A Safe Pair of Hands Ch. 01-02

She felt her eyes fill with tears, and blinked them back furiously. What on earth was the matter with her tonight?

She put the tea pot and the cups on a tray and dumped it down on the table.

"Shall I play mother - or will you?" she asked primly as she sat down across from him.

His lips twitched, and his eyes narrowed, but there was absolutely no other sign from him that anyone was home.

"Please... will you do it." he finally murmured huskily.

Sadie shrugged her shoulders and picked up the heavy tea pot. She swirled it gently a couple of times and then filled the two cups.

"Milk and sugar's right there... help yourself."

Sadie watched him as he added a sprinkle of sugar and stirred in a small quantity of milk.

As he sat back she reached out to add milk to her own, and a light sprinkle of sugar to her cup before stirring the brew with the spoon.

She sipped at her tea, waiting for him to speak... she had tried once and got nowhere, now it was his turn - if he wanted answers, then he had better come up with some questions.

The silence stretched out between them, and Sadie cupped her hands around her mug and waited tiredly for him to find his voice.

"What happened... three years ago... what really happened?"

The question when it came was not the expected one. She shrugged her shoulders.

"You were there... you saw well enough."

"I thought that I did, that guy seemed genuine... you seemed cold and unmoved by his pleas. I thought I saw it all."

"So there you go then... you have good instincts, you have good eyes." Sadie shrugged again and sipped at her tea.

"He threatened to kill himself... he said that he couldn't live without you?" he persisted firmly.

Sadie's grey eyes met his brown. "And so I should have given in? I should have stayed with him? Given up my life for him?"

He didn't answer her, he looked troubled.

"WELL?" Sadie demanded in exasperation. "You had enough of an opinion three years ago to condemn me - so what about now? Was I wrong?"

"I don't know... maybe you should have tried to be more - understanding?"

Sadie laughed bitterly.

"What makes you SO sure that I didn't... that I hadn't before?"

Nicolas looked at her sharply.

"That wasn't the first time that he'd threatened...?"

"Not even the fifth time!" Sadie snapped. "And every SINGLE time I gave in and gave him another chance!" Her voice thickened with emotion, but she blinked back the tears defiantly.

"You didn't love him?"

Sadie shook her head. "The first time that he hit me, he killed any love that I felt for him."

"Hit... first...?" the colour drained from his face, and for a moment she thought that he was going to be sick.

"Are you okay?" she asked concerned.

He gulped down some of the tea and placed his cup carefully on the table... he kept his attention fixed firmly on that cup - unable for the moment to meet her eye.

"Start at the beginning..." he demanded suddenly. "And tell me everything."

Sadie sighed. "It's very late, I'm very tired, and what does it matter now anyway? It was after all three years ago!"

He looked across at her suddenly, and Sadie sat back.

"Please..." he said huskily as he reached out to touch the back of her hand. "Please Sadie... I NEED to know!"

"Why?"

"Because I thought three years ago that I knew what kind of woman you were... and now... now I think that I might have got it all wrong."

Sadie shrugged again. "It's not really made any difference - has it? I mean I work for you now and keeping that distance is probably a good thing?"

"Please, Sadie," he begged her huskily. "Three years ago I never gave you a chance to explain, but now I am asking you... please TALK to me!"

Sadie sighed as her mind went back to a terrible time for her.

"I met Rick, about six years ago;" She smiled ruefully. "I was just turned twenty at that time, and I suppose, ripe for falling in love..."