Wildfire Read online

  Her face tightened. ‘Why don’t you try whatever’s going through your mind right now?’ she suggested.

  As he brought his eyes back to hers she could feel her heart starting to pound. ‘To tell you the truth,’ he said, ‘I don’t think you’d want to hear it.’

  Lizzy’s throat was dry. ‘Why don’t you try me?’ she said tightly.

  His eyebrows went up. ‘As I recall I did that last night,’ he quipped, and giving her a quick pat on the bottom he turned and shouting for Elmore strode back towards the jeep.

  Lizzy watched him go, so stunned that for the moment she couldn’t even feel angry. Then suddenly her heart rose into her throat and her eyes closed as her mind started to replay scenes from the night before. It had all felt so right, so beautiful even, when the three of them had been making love; now it felt, correction she felt, sordid and ashamed; like an ageing groupie who’d just been slung from the back of a moving van. Or, more accurately, the lonely, frustrated widow who hadn’t made love since her husband had died and now she had, was sorely wishing she hadn’t.

  For the first time in months she felt tears stinging her eyes. ‘Bastard!’ she seethed, turning her back on the jeep. ‘How dare he do this to me?’ But of course he didn’t know what he’d done, had no idea how badly he had just crushed what little confidence she had. How could he when she hid her pain so well? Besides, she’d behaved like a whore so what more could she expect than to be treated like one?

  Despite her anger she felt suddenly exhausted and putting a hand to her head took a deep, steadying breath. Now wasn’t the time to start thinking about Richard; if she did she’d lose it altogether. She had to think about Andy and how she was going to get through the next few hours without letting him see how much he had hurt her. Hearing him laugh she felt her whole body tense with fury, but there was nothing she could do to get back at him – they had a film to shoot and flattening the game ranger’s ego wasn’t exactly going to bring out the best in him, was it? So, disguising the ache in her heart with her sunniest smile, she turned back to the jeep, where everyone was sharing a joke as they climbed on board.

  ‘Thanks for the coffee,’ she said when she came face to face with Andy and extending her arm to one side she tipped her cup upside down, pouring the contents on the ground.

  ‘You’re welcome,’ he said, arching an eyebrow as she tossed the cup into the hamper.

  ‘What was all that about?’ Rhiannon whispered as Lizzy clambered in beside her. ‘What’s going on?’

  ‘What do you think?’ Lizzy answered with a bitter little laugh. ‘I’ve served my purpose and now I’ve been dumped.’

  Rhiannon frowned. ‘What do you mean, dumped?’

  ‘What I said, dumped,’ Lizzy responded, gazing airily out at the bush. ‘You know what dumped means. Remember Phillip?’

  Rhiannon’s eyes hardened for an instant, but realizing that Lizzy had to be feeling pretty hurt to have made a remark like that she glanced over at Andy and felt her jaw tighten. She never had been able to stomach men who screwed a woman one night then, having got what they wanted, made her feel like a tramp in the morning.

  ‘I think a couple of up-the-nose shots are in order,’ she murmured to Lizzy, referring to the revenge tactic of taking unflattering shots of those they deemed to be deserving cases.

  Lizzy nodded but Rhiannon could see that her heart wasn’t in it, which could only mean that she was even more hurt than Rhiannon had feared. God, life could be such a bitch at times; this was the first time since Richard had died that Lizzy had felt ready, able even, to test the waters with another man and it had to turn out like this!

  But, Rhiannon thought admiringly as they travelled back towards the camp, she really had to hand it to Lizzy for the way she was dealing with it. Her running commentary as they spotted giraffes and gnus, wart-hogs and hyenas, buffalo and hippos and even a civet, was as lively and witty as ever, and the dialogue between her and Andy when he stopped to point the animals out and respond to her questions was totally lacking in ire. The moment Rhiannon loved best, however, was when Andy, with an ubiquitous wickedness twinkling in his eyes, told Lizzy that baboons were the only animals known to have sex for pleasure.

  Lizzy didn’t even flinch as she turned her wonderfully expressive eyes to camera – and somehow, without knowing anything about programme making, Andy knew that a close-up of him was going to find itself in there somewhere.

  Chapter 3

  IT WAS JUST after nine when they arrived back at camp and made straight for the breakfast tables where a hungry crowd was gathering around steaming hot plates of eggs and bacon. Skirting the mêlée, Andy went to sit with the other rangers, clicking his fingers at a waitress who rushed in with a pot of hot coffee and an order pad.

  Turning her eyes away from the little display of despotism, Rhiannon ladled a generous helping of scrambled egg on to her plate, waited for Lizzy to do the same, then led the way to a corner table where they could be more private.

  ‘So what did he say to you back there?’ Rhiannon asked, tossing her hair over one shoulder and picking up the salt.

  ‘Oh, I don’t know,’ Lizzy said dismissively, ‘let’s not talk about it, eh?’

  Rhiannon looked at her for a moment, then popping a forkful of eggs into her mouth she started to chew. It wasn’t like Lizzy not to want to discuss something, but pressing her probably wasn’t the best way to go right now. ‘OK,’ she said. ‘But if you want to put that bastard in his place then it’s fine by me. This isn’t the only game reserve in the Kruger Park and . . .’

  ‘No, let’s just leave it,’ Lizzy interrupted. ‘I behaved like a slut and now I’m being treated like one. End of story. I’ll survive.’

  ‘Oh, for heaven’s sake!’ Rhiannon cried. ‘You were three consenting adults and I don’t see you treating him like he’s . . .’

  ‘Rhian, leave it! We’re both old enough and wise enough to know that men never suffer for acts of . . .’ She hunted around for a word and settled on: ‘baboonism, so there’s no point in either of us getting worked up over it. Like I said, I’ll survive.’ A moment or two later she started to smile. ‘There’s still Doug to confront yet,’ she said, the smile instantly fading as she pushed her plate away. ‘Shit, I feel such a fool. Anyway, end of subject. I’m going to get more coffee. Want some?’

  ‘No,’ Rhiannon answered, shaking her head as she took another mouthful of food, ‘but I’ll finish up your eggs if you don’t want them. And Liz,’ she added as Lizzy got up from the table, ‘there’s nothing to feel foolish about.’

  Lizzy smiled and returning a couple of minutes later with a fresh cup of coffee she said, ‘By the way, did you know that Elmore has invited Melanie to go and meet his old man?’

  Rhiannon’s fork hit her plate. ‘The Zulu chief?’ she cried.

  ‘None other,’ Lizzy confirmed. ‘She told me this morning before we left.’

  Rhiannon looked over to where Melanie was sitting with Hugh and Jack, her face bulging with food. ‘Did she and Elmore spend the night together last night?’ she asked.

  Lizzy shrugged. ‘No idea.’

  ‘Oh God, what am I going to tell her parents?’ Rhiannon muttered. ‘I mean, how do you tell someone their nineteen-year-old daughter’s upped and joined a Zulu tribe? Oh Christ, it’s all going to be my fault. Twenty-four hours in Africa and she’s . . .’

  ‘Rhiannon!’ Lizzy laughed. ‘He’s only asked her if she wants to meet his father, not if she wants to become the next Zulu chief’s great wife. And look at it this way, if she does join up it’ll make a pretty entertaining programme.’

  Rhiannon’s eyes lit up. ‘Wouldn’t it!’ she cried. ‘How do you think we can talk her into it?’

  ‘Why don’t we just leave her here?’ Lizzy suggested.

  Rhiannon laughed. ‘Not such a bad idea,’ she remarked, downing the last of her coffee. ‘Come on, we’d better get those shots of the Safari Suite before Howard Hughes or whoever he is arrives. Hugh! J
ack! Ready to roll?’ she called out to them.

  ‘Right there,’ Hugh responded, stubbing out his cigarette.

  ‘Andy!’ Rhiannon shouted. ‘Ready when you are.’

  ‘What do we need him for?’ Lizzy objected. ‘I thought we were just doing general stuff?’

  Rhiannon looked at her, a pained expression coming over her face. ‘Kill me for it later,’ she said, ‘but I asked him if he’d mind being interviewed while lying on the bed. Well, we need him to talk about the suite,’ she added as Lizzy’s eyes narrowed.

  ‘But lying on the bed?’

  ‘Why not? I mean, he is gorgeous, Lizzy, and a few shots of the two of you lying on a bed is a guaranteed turn-on. Of TV sets,’ she added. ‘Think of it as exploitation.’

  ‘I am,’ Lizzy responded meaningfully.

  ‘Then think of England,’ Rhiannon persevered.

  ‘I bet Judith Chalmers never had to put up with this,’ Lizzy grumbled, getting up from the table.

  ‘I bet Judith Chalmers never had a ménage-à-trois with twins either,’ Rhiannon responded. ‘Sorry!’ she cried. ‘Sorry! It just slipped out. I swear I’ll never mention it again.’

  Laughing despite herself, Lizzy picked up her notes and hooking her bag over her shoulder followed Rhiannon and the others across the camp to the exclusive area of the Safari Suite.

  From the outside, at least at first glance, it wasn’t unlike the other chalets, with its beautifully thatched roof, wide wooden terrace and mosquito-netted windows, though of course it was on a much grander scale and secluded from the rest of the camp by its own shady garden and a bamboo fence. It was also, they discovered when they went inside, quite stupendously luxurious with its wonderful high ceilings, polished wooden floors and perfect mix of African artefacts and European antiques. In the sitting-room the huge sliding windows that occupied the whole of one wall opened out on to a private sun deck and swimming pool, beyond which tempting grassy trails led into the shrubs and trees of the bush. And the bedroom, which opened off the sitting-room, was so breathtakingly romantic, with its copious folds of muslin draping over the satin covers of the hand-carved bed and caught like petticoats at the windows, that it could have been part of a movie set.

  ‘Isn’t it lovely?’ Lizzy murmured, trailing a hand across the foot of the bed as she walked to the window.

  Rhiannon watched her through the misty bands of sunlight, knowing she was thinking of Richard. ‘Yes it is,’ she said softly, looking around at the ethnic paintings on the walls. ‘What do you think?’ she said, taking a pith helmet from a chest and putting it on.

  Lizzy turned round and smiled. ‘Very Karen von Blixen,’ she said, pushing open the window.

  The dreamy warble of turtle-doves accompanied by squawks and whistles and chirrups of a hundred more exotic birds drifted in from the trees, all but drowning the sound of Hugh and Jack and Andy talking and moving furniture about in the next room.

  ‘It’s so peaceful,’ Lizzy sighed, stepping out on to the balcony. ‘I know we’re in the wrong country,’ she added, gazing down at the garden, ‘but it reminds me of all those wonderful scenes in Out of Africa, doesn’t it you? I could almost believe that Robert Redford was about to fly overhead and entertain us with all those crazy aerobatics.’

  ‘Mmm,’ Rhiannon smiled, glancing over at the door as Andy walked into the room.

  ‘Great pad for a spot of parallel parking, eh?’ he grinned, rubbing his hands together.

  Lizzy winced, then turning round she leaned against the wooden balustrade and looked back into the room. Her heart contracted at the disappointment and hurt his indifference had inflicted and she wished desperately that she didn’t mind so much.

  Andy looked from her to Rhiannon and back again, his smile starting to falter under their silence. ‘It’s a great favourite with honeymooners,’ he said lamely.

  Several seconds ticked by.

  He drew a copy of the Reserve’s brochure and tariff list from his pocket. ‘In pounds sterling this suite’ll set you back around a thousand a night,’ he told them.

  ‘How much?’ Jack cried, coming into the room behind him.

  ‘The equivalent of a sound man’s daily rate,’ Rhiannon informed him. ‘Now, before you philistines completely annihilate the romance, let’s get this in the can, shall we?’

  Once again, as they started to shoot, Rhiannon found herself marvelling at Lizzy’s ability to mask her feelings. As they lay there, she and Andy, side by side on the enormous muslin-covered bed, hands behind their heads, gazing up at the ceiling as, completely dead-pan, they went through an hilarious yet informative interview, Rhiannon could only feel surprise and dismay that things had turned out the way they had between them when, for the camera at least, they seemed made in heaven.

  ‘OK,’ Rhiannon said, when the interview came to a natural end. ‘I just want a few cutaways and a reference to this mystery guest who’s checking in later and then we’ll be through.’

  ‘What do you want me to say?’ Lizzy asked.

  Rhiannon thought. ‘Just something about the fact that we can’t find out who he is . . . I know, we’ll cut to some footage of Redford doing those aerobatic stunts you mentioned just now, and you can say that you’re sure it’s going to be someone famous. OK?’

  ‘Got it,’ Lizzy replied, getting up from the bed.

  Twenty minutes later they were back in the open-air lounge sipping cold drinks and discussing who did and didn’t have the energy to go for a walk with Elmore as their guide.

  ‘What exactly are we going to see if we go, Elmore?’ Rhiannon asked, perching on the arm of an easy-chair and resting her elbow on Lizzy’s shoulder.

  ‘I can tell you about the plants and the trees,’ he answered. ‘And the birds. Probably we see lots of insects like the dung beetle or the golden orb spider . . .’ He shrugged. ‘Who know what we see.’

  ‘He knows the bush better than most of us know our back gardens,’ Andy told them, sinking into a chair opposite Lizzy’s. ‘And he’ll show you things you’ll never see anywhere else in the world. But be warned,’ he added, glancing at his watch, ‘if you go you’ll be out there at least a couple of hours and the mercury’s already pushing thirty-seven.’

  ‘Funny how this dry heat is more bearable than the humidity we get at home, isn’t it?’ Lizzy remarked to Rhiannon.

  ‘Mmm,’ Rhiannon responded, looking across the camp to where a jeep had just pulled up in front of the reception.

  ‘I vote we do the walk tomorrow,’ Hugh said, pouring more iced lemonade into his glass.

  ‘I’ll go with that,’ Jack yawned. ‘I’m just about all in. What time did you say we were out again this afternoon?’

  ‘We meet here at four,’ Andy answered, yawning too. ‘Depart at four thirty. They’ll be serving lunch at one for those of you who can face it.’

  ‘After that enormous breakfast?’ Rhiannon groaned. ‘No thanks.’

  ‘Seems like the majority are in favour of a siesta then,’ Andy said, putting his glass down and turning in his chair to where his brother was walking across the camp with another man, who was also dressed in full-length khaki trousers and an open-necked olive-green shirt. His long, dark-blond hair was swept straight back from his face and the sun-glasses that shielded his eyes appeared as expensive as the gold watch on his wrist. He moved with the easy grace of a man who knew his way around, as though he had been here many times before.

  ‘Ah, here’s Doug,’ Andy said. ‘And our mystery guest. So it looks like you’re going to get to meet him after all.’

  As the two men approached, Rhiannon, who hadn’t actually taken her eyes off them since they’d got out of the jeep, found her smile becoming wider and wider until in the end she rolled her eyes and began shaking her head as she laughed. ‘I don’t believe this,’ she said. ‘I just don’t believe it.’

  ‘Don’t you?’ Lizzy responded, getting to her feet along with everyone else as Doug and the new guest entered the lounge.


  ‘G’day folks,’ Doug greeted them and laughing he stood aside as Rhiannon flew past him and flung her arms around Oliver’s neck.

  ‘Hi,’ he murmured, kissing her lingeringly on the mouth, then gazing down at her.

  ‘What are you doing here?’ she said, smiling at the humour in his deep brown eyes.

  ‘I missed you,’ he told her with a wink.

  Laughing she reached up to sweep the hair out of his eyes. ‘I missed you too,’ she said softly.

  ‘Well, I guess the rest of you don’t need any introductions either,’ Doug grinned, going to pour a couple of drinks for him and Oliver.

  ‘How are you doing there, Oliver?’ Andy said, shaking Oliver warmly by the hand and slapping him on the shoulder. ‘Good to see you again, mate.’

  ‘It’s good to be here,’ Oliver responded, his other arm still around Rhiannon’s waist as he took the glass Doug was handing him.

  ‘Hi, Oliver,’ Lizzy said coolly, kissing him on the cheek.

  ‘Lizzy,’ he said. ‘Hugh. Jack. Melanie.’

  He turned to Rhiannon who was still looking slightly bemused and laughing he said, ‘So how’s it all been going?’

  ‘Pretty good,’ Hugh answered. ‘But I sure am glad you’ve turned up. She’s been hell.’

  ‘A right tartar,’ Jack grunted in agreement.

  ‘Isn’t that something you have with fish?’ Hugh quipped.

  Oliver and Rhiannon were laughing. ‘And what about you, Lizzy?’ he said. ‘Are you having a good time?’

  Lizzy flushed, wondering if Doug had told him what had happened the night before. ‘It’s an experience I wouldn’t have missed for the world,’ she replied, forcing herself to smile.

  Oliver nodded and kissing Rhiannon briefly on the forehead, said, ‘If I’m interrupting I can always catch up with you later.’

  ‘No, you’re not interrupting,’ Rhiannon assured him. ‘In fact your timing is perfect; we’ve just voted in favour of a siesta before the next game drive.’

  As his eyebrows went up Rhiannon laughed and looked over at Lizzy, wondering why she was behaving so oddly. Then she remembered that this was the first time Lizzy had seen Doug since last night, and Doug, just like Andy, was carrying on as though Lizzy wasn’t even there. He and the other men started bantering with each other and making everyone laugh, as they treated Oliver to outrageously exaggerated accounts of the dangers they had faced on the last two drives.