by Peter Martin
She jumped when she heard the sound of a knock on the window, and looking round she saw Evan waving at her. He was encouraging her to come in as evidently the dinner he’d spent so long in preparing and cooking was ready.
She got up and walked to the French doors, opening them to the delicious smells of the cooking. He wore an apron, had a spoon in his hand, as if he’d just tasted the sauce he was making.
‘Smells really nice.’
‘Let’s hope it tastes as good as it smells. If you’re ready, I’ll dish up. I think everything’s done now. Would you like to eat inside or out on the veranda?’
‘It would be nice on the veranda. It’s still warm and not as hot as in here. Want any help?’
He shook his head. ‘You can lay the table for me, and I’ll do the rest.’
She nodded, went to a draw and found out knives, forks, and place mats, then set the table outside on the veranda, and task done sat waiting for him to come out. Within two minutes he came out carrying two steaming hot plates containing the steaks, new potatoes and an assortment of vegetables covered in a creamy sauce.
After placing the plates on the table he went back to the kitchen for a bottle of wine and two glasses.
He poured the wine into the glasses, and sat down at the table, his face flushed from the heat of the kitchen. They clinked their glasses together before starting on the meal. Donna was impressed – it tasted as good as it looked. The steak was succulent and tender, the sauce creamy and cheesy with a tang to it.
‘I never dreamed you could cook this well.’
‘I’m a man of many talents’ babe, and now you’re my wife you’ll soon find that out,’ he grinned.
‘Well, we’ve both got a lot of finding out to do, haven’t we?’ She raised her eyebrows to emphasise the point.
‘Oh yes.’ He smiled in a knowing way.
‘Isn’t that what marriage is all about? Learning what your partner is really like, warts and all.’
‘Yes, I suppose it is. And I for one can’t wait to find out all there is to know about you.’
‘You might wish you hadn’t.’
‘That’s where you’re wrong, babe.’ He stared straight into her eyes, making her look away embarrassed.
They finished their meals, eating every last morsel, then had a ready-made gateau for dessert, before sitting back with their glasses of wine in front of them, to watch the final shafts of sunlight disappearing from sight.
As they sat in the twilight, apprehension crept up on her, her thoughts only on the night ahead. To make matters worse again Evan seemed to be drinking more than normal.
‘Evan, aren’t you knocking back too much of that wine? You’ll be spark out before you know where you are – you don’t want to spoil everything, do you?’
‘Sorry Donna. I need a bit of Dutch courage.’
‘Why should you need that?’
‘Because I keep getting the feeling you’ll freak out if I so much as lay a finger on you – and that would really hurt, especially on our honeymoon. I’m drinking in case that happens, to soften the blow.’
Donna’s mind began to work overtime – already feeling guilty, but now she felt pressurised as well. Not the ideal start for their first night together.
‘Evan...I wouldn’t have married you if...’ she replied, trying to appear normal.
‘Tell you what babe, let me have a quick shower first, then you go and do the same, make yourself beautiful, and I’ll wait in bed for you. I’ll even dim the lights if you want. Take as long as you like, I don’t mind. After all I’ve waited this long, another half an hour won’t make much difference.’
As their eyes met, she trembled, hoping he wouldn’t notice her fear of failure.
‘Hope I’m worth the wait.’
‘Believe me, you are,’ he said giving a little haughty laugh.
While he went into the bathroom, she lay on the bed in the main bedroom, closing her eyes, aware that very soon she would find out if she’d succeeded in putting the past behind her.
She was dozing when suddenly she smelt a familiar pungent aftershave. Her eyes sprung open, and there standing over her was Evan. He was grinning and wore only a terri-robe. But it was the smell that concerned her most. That horrible repulsive odour she remembered so well. She began to shake, her fear suddenly intense and deep. It seemed unbelievable, and every time she breathed in, it was there worse than before. Dear God – it was Evan. He was the man who’d raped her and almost ruined her life. Cole had been right all along. She was trapped. Did he have any idea who she was? He must do. He’d lured her here and was sure to be intending to silence her now for good.
‘I’ve finished babe – the bathroom is all yours.’ He kissed her softly on the lips.
‘Ok.’ She got up off the bed, fetched herself a towel, her thin negligee and dressing gown, and walked towards the bathroom.
‘Don’t be long,’ he laughed, sending a cold chill down her spine.
She didn’t reply, and hurriedly went inside, locking the door behind her.
In the relative safety of the bathroom, she leaned against the door, her breathing laboured, her heart pounding. Afraid of what the next half an hour might bring.
And after deciding to remain there for as long as she could, she shed her clothes and stepped into the Jacuzzi, praying in the meantime he’d drop off to sleep. Maybe it was a good thing he’d drunk all that wine.
Finally, she realised she had to get out of the water. She’d heard nothing from Evan, not even a shout for her to hurry up or a knock on the door. Could he really have fallen asleep, or might he be waiting behind it, ready to strike?
Donna dried her lithe shapely body thoroughly with her bath towel, sprinkled on some talc, before putting on the negligee, which showed up more than she would have liked. She must try to act normal in case he was awake. She stared at herself in the mirror, observing the face and body that had caused her so much trouble. After she’d brushed her teeth, there was no choice but to find out what lay behind the door.
Feeling anything but relaxed, she cautiously pushed back the lock on the door, opening it as quietly as possible, surprised to find the Villa in complete darkness. As she stood in the doorway she couldn’t make out whether Evan was asleep or not. All she could do was to try to visualise the position of the furniture in the bedroom in relation to the window. She walked slowly forward stepping carefully in case she bumped into anything. If he was still awake, he could grab hold of her at any moment, surprise her, then rape and kill her very easily.
After a matter of seconds she jumped as she touched something soft which lay in her path - the bed. Please God, don’t let it wake Evan. She stood still, the silence almost deafening. But she had to force herself to carry on, and to make good her escape, to get away from him.
Once more she was aware of that overpowering smell; as if he was taunting her with it. The stench of the awful sweet sickly aroma was too much and almost made her throw up. But she had to keep calm, freedom was only minutes away.
Satisfied he was asleep, she moved slowly to her left. With her jeans, tee-shirt and trainers tucked under her arm, she slipped out of the room. After dressing quietly on the landing, she tiptoed downstairs but then halfway down her heart leapt in horror. One of the steps creaked as she trod on it. Shit, she whispered under her breath, sure this was bound to wake him. She could have died.
‘Donna – is that you? What on earth are you doing?’
That was it for Donna. Any thought of searching for the car keys was abandoned. Panicking, she dashed across the hallway, making for the front door.
A shaft of light lit the hall from the bedroom lamp.
‘Oh my God,’ she whispered, then heard what sounded like a thud, that meant he must have been getting out of bed.
She fumbled with the door knob, finally managing to open it and ran out into the night.
‘Donna! Donna! Come back here, damn it! Where are you going...?’ he shouted after her.
‘What are you running away from – you idiot? There’s nothing to be frightened of – You should know I’d never hurt you…’
Her pulse raced, and she trembled with fear.
She heard the sound of a car starting up - Evan in the hire car, out to get her no matter what the cost.
Leaving the track, she rushed onto the rough uneven terrain that consisted of parched grassland and a few scraggy bushes, running as fast as she could, diving down to the ground when she caught sight of a beam from the headlights.
Once the lights had passed, she got up and carried on running again. Although she didn’t know where she was, it was imperative she got as far away from him as possible. Her lack of fitness forced her to stop several times, she even fell over once or twice, but saw no sign of the car or Evan. Thankfully she knew, despite the moon, she’d be difficult to find in the dark.
Later, when she came across a clump of prickly bushes she stopped, and lay down behind them, exhausted. This would be just the place to hide.
She kept as quiet as a mouse, and from the sanctuary of the bushes, saw a beam of light shining in the distance as Evan frantically tried to find her. But the shaft of light appeared to be moving farther away, and after a time it extinguished.
Had he given up? Somehow she doubted it, but at least she had something of a respite for the remainder of the night. It would be like looking for a needle in a haystack in the dark, and as long as she kept off the road in the daytime, she’d be hard to find.
She must have slept for a while and woke to the sound of birds screeching above her. As her eyes grew accustomed to the bright sunlight, from beneath the foliage she saw clear blue skies and felt the heat building from the sun.
Hurriedly she got to her feet and brushed the dust off her clothes. From the cover of the bushes she moved, feeling a stiffness in her legs and body, probably due to sleeping on the hard ground, and from running the night before. She wondered how she’d survive as another scorching day seemed in prospect.
Unsure of which direction to take, she glanced around, and saw the sea and the Villa, tiny dots in the distance. There was only one thing to do, and that was to walk further inland, and hope someone would help her. The countryside could be seen more clearly in the daylight and was indeed barren scrubland.
As the morning wore on, she developed a terrible thirst but had no means of quenching it. She carried on at an even pace, trying to conserve her energy in the searing heat, but realised it wouldn’t be long before this and the lack of water would take its toll. This desolate land appeared to go on forever, and she seemed no nearer civilisation. Wasn’t the island supposed to be small, perhaps twenty miles or so across? Then why did even this distance seem like an eternity?
The morning passed slowly, and gradually she found it more and more difficult to carry on, pausing several times to rest and catch her breath. Each time she walked again, she feared how much more she could endure. Her throat was so dry she hardly had any spit.
With the sun high in the sky, and the heat so intense, she felt very weak and lightheaded. Her legs became like rubber, and she fell to her knees. Then looking up ahead, she saw what appeared to be a figure coming towards her. The figure appeared to be a well-built man carrying a rucksack on his back.
She desperately tried to shout out to gain his attention, but the closer he got, the more his face went in and out of focus. For a few awful seconds she imagined it was Evan. And now had no means of escape. As these terrifying thoughts went through her mind, she collapsed to the ground from sheer exhaustion.
Had she passed out for a few seconds or longer? Or was this a dream? Then suddenly someone in a very English accent said, ‘You shouldn’t be out alone in this sort of terrain, it’s dangerous in this hot weather – darling.’
Looking up, from his lilt, she realised who it was, and couldn’t believe her ears. ‘Cole! Is…is it really you? How...why...?’ He gathered her up in his arms and put a water bottle to her lips. She gulped some of the liquid down but then suddenly blackness overwhelmed her.
Chapter 26
IT WAS DARK WHEN SHE WOKE SOME TIME LATER. Close by she saw a fire flickering. Looking down, she found she was lying in a sleeping bag. Cole had his back to her and was sitting on a large boulder. He must have heard her moving behind him, because he turned his face towards her smiling and said, ‘Aah, my sleeping beauty awakens. How are you?’
‘Tired, weak and very thirsty and hungry.’
He moved across to her, picked up a water bottle, and handed it to her. Then watched as she gulped down the precious liquid, spilling some down the sides of her mouth. She coughed and spluttered, before drinking more, wiping her face with the sleeve of her top.
‘So what were you doing out in the open on a day like today?’
‘You don’t want to know.’
‘Ah, I’ve got an idea already, Donna. It’s Evan, isn’t it? You’ve found out I was telling the truth about him – haven’t you?’
She felt embarrassed. ‘He... well, he’d had too much to drink for a start, and was shouting at me. After I’d smelt his aftershave, I had to get away from him. I still have nightmares about that horrible pungent smell.’
‘What do you mean, that smell?’
‘Well, I haven’t told anyone this before but someone attacked me a while ago, and that man had that same distinctive odour on him.’
For a few seconds an eerie silence ensued as Cole appeared to deliberate over what she’d said.
‘So you’re realized this guy who attacked you and Evan are one and the same. Well, I did warn you darling, but you wouldn’t listen. I wouldn’t lie to you, Donna. And that’s why I decided I had to come after you, to save you from him.’
‘What am I going to do?’
‘Don’t worry. Now I’m here, there’s no need for you to do anything. I’ll protect you, and believe me once he sees you’re with me, he won’t touch you; because if he does he’ll have me to deal with. In the morning, we’ll move out of here and get you back to civilisation.’
‘That would be great.’
‘Like I said, that’s not a problem. Ever since I found out you were going with him, I’ve feared for you. And as soon as he told me what he’d done, I knew I had no choice but to come over to help you.’
‘What are you talking about Cole?’
‘On his stag night, he had too much to drink, and boasted over how he’d lusted after this girl. This was only several months ago, long after he’d been forced to stop playing football. He said he had to have her even if she said no, because she was so beautiful. He used to get these urges he had no control over. When he told me all the graphic details, it sounded like he was gloating. That’s why I didn’t want the same to happen to you.’
‘Oh my God…no,’ Donna began, her heart beating fiercely against her chest.
‘Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you and stop him from hurting you.’
She smiled at him, suddenly feeling she owed him a great debt. ‘That’s good to know. I still can’t believe you’re here, Cole. How did you manage to get away?’
He put his hand on her arm. ‘Pure luck love. By a strange but wonderful coincidence, my unit are over here on manoeuvres. We use this place to play at what we’re doing for real over in Afghanistan. The area here is very similar to what we encounter over there. As soon as I got back, I slipped away from my mates and was trying to get to the Villa, when I saw you. It’s almost like I was meant to save you. Your guardian angel so to speak.’
‘I can’t tell you how relieved I am to see you.’
He glanced at his watch and gave her a little smile. ‘When did you last eat?’
‘I can’t remember exactly, except it was before I escaped from Evan.’
/> ‘No wonder you’re starving. I’ll heat you something on the fire. It’s only out of a tin, but that’s better than staying hungry.’
After opening a can of stewed beef, he tipped the contents into a saucepan, and stirred it while holding the pan over the flames. Before long it was bubbling away. Half he poured into a metal dish for Donna, the remains he ate from the pan himself.
She ate slowly, enjoying this as much as a meal at a top restaurant. When she’d finished he handed her a flask containing ice-cold water. She drank greedily and soon quenched her thirst.
‘That better?’ he asked her smiling.
‘Much.’
‘You’ve done well to get away from him. That must have been difficult.’
‘Very difficult,’ she said, her hand shaking as she gave the flask back to him.
Then she told him what had happened.
‘This is incredible. I never dreamed the girl he told me about was you. You’ve had an extremely lucky escape. I can’t tell you how much I’ve worried over what he might do to you.’
She put her hand on top of his. ‘I’m so sorry Cole – but it seemed so out of character for him after how good he’s been to me. If it hadn’t been for that aftershave I wouldn’t have believed it.’
‘No worries – at least you found out before it was too late. So what did he try to do?’
‘Nothing. I never gave him the chance. As I’ve said as soon as I smelt his aftershave I knew the truth. That horrible aroma will stay with me as long as I live. I had no choice but to make a run for it.’
‘I don’t blame you. Do you remember much about the original attack?’ he said looking suddenly interested and concerned.
‘When I said I was attacked…actually I...I was raped and nearly killed. I’d left work late one night and it was getting dark, and took a shortcut to the station when someone grabbed hold of me. I pictured him more heavily built than Evan, but I could easily have been wrong. I’m…I’m sorry but I can’t talk about it. Except to say I now know he’s the one.’
‘Jesus, I had my suspicions, but when he got that job as a nurse I thought he’d changed,’ Cole exclaimed. ‘Yet I remember even before his injury, he was always so full of himself being a footballer. In fact he once he beat up a girl when she cheated on him with another player from the same club. Luckily, that day I was there to get him out of a hole. I should have known he’d been up to something else, and that he was still the same as before. If only I could have kept an eye on him, but being in the army made that impossible. I wanted to tell mum, but she’s been through so much with dad and Theresa... especially when he said the attack was more recent. My God, how ironic and bizarre - you’ve married the man who raped you!’