Beware of the Beast (23 page)

"Nothing - nothing."

"Are you sure?" He caught her shoulders and swung her round to face him. "That was not my impression this morn
ing."

Charlotte's lips parted in dismay. "That's a rotten thing to say!" she choked.

"But apt, don't you think? I mean, I didn't know about
your condition. But you did!"

Charlotte managed to find the strength to pull
herself
away from him. "All right," she agreed unsteadily, "I can't deny that. Enjoy the feeling of mastery it gives you. But —
but just remember, any man with sufficient expertise could
arouse an inexperienced
girl !"

Alex got stiffly off the bed, his expression grim. "I see.
So now we know where we stand, do we not? When I need -
relief, I come to you. And when you feel the same ..."

"Oh, don't go
onl
" Charlotte pressed her hands over her
ears. "You can be so cruel, can't you? God, I wish I'd never
married you I"

"Do you think there aren't times when I don't feel exactly the same?" he demanded savagely, and left her.

While George was staying at the villa, Charlotte saw little
of her husband, except at mealtimes. Both
mien
spent at least
part of the day closeted in the library, and part out on the
boats. Once they both flew
Out
in the helicopter, and Char
lotte thought they had gone for good. Then late in the
evening they flew back again, and life resumed its pattern.
But never once did Alex come to her bedroom, and there were times when, in spite of herself, she wished he would. She told
herself it was natural that she should feel she needed him
sometimes. This was his child she was carrying inside her.

Why shouldn't he bear some of the anxieties she was suffering
alone?

Christmas, and all the things it had meant in England,
seemed a million miles away from this remote island, and
although there were few people she wanted to send cards to,
she wished she had the opportunity to do some shopping, if
only to try and feel the spirit of the season.

She mentioned the matter to
Eleni
one afternoon when
the older woman was visiting the villa, and she advised her
to speak
to
Alex. "Athens may not be London,"
Eleni
told
her frankly, "but there are some excellent stores, and
I'm sure you would be able to buy everything you wanted
there."

Charlotte felt sure she could, too, but mentioning the
matter to Ales was something else again. Nevertheless, she felt she had to make the effort, if only to assure herself that
she dared to do so, and over dinner that evening she brought
the subject up.

"You want to go to Athens?" Alex considered her words unsmilingly. "Do you think you should?" His meaning was
obvious.

"I'm not an invalid," Charlotte replied shortly, aware of
George
Constandis's
eyes upon her. "Actually, I've never
felt better now that I don't feel sick in the mornings."

Alex crumbled a roll on his plate.
"Very well.
When would
you like to go?"

"As soon as possible."

Alex frowned. "Is tomorrow soon enough?"

"Tomorrow?"
Charlotte's eyes widened. "Tomorrow
would be -
marvellous
!"

"Good." Alex lifted his soup spoon. "Well take a break
tomorrow, George. You don't mind flying my wife to
Athens, do you?"

"
George !"
Charlotte had uttered the man's name almost
involuntarily. "I mean, won't you be taking me, Alex?"

"I don't think that's necessary," replied Alex, spooning
soup into his mouth. "I have work I can do here while George
is away."

"Oh, but - " Charlotte's disappointment was out of all proportion to the request denied. She pressed her lips tightly together and stared down unseeingly at her dish. She was dangerously near to tears and she despised herself for her
weakness.

"Surely you can take the day off and fly Charlotte to
Athens, Alex," George was saying now. "I'm sure she'd prefer
your company to mine."

"Do you think so?"

Alex's words were sardonic, and Charlotte wondered how
much of their .curious relationship he had relayed to his assistant, and what George really thought of their marriage.

"Please." Charlotte lifted her head proudly. "I don't mind,
Mr.
Constandis
, honestly. I'm just sorry you've been given
the chore."

"It is no chore, and my name is George," he answered
firmly.
"Very well.
What time would you like to leave?"

Charlotte shrugged. "Would ten o'clock be suitable?"

"Eminently," replied the older man smilingly. "I shall look
forward to it."

But Charlotte did not. She was doubtful as to the effects
of flying in her condition, and if she had to be ill, she would
have preferred it to be Alex with her. But then she chided herself. George was more likely to be sympathetic than her
husband, and no doubt he had more patience.

Still, she did not sleep very well that night with the unexpected outing ahead of her. It was so long since she had
been in contact with other people, and she was ridiculously
nervous of leaving the island. She awakened soon after seven,
and was bathed and dressed by the time Tina arrived with her
tray of morning tea and biscuits.

She had decided to wear a dress for a change, a simple
pinafore style dress with a high waistline fitting just beneath
her breasts which successfully hid her condition from all but
the most discerning eyes. The dress was cream, splashed with
orange, which amazingly did not clash with the copper gold
brilliance of her hair, and wedge-heeled shoes did
marvellous
things for her morale. Studying her reflection in the ward
robe mirrors, she was satisfied she had never looked better,
and it was with a sense of impatience she had to concede that
pregnancy suited her.

Alex was seated at the dining table when she came along the
corridor, lean and masculine in a blue denim shirt and close-
fitting denim pants. A matching jacket was slung carelessly over the back of his chair. He was stirring his coffee with an
air of abstraction, but he rose at her approach and his eyes narrowed beneath his heavy lids.

"Well," he drawled sardonically, "is this all for George's
benefit?"

Ignoring his sarcasm, Charlotte seated herself at the table
and rang the bell for Tina. After ordering rolls and more tea,
she felt more capable of dealing with her husband. He had
reseated himself, and although he appeared to have finished
his meal, seemed quite content to sit and watch her every
movement with the unnerving intentness of a cat with a
mouse.

"
Er
- where is Mr.
Constandis
?"
Charlotte asked, unable to
sustain his stare for long.

"George, believe it or not, is indisposed," replied Alex
dryly.

"Indisposed?"
        

"Unwell - sick - ill; to put it in plain language, incapable of flying the helicopter."

"Oh!" Charlotte was not as disappointed as she might have
been. "I - I'm sorry. Is it anything serious?"

"You want my opinion? I don't think there's anything wrong with him."

"Nothing wrong with him ..." Charlotte halted. "I don't
understand."

"Oh, I should have thought it was pretty obvious.
Obviously,
George thinks that if he is indisposed, I'll have to take you
to the mainland myself."

Charlotte pushed back her chair. "Well, you can disabuse him of that idea right away, can't you," she retorted tautly, turning to leave him. But Alex got up also, and his fingers
curved round her upper arm as she would have passed him.

He looked down at his brown fingers against her creamy
flesh, moving his thumb in a caressing exploratory motion.
"Don't walk out on me, Charlotte," he advised her quietly.
"You're looking* very beautiful this morning, and right now
I can think of things I'd rather do for you than flying the
helicopter, do you understand me?"

Charlotte's breathing quickened. "Let me go," she said, and
heard the annoying tremor in her voice.

"Providing you'll sit down again and eat your breakfast,"
he
agreed,
his eyes frankly sensual as they rested on her mouth.
"And I shall be taking you to Athens, whether you like it or
not."

Charlotte looked helplessly up at him. "I wanted you to take me," she protested. "But you
refused !"

"Yes. Well, now I've changed my mind.
Right?"

She nodded mutely, and to her relief he let her go. He
held her chair while she reseated herself, and then when Tina
arrived with her tea and rolls he excused himself.

Charlotte's appetite had not been stimulated by the knowledge that he had only to touch her to reduce her to a tremb
ling mass of nerves and sensations. Nevertheless, she knew it
would be foolish to get on board the helicopter with an empty
stomach, so she put all disruptive thoughts aside and silently
thanked that small being inside her which demanded sustenance whatever her mental condition.

Alex came back as she was finishing, and slid his arms into
the sleeves of the denim jacket. "It's raining," he said, regarding
her critically. "Still want to go?"

Charlotte nodded. "Can we?"

"Of course.
If you're ready.
Bring a mackintosh."

"I - I have to pay a call first," she told him in some embarrassment, but Alex was not perturbed.

"I'll see you here in five minutes," he said easily, and she
nodded with relief.

Charlotte had expected
Vittorio
or
Dimitrios
to accompany
them, but when she joined Alex by the helicopter, he was
alone. He was wearing a black leather jacket over his denim
suit, and drops of water glinted on his thick straight hair. He
helped Charlotte inside without a word, and then walked round the machine to join her.

Charlotte looked at him doubtfully as he fastened her
safety straps and showed her how to use the headset. "Isn't
Dimitrios
joining us?" she asked.

Ales straightened to adjust
his own
gear. "No. Did you
expect him to?"
       

Charlotte sighed. "Alex, you know what I mean. Shouldn't
there be someone - that is -
" She
broke off. "Don't take risks
because of me."

Alex put on his headphones and smiled mockingly at her.
"And don't you pretend a wifely concern at this late stage,"
he returned wryly. "Comfortable?
Fine.
Here we go!"

The journey was not half
so
comfortable as the journey to the island. The rain was relentless, and the wind buffeted the helicopter continually. The islands below were shrouded in
a
mist of
vapour
, and few ships had ventured out on an un
usually choppy sea.