Hillary sat looking over at the soulless form of his young employer, not knowing what to do or say. Her eyes never meeting his, she sat playing with the edge of a napkin, running it over the cut on her hand more to make it bleed than to stop it. To Hillary it was truly disturbing to see her in such a state, even though Lara had never done anything on her own she always had her life on track, knew what she wanted and knew a way to get it.

She hadn't even acted this distant when her parents forced her to become engaged to a wealthy Earl. She although not happy with the idea decided to make the best out of the situation and agree to it. So what had happened for her to become this unbalanced?

Hillary leant over the table with a wet towel and pressed it against her bloodied palm. Lara shuddered against the touch despite it's gentleness. It had intruded in the invisible bubble she had cocooned herself in and because of that she felt threatened.

Hillary noticed this and got up to give her room. Then taking a tube of antiseptic out of one of the drawers, he placed it on the table in front of her, wary not to intrude her space again.

A tiny smile lit up her face as another flash of lightening lit up the room, it was as if the weather could sense her mood and was imitating her.

"Thank you," she said quietly, her eyes still never looking directly into his.

"You are welcome Lady Croft, although I am not entirely sure what you are thanking me for." He said in a neutral but caring tone.

"Thank you for not asking questions."

"Oh, well that puts a stopper on the conversation," he said playfully. Another smile played across her bruised yet beautiful face.

"However much I want to tell you what happened Hilly, I fear I am not yet strong enough to do so." She leant across the table and took hold of his hand, letting him in to her despair.

The door slammed in the front foyer and Hillary got up and through the kitchen leaving Lara alone with the sound of the rain and the voices that clouded her head.

The kitchen door slammed open and James Farringdon walked in, Hillary walked in behind him.

"Lara I want to know what the hell is going on!" James shouted at her.

"Sir I will ask you not to shout at Lady Croft." Hillary tried to stand in front of James only to be pushed harshly out of the way as James's rage got the better of him. "Stay out of this Hillary, don't meddle in matters that don't concern you!" Hillary tried to say some thing else only to be hushed by Lara.

"Please Hilly, I'll be ok." She assured him. Hillary walked out and shut the door quietly behind him.

"So Lara, what's going on?" James asked her again.

"I don't know what you mean."

"Really? I just had Neal come to me and say that he can't lie to me anymore."

"Lie to you about what?" Lara asked as James turned her around in the chair to look at him.

"He told me about last night Lara. He told me the way you came onto him when you were drunk and how you had sex with him in the middle of a field. Why? Why did you do it?" he yelled at her grabbing her shoulders.

"I didn't do anything James." She said to him trying to break free of his grip.

"So you can swear to me that you didn't have sex with him."

"I-I-I, oh James I can't swear to you that nothing happened."

"I knew it, I knew you were more trouble than you were worth, Neal warned me about you yet I didn't listen, Damn it Lara I proposed to you and this is how you repay me. He was my best friend and that didn't stop you either did it? Why? I am so angry at you right now that I could-" he shouted at her, his face so close to hers she could feel every last breath against her skin.

"He Raped Me!!!" she yelled back at him. "Happy now James? He raped me!"