Beware of the Beast (30 page)

But what about her?
She would have been inhuman if
she had not felt some emotion at the feel of her baby in her
arms. And how would she ever be able to leave her son's
upbringing to someone else?

CHAPTER TWELVE

 
ELENI arrived to see her great-grandson at lunch time, just after Doctor
Leonides
and his nurse had arrived in the heli
copter.
Vittorio
had been sent to the mainland in the launch
during the night to
Fetch
the doctor and his assistant, and
after they were safely landed, he flew back to Athens to collect
the nursery equipment waiting at a department store.

Nurse
Hani
was a middle-aged woman, with an air of
friendly efficiency. After Doctor
Leonides
had examined both
Charlotte and the baby and announced them in good con
dition, she took charge of things,
organising
the household with gentle bat firm competence. By the time
Eleni
arrived,
Charlotte had been bathed and changed, the bedding renewed
and the room sweetly smelling of the flowers Maria had
brought in from the garden.

Alex appeared, while
Eleni
was ensuring that Charlotte
was quite recovered from her
labours
, bathed and changed
into beige corded pants and a cream silk shirt. He had
obviously slept for a while, and Charlotte was amazed at the
change in him after last night Gone was the look of weary
defeat, the lines of tiredness and exhaustion. He looked
vibrantly alive and masculine, and his eyes went straight to Charlotte's, exchanging with her a look of mutual experience.

"You realize walking across to see me was responsible for
this, don't you?"
Eleni
exclaimed, as Alex walked into the
room, "I told her she should not have come."

Alex came to the bed, looking down at his son nestling in his mother's arms, already turning that small mouth towards Charlotte for sustenance. "You should be flattered,
yaya
,"
he
responded almost absently, putting out a finger and stroking
a small wrist. "Not every girl would walk four miles in
Charlotte's condition-just to visit an old woman."

Eleni
made an indignant sound. "And you should have
been here to ensure she didn't do such a thing!" she countered
hotly. "I trust you will be staying now."

"Oh, yes," Alex nodded, his stroking finger
prohing
his son's tiny chin. "I shall be staying now, shan't I, Charlotte?"

Charlotte didn't know how to answer him. She didn't
honestly know what he was saying. Unless he meant that as
she would be leaving, he would be bound to remain. At least
until someone could be engaged to take care of the child.
Her heart lurched sickeningly. Oh, God, she thought desper
ately, she didn't want to
go !
She wanted to stay. Whatever he
had said, whatever he had done, whatever her motives for agreeing to his infamous contract, she wanted to stay. This
was her home - this man was her husband. And she loved him.

"Well, Charlotte?"
Eleni
was challenging her now. "Will
Alex be staying or won't he?"

Charlotte licked her dry lips. "I - that's up to him, I
suppose. It's his decision, not mine."

Eleni
tutted
irritably.
"It seems to me that you both have
a responsibility to your son!" she stated forcefully. She got to
her feet. "I'll leave you now. It's obvious you're in good
hands." She touched the baby's head, "Congratulations to you
both I"

Alex escorted his grandmother out to where
Yanni
was
waiting with the donkey cart, and when he came back, Nurse
Hani
was with his wife. His presence was obviously unwanted,
and with a regretful shrug in Charlotte's direction, he left
them.

In truth, Charlotte was still very tired, and she slept for
most of the day. Then, after a light supper, the nurse gave her
a sedative to see her through the night. Consequently, it was
morning again before Charlotte discovered that Alex had
slept in the dressing room.

Nurse
Hani
was eager to get Charlotte interested in feeding
her baby, and although Charlotte was doubtful as to the ad
visability of making him dependent upon her in this way, she could not deny the thrill of emotion she felt when his
little mouth fastened on to her breast and began to
sock, greedily. It was a painful experience in no way eased
when Alex came to watch her, a curiously satisfied expression
on his lean dark face.

During the next few days, they had little time alone,
and
 
those
occasions when no one else was present, Alex
 
loath to discuss personal things. Charlotte was quite
willing
 
to
allow him the delay. She did not feel strong enough to face -what might be to come.

Within a couple of days she was up and walking about,
much to her husband's amazement. He had obviously expected
her to spend at least a week in bed, and her independence
evidently did not please him. Nevertheless, there was nothing
he could do about it, particularly not as Nurse
Hani
seemed
well pleased with her patient.

After a week, Doctor
Leonides
asked to be flown back to the mainland. He had other patients requiring his attention,
and it was obvious that Charlotte and her baby were pro
gressing satisfactorily. Nurse
Hani
stayed on. She had been employed for a month, and Charlotte was glad of her assist
ance. There seemed so much to do, and although Maria had
taken charge of the extra laundry, she seemed to be constantly
employed with something. Feeding the child naturally took the most time, and those midnight and early morning calls
prevented her from getting more than three or four hours'
sleep at a time. It was draining her strength, but she was still
shocked when he heard Alex having an argument with Nurse
Hani
in the room which had been designated the nursery.

" -
and I say the child could be bottle-fed," he was saying
grimily. He spoke in Greek, but Charlotte was able to understand him.

"If Mrs. Faulkner can only feed him for three or four
weeks, it will serve the purpose," Nurse
Hani
insisted quietly.
"There is no substitute for
- "

"Don't tell me - mother's milk!" Alex interrupted her
shortly. "I don't believe it. Tests have proved that in some
cases, bottle-fed babies are
healthier !"

"I was not going to say 'mother's milk'," replied the nurse,
steadily. "There is no substitute for the sense of protection
the baby receives in his mother's arms. It has also been proved
that breast-fed babies are better adjusted children gener
ally."

Charlotte didn't wait to hear any more. Breathing chokingly she went down the steps into the hall and stood trying to calm
herself. Of course Alex would want the baby to be bottle-fed.
So long as she was feeding him, her presence here was en
sured, and Alex would not want that. Not now he had got
what he wanted. But why couldn't he have said something to
her - not the nurse!

The next time Nurse
Hani
brought the baby to her to be
fed, Charlotte took him reluctantly, and as she unbuttoned
her dress, she said: "Don't you think we could start putting
him on to the bottle, nurse?"

Nurse
Hani
made an impatient sound. "Has your husband
been talking to you, Mrs. Faulkner?"

"No." Charlotte could speak truthfully. "Why?"

"He has said much the same thing to me.
Very well, if
that's what you both want.
The child is sixteen days old. I
don't suppose it will do him any harm."

Charlotte felt the tears pricking at her eyes as she looked at the contented expression on her son's face. His small fist was
balled against her breast, his eyes half closed as he eagerly
took the milk from her. It was true, she was feeling rather
weary, but she would miss these occasions. At moments like
these she could almost convince herself that he could not do
without her.

The child took easily to the
bottle,
and it mean that Char
lotte could get a good night's sleep. Nurse
Hani
dealt with the
night-time feeding, and gradually he began to sleep for longer
periods.

And still Charlotte had had no conversation with Alex other than
of a very lightweight variety. George had arrived
a few
days ago, and since his arrival, she had seen little of her
husband. And then two days before Nurse
Hani
was due to leave, another young woman arrived. Her name was Glenda
Francis, and she was English, and Charlotte was horrified
when
Akx
introduced her as the new nanny.
A nanny
! It
seemed
to confirm her belief that gradually Alex was making
her
presence on the island unnecessary.

But what about her?
What about her feelings? Not least
for the child? There had been no discussion as to what he
was to be called, so far as she knew he had not even been
registered. Her part in the affair seemed to be over, and slowly
bat
surely she was being
manoeuvred
into the background.
Part of
her wanted to rebel, wanted to insist on staying on the
island, at least until the child was a few months old. But
reason told
her
that this was foolish. The longer she stayed,
the harder it would be to leave. Already she was convinced
that
the
baby
recognized her, and once he had started sitting up
and
taking notice
          

She paced restlessly about the bedroom, torn by emotions
she
had not known she possessed. To think she had spoken
so carelessly of leaving after the baby was born, to think she had actually wanted to get
away !

With a determination born of desperation, she went to see
Alex. She found him in the library. George was with him, but he rose at her entrance, and after a brief word of welcome left them. Charlotte's eyes strayed uneasily across the table where
they had
been working, and suddenly her attention was
caught by
a
legal document pushed carelessly to one side. It
was
a
 
copy
of the contract Mr. Falstaff had given to her, and weakness strengthened
into indignation.

"What are you doing?" she demanded. "Drawing up the
final
agreement ?
The -clause which releases me from this
contract? What has George to do with it? Do you discuss it
with him?"

Alex was on his feet, his mouth
a
thin line. "George
is a lawyer," he told her quietly. "I thought you knew
that."

Charlotte's lips parted. "You mean - he drew up the con
tract in the first place? He knows all about it?"

"Yes." Alex inclined his head. "He's the only one who
does."

"Oh, indeed!" Charlotte pressed her lips together.

"What do you want, Charlotte? I want to get these papers
drawn up. I want to be free of business matters for at least four
weeks."

"Why?" Charlotte stared at him. "Is that how long it takes
to get a divorce these days?"

"A divorce?"
Alex came round the table towards her. "What are you talking about?"

Charlotte backed away.
"Divorce!
Our
divorce !
Don't
pretend you don't remember, not with that - that contract
in front of you I"