Beware of the Beast (26 page)

She found
Eleni
and Franco lingering over their coffee at the
table, but there was no sign of anyone else. After greeting her,
however, and asking after her health,
Eleni
enlightened her.
"Ales has taken Irena to the mainland," she told Charlotte
casually, unaware of how this news might affect her grand
son's wife. "You were still sleeping when they left, so Alex
did not like to wake you."

Charlotte gripped the edge of the table tightly. "Why - why
would be do that? Take — Irena to the mainland? She only arrived yesterday."

"Oh, I think she had forgotten some last-minute shopping,'
replied
Eleni
lightly
. "
Sit down,
pethi
.
You look quite pale, doesn't she, Franco? It's just as well Alex didn't suggest you
should go with them."

Charlotte sat down because she felt that if she didn't she
might
easiiy
fall down. But her appetite had fled, and this time
it refused to respond to other demands. When
Eleni
sum
moned Tina and ordered the usual tea and rolls, Charlotte
felt physically sick, and it was all she could do to remain
where she was. Why had Alex agreed to take Irena to the
mainland? Surely he must have known how she would feel
about it? Or didn't he care?
Those protestations last night —
iad
they been no more than a means to an end?
A way to get
her to agree to his demands when he must have suspected she
was likely to refuse?

But what more could she expect in all honesty? Alex had
never, at any time, professed love for her. Lust, yes - desire,
of course.
Never the emotion which he had so carelessly
aroused in her.
She had been a fool ever to think otherwise,
to delude herself with thoughts that he could not have made
such unselfish love to her without feeling anything more than
passion. What was it he had said, about when he needed
relief? That he would come to her. And he had. And she had
allowed herself to be duped by it

As soon as she could, she escaped outside. She needed to
be alone, to have time to think and to plan. One thing was
certain in her mind. She could not continue living like this,
a brunt for his ill
humour
, a convenience for his sexual im
pulses. She had kept her part of the bargain - the
contract.
She had married him, and the child she had conceived would
be born in wedlock. But there was nothing in the contract
which said she had to live with him for the full nine months
of her pregnancy. It didn't matter that there was no one
waiting for her in England, it was still her home, and the house
in Glebe Square beckoned like a shining beacon. How glad
she was that she had kept the house on - her refuge, the
bolthole
she had foreseen herself needing. But never in such
circumstances....

The isolation of the island presented the greatest problem.
Had they been living anywhere where there was public
transport available, she might well have written Alex a letter
and left without seeing him. But
Lydros's
situation prevented such behaviour. She
would need
help to leave the island, and no one here was likely to risk thwarting their master's wishes
in such a way. Besides, whatever cowardly impulses she
had had in the past, she owed it to Alex to tell him what she
planned to do. While she had few illusions about his concern for her, she knew he would feel concern for his unborn child,
and she would have to assure him that she intended doing
nothing to risk harming the baby's health.

But that interview promised to be a stormy one, and she
awaited his return from the mainland with quivering anticipa
tion. What if he tried to persuade her against leaving?
she
thought tremulously. What if he used the power he undoubt
edly had over her to coax her to stay? How could she resist
him when she loved him - when the idea of life without him
looked grey and depressing?

She found a solution. So long as she remembered what he
had done to her father, so long as she could summon the
image of her father's bloated body after it was fished from the
sea, she would stand firm.

The helicopter flew in over the villa while Charlotte was
resting on the bed after lunch. She had not slept, but at least
here she did not have to pretend a brightness she did not feel.
Even so, she was surprised when five minutes after the helicop
ter landed Alex came into the bedroom. Then bitterness
overwhelmed her. Of course, his grandmother would expect
this kind of behaviour from him.

Nevertheless, her determination almost wavered at the
te
nd
erness of his
expression,
and the softness of his voice
when he said: "Hello, love. How are you feeling?"

She pushed herself up on her elbows, and faced him stoic
ally. "Do you care?"

"Oh, God!"
Alex pushed his hair back off his forehead.
"Of course I care."

"You do? Oh, yes, I was forgetting. If I'm not well, the
baby's not well either." Charlotte was scathing. "Well, re
assure yourself, we're both doing fine!"

Alex came down on the side of the bed, dose beside her. In
a dark green suede suit and cream silk shirt, smelling of a
mixture of alcohol, tobacco and body heat, he was disturbingly
attractive, and there was a moment when a small traitorous
voice inside her urged her to take what he offered on whatever
terms. But then sanity prevailed, and she moved her hand
away from his thigh.

"What's been going on?" he asked impatiently, noticing
the gesture. "Didn't
Eleni
tell you where I'd gone?"

"Yes.
Taking Irena to the mainland.
How nice for Irena!
Couldn't George have done it? He was good enough for
me."

Alex ground his teeth together. "You have no need to be
jealous. George was with us. Or did that little item slip your
notice? Irena wanted to do some shopping, and as George
and I needed to go into the Athens office, she came along."

Charlotte almost faltered. George had been missing at
lunchtime, but she had assumed he was working. Still, that did
not alter the basic inadequacies of the situation. Alex was
still using her, and would continue to do so just so long as it
suited him. She didn't think she could stand much more.

Taking a deep breath, she said: "I want to go back to
London, Alex."

There was several moments' stunned silence, and then Alex
slowly got up from the bed. "You want to go back to Lon
don?" he echoed coldly. "Might I ask why?"

Charlotte swallowed convulsively. "There - there's nothing
to stop me, is there? I mean,
there's
nothing in the contract
about me having to live here, is there?'

Alex turned to face her, his brows drawn together in a
scowl. "Let me get this straight," he said, and she realized he
was shaken. "You want to go back and
live
in London?"

"Yes.
Till the baby's born, anyway.
Afterwards - afterwards, I might travel for a while."

"You're suggesting I should allow my wife to go and live
alone in London?" Alex drew a savage breath. "Charlotte,
you're out of your mind! Do you realize that if some un
scrupulous villain discovers who you are, you'll be fair game
for-every would-be kidnapper in the
business !"

Charlotte's lips trembled. "You're exaggerating!"

"Am II" His fists balled. "Well, I won't allow it!"

"How are you going to stop me?
By force?"

Alex heaved a sigh. "Charlotte, what is this? Last night -
last night.-
..
Oh, God, you know what I'm trying to say.
Last night was -
marvellous
!
Then today I'm out for what -four, maybe five hours, and when I come back you tell me you're leaving me? Charlotte, I won't let you do this to me!"

"You can't stop
mel
" she
exkimed
, drawing up her knees on
the bed and wrapping her arms around them.

"Charlotte-"

He sat down beside her again, his hand seeking the curve
of her nape under her hair. She longed to rub her neck
against his hand, to allow him to draw her closer and silence
her mouth with those possessive searching kisses that seemed
to draw the strength out of her and left her weak and clinging
to
him.
But she thought of her father, and flinched away.

"Don't touch me I" She almost spat the words, and he with
drew his hand and stood up again.

"So that's it!" he muttered. "You're ashamed of what happened last night. You can't reconcile the way you be
haved with the way you think you ought to
feell
"

"You're wrong?" she burst out, knowing he was too near
the troth far comfort "I didn't feel anything. And my flesh
creeps when I think of what I let you do to me!"

Alex's face twisted. "You actually believe that?"

“I know it's the truth. All right, you can make me do things.
But I don't enjoy it. And I despise myself afterwards. I hate
you,
Alex
Faulkner. I'll never stop hating you. And I can't wait for the day when you'll have your son and I'll be free
of you!"

Alex stood motionless, listening to her tirade, and when she
was done, he said: "Very well. If that's the way you want it.
I shan't bother you again. But I cannot and will not allow
you to go and live in London!"

"What?"

He thrust his hands into his trousers pockets, unknowingly
tautening
the doth
across his thighs. "I am not prepared to
allow you to risk your life regardless of your feelings towards
me. But -
" he
paused, " - as my presence here appears to be
the problem, I am prepared to stay away until after the child
is born. Arrangements will be made for a doctor and nurse
to come and stay at the villa several weeks before the baby is
due, and you will receive every attention. Indeed, I have today contacted our own doctor and asked him to come and examine
you next week, just to make sure everything is well. After the
birth - well, as you say, that is something else."

Charlotte listened to him with an aching heart. Of course
that was what she wanted, for him to stay away from her. And she could see that she would be safer here, among people who
cared about her, than alone in London. But how could she
deprive him of his home - even temporarily?

"You can't do that," she protested. "What would your
grandmother think?"

"A lot less than she would think if you left me and went
back to London," he retorted rather wearily. "Well? Does
that meet with your approval?"

"This island is your home..."

"I have many houses - apartments." He walked towards the
door. "Home is a word I rarely use." He looked back at her.
"You do appreciate that I will have to stay over the next few
days, until Christmas is over? I promise not to get in your hair.
I'll have to sleep in the dressing room, but you can lock the
door if you like."

Charlotte could feel the prick of tears behind her eyes.
It was always like this. He could arouse her compassion with
out even trying, and she knew a moment's despair for her
weakness.

Then she squared her shoulders and straightened her back.
"I shan't lock the door," she said steadily. "You're my husband. You have a legal right to share my bed."

"Cold comfort," remarked Alex bitterly.
"No, thanks."

The door banged behind him.

As luck, or perhaps fate, would have it, Charlotte was not
at all well on Christmas Day. She had developed a severe cold
from somewhere, and consequently had a ready-made excuse
not to join in the family celebrations.