A Venetian Passion

by Catherine George

  ‘Every second of it, carissima. Is your face truly healed now?’

  ‘Like new,’ she assured him.

  ‘Ah, Laura, now that my time of waiting is nearly over I cannot wait to hold you in my arms again.’

  ‘Just two more weeks,’ she said huskily.

  ‘I will be waiting at Marco Polo.’

  ‘In a less impatient mood than last time, I hope!’

  He laughed softly. ‘I shall be even more impatient to rush you to a boat again, but this time to a water taxi, for the fastest journey possible to my apartment.’

  By which, thought Laura happily, Domenico meant to make love to her the moment they were through his door. With this in mind she went on a shopping expedition with money her mother had given her from her windfall, and spent a shamelessly large part of it on underwear.

  Laura went down to Stavely regularly, but during one weekend she’d stayed in the flat the doorbell rang while she was enjoying the luxury of a late breakfast with the Sunday papers.

  ‘It’s me,’ said a hoarse little voice through the intercom. ‘Let me in, please.’

  ‘Abby?’ Laura pressed the release button and opened the door to see her sister creeping up the stairs in such obvious pain she flew down to help her. ‘What on earth’s the matter, love? Have you hurt yourself? Where’s Mother?’

  When her only answer was a visceral groan, Laura put an arm round Abby’s waist and helped her up to the flat. ‘Tell me what’s wrong,’ she said urgently.

  ‘Bathroom,’ gasped Abby, and staggered through the door Laura opened for her.

  When she heard anguished groans Laura disregarded her frantic pleas for privacy and went in after Abby, her practical side taking over when it dawned on her what was happening. She soaked a hand towel in cold water to bathe Abby’s sweating face, and unable to help in any other way, held her sister’s hand until the inexorable process was over. She turned on the shower and helped the shocked, sobbing girl out of her clothes, and when Abby was clean and dry wrapped her in a dressing gown and made her lie on the bed to recover.

  Laura went to the kitchen to make tea, but Abby slid off the bed to follow her, looking at her with huge reddened eyes, her face ashen beneath its suntan.

  ‘I’m sorry about landing you with this,’ she said unsteadily.

  ‘Don’t worry about that,’ said Laura firmly. ‘The important thing right now is to get you to a hospital—’

  ‘No,’ wailed Abby, sounding more like eight than eighteen.

  ‘I’m afraid you must, love. Don’t worry, the hospital’s quite near. I’ll give you something to wear, then I’ll ring Mother and bring her up to speed.’

  ‘Don’t do that!’ said Abby frantically. ‘I don’t want her to know.’

  ‘Of course she must know,’ said Laura gently. ‘Where does she think you are now?’

  ‘Out for the day with Rachel.’

  ‘And where does Rachel think you are?’

  ‘Up here for the day with you.’

  ‘You were taking a chance!’

  ‘I was desperate,’ sobbed Abby.

  Laura put a comforting arm round her. ‘Don’t cry. I know you feel rough, but get these clothes on, love. The taxi should be here any minute.’

  With a feeling of déjà vu Laura reported at Reception in the A & E department, but Abby keeled over while they were taking her details, which meant that she was wheeled away immediately. While her sister was examined Laura rang her mother, who took the news on the chin and said she would start out at once for the flat, in case Abby was allowed out of hospital before she got there.

  On her way back to her sister Laura’s heart sank when a familiar white-coated figure came striding towards her.

  ‘Laura! Is something wrong?’ demanded Edward Lassiter.

  Not with me, she thought glumly. ‘I’m fine. I’m just here with someone.’

  His hazel eyes studied her face closely. ‘Your face has healed well. It was a hell of a shock to see you covered in contusions.’

  ‘It was to me, too,’ she said dryly.

  ‘Could we meet for a drink some time?’ he asked in an undertone, but before Laura could answer his name was called urgently. ‘I’ll be in touch,’ he promised as he hurried away.

  When Laura got back to Abby it wrung her heart to see her lively, clever young sister lying like a marble effigy in the bed. ‘Hi,’ she said, more cheerfully than she felt. ‘How do you feel?’

  ‘Not so hot.’ Abby tried to smile. ‘But at least I don’t need a surgical procedure. They’re giving me some drug. I’ll be discharged this evening at the latest.’

  ‘That’s good.’

  ‘Have you rung Ma?’

  ‘Yes. She’s on her way.’

  ‘Oh, God!’ The amber eyes shut tight in anguish for a moment then opened to look straight into Laura’s. ‘I didn’t do anything to make this happen, but I wanted to. I came to ask you how to get a termination.’

  Laura went cold. ‘Not something I’m clued up about, I’m afraid.’

  Abby swallowed hard. ‘A good thing nature did it for me, then. I was up at the crack of dawn to walk to Chepstow to catch the London coach, but I was in the underground from Victoria when I started getting these awful cramps. I thought maybe the pregnancy test was wrong and it was just the usual thing. But on the way to the flat I realised it was more than that and I really panicked, thinking I’d never make it before…’ She dissolved into bitter, painful sobs, and Laura bent to kiss her as she mopped her up.

  ‘Don’t, love. You got to me in time, thank God.’

  ‘And you just took over without a fuss.’ Abby sniffed hard. ‘You were great, sis. Thank you.’

  Laura braced herself. ‘Can I ask who’s responsible?’

  ‘I am.’ The drawn young face turned mulish. ‘I made a big mistake.’

  ‘It takes two, love.’

  ‘I don’t want to talk about it.’ Tears started again, and Laura patted her sister’s hand reassuringly.

  ‘I’ll go back to wait for Mother, and then we’ll both come to collect you later. Are you all right with that?’

  Abby nodded miserably. ‘Sorry I made such a mess of things.’

  ‘Don’t think like that.’ Laura gave her sister a fierce look. ‘Now, listen to me, Abigail Green. You put this behind you, go off to Trinity next month, and just get on with your life.’

  Domenico rang as Laura was letting herself into the flat. ‘How are you, tesoro?’

  ‘I’m fine,’ she assured him, wishing she could let him into Abby’s sad little secret. ‘How are you?’

  ‘I am well, but you sound tired, amore.’

  ‘I’ve had things to do. Mother and Abby will be with me soon for a visit,’ said Laura, needing to tell him at least part of the truth.

  ‘You will enjoy that. Please give your mother my regards. Even on such brief acquaintance I find her most simpatica.’

  ‘You’ve hardly known me any longer.’

  ‘Long enough to know that you and I are meant for each other. Per sempre,’ he added, in a tone that buckled her knees.

  ‘Forever?’

  ‘Yes, Laura, forever. When you come to me I shall take great pleasure in convincing you of this!’

  Later that night, after Abby had been settled in bed at the flat, Laura ordered her exhausted, wrung-out mother to sit still while she made supper. ‘Just sit there on the sofa and I’ll wait on you.’

  ‘That’s very sweet of you, darling, but I don’t feel very hungry.’

  ‘I know, but you must eat something,’ said Laura firmly. ‘Abby’s agreed to some soup, and I’ll whip up a couple of my special omelettes.’

  Isabel straightened her shoulders. ‘You’re right. I’ll need all the energy I can get when I go home. Abby will heal quickly enough physically, but I’ll have to watch that she gets over it mentally, too.’

  ‘University will help with that.’

  ‘Practical Laura, as always! And thank God you are, darling.
This can’t have been a pleasant experience for you.’

  ‘It was a lot worse for Abby.’ Laura shook her head in wonder. ‘She hiked to Chepstow to catch the London coach this morning.’

  ‘Over three miles in that condition! And I thought she was off to the Kents for a day out with Rachel.’ Isabel looked at Laura in despair. ‘Why didn’t she tell me what was wrong?’

  ‘Look at it from her point of view,’ said Laura gently. ‘Up to now Abby’s been the perfect daughter, never a moment’s trouble of any kind. Then this happened. She obviously felt she’d ruined your life as well as hers.’

  ‘I can see your point,’ sighed Isabel. ‘But what on earth made her trek all the way to London to see you?’

  ‘She wanted my support,’ said Laura, sparing her mother the real reason. She frowned. ‘I haven’t heard about any boyfriend. I asked who was responsible but she wouldn’t say. Any ideas?’

  ‘Not a clue.’ Isabel thrust an agitated hand through her hair. ‘She spends the night at the Kents’ house sometimes, and Rachel comes to us, and they both go to parties and out with friends. But Abby tends to frighten boys off because she’s so clever. I shouldn’t have let her work at the café,’ she added despairingly. ‘She must have met someone there.’

  ‘Perhaps she’ll tell you tomorrow.’

  ‘If she wouldn’t tell you, I doubt it.’ Isabel looked at her daughter with sudden compunction. ‘This was a lot for you to cope with on your own. I’m so sorry, darling.’

  ‘Don’t be.’ Laura smiled reassuringly. ‘You and Abby can stay here until she feels better. Then you just say you’ve both spent a few days in London with me, and no one need know a thing about it back in Stavely.’

  ‘Do you think I care a damn about that?’ said Isabel fiercely.

  ‘No. But Abby obviously does, quite desperately, so we’ll just have to respect that.’ Laura’s eyes glittered malevolently. ‘This morning, when it was all happening, I could have killed the man who put her through this, whoever he is.’

  ‘Laura, please ask her again. Abby will find it easier to tell you than me,’ said Isabel urgently. ‘All the way up in the car I kept thinking about rape. I need to know.’

  Laura heated some soup and made fingers of toast, and took a tray into her bedroom, prepared to feed Abby if necessary. But, with the resilience of youth, particularly one who hadn’t eaten since the evening before, the invalid confessed to feeling hungry.

  ‘I must have a really shallow nature to want food after—after all that,’ she said as Laura stacked pillows behind her.

  ‘Sensible, not shallow. You need nourishment. And I open a pretty damn fine tin of soup, if I do say so myself.’

  Having won a weak smile from the invalid, Laura went back to the kitchen to make the promised omelettes, pleased when her mother obediently ate hers.

  During the meal Isabel suggested Laura shared her bed with Abby. ‘I’ll take the sofa. I’m hoping she might confide in you.’

  ‘Or she might get so upset neither of us will sleep a wink.’

  ‘I know. It’s a lot to ask of you, darling, but I can’t rest until I know what happened. I’ll take some tea to her in a minute.’

  Isabel looked stricken when she returned.

  ‘What’s wrong?’ asked Laura.

  ‘Abby was so openly relieved about the sleeping arrangements.’

  It was late by the time both Laura’s house guests had been settled for the night, and she was tired when she slid carefully into bed beside her sister.

  ‘I’m told I don’t snore, so you should be able to sleep.’

  Abby sighed. ‘I don’t expect to sleep much, Laurie—how do you know you don’t snore?’

  ‘Domenico told me.’

  ‘You’ve slept with him, then?’

  ‘Yes.’

  Silence for a while.

  ‘Did you actually like it?’ blurted Abby. ‘The sex, I mean?’

  Careful, thought Laura. ‘I’m very much in love with him. There were feelings and emotions involved. It wasn’t just sex.’

  ‘Well, if that’s all it takes to get pregnant I’m never going to have sex again, ever,’ said Abby bitterly.

  ‘It was just the once, then?’

  ‘Once was enough!’

  ‘Look, Abby, please tell me who it was. Mother’s desperately worried.’

  ‘I can’t!’

  ‘She thinks you were raped.’

  Abby swallowed audibly. ‘It depends on what you mean by rape. I wasn’t attacked with a knife held to my throat, or anything. I thought he wanted a goodnight kiss or two, and I was up for that. Am I stupid, or what? A few French kisses, a lot of groping and bingo! He was in a real state afterwards, because it was my first time and he hurt me.’ She gave a sarcastic little laugh. ‘My virginity was such a surprise it knocked him for six. Anyway, he said I needn’t worry about catching anything, and made a joke about jail-bait—’ She stopped dead.

  ‘And he’d know all about that, of course, because he’s a lawyer!’ Laura’s hands clenched. ‘He also happens to be your best friend’s brother, and you’re very fond of Mrs Kent.’

  ‘You can see why I didn’t want anyone to know,’ said Abby despairingly. ‘Will you tell Ma it was Marcus?’

  ‘No, you will. She needs to know. But don’t worry. If you want it kept secret it will be. I suppose it happened the night he took you to the concert?’

  ‘Yes, but it rained so much we went back to his car before the end. I was wearing the T-shirt you gave me, with my new miniskirt, and I was flattered because he was so complimentary. On the way home he stopped the car in a lane and—’

  ‘I can fill in the rest. Bastard!’ said Laura fiercely.

  ‘No, he’s not. He’s actually very nice. But he’s so much older than me I just never dreamed he’d fancy me like that.’

  Laura pictured her long-legged sister in the scarlet T-shirt and brief skirt and knew exactly why Marcus Kent had fancied her. ‘Mother will be relieved in one way, at least, and no one else will ever know. You can go off to college and forget it ever happened.’

  Abby gave a cynical laugh. ‘At least Mother won’t have to worry about me in that way when I’m up at Trinity. I’ll never let a man near me again.’

  Laura reached for her hand. ‘Accidents can still happen, Abby. Take a leaf out of my book and get sorted out with contraceptive pills a.s.a.p.’

  CHAPTER NINE

  WHEN Laura arrived home from work the following evening she found Abby and her mother packed and ready to leave.

  ‘So soon?’ she said, surprised.

  ‘Ma needs to get back to school,’ said Abby. ‘She refuses to let me sleep on the sofa, and I’m sure I’m keeping you awake, sis, so I’ve persuaded my chauffeur to drive me home.’

  ‘It’s best all round,’ said Isabel. ‘Abby will be happier in her own bed, with her own things around her.’

  ‘I can pretend everything’s back to normal,’ said Abby sardonically.

  Laura looked her in the eye. ‘Everything, as you put it, could be a whole lot worse.’

  Abby flushed. ‘I know. You’ve been a real star, Laura, and I am grateful, honestly. It’s just—’

  ‘I know. You’ve had a very sobering experience and you’re feeling low. Your hormones have taken a bashing, remember. And you look very peaky—all eyes. How do you feel? Really?’

  ‘A bit wishy-washy, but I’ll live.’

  ‘Abby’s worried about seeing Rachel and her family,’ explained Isabel. ‘But she must carry on as usual. The Kents were kind enough to take her to France with them, after all.’

  ‘Just make sure you’re otherwise engaged when Marcus is home,’ said Laura, eyes kindling.

  ‘Don’t worry, he won’t want a replay,’ said Abby. ‘It was a one-off, in every sense of the word. Just thinking about it gives me the shivers. But as long as no one knows about it I can cope. So don’t you dare tell Fenny.’

  ‘Not a word.’ Laura turned to her mother.
‘And how are you feeling?’

  Isabel smiled ruefully. ‘A bit arthritic! That sofa of yours makes a very uncomfortable bed.’

  ‘You should have swapped with me,’ said Abby impatiently.

  ‘You’re a lot taller than I am. Right, then, sweetheart, the traffic should have calmed down a bit so let’s make a start. You can go straight to bed when we get home.’

  Abby hugged Laura, suddenly tearful. ‘Come down again soon.’

  ‘I will. Now, eat properly, take it easy, and get yourself fit for next month.’ Laura turned to her mother. ‘And you take care of yourself, too. You’re the only mother we’ve got.’

  ‘Tough as old boots, me,’ said Isabel cheerfully. ‘I did some shopping this afternoon, to make sure you had a meal tonight, Laura. Goodbye, darling. I’ll ring as soon as we get home.’

  Laura went down to the basement car park to see them off, then went back up to the flat, which felt very quiet and empty now she was alone. Her only consolation was the thought that in less than ten days she would be in Venice with Domenico.

  Fate decreed otherwise. The following week an epidemic of summer flu hit the bank and Laura, one of the few not to succumb, was asked to postpone her holiday until staff shortages were less acute. Bitterly disappointed, she rang Domenico that evening and told him her trip was off for the time being.

  ‘Cosa?’ he said explosively. ‘Laura, how can you do this to me? I have been counting the days.’

  ‘So have I,’ she assured him huskily. ‘I’ll come as soon as I can, I promise. I’m disappointed, too. I’m so sorry, Domenico…’ She sniffed hard.

  ‘Ah, carissima, forgive me. I know it is not your fault. Do not cry. It gives me much pain when it is not possible to hold you in my arms and kiss away your tears…’ Domenico went on talking, his voice huskier and his accent pronounced as he told her a great many gratifying things that made her feel a lot better by the time they said goodnight.

  Laura felt even better the following evening. She arrived at the flat late after an extra-hard day in work, feeling depressed because she should have been flying to Venice next day. While she was considering her options of a swim in the pool or a hot bath with a book as the evening’s entertainment Domenico rang, two hours earlier than usual.