Rainbow for Megan (6 page)

When Ray returned after showing him out, Megan met his amused eyes and asked half accusingly, 'Did you have to drag me into it? What would you have done if I'd said you ought to attend the wretched do?'

He grinned. 'Insisted on your presence too, to protect me.'

`And who,' asked Megan with raised brows, 'would protect me? I'd be swept under by the flood of local dignitaries wanting to make your acquaintance.'

`I rather think you can rely on your blond squire

to see to your welfare,' he teased her. 'Are you sure it's Iris he's courting?'

Megan threw him a look of disgust. 'You too !' she said exasperatedly. 'I did think you'd understand. The whole village, including Iris, is convinced I'm chasing him.' She sighed. 'Poor Alain, and poor me. We're just good friends or we were, until last summer when he came home for vacation. He always seemed to be busy whenever I appeared on the scene.' She hit her small hand down on the desk. 'I didn't think anything of it at the time. He was always telling me to buzz off when I was younger,' her expression softened and she smiled. 'I used to follow him everywhere. A plaguey nuisance, he used to call me, but he was the only one who bothered to talk to me, really talk to me, I mean. Father was always wrapped up in the past, and when he did emerge he never treated me as a child but as an adult. You can imagine what a little know-all I must have seemed to the local kids, and what a lot of pampered ninnies I thought they were. You might say I was a misfit, and when I look back, I certainly was. They used to gang up on me and I was game to take them all on. It was always Alain who stood between me and annihilation. Not that I blame them, I was a holy terror !'

Her eyes twinkled. 'Mind you, he dished out some walloping of his own when I deserved it.' Then she frowned. 'How anyone could link us together in the

romantic line is beyond my comprehension. We're more like brother and sister. He's years older than I am—at least eight.' She sighed again. 'No wonder he was upset when he heard the village gossip. So was I. Once upon a time we'd have had a good laugh about it,' she added sadly, 'now he's turned broody.'

Ray chuckled. `So it's a platonic friendship, is it ?'

Megan nodded vigorously. 'Exactly !' Her brow darkened again. 'Not that it will remain so if he still persists in trying to stop me taking Chas for walks. I know he's only trying to protect me in his way, but he can't have it both ways. If he wants to stop the village gossip he must confine his activities to looking after Iris's welfare. Oh,' she sighed impatiently, 'it's all so stupid, isn't it ?'

Later that day, Megan hoped Ray would forget his promise to accompany her on her walk with Chas, but before she left he reminded her. She looked at him. 'Honestly, Ray, there's no need, you know. Alain's making a fuss about nothing. I'm sure you've more to do than walk the recreation field with us.'

`Nonsense,' he replied. 'A bit of exercise will do me good. Besides, I want to see this hound of the Baskervilles for myself. What time's off ?'

Ray called for Megan at about seven. It had been agreed that it might be a good idea if he accompanied her when she collected Chas. 'You see,' Megan had

explained, 'I think he only took exception to Alain because he suddenly appeared on the scene out of the blue, as it were. In his doggy way he wasn't sure whether he was friend or foe.'

Chas took to Ray and greeted him as an old friend just returned from foreign parts, particularly when he commandeered the lead. Mrs. Jones was thrilled when she heard the name of Megan's companion. It was quite clear that the news of his arrival had filtered through the village.

As they strolled across the recreation ground, Megan brought Ray up to date with local history of the village, while Chas went off on his excursions, every now and again racing back to join them as if to confirm that he was still with them.

`Well, I agree with you,' commented Ray as he watched Chas gallop up to join them once again, his four legs splayed out in what seemed an impossible physical feat. 'Your Chas is a big softie. I'm still trying to imagine him as a watchdog.'

Megan laughed. 'Well, I can assure you he was,' she gurgled. 'Alain was furious.'

They walked round the perimeter of the grounds until they came to the pavilion. Ray looked up at it. `That's a bit ancient, isn't it ?' he queried, gazing up at its weathered woodwork.

She followed his gaze. 'Well, it's been up about seventy years, I think,' she said, 'We used to have

a fine cricket team according to the old residents. I'm afraid all we can manage now is a scratch team that turns out every bank holiday, and regularly gets a tanning. No one turns out to watch any more. It's sort of—demoralising'

`Pity,' commented Ray. 'I always think a village ought to have a good cricket team. I say, do you think there's any chance of getting in for a look round? I've just got an idea for a story. I'd like to get the feel of the place.'

Megan was quite used to this sort of request. She had known her father once travel to Canterbury to re-visit the Cathedral when he was working on an article. Although he knew its history well, he still wanted to get, as Ray had just put it, 'the feel of it'.

`There used to be a way in round the back,' she said. 'Come on, let's see if the door is still left on the catch.'

To their delight it was. 'It must be years since I came,' said Megan as they entered the premises. 'We used to use the place as a headquarters when we were kids; when it rained, that was. I suppose the children still do. As long as no damage is done, Mrs. Sims turns a blind eye.'

They wandered through the musty rooms. Relics of past glories in the form of photographs hung on the walls of the changing rooms. Grinning moustached men holding aloft a huge cup, the date and names

of the victorious teams faithfully recorded on plaques beneath the photographs. It was all so tidy and very dusty, there was a sense of expectancy, as if the place itself were waiting, waiting to echo once more the laughter and good wishes as each player strode out to do battle.

Ray sighed and murmured once more, 'Pity.' He sat down on one of the wooden benches that ran alongside the walls and went into a kind of reverie.

Megan, recognising the signs, knew he was reconstructing scenes in his mind. 'I'd better see what Chas is up to,' she remarked. 'He's probably going frantic trying to find us.'

A few minutes later she returned. Ray was busy making notes on an envelope. She waited until he had finished, then said, 'Did you pull the door to behind us, Ray ? Because we're locked in.'

He pulled his attention back from his notes and looked at her. He frowned in thought. 'I believe I did. It was sort of swinging open, so I closed it.'

Megan sat down beside him. 'It's my fault,' she said. 'I should have warned you. The lock is dicey, one of the ancient types. That's why it's always left slightly ajar with a piece of cardboard jammed in. Mr. Simms the caretaker was always locking himself in until he had the bright idea of jamming the lock.' She grimaced. 'Chas is scratching like mad at the door. I made the mistake of talking to him. Someone's

bound to guess what's happened and fetch Mr. Sims,' she concluded, but she didn't sound very hopeful.

Ray went towards the door. 'We'd better see if there's any other way out, hadn't we?'

`There isn't,' Megan answered mournfully. 'Not unless you're prepared to risk breaking a limb or two clambering down an old pipe from the scorers' den on the top floor, but I wouldn't advise it. It's coming away from the sides as it is. Any weight on it and it would collapse.'

`No windows elsewhere? What about the kitchen area?' he asked.

Megan shook her head. 'It's too tiny, even for me. Come and look.'

They looked, and Ray was forced to agree with Megan. They also looked at all the ground floor windows, not that there were many—just three, in fact—all boarded up.

By this time the light was failing. Soon it would be dark. Ray tried the electric light switch, but there was no joy. 'I suppose it's been disconnected,' Megan commented. Chas could be heard howling outside.

`Good old Chas,' said Ray with a grin. 'That ought to fetch 'em for miles.'

Megan was not so sure. The recreation ground was well away from the village proper. Someone else could, of course, be walking their dog, or even a courting couple might pass. She cheered up at this thought.

By nine o'clock, it was pitch dark. There had been a hunt for candles, which wouldn't have proved of much use had they found any, as they had no matches.

Megan, in cotton jumper and jeans, began to feel chilly, but said nothing. Ray, however, realised her plight and insisted on her wearing his sweater. It was more like a short coat on Megan and she was grateful for the warmth, but she worried about Ray missing the warmth himself. His thin silk shirt could not have held much heat.

He kept up a cheerful conversation on anything and everything. He knew Megan was worried about Chas, for one thing. `Poor Mrs. Jones will wonder where we've got to,' she commented.

`How about your father ?' asked Ray, as he settled himself full length on the bench.

Fortunately, it's the evening Mr. Cane calls,' she said. 'They're old buddies and they settle down to a game of chess. It's more than I dare do to disturb them, so he won't even know I'm still out. Not till breakfast, anyway.'

She felt Ray look at her. 'Do you think I ought to make an honest woman of you, Megan, if we have to stay all night ?' he asked in a teasing voice.

She burst out chuckling. 'You'll have the sympathy of the village if you do,' she retorted. 'They'll be certain I've lured you out here. I knew about that

catch, didn't I? The fact that I didn't warn you absolutely smacks of intrigue. It is my fault, anyway. I ought to have remembered to tell you.'

`Well,' said Ray in the same light teasing voice, `perhaps you did have an ulterior motive. You know if I were writing this up I'd make you a scheming wench. Your next step would be blackmail. Either marriage or cash.'

`Ray !' Megan sat up from her reclining position on the opposite bench. 'You don't really think I did it on purpose, do you ?'

He chuckled. 'Of course not. But it would,' he said musingly, 'be nice to know you cared. I mean, it's a bit ego-dashing to hear you sound so horrified. I'm considered a good catch, you know.'

`Come off it !' retorted Megan, vastly relieved that he had only been teasing her. 'If I were really serious you'd be terrified. I've a good mind to start to act the vamp, although,' she grinned to herself, 'I wouldn't know how to start.'

He really laughed at this. 'You be careful, young Megan,' he warned her. 'For my part you're quite fascinating as you are.'

Megan did not have time to work out this intriguing remark, as a shout hailed them from outside. `Tuppence? Where the devil are you? Have you got yourself locked in?'

Megan jumped up. 'Alain,' she said, 'Thank goodness,' and rushed to the door. 'We're in here, Alain ! Can you get the key from Mr. Sims?'

`We?' queried Alain, a sharp note in his voice.

Ray spoke up. There was amusement in his voice. `She's quite safe, Mr. Drew. It's my fault for closing the door behind us.'

`Did you have to say that ?' hissed Megan. 'Now he's bound to think you're up to no good. Oh, dear !'

From the silence outside, Alain had gone to retrieve the key.

Ten minutes later they were standing outside the pavilion. Megan looked around for Chas. 'He's home,' Alain said curtly. 'I took him when I collected the key.'

`Oh,' said Megan. 'Did you hear him howling? He really is a clever dog, he wouldn't leave us.'

`It was just as well he didn't,' said Alain sourly. `I called on Mrs. Jones and she told me you weren't back.' He looked hard at Ray. 'What were you doing in the pavilion anyway ?'

Ray spoke casually, but Megan sensed he did not like the way the question had been asked. 'My fault entirely,' he said mildly. 'I wanted to see the inside.'

`Did you now ?' said Main, a wealth of meaning in his voice.

Megan started. Main's stance looked forbidding; he was spoiling for a fight. 'And I stupidly didn't

remind him to leave the door on the catch,' she said quickly. She then attempted to bring a light note into the strained atmosphere. 'It's all right, Alain,' she said airily, 'Ray did offer to make an honest woman of me if we had to stay the night.'

Instead of helping, it appeared to make things worse. 'It's as well I called on Mrs. Jones, then, isn't it?' Main said through clenched teeth. He looked at Ray. 'Megan,' he said quietly, 'is apt to let her tongue run away with her. I can only advise you not to take her seriously.'

Megan gasped and glared at Main. 'In other words I'm a liar, am I ?' she ground out.

Ray answered smoothly, but Megan knew he was grinning. 'I can assure you I have our Megan weighed up,' he said infuriatingly, 'and I'm much too fond of her to take advantage of her, if that's what you had in mind,' he added quietly, then turned to her. 'Come on, I'll see you home.'

Main barred the way. 'Thank you, Mr. Hallett, I'll see Megan back. I want a word with her father.'

To Megan's sensitive ears, this sounded ominous. `Father's got company,' she said quickly. 'Ray's going my way and I'm not in the mood for a lecture,' she added belligerently.