‘Hey get back in here, I’m lonely.’ He protested with a small pout on his lips.
Putting on her dressing gown, she smiled at him. One look at the wicked glint in his eyes and she almost relented.
‘No way. If I get back in there I’ll never get out again.’
He laughed. ‘Well, that’s the general idea.’
‘It’s a very tempting notion but I’m starving. I’ll go and make some breakfast. Although, I think brunch maybe more fitting, have you seen the time? It’s almost eleven.’
They ate in companionable silence. Greg helped her to wash up and as she went to go into the living room, he pulled her back and kissed her. He stroked her hair away from her face, stroking her skin softly. Her eyes glittered with contentment.
‘I’m supposed to be taking Mum to the garden centre this afternoon,’ he said, disappointment in his voice.
‘That’s okay, I have plenty to do here for the agency and the Craft Centre.’
He cupped her face between his hands and dipped in for a kiss. Her face still flushed from their lovemaking – pleasure that only he could give to her.
‘I could always say I’ll take her tomorrow. You could come too.’
The temptation was too much for Amberley. Looking up at him, many wicked thoughts entered her mind about how she could touch and tease his body.
‘Good idea. My work can wait. Besides,’ she said pulling him towards the stairs, ‘I think we still have a lot of unfinished business to attend to.’
***
After taking Kath to the garden centre the following morning, they helped her to put the plants in the garden.
‘When are you going to do some more of my portrait?’ she asked him, as they put the tools away.
‘We could go this afternoon if you like.’
After a light lunch, Amberley helped Greg to get his equipment together.
‘Make sure he gives you plenty of breaks, love,’ Kath called out after them.
‘Oh don’t worry I will, I’m the world’s worst fidget.’
‘Come on then or it’ll be dark before we get there,’ said Greg as he held out his hand for her.
‘I should only need about another hour up here; I can do the rest back in the garage.’
She watched him mix the paint up again and giggled as he splattered some paint on his face.
‘What’s so funny?’
Amberley stood up and pulled a tissue from the sleeve of her jumper.
‘You’ve got paint on your face. Come here and I’ll wipe it off for you, although you look cute like that.’
Gently she removed the paint. He shivered at her touch. He went to kiss her, she moved out of his grasp.
‘Stop that, you know what will happen. One thing will lead to another and…’
‘You could be right; maybe we should save the kisses until later.’
As Greg painted, Amberley reflected on how their relationship had changed. It was the best thing to happen to her. She had found her soul mate, her other half. Not many people could say that, she smiled to herself.
‘You look very happy,’ said Greg, his voice close to her ear.
She noted he had covered the canvas and packed up his paints. He was kneeling down beside her.
‘I am extremely happy, all thanks to you.’
He wrapped his arms around her and held her fast.
‘Me too, I am so thankful you walked back into my life. Come on, let’s go home.’
***
The next few weeks flew by; there seemed so much to do. Simon started to make frequent trips to Cornwall for meetings at the Craft Centre. He could have done most by audio conference and emails, but both he and Amberley wanted to show how committed they were to the venture. John Hawson’s project was well on course and their roles in the advertising agency were not so prominent any more.
Amberley sat in the garden deep in thought, watching the honeybees congregating around the roses. Her life now seemed complete. She had the man she’d always dreamed of and Simon and Sarah would soon be relocating to the area.
Her thoughts then turned to Steve; everything had gone quiet on that front. She hoped that maybe he had realised she would never go back to him and had decided to leave her alone. Although deep in the back of her mind, she still worried that he would cross paths with her again someday.
Over dinner one evening, Greg updated her on what had happened at the last Centre meeting. She had been unable to attend because she’d felt queasy.
‘You know the building where the main office is?’
‘Yes,’ she replied, playing with the food on her plate.
‘Well, there’s talk of it opening part of it as a restaurant, serving up local dishes with fresh produce from all over the area. There could be a kitchen garden and greenhouses for plants that aren’t so hardy too.’
Talk of food made her sickness rise up forcefully, bile coated her mouth. Her cutlery clattered loudly on to her plate and she rushed upstairs. She managed to reach the toilet just in time and was violently sick. She felt Greg kneel down beside her, holding her hair away from her face and rubbing her back gently. After a while, she felt better and rose unsteadily to her feet. She splashed her face with cold water and held the edge of the basin for support.
‘Do you feel better now?’
‘Much better. Think I may have caught a bug. Your Mum said there’s one going round at the moment.’
‘Why don’t you go and get some rest,’ he said, drying her face with a towel, ‘I’ll clear up downstairs.’
‘Thanks, I think I will.’
He kissed her forehead and went downstairs. Amberley lay awake for a while. A thought came to her – a very worrying thought. She rummaged about in her handbag until she found her diary. Slowly she counted back the weeks, the blood drained from her face. Her periods were erratic at best, but she had never been so overdue. Perhaps it was the stress of all the incidents over the past few months.
***
Two more days passed, her period remained elusive. To be on the safe side, she purchased a pregnancy test kit. Greg would be out until later that evening, giving her ample time to use the kit. It seemed to take so long to wait for the result, even though it was only a matter of minutes. Looking at the indicator, her heart thumped, there was a blue line running through it. She was pregnant.
Amberley was shocked and afraid. Although she was sure of her love for Greg, neither of them had uttered the words since they had made love. She wondered how he would feel about her news. The timing was rotten, Greg was just starting out with his business, she was still working for the agency – and now the Craft Centre. Before she broached the subject with Greg, she decided to get confirmation from a doctor. He walked through the door as she was ending the call to the surgery.
‘Hi, you look terrible,’ he said as he kissed her.
‘I’ve made an appointment to see the doctor.’
‘Good. Hopefully, they can give you something to stop you feeling so sick.’
She could only nod in response, not trusting herself to speak. Greg was full of more plans for the gallery but she was only half listening, her mind on the fact she could be pregnant.
‘So what do you think, Amberley?’
She looked up at the sound of her name.
‘About what?’
‘What do you think about my idea?’
‘Your ideas are always great.’
Greg moved to sit close to her. He put his arm around her and squeezed her gently.
‘Don’t worry about the sickness; I’m sure it’s nothing.’
‘Yes, I know.’ She was silent for a moment, her face troubled, ‘I’m sorry, Greg, I feel really drained. I think I’ll go to bed.’
She made her way upstairs, leaving Greg with an anxious look on his face.
***
The doctor advised Amberley to contact the surgery in five days for the result. He had said that most of the home tests were so accurate, that he was almost ce
rtain she was pregnant. On the day the results were due, she went for a walk and sat up on her boulder. She tried to imagine Greg and herself on the beach making sandcastles with their child, a wave of nausea swept over her. With great trepidation, she made her way back to the cottage and called the surgery.
‘The result is positive, Miss Masterson, you are pregnant.’
She mumbled her thanks and ended the call. By her reckoning, she was about six weeks pregnant. She was numb; she attempted to gather her thoughts but could not.
The holiday season was well under way now and she watched a young family down on the beach. They were running around, laughing and making sandcastles. Yet again, she tried to picture Greg and herself in the same situation. Her stomach churned, she wasn’t ready for this and she was certain he wasn’t either. Taking a deep breath, she took one last look at the family and made her way back to the cottage.
Greg was preparing dinner when she got back. She stood in the doorway watching him. He appeared so content, relaxed and totally unaware he was going to be a father. He looked towards her smiling.
‘How did you get on with the doctor?’
‘Your Mum was right. There’s a vomiting bug doing the rounds. Usual advice, avoid dairy products, drink lots of fluids.’
‘That’s a relief; you’ll be better before you know it. Now relax and put your feet up, while I finish dinner.’
She smiled thankfully and curled up on the sofa, trying to decide how to break the news to him.
***
Next morning Greg left early, he had some work to do at the gallery. Amberley threw herself into the tasks she had to do for the agency. There was also a small piece for her to deal with on the Hawson project. Fortunately, this kept her mind off her pregnancy.
Greg popped back later in the afternoon. ‘I want to put the finishing touches to your portrait. I’ll probably be back late tonight. I’ll sleep in the spare room so I won’t disturb you.’
He was thoughtful for a moment, Amberley knew him well enough to know he had something else to say. She went to him, winding her arms around his neck.
‘Come on, tell me,’ she said, encouragingly.
‘I love you, Amberley. I always have done and I always will. I just needed you to know.’
Looking into his eyes, she could feel his love radiating out to her. Taking his face in her hands, she gazed back at him whispering, ‘I don’t deserve you, Greg Winters, but I love you too – more than anything else.’
She kissed him slowly, putting all the love she felt for him in that one kiss. In that moment, she formulated a plan in her mind.
‘Tell you what,’ she said, ‘why don’t you and I go for a long walk on the beach tomorrow. We’ve both been quite preoccupied with work recently. It would be good to talk and spend some quality time together.’
‘Sure, that’s a great idea. Now I’d better get going or I will be tempted to stay here and make love to you all night long.’
‘That’s sounds like a better idea to me,’ she whispered in a seductive tone.
‘Tempting, very tempting but I have to get that portrait done now.’
He kissed her and walked to the door. Just before he left, he turned to face her.
‘You really have no idea how happy you make me.’
Her heart felt lighter than it had in years. Although as the door closed, thoughts turned yet again to her pregnancy.
***
After Greg finished her portrait, he gathered up the last few paintings to hang
in his new gallery. He left Amberley’s portrait where it was so that it could dry out more. He heard a movement outside and went to investigate. Cats were screeching and yowling, obviously having a fight. Shrugging his shoulders, he went back inside, took the final paintings he wanted for his gallery and returned them to his mum’s house.
***
He waited in his hiding place until all the lights in the house went out. After ten more minutes, he made his way slowly to the garage. He broke the lock and entered. The smell of paint was nauseating. Taking a Stanley knife from his pocket, he began to cut through the canvas on all the pictures Greg had left there. This would let that bitch and her lover know he was serious!
He felt elated and was pleased at the devastation he had caused. He was just about to leave when out of the corner of his eye, he saw an easel in the corner of the room, which was facing the wall. He made his way over and was horrified to see that it was a picture of Amberley, looking as perfect as she always had to him. Anger and rage took hold again and he cut and stabbed at the picture until it hung in ribbons. He looked around, found red paint, and began to scrawl obscenities on the walls.
Once his attack was over, he leaned against the outside of the garage until his
breathing became even and the heat of his fury subsided. He smiled, congratulating himself on his night’s work.
‘I’m coming for you next, bitch,’ he said to himself, as he disappeared silently into the night.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Amberley had very little sleep that night. She tossed and turned, trying to plan what she would say to Greg before finally drifting off in the early hours. At about six in the morning, she thought she could hear Greg talking on his mobile but was so tired, she decided it must be a dream.
When she awoke, she checked in the spare bedroom, Greg had already gone. Her stomach was churning and the nausea threatened to consume her yet again. She managed to eat a slice of toast to keep the sickness at bay.
After showering, she shut the door to the cottage and made her way down to the village. She still felt the queasiness in her stomach, unsure whether this was just the pregnancy, or about having to break her news to Greg.
***
Walking down the main street towards the Winters’ shop, she was surprised to see a police car outside. Her initial thoughts were that the shop had been the victim of a burglary. Through the door, she saw Kath talking to an officer who was taking a statement from her. She looked up and breathed a sigh of relief when she spotted Amberley.
‘Oh, Amberley, I am so glad you’re here. Greg is in the garage going through the damage. He’s absolutely distraught,’ said Kath, her anguish apparent in her voice.
Amberley started to panic. ‘What’s wrong? Is Greg all right?’
‘He’s not hurt, love, but someone has attacked the paintings he left in the garage. He’s devastated.’
Without saying a word, Amberley made her way towards the back garden. On entering the garage, a chill crept through her. Absolute mayhem met her eyes; paintings were slashed and littered on the floor, paint was smeared on the walls. It was as if a lunatic had gone through, hell bent on causing total destruction. She saw what was left of her portrait; this had been the most savagely attacked. She watched Greg talking with the officer and the tone of his voice made her heart break.
‘Oh my God, Greg, I am so sorry,’ she said, holding her face in her hands. ‘This is all my fault.’ Her voice was barely audible.
He looked towards her at the sound of her voice; the sparkle she normally saw in his eyes had faded. When the officer left, she moved swiftly to Greg’s side, holding him close. He held her closer still. After a while, they parted. He put her destroyed portrait back in the corner. They stood for long moments looking around the room, neither of them speaking as their shocked gazes took in all of the damage.
‘Let me help you clear up,’ she said, her voice sounded loud after the silence.
‘No we can’t. I have to wait until Scenes of Crime have been here. We’ll have to leave it.’
He ran a hand through his hair and said, ‘Most of my work gone in a matter of minutes. Why would anyone do this to me?’
Amberley already knew the answer to that question. Looking around, she saw the word “whore” and other offensive terms written in big red letters on the wall. Steve had really gone over the edge now. All Greg’s hard work was in tatters… because of her.
‘I’m to blame for this,’ s
he said in a horrified whisper.
Greg looked at her in astonishment.
‘How is any of this your fault, did you come in here and tear my work to pieces?’
‘I may as well have done. Just look at the words on the walls, Greg. They’re about me. Steve did this. He’s punished you for being with me.’
‘You can’t blame yourself for the actions of a madman, Amberley. At least the pictures for my gallery are safe.’
She began pacing up and down, her mind in turmoil. The pregnancy, Steve’s hatred and Greg’s love – so much had happened. Even after all that Steve had done, he still didn’t blame her for any of it. She, on the other hand, knew if she’d stayed away from Greg his work would still be intact right now. Turning to look at the big red words on the walls, she felt she was all of them and more. Greg held his hands out to her. She went to him and comforted him. She held him close and nuzzled into his neck. After a while, Amberley felt her guilt rise to the surface.
‘No, Greg, don’t touch me. I don’t deserve you,’ she said, as tears rolled down her cheeks.
‘Don’t do this to yourself. You and I are all that matters. I would rather he did this to all my paintings than hurt you in any way. You are my whole life.’
Shaking her head, she backed out of the garage. As she ran through the shop, Kath caught her by the arm.
‘Where are you going, love? Greg needs you with him.’
‘I can’t stay, this is entirely my fault.’
Kath held her in her arms and she broke down completely.
‘It’s not your fault, you mustn’t think like that. Greg would never hold you responsible for any of this.’
She fled from the shop before Kath could respond.
***
She made her way to the cliff top as swiftly as she could. On reaching her boulder, she sat down and wept. Amberley loved him so much; she felt her guilt for what had happened too keenly. And now the child…
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