Intermezzo
Amanda drove over from Denbigh Hall the following morning in pouring rain. Virgil was waiting for her in the hall, and greeted her with a kiss. Then he led her into the conservatory and took the cover off the painting that was propped on the easel. Amanda found herself looking at a view of Stonehenge, as it must have looked when it was first built. It was shown under a grey sky, but with a shaft of sunlight illuminating the front of the stones. After a pause, she turned to Virgil, smiling. "You want to apologise for a row, so you rebuild Stonehenge for me. What would you do if we'd had a real fight?" She looked at the picture again, "I don't remember the weather being that bad when we were there."
"It wasn't – that's just how I was feeling when I painted it."
She thought of his words from the previous night 'all the colour had gone out of the world'. Well, this man certainly knew how to make his feelings plain. She put her arms around him and kissed him. "Thank you, Virgil, it's beautiful – I shall treasure it."
Later that day, as the rain showed no sign of letting up, Penny and Amanda were teaching Virgil how to play croquet in one of the upstairs corridors, when the in-house intercom buzzed. "Yes, Parker?" said Penny.
"Mr Jeff Tracy calling for Mr Virgil, m'lady." answered Parker. Penny and Virgil looked at each other with raised eyebrows – it must be the small hours of the morning on Tracy Island. "Thank you, Parker. Please transfer the call to the Blue Room – we'll take it in there." She turned to Virgil. "I'll show you the way."
The vidscreen showed Jeff looking tired, but relaxed. "Is something the matter, Father?" asked Virgil, concerned. He looked at the screen, unused to seeing the lounge from the angle that Penny's picture showed it. In the background he could see Scott, John and Gordon, still in their blue uniforms, relaxing in chairs.
"It's all right, Jeff," said Penny, "this is a secure line."
Jeff smiled. "Just thought you might want to hear it from us first, before you hear any news broadcasts. The boys have just got back from a rescue – there was a landslip on a mountain pass in Peru and a family were trapped in their car, but everybody is safe, and Gordon assures me he didn't put a scratch on your Thunderbird."
"Thanks for letting me know, Dad. It's all right – I trust Gordon with my machine – just as long as he doesn't go leaving a whoopee cushion on the seat for me when I get back!"
"Hey!" said Gordon's voice in the background, "I hadn't thought of that!"
"Don't go giving him ideas," growled their father, "he's quite bad enough already." He looked at Virgil, only just realising his middle son was red in the face as if he'd been exercising hard. "What are you up to at the moment?"
Virgil laughed. "Well, I've been told it's raining 'cates and dawgs' outside," he said in an exaggerated English accent, "so Penny and Amanda are teaching me a fiendish game called 'indoor croquet'. Don't let anyone tell you about the British sense of fair play – they cheat like crazy. Ow!" he exclaimed as Penny pinched his arm.
"We do not, dear boy. You're just a bad loser."
Jeff laughed. "Sounds like you're enjoying yourself, anyway. Oh, and your Grandma wants to know if you're eating enough."
Virgil grinned. "You can tell Grandma I'm eating so much you'll have to send Thunderbird 2 to collect me – nothing else will get me off the ground. Oh, and Dad, I ran into a racing friend of Alan's last night – Mike Roberts. He's told me about this great rehab place he goes to." He outlined the details for his father.
Jeff nodded. "Well, if it comes recommended like that it can't be bad. Go ahead and book yourself in. I want you to be A1 before you come back home." He paused and looked at his son. "I've got some business I need to discuss with Penny. Perhaps you should go back to your friend, before she starts wondering what is going on. I'll call again soon"
"F.A.B. Dad, Goodnight!" He looked at his brothers, "'Night, guys!"
Virgil left the room, and headed back to Amanda. He was pretty sure that the 'business' was to do with him, but the idea that his father was checking up on him didn't bother him like it had when he had first arrived in England.
After the door closed, Jeff spoke to Penny. "Virgil seems to be a lot better."
"Oh, he is, Jeff," said Penny with enthusiasm. "He's like a totally different person from the one who arrived here a few weeks ago. He's back to his old self again."
"I'm very grateful to you for all your help."
"Jeff, I think you're thanking the wrong person. I think most of the improvement has been due to Amanda."
"Oh, is this getting serious then?"
Penny nodded. "Yes, Jeff, I think it is. Don't be surprised if Virgil asks to have 'a little chat' with you sometime soon."
She signed off, leaving Jeff staring thoughtfully at the screen.
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