Lost Innocence by Susan Lewis

Author:Susan Lewis [Lewis, Susan]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Romance, Fiction, General
ISBN: 9781409064916
Google: F3Du4jiEFqgC
Amazon: B003ELY7CY
Barnesnoble: B003ELY7CY
Publisher: Windsor
Published: 2009-01-01T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

Robert was waiting as Sabrina and Annabelle came into the kitchen. ‘What on earth’s going on?’ he demanded. ‘I’ve been trying to call you…’

‘I’m sorry, I had to turn my phone off,’ Sabrina apologised. ‘Are you OK?’ she asked Annabelle.

‘I think so,’ Annabelle answered in a thready voice.

Robert’s eyes dilated with shock as he registered her bruises. ‘I didn’t realise …’ he stammered, a chill of horror going through him. Surely to God Nat hadn’t done that? ‘Are you badly hurt?’ he asked, not sure whether to go to her, or what to do.

Sabrina put an arm round Annabelle, saying, ‘It’s been a long day. You must be exhausted. Do you want anything to eat or drink?’

‘No, I think I’ll just go up and lie down,’ Annabelle answered.

Alarmed by the uncharacteristic meekness, and still thrown by the injuries, Robert watched her walk to the door. Suddenly, to his surprise, she came back and hugged him. ‘I don’t want to be a nuisance,’ she said, squeezing him tight.

‘You’re nothing of the sort,’ he assured her, smoothing her hair. ‘If someone’s hurt you…’

‘I don’t want to talk about it,’ she said, pulling back. ‘I’m going to my room.’

For several seconds after she’d gone Robert stood staring at the door, afraid to assimilate his thoughts because of where they were heading. Then, turning to Sabrina, who was unpacking all the literature she’d been given by Lisa Murray, he said, ‘Is she all right?’

‘You saw her, so what do you think?’ she replied crisply.

Feeling horribly out of his depth, he said, ‘You should have called me. When Alicia rang to tell me…’

‘Don’t mention her name to me,’ Sabrina cut in.

At a total loss how to handle this, he let a few moments pass before he said, ‘So what happened exactly?’

Sabrina’s head came up, her eyes dark with loathing. ‘He raped her, is what happened,’ she seethed. ‘Your nephew, her son, sexually assaulted my daughter.’

‘But if that’s true…’

‘What do you mean, if it’s true?’ she snarled. ‘Are you saying Annabelle’s lying?’

‘No, of course not, I…’

‘Well that’s what it sounded like, and since we know you’ve always put your sister first, I guess it stands to reason that her son’s innocent and my daughter’s a liar. I wouldn’t expect anything else from you.’

‘That’s not what I’m saying,’ he protested. ‘I’m just trying to…’

‘No! I don’t want to hear any more,’ she snapped furiously, and cutting him a scathing look she returned to what she was doing.

He watched her helplessly, trying desperately to think of something to say that wouldn’t trigger another explosion. ‘I thought she was at Georgie’s for the weekend,’ he ventured finally. ‘So how did…I mean…’

‘She was at Georgie’s, but they went to that damned rave.’

His eyes widened.

‘Don’t look at me like that,’ she cried defensively. ‘I didn’t know she was going. For God’s sake, you surely don’t think I’d have allowed it if I had?’

‘No, of course not,’ he answered, ‘but I’ve been trying to tell you for a long time that she should be mixing with girls her own age.

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