Strange Weather-part 2

By Larue

Dora pulled away and twisted herself free of Steve's embrace.

"Steve, I can't" she breathed.

She turned and walked quickly towards the farmhouse, while Steve remained like a statue, not comprehending what had just happened. He breathed deeply, confused, then followed Dora, as soon as he found it more comfortable to walk. Dinner was a rather subdued affair, with no-one talking much, save Slugger, who kept up a desultory monolog regarding Lewis and his probable fate once his case had been through the court. the following day, life at Follyfoot returned more or less to normal, with the endless round of mucking out, feeding and exercising of the horses. Steve mentally welled on their kiss, how hot and passionate had it started, but why oh why had Dora suddenly broken off? He found no answer within himself, but was reluctant to broach the subject with Dora, for fear of making whatever it was, that much worse. The weeks rolled by, till the cold winter subsided, to be replaced by a glorious spring.


One morning over a quiet breakfast, Ron suddenly announced, through a mouthful of bacon and eggs, a piece of news that shocked both Dora and Steve out of their reveries.

"Lewis is being released next week."

"What!" Steve exclaimed, almost choking on his toast. "But i thought he got 12 months?"

"So he did" replied Ron, "but his old man 'ad a minor 'art attack, and with Lewis' good behavior, he's being given an early parole. so he's coming aht, on compassionate grounds like". Ron noted with some inward satisfaction the effect his news had had. Steve and Dora silently reflected on this, both fearful of the possible reprisals that Lewis would plan. but as more weeks passed, nothing further was heard on that subject. As spring turned into what was promising to be a very hot summer, Ron again became the bearer of more surprising news. Apparently, Lewis had thrown himself into the role of manager at the Hammond's establishment, taking over from his father, and according to Ron, making a very good job of it.

"Ee's a reformed character in'ee," was Ron's pronouncement. 'Ee's as good as stopped drinking, and even sold 'is bike."

This last item fueled Steve's suspicion regarding the night riders, who, since Lewis's incarceration had appeared to have disbanded. There had not been an incident for months, and some of the gang members had moved away from the town. Steve wondered if it was too good to be true, or was it the lull before the storm? Dora kept her thoughts on the subject to herself.

In a surprising move, it was Lewis himself who broke the uneasy silence.

"Oh Christ!" Slugger exploded one morning as he started to clear away the remains of breakfast. "That's all we ruddy well need, 'im again".

Steve looked out of the window, in time to see a land rover with the Hammond's riding stable motif on the front door pull to a stop opposite the gate. Dora, who had gone straight out to the yard as soon as she had eaten, warily approached, and leaned on the gate. Lewis got out of the land rover and walked over to the gate, as Steve emerged from the farmhouse.

"On yer bike Lewis," he said angrily, "you're not welcome here!".

Lewis paused, looking round at Steve and raising both his hands in a gesture of surrender and peace.

"Easy Steve, I don't want any trouble," Lewis replied reasonably.

"That'll make a bloody change," Steve retorted. "You've got a bloody cheek coming back here. What the hell do you want?"

"I've come to see the mistress of Follyfoot," Lewis replied.

"What for?" Dora demanded.

"Business proposition" Lewis said. "Look, I know you both have reason to hate me, and I can't say I blame you, but I want no more trouble see, none at all."

"Huh!" Steve grunted, "we'll see about that".

There was something in Lewis's demeanor that puzzled Dora. "Wait a minute Steve" she said. "Lewis, what's the matter?"

"It's the old man," Lewis answered. "You've heard about his heart attack?"

"Yes," answered Dora, "we're very sorry."

"He can't work any more see? So I have had to take over. I can't do it all by myself though. I need help with some of our horses. I was wondering if you could help me out?”

"You must be friggin' mental!" Steve snapped. "After what you've done in the past, why the hell should we give a shit what happens to you?"

"Ok, ok, ok Steve," Lewis replied wearily, holding his hands up again, "I knew that's what you'd say, I expected nothing else, but just hear me out, please, then I'll go."

Steve's anger subsided a little, as he too could sense there was something different about Lewis.

"You've been inside, I know that, now so have I. I hated every friggin' minute of it, so like it or not, now we got something in common."

Steve snorted. Dora looked at him, and he became silent again. He turned to Lewis once more.

"I know I've been an bastard in the past. I can't believe some of the things I did, but that's behind me now. All I want is to help the old man out, he's all I have left. I want to bury the past."

“That's difficult to believe" said Steve.

"I know it," said Lewis, “but it's the truth none the less."

"So what do you want our help for?” asked Dora.

"Well, most of our horses are ok, but we have some younger ones that are no good for learners to ride see?" Answered Lewis. "I was wondering if you and Steve could school them for me?... I'll pay the going rate, cash money up front. It will be a straight business deal, and I guarantee I'll give you no more trouble. Ever!"

"Mmm," said the Colonel. Absently, yet with expert hands, he filled his favorite pipe that his doctor had forbidden him to smoke. "Well, it's better if you neighbors are also your friends, and that's a fact. though I agree that Lewis is not going to be easy to trust. However, if he really has had a change of heart, then perhaps helping him out might not be such a bad thing...Oh I know what you are going to say Steve, but sometimes people can change, and a helping hand can make all the difference...can't it? Hmmm?" The Colonel did not need to finish speaking for Steve to know exactly what he meant; as the Colonel had extended such a hand to him when he was unjustly fired from the squires' stables for something he did not do, and he had not a friend in the world.

Steve could not find a reasonable answer to this, so he just said "maybe, but we'll watch him like a hawk. The first sign of any funny business then I'll..."

The Colonel cut him off. "Look, as part of his parole, Lewis has to report to the police once a week. I'll go and have a word with sergeant Henderson about him, see what I can find out.”

A week later, three two-year olds arrived, beautiful, and spirited, and took up the last places in the stables Mr. Clegg had built the year before. Dora was impressed, and said so to Steve.

"There's nothing wrong with those. They're beautiful, and have been very well cared for."

Steve, despite himself, could not find any fault with any of the three, as they were in perfect heath, and the condition of their coats testified to hours of careful grooming. He breathed in and let out a long sigh. "We'll see girl, we'll see." He cast a longing glance at Dora's bottom, as she led the first of the horses to it's temporary new home. He was still concerned about Lewis. So far so good; terms had been agreed, and Lewis had paid cash up front, just as he said he would. 'Time will tell' thought Steve.

The addition of Lewis's horses had meant that, as usual, Follyfoot was at bursting point, with not a spare stall anywhere. Dora broached this subject over dinner, along with an idea for even more stables.

"Oh Dora! for goodness sake!" Steve gasped in disbelief. "Where, may I ask?"

Dora's reply was quick in coming. "Well Steve, if we move the muck-heap out of the yard to right round behind the barn, then we can reduce the paddock area and build another four or five stables in there!" She smiled triumphantly. Steve gaped, thinking about this suggestion.

"That'll mean a hell of a lot of work," he replied.

"That's nothing new to us," Dora beamed. Steve had not flatly objected to the idea, so to Dora's way of thinking, the new stable block was already halfway built.

"And where exactly is the money coming from?...You can't ask the Colonel again," Steve replied, stressing the last word.

"No need," said Dora. "For the first time, we are actually making a profit. It's not huge, but enough to get things started."

"You'd better speak to the Colonel," replied Steve, knowing when he was on a loser.

"Already have," Dora replied brightly.

"Why am I not surprised to hear that Sluggs?" Was Steve's response.

"Makin' a profit she sez, there's a novelty." He looked at one, then the other. "Huh!" Was his last retort. He wondered about them. They seemed their normal selves, but ever since that night by the lightning tree, Slugger had been expecting  them to have gotten a bit more...friendly, but it had just not happened.

By the weekend, plans for the new stable had been drawn up, and Mr. Clegg had already started building. Within a fortnight, the new block was well under way. Five new stalls, with a extended roof out front to provide a bit of cover from the rain. Dora was delighted. Steve was just resigned to the inevitable, and Ron was secretly aghast.

"More stables means more 'orses means more flamin' work for me." After some reflection however, he changed this view, as it occurred to him, that there would also be more places for him to 'relax' in when no-one was looking. This thought cheered him somewhat, until he remembered that he now had much further to go to empty the wheelbarrow at mucking out time.

Several days later, a letter arrived for Dora, unnoticed amongst the usual bills. As she went through the mail later in the day, she gave a little squeal of delight, when she recognized the handwriting on her letter.

"Steve," she said that evening, “do you remember Cleo?"

Steve gave her a very old-fashioned look. He sighed. "Yes Dora. I do remember Cleo, strangely enough, and so does my leg. It still bears the scars." Dora made a sympathetic face. "What about her?" Steve asked after a pause.

"She wants to come to stay again" Dora said.

"Fine by me," Steve said expansively. "Just as long and no-one cooks up any more hair-brained schemes." He winced and rubbed his left shin at the memory. Dora smiled.

The train bearing Cleo arrived late, as usual, on the Saturday afternoon. Steve and Dora were waiting to meet it. At their first sight the two girls rushed towards each other and embraced warmly, hugging each other for an inordinately long time. Steve walked forward, picked up Cleo's luggage, grunted at the weight, then turned, staggered back to the land rover and hoisted the cases into the back.

"Sorry Steve," said Cleo, "I meant to help with those...Oh and hello again, by the way." Cleo extended her hand, and Steve took it, noticing how cool it felt, even on this hot afternoon.

"Hi Cleo, good to see you again" said Steve. He turned once more, and then with an exaggerated limp, hobbled round to the driver's side of the land rover.

"Steve!!" Dora scolded. Cleo looked aghast.

"I'm so sorry Steve, I didn't even ask you about your leg did I?"

"Oh, it's not so bad now", said Steve heroically, "I'm getting used to the agony." He looked away, lest Cleo see his face, and the grin he was trying to suppress.

"That's nonsense, take no notice of him Cleo!" Dora admonished. Steve clambered into the land rover and chuckled.

"I had you worried for a minute there girl," he said to Cleo. Cleo scrambled into the other side, and slapped Steve on the arm.

"You did too, you rat-bag!" She put on her most lady-like air, tilted her head back, and with an airy wave of her hand, said to Steve in her most snobbish voice "You there, lakky, drive us home immediately!"

"Ohh-arr, yers maam," replied Steve, doffing an imaginary cap.

"None of your back-chat now, just get on with it". Steve started the wheezy old engine, and with a grinding of gears, the trio set off homeward.
 
Cleo fitted in straight away, as she had before, only this time she was more than willing to ride at any time. She and Dora took to going off alone at every opportunity, sometimes staying away for hours on end, but they still managed to do their share of the endless chores. After a week had passed, the question of how long Cleo intended to stay started to be considered. She appeared to be in no hurry to leave, but as she and Dora had become virtually inseparable, no-one felt they could ask, without giving offense, but as the extra pair of hands was very welcome, nobody really cared anyway.

One afternoon, Steve said he would like to go into town and Ron, uncharacteristically, had offered him a ride on the back of his bike. So, in a welter of dust and noise, the two had set off, Steve hanging onto the backrest for dear life. Dora and Cleo had the farmyard to themselves. With Slugger busy with the housework, the two girls went to check out the new stable block. It was not far from completion. Dora was ecstatic, already planning on which horses she would move in. An hour or so later Ron managed, with a last titanic effort, to push his tiger cub back into the yard, cursing himself under his breath for running out of gas. He stamped the prop-stand into position and leant the dead weight of the bike on it, glad that he was back at last. He looked around the yard. no-one in sight.

"Ha-ha, me old mate," he breathed to himself, "just what the doctor ordered. Now for a bit of a kip." He stooped to pick up a piece of straw, inspected it, before putting one end in his mouth. Then he walked slowly over to the new stable block and stood in it's welcome shade. He was sticky and uncomfortable with sweat at the effort of pushing the bike. As he leaned against the end door, he thought he heard a muffled sound from within. He raised an eyebrow but even that seemed like too much work in the heat. He moved along to the other end of the stable block, stood on tiptoe, and peered in to the end stall. His eyes went wide, and the straw fell unheeded from his mouth. Without realizing it he had held his breath and with disbelieving eyes, he turned and walked towards his bike, still unable to believe what he had just seen. He was shocked speechless, which was not a problem, as there was nobody to talk to, except for the two people in the stable, and they did not appear to be very interested in talking anyway. Ron suddenly remembered to breathe, and sucked in several great drafts of the warm humid summer air. When his senses had returned to something more like normal, he found himself in a mood of quiet exultation.

"Just wait till I tell 'is flamin' lordship about THAT then.. hah!, that'll really wipe the smile from 'is ugly mug." This thought pleased him no end, but sadly for him however, he was to be denied the pleasure of personally crushing Steve with the news, though he was in an ideal position to savor the moment when it came, which was sooner than he thought, as Steve, who had elected to walk back, rather than enjoy Ron's pillion seat again, was only about fifteen minutes behind, having made good time from the town, unencumbered by the tiger cub.

Steve, just like Ron before him, had walked straight into the yard, then moved into the shade of the new stable. He wondered where everyone had gone. Ron. he guessed, was skiving off somewhere as usual, but as for Cleo and Dora, he had no idea where they had gotten to. Also like Ron, he too heard a noise from within. He looked over the door, and gasped with shock, as he saw what Ron had seen. He stood rooted to the spot while he watched Cleo lean over a recumbent Dora, kiss her full on the mouth and put her hand over Dora's left breast. Dora's arms came up and around Cleo, and pulled her forwards. Cleo's right hand left Dora's breast, and traveled slowly downward, fumbled her jeans undone, unzipped her, then slipped inside. Steve was transfixed for a few moments. He turned and staggered almost blindly away, the sheer disbelief of what he had just seen, burning into him. From his vantage point in the barn, Ron drank in the scene, annoyed at being pre-empted, but nonetheless quite satisfied at the effect that the sight of the two girls had had upon Steve.

Days passed. Steve kept his thoughts to himself, trying to reconcile what he had seen, with what he thought he knew about Dora; and Cleo for that matter. He sensed something in Ron's demeanor that convinced him that Ron also knew, but was, as usual, was keeping himself out of the way as far as he could.

One evening, after supper, Steve had wandered down to the lake. He sat on the rickety old jetty, with his feet hanging over the edge. The hot summer meant that the water level had fallen considerably, and in places, Steve could see bottom. His head hung wearily forward and his eyelids drooped. He had hardly slept since... his mind roamed back and forth across the time he had spent at Follyfoot He had never thought of Dora as anything other than...than...girly. Bit of a tomboy maybe, but feminine, not the kind to be one of...those.

"Bit of a shocker innit!?" Ron's approach had been totally unnoticed by Steve, who was lost in his reverie. He jumped.

"What!?" He grunted.

"Oh, come on me ol' mate, don't make like ya dunno!” Ron replied. "You see 'em, same as me, snoggin' an' feelin' each other up. Who'd have thought it eh?? our Dora a lezzy!"

Steve couldn't find a reply, so he stayed silent and let Ron ramble on.

"Course, it weren't much of a surprise to me," Ron lied, "way they bin dissapearin' 'n all; but just goes to show, ya never can tell abaht people can ya? I mean look at Lewis. 'oo'd 'ave fort it?" Ron went silent, and looked intently at Steve. "Oh Christ!" He exclaimed, "you really do fancy 'er doncha?"

Steve could only sigh.

"I fort so, what with the way yer always lookin' at her."

"What do you mean?" Steve asked, shaken out of his thoughts.

"I seen ya, always clocking her boobs, and her bum when you fink no-ones lookin'."

Steve drew breath as if to reply, but Ron cut him off. "don't try to deny it." Steve sighed a long sigh. "I woz gonna ask Cleo to the dance on Saturday 'n all," making a mockery of what he had just professed. "No point now, I guess. Ah well." Ron shrugged philosophically, "Ya never can tell. Well, I'm off. Don't wanna be seen 'angin' abaht with you too much, someone might fink we're...you know wot I mean," putting one hand on his hip, Ron turned and minced away. "Dear dear dear!" floated back over his shoulder.

"Piss off," Steve murmured.

Steve had taken to sitting by the lake most evenings, usually trying to reconcile what he had seen with his feelings towards Dora. He just could not think of her as anything other than a wonderful lass, who had unknowingly captured his heart. How to broach this with her had always been his stumbling block. Steve had never had a real girlfriend, so was at a loss as to how go about it. Instead he had just kept quiet, while the passing months had turned to years. Seeing her with Cleo had upset him in more ways than one. Discovering that she already had a boyfriend would have been hurtful enough, but a girlfriend, that caught him totally off guard. He was quite aware of the so-called permissive society, while never actually being part of it, where seemingly anything went, tune in, turn on and drop out, whatever turns you on. The old slogans played round and round in his head. His sleep was disturbed at night, he knew he was getting ratty with everyone, but he just could not reconcile himself to what he had seen.

"I'm sorry you saw that Steve," Dora's soft voice shattered his evening reverie and he almost jumped out of his skin. As he realized that Dora had joined him by the lake his left foot slid off the jetty, and he barely avoided dipping it in the water. He tried manfully to find something to say, but failed, just making a few croaking noises.

He was finally able to manage, "how did you...?"

"I heard you," Dora interrupted. She sat down beside him. "It was hopelessly indiscreet of us, but... well, what's done is done."

"Mmm what?" Is all Steve managed to say.

"Steve, i need to talk to you. to explain," Dora said.

"No need to explain anything," Steve replied, "live how you wanna live man."

Dora almost laughed at the old expression. "I need to Steve. I want to. Both for me, and for you."

"For me??" Steve was surprised. "Why for me?"

"You deserve to know," said Dora.

"Know what?" Steve asked.

"About Cleo and I of course, what else?"

“No, I really don't wanna..." Steve was interrupted again.

"Steve, just be quiet and listen. I want to tell you," Dora ordered.

Steve sighed a huge sigh. "Ok" he said quietly. So Dora told him


"Have you ever been lonely Steve? I mean really lonely? Yes, you must have been, when you were in prison. I've never been in prison, but the finishing school I was sent to might just as well have been one. Oh, it was a brilliant school, equipped with the finest money could buy, but amidst all that, and among all those people, I was totally alone. Until Cleo came. She was the first real friend I ever had. We became very close. She comes from the same background as me, money, position, possessions, and abject aloneness. In the second year it was even better, as we became room mates as well as friends. We had some fun, but were always looked down on by the others. I don't know why. All the other girls were boy-mad, that's all they really talked about. Cleo and I never had a boyfriend, so we weren't that interested. Still, we were together in our own room, and our own little world, so we did not mind. The school, wealthy as it was, did not believe in central heating and it got cold during the winter. One night, as I was shivering in bed, even with two pairs of socks on, Cleo suddenly announced, "sod this for a lark, I'm freezing. Shift over!" And she just bounced into my bed and snuggled down behind me. We weren't cold again. The thing was, we slept together even when the weather warmed up a bit. It was good to be that near to someone else. In the summer, Cleo stopped wearing  her nightie and came to bed nude. I was a bit shocked at first, then she suggested I do the same. Eventually I did. I had never been naked in front of anyone before. It felt strange. Then we started comparing...you know, and then touching. One thing led to another. It was wonderful Steve. I know that may sound wicked, but it wasn't. It was the first time anyone had, well, you know. At first I worried that I might me...one of those. A lot of the girls were, and did not care who knew it, but Cleo and I kept our secret till the end of the year, then we left and went our separate ways. I missed her of course, but when my parents went abroad and I came here, Follyfoot seemed to fill the emptiness, if you understand. When she came here before, after that business with her sister, we never spoke of it, just ignored it, just like it had never happened. I just put it down to being one of those silly things you do as a kid. This time though, it's different. Cleo has a boyfriend and they are thinking of getting engaged. In the stable, we were...saying goodbye in a way. We almost...but didn't, if you see what i mean. Cleo has her boyfriend, and I have feelings for someone else. We both realized it was not the same. Whatever it was, it's over." Dora lapsed into silence and gazed unseeing into the water.

Steve's mind reeled with all that he had just heard. So very much about the mystery of Dora now became clear. He drew breath.

"It wasn't really a prison, it was a young offender's remand center. I did three months. It was the worst three months of my life. It wouldn't have been so bad if I was guilty... I know, they all say that. The thing was, there were lots of people who saw what happened, that bastard beating his horse, they just looked the other way. I told him to stop, then I threatened him. then he hit me with the same stick, but no-one saw that, oh no! Like hell they didn't, so i hit him back, plenty of people saw that though. The bastards!! I was in court for about ten minutes. I told 'em what had happened, no-one believed me. The prosecution had witnesses, I didn't. Open and shut case. Just another young thug that deserves to be locked up. Well, I was. It was a hateful place Dora, there were some real hard cases in there. That's where I learned to fight. I got good too. After awhile I was left alone. There were plenty that weren't though. You could ear them sobbing at night. The first time they had ever been away from home. Being inside is only the start though. You do your time, but it follows you around forever. There is always someone who seems to know, then it comes out, then the name calling starts, 'hey jailbird',” he mimicked. "Next thing is, you don't have a job anymore. Not that you've done owt wrong, but no-one wants you around. Same thing happened at the Squires' when those bloody night-riders ran off those horses. You remember? That's how I came to be here. I've never looked back really. This is the first and only real home I ever had. No-one judges me, 'cept Ron, and I can handle him."

Steve fell quiet. He started to think over what Dora had said. Especially about her feelings for someone else. He hoped she meant him. No, he knew she meant him, else why would she have opened up and told him all she had. He felt all of the hurt and heartbreak suddenly fall away from him. The misery of the last week evaporated instantly. His chest seemed to tighten as he felt his spirit soar, the euphoria was dizzying. His head spun with so much to take in. He looked up at Dora, who had stood up, and smiled. Dora smiled back. He was right, it was him. As they walked back to the farmhouse for the inevitable stew, Dora took Steve's hand. They looked at each other with clearer vision. So much that was unknown, now, spoken of and revealed. So much of their internal bitterness destroyed. They both knew instinctively, that the way ahead might not always be easy, for they were both opinionated, and occasionally headstrong, but right at this moment, as they paused by the lightning tree, neither cared.

Cleo's leave-taking was a subdued affair, as she had made herself completely at home. Dora and Steve drove her to the station in the same battered old land rover, Steve once again carting Cleo's luggage, and groaning loudly under the weight. As she was about to climb aboard, Cleo turned to them, kissed them both on the cheek, and said to Steve, "look after her Steve." Steve nodded. She turned to Dora, "and you look after him, you need each other."

Without another word Cleo turned and disappeared into the carriage.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

End.