickler for the way things ought to be done. Anyway, never mind him, which is my room?’

‘This one.’ William opened the door. ‘Mine’s next door. Christopher thought we all ought to have separate rooms for appearance sake.’

‘Goodness, yes. Morton would certainly disapprove otherwise. Where is Christopher anyway?’

‘Oh, he went into town to fetch Sophie. They shouldn’t be long.’ He put Elizabeth’s case down and turned to find her sitting on the bed eyeing him with a slow smile. ‘I suppose we’ve got a bit of time to ourselves then haven’t we?’

‘I suppose we have.’

‘Good.’ She reached behind her head to let down her hair, and then began to unbutton her blouse while he leaned nonchalantly against a chest of drawers watching her. ‘Are you intending to simply stand there and stare like that?’

‘As a matter of fact I am,’ he said. ‘For a little while anyway.’

‘I see,’ she said and then stood up and proceeded to strip in front of him without any hurry at all until she was completely naked. But when he stepped towards her she put her hand against his chest. ‘Oh, no you don’t. Now it’s your turn.’

William laughed, slightly embarrassed. As always he was both surprised and delighted by her lack of inhibition. She was far less self-conscious than he was. As he took off his clothes he was conscious of the scars on his leg. Elizabeth, however, was quite comfortable with her body. She lay on the bed and leaned on her elbow, delighting in the effect her nakedness was having on him.

‘My, my,’ she said, holding out her hand to him.

*****

That evening, when William was ready to go downstairs, he knocked on Elizabeth’s door.

‘Are you decent?’

‘No,’ she said, opening the door to him wearing her under-things. ‘I’m not ready yet, and it’s your fault for refusing to let me get out of bed.’

‘I don’t remember you needing much persuasion,’ he said taking a step towards her. However she held him firmly back.

‘You can’t come in otherwise I’ll never be ready in time. Go downstairs and pour me a drink.’

‘Alright, if I must.’

‘You must.’ She kissed him quickly. ‘Have the others arrived yet?’

‘Yes, I heard Christopher’s car earlier, though I haven’t see them yet. I expect he was eager to show Sophie her room.’

For an instant something flashed in Elizabeth’s expression, but just as quickly it was gone. ‘You men are all the same,’ she said, pulling a face of mock disgust. ‘Now go downstairs and let me get dressed.’

As William went down to the drawing room he thought about her reaction to his joke. It was as if she had flinched from a sudden image of Christopher making love to Sophie? And yet what of it? She’d told him that her feelings where Christopher was concerned, had always been confused. He reminded himself that not more than an hour ago she had been naked in his arms, breathing her love for him in his ear while demonstrating her feelings in the most intimate manner possible.

There was nobody about downstairs, so William poured himself a drink and lit a cigarette. At one end of the room there were doors leading onto a terrace, and since it was a warm evening he went outside to smoke and watch the light soften. After a few minutes he heard voices, and went back inside to find Christopher and Sophie had arrived.

‘Hello, there,’ he said.

‘Hello, old man. Have you been down long?’

‘Only a few minutes. Elizabeth is still getting ready. Hello Sophie, it’s nice to see you again. You look stunning.’

‘Thank you,’ she said.

‘Doesn’t she just,’ Christopher agreed as he handed her a drink and put his arm around her waist.

Sophie was wearing a dark blue evening dress, and she did indeed look stunning. But then she always did, William thought.

‘I’d better just go and find Morton and make sure everything’s alright downstairs,’ Christopher said. ‘I gather the cook was making a fuss about something or other earlier.’ He kissed Sophie’s cheek, his hand lingering against her waist as if he was reluctant to leave her even for a moment. ‘I won’t be long, darling. William will look after you.’

‘Alright.’

As he watched them, William was suddenly struck by the realisation that Christopher and Sophie were in love. He didn’t know why he hadn’t seen it before when it was so patently obvious. When Christopher had gone, Sophie looked about the room, her eyes lingering on the portraits of Christopher’s ancestors on the walls. For once her usual confident manner was a little subdued.

‘It takes a bit of getting used to, doesn’t it?’ William remarked.

‘Yes,’ Sophie smiled, perhaps relieved that he thought so too.

‘Would you like to go out onto the terrace?’

‘Yes, alright.’

He offered her a cigarette, and told her how he’d felt when he first arrived at the house. ‘The sheer size of it is sort of overwhelming. It’s one thing to see it from a distance, but quite another to actually live in a place like this. I suppose unless you’ve been brought up in these sorts of surroundings you never really accept it as quite normal. I couldn’t get used to the number of servants there are. It was a bit strange having all these people looking after me when I first came here. Have you met Morton yet?’

‘Is he the butler?’

‘Yes. Bit of a stiff sort. Quite intimidating in a way.’

‘I saw him when we arrived. I know what you mean, though he was very polite and nice to me.’

‘Oh yes, he would be.’

‘It’s funny, but when Christopher asked me to come for the weekend I’d never thought about where he lived. I knew he was a viscount, and that he was rich of course, but I never imagined anything like this.’ She looked at him curiously. ‘Do you really find it strange living here?’

‘Yes,’ he said, surprised at her question. ‘Why do you ask?’

‘It’s just that you look as if you belong somewhere like this,’ she said. ‘It’s the way you dress and how you speak I suppose.’

‘This suit belongs to Christopher, actually,’ William told her.

‘It’s more than that though isn’t it? I remember that day I met you when you were with Arthur. I thought you must be rich, and then when I heard Arthur call you by your first name I thought it was a bit funny.’

‘Well, I’m not rich, as you know. I just went to a good school.’

‘Was your family rich then?’

‘No,’ he said.

Sophie looked around again. ‘Does Elizabeth live in a house like this?’

‘Not like this, no. To be honest, the first time I went to pick her up I was relieved to find it was just your regular ten bedroom manor, or whatever it is.’

Sophie smiled. ‘You must have met her parents then have you?’

‘A few times, yes. They gave me a bit of a grilling the first time, actually. Especially her mother.’

‘That’s what I was scared of when Christopher asked me to come here. I didn’t realise it would only be us four.’

‘I see.’

‘I think I’ll feel much better about it now I’ve been here and I’ve got an idea of what to expect.’ She made a rueful face. ‘Well, a bit better anyway. Besides, I can get some tips from you can’t I? How do you speak to his mother anyway, do you call her Lady Horsham all the time?’

‘Yes, I suppose if you’re addressing her directly,’ William replied. He realised that Sophie wasn’t aware that Lady Horsham had no idea of her existence.

A few moments later Christopher returned and they went back inside. He had found Morton and sorted out the trouble with the cook, who it turned out was worried about the quality of the venison she had planned to prepare for their dinner.