The Warrior’s Princess. Barbara Erskine

so stupid. I trusted you. You unutterable bastard!’

      ‘Don’t be so silly!’

      ‘No, Dan. I can remember everything suddenly. You followed Ash and me home. You sent Ash away when we got to the front door and you came up to the flat. We had some wine –’

      ‘No, Jess.’

      ‘Why? What was it you gave me? Did you come prepared? You went to a school dance with date rape drugs in your pocket!’ She paused, her hands sweating as they clutched the telephone. The receiver was slipping from her grasp. ‘Just what were you planning, Dan? Was it me you wanted, or didn’t it matter? Would anyone have done? One of the girls, perhaps? A child!’

      ‘Jess, you’re mad!’

      ‘No. I’m just beginning to see. Does Natalie know about your little hobby, Dan? I know the headmaster doesn’t. But he should, shouldn’t he!’

      ‘Jess, you’re insane!’

      ‘No. I’ve just realised what a fool I’ve been. There were signs everywhere, weren’t there. You watch the girls. You touch them. I’ve seen you!’

      ‘Jess, I warn you. This is slander –’ His voice was suddenly harsh with anger.

      ‘No, Dan. This is the truth!’

      ‘Jess, you’ve got this all wrong. Look, I’m coming over!’

      ‘Don’t bother. It’s too late.’

      ‘I don’t think so. I’m coming now. Look, I can explain. You don’t understand. You’ve misunderstood everything! You are so wrong!’

      ‘I’m not wrong, Dan. I’m going to the police.’ Suddenly she was completely calm.

      When Dan spoke at last it was in a shocked whisper. ‘You go to the police, Jess, and it will destroy me. And Nat and the kids. Surely you don’t want that.’ She could hear the panic in his voice. ‘You have misunderstood the situation. I never meant to frighten you. I thought you were willing. You were willing. You should have seen yourself. You were so drunk.’ He gave a snort of derision. ‘You weren’t drugged. That’s your imagination. It was just the drink. Ash had been giving you all sorts of things. The kids had loads of booze in there. Most of them were unconscious by the end. For God’s sake, Jess. You can’t tell anyone. It would wreck my career.’ He paused. ‘No one would believe you anyway. After all you haven’t told anyone, have you.’ He gave a small harsh laugh at her silence. ‘I thought not. Look, I’m on my way. I’ll make it up to you. I can explain. Wait there!’

      ‘I don’t think so. I’m going to be anywhere but here when you arrive, Dan,’ she retorted. Her words reverberated into the silence. ‘Dan, are you there?’ Had he hung up? She could hear the line still open.

      At the end of the field, where the phone cable ran through the corner of the wood, a tree branch had snapped. It caught on the wire, swung for a few seconds and fell. The line was severed.

      ‘Dan? Dan, did you hear me? Don’t you dare come here!’ Jess slammed down the phone. Her hands were shaking.

       Can we stop playing now?

      The voice was louder than before. It was Glads.

      Jess looked round wildly. She wasn’t going to sit there and wait for Dan to arrive and try and persuade her to forget what had happened. Not when he was as angry as that. She had to go. What was there to keep her here anyway? Just her sister’s bloody plants. Well, they could look after themselves for a bit.

      It took less than half an hour to pack everything into the car. How far away was Shrewsbury? How long would it take Dan to get there? She had to be away before he came. Racing round one last time she locked the house and ran out to the car.

      It wouldn’t start.

      ‘Don’t do this to me!’ She slammed the palms of her hands against the steering wheel and tried the ignition again. Still nothing. The battery was flat. She must have left the lights on when she went out last. Shit. Shit. Shit! She tried to steady her breathing. After all, what could Dan do? He was angry and threatening. He could shout at her. Swear. What else? Supposing he got violent? He could beat the daylights out of her. Or rape her again. Or try to kill her. Her mind was racing out of control. He was right. He had so much to lose. Was that a car in the lane? Horrified she paused, listening. He couldn’t have got here already, surely. She swallowed, paralysed with fear, trying to calm herself as she realised the sound she could hear came from a tractor, somewhere in the valley bottom, the sound carrying on the still air. She pumped the clutch up and down a couple of times and tried again. Nothing. The engine was dead.

      ‘God, what am I going to do?’

      She climbed out and ran in to the phone. It was dead and her mobile battery was flat.

      Rhodri was sitting at the piano when she arrived. She could hear him singing from the gate and she paused for a moment to listen, stunned by the power and beauty of his voice. He stopped at the sound of the dogs barking and came to the door to meet her. ‘Ah, it’s you. How goes the ghost hunt?’

      Making her way across the fields to find him had been her only option without a car. ‘Can I come in?’ She was half afraid she would turn and see Dan running over the field after her.

      Rhodri frowned. ‘Sure.’ He stood back and ushered her into the kitchen. Through the open door into Megan’s sitting room Jess saw the grand piano, the lid raised, the notebook and pencil lying on the piano stool, the piles of music. He had been working. ‘So, what’s happened? You look upset.’

      ‘Upset!’ Jess realised suddenly what she must look like. Exhausted, out of breath, her hair tangled and wild, her shoes covered in mud. She struggled to compose herself, then abandoned the attempt. Her eyes were full of tears when she faced him. ‘I’m sorry to interrupt but I need your help! The phone is broken and my mobile won’t work.’

      ‘OK. Sit down.’ He turned away and reached for the kettle, just as his mother would have done. Behind them the two dogs were sitting in the doorway.

      The few moments he took to fill the kettle were enough for her to get a grip on herself. ‘The car wouldn’t start. I had to get away. You were right about Dan. He’s not quite the friend I thought.’

      ‘And you’re running away from him?’ He looked incredulous.

      She nodded miserably. ‘Stupidly I rang him and accused him. He said he was coming straight back. I packed the car. I planned to be gone long before he arrived then it wouldn’t start and I couldn’t contact anyone and I was –’ She paused, biting her lip, furious with herself for being so feeble.

      ‘You were scared?’ Rhodri raised an eyebrow. He slid the kettle onto the Raeburn, then he took the seat opposite her, clearing a gap in the piles of letters and notebooks on the table so he could lean forward on his elbows and study her face. ‘Well, he’s not going to find you if you are here, is he. So, why don’t you tell me the whole story. Why on earth are you frightened of him? You were both very close last time I saw you. This must be about more than a stupid practical joke.’

      ‘It is.’ She paused, fighting off the urge to confide the whole story. ‘We … we didn’t get on at the college where we teach,’ she compromised. God, she wasn’t going to forgive herself in a hurry for appearing such a weak fool in front of this man. What must he think of her! ‘That was why I resigned. I thought we were friends. But I made a mistake. I told him I knew about something he had done and he got angry. Vindictive.’ She forced a watery smile. ‘I’m sorry to involve you, it’s just that he was so furious when I said I knew it was him and he said he was coming straight over and, you’re right, I was scared. I just didn’t want to see him again.’

      ‘I’m not surprised.’ Rhodri levered himself to his feet and went to make the tea. ‘I’ll drive you back when we’ve had this. Sort out your car and wait for lover boy. I am bigger than him, don’t forget!’ He glanced over his shoulder with a