Chapter 3

"I think you should call it a day Deirdre. You're strong enough, but not fast enough and you 're too fond of attacking and leaving yourself wide open. Give it up, I'm begging you, darling!"

Deirdre made no reply for a while, but continued to dab away at her face inspecting the wreckage in the mirror. She and Amanda were in the bathroom together on the day following Deirdre's second ring appearance and second spectacular defeat. From the first, the encounter had not gone well for the poor girl. Amanda had watched in horror as the battering had continued and been mightily angry at her friend's second's refusal to throw in the towel. It was almost as if the whole thing had been set up to produce exactly the result it did. They inspected the damage a little more and then Deirdre spoke.

"What do you know about it, Amanda? Just stick to things you DO know about! I don't tell you how to swim or play tennis because I know you're so good at them. And this is my sport, now and I'm going to get better and better at it - just you watch!"

"I know a whole lot about it, Deirdre. My friend Edward at the neighbouring boys' school was Captain of their boxing team, (before some litigious parent had it taken off the curriculum after their poor precious little darling came home with a few measly bruises) and he was a fabulous boxer, so quick on his feet with a lovely fluid style and a really hard punch when it mattered - just like your opponent yesterday. I used to watch him every Saturday - he was poetry in motion! It wasn't nice yesterday watching the same thing in reverse, though, if you see what I mean. They should have stopped it very early on - you could have been badly hurt, or worse. And that nasty crowd, especially the women - ye Gods, but they were a sadistic bunch and I told a few of them so! Give it up, sweetie - that's my advice!"

Even as she spoke these words, she knew it was hopeless. Poor old Deirdre was hooked and it would be a while before this new enthusiasm burned itself out. But Amanda was convinced that the girl, strong and brave though she might be, simply lacked the razor sharp reflexes she would need, and also her build slowed her down. In fact she knew perfectly well that SHE would have made a better show than her friend - at least she'd have kept constantly on the move and well out of range and not been a breathless and battered wreck at the end!

Never again would she go and watch her best friend suffer, not only at the hands of a superior opponent but through the jeers of as psychotic a bunch of sub humans as she had ever mingled with. She still burned with fury at the memory of their cheering at every punch that landed on her dear friend. Not a nice world at all, her mate's present milieu!

"And another thing, Deirdre. Why did they insist on you all boxing topless? Pure exploitation! There are legitimate bona fide events for women and at them they dress properly. I know, because Edward was talking about it once. He was against it, himself, even then. Thought women should not intrude into such aggressively male activities! I agree - even more so after yesterday, but I'll say no more. I can't come again, though, so please don't ask me!"

Deirdre's face crumpled into a mask of grief at this. Something the girl the day before had not succeeded in doing to her had been done by her best friends desertion! Amanda hastened to assure the sobbing Deirdre that she would, of course, be there as and when needed, if it was that important - her heart sinking to her boots as she did so!

The conversation turned again to Amanda's affairs.

"What happened the last time you met this guy? You said it was when Peter and I arrived?"

"Yes. I was on my way to bed, after sitting alone for a while alone after you two had left. I went up to the room on a sort of whim and there they were, Richard - Lord Ark worth - and Harry his lovely faithful dog. We talked for a while and he held me in his arms and kissed me again and again and told me he loved me. He asked me to marry him and I accepted there and then! Then he said he'd go and get me something to wear so I could go down and meet all the servants and his old mother. Before he had come back, I decided to take a peek out of the door and when I got out of the room, I was back where I had been. I could hear you two giggling away in your room! I've been up there several times since, but nothing!"

"What year is it supposed to be when you go into the room and meet this fellow?"

"Sixteen eighty five. It's summer, but not exactly the same time of year - about eleven days earlier. Yes, that's it - eleven."

Deirdre looked most interested at this.

"I was sure you were making this up in a way, Amanda, but that last bit is very singular. Do you know what happened in seventeen fifty two?"

Amanda shook her head.

"Well" Deirdre continued. "That's when they introduced the Gregorian Calendar into England and Wales. We lost eleven days. That's why the tax year starts on April the Sixth rather than Lady Day - the Twenty Fifth of March - like it always did before. So really you are going back exactly to the same time of year! I wonder if you knew about this and were making a kind of sub conscious adjustment.

Amanda shook her head. "History was never my subject, Deirdre. All those Kings and Queens and dates and battles. Bored me to tears!"

Deirdre suggested they go up to the room together and have a look. After breakfast that is what they did. It was exactly as Amanda had left it after her cleaning up operation. They walked over to the window together and looked out at the familiar view. They could see the lawns from where they stood and the sun was getting nice and high already. It all looked very tempting! They made their way out into the sunshine and disrobed, lying side by side again and letting the rays do their worst with them.

Deirdre in particular was most grateful for the sun's healing warmth on her bruised body which Amanda could scarcely bring herself to look at. Still tired out after the previous day, the lady boxer was soon asleep. Amanda, with no one to talk to was soon dozing off herself when Deirdre suddenly became wide awake.

"There's got to be an explanation for all this, Amanda! Some common factor which we've not thought of. Think, Amanda! Think!"

"I don't know! It seems to be just a hit or miss thing. Some days he's there and it's in his time and most others it's just another room in the house - like this morning. I must be off my head, I suppose!"

"I'll give it my most thorough attention, sweetheart" said Deirdre, looking proudly at her bruised ribs and wincing a little as she moved herself into a more comfortable position. "I'll help you get to the bottom of it, I promise!" Then changing the subject, she moaned. "Oh! I do wish Peter would hurry back and kiss all these bruises better!"

Amanda giggled. "Don't be such a softie, Deirdre! You've chosen this hard life - learn to live with the consequences or give it up!"

Deirdre looked annoyed for a moment then saw the sense of what her friend had said. She lay beside Amanda for a while and then got to her feet and put her clothes on.

"I'm off for a bit of training. Got to keep fit! And I've another fight the week after next. Drop by and watch me in half an hour or so when you're bored with lying here!" And she was off, leaving Amanda to continue wondering if and when she would see Richard, Lord Arkworth again.

As Deirdre had implied, Amanda became bored after an hour or so and went down to the lake for a swim. She was in the water a very, very long time and when she came out she was totally exhausted, but happy. Taking advantage, for once, of the liberal regime, she wandered naked into the house and up to the temporary gymnasium and stood watching her equally naked friend pulverising a punch bag with the same ferocity that her opponent had been directing at her only twenty four hours ago!

The nude Amanda did a few graceful gymnastics on the parallel bars for some minutes, revelling in her youthful suppleness and a naked Deirdre pounded away at the bag. Then Deirdre stopped, her gloved fist in mid air. She almost shouted at Amanda, who nearly missed her footing.

"I've got it, darling. It's so bloody obvious. We must be slipping, you and I! Let's go up and meet this man together! I can't wait to see my best friend's future husband!"

With these words, Deirdre took off her gloves and pulled the wondering Amanda towards the staircase and the door.

"What's going on, Deirdre? Stop pulling me around, will you! Let GO of me!"

She was furious and Deirdre apologetically released her. She explained that she had worked out what the common factor was linking all Amanda's sightings of and meetings with Richard Arkworth. Then Amanda herself realised how simple was the explanation! The two girls hurried up the stairs and into the room.

Meanwhile - Back in the Present!

"Come on Deirdre! Keep that guard up, girl and keep in close. Work on her body, Deirdre. Body shot, Deirdre - Oh, well done! Keep at her, now! Don't let up!"

Amanda was hoarse with shouting and red in the face from excitement and exertion as her friend made her way back to her corner at the end of the seventh round of this, her fifth fight. Her statistics were looking a little less dismal by this time. 4 - 1 win, 3 losses, 2 KOs. Admittedly she had been on the receiving end of both KOs and had only won once, and that by a split decision which Amanda would have awarded quite decisively to her opponent. But - a win is still a win!

Edward, Amanda's school friend had been contacted after Deirdre had pleaded with her initially reluctant friend to see if his aid might be enlisted and he had acted as Amanda's trainer and seconded her at the last two contests. He was waiting to go up to Oxford in October and had unenthusiastically agreed to lend his aid to what he considered the tainted and tacky cause of women's boxing.

He had always had a soft spot for Amanda, having never quite believed his good fortune in being so favoured, as a callow schoolboy, by the companionship of the loveliest girl in the world, as he still thought of her! Knowing that this ravishing creature was in the audience for his every contest had acted as a wonderful spur to him. He would sooner have died a thousand times than let her down by losing! Nor that there had ever been any danger of Edward losing. He was streets ahead of all the competition!

However, something must have happened to delay him this week and Amanda had stepped apprehensively and uncertainly into the breach. How could she let her friend down?

After a rather uncertain first round in which poor Deirdre had seemed to be well on her dismal way to a third knockout, Amanda had started to warm to her task. In the next round, she had been very pleasantly surprised to find the experience highly exhilarating! A great deal of expertise must have rubbed off on her as a result of watching Edward over two years pretty well every week.

In the short interval she had scathingly pointed her friend's many shortcomings. After that she had been ruthless in the way she directed her friend from the wings, and it was paying off handsomely so far.

Then Edward arrived with his girl friend of the moment, halfway through the one-minute break, and Amanda prepared to retreat to one of the ringside seats, a little disappointed to have lost her temporary starring role.

"How's it going, Deirdre" he asked.

"OK, for a change, Eddie. Amanda's really keeping me up to scratch in your absence. She knows a whole lot more than she ever let on! I think she might have a talent for this!"

So a none too reluctant Amanda was asked to carry on for the remaining three rounds, which she did, steering her friend to a unanimous points decision, but making her throat sorer than ever as she kept a running barrage of encouragement shrewdly mixed with criticism.

"I still don't like the set up " said Amanda still a little hoarse as the four of them made for the Three Horseshoes after the bout was over. Deirdre would have liked to watch the remaining bouts to pick up a few hints, but Irena, Edward's latest girl-friend had already had more than enough!