Beware of the Beast (25 page)

"
Eleni
has been telling me that
Alexandro
has been away a lot since your marriage. That is most unfortunate."

Charlotte forced a smile, conscious of Irena laughing at
something Alex had said as they stood together by the record
ing deck. "I - we manage," she replied politely, and Franco nodded.

"Alex works very hard. We had all given up hope of his
ever getting married. So many of our young women have
tried
to trap him, but to no avail." His eyes twinkled. You
sethe
effect he has upon poor Irena. She is quite enchanted
by him, do you not think?"

Charlotte glanced their way, her eyes unknowingly hostile.
At no time could she imagine herself feeling sorry for Irena.
She was far too confident and sure of herself.

Franco seemed concerned that what he had said might have
been taken the wrong way, and went on: "I am sure you had
no difficulty in that line,
pethi
.
It is obvious from the way Alex
looks at you that you have a very special place in his thoughts."

Charlotte felt a tight constriction in her throat. It was kind
of the old man to try and reassure her, but she knew very
well that Alex had no such gentle feelings towards her.

George came walking across to join them. "It was a
delicious dinner, Charlotte. Did you choose the menu?"

Charlotte
coloured
then. "No. That is - Maria deals with
that. I'm afraid I know very little about Greek cookery."

"But you should learn," exclaimed
Eleni
, overhearing
their conversation. "It was different in the beginning. Nobody expected you to come and take over. But Maria must be made
to understand that you are now mistress here."

"Give her time," remarked a familiar voice from just
behind the couch where Charlotte was sitting, and she glanced
round indignantly to find Alex standing looking down at her.
"You have to remember, Charlotte is still very young. And
our way of life takes some getting used to."

"Yes, she is. Very young, isn't she?" Irena appeared behind
Alex, and the tone of her voice implied that Charlotte was
scarcely out of the cradle. "It is as well you have hidden her
away, Alex. You might well be accused of raiding the school
room,
oil?"

Charlotte turned round again, controlling the retort which
sprang, to her lips. She had taken an instinctive dislike to
Irena and had chided herself for it. But now she knew her
instincts had not been mistaken. Irena would cause trouble, if
she could.

The Greek girl's remark had aroused some good natured
rising and Alex took it all in good part. It was easy for him, Charlotte thought angrily. They were his
relatives,
he could afford to be generous. But did he realize he was making her
feel ornamental and childish, someone who contributed little
to their marriage? She suspected he did, and hated him for
k.

Latex, Alex put on some records, and Irena suggested
dancing. It was a way for her to get into Alex's arms, and as
she
watched them together Charlotte's flesh tingled with
indignation. Irena had no qualms about pressing herself close
against her partner, and Alex seemed to have no objections.
He danced, as he did everything else, with a lithe, easy grace
that
communicated the power of latent energy, and while she abhorred
presence, Charlotte found herself watching
her husband almost hypnotically. Once he intercepted her
gaze over
Irena’ss
shoulder, and his lids narrowed to shadow
his
eyes. But then the Greek girl said something and his
expression dissolved into amusement. He did not ask
Charlotte to dance, and nobody seemed to expect it. She was
left to talk to George and Franco, with
Eleni
inserting a
comment here and there.

Around eleven, Charlotte decided to go to bed.
Eleni
had
been persuaded to stay the night, and although the party looked
like going on for some time yet, Charlotte had had enough.
She excused herself politely, pleading a headache, and ignoring
Alex's suddenly hostile expression left the room.

ln
the bedroom, she took off her caftan and walked wearily
into the bathroom. She was tired, and she did have the be
ginnings of a headache, but they were mental conditions as
much as physical ones.

She took a shower, luxuriating in the fall of the water
against her flesh, twisting and turning beneath the flow until a tingling warmth enveloped her. Then she
towelled
herself
dry, and tossing the shower cap aside was pulling on her silk
robe as she re-entered the bedroom.

The door to the dressing room stood wide, and she frowned, running questing fingers through her tumbled hair. She could have sworn it had been closed when she first entered the bedroom. Then, before she had time to formulate any decision, Alex appeared in the open doorway, his shirt un
buttoned to the waist, his feet
bare
.

Immediately her breathing became ragged, and she had to
control the tremor in her voice, as she asked: "What are you
doing?"

Alex flexed his shoulder muscles. "What does it look like
I'm doing? I'm going to bed, of course. What else would I
be doing when my wife chooses to retire?"

"I - but - there was no need
- "

"I choose to think there was."

Charlotte held up her head. "Why? Has Irena gone to bed
too?"

Alex's mouth tightened. "Not so far as I am aware."

"I'm surprised," muttered Charlotte, turning her back on
him, and picking up her hair brush. "Perhaps you should go
and find out!"

"What's it to you?" he snapped.

"I - why, nothing.
Of course."

"So why make that kind of bitchy remark?"

Charlotte shook her head.
"I am
supposed to
be your wife."

"So?"

Charlotte half turned towards him, her eyes sparkling
angrily. "Well, what kind of relationship do you suppose your
uncle will think we have if you spend your time pawing his
niece?" she demanded.

"I was not
-pawing
his
niece !
" retorted Alex coldly.

"All right.
Letting her paw you,
then !"

Alex came right into the room, halting a short distance
from her, obviously controlling his temper with difficulty.
"Irena was not pawing
mel
"

"Oh, no?"
Charlotte couldn't prevent the challenge.
"Then what would you call it? Or is it some old Greek custom

I don't know about that permits-an unmarried girl to flaunt
herself in front of any married man who takes her fancy?"

"Charlotte!"

"
Well !!
mean
it. The way you were dancing, it - it was
disgusting!"

Alex covered the space between them, grasping her by the shoulders, "Believe it or not, but Irena does not attract me in
that
way at all"

Charlotte stifled a gulp. "No? You must be a tremendous
actor, then!"

"Oh, Charlotte!"
There was an agonized torment in his
tone. His hands slid over her shoulders and down her back to
her hips, impelling her towards him,
moulding
her body to
his so that she was made overwhelmingly aware of the fact
that if Irena did not arouse him, she most certainly did.
"Charlotte, God - don't you know?" It's you I want, you I
need. And if I’ve succeeded in making you jealous, then I'm
glad. Because I don't know how the hell I'm expected to
sleep in there knowing you're only a few feet away."

His hands cupped her head, turning her face tip to his, and
with a feeling of inevitability, Charlotte felt her mouth
moving eagerly under his. What was the use of denying it? She had been jealous. And she wanted him, too. Her hands
were as urgent as his as they slid his shirt off his brown,
muscular shoulders, and the world slid away …

Things looked different in the morning. She awakened with
a delicious sense of lethargy which was swiftly dissipated by
the discovery that she was alone in the bed. A check on her watch advised her that it was after ten o'clock, and a little of
her anxiety eased. Alex was not a late sleeper at any time, and
with guests in the house ... Guests!

Charlotte got out of bed, swaying a little as a trace of
dizziness attacked her. She had not been troubled by it much
lately, but hunger was gnawing at her stomach, and she
guessed this was the reason for her lightheadedness. Alex
must have told Tina not to disturb her.

Alex!
  
.
     

As she took her bath, she allowed the memory of the
previous night to envelop her. It had been a devastating
experience, a complete submergence of
herself
in a mutual consummation of their need for one another. Alex had been gentle and considerate, demanding and passionate, teaching
her how to please him and in so doing please herself. She had
welcomed the urgency of his desire, discovered that making
love could last for hours and hours. Little wonder she felt so
lazy this morning.

But gradually, as she lay there, a little worm of anxiety
threaded the veil of indolence. What was she doing, lying
here, luxuriating in a relationship which to Alex meant no
more than a satisfaction of his senses? What manner of woman
was she that she could find such enjoyment in reliving what had been after all just a sexual experience?

She levered herself upright in the bath, the clouds of fantasy
dispersing rapidly. What was the matter with her, day
dreaming about a man who had been indirectly responsible
for her father's death and who had forced her to marry him
to produce an heir? Was she going mad, that she could actually
betray her father's memory in this way?

She finished washing and stepped out of the water, wrap
ping herself in a bath towel. She was a fool! Hadn't she just
granted him
licence
to do with her as he willed, and all for no
purpose except his own self-gratification?
And why?
Because
he could arouse her senses, because she liked his hands upon
her, because she delighted in the hardness of his male body against hers?

She threw the towel away and reached for her underwear. Yes, those things were true, but there was something else, something which even now she was loath to even consider.
Her feelings for Alex had changed. She still hated him at times,
hated his power over her. But more important was the reali
zation that her reasons for allowing him into her bed were
 
not just the simple ones of mutual wanting and need. Subtly and elusively, almost without her being aware of it, he had become important to her, desperately important. He was no. longer just the roan of whom her rather had despaired, the
jailor who had taken her as his prisoner, the relentless plund
erer of
her
innocence. He was her husband, in every sense of
the word, and she was in love with him.