Soon after Jude and I got together and planned the trip, I called my mother to tell her about the exciting developments. She was thrilled for me and said how much she liked Jude. Will also welcomed the news and wished us well but it was difficult not having anyone other than my family to share my happiness with.
Jude and I agreed that we would tell the rest of the house when the time was right. Nobody knew about the painting, the fortune he was sitting on from it, or our plans to disappear together. Jude suggested we share the news with them the night before our departure. He said he thought it would be easier for them to acclimatize to the idea while we were away. He believed it best to be out of sight so the dust could settle.
The days before the bonfire party seemed distant and removed from the world I was now living in. I remembered times I’d flinched at every brush of his arm. During those last few days I was so blissfully happy that the previous month’s turmoil evaporated. We went shopping for things we needed for our holiday. I was eager to please. I modelled underwear for him in the lingerie shop dressing room where we managed to sneak in a quickie. The thrill of our secret affair was exhilarating, and I was amazed nobody picked up on it. It seemed our passion had become an entity of its own. The fact that it was going on unbeknownst to everyone else was almost unbelievable.
* * *
I come to as my head slams down again. I am on my back, lying on something hard. It feels like wood. My hands have been bound to posts. I am in shackles. I am spread-eagled. I feel my clothes being ripped from my body. The cold, damp fabric seems to melt away. I am naked now. A bright light is above me. I am squinting. I can’t see. It hurts my eyes. That pain is there still. My head thuds. My heart pounds, and my ribs feel like a cage, preventing my heart from bursting free. Am I having a heart attack? No, I am ok. Try to focus on something, anything. That sound, yes. I can hear him moving about. Why doesn’t he say anything? I cannot speak. The gap where my tooth was is pouring blood again. I can feel it soaking into the gag in my mouth. Warm and wet. I am losing consciousness. The room is on a merry go round. Faster and faster. Here it comes. Hello darkness, my old friend.
* * *
‘It’s going to be fine,’ Jude said as I returned to his world.
My head ached. The dream had been so real. Jude just smiled as he lifted up the duvet and crawled on top of me.
‘Wait, wait! We’re not in the clear yet.’ I felt panicky.
‘Ahh, everyone’s asleep.’ He kissed my neck, ‘They won’t be up for hours.’
As I buried the brutal images of my nightmare, I succumbed to my desires and began to take off his clothes. He pulled my T-shirt over my head, revealing my breasts. His mouth moved down my stomach and past my belly button. His tongue explored me. I was close to orgasm when he stopped and took his boxer shorts off. He entered me and I groaned. I gripped his hips. The duvet was kicked onto the floor. I wanted no obstructions. We lay exposed. His strong arms were either side of my ribcage and his hands were flat on the mattress. He supported his weight and continued to push himself into me. We were both silent and looking into each other’s eyes. As I closed my eyes he said, ‘I love you.’
We lay naked in the silence and I had no doubt that it was true. I ran my fingers lightly up and down his back.
‘I love you, too.’
Chapter 4
It was the day before our big trip, and I woke up with butterflies in my stomach. I felt inexplicably cold and sick, as if I were naked. My nerves matched my anticipation. This was the day we were going to tell the household about our relationship and I really hoped they would not react badly to the news. The person I was most concerned about was Joanie. She was a gentle-natured soul, but there had always been an unspoken understanding among us that Jude was really hers. I knew that Fran felt the same as Joanie, but in truth she didn’t have the link with him that Joanie had. It was plain to see that Joanie was in love with him. I pitied her, remembering what it was like and felt guilty that I would be partially responsible for her heartbreak. There was also the issue of Hunter. Although he was being brought up knowing that his parents weren’t together, I couldn’t help feeling that I had ruined their chances of being a family. I had suffered my own family breakdown and didn’t like the idea of inflicting it on anyone else.
I asked Jude to take the lead in announcing our relationship to the house. He called a meeting in the dining room. I could tell he was nervous. He chewed his bottom lip, the way he always did when something was playing on his mind. I wondered what would be the biggest shock to them all; Jude being a multi-millionaire, the news he and I were together, or that without any warning the two of us were jetting off to Thailand.
Before the meeting Jude asked me to meet him for a one on one chat. I felt like a school kid being summoned to the headmaster’s office. I met him in the pig barn as instructed. Icy breath clouded in front on me. I rubbed my hands together and watched the pigs snuffle about in the hay. For some reason I was unable to forget the scent from the day I saw the body of the sow. Jude came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist.
‘So this is it,’ he said, ‘Our big moment. Ready?’
‘I think I might crap myself.’
He laughed.
‘Don’t be scared, Belle. You forget that this is my house.’
This took me aback.
‘What do you mean by that?’ My voice was as frosty as the weather.
‘Just that this is my home. It belongs to me. Anyone who doesn’t like it can leave if they wish.’
‘But this place has been built on the idea that we are a family and we share it,’ I reminded him of his self-proclaimed ethos.
‘Of course, to a degree. But we all know the truth. Every single person here is just a guest really. I know it, you know it, and they know it. Ultimately what I say goes, and it’s that simple. My name is on the deeds, the money from the Constable is in my bank account. None of them would dare rock the boat. They don’t want to end up on the streets.’
I stepped away from him.
‘How can you talk like this?’ I asked with disgust. ‘What about ‘we are a family’ and everything you’ve said? Is that how you feel about me? If I don’t go along with exactly what you want, am I going to be tossed aside too?’
Jude could see I was irate. He decided to take another tack.
‘I just meant that if it comes to it, I will put my foot down. This place is built on one key thing and that is respect for each other. If we don’t receive that from any of them, I’ll be forced to rethink their position here.’
I couldn’t ignore what he was saying. It was the truth, but it was the first time I’d had to really face it. He had never acknowledged this to me before, and I felt uncomfortable.
‘But no one will react badly,’ he continued, ‘I am certain they’ll all welcome the news and wish us well.’
‘I hope you’re fucking right because if this blows up it will ruin everything you have worked towards. Christie Hall must carry on,’ I said solemnly.
‘Belle, don’t be so over the top. It’s fine. Everything will be just fine. Now come on, it’s time. Let’s do this.’ He lead me by the hand and we left the safety of the pig shed, walking towards the unknown.
With each step my heartbeat quickened. Jude held my hand tightly as we made our way into the dining room. They were all there, seated, waiting for us. I saw Charlie looking at our entwined fingers. She knew what was coming. Everyone probably did.
Jude did the talking. He explained everything to them. I stood by his side with my eyes glued to the floor, terrified of getting a look of disapproval from someone. When he’d finished, the room was silent. I looked up and searched each of their faces for a response. You could have heard a pin drop. No one blinked. The clock was ticking but time stopped. My heart was in my mouth as I waited for someone to speak. Maggie was the first to break the silence.
‘Well,’ she smiled, ‘I think I speak for us all when I say how delighted we are that the
two of you have worked things out.’
Charlie cheered and banged her fist on the table. They all clapped. It was wonderfully surreal.
‘Well, go on then, you two,’ said Joanie. ‘You’ve got a plane to catch.’
I was so grateful for her blessing. I gave her a big hug.
‘Thank you,’ I whispered in her ear. ‘You’re an angel.’
As I packed my suitcase, I thought about what life would be like when we got back. We hadn’t left the country yet but already I was planning my return.
I went into Jude’s room to find him standing there hopelessly, staring at his wardrobe. I had zipped through my packing in ten minutes flat: throwing in my bikini, a couple of skirts and tops, flip flops, make up, wash things, and other necessaries. He was just standing in his room, with his towel around his neck and a tube of sunscreen in his hand. I told him to take a seat while I packed for him. He sank onto the end of the bed and pointed to the various things he knew he wanted to take. He looked like a king surrounded by rich fabrics.
Once we were packed, he double-checked that he had our tickets and passports, and then we said our goodbyes to everyone. Wally had kindly offered to drive us to the airport hotel. I squeezed myself past the front passenger seat and into the back, dragging my suitcase with me. Jude, by some miracle, had managed to get the rest of our things into the small boot of the Nissan.
The key turned in the ignition and music blasted from the stereo. It was a song I hadn’t heard for years, and it reminded me of good times spent with friends when I was at school. Jude leaned over to turn it down, and I stopped him, asking him to turn it up a notch or two. I was so excited, I thought I might burst like a piece of popping corn.
It was six o’clock when our enjoyable journey came to an end, most of which had been spent singing our hearts out and throwing our arms around. We pulled up outside the front of the clinical looking concrete airport hotel. It looked more like a car park than a four star establishment. It was a tomb built for travellers in limbo.
Planes flew low overhead, their bright lights flashing and the roar from the engines echoing around us. Jude and Wally removed the luggage from the car and piled it up near the entrance, while I stood smoking a cigarette and hugging myself in the bitter cold. We thanked Wally for the lift and said our goodbyes, standing together and waving him off. Watching his car disappear, we turned to face each other. Jude put his arms around me and pulled me close.
‘Just the two of us now,’ he mumbled through the mass of my hair.
‘Yep,’ I replied, ‘You ok with that?’
He brought his face down. His mouth was only an inch from mine.
‘I couldn’t be happier.’ A plane soared over us at that moment, just like a shooting star.
We gathered our bags and went into the hotel. The lobby was surprisingly nice. Creamy yellow wallpaper covered the walls and the furniture had been upholstered to match. The receptionist greeted us warmly. Jude checked us in, while I watched a pianist in the bar, playing a jazz tune. I noticed he wore a bow tie and I felt instantly underdressed. We got our key cards and went up to our room.
The same décor as the lobby had been continued in the bedrooms. We dumped our bags on the floor, and I went to explore the bathroom. Travel always made me feel dirty, so I took a shower. Halfway through, Jude jumped in with me. We made love as the hot water trickled down our bodies. I was reminded of our first night together in the field, having sex in the rain.
Then we dressed and strolled downstairs. We held hands, and it felt natural being together in public. We found a table with a leather sofa and sat down to watch the pianist play. The green leather squeaked as I moved and it felt icy cold against my palms. I got up and went over to the bar to order drinks. When I returned to the table, Jude had gone. I noticed him standing next to the musician, chatting to him as he played. Jude said something to the man and pointed over to me. I raised my drink in acknowledgement. When he came back, I asked him what he’d been doing. He told me he had requested a song for me. A moment later Summertime was playing. I took his hand and stood up.
‘Dance with me.’ I said and smiled like a Cheshire cat.
‘You’re joking, right?’ he replied.
I pulled him up out of his seat.
‘But people are watching’
‘Fuck them.’ I guided him to a suitable space.
I put my arm around his waist and held his hand. He looked self-conscious.
‘You’re crazy,’ he said.
Neither of us could dance properly, so we swayed on the spot. As the song came to an end, he leaned me back over his arm and kissed me. We both laughed and applauded the pianist. A stuffy-looking middle-aged couple watched us with a mix of admiration and disdain.
It was nearly half past eight and the bar was filling up, so we ordered some light supper. When Jude had finished his beer and I the last of my coffee, we approached the bar to pay the bill.
The couple that watched us dance earlier were still there. The grey haired husband, who was slightly cross-eyed, leaned over and congratulated us on our efforts. His wife sat stiffly on the tall bar stool in a floral summer-holiday outfit. She reminded me of Hyacinth Bucket from Keeping up Appearances. They were both a little overweight and probably in their mid-sixties. It was obvious that they no longer liked each other.; they hadn’t said more than two words to each other all evening. Finally the woman spoke.
‘You must be on your honeymoon. I recognize the look in your eyes, my dears. Where are you off to?’
I laughed. Jude put his arm around me.
‘You’re right. We are honeymooning in Thailand.’
He surprised me. I had expected him to put her right. The mere mention of the word marriage sent most men running. I decided to join in with the fun.
‘Yes, we’ve come straight from the reception. The best day of our lives, right, honey?’ I looked up at Jude with exaggerated pride and pinched his bum.
‘She’s a keeper,’ he said.
I could see he was trying his hardest not to laugh as the real married couple cooed at us.
I explained that we had an early flight, and we excused ourselves. Once we knew we weren’t in earshot we collapsed with giggles, tears pouring from our eyes. For a moment I couldn’t breathe. It was the kind of laughter so heartfelt that no noise is made. Our mouths moved, and we shook silently as we waited for the lift. The lift arrived and when the doors slowly closed behind us, I said, ‘Ever had sex in a lift?’ I pushed him up against the mirrored wall.
‘You are on fire tonight!’ he said.
‘Have you?’ I undid the top button of his jeans.
‘No, I haven’t.’ He slid his hands onto my bum.
‘Me neither.’ My hand was in his boxer shorts. ‘Such a shame we don’t have time now.’ I gave him a squeeze before removing my hand and backing away with a smile.
‘God damn it, woman, you drive me wild!’ he said. He had a charged look in his eyes. I leaned back against him and did his trousers up.
‘Earlier, in the bar, that song was the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me,’ I said.
Red flooded his cheeks and he said nothing. Jude wasn’t comfortable with compliments. We arrived on our floor and within minutes were back in our room, kissing and stripping each other’s clothes off.
When we finally fell asleep, I had another apparition.
* * *
I come to. The darkness has lifted. I’m in a cellar. I can see that now. My vision is blurred. I need a minute for my sight to adjust. I am still tied up. The metal shackles around my wrists feel so cold. I cannot see my captor. He is not in the room but I can see myself in a mirror. I look at my bloody face. My blonde hair is a knotted mass of tangles and dried blood. There is a lump on the side of my head. The blood is clotted and black. I look like a corpse, the living dead. I am so pale. My naked body looks hopeless. and every bone aches. Why do I have to see myself like this? I twist my neck around to get a better look. A tiny window i
s above the bed head, letting in a small amount of light. I can see the dust particles dancing in the single beam. There is a camera on a tripod pointed at me. I had detached for a minute, but the fear returns. A tsunami of terror rips through me, and I start to tremble. I am fitting now. It is uncontrollable. I don’t feel it. I just watch myself from above. Foaming at the mouth. Distorted limbs. I am in cruel trouble. I am going to die
* * *
The next morning we woke at the crack of dawn, pulling back the embroidered curtains to reveal a dark cloud of smog covering the concrete view. We were both shattered, but the prospect of being on a beach in a few hours kept us going. We made our way to the reception and checked out, before heading off in the direction of departures at the airport. This world was a man-made mess of buildings, and I felt small wandering through the busy terminal, pushing the stubborn trolley. Jude fiddled about, searching for our tickets and passports.
Once we had checked in, we were ushered through to the departure lounge. A little time passed before we found ourselves in our grey carpeted seats preparing for take-off. I was a nervous flyer, having had a traumatic experience with turbulence a few years earlier on a trip to Italy. I gripped the armrests of my seat and braced myself as the engines roared and we taxied down the runway. Jude laughed and put his hand over mine. I felt reassured by his touch.
The long flight was uneventful. I noticed Jude admiring one of the airhostesses. I told him I would have made an effort to flirt with one of the male staff if they hadn’t all been gay. He laughed, as did a woman in a seat nearby, who was listening. The food was typically dreary and the in-flight movies predictably dull. For the majority of the journey, Jude slept, his head rolling from side to side. I pulled out a book from my bag and read it from cover to cover during the flight. The story scared me but I couldn’t put it down.
BENEATH THE WATERY MOON a psychological thriller with a stunning twist Page 12
