Read Saving Willowbrook Online
Authors: Anna Jacobs
Saving Willowbrook (34 page)
âI know. But I picked something out for you.' He laid one hand across her lips to prevent a protest. âLet me spoil you, Rose, spoil and love and cherish you all weekend long.'
After the spa he led her into the bedroom and opened the wardrobe on his side. âI sent this on in advance, so that they could press it.'
The dress was deceptively simple, a deep, subtle shade that was neither maroon, nor purple, with a soft, layered skirt that had threads which shimmered. The skirt whispered around her as she moved and a close-fitting top showed off her figure to perfection.
She couldn't protest when she saw the elegant woman in the mirror. Just this once, she wanted to be truly beautiful for him, to give him memories he would never lose. âI couldn't have chosen better myself.'
He fastened something round her neck and she stared down at a locket.
âIt was my grandmother's. Mum sent it. She thinks you should have it now.'
âI â don't know what to say.' Was this a farewell present? But why give her his grandmother's locket? It didn't make sense.
âDon't say anything. Just go with the flow.'
He'd brought an evening suit for himself, the severe elegance of it making him look like a celebrity at a film premiere. She'd forgotten how well he scrubbed up, but he never could get his ties straight, so she went to adjust this one. âI've never seen you look quite like that! So formal.'
âI had to attend a lot of official functions at my last job.' He kissed her cheek. âYou're even more beautiful than I'd expected, Rose. Now, let's go down. We don't want to be late.'
Their table was in a secluded corner. The menu had her mouth watering. But when the food came, she had trouble swallowing it.
âOliver, this is like a stage production,' she whispered. âI can't stand the suspense any longer. Please tell me why we're here. If you're going to your next job soon, just tell me. You brought me here to try to persuade me to leave Wiltshire with you, didn't you?'
He looked at her in surprise. âI've already promised that I won't tear you away from your project.'
âYes, but what about
your
needs,
your
job? How can you possibly stay?'
your
needs,
your
job? How can you possibly stay?'
âI have a solution of sorts. It depends on you.' He took her hand. âDarling Rose, will you marry me?'
She gasped, had been preparing herself mentally for a farewell. Emotion blocked her throat and she couldn't force words out, could only blink at him in mute shock.
âMay I not have an answer?'
There was only one answer possible. She knew it now. She couldn't give him up, just . . . couldn't. âYes. Yes, I will marry you, Oliver.'
His lips curved slowly until the smile lit up his whole face. âI've not bought you a ring, because I thought you'd want to choose one with me. An antique, perhaps? I can't see you wearing a stark modern diamond. But your answer makes me happier than I can ever remember. Rose darling, I will love you and cherish you all the days of my life.'
âAnd I you. Oh, Oliver, is this really happening?'
âYes. And this time we'll not let anything stop us.' Or anyone, he thought grimly. He still had a bone to pick with Miles Parnell about that letter.
âBut your job?'
He put one finger on her lips. âWe'll work that out together, but I won't take you away from your Wiltshire project, I promise. Trust me.'
And she did.
In the middle of the night Cameron was woken by the smell of burning. He came instantly alert, sniffing, jerking upright in bed, then getting up and running across to the window.
Faint orange light was flickering in the barn, he could see it through the high dusty windows. Shouting at the top of his voice, âThe barn's on fire!' he thrust his feet into his shoes and ran down the stairs in his pyjamas, dragging on his dressing gown as he went.
Voices called out behind him and he yelled again, âThe barn's on fire! Come quickly!'
He grabbed the fire extinguisher and barn key from near the kitchen door and rushed out into the darkness, feet crunching on the uneven surface of the yard. The big double barn doors wouldn't open. He tugged frantically, but couldn't get them to move. What had happened to them? How could a fire have possibly started in an empty barn?
Ella shoved him aside and tried the doors, but though the key turned easily, no tugging and heaving would budge the doors.
And all the time, light was flickering inside the barn, showing through the windows above their heads.
Cameron tried again, but it was impossible to move the doors. Then he had an idea. âCan we get into the barn through the secret passage?'
âYes. This way.' She tugged his arm and he followed her, only then realizing she too was carrying a fire extinguisher.
âKeep Amy away from the barn, Stephanie!' she yelled over her shoulder.
It seemed to take a long time to get the secret passage open from the outside. Every second he was expecting the barn to explode into a major conflagration. He had to let Ella lead the way along the tunnel, but he worried all the way about how rashly she would act at the other end.
As she disappeared into the darkness of the tunnel, he followed her blindly, trusting to her knowledge of these ancient ways to keep them safe.
âStop a minute!' she called, but he bumped into her before he could do that. He stood close to her in the darkness, hearing her fumbling for something.
Suddenly a light came on and she shone the torch that was kept in the tunnel on the panel, pressing and pushing the old wood and waiting for the door into the hidey hole to move slowly aside.
The smell of smoke was stronger here, but not overpowering, which he didn't understand. If the barn was alight, they should be having trouble breathing by now, surely?
As the next door that led into the barn began to open slowly, he tensed, ready to drag Ella back down the passage if she appeared to be in any danger. On that thought, he grabbed her arm, just in case she behaved rashly. âDon't move out until we're sure it's safe!'
âI'm not stupid. Hold your extinguisher at the ready.'
There was a fire in one corner of the barn near the doors, a fire which smelled acrid and made them both cough. But it wasn't burning out of control, rather it seemed contained. How could that be?
The fire gave enough light for them to assess the situation, which was like a scene from a nightmare, all flickering light against shifting darkness, with dark smoke gathering and heaving about above them.
âThe fire is only burning in that corner,' he muttered. âLet me go first.'
He didn't wait for her agreement, but led the way across the barn. Suddenly something shimmered in front of him. Thinking it was another fire starting, he stopped, extinguisher at the ready. But it wasn't a fire; it looked more like an electronic barrier.
âIt's the lady,' Ella breathed next to him. âShe's blocking the way. Can't you see her arms spread out? Don't move forward.'
He couldn't believe this was happening, could only see a shimmering mass, not a figure. But that was enough to stop him in his tracks.
âShe's gesturing to move to the left.'
âI don't believe this,' he muttered, but did as Ella said nonetheless.
The patch of faint silvery light, totally different from the smouldering oranges and yellows of the fire, stayed where it was as they moved round it.
He pulled himself together and concentrated on the matter at hand. âAim your extinguisher to the right. I'll do the left.'
She was pointing her nozzle even as he finished speaking and the two of them soon had the blaze under control.
He sniffed. âCan you smell that?'
âYes. A strong smell of paraffin. Oh, Cameron, surely this hasn't been done on purpose!'
He hated even putting it into words, it was such a horrifying thought. âI think it may be arson. Best not to touch anything. Let's see if we can open the doors from inside.'
To their amazement, there was no difficulty whatsoever in opening them now. âWhy the hell couldn't I get them to budge before?' he wondered aloud. âMind you, it's lucky they stuck. We'd probably have fanned the flames if we'd opened them, the fire was so close to this end of the barn. As it was, we had time to put it out before opening up.'
They stood breathing deeply in the fresher air just outside the door, wiping their watering eyes and keeping an eye on the spot which had been burning in case flames flared up again.
Stephanie's voice cut through the darkness of the yard. âIs the fire out?'
âYes. But you'd better call the fire brigade anyway,' Ella said. âAnd no one should go back inside the barn till they come. Cameron and I could both smell paraffin.'
âArson?'
âLooks like it.'
A figure appeared out of the darkness on the other side of the yard, one of the guests. âWhat's happened?'
âThere's been a fire in the barn,' Cameron said. âNot a major one and it's out now. We have fire extinguishers in place everywhere, as you may have noticed in your chalet, so we put it out quite quickly. However, we've called the fire brigade just to make sure there aren't likely to be any more problems.'
âOh.' He stood for a minute or two in the light streaming from the kitchen windows and door staring at the barn. âSmells awful, doesn't it?'
âYes. I hope it's not too bad in the chalets.'
He grinned, teeth showing lighter against the barely distinguishable features of his face. âMy wife wouldn't notice. She sleeps like the proverbial log.' He yawned. âI'll get back to bed now, then, if there's nothing I can do to help.'
They heard him talking to someone back along the path, presumably another guest coming to investigate.
âYour fire precautions certainly paid off,' Cameron said.
âI care too much about the place to take risks. I don't economize on things like safety.'
Amy came to stand beside her mother. âIt's not going to start burning again, is it?'
âNo, but just in case, if I tell you to run back to the house, you're to do so at once,' Ella said.
She sounded like her old self, Cameron thought, crisp and decisive.
âI promise, Mummy. What's arson?'
âWhen somebody sets a fire deliberately.'
âThat's terrible. Oh! My dressing up clothes will all be burned. And my wand.'
âWe can get you some more clothes, darling. And another wand. Was Teddy in the barn?'
âNo. He was safe in bed with me.'
âThen things aren't too bad.' She hugged the child close, standing shivering as the sky slowly turned grey, knowing Amy needed reassurance, gaining reassurance herself from the child's warm body. This was what mattered. The barn and farm counted for so little against the life of her daughter.
After a while she sent Amy inside to Stephanie, but couldn't bear to move too far away from the barn herself, felt she had to keep an eye on it. She watched Cameron pacing up and down the yard, frowning sometimes as he stopped to peer into the barn to check that the fire hadn't started up again.
Why would someone set light to the barn deliberately, Ella wondered? Why the barn and not the house? Who could have done it?
Miles? No, she couldn't imagine
him
risking prison.
him
risking prison.
DevRaCom? Now that was something she could imagine much more easily. The company had a lot of money at stake. But even so, they had enough money to get an arson job done properly, not botched up. This seemed more like the work of amateurs when even she could smell the paraffin.
Who else was there who stood to gain by her barn being destroyed? She couldn't think of anyone.
It seemed a long time till the fire engine arrived. When it stopped, they explained to the man in charge that they suspected arson, after which none of the firefighters went inside.
The chief firefighter checked everything then came to speak to her. âIt's obvious the fire is out, Ella. Good thing we set you up with the right extinguishers, eh?'
âYes. Thanks for coming out so quickly, Jim.'
âWe'll stay here to make sure everything's safe, but it'll be light soon, so as long as there isn't a flare up, we'll wait before we go inside. We don't want to destroy any evidence. You're quite sure you smelled paraffin?'
âAbsolutely certain. We both did.'
âThen I'll call in our arson investigators. You know, you might as well go back into the house as stand out here and shiver.'
âAll right.' But before they opened the farm door, Ella grabbed hold of Cameron to stop him and asked in a low voice, âWould DevRaCom do something like this?'
âI doubt it. They're not perfect, and they don't mind trampling on a few toes, but they don't go in for criminal activity, as far as I know. What about your ex? He's still in the neighbourhood, isn't he? Could he have done it?'
âI don't think so. It doesn't seem at all the sort of thing he'd do. Miles uses words and tricks to get what he wants, and I doubt he'd ever risk prison. I may be wrong. He may be desperate enough, but . . .' Her voice trailed away and she shook her head. âNo, I just can't believe it of him.'
At the door she turned to stare at the figures of the firefighters, dark outlines under a sky that was getting lighter by the minute. âI hope they catch whoever did it and lock him away for a good long time. First someone broke in and trashed my house, now this. Why me? Why Willowbrook?'
âI don't know, but I intend to find out.'
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