Secrets and Scandals

Secrets and Scandals (chapter 1)

CHAPTER ONESWELTERING HEAT

IT WAS MORNING, and mist lay like a blanket, swirling in between the large angular triangles that jutted out of the sandy banks. A small settlement of crinkled white houses with large sheets of reflecting glass and frail grass lawns, rusted into brown below the constant battering sun, already burning in the early morning upon the few frail skeletons of palm trees, lay among the mountains of sugar grains.

Caroline Ridgeway looked out of her window and sighed, her eyes wafting towards the large wooden frames, indented with white that lay just above her gaze. Another day without her children. Another day with Archie, in Egypt. Her reflection stared back at her, a pale face, emotion sucked from her thin loose skin, hazelnut eyes uncomfortably bright against the slowly greying hair and pale, dry lips. Those eyes penetrated the duck yellow sand as she thought again of her children, how they would have played in this sand, well, she thought, two of them would have played. Michael would have just taken notes! She smiled weakly, her face lifting ever so slightly in the blanket of despair that washed over her, whirling between her bones constantly.

"Darling?" The shout startled her, her thin clothes creasing slightly off the cold, marble floor. She shouldn't have been gazing into space, she should have been working, not time wasting.

"Darling? Where are you?"

Caroline hastily turned her head, whirling away from thought, while grabbing at a brush and dissolving it through her long winding hair, wanting desperately to be seen as hardworking and easy minded.

"Just here!" She promptly called, her voice higher than was necessary.

Archie emerged from a side door, the sound of the toilet flushing blaring out as the door opened, his hand resting lightly on the metal handle. His features were still carved into his flesh, his hair still a strong brown. Neither age or the loss of his children had seemed to affect him. His long strides were still arrogant and confident as he strolled into the grand room, a large bed crowded with sheets and pillows beside him and a sizable limestone balcony equipped with plunge pool and outside furniture entering his line of vision.

Archie's hand came sharply to rest on Caroline's shoulder, his fingers gripping, harder than required, at the drooping clothes.

Caroline fliched, her breath faltering. Her eyes shut.

"What do you want, dear?" she uttered slightly coldy, the last word forced out of her mouth in an attempt to maintain peace.

As Archie made a grab at a small circle of makeup, Caroline's fingers shot to her mouth. She had started this nail biting habit ever since she had left England, much to the dislike of Archie.

"Stop that." He said in a bored voice and Caroline reluctantly withdrew her hands, displaying half a dozen finger nails with chipped red nail polish. She licked her chapped lips nervously, awaiting an order.

"What is this and are you even using it? Most days you look like a ghost," said Archie, his voice curling into slight disgust while his eyes stared constantly at the small black circle, golden powder pressed inside. Caroline flinched again, half ready to snap a retort but with no energy and too much fear to do such a thing.

"What happened to my beautiful wife, who stunned any man that came near? She's still in there, Caroline. That confident, young woman inside you, please come next time, accompany me to convince other clients. I've rebuilt our whole company, it's as good as ever,"

Archie pulled his hands away, heading for his leather wallet upon the bedside table. Caroline remained still, half stunned, her long fingers searching the table for a mirror, her eyes not leaving the window pane.