He couldn’t believe it, didn’t want to, but he knew it was true. When the fax machine started printing he sat down at his desk and started to read. The detective he had hired had said before Eloise was as pure as the driven snow and he, with his cynical mind, had thought he was being facetious. To see it in black and white in the trial transcript made him sick to his stomach. She had been a virgin when she was attacked, and technically still had been afterwards. The fiend had not succeeded.
Eloise, his Eloise, had been returning across a park alone after a game of tennis, and been brutally attacked by a depraved man, Rick Pritchard. Luckily a couple out walking their dog had disturbed him. Eloise had been rushed to hospital and the police called, and then the stab-wound to her inner thigh had been treated and she’d regained consciousness.
He buried his head in his hands, the full horror of what had happened to Eloise piercing him like a knife in the heart. The scar on her leg… She had said it was an accident. She had nearly bled to death…
Leaping to his feet, he wanted to smash something, or someone; impotent fury blazed in his black eyes. He had never felt such rage, such hatred, in his life; he wanted to kill Rick Pritchard with his bare hands. That being impossible, he once more picked up the phone. There was not a flicker of emotion in his dark sardonic features, but the implacable intent in his jet-black eyes would have scared the devil himself, as in a cold, hard voice he issued his instructions.
‘A lovely pad,’ Katy declared half an hour later seated opposite Eloise at the small table on the balcony of her bedroom. Nikos had thoughtfully provided a jug of iced tea and two glasses, plus a plate of various Greek delicacies to nibble on.
‘I can see why Marcus wanted to bring you here, you lucky girl.’ She sighed in delight at the panoramic view of sea and sky.
Eloise looked across at her friend. ‘Okay, Katy, why the rush out here?’ It was totally out of character for Katy to fly anywhere unless she had to.
Bright brown eyes turned compassionately to Eloise. ‘There’s no easy way of saying this. Rick Pritchard is due to be released from jail on Monday.’
Eloise quelled an internal shiver at the mention of the name. She should have guessed. She’d read the article in the paper herself yesterday morning. Of course Katy must have seen it and, being Katy, worried over her.
‘Is that all?’ Eloise tried a smile, deeply touched by Katy’s concern. But if the last few months had taught her anything, it was she could no longer hide from the harsh reality of life or depend on other people to protect her. Katy had her own family and life to lead. ‘I know, Katy. I saw the article when you gave me the paper yesterday. It is not important,’ she lied.
‘You’re sure? You’re not frightened he’ll come after you?’ Katy asked seriously.
‘Really, Katy… Do I look frightened?’ Eloise prompted and, casually picking up a small stuffed vine leaf, she waved her hand around. ‘Look where we are and with whom. Marcus is more than a match for any man, or woman!’ She allowed a brief, knowing smile to curve her lips, before she popped the morsel of food in her mouth.
‘Yes, you’re right.’ Katy smiled back, completely taken in by Eloise’s consummate acting. ‘Harry said I was worrying unnecessarily, and Marcus seemed quite cool when I told him about it. But, hey, now I am here, can we at least try out the pool.’
The food stuck in Eloise’s throat and she had to swallow hard to dislodge it horrified by Katy’s comment. ‘You told Marcus?’
‘Yes, on the way over. Why, does it matter?’
Recovering swiftly. ‘No. No, of course not, but do me a favour—don’t mention it to him again.’ The thought of Marcus knowing her dark secret mortified her. ‘He’s Greek, a typical macho male, and as you can imagine any mention of an attack on his lady puts him in a bad mood.’ She made it up as she went along. ‘And I really don’t want to talk about the case.’
But she knew she was only putting off the moment of reckoning. Once Marcus got her on her own he would want the full story. Now she understood why he had appeared cold on his return with Katy.
‘Sure, if you say so. The subject’s closed,’ Katy said understandingly, then grinned. ‘Now lead me to the water.’
They spent the rest of the afternoon at the pool, but there was no sign of Marcus. The whole situation put Eloise under a severe strain. So far, by some miracle she had managed to fool Katy into thinking Marcus was the love of her life and everything was fine. If Katy realised everything was not as it seemed, she would question Eloise until she got the truth.
But what was the truth? Eloise thought as she stood in the bedroom, fastening polished jade earrings to her ears, a perfect match for the patterned green silk sarong-style dress she had opted to wear for dinner. So much had happened, so fast. She was plunged into turmoil by her conflicting emotions.
Yesterday morning she had told herself she hated Marcus, because he’d ordered her to come to Greece, but after reading the newspaper she’d jumped at the chance to get away. She’d spent all day in a state of shock. Then last night and the episode on the beach when she had succumbed to his blatant sexuality yet again, she’d felt no shame, but freedom. This morning Marcus had asked her to marry him, and for a while she’d believed happiness was a possibility. But when he returned with Katy, it was as if the last twenty-four hours had never happened.
Dear heaven, it was no wonder she was an emotional basket case, she told herself bitterly. She was a complete novice when it came to male-female relationships, and Marcus was a vastly experienced, complicated man. He was also a very traditional male, with a high profile position to uphold in the business world. Not the sort of man who would take for his wife a woman who had been violated and the centre of a sordid court case, she concluded sadly.
Straightening her shoulders, she left the room to collect Katy and go down to dinner, her stomach churning with nervous dread, waiting for the axe to fall. Trying to understand what drove Marcus was like riding a rollercoaster, a spectacular high then a deep, depressing trough. Never mind the fact some madman might be chasing her…
They ate dinner out on the terrace with the sea and night sky as a backdrop. Marcus looked his usual magnificent self in a lightweight linen suit, and by the coffee stage he had shed his jacket. He ruled the conversation with all the charm and wit of a true Renaissance man. Katy was completely fooled, but Eloise could sense the underlying tension in the taut set of his wide shoulders.
She hadn’t had a private word with him since his bombshell proposal this morning. He’d waited until she and Katy had appeared for dinner before exiting his study with a murmured apology about changing for dinner. He was avoiding her, obviously disgusted.
Now, the few times their eyes met, his narrowed into hard darkness masking all expression. Obviously he was regretting his reckless proposal, Eloise thought sadly, but then she had not really believed him anyway. Miracles didn’t happen. At least not to her.
Inwardly she heaved a sigh of relief when, after demolishing almost a whole bottle of wine single-handedly, Katy said she was tired and wanted to go to bed.
‘Yes. I’m rather tired myself,’ Eloise agreed, rising from her seat. She glanced across at Marcus. ‘I think I’ll call it a night,’ she said smoothly, playing her part for the benefit of Katy. ‘If you don’t mind.’ Her green eyes widened as she saw the flash of something almost feral in the black eyes that met her own.
‘You do that, sweetheart,’ he said. With perfect manners, he rose as they did, and turning to Katy wished her good night, and then, glancing at Eloise, he added, ‘I am going to have a brandy. I will see you later.’
Following Katy into the house, Eloise heard the sarcasm in his tone, and slanted him a sharp backward glance—but, to her astonishment, she caught an expression of such bitter devastation on his darkly handsome face, her step paused. She wanted to go to him and ask