Chasing the Night - Iris Johansen [58]
“No.” Natalie smiled faintly. “And because your time is so important, I must be very worthy.” She started to turn away. “Dinner is ready. I made stew that—”
“Wait.” Catherine gestured to Eve and Joe, who had just joined her. “Joe Quinn, Eve Duncan. This is Natalie Ladvar. They’re trying to help me, Natalie.”
Natalie inclined her head. “I’m very happy to meet you. I hope you can help Catherine. I couldn’t do it. She wanted me to tell her about—but I couldn’t—I might have known something, but by the time she came to that…place, it was gone.”
“We’ll help her,” Eve said gently. “Everything is all right, Natalie.” She stepped forward. “And it will be better when I try that stew. I’m very hungry.”
Natalie smiled. “Then please come in. Kelsov doesn’t bring company very often. This stew is what you might call a test case.”
“Your test case was a complete success,” Joe said as he lifted his napkin to his lips. “You’re quite a cook.”
“My mother taught me before she left us.” A shadow crossed her face. “But I forgot how to do it. I forgot a lot of things.”
“It’s coming back to you,” Kelsov said. “And if it doesn’t, sometimes new is better.”
“He always says that,” Natalie said as she rose to her feet. “Go into the living room while I stack the dishes. I’ll bring coffee.”
“I’ll help,” Catherine said.
Natalie shook her head. “It’s my job. I have to pay for my keep some way.” She started to stack the bowls. “Kelsov says it’s important for me.”
“And she believes me. She doesn’t realize it’s because I’ve always wanted a slave,” Kelsov said, straight-faced.
“Yes, I believe you.” She didn’t look at him as she turned toward the huge country sink. “I’ll always believe you.”
Kelsov rose to his feet. “You see what I’m up against? I’m such a good liar, and it’s all wasted.” He turned and led them from the small kitchen to the adjoining living room. “How can I fight her?”
“You can’t,” Eve said as she dropped down on the faded easy chair by the fire. “Why would you want to? She’s very fragile.”
“If I treat her too gently, she’ll never come into her full strength,” Kelsov said. “That bastard took her when she was only a kid, and what he did stunted her. It wasn’t only the mental and physical torture. He made her feel so helpless, she withdrew into herself.” He sat down and stretched his long legs out before him. “So I pull her out of the shell. Sometimes it hurts her, but that’s too bad. It’s got to be done even if she hates me.”
“I don’t think that’s going to happen.” Eve had watched the strange interaction between the two of them at dinner. Close. So close. Natalie had been very quiet, but Eve was sure she had not missed a word or gesture that had issued from Kelsov. Kelsov had spoken very seldom to Natalie, and he had clearly been trying to avoid showing any concern, but his attitude had been watchful, protective. “Would she be better off in a rehabilitation center?”
“Yes. God knows, she shouldn’t be around me. I probably remind her of Rakovac and all the men who abused her. I drink too much on occasion, I don’t bring women home, but she knows I have them.” He grimaced. “And Catherine will tell you that I’m not a gentle man.”
But he was gentle with Natalie. “Then why not get her to go where she wouldn’t be exposed to you?”
“I tried that a month after she came to me. A nice little rest home in the Alps.” He shook his head. “She tried to commit suicide the night I left her. I won’t do that again.”
“You didn’t tell me that,” Catherine said.
“It wasn’t your business any longer. You turned her over to me. She was mine.”
“It’s not safe for her. Rakovac hates you. He hasn’t tried to hunt you down since you’ve been keeping a low profile. But he could find out she’s with you and come after her. Send her away. She’s stronger now.”
“I won’t do that again,” he repeated. “We’ll get through this together. Sometimes you can’t pick and choose. You have to accept the inevitable and make