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'And you would know all about that, wouldn't you?' His nostrils flared with distaste 'How many other men have there been?'

She hite and regretted challenging him, but pride had demanded that she refuse to allow him to treat her in such a fashion He had said that she was his wife A husband didn't et up and leave her to sleep elsewhere without a word or even a gesture

'Tell me,' he invited rawly 'I want to know'

'I don't think noould be theback the hu up her throat

'My iination runs riot,' he intoned harshly 'I'd prefer the truth'

'You wouldn't recognise the truth if it bit you' Tense as a bow string, her eyes huge in her drawn face, she whispered, 'I won't allow you to treat me like this You said… you said the past was past-'

'How the hell can it be, when every ti back at her fiercely between gritted teeth 'Do you think I want to feel like this? Do you think I enjoy loweringand shameful questions?'

'What do you want? A list of names, places and times?'

Beneath her appraisal he went satisfyingly rigid 'M-maybe you'd like me to score the names on this list,' she stammered, sick with revulsion

All the angry colour iped from his taut features 'Tellyou?' she o, you didn't trust me' She forced herself to look squarely back at hi what you then called gloriously spontaneous and what I still call gloriously stupid I went to bed with you the first night we met, and you're so buried in your medieval code of what constitutes a decent woive me for that It doesn't matter t

hat you were ether you were just waiting for ain with someone else And don't think I didn't know that!'

As she fired that final sentence unsteadily at hie in the bathroo the bolt home on the door

'Ashley… come out of there'

Wordlessly she shook her head, tears running down her cheeks This tio too far But at no price was she prepared to live however briefly with a hypocritical, judgemental swine, who made her feel unclean 'Do you think I'm proud that I can't keep my hands off you?' he had demanded in London No, she could quite see, as he swiftly re his own lust, that he wouldn't be proud

'Ashley… ' She switched on the shower purely to drown him out

A long time later she crept out, no precise plan in et away Hurriedly she dressed, selecting a starkly cut white shift dress and a cerise jacket After digging a few essential ite, she tiptoed out of the room and downstairs The house was in darkness The front doors were not even locked As she caure rose froo out? Lady want car?' It was the ap-toothed smile seemed to say that the eccentric habits of Europeans abroad were not worth even a show of surprise

'Yes, car,' she agreed, delighted it was going to be so easy 'I want to go to Colombo'

'I get Bandu Take time' He looked anxious now 'Can you takethe whole household being aroused

'Me? Kuhed with positive delight 'Yes, I take lady Kuood driver,' he asserted