The Mountains of Spring (16 page)

Diego Rivel looked at Caroline.

‘
There is something you would like to say to me,
senorita
?
’

She shook her head, and turning away rather awkwardly, almost stumbled. Dick Weldon caught her arm.

‘
Come on, honey. I
’
ll find you some tea—if there
’
s such a thing to be had around this place.
’

She looked up at him dazedly.
‘
Thank you. But I don
’
t think I want any tea. I just want to get away from here!
’

Almost in silence, they walked towards the carpark. Caroline
’
s anger had quickly subsided into an extraordinary feeling of stunned misery, and as
she meekly allowed he
r
self to be guided through the still jostling crowds she almost forgot the presence at her side of the quiet, sympathetic American. But when she found herself being put into the front passenger seat of his magnificent low-slung car she came back with a jolt to a consciousness of what was going on around her, and looked up at him anxiously.

‘
Oh, I
’
m sorry
!
I didn
’
t mean to—I mustn
’
t drag you away. There must be other races
...
aren
’
t there?
’

‘
Maybe. Who cares? I
’
m not a racing maniac myself.
’
He stood looking down at her, smiling, she thought, just a little wryly.
‘
The main thing is that you
’
re upset—and, as you said a few minutes ago, you want to get away from here.
’
And without waiting for a reply he closed the door on her.

She watched him as he walked round in front of the car, and as he climbed into the driving seat. Then, when he had turned the key in the ignition, she said:

‘
I
’
d like to go back to the Casa Rivel, please.
’

He turned to look at her, raising an eyebrow.

‘
Now? You
’
re sure? I thought maybe we
’
d drive for a while
...
run that tea to earth, or something. Then we could drive on again until dinner. Wouldn
’
t it suit you better? You
’
re
...
you
’
re a little upset, you know. That scene back there—it shook you, didn
’
t it?
’

She said nothing. His arm was lying along the back of the seat, and as if he were unable to resist the temptation he lifted his hand and lightly touched her hair. Instantly she stiffened, and he sighed, and immediately returned both hands to the steering
-
wheel.

‘
Well, what
’
s it to be?
’
he enquired more briskly. He began to reverse out of the line of cars in which they were parked, and Caroline came to life again with a start.

‘
Please ... I want to go back to Senora Rivel
’
s house. I shall have to pack.
’

‘
Very well, my child. No tea, no dinner. No drive in the moonlight.
’
His voice was teasing, but there was something slightly sombre about it too. Caroline looked at him guiltily.

‘
I
’
m awfully sorry. Thank you—thank you so much for offering. I know I
’
m behaving ridiculously.
’

‘
Oh, no, you
’
re not. You
’
re making,
’
he said cryptically,
‘
far too much sense.
’

She was silent again, and for a minute or two he said nothing further. Then he spoke abruptly.

‘
Won
’
t the old lady be rather upset at parting with you? I
’
m sure she
’
s taken to you.
’

Caroline
’
s brow creased, and her dull, nagging misery grew more intense, a thing she would not have thought possible.
‘
I
’
m sure she
’
ll understand—after what has happened. And in any case,
’
she added,
‘
there
’
s no reason why she should be upset.
’

‘
Well, she
’
s going to lose you,
’
he said seriously.
‘
Anyone would be upset.
’

They had a
lm
ost reached the Casa Rivel when he spoke again, and this time it was the practical aspect of the situation that was troubling him.

‘
Where are you going?
’
he wanted to know.
‘
Some hotel?
’

She nodded.
‘
When I
’
ve got everything fixed up I
’
ll leave my new address with Senora Rivel
’
s maid, so that if Peter telephones she can give it to him.
I d
on
’
t suppose she
’
ll mind doing that
.’

‘
You d
o
n
’
t know where your brother
’
s staying?
’

She glanced at him hopefully.
‘
Do you?
’

‘
No. I did, but I tried to call him last night, and he wasn
’
t there. I guess he
’
s moved, but I
’
ll probably be able to find him for you.
’

She sent him a look of such gratitude that if he had seen it his day would have been made.
‘
Could you really do that?
’

He looked round at her and smiled.
‘
Yes, I can really do that—and anything else you
’
d like me to do!
’

She flushed.
‘
That
’
s very kind of you. I do want to get in touch with him, of course. I shouldn
’
t have let
him
go like that—but it was all so bewildering, and—and horrible.
’

They had reached the Casa Rivel now, and the long car was swinging under the archway.

‘
It wasn
’
t pleasant,
’
he agreed. The engine died into silence, and he turned to face her.
‘
I take it you
’
re feeling pretty badly about Rivel.
’

‘
Yes,
’
she said. Her voice sounded stiff.

‘
Well, I think you
’
re right.
’
He hesitated.
‘
At the same time. ... If I were you I
’
d warn Peter to leave the little Mexican girl alone. These people can be pretty dangerous, especially when it comes to anything that concerns their womenfolk. He
’
s already lost himself a decent job.
’

There was a short silence, and then suddenly, almost fiercely, she burst out:
‘
It wasn
’
t a decent job! I think he
’
s lucky to be free.
’

‘
Do you?
’
For a moment, in the golden sunlight of late afternoon, he studied her pale, mutinous face. Then he smiled briefly.
‘
I hope you do,
’
he remarked enigmatically.

As he helped her out of the car he asked her when he might stand a chance of seeing her again, and instantly her eyes, huge, worried and very blue, were lifted to his face.

‘
I
’
m awfully sorry... It was a wonderful afternoon—at least, it should have been. I spoilt it for you. I even spoilt your pleasure in Castaneta
’
s win—
’

He put a hand over one of hers.
‘
Forget Castaneta. I
’
m getting rid of the animal, as you heard. And in any case, you
’
re the important one.
’
He was gazing down at her, and something in her eyes seemed to hypnotize him.

She blushed, and drew her hand away rather hastily.
‘
Thank you very much, anyway. I must go in now. I—I
’
ll have to pack.
’

‘
Very well, my child.
’
He accompanied her to the door, and stood watching as she opened it.
‘
I
’
ll find out where Peter is, and phone you.
’

‘
Thank you,
’
she smiled at him.
‘
You really are kind.
’

‘
No, I
’
m not in the least kind. I
’
m acting from purely selfish motives. But I
’
m at your service whenever you want me
...
any time. Here
’
s my phone number.
’
He fumbled in his pockets for a pen and a piece of paper, and when he had found them and written the number down he gave it to her.

‘
Thank you,
’
she said for the third time, and grateful as she was to him, she wished with all her heart that he would go.

He stood looking at her for a moment or two longer, and then, at last, with a final wave of the hand, he climbed into his car and was gone. The
smooth purr of the engine faded gradually into the distance, and she quickly closed the door and fled upstairs to her room.

It didn
’
t take her long to pack her things and tidy the room and as soon as she had finished she ran a comb through her hair, powdered her nose, and rang the bell for Manuela. She had hardly given herself time to think, and when the maid appeared in the doorway she was still a little breathless from the speed with which she had been working. She asked Manuela if she thought it would be possible for her to see the Senora, and the Mexican woman looked from her to her luggage in puzzled curiosity.

‘
You are leaving,
senorita
?
’

‘
Yes, I have to.
’
She bit her lip.
‘
The Senora will understand. Can I see her, do you think?
’

‘
The Senora is resting.
’

‘
Yes, I know, but ... I think I
’
d better see her now, to say good-bye. I
’
ve packed my cases, and I—I ought to leave to-night.
’

Manuela
’
s black eyes became inscrutable.
‘
I will tell the Senora.
’

She was away for about five minutes, and when she came back her expression was definitely disapproving.
‘
The Senora is not well,
’
she said.

‘
She has been very tired. But she will see you.
’
Caroline followed the maid along the cool white corridor, and when they came to a door that stood slightly ajar Manuela knocked softly. They were instructed to enter, and as they did so they were met by a scent faintly reminiscent of freesias, and a sudden burst of barking from a tiny dog which had evidently discerned the approach of a stranger, and objected to it.

‘
Come and sit down,
Chiquita
.’
It was the Senora s voice, and although it was a little fainter than Caroline had so far heard it, it was certainly no less amiable. Its owner was sitting up in bed, a lacy white bedjacket about her thin shoulders, and she was leaning against the pile of pillows behind her as if she were rather glad of their support.