by Anne Hampson
'You mean you do all the paying out?' Floria stared disbelievingly at him. 'But, surely you have more sense than to finance something that is bound to fail?'
Kim's eyes glittered. 'It is not bound to fail!' she said through her teeth. She was still a trifle worried, but still determined to hide her fears. The trouble was that this girl's personality, strong like Vidas's, seemed in some vexing way to overwhelm Kim. Floria had an elastic spring to her speech and a vitality about the way she threw her words together that seemed calculated to render Kim's own manner of speaking colourless. It was humiliating, and when Kim was humiliated anger was the result.
And so the meal was by no means as pleasant as it ought to have been; the conversation kept reverting to the project even though both Kim and Denis tried to veer it towards other channels. And all the while Vidas looked on, contributing very little, just sitting there, appearing to enjoy his wife's growing discomfiture.
She was determined to get her own back, and as soon as the meal was over she said sweetly, 'Perhaps, Vidas, you and Floria would like to be left to talk over old times? Denis and I have things to discuss regarding the dispensary, so if you'll excuse us… ?' Her voice trailed off; she trembled a little at her husband's expression but at the same time felt elated that she had managed to shake him out of his indifferent manner.
Denis was looking oddly at her, wondering what she was about. She slipped her arm through his and, with another request to be excused, steered him to the open French window. They were through it before Kim heard Floria say, 'Well, that was obliging of her…'
'What's the game?' Denis wanted to know once they were away from the window. 'You have me puzzled, Kim.'
'Sorry, Denis.' She stopped to draw a long breath. 'I couldn't have stood that girl a moment longer. You didn't mind my suggesting we come out here, did you, Denis?'
'Indeed no! I shall be very happy to stroll in the moonlight with you.'
She laughed lightly. 'What shall we discuss?' she asked, withdrawing her arm from his.
'Nothing—at least, nothing to do with the project.'
'The building's going up according to plan? There's nothing you think should be altered? We don't want to discover, afterwards, that we ought to have done it differently.'
'The design of the building's so simple that we can make interior alterations as and when they are necessary.' They had reached the darkness of the olive trees and he stopped, 'Kim…'
'Yes?'
'You and Vidas—I mean, tonight, you didn't act like a honeymoon couple.'
'We're not on our honeymoon.'
'You know what I mean,' he said a trifle impatiently. 'And that woman—Floria—there was something strange going on between her and your husband. He never made a move to stop her when she was deriding our project, treating it with scorn.'
'They're old flames,' she told him, feeling that Bridie would probably mention the fact anyway. 'Vidas was on the point of marrying her this time last year.'
'So there was something.' Denis shook his head, an angry gesture, though the expression in his eyes was all puzzlement. 'Are you in love with your husband?' he demanded bluntly.
'Very much in love,' she replied.
'Then he—? I can't think he's in love with you, Kim. He didn't act in any way as if he were. There was never a sign of tenderness, never a glance such as one would expect from a man so recently married. And the way he was with Floria—almost siding with her against you—'
'No such thing,' protested Kim hotly. 'That is not true, Denis!'
'Well, he didn't side with you! Nor did he put a stop to her jeering!'
That was so and Kim could not deny it. 'Floria was his guest, remember, so he couldn't say much—'
'He didn't say anything! I don't care what you say, Kim, there's something not quite right about you and your husband. Why, if you knew he and she had been on the point of marriage only a year ago, did you come out here and leave them alone? It isn't logical.'
True again, but how could she tell him that her action had been spurred partly by anger and partly by the hope that Vidas would be jealous?
'I wanted to come out into the air,' she said. 'I've already told you that I couldn't stand the girl a moment longer.'
'That's the point! You dislike her and yet you leave her in there, alone with your husband.' Denis shook his head, baffled and angry. 'Kim,' he said after a long pause in which Kim had made to walk on again until he grabbed hold of her arm, 'you must be aware of how I feel about you—'
'Please, Denis,' she broke in, distressed. 'I spoke the truth when I said I love my husband.'
'Does he love you?' he challenged. She did not answer and he added on a note of triumph, 'You'd like to lie but you find you can't. He isn't in love with you, but that's nothing new with his kind! I've lived in Greece long enough to know that few Greek men marry for love. On, Kim, what made you marry him?'
'I'm not willing to go into it,' she returned, her words stiff and cold. 'I suggest we go back.' She blamed herself for all this, and rightly so. What would happen now? Would Denis abandon the scheme and leave the island? Oh, why had she acted so impulsively? Just because she was furious with her husband and even more furious with his ex-girl friend. She put a hand on Denis's arm and said gently, 'You'll not give up this project, will you, Denis?'
'I don't know,' he answered bitterly. 'How can I keep on seeing you, feeling as I do? If I leave now it will be bad enough, but if I stay it's going to be worse. His voice trailed away into silence as he became thoughtful. 'Perhaps your marriage will break up, and if so—'
'It'll never break up,' she assured him. 'Vidas would never hear of a separation.'
'And you? Are you willing to live with a man who doesn't love you?'
'I've said I'm not willing to discuss my marriage. I want you to stay—if only until we get the whole thing organised. We need an experienced man, and if you leave we could be weeks or even months finding someone else. You were the only one who answered the advertisement, and we now know that the post we were offering would not appeal to most people. They want something far more lucrative—they want a practise of their own where they have an opportunity of making a lot of money.'
'With me it is a calling—if you care to accept it as that. I was intrigued by the advertisement, and once I'd met you and Bridie, I was fired with enthusiasm and the salary was of secondary importance.'
'I believe you,' said Kim, and a sigh escaped her, 'You are just the man for the job, Denis, so please don't do anything impulsive, will you?'
'I'll stay for a while,' he promised, after a moment of consideration.
'Thank you,' she said simply, and turned with the intention of going back to the castle. But suddenly she was caught around the waist, and feeling she was losing her balance, she clung to the lapels of his coat. The next moment she felt the hard pressure of his mouth on hers, and stunned into immobility, she just stood there, trying to collect her thoughts.
'What the devil—!' Her husband's voice, snarling and harsh, brought Kim back with a jerk, her heart leaping into her throat. She was free of Denis's hold, dragged away by Vidas in his rage. She saw the two men facing one another, and without waiting another second, she plunged away into the darkness, running towards the side door of the castle through which she and Denis had come only a few minutes before.
Chapter Ten
Kim stood before the open window of her bedroom, her heart beating furiously. What had she done by her impulsive act in inviting Denis to go outside with her? What was happening now? She realised that Floria must have come out onto the grounds with Vidas. She had caught a glimpse of a dark shape in the shadows, which must have been the Greek girl, who was probably gloating as she watched Vidas's wrathful action on seeing his wife in another man's arms.
It was perhaps a quarter of an hour later that a sound caught Kim's ears and she wheeled swiftly from the window, conscious of quiet, hurried footsteps. For the next few seconds she suffered the skin-prickling sens
ation of waiting for the bedroom door to open, which it did, with a violence that sent it crashing into a wardrobe, then back again to be kicked shut by the heel of her husband's shoe. He stood there, eyes smouldering, his face a twisted mask of pagan fury. Her frightened eyes were drawn to his lean brown hands, clenching and unclenching at his sides… and one of her own hands stole quiveringly to her throat.
'Vidas—I…' She tried to speak even though she had no idea what to say, and in any case her mouth was so dry she could scarcely articulate. 'You're angry, but—'
'Angry!' He strode towards her with purpose in every stride. 'Humiliated, more like! How dare you show me up!' He stopped close, to tower above her, a menacing figure from which Kim would have fled if she could.
'Humiliation…' For a fleeting moment that was all that registered in her mind. She had set out to make him jealous, in the hope that he would discover he loved her. All she had done was to humiliate him, and it was this, and not jealousy, which had created his fury. It had all been a waste, a vain effort.
'Yes, humiliation! That little scene will be talked about from one end of this island to the other by this time tomorrow! And it will be magnified over and over again until the gossips will have you and Studland lying on the ground making—'
'Stop!' she lashed out, all fear dissolving in the heat of her own rising anger. 'Who is going to start this gossip, anyway?'
'Floria, who else—?'
'Floria…' Yes, for spite! 'But she cannot say that Denis and I were—were doing anything wrong…' Or could she?'
'The gossips will do the exaggerating!' For a moment he was so consumed by wrath that he seemed to have difficulty in speaking. 'How long has this affair been going on?' he demanded, and before she could answer he had gripped her arms, ruthlessly crushing them, making her wince as she uttered a cry of protest, which was instantly cut off as he began shaking her unmercifully, shaking her till her teeth chattered and her hair fell in wild disorder about her tear-stained face. A plea was turned into a sharp cry of pain as her tongue became trapped between her teeth. 'I ought to strangle you!' he thundered. 'I warned you long ago that if ever you did anything to besmirch my good name you'd suffer, and why I don't make you smart I don't know!'
Released at last, Kim swayed on legs that seemed to have lost their ability to support her. Vidas caught her, propelled her roughly towards the bed and flung her onto it.
'I hate you,' she whispered, managing to sit up. 'You're a savage.'
'Don't try me too far,' he said through gritted teeth, standing there, glowering at her and ready to do her further injury, she thought, as she put soothing fingers to the places on her arms where she knew there must be bruises. 'How long has this affair been going on?' he asked again.
'It is not an affair—'
'Don't lie! What kind of a fool do you take me for? You and he went out there to make love—'
'We did not!' she stuck in. 'I was intending to talk business!'
'Business!' A harsh and gutteral sound escaped the depths of his throat. Kim likened it to the low and warning growl of a jungle beast preparing for the kill. She shivered, edging to one side of the bed as she tried to rise. She was helped by her husband, whose hand shot out to grip her wrist. The next moment she was crushed against the hard muscles of his body and her chin was tilted back, so that she felt as if her neck was being broken. For a long moment Vidas held her like this, watching, with a sort of evil satisfaction, the tears spiking her lashes, the convulsive twisting of her mouth. Then his lips closed on hers in a brutal, sensual kiss, which robbed her of breath for such an extended length of time that she was bordering on oblivion when at last he thought fit to give her air. Swaying, she clung to his arms, her frenzied fingers unconsciously digging into his flesh through the fine linen of his coat.
'It—it was to talk business, no—no matter wh-what you say…' She was still in a semiconscious state, gulping for air between each word she uttered.
Vidas pushed her from him, onto the bed. 'I asked how long this affair has been going on. That little scene was proof enough that it had been going on for some time!'
Kim said nothing; she still wanted air in her lungs and she was inhaling spasmodically, hating Vidas for making her feel this way. Her neck was painful, her lips were bruised and swollen, and the terrible throbbing of her heart actually frightened her. 'I'm not having an affair with Denis,' she managed at last, lifting a white face to his, her tear-filled eyes examining his for signs that he believed her. She saw his lips curl, his eyes glint with scepticism and contempt.
'You lie!' he snarled. 'And so did he!'
'What d-did you do to—to him?' She faltered, managing to ask the question that had been in her mind all the time.
'I warned him to keep away from my wife! Also he's sacked!'
'Sacked? You mean—you're not willing to pay him his salary?'
A sneer caught her husband's underlip. 'Do you really expect me to pay the man a salary for making love to my wife?'
Kim's teeth snapped together and fire blazed in her eyes. 'That's a rotten, unthinking thing to say! You're so angry you've lost control of your reasoning as well as your temper—'
'I said he's sacked. There is to be no further argument on that score.' Implacable was the tone and hard the eyes that looked into hers.
A weight dropped down on her but she heard herself say, 'We need him and we're going to keep him!'
'You are? And how?'
'We'll find a way to pay him. Fortunately, he's dedicated, so it's possible that he'll work for less than you are giving him.'
Ignoring what she had said, Vidas told her harshly that her affair with Denis was at an end. 'At an end, do you understand?' he added menacingly. 'And by heaven, I shall watch you in the future!' On that parting shot he left her, trembling and tearful, still sitting on the bed.
In the ensuing silence she felt herself regain her calm; her heartbeats slowed to normal and her pulse and nerves began to settle. But she could not move because her stomach muscles seemed locked together, creating a sensation of physical sickness that she felt would increase if she rose to her feet. However, she did move at last, over an hour after Vidas had left her, and she went to the bathroom and ran the water. A bath was always soothing both to nerves and body, she had invariably found, and once she was lying in the scented water she was able to relax fully and to think clearly.
What a mess she had made of everything by obeying the angry impulse to invite Denis to go outside with her. All her plans had gone disastrously awry. She had lost the good opinion of her husband; it looked as if she had lost the services of Denis… and all she had gained were bruises. Would all her plans for the animal sanctuary and dispensary come to nothing? Kim felt sick at the idea of so much effort and no achievement.
When she came from the bathroom, clad only in the large bath sheet, it was to see her husband standing in his dressing gown by the window, his back to the room. She had come silently and was just stepping back into the bathroom when he turned.
'Come here!' he ordered harshly, his dark Greek eyes stripping the towel from her warm, powdered body. 'And make it quick if you don't want me to come to you!'
Kim was taking no risks. She went meekly to him, and for a moment their eyes locked. Wisely, she made no protest when he snatched the towel and flung it across the floor. His dressing gown was open and it was against her will that she glanced over his sinewy frame. It was as if her forced her to look before drawing her towards him, his hands warm and possessive as, with a familiar mastery, he spread his long lean fingers to press her quivering body close, moulding its supple lines to the hardness of his own.
His lips claimed hers, possessively, but to her surprise, not roughly, as she would have expected. After a while he held her at arms length, his sensual eyes moving over her gold-tinted body, darkening with amorous interest when they settled on the small white triangle that had been guarded from the sun.
'I suppose,' he said on a deliberately ta
unting note, 'that you are not in the mood for what I intend to do to you?'
'But you will do it nevertheless,' she returned stiffly.
'Of course. Haven't I said I own you… body and soul?'
'How typically Greek. Am I chattel, then?'
The dark eyes narrowed slightly. 'If you know the meaning of caution,' he said softly, 'then I'd advise you to regard it.'
'I do not think caution will serve any useful purpose at this stage,' she said.
'At this stage?' His eyes were drawn to the delicate contours of her breasts, and for a time he seemed far more interested in them than in the answer she gave him.
'You obviously intend to be revenged on me.'
Swiftly, he transferred his gaze to her wide, tear-misted eyes. 'You mean—you expect me to treat you roughly? What sort of a man do you think I am?'
Taken aback by the angry indignation in his voice, she frowned and said bewilderedly, 'You treated me roughly a few minutes ago and—'
'Not a few minutes ago,' he corrected. 'It's over an hour since I had the urge to make you smart.'
She swallowed convulsively. 'You're not angry anymore, then?'
'Shall we say—my anger has abated somewhat?'
'For any particular reason?' She grew warm under his stare and watched his nostrils dilate as if he were vitally affected by the perfumed talc with which she had lavishly powdered herself.
'This is no time for talking,' he murmured, and there was a throaty bass inflection in his voice as, bending his head, he took her lips, moistly exploring, his tongue rough and masterful as it probed the warm darkness of her mouth. Fired as always by his caresses, Kim was soon in the throes of an uncontrollable excitement, her body heat rising to overcharge her heart and send the hot blood coursing through her veins. Vidas's body began to rock gently, and as she responded she felt herself to be on the heaving deck of a boat, exhilarated by a sort of sensual delirium of feeling. She quivered in every nerve cell when his experienced fingers, amorous on her breasts, brought the nipples to tingling peaks of desire. She was all his and he laughed softly in triumph when she gave a little muffled moan that was in reality a plea. Warm hands lifted her naked body; she was carried to the bed and laid there, while Vidas discarded his robe, watching her as he did so, noticing the alluring swell of her stomach, the rise and fall of breasts pulsating with life, ready for his possessive hands. Her mouth was parted, her hair a halo of glorious abandon, spread across the snowy whiteness of the pillow. He turned off the main light and all that was left was a small bedside light, its peach-tinted shade showering the room with a subtle, romantic glow—like twilight sprinkled with the rose-pink sheen left by the dying sun.