Emilia reached the stone footbridge at the side of the ford, telling herself that only a respectable short time had passed since she had first gone over it. She had stayed in Perry’s embrace for the two minutes she had stipulated, telling him that the tea would be drunk in the parlour. This had been done with him in his wheeled chair and she at a sound distance across the room. They had chatted about the children, the garden and the weather. Good, honest subjects.
She could justify her actions how she liked, but when she was climbing the short, steep hill up to the farm her heart was thudding, her face was aflame and she had a tight, hurting grip on her fists. Perry had wheeled himself to the front door to say goodbye and she had allowed him to take her hand and leave a lingering kiss there. Then she had stooped and kissed him on the lips and there had been nothing respectable or honest about the manner in which she had done it. Her body had wanted him then in the same way it had wanted him when they had cuddled together on his bed. Now her mind was filling up with shame, but not all the way to the top because she didn’t regret one moment of what had happened. Perry was handsome and sensuous, and he was fun and open in a way that Alec was not. The danger was exhilarating for she knew her attraction to Perry was not just a means of sheltering from her grief over Jenna.
When she had helped him to rise off the bed and walk to his wheeled chair in the parlour, Perry had said he would find it easy to start out on his own from now on, that he would only have to picture her encouraging him, holding out her arms to him. He had also said his room would never be as lonely for him again. She would not, must not, venture to his house alone for some time, but she was already looking forward to seeing him again for the dinner party at the weekend.
Something filtered into her mind. Someone was calling to her. Perry? Had he managed to follow her this far so quickly? She turned and found herself staring at two people only a step or two behind her. It was Ben and a young woman who could be none other than his bride.
‘Have you developed cloth ears?’ Ben grinned at her. ‘I’ve been shouting to you for ages. I thought I’d bring Brooke over to meet you rather than leave it until the dinner. Brooke, this is Emilia.’
‘Hello, Emilia. I’ve been eager to get to know you,’ Brooke said, leaning forward in her sociable, unaffected way.
Emilia felt so strangely happy that she hugged Ben and then Brooke, whom she at once took a liking to. ‘It’s good to see you again, Ben, and to meet you, Brooke. This calls for a little celebration.’
‘I won’t argue with that,’ Ben laughed, and Emilia was glad to see him happy. ‘I must say you’re looking good. I was half-dreading to find you pale and downcast.’
‘I’ve got a lot of good people around me.’ Emilia walked on between him and Brooke. ‘Come on, let’s sit on the goat house steps and catch up on all our news like we did in the old days. I’m eager to see the photos you’ve brought back of Billy’s grave. So are my parents. We’re all grateful to you for that, Ben.’
‘Jonny must be thrilled to be back at the farm,’ Ben said.
‘He is. It really is something like the old days. I think I’m at my best when Ford Farm’s bursting with people.’
‘I liked Emilia a lot,’ Brooke said, when she and Ben were making their way, arm in arm, back to Tremore, this time taking the route across the field behind the farm so he could show her the woods where he had once played.
Ben kissed the side of her head. ‘Well, she’s down to earth, like you. Now Em seems to be getting over the baby’s loss I think we’ll be able to break our good news soon. So will Tris and Winnie.’
‘I think I might have some interesting things for Tris’s shop when my things arrive from Wyoming. Some originated from England, you know, from the early settlers.’
‘Oh, but you must keep them, darling. They’ll be part of your family history. You are good to think of others. It’s one of the things I love about you, you’re so completely unselfish.’
‘Thank you, kind sir.’
They entered the woods, wandered under the awning of trees. Ben showed her his old camp – now Jonny’s – then he took her to a secluded copse, where the foliage was dense and created good cover. ‘Are we going to watch some animal in its natural habitat?’ Brooke parted the leaves and peered through the space she had made. ‘Tell me about all your fascinating British creatures, Ben.’
Using his strong hands gently, Ben dragged her down on to the springy undergrowth of the forest floor. ‘Badger watching or anything like it isn’t the reason why I’ve brought you here.’
Brooke succumbed eagerly to his kisses. She found Ben a captivating mixture of reserve and passion. They had been inseparable since the day they had met, yet despite her willingness to share a bed with him he had insisted they wait until their wedding night before making love. It had been important to him that he did everything right, that their union from the platonic into intimacy was perfect.
‘I adore you, Ben Harvey,’ she whispered.
‘You’re everything I’ve ever wanted,’ he said with emotion, making her totally his again.
Much later in the day, after Alec had finally called a halt to the haymaking because of failing light, Jim was in the woods, near the outskirts, where he could just make out the figure of Selina approaching him. He had met her here so many times he was able to walk back home in the dark without stumbling.
He grabbed her roughly, the way she liked him to. Selina shoved him away. ‘Not now, Jim. In fact never again. I’ve come to end it between us. It’s time for us to stop.’
He came after her as before, his big hands calloused from his graft. He had not washed and smelled of sweat, but not offensively; a tantalizing draw, he knew, to Selina. ‘You’ve said that before, yet you keep coming back for more. You need me, Selina. Don’t play games.’
She stroked his brawny shoulder, then yanked on his fair hair until he was forced to lean his head over to the side. ‘It has to end this time. We’ve been seen. I can’t risk there being a scandal.’
‘Who’s seen us?’ he swore.
‘That boy, Jonny. We’ve been lucky to have got away with it this long. I’m sure Emilia guessed about us a while ago, but as I was certain she wouldn’t say anything I let it continue with us for a while longer, but enough is enough. We’ve had a good time, now we must move on to other things.’
‘But I don’t want to.’ Jim snatched her hand from his hair and gripped her wrist. ‘We could make it official. Tell everybody we’re courting. In love.’
Selina laughed and laughed. ‘Don’t be foolish. I’ll never fall in love. I enjoy my freedom too much for that outdated notion. Now let go of me, Jim.’
Jim was shaking his head. ‘Don’t do this to me, Selina. I couldn’t bear it.’
‘Well, it couldn’t last for ever, foolish boy. I’ve kept on with you longer than anyone else before. It’s time for you to go after Elena Rawley again or someone else. You’ve got all the experience you’ll need. You should have the confidence to get whatever you want off any woman you like.’
‘But I want you. I love you.’
‘No, you don’t. Now let go of me before I make you. You’re very strong but I’m perfectly capable of getting you off me. I hate scenes, Jim. Be a good fellow and say goodbye.’
‘You heartless bitch!’
Selina smiled sardonically. ‘See, I told you that you didn’t love me. No man could say something like that to a woman if he loved her. Look, I’m not rejecting you because of you, yourself, Jim. You’re a nice boy. You’re a good lover, you can be proud of your prowess when it comes to that. Not every man can say he satisfies a woman every time. If it makes you feel any better I won’t do it with anyone else in the woods, it will remain our special place. We’ll always have special memories, won’t we?’
Jim was almost in tears. ‘I s’pose.’ He let go of her wrist and crumpled forward, placing his head on her breast.
Selina kept it there and stroked his hair, then she lifted his face, kissed his mouth and pushed him away. ‘I’ll see you around the village or at the farm, Jim. Now be a good chap and run along home.’
Weeping quietly, he followed her at a distance where she couldn’t see him. She did not go inside Ford House but sat on the front garden wall, smoking. He knew it would be impossible to get her to change her mind.
‘Whore,’ he muttered under his breath. A woman had to be a whore to have seduced him the way she did and do the things she had taught him to do. Was she going after Ben Harvey now he was back, even though he had brought a wife home with him?
When Selina had finished the cigarette she remained where she was. Jim was keyed up, preparing a speech for when she went inside. He would go in after her, force his way in if he had to and give her a piece of his mind and call her the names she deserved in front of her brother, and tell her he was glad it was over between them and he wouldn’t ever miss her. Keeping watch, he moved up to a better vantage point.
Selina moved off down the lane. He heard a motor car. It halted, the engine rumbling slowly. He had a good view of it. Selina got into the motor car, beside an older man in a dark suit and trilby hat. It was no surprise to Jim when she reached across and kissed the man in an open-mouthed way. Selina was hungry for sex. She always was. He should have known she would have someone else already lined up to take his place. Then with a plummeting heart and a dreadful fury it occurred to him that she probably had been seeing this other man all along. He had only been her ‘bit of rough’.
He was determined now to spread it all round the village what sort of woman Selina Bosweld was, to let everyone know there was another side to the caring nurse they thought she was. But it would involve himself and not help his case if he did decide to make a fresh play for Elena Rawley, and it would embarrass Sara. He must think of something else, a better revenge, and thanks to his calculating mind, developed as both a defence and an assault tactic in his vulnerable early years, he knew exactly what he would do.
Before the motor car pulled away, he noted its number. ‘Right, matey, I’ll find out who you are. Something dodgy’s going on here if you couldn’t go up to the front door and call for her. As for you, Selina Bosweld, I’ll bide my time, then I’ll get even with you for what you’ve done to me.’