Devil's Mount Part 1

DEVIL'S MOUNT.

Anne Mather.

Rhys took a step toward her, his eyes searching. "What's the matter, Julie," he demanded. "Have my adventures shaken that romantic imagination of yours? I know you're not indifferent. So what else is there between us?"

Julie couldn't tell him. The words hovered on her tongue, but she couldn't speak them. What if they were true?

She had to get away from him before emotion swamped common sense--before she found herself surrendering to a man who could never give himself wholly to anybody.

CHAPTER ONE.

The Viking raised the silver goblet to his lips and drank deeply of the fiery spirit, Ms flashing blue eyes raking the faces around hint, searching for that one face which could bring the light of proud possession to their depths. He tossed back his long hair, his white teeth strong and eager as he bit into the flesh of...

"Mr. Hollister's waiting for you, you know, Julie!"

Nancy Walker's voice was stridently intrusive, and Julie turned from the window impatiently as the l.u.s.ty Viking became once more the telephone engineer who was presently taking his tea break across the road from the offices of Hollister, Barnes and Hollister, Solicitors, Commissioners for Oaths, etc.

"He won't appreciate you wasting your time day-dreaming over long-haired layabouts when he's waiting to give you dictation," went on Nancy, walking to the window, her mouth pulling down at the corners as the young engineer raised his thumbs towards her.

"Honestly, Julie, do you want to lose this job?"

Julie sighed and reached for her shorthand notebook. How could she explain that she had been paying scant attention to what was actually going on in the street outside? Her thoughts had been far from the doings of a post office engineer repairing the cable down a hole in the pavement. She had been indulging in her favourite fantasy, transported back to Saxon times, a maiden ravished by her Viking lord, who in turn fell in love with her...

"I don't think I'm cut out to work in a solicitor's office," she volunteered, getting to her feet. "I mean, there's more to life than death and divorce, isn't there?"Nancy ,made a frustrated sound. "Like that young man outside, I suppose."

"No, not necessarily." Julie shook her head, her long corn- coloured hair swinging loosely about her shoulders. "The work just doesn't interest me, that's all." She hesitated. "Nancy, don't you ever get bored?"

Nancy looked scandalised. Although she was married, she had worked for Hollister, Barnes and Hollister for the past fifteen years, and Julie guessed her words were tantamount to anarchy in Nancy's ears.

"You don't appreciate how lucky you are to have a job at all," she exclaimed, pacing to stand before Julie's desk. "Are you aware that a great number of young people can't find employment of any kind?"

Julie nodded. "I know, I know."

"Besides, I thought you liked typing. When you concentrate on what you're doing, you're pretty good."

This was praise indeed, and Julie smiled. "I do like typing," she said.

"It's what I'm typing I find so dull! So- I think about other things."

"What other things?"

The office door opened and Jennifer Lewis, Mr. Barnes' secretary, put her head round. "Do you know where-"she began, seeing only Nancy at first, but then her eyes travelled on to Julie, and she grimaced at the younger girl. "Mr. Hollister's screaming his head off.

What've you been doing, Julie? He's madder than a bull in-'

"That will do, Jennifer." Nancy straightened away from the desk.

"You'd better hurry along, Julie. Or you may find you have no choice in the matter of occupations.'

Julie hurried, and suffered Hector Hollister's vituperative response to her apologies before he got down to the business of dictation. But the letters he dictated she had heard a dozen times before - the deeds of your late mother's property are now in our possession, and if you could arrange to call at this office - my client absolutely refuses to consider even temporary custody of the child to your client - the insurance due on the said property, etc. etc.... She could feel her thoughts drifting, and she had to concentrate heavily to get down everything he said without adding comments of her own.

Travelling home on the underground that evening, strap- hanging as usual, she tried to review the dissatisfaction which seemed to be getting stronger day by day. At what point had her work at Hollisters become so untenable? She had been there seven months, the seven months since she had left secretarial college, and to begin with it had not seemed so bad. But perhaps familiarity had bred contempt, as they say, and it-was a fact that she was contemptuous of Hector Hollister. A man so polite with his clients could be amazingly rude to his staff, and Julie was tired offending off his familiarity.

But perhaps more than anything, her discontent had manifested itself at Laura's wedding three weeks ago. Not that she envied her sister.

Getting married at nineteen was not her idea of making a life for herself, and although Laura seemed ridiculously happy with her area sales representative, Julie thought she was crazy. They wouldn't have a penny to spare once they had covered the mortgage repayments on their three-bedroomed semi in Barnet, and Laura would have to work forever to maintain a decent standard of living.

Of course, Julie "knew that her mother hoped she would soon decide to get married. Since becoming a widow five years ago, Mrs. Wood had not found it easy to support herself and her two daughters. But she had ensured that they both gained secretarial ability, and now that Laura was married, she was looking forward to the day when she could sell their small house in Romford and go to live with her widowed sister in Southend. Only Julie stood in the way-and as Julie was over eighteen, she should be considering her future, or so Mrs.Wood believed.

But her mother's ideas of considering Julie's future usually included consideration of Mark Roberts. Mark lived in the same road as the Woods, he came from a well-respected family, and he had just completed his teacher training. More to the point, he had always shown an interest in Julie, and now that he had got a teaching post at a nearby comprehensive school, his attentions were getting more serious.

Julie sighed. She liked Mark. She always had. But he was only a little over medium height, and stocky, with gingery hair and a tendency to make pompous statements about life in general, and teenagers in particular. Consequently, Julie found it difficult to take him seriously, and certainly she didn't love him. She had come to the conclusion that she would never find anybody to live up to her expectations, and was quite prepared to remain single for the rest of her life. But not as secretary to Hector Hollister!

She allowed her thoughts to drift, and soon the swaying tube became the deck of a Viking vessel, the buzz of voices oarsmen stroking their craft through white-flecked waves. She was clinging to the dragon's head carved on the prow of the ship, which served to terrorise those they came to plunder, and the scornful voice in her ear was that of the helmsman, exhorting her to get behind him..; "Will you let me pa.s.s?'

The angry voice penetrated the fantasy and she gulped and coloured in embarra.s.sment as a bowler-hatted businessman strove to squeeze past her to reach the doors. She shrank back into a corner, controlling her own annoyance when the point of his umbrella dug into her leg, and then stooped to pick up the newspaper he had dropped. The doors were closing behind him by this time, and she was left with the paper in her hand, feeling rather foolish.

There was now a vacant seat further along the compartment, and she went to take it, deliberately opening the newspaper to give herself some privacy. It was The Times, not the sort of paper she usually read, her mother's tastes running to the Daily Mirror or the Express. But anything was better than sitting staring at her fellow travellers for another handful of stations, and she found her eyes indifferently scanning the Situations Vacant column.

Someone wanted a nurse/companion for a trip to Australia. That sounded interesting. All expenses paid aboard a luxury liner. But she had no nursing experience, so that didn't help her. Someone else wanted a governess. An Asian family, it said, living in Central Africa, wanted an English girl to tutor their two children. Julie sighed.

Obviously, she had chosen the wrong occupation. And yet she couldn't honestly see herself in the role of governess.

Wealthy recluse requires competent secretary.

The words fairly jumped out of the page at her, and she read them again. "Wealthy recluse requires a competent secretary. Applicant must be an accurate typist, and have a shorthand speed of up to 100 words a minute.'

Julie's brows drew together. That was all it said, apart from giving a telephone number to call for enquiries. How tantalising! Who on earth could it be? And where might the post be? What a fantastic opportunity for somebody.

The train was pulling out of Elm Park when she looked up. Hers was the next station. She had no time to re-read the advertis.e.m.e.nt right now, or even to consider why she might want to read it once more.

Flinging her long tartan scarf over her shoulder, she left the train at Hornchurch, the edition of The Times still clutched in her hand.

Outside the station, the October evening was faintly misty, the street lamps casting pools of milky light, frost already glistening on the pavements. Julie still had a bus ride to make, before she was home, and throughout the journey she thought about the advertis.e.m.e.nt A wealthy recluse! She could guess what that would mean. Some rich old man living in the lap of luxury on some remote Caribbean island.

How marvellous! Lots of sun and sea and good food. That was really living! Not just sc.r.a.ping along in some suburban semi, with every mailman's step heralding the arrival of another bill you can't pay.

She wrinkled her nose dejectedly. Of course, there would be dozens of applicants. Every half-baked secretary in London would jump at a position like that. But it wasn't the half-baked ones she had to worry about. It was the sleek sophisticated business girls in their late twenties or early thirties, who all looked as if they'd just stepped from the pages of Vogue magazine, and had typing and shorthand speeds to match.

Julie surveyed her reflection critically in the darkened gla.s.s of the window beside her. She wasn't bad looking really, but she wasn't at all sophisticated, and even her mother had had to admit that she didn't look eighteen. She sighed frustratedly. Her hair was all right. She could always put it up or have it cut or something. But those wide brown eyes were definitely too ingenuous, and her mouth was too vulnerable. She hunched her shoulders as she glimpsed the reflections of two schoolboys across the aisle, watching her with evident amus.e.m.e.nt Why was she bothering anyway? She hadn't even thought about making the telephone call yet...

Her evening meal was already on the table when she let herself into the house in Eastman Road. Her mother came through from the kitchen as she was shedding her coat and scarf in the hall indicating that Julie should start without her.

"It's .the Autumn Fair at the junior school this evening, Julie," she explained, pausing at the foot of the stairs, "and I've promised Mrs.

Lomax that I'd go along and help out So many of the parents don't seem to care about giving a helping hand. They send their children to school and think that's the end of it."

Julie draped the strap of her handbag over a hook on the hallstand.

"Did you have a good day?"

Mrs. Wood worked at a local wool shop on a part-time basis, and supplemented the small pension her husband had left her in this way.

Now she nodded. "Fortunately, we haven't been run off our feet," she answered, "or I shouldn't be helping out tonight"

"Perhaps that's why more of the parents don't get involved,'

suggested Julie, walking towards the kitchen and the appetizing smell of steak and kidney pie. "Most wives have to work these days, and I expect they're glad to get their feet up when they get home."

Her mother made a disbelieving sound. "They're not too tired to go out playing bingo or keeping fit! Do-you know Mrs. Laurence has actually joined a Yoga group!"

Julie hid a smile. Mrs. Laurence was at least fourteen stone, and to imagine her attempting the lotus position didn't bear thinking about.

Mrs. Wood went to get ready to go out and Julie seated herself at the kitchen table and tackled the steak and kidney pie with relish. There was a raspberry crumble to follow, and a cup of her mother's strong black coffee, and she rose from the table ruefully rubbing her flat stomach. Her mother's menus were definitely not calorie-conscious, and tomorrow lunchtime she would have to make do with two crispbreads and a lettuce leaf. Although it suited her mother to be plump, Julie had no intention of adding that drawback to what she considered to be her other disadvantages.

She washed her dishes, cleared the table, and then went through to the sitting room. A warm fire was burning in the grate, and she settled herself on the couch, flicking through the pages of a magazine. Mrs.

Wood bustled in, tall and attractive in her grey tweed coat Both her daughters resembled her morethan their father, but with Julie it was only a physical resemblance.

"Well, I'm going," she said. "By the way," she dropped the copy of The Times beside Julie on the couch, "I found this hanging out of your coat pocket I didn't know you bought The Times."

"I don't," said Julie, half guiltily, barely casting an eye in its- direction. "I-er-someone dropped it on the train."

"And you picked it up!" Her mother looked scandalised. "Julie!"

Julie shook her head. "Are you going now, Mummy?'

Mrs. Wood looked as though she would have liked to say more, but bit her tongue. "Oh-yes. Yes, I'm going. I'll be home soon after nine, I expect. Is Mark coming round?"

"I hope not," replied Julie shortly, and her mother sighed.

"I heard from Mrs. Morton that Lucy saw Mark talking to Susan Thornton in the High Street on Sat.u.r.day," she told her daughter reluctantly. "And you know what she's like. She's always had her eye on him."

"Goodfor her," observed Julie idly, turning another page of the magazine.

"Is that all you can say? Don't you care?"

"Not particularly." Julie looked up. "Aren't you going to be late?"

Mrs. Wood hesitated only a moment longer, and then with a stifled exclamation she marched to the door. "Goodbye, Julie," she said in a tight little voice, and Julie watched her go with resignation. She knew exactly what that tone of voice meant, and the-"prospect of several days of her mother's restrained politeness could stretch the nerves.

But what could she do? She had no intention of marrying anyone just to satisfy her mother. And if her presence in the house was an inconvenience, then perhaps she ought to consider looking for a bed-sitter in town.

Her eyes alighted on the newspaper, and on impulse she picked it up and read the advertis.e.m.e.nt again. The telephone number indicated a central London address, and it gave no hours between which to call.

She studied it for a few minutes longer, and then slid off the couch and walked out into the hall. Another second's hesitation, and she had lifted the receiver of the telephone and was dialling the number, not really knowing what she was going to say if anyone answered.

"LimerickHotel!"

A receptionist's voice startled her out of her speculations. "Limerick Hotel?" she echoed faintly.

"That's right Can I help you?"

"I-well, I'm ringing in answer to-"

"-the advertis.e.m.e.nt in The Times}" The receptionist did not sound surprised.

"Well-yes."

"Just a moment"

The line went dead, and for a moment Julie felt like hanging up before she committed herself further, but then the receptionist came on again: "You're through now."

"h.e.l.lo. Who am I speaking to, please?"

It was a masculine voice, a young masculine voice, educated, yet with a faint accent which Julie couldn't quite place. She licked her lips.

"Ob-my name is Julie Wood," she introduced herself jerkily. "I'm enquiring about the position-as secretary."

"I see. And what are your qualifications, Miss Wood?"

"I have a typing speed of approximately seventy words a minute and my shorthand is upwards of a hundred."

"Impressive." He sounded faintly amused. "And why do you want this job, Miss Wood?"

"I-I'd like a change, that's all. I work in a solicitor's office at the moment, and the work is rather-"

"Dull?"

"Well, yes."

"And you don't think this position would be?"

Julie sighed. She didn't altogether like stating her reasons for applying for the job over the phone. She didn't know who was interviewing her, and he could have no idea who she was or whether indeed she was serious.

"I-just think it sounds rather interesting," she said lamely, and there was silence for a minute.

Then: "You will appreciate, Miss Wood, that we have had a great number of applications for this post already..."

Here it came. The crunch. Julie stifled her disappointment.