Authors: Unknown
She tried to ignore it and did her best to make herself look as presentable as possible. It was going to be a formal occasion so she picked out a simple, classic evening dress from her wardrobe, laying it out on the bed while she showered. She washed and dried her hair, teasing her riotous curls into an attractive style and securing them here and there with small diamante clips.
The dress was pale blue, with delicate shoulder straps, and shot through with lustrous threads. It clung where it touched, emphasising the shapeliness of her feminine curves a little more than she felt comfortable with. It was the only dress she possessed that would do for an occasion like this, though, so she smoothed it down and then slid her feet into stiletto-heeled shoes.
'Do I look all right?' she asked her father worriedly, when she was finally ready. 'Will I do?'
'You look lovely,' he said.
Relieved, she told him, 'Jamie's already fast asleep, so you shouldn't have any trouble there. I've just been in and tucked him up, and Kingston is guarding the landing outside his door.'
Her father smiled. 'You go off and try to have a good time. We'll be fine.'
The doorbell rang just a moment later, and when she opened the door Mark was waiting for her. He was dressed in an immaculate black evening suit that screamed expensive tailoring, and there was a spattering of raindrops across the shoulders of his jacket.
'Do you want to come in out of the rain?' she asked.
He didn't answer but simply stared at her, his glance shifting from the top of her head to her feet and back up again.
'Is something wrong?' she asked, suddenly doubtful once more. 'I wasn't sure what to wear, but I know these occasions are formal. 'Should I go and change into something else?'
'No way,' he said, coming out of his reverie and looking her over with marked interest. 'You look fabulous.' He was still staring at her as though he couldn't believe his eyes. 'You take my breath away.'
Was it true? A faint wave of heat ran through her cheeks, and she glanced at him fleetingly, not knowing how to respond. 'Just come in for a moment and I'll go and get my bag,' she muttered. 'Perhaps you can say hello to my father.'
The two men talked for a while, and then Mark glanced at his watch. 'We should be getting on our way,' he murmured. 'Dinner's at eight-fifteen and I need to be there on time to help my parents greet their guests.' He gave a brief smile. 'Some very influential people are going to be there this evening.'
Her father smiled. 'I hope you raise lots of money,' he said.
Mark's parents lived in an exclusive area in the outer region of the town. It wasn't too far away, though, just a short drive, a journey of some fifteen minutes or so, and it wasn't long before they reached their destination. Mark parked the car on the gravelled forecourt in front of the house, and they ran towards the covered porch to escape the rain. It was a palatial residence, set in its own grounds that spread for some distance all around.
Offering her the support of his arm, Mark escorted her through the main doors and inside to the large hallway.
Doors led from off in various directions, and she saw that the main event was going on in a large room to the left. It looked like a ballroom, grand in size, and from where she stood she could see the glitter of chandeliers. Music was playing, and she could hear the chatter of voices.
'Let's go and find the others,' Mark said. They walked through double doors into the room where most of their colleagues from A and E were already gathered at the far end. Tables were set out at one side of the room, where they would dine.
They went over to greet their colleagues and Mark handed her a glass of wine, lifted from the tray of a passing waiter. She sipped at it.
They talked as a group for a while, and then Mark said, 'I must go and circulate and say hello to some of the other guests. Will you be all right if I leave you for a time?'
'Yes, of course.' She hadn't really expected him to stay with her for the evening, but now it occurred to her that she might be able to slip away early if he was going to be occupied elsewhere. She finished her drink and put the glass down on a table.
Shaun was at the centre of the gathering, and when he had finished talking to his companion Sarah said, 'Congratulations once again, Shaun. I'm happy for you that you've landed the research post. You must be very pleased about it. It's what you've wanted for a long time, isn't it?'
He nodded. 'It's true. It's something I set my sights on, and fortunately I've been granted enough money to carry out my research for a whole year.'
'I'm glad that it's all worked out for you.' She smiled at him. Mark had disappeared into the crowd, and as a waiter came by and offered a fray of drinks, Shaun took two glasses, handing one to Sarah.
'Thank you.' She sipped the champagne, crinkling her nose as the bubbles fizzed on her tongue and effervesced at the back of her throat.
'Don't you like it?' Shaun asked.
'I love it.' She laughed. 'I'm just not used to it.'
At dinner, Mark was seated next to her, and on his other side was a woman he introduced as a business associate of his father. He talked to both of them, and when the woman enquired about the dialysis machine, he outlined the venture and added encouragement to his father's fundraising efforts. Sarah spoke to Shaun on her left, but she couldn't help feeling a little lost and out of place. What was she doing here amongst all these wealthy people when her sister was lying in a hospital bed, unable to walk?
She ate her meal, sampling the delicious food and savouring it slowly. Afterwards the band took up position on a dais at the far end of the room and soon music filled the air.
Mark took her to one side and talked to her for a while, until his mother came and took him away to meet someone. His mother was an attractive woman, friendly and lively, anxious to make sure that the evening went well.
People began to take to the dance floor. Sarah talked to Megan, struggling to hear what she was saying over the sound of a fast dance number. After a few minutes, when Sarah glanced around, she saw that Mark was on the dance floor, moving to the beat with one of the guests, a slender girl with flowing black hair.
She turned back to her friends and tried not to mind. Why should it bother her if he was enjoying himself with an attractive young woman?
She tried to put him from her mind and made an effort to join in the general chatter. From time to time, though, she couldn't help but glance Mark's way, and on each occasion she saw that he was always with a different partner. He was certainly doing his best to keep his parents' guests entertained.
'Your glass is empty.' Mark's voice sounded close to her ear, and she felt a ripple of awareness run through her. 'Let me get you another drink.' He alerted a waiter and handed her another glass.
'Thank you.' She glanced at him over the rim of the fluted goblet. 'I think I'll take my time with this one,' she said, looking around for a ledge to rest it on. 'I've had two or three already.'
His mouth curved in a smile. 'Then perhaps we could dance?' he murmured. He took the champagne from her and placed it on a narrow shelf, and then held out his hand to her.
She hesitated and he sent her a probing glance. 'I know you have doubts about me,' he murmured, 'but shall we put aside our differences for now and take to the floor?'
Without realising quite how it had happened, she found herself on the dance floor a moment later, held within his gentle embrace, whirling to the lilting music of a waltz. How was it that the rhythm had changed in that instant from fast to slow and dreamy?
Mark's hand clasped hers firmly, and his other hand rested lightly on the curve of her back, leading her with a sure touch, while his thighs brushed hers in a sensual movement that stirred her senses and made her head spin.
His nearness robbed her of strength. Her limbs were suddenly weak, insubstantial like thistledown, and it seemed to Sarah that she was walking on air. He swirled her around the dance floor effortlessly, and she was so close to him that her nervous system went into overdrive and she found that she could scarcely breathe. When the music finally came to an end, she looked up at him bemusedly, robbed of words, still feeling as though she was floating among clouds.
His gaze meshed with hers. 'More champagne?' he asked.
'I don't think I should,' she murmured. She was already fizzing, heady with the sensation of being held, of being locked in his embrace.
The rest of the evening flashed by in a flurry of lights and music and delicious sensation. Mark was attentive, making sure that she had everything she needed, introducing her to his family and friends. Perhaps he felt obliged to, because he had persuaded her here against her will, or it could be that he empathised with her in some way because of what had happened to Hannah.
He introduced her to his father, a distinguished-looking man, tall and strong, his hair greying at the temples, his manner courteous and attentive. She enquired about the fundraising.
'I must say that I'm pleased with the way things have gone this evening,' he told her. 'We've collected more donations than we could have imagined.'
He was a straightforward man, likeable and without airs, and he didn't seem at all like the ruthless businessman Owen had made him out to be. Even so, she wondered how he had managed to achieve all these trappings of wealth and power. Had he really been responsible for engineering his son's promotion?
She said, 'Have you always had an interest in helping the hospital, or are you especially involved with the renal unit?'
'I try to help out with various charities where I can,' he said. 'Last year we raised money for the world disaster fund, and this year we're concentrating on the local hospital. It seemed especially relevant since Mark was looking to work there.'
'I see.' She was quiet, thinking about that. Was there some truth in what Owen had said?
Mark had been standing with his mother, saying goodbye to guests who were getting ready to leave, but after a minute or two he came over and took Sarah to one side.
'Are you all right?' he asked.
She nodded. 'I think it's time that I was heading home,' she murmured. She wouldn't be out of place, doing that. One or two people were beginning to drift away, making preparations for the journey home. Most of them had to be at work in the morning.
He frowned. 'Do you have to go now?'
'I'm afraid so. I need to get up early to get Jamie to school on time. You don't have to trouble yourself, though. Stay here and help your parents with their guests. I'll call a taxi.'
'No, I won't hear of you doing that. Just give me a moment, and I'll drive you.'
'It's still pouring with rain out there,' his father said. 'Take care with your driving. It's been raining practically non-stop for some days now, and I heard that there are floods.'
'I'll be careful,' Mark said. He turned to Sarah. 'You needn't worry. I haven't had much to drink, so you'll be safe.'
'I never doubted it,' she murmured.
They drove back along the same route that they had taken some hours ago, but Mark studied the road ahead and said, frowning, 'It looks as though my father was right. The road has flooded in the time that we've been at the house. We'll have to turn around and go a different way.'
Sarah peered out of the car window into the darkness. It was hard to make out the scenery, but the car headlights picked out a gleaming mass of water ahead of them. She nodded.
Mark turned the car around and they headed back the way they had come, turning off to go a more circular route. 'We'll go over the bridge,' he said. 'That's usually a safe bet.'
Sarah had driven that way many times before. Now, though, as they approached the bridge, she looked out at the cars that were parked along the roadside and she said quietly, 'I'm not sure about this. Why are these cars parked up ahead? They look as though they've been abandoned.'
'I think you're right. That probably means that the road's flooded over there, too.' He slowed the car to a halt. 'I'm going to get out and take a look at what's happening. We should be far enough away from any problems if I park the car back here. I want you to stay inside here where it's warm and dry while I go and look up ahead.'
She wondered why he wasn't just going to turn the car around. 'What is it? Have you seen something? Do you think someone's in trouble?'
He was frowning. 'I can see a car and some lights. I'm not sure what's going on—I can't quite make it out.' He reached into the glove compartment and took out a torch. 'Wait here. I'll be just a few minutes.'
He stepped out of the car and disappeared into the darkness, and Sarah tried to keep track of him and see what was happening. After a minute or two she realised that it was useless. It was pitch black out there, and she couldn't imagine what he was looking for. Unless... Was it possible that someone had not seen the danger and had ventured onwards into the floodwaters?
Sarah pushed open the car door and scrambled out. She heard voices in the distance, muffled sounds, and she struggled to make sense of them. The wind was howling and the rain beat down on her, dampening the light jacket that she was wearing within seconds. She pulled the edges of the jacket around herself and hugged it to her to keep out the cold.
There was no sign of Mark. Then she heard a woman's voice, a ragged sound brutally torn away by the wind. 'Help us, someone help us.'
Another sound followed, floating on the wind, a sob, a moan of distress, a high-pitched note. Sarah frowned. Surely that cry could only have come from a child?
She rushed towards that sound. There was only the light of the moon to guide her, and all around was just the sweep of the road and the hedgerow on either side. There were open fields along this stretch, she recalled, but now she saw a silver glitter rippling along the road surface, and she knew that she was looking at the river. Horrified, she stared at the swollen surge of water. The river must have broken its banks because now it flowed across her path, and as she stepped forward it came and lapped at her feet, splashing upwards over her legs. She caught her breath as the shock of ice cold water hit her.