A Star Looks Down Part 17

' "Please?

' and when she nodded with a wonderful sense of relief: "Good, now let us have lunch.

I promise you that when I have thought of something I will tell you at once.

' They lunched at Bowlish House in Shepton Mallett, at a table in one of the elegant windows overlooking the gardens, and although Beth hadn't felt hungry, she ate the beef olives Provencal and apple pie and cream with a healthy appet.i.te, and, a.s.sured that it would not go to her head, drank a second gla.s.s of claret, while her companion talked cheerfully about the fun the children would have learning to ride, and egging her on in an un.o.btrusive manner to tell him about Beauty and Sugar and the fun she had had as a child.

On the way back to Caundle Bubb she found herself feeling quite lighthearted; somehow the profess or had taken her worries on to his own broad shoulders and she had no doubt at all that he would resolve them for her.

She hadn't felt so happy for years.

CHAPTER SIX.

they all spent a glorious afternoon; there was no question of riding Beauty or Sugar right away, but for the moment at least the children were content to admire them, stroking their noses and offering sugar lumps while Beth, the profess or and Jack explained the fine points of grooming a horse and the intricacies of its harness, and when the vet arrived the whole party, by now augmented by the presence of Mevrouw Thor becke, crowded round and watched while he examined the two animals.

He found nothing much wrong; elderly of course and neglected, but with good feeding and regular grooming and gentle exercise they should be good for several years yet.

Rea.s.sured, everyone trooped in to tea, leaving Jack to settle his charges comfortably, and the rest of the day was spent, by the children at least, in planning a colourful and improbable future for themselves and their new pets.

The success of Sunday was a foregone conclusion; the morning was largely spent hovering round the stables and the adjoining paddock, while Beth and Jack, with the children's enthusiastic a.s.sistance, groomed the animals.

It was astonishing how quickly they 121 were recovering after barely one day's proper care, and on Monday, Beth promised, she would show the children how to harness Sugar and Beauty, and perhaps by the next day Sugar would be fit enough to ride.

Lunch was a decidedly cheerful meal, with the children talking of nothing but horses.

"Which reminds me," the profess or interpolated, "Prince and I had some exercise before breakfast, but he needs more--so do I--I shall take him out again this afternoon.

Would you come with me, Beth?

Kitty needs to stretch her legs too.

We could go out towards Loving ton, along the bridle path.

What do you say?

' She looked up from her trifle with a delighted face.

"Oh, I'd love to, but I haven't ridden for years--is Kitty quiet?

' "I keep her specially for my girlfriends; some of them don't ride so very well," he declared solemnly, a remark which provoked shrieks of laughter from the children and a faint feeling of petulance in Beth.

She had almost forgotten the joys of riding, and Kitty, quiet enough when she needed to be, had a nice turn of speed in the open country.

Beth, riding more soberly beside the profess or on their way home, declared that she couldn't remember when she had enjoyed herself so much.

She was very untidy by now, with her hair hanging around .

her shoulders and no make-up to speak of; she was wearing slacks and a cotton sweater, neither of them new, and with no riding boots available she had put on a pair of borrowed Welling tons.

The profess or glanced at her several times, smiling a little, and when they were within sight of Caundle Bubb remarked goodnaturedly: "I'm glad you have enjoyed yourself, Elizabeth, you are a very competent horsewoman.

' She turned to look at him.

"Oh, so that's why you wanted me to come with you--to see if I would be safe with the children, I might have guessed.

' She didn't go on.

His reason for wanting her company had been so obvious and she hadn't even thought of it; indeed, she had actually imagined that he had wished for her society.

It was a lowering discovery.

"Well, that was partly my reason, but only partly, little Partridge.

It is a pity that I have already promised to ride with neighbours of ours tomorrow, for I should have enjoyed helping you with the children, but I shall be free in the afternoon and I wondered if we might all go to Cheddar Gorge; the children haven't been there and they will be going home in another week and I promised them a treat.

Mar tina can come with us and if she is tired, she can stay in the car while we take the children into the caves.

' Beth knew the caves well.

"They'll love that," she a.s.sured him warmly.

"I think Go ugh's cave is the best, don't you, but do you suppose they'll want to see them all?

' "Very probably. It will probably be an exhausting afternoon, but I don't need to leave until after dinner, so we shan't have to hurry."

She agreed soberly, thinking that in a week's time she would be going back to St Elmer's herself, a reflection which prompted her to ask: "When do you go back to Holland?" "Oh, very shortly." "For for good?"

"Lord, no. I come over to England several times in a year, you know, though I don't believe that I am coming to London for quite some time not, that is, to lecture. Edinburgh, if my memory serves me right, Bristol and Birmingham. I shall spend a few days here, naturally and it is easy enough to come over for a week-end in the London house." He smiled at her. "You see, I am partly English, am I not?

and I would wish to remain so." They were ambling up the drive to the house now and there was no need for her to answer him because the children, on the watch, had seen them and came pouring out to meet them.

The next morning went too quickly; Sugar and Beauty, delighted to be among friends again, allowed themselves to be saddled and bridled and made much of, and then Beth mounted Dirk on Sugar, and herself on Beauty, ambled round the paddock, with the boy, impatient of the leading rein, urging her to go faster.

"No," said Beth decisively, 'they've got to get quite fit first; you're doing splendidly, Dirk, but think of Sugar; he needs a few more days of rest.

Ambling along like this won't hurt either of them and by the time they're quite fit, you'll be good enough to get up on Beauty.

' Dirk was good after that, puffing out his skinny chest, telling his brothers and sisters what Beth had said and so pleased with himself that he waited patiently while she took each of the other children in turn, and then allowed them all to help her groom the beasts.

It was difficult to get them away from the stables; if it hadn't been for the prospect of the Cheddar Gorge, she fancied they would have been content to have stayed there all day.

They were playing hide-and-seek in the garden when the profess or, riding Prince, came home, and Beth, waiting to be found, concealed behind a box hedge, had the leisure to study him as he came up the drive.

He looked good in riding kit and he sat a horse as though he had been born to it--probably he had, she conceded.

What was more, he was handsome enough, despite his craggy face, to make any girl look twice at him.

She wondered why he hadn't married, and became so engrossed in this interesting fact that she hardly heard Hubert's voice asking his uncle if he had seen her, but she did hear the profess or's reply.

"Oh, yes, I've seen her all right, though I imagine she thinks she is nicely hidden--I had a splendid view of her out of the corner of one eye.

' He leaned down as he spoke to take up Hubert and sit him before him on Prince and then wheel the horse so that Hubert could see her too, and set him down again to chase Beth delightedly into the house while he rode on towards the stables.

They set out for the Cheddar Gorge after a hilarious lunch, with the children too excited to eat and even Mevrouw Thor becke in a gayer mood than Beth had seen her in.

The Gorge looked beautiful and a little awe-inspiring in the April afternoon sun, and it was still too early in the year for there to be many visitors.

The profess or slid the Citroen slowly downhill between the grey rocky cliffs and halfway down pulled in on to the wide gra.s.sy verge under overhanging rock.

"Is this a good place to stop?

' he wanted to know.

"Mar tina, are you quite sure you'll be happy in the car for an hour?

' Mevrouw Thor becke was content enough to be left to read and doze in the warmth of the sun and the party, in lively spirits, started off for the caves.

Beth had almost forgotten how extraordinary they were; she viewed their fairy like interiors, peering at the delicate petrified drops falling perpetually from a roof they could hardly see, and the graceful mounds growing from the ground, and fell into a friendly argument with the profess or as to which were stalact.i.tes and which stalagmites; the children, who didn't know much about it anyway, joined in and it was a gay party, still talking busily, which emerged into the sunshine again, which somehow made Beth's disappointment all the keener when the profess or declared his intention of going back to the car.

"I'm going to take Mar tina along for a cup of tea," he told her.

"You can have an hour," he cautioned her.

"Surely in that time these brats will have tired themselves out.

' He gave her a casual, friendly nod, and strolled away.

For a little while all went well; the children were pa.s.sably good, and Beth, scrambling with them along the side of the gorge, was content to let them roam where they wished within limits, but when Dirk declared his intention of climbing the almost sheer face of the cliff above them, she declared in no uncertain terms that he was to do no such thing.

But an imp of mischief had got into the boy; he danced away, shouting that he would do just what he liked; that the cliff was easier than anything else in the world to climb, and that she had no right to forbid him to enjoy himself.

"OK," said Beth, realizing that guile was necessary, 'so you're hard done by.

A pony to ride, a lovely holiday and no school for weeks, a visit to the caves--you're definitely underprivileged.

' "What's underprivileged?

' asked Marineka.

Beth explained hastily and then added coaxingly: "Come on.

Dirk, you can't leave us to go back alone, you know--you're the eldest and you're in charge.

' He wavered, then "No, I'm not, you are-you're grown up and we're only children.

' He pulled a hideous grimace at her and started off, his hands in his pockets.

From the back he looked very like a miniature of his uncle.

Beth stifled the thought and called: "Come back.

Dirk!

' in a no-nonsense voice and just for a moment she thought that he would obey her, but: "I'm old enough to do what I like!

' he shouted after a long moment, and made for a narrow gra.s.s-covered cleft, running up between the cliffs.

It wasn't too dangerous at first because there were plenty of footholds and it was narrow enough for anyone climbing it to get hand-holds on the rock on either side, but a hundred feet further it shot steeply on to a small plateau and after that the going looked hazardous.

Beth wasn't a climber herself and she had no idea if Dirk was good at it, but to rush after him would be foolish; he would merely climb higher in order to get away from her; remembered episodes with William when they were children made her certain of that.

What had begun as a prank had become grim earnest.

She turned her back on him and saw that the other children were standing and staring upwards at their brother; any minute now, she thought a little desperately, Hubert will decide to have a go as well.

She said loudly and in a confident voice: "He'll come down again in a minute or two, my dears--he's just going as far as that little gra.s.sy platform.

' She spoke rea.s.suringly while she thought hard.

The hour the profess or had suggested was almost up; if they didn't go back to the car within a reasonable time she felt sure that he would come in search of them.

If Dirk wasn't going to come down the children would have to be left at the base of the cleft while she went after him and with any luck at all, the profess or would be in time to get Dirk--and herself down before they had gone very far.

They might even get back before he turned up.

She sent an urgent prayer sky wards and looked over her shoulder.

Dirk had reached the plateau and when he saw her looking, waved defiantly and began the more hazardous climb towards the very top of the cliff.

There was no path as far as she could see, and no gra.s.s; the very thought of having to go after him made her feel sick, but there was nothing else to do.

Even if they all hurried back to the car and fetched the profess or, who might not be there.

Dirk could have missed his footing and fallen.

She turned to Marineka, making her voice casual.

"I think I'll go and give Dirk a hand, dear-will you stay here and look after Hubert and Alberdina until we get back or your uncle comes?

I shall be able to see you and you can watch us.

Only promise to stay exactly here we'll be back in the wink of an eye.