Elena was shattered by the mental picture he had painted of her, and horror and revulsion fought for supremacy when she forced herself to meet his cold, contemptuous stare. ‘Stephan, it..it was like that at all!’‘How do you manage to look so innocently sincere while all the time you’re a lying little bitch? he demanded with a stinging disdain that was like a savage crushing blow delivered directly to her heart. ‘. The water is boiling,’ he changed the subject abruptly, glancing beyond her.Only then did she hear the high-pitched whistle, and she turned sharply to switch off the kettle. Her hand shook violently when she lifted the kettle to pour water into one of the cups, and she somehow missed her mark, to pour boiling water over her hand which was resting on the cupboard beside the cup.Her gasp of pain coincided with Stephan’s exclamation of anger, and her hand was snatched and held beneath the cold water tap. The flow of water eased the sting while Stephan took a tray of ice cube
Elena did not hear her alarm go off the following morning , and it was the persistent ringing of the telephone in the lounge which finally managed to rouse her at seven o’ clock. She leapt out of bed, snatching her cotton robe and putting it on as she staggered barefoot from the bedroom into the lounge. Are you all right, Elena?’ Theo’s voice demanded when she had snatched the receiver, and his anxiety was understandable when memories of the previous night came flooding back into her mind.Yes, I’m fine, she assured hi,, subsiding weakly into the nearest chair and staring at the pink hue on her left hand which was still tender to the touch.‘Am I going to see you again?’His uncertainty was touching, and it was perhaps unwise of her, but she saw in Theo the sanctuary she needed so desperately In this emotional storm which had erupted over her head.I’ll see you whenever you wish Theo,’ she replied as she pushed her tousled hair out of her faces and she could hear him sighing in relie
‘I plead guilty,’ she smiled, raising her hands in a gesture of surrender, but her expression sobered the next instant. ‘What are you doing here in Mystic Falls?’‘I was invited for the weekend, and I decided to stop in town to pay you a visit before I drive out to the farm.’Damian’s green eyes were narrowed against the glare of the sun as he glanced around him. ‘Is there somewhere in this God-forsaken town where one could get a decent lunch?’‘The Mopani restaurant,’ she enlightened him, inwardly amused at this city man’s description of the small village she loved so much.’ You must have driven past it without noticing it.’Damian opened the door on the passenger side of his Jaguar. ‘You’ll have to direct me to it.’‘Is this an invitation to lunch?’‘It most certainly is and I am not taking "no" for an answer.’Elena had no intention of declining his invitation, and Damian waited until she was seated comfortably before he closed the door and walked round to the driver’s side.‘I’ve o
Elena was not looking forward to the evening ahead of her, and her dread of having to go out to Dinner with Damien had afforded her a sleepless night. She had prayed that something might occur to cancel the arrangement, but Damien had arrived at her cottage at five o’ clock sharp on the Saturday afternoon, and he had been as adamant as the day before that’s he should accompany him…or else! She was not entirely convinced that he would carry out his threat , but she dared not take the chance. If Stephan had to be told the truth, then she would prefer that he heard it from her and no one else.She clasped her hands nervously in her lap, and her tension increased when Damien’s silver Jaguar picked up speed on the open gravel road which led north to Rose Gardens. The soil was rich, and the climate was perfect for citrus and vegetable farming, but Rose gardens had been a cattle- ranch known far and wide for its quality beef. Was Stephan planning to change all that? Her anxiety escalated at
Elena felt like a junior nurse who was being prepped by her superior before being sent to assist in the theatre for the first time, and a nervous laugh escaped her. “Don’t tell me you suspect that Aura and I are heading towards some sort of clash.”“ The possibility cannot be overlooked.” Damien smiled at her briefly, but his smile never reached his eyes when he frowned again. “Aura has a habit of dealing swiftly and wickedly with someone whom she considers a competitor.”“I have no desire to compete with her.” Elena Protested with a measure of distaste.“You know that isn’t completely true,” Damien countered her statement. “ if you were given a second chance, you would take it.”Damien had a disconcerting way of digging down to the very root of a matter, but she was not going to let him startle her into making a confession.l’m not looking for a second chance, she argued against that treacherous voice in her heart. ‘When I ended my engagement to Stephan five years ago, I knew that I
His snub sent a wave of heat into her face, but it receded the next instant, leaving her chilled as she withdrew her outstretched hand self consciously to clutch her white cottoned jacket against her body, in a subconscious attempt to add a little warmth to this icy hostile world she had entered.“That was quick,” he addressed Damien who had stepped up beside Elena to place an arm about her shoulders as if to comfort her in her time of distress, and Stephan’s eyes narrowed in irritation as he took note of what was going on.“One of the things, Elena was known for was her punctuality, remember? Damien tried to jog Stephan’s memory, which made Elena more uncomfortable. She didn’t want Stephan to think that she was here to seek his attention.Stephan’s face tightened with anger, and Elena braced herself for a retort, But Aura chose that moment to join them.In her elegant and sophisticated black top and slacks, Aura looked at Elena in disdain before linking her arms around Stephan, in a
The Verandah and barbecue are were lit with colored lights after sunset, and the meat was grilling on the glowing embers of the fire. The aroma was appetizing, but Elena was beginning to suspect that she would not be able to eat a thing. Tension had gripped her throat during the course of the evening, and it was fast becoming an effort to speak. She had tried desperately to not to glance in Stephan’s direction, but her eyes had been drawn to him severally as if by a magnet. She wished she could ignore him a he had ignored her all evening, but it was impossible. She was aware of him with every breath that she took and every laboring heat of her heart. She was also aware of the glaring intimacy between Stephan and Aura.Every smile they exchanged was like a knife viciously twisting her heart, she could only pray that she was not making her emotional dilemma visible to everyone else.Elena was forced to admit that Aura was a bright and charming hostess, and with the help for a servant,
The waiting room had been packed with patients waiting to see the doctor that Saturday morning.It was January in Mystic Falls when the summer was at its peak, and Mystic Falls was known for its extreme temperatures. But Elena Gibson succeeded in projecting an image of cool, calm professionalism in her nurse’s uniform.Rachel Robert was the last patient in the waiting room as at lunch break. Elena had just finished attending to her. She was a woman in her sixties with grey hair combed back into a neat bun. She was engrossed in the daily papers, when she looked up to find Elena’s eyes resting on her, she closed the papers she had been paging through and placed it on the table beside her chair.‘I’ve sold Rose Garden’, she said chattily, but there was a deep sadness in her eyes. ‘Mike and I never had any children and there is no point in staying alone at the farm now that he is no longer alive’.Elena Gibson’s greatest weakness as a nurse had always been her inability to distance herself