Betrayal (49 page)

'And that's how old Maria Phillips is.' 'How did you find that out?'

'Her age?' 'What else?'

'I thought you might be wondering how I found out about your affair, you bastard!' With surprising speed she hurled the contents of her wine glass straight in his face.

Neal didn't move. Lisa was quite frightened by his lack of response. He simply stood there, wine dripping from his face, and looked at her with a total lack of emotion.

'Say something!' she shouted when the silence became unbearable. He still didn't move. 'How could you do it?' she continued desperately. 'Don't you care what people think? I thought you were after a knighthood? I don't think the Queen approves of men who run a succession of wives and mistresses.'

'I've told people you're too involved with Jessica to leave here,' he said at last. There was still no flicker of emotion on his face.

'You like using her, don't you? I've heard all about your generous donation to the Autistic Society, you two-faced liar! You don't care about those children, all you care about is having sons of your own. You thought that by persuading Mrs Honeywood Jessica should go away you could force me into giving you more children. Well, you're wrong. After what I've read in Tater I'm leaving you. I'm not Naomi. There's no way I'm going to have people laughing at me behind my back, or spend all my life here producing your bloody children while you… '

'Shut up!' he snapped. 'I'm not listening to your hysterical rubbish. Naomi learnt to live with this situation and so will you. It's your own fault. You and I could have had a good life together but you had to keep meddling in my affairs and expending emotional energy on that idiot child of yours, so that in the end I didn't come very high on your list of priorities. All right, it's not what I wanted but that's the way it is. Maria is important to me for one reason only: sex. She'll never have any sort of status and she accepts that.'

'Bravo for Maria!'

'You, however, have the status of being my wife, and…' 'That's about equal to knowing I was safely married to Al Capone!'

'… and,' he continued furiously, 'at least that ensures your physical safety.'

'It didn't ensure Naomi's.' 'Naomi died of a heart attack.' 'Liar!'

'Furthermore, you are the mother of my only son and that's something for which I'll always be grateful. You can have a perfectly good life here. Once you've produced another son then no doubt we can ensure that you do sometimes come to London with me, just as you used to, but not until then.'

'I'm not listening to any more of this!' shouted Lisa furiously. 'I'm leaving you, and taking Jessica and Alexi with me. You can threaten all you like but I won't stay here and be humiliated by you and that red-haired old crone in London.'

'Where do you think you'll go? Who do you imagine will take you in? You, a baby and a retarded four-year-old!'

'I'll find Carol; I'll… '

'If you attempt to leave here with or without our son, I shall have you killed,' he said calmly.

She couldn't believe she'd heard him properly. 'You'll what?' 'You will die, just as Kay and Naomi died. Come now, you've kept telling me you knew they were murdered so why the pretense of shock? You were right, they were killed so that I could marry you. I still want you as my wife and you know far too much for me to allow you to leave and live.'

'You wouldn't get away with it again!'

'You underestimate me. It would look like an accident, and I'd be greatly pitied because everyone knows how devoted I am to you.'

Lisa looked into his eyes and wondered how she could ever have thought him understanding. He had dead eyes, incapable of any genuine emotion. 'You don't even love me any more do you?' she asked slowly.

'No.'

'But you won't let me go?'

'I can't, neither do I want to. I may not love you, but for some strange reason I still desire you. Perhaps because I've never felt I've truly managed to possess you.'

'I don't desire you,' she retorted. 'I've never desired you, but I did like you. I believed you cared for me and that in time I'd come to love you, but it didn't happen that way. It was all a sham, wasn't it?'

'I loved you once.'

'You didn't, not the real me. You liked the shell.'

'That's untrue. I cared for you, but unfortunately I underestimated your intelligence. I've never been drawn to clever women, and you are clever, aren't you, Lisa? Beneath the damage Toby inflicted, you're not in the least incapable. Perhaps it would have been better for both of us if you had been. If you knew less, I might have been able to let you go.'

He wouldn't have, she knew that. He'd never let anything of his go until he tired of it, and he hadn't yet tired of her physically. He also wanted more sons. Her knowledge of his business affairs certainly wasn't what kept him from letting her leave.

'I'm going to bed,' she said coldly. 'There's no point in continuing this argument. It obviously isn't going to lead anywhere.'

'You'll stay here,' he told her, and she realised that she'd been wrong. Now there was emotion in his eyes but it was an emotion she didn't like. Pure undisguised lust. As he stepped towards her, she slipped off her shoes and made a run for the door but he was there first, turning the key in the lock and then putting it in his pocket.

'I think I'd like to exercise my marital rights here and now,' he murmured. When she shook her head he simply laughed and reached for the neck of her dress. It was then that she began to fight him. When it was eventually over Neal looked down at her bruised skin with self-disgust, unable to meet her eyes. At one point there'd been a knocking on the door, caused no doubt by Lisa's screams of protest, but he'd shouted for the intruder to go away and after that they'd been left alone.

'I'm going straight back to London,' he muttered. 'Remember what I said, and perhaps after tonight you'll be a little more reasonable about your wifely duties. Once you're pregnant again you'll be left alone. I'd have thought that would make it all worth while.'

She lifted her head and the contempt on her face shook even him. 'All I'm asking for is another son!' he shouted furiously. 'It comes to something when I have to rape my own wife in order to get one!' With that he unlocked the door and within ten minutes was driving himself back to town.

Eventually Lisa forced herself to move. Her muscles ached and her bones felt stiff and sore but she knew that she couldn't delay any longer. Going into the hall, she found the house strangely silent. Obviously no one dared come and see what had happened, she realised, wondering what they must have thought when they heard her screaming. Not that it mattered any more because she was leaving. She had Bellini's key and she was going to use it.

She stood under a scalding shower until some of her aches had eased, then dressed in jeans, a sweatshirt and a body-warmer because although the evening was mild she felt as though she'd never be warm again. After dressing she went into Alexi's room and wrapped him in a blanket then put him on his changing mat on the floor. That done she went and woke her daughter, deciding not to risk dressing her but only putting on a dressing gown and slippers before leading her down to the nursery. Finally, with Alexi under one arm and Jessica held firmly by the hand, she slipped outside, and keeping to the side of the house crept to where her own rarely used Fiesta was garaged.

She wished that she could have taken Rebekah with her but Rebekah was Neal's child and he would be entitled to come after her, possibly even accusing Lisa of kidnap. Much as it hurt, she had to leave Rebekah behind in order to get herself and her own children out of Neal's reach.

The car started at once and she drove slowly down the drive, her eyes anxiously scanning the grounds, but everything was quiet and no lights shone in the annexe. For a brief moment she thought it was going to be easy and then, as she reached the end of the drive, her heart sank as she saw that for the first time since she'd come here as Neal's wife, the wrought-iron gates were closed.

They were heavy but it wasn't beyond her strength to push them open. After one final glance into the surrounding darkness she stepped out of the car and began to fumble with the heavy latch. Just as she started to make progress she heard a sound more frightening than any human footsteps. It was a low growling noise coming from the bushes beside her. She'd always known that dogs patrolled the grounds at night but in her anxiety to get away had forgotten. Now her fingers tried to move more quickly and she cursed quietly as one hand slipped and tore a nail to the quick.

'Perhaps a little light might help you,' said a familiar voice. She turned sharply, immediately blinded by the glare of the torch Bishop was holding.

Narrowing her eyes she slowly made out where he was standing, realising at the same time that he wasn't alone. Beside him, tightly leashed but with their teeth showing as they pulled against the restraint, were two enormous Rottweilers.

'Going anywhere interesting?' he asked with a smile. 'That's none of your business.'

'On the contrary, I've been told to make certain you don't leave the grounds.'

She bit on her bottom lip, trying to work out her chances of escape. They weren't good but the latch on the gates had opened and as she stood with her back to them she pushed gently, relieved to find that they parted relatively easily. If the worst came to the worst she'd have to smash her way through. The children would be safe enough in the back of the car.

'I suggest you return to the house,' continued Bishop smoothly. 'I'll regarage the car for you.'

'I'll drive it myself. The children are in the back seat.' 'Then take them out and carry them to the house.'

'All right.' Slowly she moved towards the car but at the last moment grabbed hold of the front door handle and wrenched at it. She wasn't quick enough. Bishop murmured 'Take' and she heard him slip the dogs free of their leads, and heard too the terrible growl deep in their throats as they bounded across the grass.

Automatically she turned to face them, then screamed in terror as the first one jumped directly for her throat. In an instinctive reaction she threw up her arms to protect her face, and then her screams echoed right through the grounds and into the house where Rebekah woke in terror at the terrible sound as the first dog's teeth sank deep into Lisa's right arm. It hung in mid-air, suspended by its grip, while its companion hurled itself like a thunderbolt into her stomach. She fell to the ground and lay there, still screaming, as the pair of dogs snapped and bit at her arms and hands.

She wondered how long it would take before one of them severed an artery and Bishop stood back watching while she bled to death on the drive. Despite the agonising pain in her arms she continued to protect her face, hearing the horrible sound of snapping teeth when the dogs missed their target.

Certain that she was going to die she suddenly heard Bishop call out an abrupt 'Leave!' and lay trembling, convinced that he was merely toying with her, intending to let them back after a brief respite. It was typical of his mentality and knowing that she didn't have any strength to protect herself further she simply lay there, waiting. Waiting for a death that didn't come.

'Get up!' he ordered, standing a bare six inches from her head. 'Stop that bloody noise and get your children back to the house.' She tried to stand but the pain from her arms made it difficult to move and she heard herself moaning quietly.

'And shut that child up,' he continued. Only then did she realise that Jessica had got out of the car and was standing in the middle of the drive, watching her mother and shrieking at the top of her voice, her eyes frantic with terror.

'You'll have to get me some help!' she implored him as her head began to swim.

'There'll be help back at the house. Move.'

'I can't take the children. Please get someone to fetch them.' 'And risk them seeing you like this? Not bloody likely. Either you take them or I do. Would you like me to carry Jessica!'

Lisa stumbled towards her daughter but fell before she reached her. For a moment Jessica continued to scream, then—abruptly—she stopped and stood staring into the distance, and even Bishop could see that the child had gone into shock. With a brief glance at Lisa, who was again trying to get to her feet, he reluctantly picked up the rigid child and put her beneath one arm. He left Alexi in the car with the two dogs standing guard and then, because he realised that she wasn't capable of doing it entirely alone, half-pushed Lisa to her feet. His left hand beneath her elbow helped keep her upright as far as the front door.

It was wide open and hall lights blazed down on the three figures as they walked into the house. Lisa, teeth chattering, limbs trembling and with blood pouring from her hands and arms; Jessica, stiff and totally silent; and Bishop himself , his mouth a thin, tight line of contempt as he looked Lisa up and down.

'You stupid bitch!' he muttered. 'I didn't expect you to be daft enough to try escaping after what went on here earlier, but you always know best, don't you? God save me from headstrong women.'

'Get me some help!' She knew that she was begging but was past caring. She'd have gone down on her knees to him if necessary because very soon she was going to pass out and then he could easily leave her to bleed to death right in front of Jessica.

'It's on its way. I'll fetch the precious son and heir once… Ah, the cavalry arrives! Dr Hughes, this is your patient. She had a small disagreement with our non-domesticated dogs and needs patching up. You'd better deal with her in the annexe, we don't want to wake the entire household.'

Everything was hazy now a blurred picture spinning crazily round her, and she heard her own heart beating far too loudly. She tried to look up at the doctor, catching a glimpse of a small, dark-haired man whose eyes were shocked and compassionate, before she gave up and finally allowed herself to lose consciousness.

The doctor, staying overnight purely by chance, was relieved when she did. It made it much easier for him to treat her, and he was glad that she'd be spared some of the shock and pain from the dressing of her bites.