Inherit the Skies (37 page)

From the first time she had met him Adam Bailey had excited Alicia in a way no man had ever done before though she was at a loss to know why. He was very handsome, of course, but then so were many of the young men in her circle and beyond it who had tried unsuccessfully to pay court to her and he had none of their wealth or social standing. He was pleasant enough but so totally absorbed in his work that he made no effort to charm or even to observe social niceties and for all her efforts he seemed hardly to have noticed she existed. Yet the very thought of him could set her senses aflame and Alicia had spent a great deal of time thinking about him.

Perhaps it was the essential maleness of him which stirred her – beside him other men paled into insignificant shadows. Perhaps it was the sense of purpose that charged him with an electric impulse impossible to resist. Or perhaps it was the very fact that he seemed impervious to her charms, paying more attention to Sarah than he did to her. All her life Alicia had been used to having what she wanted; so far as she could remember nothing had ever been denied her. Now she wanted Adam, wanted him with a ferocity which startled her. And she was determined that she would have him, come what may, just as she had had everything else she had ever set her heart on.

Alicia's eyes narrowed and the lines of her mouth hardened slightly. So far Adam had eluded her but she would get him in the end. Failure was not a word in her vocabulary. As she watched he straightened up, the sun catching the golden lights of his hair, and moved towards the shed. At this distance she could only imagine the strong lines of his face and the clean muscular litheness of his limbs but the imagining was enough to send a thrill tingling through the core of her and her mouth softened to a secret smile. For a moment she savoured the sensation then the wanting was a fever in her veins and she touched Baron's side with the heel of her riding boot and started down the field.

As she trotted up to the shed he emerged once more wiping his hands on a piece of rag.

‘Alicia!'

‘Hello, Adam.' Her voice was cool, not betraying a vestige of the emotion which was making her tremble, but when he came over to help her dismount she held his eyes for a moment with a look of smouldering enticement and allowed her hand to rest on his arm briefly before turning away to twist Baron's reins around a metal bracket on the wall of the shed. ‘How are things going?'

‘Slowly. Much too slowly for my liking but I suppose I am impatient by nature. I imagined when we got the engine we would be flying within days but each taxiing trial seems to throw up fresh problems. First there was trouble with the gear box casing, then the carburettor developed a fault, now I'm not sure whether we should think again about the propeller arrangement …'

‘Oh dear,' she said lightly. ‘It all sounds very trying.'

‘It certainly is frustrating when we are so close to a breakthrough. The other day when I was taxiing I felt she was almost on the point of taking off.'

‘Are you all alone today?' she asked, looking around.

‘Yes. Max and Annie have gone into Bristol to pick up some things we need,' he replied.

Alicia's lips curved, giving her the look of a kitten who has just spied a saucer of cream. ‘I chose just the right time to visit you then didn't I?' she said and when he made no response she went on, slightly irked: ‘I didn't think Max drove. That hand of his …'

‘He doesn't. But I have given Annie instruction. It's not practical for me to be the only driver.'

‘Lucky Annie!' she said lightly. ‘
I
would like to learn to drive. Perhaps one day when you have more time you will teach
me
.'

‘Perhaps – but if you are impatient to learn I suggest you find another tutor. This project looks like keeping me fully occupied for some time yet.'

‘Oh I'd much rather wait and let vow teach me.' Again she held his eyes for a moment before dropping her own demurely.

‘You must excuse me Alicia, but I have a great deal to do. If Max returns and finds me slacking there is likely to be a falling out of partners.' He moved away and she experienced a stab of frustration. Coquetry seemed to have no effect whatever on Adam. Well, she would have to go for a more direct approach.

‘Father was wondering whether perhaps you would like to dine at Chewton Leigh one evening,' she said, following him across to the aeroplane. ‘It's a very long time since you were up at the house and however busy you are you must make time to eat, at least!'

‘That is true, though we do often depend on a sandwich or a piece of cold pie at the inn.'

‘Then a good meal would give you more energy to enable you to work even harder next day!'

‘How kind. Does the invitation extend to the others?' he asked without a flicker.

‘Of course,' she replied, hiding her annoyance.

He was bending over the aeroplane again inspecting the propeller.

‘You see – this should run symmetrically. I am afraid there is a weakness somewhere. If it failed in the air it could be disastrous …'

‘Adam, would you mind terribly having a look at my finger?' she said, drawing off one of her gloves and making a great show of examining it herself. ‘I think I have a thorn in it – or maybe a splinter. The wood on some of the stable doors is very rough …'

He straightened. ‘My hands aren't too clean.'

‘I'm sure they won't do me any harm!' She laughed lightly. ‘ See – just there. Does that look like a splinter to you?'

‘I can't see anything.' He was holding her hand. The touch of his fingers on hers made the excitement twist in her again. She laid her gloved hand on his arm.

‘Just there – see?' She leaned forward so that her breast brushed against him. He looked up quickly. As their eyes met she smiled at him, a slow tantalising smile full of invitation and briefly she saw the response flicker across his face, the enduring primitive response of a man to an attractive woman. Triumph soared within her along with the overwhelming compulsion. At last she had made him aware of her – though heaven knew she had had to practically throw herself at him to do it!

‘Adam …' she said silkily – and heard the approaching phutter of a motor car engine.

She looked up in fury to see the Panhard shuddering around a bend in the lane. Annie was driving, sitting up very straight and holding tightly to the wheel as if she expected the monstrosity to break away from her at any moment like a mettlesome horse. Max was sitting beside her and in the rear seat sat Sarah. The wind had got into her hair, loosening it from the pins, so that it stood out in a brown cloud around her head and her cheeks were pink.

Alicia swore silently but her smile was unwavering and she allowed her hand to remain on Adam's arm as the car turned in at the gateway and ploughed across the uneven ground.

‘Sarah!' Adam said warmly. ‘ What are you doing here? I thought Gilbert was keeping you busy at the works these days.'

‘Yes, but I decided to ride back with Annie and Max to see how the aeroplane is getting on,' she said, smiling back at him.

Alicia saw the look which passed between them and it only served to strengthen her determination. How was it Sarah could get a look like that from him when she could not? An idea occurred to her – one more devious than anything she had so far tried in her efforts to win Adam's attention.

‘I am very glad to see you are allowed some time off from your studies,' she said smoothly. ‘Heaven knows we see little enough of each other for two girls who live under the same roof.' She saw the puzzled look come into Sarah's eyes and knew what she was thinking: even during the weeks that Sarah had been laid up Alicia had barely found the time to spend an hour with her – and neither of them would have wanted her to. ‘You work far too hard,' Alicia went on smoothly. ‘You scarcely ever exercise Sweet Lass any more. Now, I am going to make a suggestion. Take an afternoon off tomorrow. First we will lunch together and then we will ride. And if Father objects you can refer him to me!'

‘Oh Alicia, I don't know. Mr Isaacs has promised to go over the ledgers with me tomorrow …'

‘I insist!' Alicia said sweetly.

‘You should, Sarah,' Adam put in. ‘It's true, you are working far too hard. A ride would put the roses in your cheeks and blow away the cobwebs.'

‘Thank you, Adam, for backing me up.' Alicia smiled at him as if the two of them were conspirators, then removed her hand from his arm with a deliberate movement that implied relinquishing possession, if only temporarily. ‘I must go now. But don't forget, Sarah, I shall hold you to our arrangement.'

She unhooked Baron's reins and mounted with easy grace. Sitting there sidesaddle she made a picture and she knew it. She raised one gloved hand and smiled at them, then turned Baron and kicked him into a trot. The determination was as fierce in her as ever and her pulses were still hammering from the excitement of the encounter. But she set the horse up the field and though she knew they were watching her she did not look back.

‘Well, Sarah, this is exceedingly pleasant,' Alicia said.

‘Yes it is,' Sarah agreed.

They were walking the horses single file through a copse in the bottom of the Chewton Leigh valley, Alicia leading the way on Baron, Sarah following with Sweet Lass and in spite of her dislike for Alicia, Sarah was glad she had come. She had enjoyed the leisurely trot along the lanes and the brisk canter across the meadows for riding provided a wonderful means of relaxation and Sarah resolved she would find the time to do it more often. Provided of course that dear Sweet Lass was her mount. She did not fancy the idea of managing the mettlesome Baron one bit and she was filled with generous admiration for the easy way in which Alicia controlled him.

But then control was something Alicia was very good at. The way she had inveigled Sarah into riding with her this afternoon was a case in point. But Sarah was puzzled by her motive. Alicia had never made any secret of her disdain for Sarah – why this sudden change of heart? There is bound to be a reason, Sarah thought, and I think I know what it is. She wants Adam and she thinks the way to get to him is through me.

From the moment she had been introduced to him it had been obvious that Alicia was setting her cap at Adam, but it was only when she had come upon the little scene at Long Meadow the previous afternoon that Sarah had realised just how serious Alicia was in her intentions. A splinter in her finger indeed! She must think we are green as grass! Sarah thought scornfully. But Adam seemed to have been taken in by it – or perhaps he had
wanted
to be taken in …

Sarah gave her head a small impatient shake, trying to dispel the sudden doubt that had assailed her. But still it hung over her like the shadow of the trees across the woodland path.

If only they had been able to spend more time together! If only there had been more moments of passion and tenderness like the one they had shared on the way home from that first meeting with Annie and Max! But work on the aeroplane was claiming all his time and most of his attention.

Max was as bad, of course. Annie was forever complaining that if it were not for her visits to the shed to stitch wing fabric she would have quite forgotten what he looked like. But it was different for Annie. She was secure in the knowledge of Max's love, his ring was on her finger and he left her in no doubt that she figured in all his plans for the future. Whilst Adam …

Maybe he thinks that kissing me until I am weak is enough – but it isn't, Sarah thought. I am more crazily in love with him than ever but I still don't know for sure how he thinks of me. Or how he thinks of Alicia for that matter …

Here under the trees where the sun could not reach the breeze was cool, even chilly, and Sarah shivered.

‘Shall we go back along the lane?' Alicia called over her shoulder. ‘Yes, if you like,' Sarah called back, and her tone gave no indication of her thoughts.

Leo de Vere was feeling annoyed. This was not unusual – Leo spent most of his life experiencing either annoyance or resentment or downright jealousy. Long ago he had decided that fate had dealt him an unfair hand and the conviction had eaten deeply into him, destroying any humour or compassion that might otherwise have tempered his rather dour nature and imbuing even his triumphs with a satisfaction that owed more to bitterness than pleasure.

As a child his world had been torn apart by the death of his father and though Leo had not missed him much since he had seldom been in evidence even when he was alive he soon became aware of the privations that came with his death. Cornelius de Vere had been a wealthy and respected banker who had been unable to face the disgrace and ruin when his empire suddenly crashed about his ears; he had taken a double-barrelled shotgun and put a bullet through the roof of his mouth, ending his life and Leo's comfortable existence in one fell swoop. The luxurious house on Fifth Avenue had been the first thing to go, along with his riding lessons and exclusive prep school and Blanche had taken Leo and fled to the picturesque, but in Leo's opinion, paltry, house in New Hampshire which was the home of Cornelius's sister Elinor. He had hated the place, hated the unfamiliar accents and the remoteness, hated his mother's enforced preoccupation with survival where before she had been principally concerned with his welfare. Most of all he hated the fact that he could no longer have all the things that money could buy at the merest snap of his fingers. During the year they spent in New Hampshire Leo had learned many things but the education had not made a better person of him. Instead it had set him on the downward spiral of resentment and bitterness.

At first he had looked forward to the visit to Blanche's family in England as the cue for matters to improve. He had soon been disappointed. He liked England even less than he had liked New Hampshire and when his mother had told him she intended to marry Gilbert Morse and settle there he had been enraged.