Secrets After Dark (35 page)

I get up too and put a hand on his arm to restrain him. ‘No, Andrei. You mustn’t interfere. Mark is handling it at the moment, he wouldn’t like you taking over. I’ll let you know if you can be of real help to him if that time comes.’

He stands still and stares at me, his blue eyes glowering slightly. Then his expression softens. ‘“No, Andrei”,’ he says in a low voice. ‘Very few people say that to me without regretting it.’ We stare at one another for a moment. I refuse to look away and then he relents. ‘All right. I’ll do as you say. As long as you promise to let me know when I can help.’ His eyes soften. ‘I’m sorry, Beth. I know how fond you are of Mark. I am, too. It’s very sad news.’

I think of Mark, so gaunt and thin and ill, but so brave, treating his illness with such contempt he won’t even name it. My eyes fill with tears and I blink hard. I don’t want to cry in front of Andrei but he must see anyway, because he puts a comforting arm around my shoulder. ‘There, there, Beth. It will be all right.’

‘It’s one thing money can’t buy,’ I say, still a little choked but managing to control myself. ‘Good health.’ I think of something I ought to tell him. ‘And it looks as though I’ll be going with you to St Petersburg – if you still want the Fra Angelico assessed.’

He raises his eyebrows with surprise. ‘Ah! Of course, Mark cannot go.’ He smiles at me. ‘Well, I hope you will get something from this trip, despite your hatred of being with me.’

‘I don’t hate you,’ I protest, anxious that he thinks the very worst of me. ‘I was rude to you when we last met, and I’m sorry for that. Can we start afresh, now that we’re going to be working together?’

‘I would like that very much,’ he says softly, staring at me. ‘And I’m very glad to hear that you don’t hate me.’

There’s a long moment and I feel that ripple in the air between us again, the crackle of something connecting and causing a spark.
Oh no. I don’t need this.
‘How is Anna?’ I say pointedly. I wonder if she is in Andrei’s bed at this moment, if they’ve been celebrating the closing of the deal in their traditional way. I never want to see her again, but perhaps it won’t be possible to avoid her now that I’m working with Andrei again. I wonder briefly what I’ll say and how I’ll feel when she walks into a room I’m in.
I’ll handle her, don’t worry about that.

‘Anna is no longer in my employment,’ Andrei says in a throwaway manner. ‘We have agreed that it is better if she works elsewhere.’

Because it’s not ethical to be fucking your employee? Is this so that you two can be together properly?
I’m startled by a violent emotion that rushes up inside me. I know for sure that I don’t want Andrei to marry Anna, not at all.
Why?
The question echoes through my mind but I instantly supply the answer.
Because she’s one crazy bitch who cannot be trusted! She’ll make his life hell. And I would hate someone like her to get the satisfaction.

Yes, that’s it. I don’t want to see her devious nature rewarded with Andrei’s love. It’s not right. But, I remind myself, it’s also not my problem.

‘I hope you’ll be very happy together,’ I say firmly.

‘What?’ Andrei frowns, puzzled. ‘What do you mean?’

‘You and Anna. Are you making your relationship public now?’

His face clears and he laughs. ‘No, Beth. She’s out of my life for good. Completely. In every sphere. You don’t need to worry about that.’

‘I’m not worried,’ I say crossly.
We’re not starting this again, are we?
‘Why have you broken up with her?’

‘I think I will keep that to myself but suffice it to say, I have my reasons.’

I flush, embarrassed. ‘I’m sorry, it’s none of my business. Please forgive me.’

‘Certainly I will,’ he says pleasantly. ‘Perhaps one day I will explain. But not now.’

I’m still feeling awkward, though, so I reach for my bag. ‘I’d better be going, Andrei. I’m so glad you’re happy with the pictures.’

‘Yes, I am,’ he replies simply. ‘I knew you would do an excellent job, and you have.’

‘Let me know about the arrangements for St Petersburg.’

‘I will have Marcia send you all the necessary details.’ He smiles at me. ‘Until then, Beth.’

‘Yes,’ I say. ‘Until then.’

I go back to Mark’s house, feeling a little lighter in my mind. Anna is out of the Dubrovski organisation. The news is very welcome. I was dreading having to see her again and now I won’t have to. I wonder why Andrei has taken that step, and then it occurs to me that perhaps Anna wasn’t sacked, but she did what Dominic intends to do and resigned immediately the dotted lines of the deal were signed.

Another thought floats into my mind.
What if she and Dominic are planning to go into business together? What if they are lovers, and now want to be business partners as well?

It’s a horrible, bitter idea that makes me feel sick. Then I remember that tonight, I’ll know everything.

Mark is resting when I arrive at the house, so I go into the office and start making myself acquainted with the current state of affairs. I’m poring over some invoices when there’s a knock on the door and Mark’s maid Gianna comes in.

‘A parcel has just been delivered for you, miss,’ she says, bringing it over to me. It’s a small cardboard box.

‘Thank you, Gianna.’ When she’s gone, I open it. Within it is another box, a dark green one this time, and a small card with the monogrammed A. On the card is written in scrawled handwriting:

This time, take them, for God’s sake! With my thanks, A

I open the box and there they are, the gorgeous red ruby earrings that I left in the guest bedroom at Andrei’s after the party. It looks like they are going to be hard to get rid of, if Andrei has anything to do with it. I laugh softly, admiring their beautiful depth of colour.
Well, perhaps I can accept them. After all, if I made commission on the Fragonard, I would easily be able to afford them... I guess I can take them in that spirit.

I write a thank-you note to Andrei, accepting the earrings, and put it on the tray for posting later. I put the earrings on, and look at their lustrous gleam in the mirror. They are proper jewels.
I’ll treasure them.

Then I try to concentrate on my work and put the upcoming conversation with Dominic out of my mind.

Chapter Twenty

The expression on Dominic’s face as he opens the door to his apartment makes me feel even more wretched. He’s beaming, his eyes are sparkling and he’s radiating energy and excitement. He looks happier than I’ve seen him for a long time.

This deal has obviously been weighing down on him hard. He even looks younger than he did when I last saw him.

Beth!’ He gives me a smacking kiss on the lips and grabs my hand. ‘It’s wonderful to see you.’ He pulls me inside the apartment and as soon as we are in the hall, he gets me into a dancing hold and skips me round the apartment as if we’re at a barn dance. ‘It’s over!’ he whoops. ‘We’re free!’ And he crows and cheers as he whirls me about, until I’m laughing and breathless, unable to resist his good mood. At last he stops and we flop down onto the sofa together. I look around the room. It’s so masculine and stylish, in its tones of black and taupe. I realise that I haven’t been in here since Dominic left. We’ve spent all our time together in the boudoir two floors above, which Dominic acquired especially to provide a private place for our adventurous play.

He takes my hand in his and smiles as he stares into my eyes. ‘I can’t tell you how happy I am, Beth. The deal is done, my funds are secured. Tomorrow, I’m going to resign. Then we’re both free. I feel like a new man. It’s fantastic.’

I try to smile but it twists somehow on my lips. This is awful. What should be a wonderful, joyous moment has been utterly poisoned for me by what Anna told me.
Lies? Or the truth?

Dominic is frowning at me, his expression puzzled. ‘What’s wrong?’

I can’t speak. I can only look down at his large hand wrapped around mine – his smooth, lovely hand that’s brought me such pleasure – and feel a lump in my throat. I want so badly to believe that everything is all right, that he loves me and that Anna is a devious meddler who wants to wreck everything between us... but there are questions that need answering before my faith can be restored. I hate the doubts, I want them out of my head, but they’re tenacious. Only Dominic has the power to exorcise them.

‘Beth?’ His smile has faded and his dark brown eyes are worried. ‘Come on, I can read you. What is it?’

I try to speak but somehow I can’t, not immediately. Gathering all my strength, I manage to say in a strained voice, ‘And Anna? How is she celebrating?’

‘I’ve no idea,’ he replies. ‘We all drank champagne at dawn when the deal was signed, and then I came home to sleep. I left her with Andrei and the rest of the team and haven’t seen any of them since. What is this?’

‘What story did you tell her, Dominic? After she saw us arguing in Albany? How did you explain that to her?’

He goes quiet and drops his gaze. Then he says, ‘Okay. I had to tell her about us. There was nothing else I could think of that would sound at all convincing.’

When I respond, my voice still has that unnatural, high, strained tone to it. ‘And was she surprised?’

‘That’s the funny thing – she wasn’t surprised. She said she’d guessed about us that night in the catacombs. She saw us kissing in the tunnel without our masks on – remember? We took them off in the private dungeon and didn’t put them on again until we were almost back.’

‘So she already knew.’ I try to link this with all the facts and circumstances.
Was Anna spying on us all night?
A picture of her floats into my mind: she has her arm about my shoulder and is showing me her muddy evening shoe. ‘What did she say?’

‘She found it very amusing – or at least, she seemed to. You never can quite tell with Anna. There’s a lot going on under the surface. She laughs sometimes, and I think it sounds more like a snarl. She’s very intense, one of those people who feel things deeply and passionately. Sometimes too passionately for her own good.’ Dominic is suddenly lost in thought, staring into the middle distance.

He’s imagining her. She’s alive right now in his mind, as we’re talking together.

I’m angry. I want her out of our lives and gone. But first, we have to get to the bottom of all the secrets and mysteries that have plagued us over the last few weeks. I turn to face him. ‘And what exactly did you tell her about us? Did you mention the games we like to play? Did you tell her about what happened before you left, with the whipping experiments that ended up in The Asylum?’

‘Of course I didn’t,’ he snaps back. ‘Why would I do that?’

‘Then it’s very strange,’ I say, ‘that she knows all about it.’

‘She doesn’t,’ he replies swiftly. ‘She can’t.’

‘Dominic, she does. She sat me down in Andrei’s bedroom and told me exactly what had happened between us.’ I know my eyes are accusatory, but I can’t help it. James told me to stay calm when I talked to Dominic, but it’s hard. He’s already denied telling her when I know it must have been him. Who else could it possibly be? I go on: ‘
I
didn’t tell her. I’ve never even told Laura the extent of what happened between us. Even James, who knows more than anyone else, doesn’t know it all. You know, and I know... and Anna knows. So, are you going to carry on denying that you told her?’

His brown eyes flash. I can see anger sparking in them. Have I already pushed him too far?

But I need answers, dammit!

‘Well?’ I ask.

He stares straight at me. He’s gone a little pale and his expression is set. ‘Of course I didn’t tell her.’

‘Then how does she know?’ I demand, my voice rising.

‘I don’t have any fucking idea!’ he barks, and gets to his feet. He looks frustrated. ‘Are you sure she didn’t just make a lucky guess and you filled in the blanks and assumed she knew it all?’

‘Give me some credit, of course I didn’t. And I didn’t admit anything when she came out with it either.’

He fixes me with a steady gaze and says, ‘I didn’t tell her, Beth. You have to believe me.’

I look up at him and there must be something in my expression because he says, ‘What? What is it? There’s something else, isn’t there? You’ve got another reason for believing her, I can read it all over your face.’

‘All right.’ There’s no point in keeping it back. ‘She... she knows about the marks on your back.’

He gapes at me, stunned. He looks genuinely astonished. At once I’m certain he’s not pretending, and a wave of relief washes over me. Dominic shakes his head. ‘She
knows?’

I get up too, agitated, unable to stay sitting down. ‘Yes. She took great pleasure in telling me she knows.’ I can’t quite say the rest. Not yet.

A strange expression passes over Dominic’s face and he goes very still. When he speaks, his voice sounds odd, almost distorted. ‘She told you something, didn’t she? She’s said something awful, something that changes how you feel about me.’

My eyes fill with tears. ‘How did she know all those things, Dominic?
How
?’

He looks at me like a lost boy. ‘Beth, I’m telling you, I don’t know! Now, what did she say to you?’