Sweet Revenge Ch. 04

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That night, Richard didn't touch Karina when they went to bed. Karina read his withdrawal as a rejection of her. Obviously, he wanted nothing more to do with her, now that he had gotten her with child.

Karina cried quietly, being careful to conceal her trembling. So this was what it felt like to be in love with a man who didn't return your feelings, she thought bitterly. She hadn't intended to fall in love with him. She would have given anything if only she could hate him and his baby growing inside her.

She felt an immediate stab of guilt from the thought, and she placed a tender hand over her belly. Karina knew in her heart that she could never abandon her baby, as he intended. She certainly couldn't stay for the next several months and bear him a child, only to be shunned and sent back to her father. She would never give her child up while she still drew breath!

For the first time in weeks, she seriously considered the possibility of escaping. Richard had scared her with his threats toward her father, but now Karina was desperate. Even if it meant possible danger to her father, she had to find some way to get away.

If she could reach her home before Richard, she could warn her father. She drew a shaky breath and felt remarkably calm as she thought of her options. It would be risky, but she was now fighting not only for herself but for her unborn child, and she had to try. She would have to plan carefully, though, for she would need supplies and a mode of transportation to make it across the desert alive.

Karina had deduced from watching the other villagers come and go that she was somewhere east of Cairo, but she didn't know just where. If she traveled due west, she would eventually reach the Nile river, and she could follow that to Cairo. She would rest today and gather the supplies she needed. Then, on the morrow, she would leave before sunup.

Richard returned the next morning to find Karina quiet and withdrawn. He assumed it was due to the babe.

"Do you feel alright this morning?" he asked, as he shed his dusty clothes and dressed in a fresh tunic.

"Hmm, yes fine," she murmured absentmindedly, trying to appear normal. "Are you hungry? I have a tray of bread and fruit for you."

He sat down to eat, and he watched her as he munched on the food. He needed to talk with her, but her reserve made him all the more nervous. He wanted to do what little he could to make things right between them. He couldn't change his past actions, but he hoped she might be willing to let him change their future. If he begged for her forgiveness and vowed to spend the rest of his life making it up to her, would she be receptive to his offer? Would she even listen?

Karina felt his gaze on her, and she bit her lip to stop it from trembling. She maintained her silence, and set about tidying the tent. She picked up his dirty clothes, and smoothed them over her arm, as she put them with the other laundry to be washed. Then, she tidied up her own items.

Richard realized she was fidgeting. He considered her with his head at an angle. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes, I said I am fine," she said nonchalantly, but she refused to look at him.

"Come here," he said quietly.

"As you can see, I am busy," she replied, not pausing in her activity.

"I can see you are fidgeting and trying your best to ignore me. Now, stop what you are doing and come here...please."

The fact that he had asked rather than demanded caught her off guard. She sank to her knees beside him. He watched her for several moments before rubbing his thumb across her cheek gently.

"Didn't you sleep well last night? You have circles under your eyes."

Karina sought for a way to divert his interest from her. She didn't want him watching her too closely, and she settled on attack as the best diversion.

"As a matter of fact, I didn't sleep very well, thinking about the baby. I was hoping that I wouldn't be able to bear you a child." She said the words as coldly as she could while keeping her chin from quivering through sheer dint of will.

He digested the words in silence, as he scanned her features. Her coldness sliced through his heart, but he had done little to encourage her to feel any warmth toward him, so he couldn't protest now. "Yes, you must be quite disappointed," he stated flatly.

She looked away and raised her chin a notch. "I suppose you are overjoyed now. Your plan for revenge against my father is proceeding just as you had hoped it would. Never mind the fact that my father never murdered anyone, or that I am innocent in the whole thing." She couldn't keep sudden tears from welling in her eyes, but he mistook them for tears of anger.

Richard wanted to tell her that he had changed his mind and beg her to stay with him, but he was afraid. What if she wouldn't agree? What if she couldn't forgive him? Would he be able to set her free if that was what she still wanted? These questions plagued him, and he remained tensely silent, as he watched her, trying to gauge what her reaction would be if he should admit to his true feelings.

Karina couldn't read his thoughts from his blank expression, and she wasn't sure why he hesitated. However, she could not maintain her cool facade through much more of his scrutiny. "Are you finished with me? I would like to continue my work," she snapped in irritation.

He nodded and rose to leave the tent. "I will see you at dinner," he said somewhat brusquely over his shoulder.

As the tent flap dropped into place behind him, the tears overflowed from Karina's eyes and rolled unheeded down her cheeks. God, how she wished things were different between them! She mentally shook herself. She didn't have time to wallow in her own misery. She had to proceed with her plans, for her own sake as well as the child's.

She spent the rest of the afternoon secretly gathering several skins filled with water. She hid a large chunk of cheese and some fruit in a cloth and stashed them in the corner of the tent, where they wouldn't be noticed. Next, she strolled around the camp nonchalantly, as she secretly surveyed the animals and spotted a small Arabian mare that looked as if it would suit her. It was in fine health, and seemed to be even tempered. Karina was an accomplished horsewoman, so she didn't doubt her ability to handle the animal, but she wanted as little trouble as possible. She located the bridles and other riding equipment and made a mental note of where they were stored. She would have to be able to locate the proper tent in the dark before sunrise to make good her escape.

When all was ready, she returned to the tent and prepared for dinner. It would be the last evening she would share with Richard, and she had to appear normal.

Richard was quieter than usual that evening, but he didn't seem to be suspicious of her plan. They sat with the others at dinner, and Karina chatted with Fatima as usual. Karina regretted that she wouldn't be able to say goodbye to the older woman. Fatima had become a good friend, but Karina didn't dare test her loyalty to Richard.

That night, when Richard turned to her, she didn't fight him. This would be the last time he held her, and her heart ached with the knowledge, making the moments bittersweet. She responded to him, pouring all her love for him into their coupling. Karina choked back anguished tears and let herself simply enjoy everything he was doing with her body.

Her reaction surprised him, but Richard wasn't about to question the change in her. He hadn't been able to find the right words to express himself, so he let his tender actions speak of all the longing in his heart. He lavished her with soft caresses and hot kisses, listening to the sound of her pleasured moans in the darkness. They reached a level of intimacy that had eluded them before, and they were each a bit stunned as they clung together, floating listlessly in the netherworld of passion, anchored only by each other.

Afterward, he pulled her into his arms and cradled her head against his shoulder. She didn't pull away from his embrace, and he wondered whether there might be a chance for a future between them after all.

Karina dozed fitfully during the night. Her heart ached with the knowledge that she would probably never see Richard again. He would never hold their baby or cradle her in his strong arms. Her throat ached from unshed tears, and she snuggled closer against him, attempting to draw out as much pleasure as she could from their final night together.