Part 19 (1/2)

Vulcan and Lionel without checking their pace reached William and drew in their horses sharply.

”What the devil are you doing here?” William asked furiously.

The words seemed almost to hiss from between his lips.

”That is what we have come to ask you,” Lionel replied.

Vulcan, without speaking had flung himself from his horse. Instinctively as if he had asked him to do so Lionel bent forward to take the bridle.

”Get down, William 1” Vulcan commanded. ”I am going to teach you a lesson which has been long overdue I”

”Do you really imagine you can do that?” William asked.

There was no doubt of the sneer in his tone and in the twist of his lips.

”Get down!” Vulcan said again ominously.

William swung himself to the ground.

The horse he had been riding was a quiet one and merely put his head down and started to crop the gra.s.s beside the lake.

”If you wish to fight me, Vulcan,” he said, ”I am quite prepared for you to do so, provided you agree that when I am the winner, which I shall undoubtedly be, you go home, mind your own business and leave Astara to me.”

”I will make no bargains with you,” Vulcan replied.

He moved towards him.

”Wait a moment,” William said. ”If we must fight we fight in a sportsman-like and civilised manner. I wish to take off my coat.”

As he spoke he pulled off his elegant, tight-fitting whip-cord riding-jacket, and put it down on the ground.

Then swiftly so that it might have been considered a foul he struck out at Vulcan.

Lionel seeing William's action drew in his breath, but Vulcan side-stepped the blow and hit back.

He punched him and now it was William who drew back with his fists on guard.

”Keep to the rules,” he said sharply.

”I learnt in a different school from you,” Vulcan replied.He went at William again and the acclaimed pugilist, the boxing Viscount who had boasted that he had sparred with Jackson and Mendoza and had defeated them both, went down with a thud.

It might not have been in the Queensberry Rules, Lionel decided, but Vulcan had used very effectively a type of action that he had never seen before.

Whatever the method William was out for the count and Vulcan picked him up as if he was a sack of coals and tossed him into the water.

As he did so he saw about two or three yards away Astara reach the side of the lake.

She stood up, her soaked gown revealing every curve of her young body and making her appear like a nymph or one of the Sirens who had enticed Ulysses.

She would have walked the last few steps towards the bank, but Vulcan was there before her.

He walked into the lake, pulled her close against him and bent his head to kiss her cold lips.

CHAPTER SEVEN.

Somebody came into the parlour and without turning his head Vulcan, who was standing by the window, asked ”How is the young lady?”

”See for yourself 1” a voice replied.

He swung round and saw Astara smiling at him from the other end of the room.

She was wearing a gingham gown belonging to one of the chambermaids, there was a towel round her shoulders and her golden hair fell over it in heavy waves. ”You are all right?”

Vulcan's voice was surprisingly hoa.r.s.e.

”I thought I would ... finish drying my ... hair in front of the ... fire,” she answered.

Her eyes were on his but she spoke as if the words she were saying did not really come from her brain.

She was thinking of the rapture he brought her when she stepped from the lake into his arms and he had kissed her so that she forgot everything but the wonder of being close to him again.

Then he had put her down on the bank of the lake, pulled off his coat, put it round her shoulders and lifting her had set her on the saddle of his horse.

He mounted behind her and only when he was holding her close against him did he turn his head to say to Lionel: ”Follow us to the Inn. You had better leave that swine a horse to carry him.”

”I am afraid he might drown,” Lionel said looking to where William seemed to be floating on the water. ”It is what he deserves, Vulcan replied and rode off.

He saw however as he spoke that William had obviously recovered consciousness and was thres.h.i.+ng the water with his hands.

Vulcan had not spoken as he rode at some speed back towards the Inn, and because she was so thankful he had saved her and so thrilled to be in his arms, Astara merely put her head against his shoulder and shut her eyes.

Then a few minutes later she murmured: ”I am ... making you ... wet.”

”It does not matter,” Vulcan answered.

They reached the yard of the Inn and as an ostler ran to the head of the horse Vulcan leapt to the ground, then lifted Astara very carefully from the saddle.

”Show me which is this lady's room!”

As if he recognised the tone of authority the Landlord ran ahead up the oak staircase and opened the door of the bed-room.

”Send two Chambermaids here!” Vulcan ordered. ”Yes, M'Lord, immediately, M'Lord!” the Inn-keeper replied obsequiously.

Almost before he had finished speaking his wife and a Chambermaid hurried into the bed-room.

They helped Astara out of her wet clothes and dried her hair, but all the time she was impatient to hurry downstairs and find Vulcan.