Disclaimer: Don't own. Don't Sue. Do Review.
A/N: Sorry I took so long updating again. Hopefully, I won't be as long with the next chapter. Thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter; Non- fruity jelly beans and Dream Writer 4 Life. Please keep them coming. And thanks as usual to my wonderful beta Dream Writer 4 Life. Well here the next chapter. R&R and Enjoy!!! - Bex
Kate woke to find herself lying in a comfortable, large double bed. Confusion took hold of her mind as she thought about the last thing she remembered. She didn't remember falling asleep (but obviously she must have) and someone must have carried her to this room and tucked her in. She was still dressed in the same clothes. She ran a hand through her tangled hair and tucked a loose strand behind her ear.
Her head snapped towards the door when she heard it open. She watched as a women entered. The women was in her early 30s with long, honey blonde hair and cloudy blue eyes. She was carrying some towels, which she placed down on a chair, then smiled brightly at Kate when she saw that she was awake. She then said something to Kate.
Kate recognised it as Russian, but could only understand a few words. She stared at the women blankly.
"Sorry," The women apologised in perfect English. "I shouldn't have presumed that you could understand Russian."
"I can a bit," Kate confessed. "I suppose it's going to be getting better."
The woman's smile faded into a look of sympathy. She stared at Kate for a couple of minutes, then walked over to the cupboard and took out some fresh clothes. She placed them down on the end of the bed.
"My name is Natalya Arkov. I'm Mr. Sark's maid," She introduced.
"Where is he?" Kate asked.
"Mr. Sark is with Miss Derevko. He'll be back later. In the interim, he's left me in charge of looking after you. I'll be looking after you as long as you're here. If you need anything, feel free to ask. Do you want anything to eat? Drink? You must be starving."
Kate studied her carefully. She seemed genuine enough, but looks could be deceptive; she only had to think painfully about 'Emma' to be reminded of that. Kate didn't know how long she would be here and her uncle seemed to trust her, so she decided to give Natalya a chance.
"Yes, I am," Kate replied with a small smile, but her guard was still up.
"Well if you quickly get changed into these clothes," Natalya patted the clothes, "I'll take you to the kitchen. And I'll wash the clothes you're wearing for you too."
Kate slid out of bed and quickly changed her clothes. Natalya picked up the pile of dirty ones and smiled warmly.
"You better follow me."
She hesitated, but followed Natalya down the maze of corridors. It was only now that Kate was beginning to get an idea of just how big the house was. Natalya led her down a narrow flight of stairs and through a door at the end of the hall, which lead into the kitchen. The kitchen was large and modern, almost out of place in the old house. There was a table and stools near the middle.
"Sit down." Natalya indicated to the stools. "I'll be back in a moment."
Kate watched her walk into the connecting room and come back without the laundry. She smiled brightly at Kate.
"So what do you want? Tea? Coffee? Hot chocolate?"
"Tea would be great," Kate replied.
"And do you want something to eat? I made a really nice chocolate cake yesterday. Have no idea why I bothered: Mr. Sark doesn't really like sweet things."
"Sure, thanks."
Natalya stared to brew the tea. She knew where everything was from memory and Kate watched her intently, curious about how long she'd been working here. She wondered if Natalya would be able to answer some of her questions.
Just then a young man walked in. He was tall with tick black hair and dark, thoughtful eyes. He had a rifle over one arm and his uniform indicated that he was a guard. A smile touched his lips when he saw Natalya.
He said something to Natalya in Russian and she smiled back at him. She picked up an apple and threw it at him, which he caught perfectly.
They carried on talking in Russian until the guard caught sight of Kate. He looked her up and down quickly, taking her in and gave her a curious smile. Natalya caught his look and cleared her throat.
"Miss Vaughn, I want you to meet Nikoli, a guard here," Natalya introduced. "Nikoli, this is Miss Vaughn, Mr. Sark's niece."
She emphasized the last part, but Nikoli didn't seem to notice. Nikoli smiled at Kate and walked over. He extended his arm, as if he was inviting her to a handshake, but instead he reached behind her ear. Then he pulled it back to reveal a red rose. Nikoli offered it to Kate and his smile widened when she blushed slightly as she took it. He leaned in closer; now she got a better look at him. He was very handsome, his hair slightly tousled and he had a slight shadow of stubble on his face. She didn't think he looked any older then 22.
"Welcome to Russia, Miss Vaughn," He greeted softly, his voice soaking in his Russian accent. Nikoli then nodded slightly in goodbye and walked out of the kitchen. Kate watched him go, delicately stroking the petals of the rose.
"Here you go, Miss," Natalya said breaking her daze, as she placed the tea and cake down in front of her.
"Thanks," Kate replied, taking a sip. "Natalya?" Kate asked after a few moments. "How many guards are there here?"
"All depends on how many are needed, Miss," Natalya shrugged as she prepared another dish.
"What about the one with the scarred face?" Kate asked not sure if she wanted to know the answer.
"Oh that would be Mr. Kyi. He's here quite often."
Did Kate imagine it or did a ghost of a smile appear on Natalya's lips when she said his name? She quickly brushed it aside. Natalya seemed too nice to like or have anything to do with a man like Kyi.
"Oh, and Natalya?"
"Yes Miss?"
"Please stop calling me Miss or Miss Vaughn. The formal stuff just creeps me out. Kate's fine," Kate insisted.
"Alright, Kate." Natalya smiled.
The dish she was preparing - which turned out to be lasagne - was complete so Natalya placed it in the oven and set it ready for cooking. Out of habit, she wiped her hand on the apron she was wearing, took it off and hung it on a hook. By then Kate had finished her food and drink and was now shuffling uneasily on her stool as she waited.
"Well, I've got a bit of sewing to do, but I could do it whilst you watched a film or something?" Natalya suggested.
"Sure," Kate agreed.
Natalya picked up a basket full of clothes and a sewing kit. She led Kate out of the kitchen, down another corridor and into another room. It was filled with modern furniture, a large television with DVD rack standing next to it and a large fireplace. In one corner stood a liquor cabernet with a wine glass waiting on top of it. Natalya indicated for Kate to choose a film as she sat down and began to mend a shirt. Kate scanned the selection of films and was surprised at some titles.
"'Some Like It Hot', one of my favourite. I wouldn't have taken my uncle as a Monroe fan," She commented.
"He's not. He got it for you," Natalya said, not looking up from her sewing.
Kate stared at her. She wondered how long her uncle had known that she would be coming here. Did he know when she first met him? Natalya seemed to preoccupied to offer an answer, so Kate put on the film and sat down to watch it. Only half of her mind was concentrating on it; the other was plagued with thoughts, searching for answers.
Finally the credits appeared on the screen. Natalya suddenly stood up when she head the front door open. She rushed over to the drinking cabinet, poured a glass of wine and carried it out of the room. Kate watched her go, curious about who had arrived. She got her answer a few moments later when she heard faint voices travelling down the corridor.
"Evening sir," Natalya greeted.
"Evening Natalya," Sark replied. "Thank you. How's Kate?"
"She's doing all right. Poor thing, this must be hard for her. How was your day sir?"
Kate heard her uncle let out a small groan. Their voices and footsteps were getting closer all the time.
"Don't get me started. I saw Sydney and, believe me, she wasn't happy to see me. I don't blame her. She would hit the roof if she found out what Irina's demanding."
"What is Miss Derevko demanding?"
"That she meets Kate tomorrow."
Kate felt her blood run cold. The women who she hated more then anything in the world was demanding to meet her. She listened more intently in fearful curiosity as the voices came closer.
"She's coming over here for dinner tomorrow and she wants Kate to be there. I don't think Kate's ready to meet her. Personally, I never wanted Kate to ever meet-" His voice trailed off when he saw Kate staring at them as they entered the room.
They both stopped dead and an awkward silence settled as they stared at each other. Natalya cleared her throat to break it.
"I'm...I'm just going to finish off making dinner," She announced quickly and left.
Sark and Kate continued to stare at each other until Sark finally broke eye contact. He downed the last of his wine and crossed the room to fill up his empty glass.
"My grandmother wants to meet me tomorrow?" She asked, her voice shaking slightly with fear.
"Yes," He answered after a pause. "I'm sorry."
"I don't want to see her," Kate shouted. "Tell her that. I'd rather die then meet the bitch who destroyed my family and my life."
Sark's head snapped towards her at this sudden out burst. All of Kate's fear had disappeared to be replaced by pure rage. This wasn't the Kate he knew.
"God, do you think I would be forcing you if it was that simple?" He snapped.
Kate's face changed to a hurt look, almost as if he had slapped her; the scared and confused little girl was back. Sark's face softened and he walked over. He sat down next to her, though it stung when she flinched back slightly.
"Kate..." He began softly.
"Dinner's ready," Natalya informed as she entered the room, cutting him off.
"I'm not hungry," Kate lied and stood up.
"Kate, you have to eat," Sark insisted, also standing up.
"I'm not hungry," Kate repeated firmly, cutting off his protests.
"Alright. I'll show you back to your room. And if you get hungry later I'll fetch you some food," Natalya suggested.
Sark didn't say anything. He just slumped back down and sipped his wine. Kate wasn't sure what he was feeling, as he face was masked again. She watched him sadly, almost guiltily, as she followed Natalya out of the room.
They walked in absolute silence until they reached her room. Natalya stopped and turned to face her. She placed a hand gently on Kate's shoulder.
"Your Uncle loves you, you know. This hasn't been easy on him either. He never wanted you to be brought here. You need to trust him and be a bit easier on him. Can you do that? I want to be your friend, Kate. Please believe that and let me. I'm going to look after you no matter what," Natalya told her, then squeezed her arm gently. "If you need anything then my room is down that corridor, turn left and it's the first door on the right. 'Night Kate."
And with that she left. Kate entered the room, not bothering to turn on the light. She didn't even bother to change or wash. Instead she just lay down on the bed, two single tears falling down her face, as she begged the darkness to wake her up from this nightmare.
A/N: What you think? That's button's waiting to be hit, so go on! What are you waiting for?
A/N: Sorry I took so long updating again. Hopefully, I won't be as long with the next chapter. Thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter; Non- fruity jelly beans and Dream Writer 4 Life. Please keep them coming. And thanks as usual to my wonderful beta Dream Writer 4 Life. Well here the next chapter. R&R and Enjoy!!! - Bex
Kate woke to find herself lying in a comfortable, large double bed. Confusion took hold of her mind as she thought about the last thing she remembered. She didn't remember falling asleep (but obviously she must have) and someone must have carried her to this room and tucked her in. She was still dressed in the same clothes. She ran a hand through her tangled hair and tucked a loose strand behind her ear.
Her head snapped towards the door when she heard it open. She watched as a women entered. The women was in her early 30s with long, honey blonde hair and cloudy blue eyes. She was carrying some towels, which she placed down on a chair, then smiled brightly at Kate when she saw that she was awake. She then said something to Kate.
Kate recognised it as Russian, but could only understand a few words. She stared at the women blankly.
"Sorry," The women apologised in perfect English. "I shouldn't have presumed that you could understand Russian."
"I can a bit," Kate confessed. "I suppose it's going to be getting better."
The woman's smile faded into a look of sympathy. She stared at Kate for a couple of minutes, then walked over to the cupboard and took out some fresh clothes. She placed them down on the end of the bed.
"My name is Natalya Arkov. I'm Mr. Sark's maid," She introduced.
"Where is he?" Kate asked.
"Mr. Sark is with Miss Derevko. He'll be back later. In the interim, he's left me in charge of looking after you. I'll be looking after you as long as you're here. If you need anything, feel free to ask. Do you want anything to eat? Drink? You must be starving."
Kate studied her carefully. She seemed genuine enough, but looks could be deceptive; she only had to think painfully about 'Emma' to be reminded of that. Kate didn't know how long she would be here and her uncle seemed to trust her, so she decided to give Natalya a chance.
"Yes, I am," Kate replied with a small smile, but her guard was still up.
"Well if you quickly get changed into these clothes," Natalya patted the clothes, "I'll take you to the kitchen. And I'll wash the clothes you're wearing for you too."
Kate slid out of bed and quickly changed her clothes. Natalya picked up the pile of dirty ones and smiled warmly.
"You better follow me."
She hesitated, but followed Natalya down the maze of corridors. It was only now that Kate was beginning to get an idea of just how big the house was. Natalya led her down a narrow flight of stairs and through a door at the end of the hall, which lead into the kitchen. The kitchen was large and modern, almost out of place in the old house. There was a table and stools near the middle.
"Sit down." Natalya indicated to the stools. "I'll be back in a moment."
Kate watched her walk into the connecting room and come back without the laundry. She smiled brightly at Kate.
"So what do you want? Tea? Coffee? Hot chocolate?"
"Tea would be great," Kate replied.
"And do you want something to eat? I made a really nice chocolate cake yesterday. Have no idea why I bothered: Mr. Sark doesn't really like sweet things."
"Sure, thanks."
Natalya stared to brew the tea. She knew where everything was from memory and Kate watched her intently, curious about how long she'd been working here. She wondered if Natalya would be able to answer some of her questions.
Just then a young man walked in. He was tall with tick black hair and dark, thoughtful eyes. He had a rifle over one arm and his uniform indicated that he was a guard. A smile touched his lips when he saw Natalya.
He said something to Natalya in Russian and she smiled back at him. She picked up an apple and threw it at him, which he caught perfectly.
They carried on talking in Russian until the guard caught sight of Kate. He looked her up and down quickly, taking her in and gave her a curious smile. Natalya caught his look and cleared her throat.
"Miss Vaughn, I want you to meet Nikoli, a guard here," Natalya introduced. "Nikoli, this is Miss Vaughn, Mr. Sark's niece."
She emphasized the last part, but Nikoli didn't seem to notice. Nikoli smiled at Kate and walked over. He extended his arm, as if he was inviting her to a handshake, but instead he reached behind her ear. Then he pulled it back to reveal a red rose. Nikoli offered it to Kate and his smile widened when she blushed slightly as she took it. He leaned in closer; now she got a better look at him. He was very handsome, his hair slightly tousled and he had a slight shadow of stubble on his face. She didn't think he looked any older then 22.
"Welcome to Russia, Miss Vaughn," He greeted softly, his voice soaking in his Russian accent. Nikoli then nodded slightly in goodbye and walked out of the kitchen. Kate watched him go, delicately stroking the petals of the rose.
"Here you go, Miss," Natalya said breaking her daze, as she placed the tea and cake down in front of her.
"Thanks," Kate replied, taking a sip. "Natalya?" Kate asked after a few moments. "How many guards are there here?"
"All depends on how many are needed, Miss," Natalya shrugged as she prepared another dish.
"What about the one with the scarred face?" Kate asked not sure if she wanted to know the answer.
"Oh that would be Mr. Kyi. He's here quite often."
Did Kate imagine it or did a ghost of a smile appear on Natalya's lips when she said his name? She quickly brushed it aside. Natalya seemed too nice to like or have anything to do with a man like Kyi.
"Oh, and Natalya?"
"Yes Miss?"
"Please stop calling me Miss or Miss Vaughn. The formal stuff just creeps me out. Kate's fine," Kate insisted.
"Alright, Kate." Natalya smiled.
The dish she was preparing - which turned out to be lasagne - was complete so Natalya placed it in the oven and set it ready for cooking. Out of habit, she wiped her hand on the apron she was wearing, took it off and hung it on a hook. By then Kate had finished her food and drink and was now shuffling uneasily on her stool as she waited.
"Well, I've got a bit of sewing to do, but I could do it whilst you watched a film or something?" Natalya suggested.
"Sure," Kate agreed.
Natalya picked up a basket full of clothes and a sewing kit. She led Kate out of the kitchen, down another corridor and into another room. It was filled with modern furniture, a large television with DVD rack standing next to it and a large fireplace. In one corner stood a liquor cabernet with a wine glass waiting on top of it. Natalya indicated for Kate to choose a film as she sat down and began to mend a shirt. Kate scanned the selection of films and was surprised at some titles.
"'Some Like It Hot', one of my favourite. I wouldn't have taken my uncle as a Monroe fan," She commented.
"He's not. He got it for you," Natalya said, not looking up from her sewing.
Kate stared at her. She wondered how long her uncle had known that she would be coming here. Did he know when she first met him? Natalya seemed to preoccupied to offer an answer, so Kate put on the film and sat down to watch it. Only half of her mind was concentrating on it; the other was plagued with thoughts, searching for answers.
Finally the credits appeared on the screen. Natalya suddenly stood up when she head the front door open. She rushed over to the drinking cabinet, poured a glass of wine and carried it out of the room. Kate watched her go, curious about who had arrived. She got her answer a few moments later when she heard faint voices travelling down the corridor.
"Evening sir," Natalya greeted.
"Evening Natalya," Sark replied. "Thank you. How's Kate?"
"She's doing all right. Poor thing, this must be hard for her. How was your day sir?"
Kate heard her uncle let out a small groan. Their voices and footsteps were getting closer all the time.
"Don't get me started. I saw Sydney and, believe me, she wasn't happy to see me. I don't blame her. She would hit the roof if she found out what Irina's demanding."
"What is Miss Derevko demanding?"
"That she meets Kate tomorrow."
Kate felt her blood run cold. The women who she hated more then anything in the world was demanding to meet her. She listened more intently in fearful curiosity as the voices came closer.
"She's coming over here for dinner tomorrow and she wants Kate to be there. I don't think Kate's ready to meet her. Personally, I never wanted Kate to ever meet-" His voice trailed off when he saw Kate staring at them as they entered the room.
They both stopped dead and an awkward silence settled as they stared at each other. Natalya cleared her throat to break it.
"I'm...I'm just going to finish off making dinner," She announced quickly and left.
Sark and Kate continued to stare at each other until Sark finally broke eye contact. He downed the last of his wine and crossed the room to fill up his empty glass.
"My grandmother wants to meet me tomorrow?" She asked, her voice shaking slightly with fear.
"Yes," He answered after a pause. "I'm sorry."
"I don't want to see her," Kate shouted. "Tell her that. I'd rather die then meet the bitch who destroyed my family and my life."
Sark's head snapped towards her at this sudden out burst. All of Kate's fear had disappeared to be replaced by pure rage. This wasn't the Kate he knew.
"God, do you think I would be forcing you if it was that simple?" He snapped.
Kate's face changed to a hurt look, almost as if he had slapped her; the scared and confused little girl was back. Sark's face softened and he walked over. He sat down next to her, though it stung when she flinched back slightly.
"Kate..." He began softly.
"Dinner's ready," Natalya informed as she entered the room, cutting him off.
"I'm not hungry," Kate lied and stood up.
"Kate, you have to eat," Sark insisted, also standing up.
"I'm not hungry," Kate repeated firmly, cutting off his protests.
"Alright. I'll show you back to your room. And if you get hungry later I'll fetch you some food," Natalya suggested.
Sark didn't say anything. He just slumped back down and sipped his wine. Kate wasn't sure what he was feeling, as he face was masked again. She watched him sadly, almost guiltily, as she followed Natalya out of the room.
They walked in absolute silence until they reached her room. Natalya stopped and turned to face her. She placed a hand gently on Kate's shoulder.
"Your Uncle loves you, you know. This hasn't been easy on him either. He never wanted you to be brought here. You need to trust him and be a bit easier on him. Can you do that? I want to be your friend, Kate. Please believe that and let me. I'm going to look after you no matter what," Natalya told her, then squeezed her arm gently. "If you need anything then my room is down that corridor, turn left and it's the first door on the right. 'Night Kate."
And with that she left. Kate entered the room, not bothering to turn on the light. She didn't even bother to change or wash. Instead she just lay down on the bed, two single tears falling down her face, as she begged the darkness to wake her up from this nightmare.
A/N: What you think? That's button's waiting to be hit, so go on! What are you waiting for?