Lara lay awake late into the night, alone in the large four poster bed for
the first time in the last few days. She couldn't sleep because she could
only think about one thing. Alex. Once again she had the horrible feeling
that she was the one that was in the wrong and the worst thing was she
wasn't sure that he would accept her apology this time. Lara fought with
the tangled silk sheets, and finally threw them off in annoyance. She
rolled over and punched a pillow as hard as she could before burying her
face in it as she fought back a sob. Lara struggled with her emotions for a
few more minutes but finally gave in, allowing herself to cry freely for
the first time in years until tiredness overtook her and she fell into a
troubled sleep.
*
As Lara slept, her enemies were getting a head start on the day. Just after nine Charles King was in his office and smiling at the information his assistant had just given him.
"And a hundred thousand was enough?" he asked.
"It only took eighty," the younger man told him smugly.
"Excellent. So he made you a copy of the medallion?"
"No, I think that would have been too risky. He gave me the exact dimensions and angles of the cross, so we can reproduce it."
King nodded and took the piece of paper from his assistant. "Let's hope they are the real dimensions," he muttered, finding a ruler and protractor in his desk drawer.
"Oh," the man standing before him began to look nervous, "I didn't think of that." He began fiddling with his cufflinks.
The older man looked up at him with an expression of contained impatience, shook his head slowly then began carefully drawing out an exact reproduction of the cross on the medallion.
*
Lara was woken by the doorbell ringing and when she glanced across at the clock on her bedside table she saw that it was past ten and she had overslept, something she never allowed herself to do. She groaned, climbed out of bed and stepped into her slippers before checking her reflection in an ornate mirror which stood in the corner of the room. Her eyes were slightly red and puffy from crying but there was nothing she could do about that now. On the back of the door hung a white silk robe that matched her pajamas, and Lara grabbed it and began to pull it on as she headed down the wide staircase towards the entrance hall.
Pimms had just opened the large main door and looked surprised at who he found leaning up against the door frame. He had obviously expected Alex to be staying with Lara as usual. Lara shook her head and shrugged at her new butler's confused and nervous expression. He was a strange man she reflected, not for the first time.
Alex was shown in and he immediately noticed Lara gracefully descending the staircase, still in her nightclothes and her hair messed up as if she had just got out of bed. He felt a sudden wave of compassion for her, but then reminded himself that her sweet and innocent appearance was deceptive and set his face in a business-like expression, shoving his hands deep in his trouser pockets.
"We agreed to go at ten," he said simply.
"I overslept," Lara shrugged, "give me ten minutes." She turned and began to climb the stairs again.
"No, it's alright Lara," Alex called after her, relenting, "have breakfast first at least." He flashed her a quick smile as she turned and Lara smiled back weakly.
"Good morning Lara, Alex," Hillary said brightly as they sat down in the kitchen and he poured coffee for them both. Bryce was noticeably absent from the breakfast table; it was unlike him to be at work already, he normally dragged this meal out as long as possible. Being the model of discretion Hillary made no mention of the fact that Lara and Alex had obviously spent the night apart.
"Eggs benedict?" he offered, carrying a pan over from the stove. Lara nodded.
Alex shook his head. "I've eaten," he stated, spooning three sugars into his coffee. He sat back with the cup in his hand and watched Lara eat. The silence was broken only by Hillary whistling to himself as he washed the cooking things up in the sink across the room.
Suddenly Lara pushed the plate away and stood up. "I'm sorry Hilly," she blurted out before running from the room. The butler exchanged a knowing glance with Alex before turning back to the dishes with a sigh. Alex fought the urge to go after Lara and make sure she was alright but after a few minutes he just had to go and check.
He stood outside the half open door of the bathroom awkwardly. "Are you ok?" he called stiffly. There was no response. "I thought the doctor said you should stop getting the morning sickness soon?" he asked tentatively.
There was the sound of the toilet flushing then Lara appeared at the doorway. "I'm fine Alex," she said in an impatient tone, brushing past him. "Hillary?" she called loudly as she strode across the entrance hall.
The butler came rushing out of the kitchen to follow her up the staircase a few paces behind, but he did give Alex a sympathetic smile as he stood watching, obviously exasperated. Hillary had refrained from attending Lara while she showered and dressed recently as Alex had been staying, but she obviously wanted him to again today. In a way he was pleased as there was nothing he liked better than looking after his charge, but he was also saddened as Lara seemed distressed after what he guessed was a fight with Alex yesterday.
Alex took a seat in an antique-looking leather chair by the currently inactive fireplace and looked around. Not for the first time he wondered at how Lara could live in this place, which seemed so austere to him. And to live here alone as well (staff didn't count, he surmised), he could only conclude that there was a lot about Lady Croft that he still, and possibly never would, understand. But despite his inability to comprehend her lifestyle Alex couldn't help but ardently admire and yes, love her intensely. It was going to be a struggle to ignore his feelings for her, but hell, hadn't he done it for years before this?
He stood up and began wandering around impatiently, Lara was taking a long time getting dressed, especially as she had someone to assist her with it. Anyway, what was that about for Christ's sake? How on earth could she need someone to help her get showered and dressed? Alex picked up a vase from a wooden plinth and felt an overwhelming urge to throw it across the room at the thought of someone else seeing Lara naked. But maybe he didn't, he reasoned, maybe he just closed his eyes and handed her the clothes. Alex sighed loudly and carefully replaced the artifact.
The sound of footsteps on the stairs behind him caused Alex to turn and see that Lara was dressed - in her trademark combination of combat shorts, tight t-shirt and army boots. Her hair was back in its neat braid and she no longer looked as tired as she had at breakfast. In fact she looked stunning, as usual.
Lara wondered what Alex had been sighing about, secretly hoping it was her. "Let's go," she said, looking him in the eye.
As they walked out of the door Lara immediately noticed the gleaming two- seater jeep parked up by the fountain that adorned the sweeping drive. She looked across at Alex with a raised eyebrow, "new wheels?"
"Yeah, I picked it up this morning. Like it?" he asked with a grin, forgetting for a moment that he was trying to be serious with her.
Lara frowned. "I thought you said you were in debt, that's why you accepted the money for that story in the paper..."
"Yeah, I did." He paused. "But I wasn't fifty grand in debt!" he couldn't resist grinning again, although Lara seemed cross. She scowled at him, but got into the passenger seat without even suggesting that they should take one of her cars, or that she should drive.
She crossed her arms and sat in silence as they drove the now-familiar route up to Oxford. Lara had been planning to attempt an apology for her behaviour the previous day but now she had changed her mind. Somehow the fact that Alex had actually made a profit out of selling the information about her and was enjoying the proceeds made her look at the whole situation differently. Also there was the fact that he was acting so coldly towards her as if he had just switched his feelings off overnight. While she had spent the night fretting and even crying over him, the bastard couldn't seem to care less. Fine, two can play at that game, Lara thought to herself.
*
As Lara slept, her enemies were getting a head start on the day. Just after nine Charles King was in his office and smiling at the information his assistant had just given him.
"And a hundred thousand was enough?" he asked.
"It only took eighty," the younger man told him smugly.
"Excellent. So he made you a copy of the medallion?"
"No, I think that would have been too risky. He gave me the exact dimensions and angles of the cross, so we can reproduce it."
King nodded and took the piece of paper from his assistant. "Let's hope they are the real dimensions," he muttered, finding a ruler and protractor in his desk drawer.
"Oh," the man standing before him began to look nervous, "I didn't think of that." He began fiddling with his cufflinks.
The older man looked up at him with an expression of contained impatience, shook his head slowly then began carefully drawing out an exact reproduction of the cross on the medallion.
*
Lara was woken by the doorbell ringing and when she glanced across at the clock on her bedside table she saw that it was past ten and she had overslept, something she never allowed herself to do. She groaned, climbed out of bed and stepped into her slippers before checking her reflection in an ornate mirror which stood in the corner of the room. Her eyes were slightly red and puffy from crying but there was nothing she could do about that now. On the back of the door hung a white silk robe that matched her pajamas, and Lara grabbed it and began to pull it on as she headed down the wide staircase towards the entrance hall.
Pimms had just opened the large main door and looked surprised at who he found leaning up against the door frame. He had obviously expected Alex to be staying with Lara as usual. Lara shook her head and shrugged at her new butler's confused and nervous expression. He was a strange man she reflected, not for the first time.
Alex was shown in and he immediately noticed Lara gracefully descending the staircase, still in her nightclothes and her hair messed up as if she had just got out of bed. He felt a sudden wave of compassion for her, but then reminded himself that her sweet and innocent appearance was deceptive and set his face in a business-like expression, shoving his hands deep in his trouser pockets.
"We agreed to go at ten," he said simply.
"I overslept," Lara shrugged, "give me ten minutes." She turned and began to climb the stairs again.
"No, it's alright Lara," Alex called after her, relenting, "have breakfast first at least." He flashed her a quick smile as she turned and Lara smiled back weakly.
"Good morning Lara, Alex," Hillary said brightly as they sat down in the kitchen and he poured coffee for them both. Bryce was noticeably absent from the breakfast table; it was unlike him to be at work already, he normally dragged this meal out as long as possible. Being the model of discretion Hillary made no mention of the fact that Lara and Alex had obviously spent the night apart.
"Eggs benedict?" he offered, carrying a pan over from the stove. Lara nodded.
Alex shook his head. "I've eaten," he stated, spooning three sugars into his coffee. He sat back with the cup in his hand and watched Lara eat. The silence was broken only by Hillary whistling to himself as he washed the cooking things up in the sink across the room.
Suddenly Lara pushed the plate away and stood up. "I'm sorry Hilly," she blurted out before running from the room. The butler exchanged a knowing glance with Alex before turning back to the dishes with a sigh. Alex fought the urge to go after Lara and make sure she was alright but after a few minutes he just had to go and check.
He stood outside the half open door of the bathroom awkwardly. "Are you ok?" he called stiffly. There was no response. "I thought the doctor said you should stop getting the morning sickness soon?" he asked tentatively.
There was the sound of the toilet flushing then Lara appeared at the doorway. "I'm fine Alex," she said in an impatient tone, brushing past him. "Hillary?" she called loudly as she strode across the entrance hall.
The butler came rushing out of the kitchen to follow her up the staircase a few paces behind, but he did give Alex a sympathetic smile as he stood watching, obviously exasperated. Hillary had refrained from attending Lara while she showered and dressed recently as Alex had been staying, but she obviously wanted him to again today. In a way he was pleased as there was nothing he liked better than looking after his charge, but he was also saddened as Lara seemed distressed after what he guessed was a fight with Alex yesterday.
Alex took a seat in an antique-looking leather chair by the currently inactive fireplace and looked around. Not for the first time he wondered at how Lara could live in this place, which seemed so austere to him. And to live here alone as well (staff didn't count, he surmised), he could only conclude that there was a lot about Lady Croft that he still, and possibly never would, understand. But despite his inability to comprehend her lifestyle Alex couldn't help but ardently admire and yes, love her intensely. It was going to be a struggle to ignore his feelings for her, but hell, hadn't he done it for years before this?
He stood up and began wandering around impatiently, Lara was taking a long time getting dressed, especially as she had someone to assist her with it. Anyway, what was that about for Christ's sake? How on earth could she need someone to help her get showered and dressed? Alex picked up a vase from a wooden plinth and felt an overwhelming urge to throw it across the room at the thought of someone else seeing Lara naked. But maybe he didn't, he reasoned, maybe he just closed his eyes and handed her the clothes. Alex sighed loudly and carefully replaced the artifact.
The sound of footsteps on the stairs behind him caused Alex to turn and see that Lara was dressed - in her trademark combination of combat shorts, tight t-shirt and army boots. Her hair was back in its neat braid and she no longer looked as tired as she had at breakfast. In fact she looked stunning, as usual.
Lara wondered what Alex had been sighing about, secretly hoping it was her. "Let's go," she said, looking him in the eye.
As they walked out of the door Lara immediately noticed the gleaming two- seater jeep parked up by the fountain that adorned the sweeping drive. She looked across at Alex with a raised eyebrow, "new wheels?"
"Yeah, I picked it up this morning. Like it?" he asked with a grin, forgetting for a moment that he was trying to be serious with her.
Lara frowned. "I thought you said you were in debt, that's why you accepted the money for that story in the paper..."
"Yeah, I did." He paused. "But I wasn't fifty grand in debt!" he couldn't resist grinning again, although Lara seemed cross. She scowled at him, but got into the passenger seat without even suggesting that they should take one of her cars, or that she should drive.
She crossed her arms and sat in silence as they drove the now-familiar route up to Oxford. Lara had been planning to attempt an apology for her behaviour the previous day but now she had changed her mind. Somehow the fact that Alex had actually made a profit out of selling the information about her and was enjoying the proceeds made her look at the whole situation differently. Also there was the fact that he was acting so coldly towards her as if he had just switched his feelings off overnight. While she had spent the night fretting and even crying over him, the bastard couldn't seem to care less. Fine, two can play at that game, Lara thought to herself.