Alistair had the insane desire to smash his fist on Ethan’s nose and see it broken and bloodied. He frowned. What the fuck?

Since he discovered Heather’s betrayal, no woman had stirred his emotions as Sophia had. He had learned just to satisfy his own sexual needs and discard the women. You can’t trust women. Remember, Alistair Connor.

Sophia licked her lips, spinning back toward her daughter. “Let’s go, Gabriela.” They held hands and stepped away from Alistair.

“See you all later,” Sophia said to the room, then waved and departed.

Andrew, who sat next to Alistair, glanced at the couple exiting the room and the child walking shyly beside the mother. Tapping his fingers on the sofa arm, he frowned. “A word of advice, Alistair. Ashford is a jealous man and quite possessive of his things. He doesn’t like to share or to lose.”

“Things?” Alistair let the word roll on his tongue. “Do you consider her a thing? What is she? A slave? I thought slavery had been abolished centuries ago.”

“I didn’t mean that. I just want to give you some advice. Use it as you wish. For her sake, if not for yours,” Andrew insisted.

“I think he’s right, Brother.” Alice concurred, quietly arriving at his side.

Alistair rose and poured himself a large whisky. He swallowed it, feeling the burn in his throat, as rage seethed in him. “You’re all seeing things that don’t exist. Heather and Nathalie have only been dead a year. For Christ’s sake! I’ve met the woman before; she’s no novelty to me! I was just talking with her daughter.”

He swallowed the rest of the whisky, banged the glass on the table, and strolled out of the room, leaving an astonished audience to watch his exit.

Chapter 10

Saturday, February 13th, 2010.

10 a.m.

Alistair followed her every idiosyncratic movement as she walked through the pool area, in her Brazilian bikini and a white linen shirt that fell mid-thigh, but did little to conceal her body. The rise and fall of her breasts with each breath, the soft swing of her hair as her head moved, her nervous wetting of her lips with her tongue, the sway of her hips as she walked with her long legs and her soft round butt. All this drove him to distraction. I’m sure she has a Brazilian wax, too. Fuck. I have to control my thoughts.

He felt a prickle on his neck and, looking away from her, he caught Ethan watching him through narrowed eyes. Fuck! I don’t want any problems. He nodded and looked away. She had warned him; she was seeing someone else. She is Ethan’s. No point in staring, in desiring.

Alas, his eyes seemed glued to her. Who am I fooling? Alexander is ogling her, too. Even Andrew, who has eyes only for Domitila, is sneaking peeks at her.

And still she’s nervous. He could notice by the way she licked her lips and tapped her long nails on her hips. Why? Doesn’t she know she’s the most beautiful, sensual woman in the house? In England? Christ! In the whole of Britain? That she drives each and every man crazy with desire? That her bikini is the most sinful thing I ever saw in my whole life? It shows without really showing. Promises and temptations, making my blood boil in my veins, as if I’m in my own private hell. Or maybe that’s it. I’m atoning for my sins. God knows I have plenty. But, fuck! This is a good way to expiate one’s sins. Curse Ethan and his sense of ownership. Curse my scruples. Life is not fair. At least, Ethan doesn’t seem jealous of Gabriela.

Alistair crossed the pool lounge and sat next to Gabriela and the other children. Immediately, she smiled at him. Thanks Christ for children.


Ethan noticed the men’s lustful gazes toward Sophia. Why has she put on that bikini? She’s showing off! He narrowed his eyes, enraged.

Sophia gave Ethan a trembling smile that he didn’t reciprocate. Mustering courage, she shrugged off her shirt, let it drop on a nearby chair, and gracefully dove in the pool. She swam underwater until she reached Alice, Leonard, and Ethan and sat quietly on a pool step, draping some of her heavy wet hair over her scarred arm. Opening her arms, she called Alice and Leonard’s daughter, who had just arrived by her mother’s side. “Ariadne, come sit by me. I’ll make you a beautiful braid.”

The lovely and intelligent Ariadne immediately came to sit sideways on Sophia’s lap. Ariadne and Gabriela had developed a friendship from their first meeting. Sophia had always loved children and Ariadne enchanted her.

“Sophia, can I ask you something?” Ariadne asked as Sophia braided her long strawberry blonde hair.

“Of course, my dear.”

Running her hand over Sophia’s left shoulder to her jagged scars, brushing aside Sophia’s hair, Ariadne inquired, “What is this?”

A fierce stab shot through Sophia’s head. She hissed in pain and winced noticeably, closing her eyes, her fingers faltering on the braid.

“Ariadne!” Leonard chastised the girl, shocked.

Everyone went dead quiet and all eyes were riveted on them.

Sophia paled and looked around. She knew. Deep inside, she knew. I can flee to Siberia, but the nightmare will stay with me forever, no matter what I do, no matter how much I try to hide. There’s no escape.

“Ariadne, we don-” Alice began.

Sophia raised her hand, placating the anxious mother. “It’s okay, Alice. She’s just curious.” Turning to the girl, she answered, “It’s an old scar.”

“And how did you get it?”

Sophia heard Alice’s breath falter but she kept her eyes on the child’s green ones.

How? I don’t remember. “Some bad men shot me about two years ago.” And they killed my husband, destroying my life, despoiling me of my dreams.

“Why?”

Why? I don’t know. Sophia’s head pounded so much she thought it would explode. “Why?” She smiled sadly at the girl, finishing the girl’s braid. How could anyone explain this? “Ariadne, they were evil men and they didn’t know good from bad.”

From the corner of her eyes, Sophia saw Alice and Leonard shifted uncomfortably.

“Does it hurt?”

“Sometimes, a bit.” Oh, it hurts a lot. Every day I wake up alone. Every night I go to bed on my own. It hurts every single minute of my goddamned life. Only I know how much. Nevertheless, she couldn’t tell this to a child. She noticed that Ethan observed her with a creepy expression.

Ariadne gazed at her, gently. “You know, everyone has a mark, maybe this is yours.”

Sophia shivered at this. “It’s an ugly mark.” She tried to locate Gabriela but couldn’t spot her from where she was.

“Ugly?” Ethan laughed darkly at her. “It’s a hideous scar. It disfigures you.” Yeah, baby, let’s show these guys that you’re not so hot, perfect, and gorgeous.

Sophia gasped aloud. “What has gotten into you, Ethan?”

“Does the truth upset you, darling?”

“Better scarred on the outside than on the inside,” she fired back, through clenched teeth.

“What do you mean by that?” he asked in a menacing voice.

She didn’t answer.

She placed a kiss on Ariadne’s cheek and got out of the pool, with as much composure as she could muster. She grabbed her shirt, yanked it through her arms, and looked for her daughter. Gabriela detested when people talked about Sophia’s scars. The little girl, in Alistair’s arms, watched the scene wide-eyed and sucked her thumb. Alistair’s face had turned thunderously dark as he listened to Sophia and Ethan’s argument.

Oh, damn! She went in their direction, her eyes glazed by the pain in her head, the bitter memories, and Ethan’s words.

Without thinking, Alistair transferred the child to Sophia’s extended arms and cradled them both in his embrace. She put her head on his shoulder, violently trembling.

“Easy, easy,” he soothed. “Calm down.”

Neither of them noticed when Ethan got out of the pool, on her trail. “Take your hands off her.”

Alexander came into Ethan’s path. “There, Ashford. Haven’t you done enough damage for today?”

“Sophia, I think you could use a drink,” Leonard intervened, flinging Alistair a towel to envelop her.

Elena rose from her place, an appalled look on her face.

Sophia and Gabriela left the pool lounge, in Alistair’s embrace, with Elena leading the way and Leonard at the rear, leaving an enraged Ethan behind.


1.53 p.m.

Although the food was delicious, the lunch was a tense affair for Sophia. She hardly ate, pushing the food around on her plate. Even the wine tasted like acid, but, fortunately, Ethan had once again calmed down, as if nothing had happened. Gabriela had her lunch with Alice’s children and their friends. Ariadne and Gabriela were now playing outside and squealing with delight.

Coffee and liqueur were served in the square Blue Drawing Room, which faced the gardens.

Sophia sat between Ethan. Claire and John sat at the other end of the long sofa, in front of a huge fireplace. Next to John sat Alexander. Leonard and Alice were seated in the two armchairs. Elena joined Michael, Alice and Leonard’s son in the TV room.

Sophia gradually relaxed, Ethan’s arm on her shoulders, his hand caressing her arm, no longer bothered by the scar he said he found so hideous.

Gabriela and Ariadne entered the room through the garden doors, each one running to their mom. Behind them, came Alistair, Andrew, and Domitila, with satisfied smiles on their faces.

“Look, Mama, what beautiful flowers I picked for you in the greenhouse.” Gabriela showed a bunch of daisies to Sophia.