* * *
Roman wanted to argue with his wife’s words, deny them as lies, but couldn’t. She had been badly used by both Vladimir and himself. And while he’d tried to explain it to himself as just, as necessary for his pursuit of revenge, with the damage from his actions clear to see before him, he could no longer fight the awful truth of what he had done. That all the power and incredible self-possession he had seen the night they had conceived their child had been a thin layer of newly formed defence against the deeper devastation he had wrought on this extraordinary woman. He cursed himself to hell and back, lashing himself mentally with a thousand different painful thoughts. But this wasn’t about him, not here and now. It was about Ella. And what she needed.
‘I wanted to show you, with this house, that you can have whatever you want most in the world.’
‘But that is the problem. You know what it is that I want because you got the truth out of me when we were engaged…and I did not do the same. You know me, but I don’t know you. All I know is that you have taken decisions that I would want to have made myself away from me. You have…’
‘Taken away your freedom.’
She nodded sadly as she bit into the lower lip he wanted for himself and then castigated himself once again for his inappropriate wayward thoughts.
‘I am not used to having others to think of,’ he admitted roughly. ‘So much of my life has been lived under my own direction, my own decisions. But that will change. I do understand why you feel this way. And I know that I am the cause of it. But, if you let me, I will prove that you can trust me. I will not take those decisions away from you again. I promise you that.’ He held her gaze with his, determined to allow her to see the truth, the honesty of his words, hoping beyond all hope that he could honour that promise.
‘And you are right. I did see the truth of you before. Not just the innocence and naivety I once taunted you with, but the strength of a woman who cared deeply about her grandmother. So much so that she would put her own dreams on hold. A woman determined not to rely on the money provided by her guardian and father, who would not fritter it away on silly ephemeral comforts but create a business that would provide much needed support for charities throughout the globe. And even after events that would have cowed a great many other people, a woman who found her own strength and determination to ask for what she wanted, to demand what she was due. And that woman was incredible to me. Empowered and enthralling enough to make me beg her to take what she wanted from me and leave me wanting more. A woman who will make the most wonderful mother, caring, honest and with an integrity that leaves me ashamed,’ he admitted.
‘But you have to decide whether you can trust me. Because, if you don’t, then you will never stop second-guessing me and it will drive you mad,’ he concluded. Just like it had driven Roman almost mad in those first few months after his mother’s death—wondering, questioning whether he could have done something—anything more to save her. He could not, and would not, allow Ella to live under such a damaging weight.
He produced the keys to the house from his pocket. ‘This is the only set of keys to this house. The deeds are in your name and no one else’s. It is yours. Completely. You can do with it what you will. Sell it, rent it, keep it.’ He pressed the keys into her hands. ‘I’ll wait outside until you’re ready to leave.’
* * *
Ella felt the loss of him from the house as something physical. The hurt, angry part of her cried that she would never be able to trust him. But the softer yearning part of her looked about a house almost made from her dreams and hoped. Roman was right. She had to stop. She had to draw a line under the past if they had any hope of the future.
As Roman had painted the picture of her as he had seen her, Ella had wavered, wanting to be all that he described. Hoping that he was speaking the truth and feeling something unfurl within her, reaching to be that person. Instead of using her fears against her, he had listened to them, comforted them and her. She looked around the room, seeing with hope what her future could be. And for the first time in a long time she felt strong enough to reach for it.
But within that strength was a deep knowledge, a belief. She might be able to trust her husband with this, but she would never trust him with her heart. Could never. Because that hurt would be too much to bear.
As she left the house she saw Roman sitting on the steps leading down to the driveway, Dorcas lifting her head from her master’s touch in happy expectation. The tableau was oddly moving. Her dog, her husband, her home.
‘So what else does our lovely new estate have to offer?’ she asked him, the ache in her chest easing just a little as she saw the answering smile in his gaze.
CHAPTER EIGHT
And now every bite, every snarl, every gnashing of his teeth was about to be heaped on the wolf tenfold. For the one thing he had not learned yet was that you can never escape the actions of the past.
The Truth About Little Red Riding Hood
—Roz Fayrer
ELLA FINISHED THE phone call to Célia with a smile on her face, having gone over the details ahead of the meeting with Ivan Mozorov. In the last
