‘I’m sorry. I withdraw it,’ I say. As soon as he speaks, I can’t help believing him. ‘Perhaps you’re right and I was drunk. It certainly seems to be the most likely explanation.’
‘I hope so. You didn’t seem to be so drunk that you didn’t know what you were doing, but you’re not a great drinker, are you?’ He smiles at me. ‘Not like us Russians. You certainly were tipsy, though, and enough to go out like a light very quickly.’
‘When you found me in the cave,’ I say.
‘Yes. When I found you in the cave.’
There is a long, pregnant pause as we stare at each other. I can’t read his expression but his blue eyes bore into me as though we share some kind of connection, something deep and profound. I’m seized by a desire to blurt out the question – so did we have sex or not? But I push it out of my mind. Dominic. It was Dominic. It had to be.
Then I realise that I’ve never asked Dominic why he left me alone, presumably passed out, in a passageway in the catacombs for Andrei to discover. Why would he do that?
I’m suddenly terrified that Andrei’s going to say something that will shake up my world and turn everything upside down, and I start to talk very quickly.
‘I’ve prepared the plan for hanging in the apartment, would you like to approve it before I go ahead and arrange it? I think you’ll be happy with it, but if you’re not, it will be very easy to change it—’
Andrei shakes his head. ‘I don’t think so. Just go ahead and do what you think is right. Like I said, I trust you.’ He stands up and walks slowly around behind the desk, his hands linked behind his back. He’s frowning, making his rugged features even more stern and imposing. ‘I can tell that for some reason you have taken against me. I hoped that when I’d put your silly ideas about being drugged from your mind, you would soften a little. But it seems not. I’m sorry for that. Your work for me is almost done and no doubt you’ll be pleased to return to Mark.’ He turns and looks directly at me. ‘I have to take a trip to Russia at the end of this week. Mark is going to come with me, to have the Fra Angelico checked by an expert at the Hermitage. I wonder if you would like to accompany us – I can arrange for you to have a private tour of the museum with an expert guide. I’m sure you’d like that. Perhaps it would help convince you that my motives are good ones.’
I gape at him. The Hermitage museum? That would be amazing... I’ve always longed to visit that stunning treasure trove. Most of the great art museums of the world are still on my list to visit and the Hermitage is at the top... but I can’t. By the end of the week, the deal will be done, Dominic will have resigned and I’ll be at his side. Andrei won’t want me then. He probably won’t even want to see me again...
‘Well?’ he says. ‘Will you come?’
‘You’re very kind, Andrei, but—’
An expression of astonishment crosses his face. ‘You’re going to say no?’
‘I can’t accept. I just can’t. I can’t explain why, and I have to ask you not to press me on it. It’s a wonderful offer, but... no, thank you.’ I stand up as well, and we face each other across the desk. He leans forward, putting his hands on the polished surface and glowering at me over it.
‘You puzzle me,’ he says in a kind of low growl. ‘Why don’t you want what I can offer you?’
‘I told you, I can’t explain my reasons. But one thing is for sure: the moment I took anything you want to give me, you wouldn’t be puzzled any longer. You’d see me for what I am – an ordinary girl, who doesn’t fit into your world. The thing that you can’t understand is that I don’t want to.’ I smile at him. ‘I want us to be friends, Andrei, I truly do. And I want you to be happy with my work. If there’s nothing else, then I’ll go. And your pictures will be up within a day or two. Goodbye, Andrei.’
He says nothing but watches me as I turn, walk across the room to the door. My hand on the handle, I turn back for a moment.
‘Thank you for the offer,’ I say softly. ‘I’ll always appreciate it, even if I can’t accept it.’
Then I leave.
On the way out of the club I call Dominic on my mobile but he doesn’t answer. I don’t leave a message. He’s busy. It’s only a few more days and then I’ll be able to have him all to myself.
When I get home, I’m exhausted but there’s just time to get to kick-boxing class, although I have to go alone as there’s no sign of Laura. As I’m changing my phone chirrups to let me know that a text has arrived. It’s Laura, telling me she won’t make the class because she’s been kept late. I do the class on my own, and afterwards the calm that follows a good workout descends, and I feel a lot better. But it’s almost 10 p.m. by the time she finally gets in. She drops her briefcase in the hall and comes to flop on the sofa next to me.
‘Hi,’ I smile. ‘There’s some dinner for you if you want. Just some pasta and sauce in the pan, but you’re welcome to it.’
‘Anything as long as the minimum of work is required,’ she says in a tired voice. ‘I’m bushed. I’m sorry I missed the class tonight. How was Sid?’
‘Don’t worry about it, it happens. Sid was great, a total tyrant but great. You get out of your work things and I’ll heat the food up,’ I say, getting up and going through to the kitchen. She soon joins me, in her baggy check trousers and a comfy old T-shirt she likes to wear around the house.
‘It smells good,’ she says, smiling and looking a bit more relaxed. ‘Your pasta is always yummy.’
‘Thanks. You look like you need a hot meal.’
‘Yeah.’ She nods. ‘It’s tough in the office. They might pay well but they certainly make sure they get their money’s worth. Old Booth had me checking and double-checking proposals and reports until my eyes were crossed. How are you? I haven’t seen much of you lately. One or other of us always seems to be out somewere, whether work or play.’
‘I’m fine.’ I get the Parmesan out of the fridge so I can grate a good helping over Laura’s pasta. ‘I’m not going to see much of Dominic this week, so we’ll have a chance to catch up. He’s working on this big deal, but once it’s over we might go away for a while, just a little break somewhere quiet and romantic. Doesn’t that sound lovely?’ There’s a silence in response, and I look over at Laura who has a wistful expression.
‘Sure. It sounds great. It’s just...’ She looks a little sad, standing there, twisting her ponytail round her fingers in that habit she has. ‘I guess that you’re going to be spending more and more time with Dominic, aren’t you?’
‘I hope so...’ I say slowly. I know what she’s getting at. The two-single-girls-in-the-big-city scenario is not working out like we’d both envisaged.
‘Should I be looking for a new flatmate?’ she asks in a small voice.
‘Oh honey.’ I put down the cheese and go over and hug her, then stand back so I can look into her big grey eyes. ‘It’s nowhere near that serious yet. Really! I promise. But I guess I will be seeing him when I can...’ I feel my loyalties divided. I can’t make promises I won’t keep and yet I also love spending time with Laura and don’t want to lose our closeness. I remember our plans for a trip together. ‘But I meant it about New York! We will definitely do that, I promise, just you and me. No Dominic.’
‘I’m really happy for you, Beth,’ she says hastily. ‘I think it’s great that you and Dominic are taking your relationship so seriously and that it’s moving forward so fast. And I’m really excited about a trip for the two of us to New York. But speaking very selfishly, I’m going to miss having you around just day to day.’
‘I’m sorry, Laura.’ I feel like a heel for making my friend feel lonely when I’m supposed to be her flatmate.
She laughs. ‘Don’t be sorry! Why should you be? You’re madly in love and you want to be with him every minute you can. That’s natural. But just one thing...’
‘What?’ I feel so guilty that I’d do anything for her. I wish I could magic another Dominic out of the air for her, so we could be happy together.
; ‘Can I be bridesmaid?’ she asks cheekily, and when I start to stammer and flush, she says, ‘Only kidding. Now are you going to hand over that pasta or not? I’m starving.’
Chapter Seventeen
I’m glad Andrei isn’t here to watch as the men start banging nails into his very expensive polished wooden wall panels, and hope to God I’ve got it right.
Mark gave my layouts the seal of approval after I emailed them over to him, so I’m confident that it’s going to work, but I won’t know for sure until it’s all up. Mark also asked me to drop by and see him the following day, and I’m looking forward to telling him that the hanging is complete.
‘Okay, that’s great,’ I say to the workmen. ‘Now let’s hang that Stubbs over there – I want it in the middle and that group of sketches hung on either side, the way you can see it here on the layout.’
Just then my phone buzzes to let me know that a text has arrived. It’s from Dominic.
Come outside.
I leave the men to it, and go to the front door. I open it and step into the hall. There’s no one in the stairwell. I look up the stone staircase with its black iron handrail to the upper floors but it’s all quiet. I go out on to the covered walk but it’s also deserted. Even the workmen, who are sometimes about cleaning and maintaining everything so the place keeps its immaculate looks, are nowhere to be seen. My phone buzzes again.
Come downstairs.
I go back into the stairwell and to the top of the flight that leads down to the dark lower level. I can’t see Dominic there either, but I go slowly down, descending into the shadows. I am in a long arched passageway beneath the building that stretches the entire length of it.
Turn to your left so you’re facing the main house. Walk.
Where is he? I smile. I love the way Dominic likes to spice up our life like this. I do as directed and start walking along the passage. When I reach the end of the building, I come out of the passageway and have to go down some steps and around the bay window of an apartment in the basement of the main house. But now where?
Go through the doorway in front of you.
A black door straight in front of me leads under the main house. I push at it and it opens easily enough. I step inside, into a cold stone corridor, dusty and dirty, lit by a faded yellow light from a dusty bulb.
‘Dominic? Are you there?’ I’m not frightened but this place is a bit spooky. There are mousetraps everywhere, placed at intervals along the passage, and black-painted wooden doors marked with numbers. An old wardrobe, one door swinging open to show tins of paint and rags, stands against a wall.
Wait.
I do as I’m told, breathing in the dank, rather dusty air, wondering what Dominic has in mind. Then suddenly a door creaks open to my side and a hand comes out. I jump violently and scream. The hand grabs me and hauls me inside and before I know what’s happening, I’m in a large, dark recess, some kind of storage closet as far as I can tell, and pressed up against Dominic, who’s laughing quietly in my ear.
‘You rotter,’ I say and pound him lightly on the chest.
‘Did I scare you?’ he says, still laughing.
‘You know you did.’ I look around. ‘How did you find this horrible place?’
‘I came in to drop something off for Andrei. I thought it would be fun to nose around and find somewhere to summon you so I can kiss you.’ With that, he gives me a long, delicious kiss that makes my irritation at him fade away. ‘Mmm. You’re delicious. I needed that.’
‘Me too.’ My fright passed, I’m very amenable to whatever he wants now. ‘So...’ I say in a purring voice, slipping my hands under his shirt. ‘Have you got time to play a little?’
He groans. ‘Oh my God, I wish I did. I can’t think of anything nicer and I’d like to take my mind off this blasted negotiation. It’s the trickiest, knottiest deal we’ve ever done. We’re all on a knife-edge because if it falls through, we have to pay a £300 million break fee. You can imagine how much Andrei wants to hand that kind of money over for precisely nothing. The only person enjoying it is Anna. I swear to God she gets an actual sexual thrill from difficult situations like this. I can see why Andrei keeps her on; she’s a superlative person to have on side. She gets the stoniest, most stubborn businessman eating out of her hand eventually.’
I run my palms over the smooth skin of his sides and chest. ‘Stay for five minutes?’ I plead. ‘I love seeing you.’
‘Honey, I really can’t. I shouldn’t have stayed this long, I just couldn’t resist seeing you.’ He gazes down into my face, his eyes glinting in the semi-darkness. ‘You know what? This deal is going to make me a lot of money. An enormous amount. When it’s done we’re going to celebrate. I’d like to buy you something. Maybe... maybe a ring.’
I draw in a breath. A ring? The next words spring into my mind without my wanting them to: an engagement ring? My heart starts to pound and my fingers tremble. He can’t mean that, not yet. We’ve only been together a few months – and apart for most of them...
Dominic doesn’t say anything to put me out of my agony and I can sense him smiling softly in the gloom.
‘No need to decide right now,’ he says, obviously enjoying the different ways his words can be interpreted. ‘Just think it over for a while. We’ll go shopping soon, okay? Once this business is finished.’
‘Okay,’ I whisper. ‘That would be nice.’
‘I want to spoil you a little. You don’t mind, do you?’
‘Of course not,’ I say, embarrassed but pleased. I run my hands around to his back and over its broad, muscular surface. My fingers touch something: a patch of raised skin, running in a long line across his back. There’s another and another. In fact, a criss-cross of lines covers his back. ‘What are these, Dominic?’ I say, suddenly anxious.
‘Huh?’ He reaches round and pulls my hands out of his shirt. His tone has changed to a cooler one and he’s stiffened slightly. ‘What are you talking about?’
‘You’ve got marks all over your back! They weren’t there on Sunday. Where did they come from?’
He says nothing, still holding my wrists and standing very still. I can’t read the expression in his eyes in this murky light but I have a feeling they’ve darkened and become unreadable anyway.
I’m scared now. He’s got the marks of a flogging on his back. Just like in Croatia. How did he get them? ‘Tell me, Dominic – who did this to you?’
‘No one.’ His tone tells me he doesn’t want to discuss this. The cosy, loving atmosphere between us has completely disappeared. ‘Now, come on, I’ve got to get back.’ He tucks his shirt in and pushes open the door, letting more light into our cramped hideout. ‘Let’s get out of here.’ He steps out past me into the corridor.
‘Dominic, I want to know! Who’s been whipping you?’ There’s a note of accusation in my voice, born from fear. I can see it all now, very clearly. He’s decided not to use whips and floggers on me, but that doesn’t mean he won’t use them at all. As I follow him out into the corridor, I remember how he first discovered he was into domination games, when he joined a secret society at Oxford and began to witness floggings. The participants didn’t have sex with one another, they simply worked out their desires with their chosen implements, the tops giving out the punishment and the bottoms taking it, to their mutual satisfaction. It was how Dominic learned the craft and nurtured his controlling instincts until they became an essential part of him. Could he be doing something like that again? But he’s a master, not a slave! How can he be taking the punishment instead of giving it? ‘Who is it, Dominic?’
He turns and looks at me, his eyes hard and his face set in an obstinate expression. ‘I told you. No one. I won’t be questioned like this. You have to trust me.’ He starts walking back the way I came.
‘Is it Vanessa?’ I shoot out, thinking of the woman he once loved who was his partner in those first games. She is a professional mistress and dominatrix now, and still a close friend to Dominic. I’m flooded with an
xiety and panic. Why won’t he say? Is it wrong to expect an explanation? I can’t stop myself going on: ‘Are you two playing games together again? Does she keep her skills honed on your back, or do you take turns?’
Dominic halts and turns around. He looks heart-stoppingly gorgeous in his suit and Hermès silk tie, his dark hair curling softly round his ears. His expression is stormy and stubborn. ‘Beth, stop it. Don’t spout this rubbish! Vanessa is abroad. I haven’t seen her in months and anyway, that part of our lives is over with. You know that. Why are you saying this?’
‘What do you expect me to think? You won’t tell me why you’re covered in marks!’
We’re standing in the open area below the covered walkway at the entrance to the passage that leads beneath the building.
‘I told you to trust me,’ Dominic says in an ominously low voice. ‘Please do that, Beth. It will be clear in time, I promise. Whatever I do, I do for us both.’
My eyes fill with hot tears of anger and frustration. ‘I want to trust you – but doesn’t that mean honesty from both of us?’
‘Yes.’
‘I’m honest with you, but you’re not being open with me. You’re holding things back.’
‘I told you to drop this, Beth,’ he says in a warning voice. ‘The time isn’t right.’
‘When will it be right? I can’t understand why you won’t tell me. You must see how it looks to me. You refuse to touch a whip or a flogger when I’m with you, but you’re covered in welts! Please, put me right, explain to me...’
‘Beth—’ He takes a step towards me and then we’re both startled by a cooing voice from above.
‘Well, hello, you two. What are you doing down there?’ Anna is standing in the garden just above at the entrance to the covered walkway. She’s leaning over the low iron railings, her long dark hair dropping down towards us as though she’s Rapunzel letting down her tresses for the prince to climb. She looks ravishing in a dark suit, the skirt very short and showing off her amazing legs.
Secrets After Dark Page 23
