by Ally Forbes
‘You’re treating me like a child. Please give me the courtesy of speaking to me as the adult I am.’
He sighed and smiled.
‘If you acted like an adult Rachel, I would treat you as one.’
He stood up straight.
‘I’ve had enough of this conversation Rachel. I want you to pack your bags and come with me. My car’s waiting for us.’
Rachel backed up against the glass at the far side of the room from him. She felt terrified. The hardness in his voice was unmistakeable and she could tell that his anger was only just contained. He had got to the business part if the conversation. She had to play the only card she had left.
‘I’m going nowhere Tom. Eric’s asked me to marry him and I’ve said yes.’
He strode towards her, taking her by the arms.
‘Since you left I’ve not touched another woman. I never gave up hope of finding you and I’m not letting you leave me for some...some flight of fancy....for a man you hardly know. I’m doing this for your own good Rachel. Fuck packing your bags. You’ll thank me when you’ve calmed down enough to see what a mistake you were about to make.’
He lifted her effortlessly over his shoulder in a fireman’s lift and she yelled in shock.
There was a sharp knock at the door.
‘Rachel? Are you OK?’ It was Agnes. She must have heard her shout.
Tom quickly put Rachel back to the floor and held her tight. He pulled her close and whispered urgently in her ear.
‘I have a lady on standby, someone you might know. If yo [t k urgenu don’t do as I ask, I will simply place a call to her and she in turn will accuse your Doctor Harkett of every unspeakable act she can think of. His reputation will be in tatters by the time she’s finished with him. His daughter will never look at him in the same way again and he’ll have no career left to pick up once he’s been dragged through the courts.’
He brushed her hair from her face and she flinched from his touch.
‘Think about it Rachel....think about it...’
He pushed her hair off her face again and she let him touch her this time.
‘That’s better.’ He smiled, ‘Now go and tell Agnes that we’re fine and that we’ll be taking a walk along the beach.’
A black curtain of despair shrouded her mind and she could see no way out.
Gulping back a sob, she made her way to the door and opened it.
‘Are you alright Rachel? I thought I heard a scream....’ Agnes was visibly concerned.
Rachel nodded weakly.
‘I’m well now Agnes, thanks for asking........Mr Sullivan and I will be taking a walk on the beach.’
Rachel noted that Agnes looked unconvinced by her protestations of wellbeing. Rachel dropped her gaze and closed the door on her.
She could no longer think clearly. Tom’s threat to ruin Eric left her with no option but to leave Esme and Eric behind and do as Tom wished. She felt numb. She had convinced herself that things would work out with Eric. She had been so desperate to believe that it would be alright that she had put her worries about Tom to the back of her mind. Underestimated him.
Tom closed his arms around her, watching the last of her fighting spirit crumble. He ran his hands up her back and pulled her close to him. She laid her head on his chest and let her tears roll silently down her cheeks.
‘Everything’s going to be good Rachel. You’ll see.’
He took her hand and led her through the door, out of the house and into the chauffer driven car.
The sun had gone, dark storm clouds gathering above them.
‘To the airport.’ Tom commanded the chauffer as he opened the door for them. She sat in the back of the car, heart broken and hopes dashed. Tom pulled her close and put his arm around her, stroking her shoulder absently.
‘I never want to hear that man’s name again Rachel. I’ll not let you go again.’
12
They travelled in silence for a time. Slow drops of rain fell on the car tapping their intermittent beat, quickening to a drum roll and then building to a cacophony of sound. A fork of lightening cut through the dark sky m ^t k ubeaaking Rachel jump and cry out.
Tom’s irritation sparked from him. He spoke to the chauffer through the intercom.
‘Call the airport and check what the situation is.’
Rachel held her breath, not believing that he was about to fly her out of the country so fast. It made sense of course. From Tom’s point of view he would want to get her on to his home territory as quickly as possible. Rachel had been too shocked to think straight but now her mind raced trying to work out how to get away from Tom.
As they waited for the answer Tom’s long fingers tapped impatiently on his leg.
‘Where are you taking me Tom?’
‘Until I get you on that plane I’m not going to tell you anything Rachel. Just sit back and enjoy the journey.’
He was distracted, watching the deteriorating weather conditions.
And then suddenly his attention was on her.
‘You are even more beautiful than I remember.’
Rachel turned her head angrily from him, fixing her gaze on the blur of lights that the car passed as it cut its way through the countryside.
‘You can’t do this Tom. It’s kidnap. You’ll be locked up for this. Eric knows about our past. He’ll call the police.’
He laughed.
‘No Rachel. No. You don’t understand how it works do you? If you really care for this man, this man you profess to love, you’ll do exactly as I ask. It’s quite simple really. I can arrange for his world to come crashing down and although I would happily make that call here and now ..... well, I’m not completely heartless. His daughter’s lost her mother. I wouldn’t like her lose her father too. I think it would be better all round if you just do as I ask. Don’t you? And as for Doctor Harket calling the police. Well his ex is with him at the moment telling him how you’ve left willingly with me. That he’s lost you and of course, she’ll be there to comfort him in his hour of need. And if he doesn’t accept that, then I have the back up of a threat against his daughter which expires only after 48 hours.’
He smiled again at her and despite his heart stopping good looks, Rachel could feel only fear and loathing.
‘You wouldn’t .......’
‘No, of course not. But he doesn’t know that does he? He knows the lengths I’ve gone to to get you back. Why shouldn’t he believe that I might harm his family?’
‘I don’t love you Tom.’ It was the only thing she could think of to retaliate.
He remained quiet and gazed out the window.
‘You’ll grow to love me Rachel. I’ll do whatever it takes.’
The intercom bleeped and the chauffer spoke.
‘Two hour delay at least Sir, possi cst spoke.
‘Shit.’
He was angry and frustrated and Rachel felt a glimmer of hope. She knew that once she left this country any hope she had of leaving Tom would be lost. He had property all over the world and it would be easy for him to keep her from outside contact until.....what would happen to her? He had talked again about marriage and family. She knew what her fate would be. But she saw no way out. He held the winning card. She would always do as he asked to protect Esme. She had had no right to risk ruining Eric and Esme’s life. She frowned; distressed that she could have been so weak-willed to have become involved with Eric when she knew what might face them. Her relationship with Eric had been a triumph of hope over reality.
Tom picked up the phone and pressed the speed dial.
‘I want to speak to Steve Esson. It’s Tom Sullivan.’
There was a short delay.
‘Steve. It’s Tom....look, I haven’t time to catch up just now. I’m in Halifax , just about to leave but bad weather’s closed in and I can’t get away. Do you still have a place up in this neck of the woods? You took us up here years ago for sport fishing.’
His brow was furrowed and he rubbed at
his temple with his free hand, his movements reminding her of Eric and she bit her lip hard to stop herself from sobbing.
And then a smile.
‘Fantastic Steve. Could you patch in the address details to this phone please?.....Remote’s no problem.’ He glanced at Rachel and grinned. ‘In fact remote’s great......Thanks Steve. We should only be there a day or so, just ‘till this weather clears. I owe you one.’
He bleeped the chauffer again.
‘Change of plans. Address details coming through. We’ll be heading north past the city.’
He sat in silence, quietly content, knowing that Rachel had overheard his conversation and happy to leave her pondering the plans he had.
She stared at the sheets of rain that thundered down on the car feeling emotionally drained, exhausted.
She wondered what was happening at Eric’s house. Surely they must all have arrived back by now. They would find her gone and get the story from Agnes. Eric would put two and two together and would work out what had happened. Esme would be distraught. Claire would be with them telling them God knows what.
The journey passed in silence, Tom content and happy, his mission fulfilled. Rachel in abject misery, exhausted and resigned to her fate.
They passed through the unpopulated countryside, through the suburbs of Halifax and then beyond, the streets and houses becoming sparser as they made their way back into the countryside. Still the rain pounded the car, the roads like black rivers. The cars speed dropped, the chauffer negotiating the treacherous roads with great care.
The road dipped towards the sea and the car turned down a track. The car lights lit up a cght size="+0" tunnel of light through the trees. The effect was eerie and Rachel shivered involuntarily. The road undulated up and down and then ahead, out of the darkness of the trees that crouched over the road, loomed a large wooden lodge. The bad weather had turned the day into a dark evening gloom and the sky was lit up in the distance by flashes of sheet lightening.
The car slid to a gentle halt and Tom became energized, eager to get out.
‘Stay here while I get the place looking a bit more like home.’
He sprinted out of the car and to the door of the lodge. She watched him lift a mat and fish something out from underneath which she assumed must be the key and then let himself into the house.
The lights went on from one window to the next until every window shone.
After a short time, Tom appeared back at the door smiling and sprinted back through the rain to the car. He opened the door and spoke hurriedly to the driver.
‘You head back to Halifax and get a place for the night. But be on stand by. I might need you back here at short notice.’ He held out his hand to Rachel. She took it and he helped her into the rain and the cold and they ran hand in hand to the lodge.
The shock of the wind and rain after sitting in the warmth of the luxury car for such a long time made Rachel shiver and she was glad to once again step into the shelter of the house.
The lodge was beautiful simplicity. Most of the ground floor appeared to consist of only the one room, a living area and kitchen diner. The walls were white clapboard, the floors a dark oak covered in brightly coloured rugs. A cluster of chairs and sofas were arranged around the stove which Tom had already lit the stove. It crackled and popped invitingly. A small open staircase disappeared to the upper floor.
Rachel stood shivering at the door.
‘Come in and make yourself comfortable Rachel. It’ll soon heat up.’
He went to the kitchen, which consisted of a wall of shelving covered with simple white crockery, a large wooden table, a stainless steel range and a side by side fridge freezer. It was a rustic, eclectic mix of freestanding pieces which came together as if planned by some hot shot interior designer. Knowing Tom’s group of friends, it probably had been, Rachel thought. It was a welcoming, comforting place. Tom filled a stove top kettle and lit the gas on the range to heat it.
Rachel crossed the room to the stove and stood as close as she could, her wet clothes clinging to her, chilling her further in the still cold house.
Tom joined her and put a blanket round her shoulders. She shrugged away from him.
‘Please don’t Rachel. I’m not going to....to force myself on you.’
She felt some of the tension drain from her shoulders, exhaustion reasserting itself, its claws digging deep into her flesh. She wrapped the blanket tight around her and sat on the sofa beside the stove. The kettle boiled in the kitchen and Tom left her briefly, appearing quickly back at her side with a hot coffee.
Rachel accepted it gratefully and Tom sat beside her. He left a respectful distance between them and for a while they both stared into the dancing flames of the stove. The room was warming and every now and then a gust of wind would hurl rain at the windows, making Rachel pull the blanket a little tighter round herself.
‘I didn’t mean things to work out like they have done.’ His eyes gazed at the flickering flames in the stove.
Rachel listened but she felt numb inside, switched off emotionally.
‘When you left I thought you must have been taken. I was frantic.....distraught. I couldn’t believe you had gone. I thought you must have been taken.’
His voice was flat.
‘I called in the police.......I was shocked when they told me that you had left the country.....alone. They told me it looked like you left voluntarily. No one else involved. I was upset and confused, then angry. I couldn’t imagine the reason why you left me like you did. I traced you to Sweden. I took a flight out there, stayed there for three weeks, hired private investigators but months passed and they couldn’t find you. I never gave up Rachel. Never.’
Rachel remained silent. She yearned for Eric. His warmth and charm. His humour. His love. She missed Esme, her shy dream for a family, a mum and a dad. She listened to Tom but all she could hear was his self indulgence. A man used to getting his own way and who wouldn’t take no for an answer. She didn’t want to engage in argument with Tom. Nothing she would say would change his mind now he had found her and taken her from the man and girl she loved; she had told him how she felt, how she felt about Eric. What more could she say or do?
‘I know you’re angry with me. I know you think you hate me at the moment but it’ll get better. We can build a great life together if you just let me back into your life.’
Rachel laid her head back on the sofa and closed her eyes.
‘Tom. I’m really tired. I’d like to take a shower and get some rest.’
There was silence for a moment.
‘Sure Rachel.You’ll understand, given the circumstances, that we’ll be sharing a bed tonight....but I give you my word I’ll not touch you.’ He was almost apologetic.
Rachel laughed bitterly.
‘Jesus Tom. You know I’m not going to make a break for it, given what you’ve threatened to do. There’s no need for you to share my bed.’
He swept his hand through his hair, his frustration showing.
‘I lost you once Rachel and while we’re still in this God forsaken country, I want you close.’
Rachel sighed again and closed her eyes, tears threatening to spill down her cheeks.
They sat in silence, listening to the wind howling around the lodge. Tom stretched out his arm and touched her hand, closed his hand around hers. A quiet peace stretched between them, Rachel exhausted, needing nothing more than time to rest. She closed her eyes and lost track of time.
A phone rang. It was Tom’s mobile.
He looked at the number and frowned. He accepted the call.
‘Claire?’
Rachel’s heart thumped in her chest, questions racing through her mind. She feigned disinterest, staring into the fire. She could feel Tom watching her for a reaction.
Tom listened for some time.
‘Pull yourself together Claire. There was always the possibility he wouldn’t fall back into your arms. You must have known that.’
From the
corner of her eye, she saw Tom close his eyes, furrowing his brow.
‘Christ sake Claire. Book yourself in at a hotel. It’s simple. I’ll arrange for a ticket to be left at the airport for you.’
His tone was one of barely disguised hostility as he listened to her response.
‘Don’t tell me there aren’t any taxis available Claire!’
Another pause.
‘OK. OK. I understand. Look. I’ll sent out my chauffer to collect you. I’ll arrange for him to drop you at a hotel in town and then to the airport in the morning.’
He ended the call and placed a new call to his driver.
‘Yeah.......I know the conditions are terrible but I need Claire Edwards collected from St Margaret’s Bay, same place we were at this afternoon.’ He finished the call and threw the phone down beside him.
He looked at Rachel and frowned, shaking his head.
‘It’s no surprise really but your Doctor has rejected the beautiful Claire. She sounds a mess.’ He paused and added, ‘You’re leaving quite a trail of destruction behind you.’
Rachel stood, unwilling to listen to his machinations any more, sick of his twisted logic.
‘I’m going for a shower Tom.’
She walked past him and yelped when he grabbed he wrist and pulled her onto his lap.
He rested his head against her breasts and inhaled deeply.
‘I dreamt of you every night since you left me. To have you here.....to hold you...... hold me......... please.’ She could see him fighting his desire to take her, to have her. She knew his desire must be overwhelming, even to the point of duress.
And she held him because she was exhausted and not able to fight.
She held his head against her. As she held him, she remembered his body, his musculature, his soft hair, his tanned skin and a flood of memories coursed through her. She shivered, deep and dark despair seeping into her as the reality of her situation began to sink in.
‘Everything will be fine Rachel. You’ll see. I’m going to take care of you.’
He turned his head and nuzzled gently into her br cy ize="+0">Seast and sighed, his hand moving inside her blouse to cup her soft flesh. He unbuttoned her silk shirt and reached behind her to undo her bra, pulling it aside to expose her breast entirely, taking her nipple in his mouth, eyes closed. Rachel let him touch and caress her only to placate him, the bones of a desperate plan to avoid his further attention tenuously forming in her mind. The more time she could buy herself, the more chance she had of working out how to escape, or of someone raising the alarm. Already the weather had dealt her a break, keeping them in Nova Scotia. Then there was the call from Claire. Rachel had an idea that Tom didn’t know that Claire had a dark madness, that she might not be so easily brushed off. These silken, delicate strands of hope kept her going. His hand stole up her leg and she stopped him before he reached between her legs.