Someone to Love Me.

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven








The cab pulled up at the kerbside and Catherine paid the driver before making her way to her apartment.  There was no problem with the key to the door so hopefully luck was on her side this time.  It fit thank goodness and she opened the door and went inside. 
         Pushing it to, she stood in amazement at the sight that met her eyes.  In a daze she walked through each of the rooms in turn, bewildered by what she was seeing. 
         Each room she entered had her opening her eyes wider with astonishment.  Not only had Luke arranged to have her apartment redone but it had been made back to the way it was before James had laid his slimy hands on it. 
         Of course there were some items missing and some details slightly altered here and there but she knew that it would have been impossible to reproduce every little detail.  Although, she noticed, her bedroom was back to the frilly room that Luke had once teased her about.
         In the sitting room a brand new state of the art keyboard stood in pride of place.  It was obviously a replacement for the one that James had smashed.  Catherine ran her fingers lovingly over the keys and a lump formed in her throat. 
         A lot of hard work had gone into returning her things to how they had been and it had all been done so quickly too.  She was starting to think that maybe Grace was right about her son and Luke did have some feelings for her otherwise why had he gone to all this trouble.  Her heart swelled with love for him. What she found went a long way to explaining why he was unwilling to let her return home. It was nothing at all to do with James.  Luke just didn’t want her to see her apartment until the work was completed. 
         Opening a drawer she found that much her spoiled clothing had been replaced.  She doubted very much that Luke had been personally responsible for purchasing these belongings.  It was probably Susie who had been designated the task.  As long as Claire O’Donnell hadn’t been involved it didn’t matter, Catherine thought unkindly.
         There was no longer any sign of forced entry in the kitchen and the patio doors had been replaced along with all the broken crockery.
         No wonder she loved Luke.  What was there not to love about the man who had gone to all this effort for her? 
         She was going to phone him and thank him for all that he’d done and she would find the courage to tell him how she felt about him. 
         How on earth could she expect him to confide in her if she wasn’t prepared to do the same with him?  If she was reading the signs wrongly then so be it but at least she would have tried to mend some broken bridges. 
         She knew now that she had to give Luke a chance to reciprocate her feelings.  She owed it to him and to the child she was carrying.  At the end of the day if it turned out that she was mistaken – so what?  It would be nothing new.  She would pick up the pieces and carry on.  It wouldn’t be the first time but at least she’d have given it her best shot. 
         Thinking that there was no time like the present, she decided to phone Luke right away and so, lost in her thoughts she turned to go
into the hall where the telephone was kept. 
         A scream fled her lips as she realised that she was not on her own.  James Cavendish was standing in the doorway watching her.
         “How did you get in?”  She tried to stop herself from trembling as she spoke but she knew that fear was etched on her still bruised face. 
         He started walking towards her never taking his eyes from her and Catherine’s fear rose.
         “Is that all you have to say to me Catherine?  No hello James, nice to see you James, how are you James?”
         Catherine didn’t know what to say as she backed away from him.  It was too late to acknowledge that Luke had been right all along.  She realised that James must have been watching for her to return home and she’d played straight into his hands.  She was scared, scared for herself and even more scared for her baby. 
         It was patently obvious to see that James was not in his right mind.  His eyes were wild, he looked as though he hadn’t shaved in days and his clothes were grubby as though he’d been sleeping in them or living rough. He probably didn’t dare to go home in case the police were watching out for him. 
         Knocking her small kitchen table out of his way James made a grab for her but Catherine was too quick for him and managed to evade his grasping hands.  As he turned and tried again she made a dash for the front door. 
         Breathless with physical exertion and terror she struggled with the door in an effort to wrench it open but just as she thought she was winning James came up behind her, his strength negating her efforts.  He seized her by the arm and dragged her out of the hall and into the bedroom.  Catherine fought him all the way as the instinct to survive kicked in but he was so much stronger than she was and in his madness he tossed her roughly onto the bed. 
         She tried to scream but he clamped his hand over her mouth preventing the sound from escaping.  She struggled to free herself but James proved much too strong for her as he threw his weight over her to prevent her from getting loose, his hand still covering her mouth.
         Fighting for breath Catherine began to panic and blackness overtook her. The last thoughts to cross her mind before she plunged into unconsciousness were of Luke and her baby.
         
         Opening her eyes Catherine felt as though she was waking up from a deep sleep as she tried to unscramble her mind. 
         It took her a few moments to realise what had happened to her.  Slowly her eyes adjusted to the dark and as her memory returned she knew that she had awakened in the middle of a living nightmare. 
         James, it was James!  Her heart pounded with fear as she remembered.  How had he managed to get in?  She must not have locked the door securely as she came in and he’d been able to follow her inside. 
         How long had she been unconscious?  The curtains were drawn making the room dark so that Catherine wasn’t able to make a guess at the time but she couldn’t have been out of it for too long surely?
         She tried to sit up but it was awkward to move.  What the hell had James done to her?  As her mind cleared the truth began to dawn upon her. 
         She was tied up! 
         Her hands were bound together at the wrists with tape and secured with rope to the brass bed head while her feet were secured by the ankles to the base rail. 
         Fear swept through Catherine as she wondered what was going to happen to her.  Would anyone find her or was she alone and at the mercy of this madman?  Who, if anyone would bother to search for her? 
         No one knew where she was and her foolhardiness had not allowed her to tell Grace where she was going.  She was starting to realise that her plans were nowhere near as well thought out as they should have been.  She would be very lucky if Luke even attempted to search for her.  She for one wouldn’t blame him if he didn’t. 
         As she struggled frantically but unsuccessfully to free herself from the ropes that held her, the bedroom door opened and Catherine watched horrified as James, his face eerily backlit by the hall lamp walked over to the bed.  He seated himself on the edge and leaned over her. 
         His left hand rested close to her waist as it supported his body. The mattress sank under his weight and the bonds that were holding Catherine tightened.  The pain made her grit her teeth and a low moan escaped her lips.
         Straightening, James turned to look at her as, very slowly, he began to caress her legs. She shuddered as his fingers traced their path slowly but surely upwards. 
         He stopped and smiled at her, “You belong to me completely now Cathy.  I knew you’d come back to me if I waited long enough.”
         Catherine was at a loss what to say.  Terrified, she didn’t want to unbalance him any more than he already was by saying the wrong thing.  It was plain to see that his mind was deranged and it would not take much to tip him over the edge. 
         His hand came up to her face and he ran his finger down her cheek tracing the path of her tears.
         “You’re so beautiful Cathy.  You never should have left me darling, look at all the time we’ve wasted but it doesn’t matter we’re together now.”
         “James, please untie me.”  She was prepared to plead with him.  Not for her own sake but for the sake of the child she was carrying.  She was ready to do anything James wanted to keep her baby safe.
         He looked down at her, his pale blue eyes making him seem alien in the half light that shone from the hall lamp.
         “I’m sorry Cathy but you know that I can’t let you go again.  Now tell me please; did you get rid of the baby like I told you to?”
         Oh dear God please don’t let him harm my child. Catherine prayed as she’d never prayed before.  She might not have had much of a life at times but at least she’d had nearly thirty years.  Her baby hadn’t even reached birth and its life was threatened. 
         Lie to him and make him believe you, she told herself, knowing instinctively that her child’s life depended upon her words and actions.
         “I lost the baby James remember, the day you attacked me on the street.  I miscarried in the ambulance on the way to hospital.”
         He placed his hand on her stomach and then nodded his head as if remembering. 
         Catherine held her breath and pulled her overstretched muscles tighter hoping that he wouldn’t notice the slight swell that protected her child.
         “Good girl.  That’s good, now there’s just you and me.”
         “Please won’t you untie me James; I need to hold you close.”  With her hands and feet tied there was no way she could escape.  If she could just persuade him to untie her then at least she stood a fighting chance.
         “I’ve already told you no once.”  His voice hardened. “How can I trust you Cathy?  You keep running away and you know that’s wrong.” 
         His hands stoked their way from her stomach up over her breast to the top button of her blouse and he started to unfasten it.  Catherine closed her eyes in anguish as he slowly unbuttoned each one in turn.  She tried to concentrate her mind on other things in order to block James’ actions from her mind. 
         What was Luke doing now?  Had he missed her?  Would he search for her?  Would she ever see him again?  How she wished she’d done as he told her and then perhaps she wouldn’t be in this mess.  But she knew in her heart that for however long James remained free she would never be safe.  Even Luke couldn’t protect her 24/7.
         Suddenly, the phone shrilled to life in the hall startling both of them but it was only when the answer-phone kicked in that James reacted. 
         When Luke’s voice came over the line asking Catherine to pick up if she was there James strode into the hall and uttering a very explicit curse pulled the jack from its socket. 
         Deathly silence reigned again as he walked back into the bedroom.  Catherine’s heart was beating so fast she was sure it was going to burst but at least she knew now that Luke was looking for her.  Please God he found her before it was too late! 
         James sat back on the bed and continued to unfasten her blouse as he spoke to her. 
         “He can’t disturb us now,” he told her as he pushed the blouse open to reveal the delicate lace of her bra.
         Catherine tried in vain to free herself but it was no use, the more she struggled the more excited James became.
         He leaned over her and pulling her breast free from its lacy covering took its tip into his mouth and suckled on it. 
         Sick to the heart, Catherine prayed as she had never prayed before and the tears she had tried in vain to keep in check began to roll down her cheeks again. 
         The Lord must have heard her prayers she thought as the sound of someone banging on the front door filled the house.  Another profanity escaped James’ lips as he left the bedroom and walked into the hall.  Vanishing from Catherine’s view he walked towards the front door.  This was going to be her last chance she thought as she gathered her strength.
         She was just about to scream at the top of her voice in the hope of getting someone’s attention when Luke’s face appeared in the bedroom doorway followed by his beautiful body. 
         Putting his finger to his lips he signalled for silence and Catherine watched wide eyed as three police officers passed behind him.
         She ignored the sound of the scuffle that was now taking place in the hall as Luke came into the room and covering her dishabille, untied the ropes that were restraining her. 
         Once she was free he helped her to fasten up her blouse and then rubbed the circulation back into her numbed joints before taking her in his arms and holding her tightly to his broad chest.  His heat enfolded her as the cold hand of fear seeped slowly away.  He had been sent in answer to her prayers!
         “How did you know where to look for me,” she asked in between returning the kisses he was pressing against her hungry lips. 
         “You told mom everything darlin’ except where you were going and when you hadn’t returned by evening we got worried about you so I called the police.  They agreed with me that it was very likely you had returned here and that James had been watching out for you.  When we arrived and found the hall light switched on I called you on my cell phone but I was cut off.”
         “That was James,” Catherine butted in.  “He pulled the jack from the socket.”
                “Well we weren’t sure whether you were in trouble or just plain mad at me but we daren’t leave it to chance.  Luckily I had the key for the new patio doors so while one officer created a diversion by banging on your front door the rest of the posse came to your rescue through the back.”
         A polite cough had them turning to the doorway where one of the police officers stood. 
         “Sorry to disturb you,” he said, “but we’re taking Cavendish into custody.  We’d like a statement from Miss Ford but there’s no rush tonight, tomorrow will be fine.”
         “O.K Sergeant,” Luke replied, “I’ll bring her down in the morning after she’s had a good night’s rest.”
         He saw the officer out and returned to Catherine’s room where he gathered her in his arms again.
         “Darlin’ don’t ever scare me like that again,” he told her and the relief in his voice was obvious.
          “I’m so sorry Luke but your threats forced me to take extreme measures.” 
         “I know darlin’ but I love you so much; it was the only way I could think to keep you close to me.
         Catherine couldn’t believe what she was hearing.  “You love me?”
         “Of course I do.  Haven’t you realised that yet? I think it started that very first day in Clive’s office when you fell at my feet.”
         “But you love Claire.”
         “Darlin’ what the hell makes you think that?”
         “I saw you with her in the hotel bar in Ireland.  I came back down to ask you what was happening between us and there you were with Claire wrapped around you like cling-film.”
         “Well that surely does explain a lot of things,” Luke said with that slow drawl and lazy smile.
         “What do you mean?”
         “Well darlin’, I knew something was wrong but I sure couldn’t figure it out.  You blew hot and cold faster than a stampeding bull.
          Then when we touched base and I realised you were still a virgin I couldn’t take it in.  Making love came as natural to you as breathing.”
         “That still doesn’t explain about Claire.”
         “Catherine, from the moment I met Claire she tried everything that she could to get her hooks into me but I wasn’t interested.  She just turned up in the bar that evening.  I didn’t invite her and that’s the truth.  I admit that once we returned home I might have used her in order to get some kind of reaction from you but I never slept with her.” 
         “I couldn’t ignore her altogether; she is the daughter of a business associate and good friend.”
         Catherine looked up at him and smiled shyly.  “I thought you were put off because I was inexperienced.”
         “Oh darlin’, I wasn’t put off at all.  I loved your innocence, the way you were so eager to learn.  I think that’s when I knew for certain that I was in love you.”
         “I love you too Luke.  I always will.  I can’t imagine my life without you and our child needs its father.”
         “And you’re going to marry me?  It’s all arranged you know.  Mom even ordered the dress she said you chose.”
         ‘Wise woman,’ Catherine thought.  She knew our hearts better than we did ourselves.
         “Yes, I’ll be proud to marry you,” Catherine told him as he took her into his arms.
There wasn’t going be too much rest tonight for either of them if Catherine had her way.  What she really needed now was to be thoroughly loved and Luke was just the man to do it!