11: Facades Fall

Greg strode across to her, grabbing her arm. “You are, aren’t you?” he demanded.

“No, I’m not!” she denied hotly, suddenly springing to life. “I’m not pregnant.”

Wrenching her arm away she ran from his room, slamming the door behind her.

Greg remained at the window, staring pensively at the ocean. Something was very wrong. Donna had known all along that her sister Diana had fallen pregnant before the engagement had been announced. And she probably assumed that he’d thought Diana had just run away.

Now that they both knew that the other knew Di’s little secret it should have been a relief. But something didn’t fit. A lot of things didn’t fit.

He was glad, at least, that she denied being pregnant already. He wasn’t sure the codicil would accept his first child being someone else’s biologically.

Why had Donna gotten so upset? She should have just laughed it off. Why did he constantly feel like she was hiding something greater and much closer to home?

He went over to the bar and poured himself a drink. He sat on the bed for a long time, searching his mind for clues, answers, options- more than half the time he came up empty. The only way he would get to the bottom of this was to talk to the woman in the next room. Something he admittedly didn’t want to do.

He opened the door to the bathroom which connected to Donna’s. He tried her door and it was unlocked. Going in, Greg found Donna sitting on her bed, staring out the large window the same way he had been doing earlier.

She didn’t look up when he closed the door behind him. He sat down on a chair near the bed.

“How long have you known that Diana was pregnant when she ran away?” she asked, not looking at him still.

“Ten years. She told me.”

Surprise registered on her face.

“How else would I have known?” he asked.

She faced him and spoke. “She left me a note. It said very little- do you know who the father was?” she asked gently.

“It definitely wasn’t me,” he said firmly.

Donna cocked her head to the side, acknowledging the edge in his voice. Whatever she said wouldn’t hurt him.

“It was Larry.”

“The baseball player?” He didn’t sound shocked.

Diana nodded.

“Did she tell you before she left or was that in the note?”

“I knew that she had a fling with the junior coach but once you proposed she never mentioned him again. So I assumed she wanted to be with you. She certainly seemed to.” Pause. “And I thought you looked happy together so I left it alone.”

“Did we seriously look that happy together?” came the doubtful query from Greg.

“Yes!” Donna said. “Greg, I remember a time when you took me out, the both of you. We went to a movie then to the Ice Maker. She was all over you and you seemed to respond in kind. And when I commented on how happy your marriage was going to be, you looked at one another and laughed. It was like you were sharing a private joke.”

“Do you remember who else was at the Ice Maker? Think hard.”

Donna shook her head.

“The junior baseball team was celebrating in the corner with the coach,” Greg told her quietly. “She was trying to make him jealous-”

“No, she-”

“Donna, stop building what Diana and I had into a fairy-tale relationship in your head!” he said harshly. “I already told you, I never loved Diana. In all honesty I proposed to save her ass! Our parents were thrilled and I didn’t care. She was good-looking and I knew I could’ve done worse.” Pause. “She was convinced Larry didn’t love her and wouldn’t marry her. And at first, she was right.”

“What?”

“He wouldn’t marry her,” Greg explained. “He thought he wasn’t good enough for her.”

Donna’s head was spinning. Greg continued, “By the time he came to his senses, our wedding plans were well under way and everything was almost set. Diana was torn between going through with the whole wedding and going back to Larry. Then one night when I was driving her home, Larry was there waiting. I told him to leave her alone. Your father came out- there was a scene, words were exchanged, insults were flung and Larry went away.”

“Daddy knew?”

“No. Your parents- I think to this day they don’t – never knew Larry had impregnated Di. I think they were like you- thought we really were into each other and wanted it to work.”

Donna shook her head. “No.”

“What do you mean ‘no’?”

“Daddy told me the same thing you did that the two of you weren’t in love.”

“That much, yes. They all figured that out. They might even have known that she ran away with Larry but that she was pregnant? No.” He shook his head, “That she treasured love more than image- yes. Pregnancy- no inkling.”

Donna was confused and in pain. “So what did Daddy tell me for?”

Silence.

“I don’t know.” Pause. “He was probably trying to keep you from making the same mistake.”

“Mistake?”

Greg stood up and went to the window. “I almost got married once before Diana.”

“What?” she said again, turning her head to look at him fully.

“Her father wouldn’t let her marry a rich white Anglican when she was Spanish and Catholic and expected to marry the baker’s cousin- which she did and left me hanging.”

“I’m sorry. I- had no idea.”

“You were barely in sixth grade then. Anyway, I got over her- as much as I thought I loved her.” He laughed. “She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen and I would have given her my entire universe for that sparkling smile.”

Wow. “I’m sorry.”

“You’ve already said that. And I think you’re missing the point.”

“What am I missing?”

“Your parents- and maybe mine to a measure- want you to be sure you won’t do what your sister did. Commit yourself to me then you find five years down the line you want to ask me for a divorce because you’ve fallen in love for the first time.”

“I won’t,” Donna said. “You and Diana messed that up for me.”

It was his turn to apologise. Donna got up from the bed and poured them both drinks from her bar. Walking over to the window she handed him a glass.

“Thanks.” He sat back in his chair and regarded the woman he was going to marry. “There goes all our skeletons. I’ve been in love and out for good. Diana died in her quest for love and happiness. You, Little D, have been disillusioned but you still have the space to back out and find someone.”

“Not really,” she said. “I’ve already signed the prenuptial.”

“It’ll be void if we don’t get married.”

“Plus expenses.” She allowed herself a small laugh. “I’m sure I don’t need love. My mind’s set for good.”

“For good,” he echoed firmly. Then he smiled, “Well, I think that went quite well. We were honest and we spoke in depth about our problem. Our marriage will be a breeze.”

Donna laughed out loud.

He looked at his watch. “Let’s have lunch then we can do something together afterwards.”

As if on cue, a porter arrived at the door with lunch.

During the meal, Donna said, “I am glad you got the past out of the way. It has a way of popping up and being a problem.”

“Yes,” Greg nodded. “And now I think I know why were always teary-eyed.”

Her head snapped back. “You do?” Oh God.

“Yes- I think that somewhere in your mind you believe that if she’d stayed with me she’d be alive. But the fact that you are marrying me means that she didn’t- because she isn’t alive any longer.”

Oh what life lines you throw Mr. Marshall! Donna gave him a wide smile- dimples and all- and said, “Yes. But I think we’re kind of beginning to exorcise that one, yeah?”

“I certainly hope you’re right. I’ve had enough of unearthing the past.”

“Great, so we can go to a party tonight.”

“How’d you find out about it?”

“Those three Australians Joe, JJ and Jon,” she smiled.

“Tell me, did those three approach you or was it vice versa?”

“They approached me,” she sniffed.

“I’d watch out if I were you.”

Donna laughed, “You’ve just jealous because you might not even get any before we leave tomorrow.”

Greg smiled lazily. “You need not think that, my dear. I’d be willing to bet if I didn’t already know you’d be losing your money.”

“Bet what?”

“I’ll have my pick before midnight.”

“Ha!”

It didn’t seem funny to either of them that being away from the US seemed to give them license to loosen up a little as far as discretion was concerned. They were there to set in motion the next stage of their marriage plans and yet they were talking about looking for sexual gratification with strangers.

The two of them left the hotel bar at ten-thirty, jumped into a rental car and went in search of the party Donna’s three surfers had told her about.

When they found it, they weren’t disappointed. A large house on the Sydney beach front was filled with bronze-skinned, party-loving Australians. Within a short amount of time Donna found herself flirting with a Scandinavian before JJ- the cutest of the three Js- came along and whisked her onto the dance floor. Or rather an open enough space where they smiled at each other and Donna put a hand round his neck. A confused expression crossed his face.

“Just relax,” she murmured, placing her head on his chest.

JJ put his arms around her. Her hands travelled down his arms, to his back pockets. They remained like that for a seductive moment or two until he tensed.

She lifted her head. “What is it?”

“I just saw your fiancé,” he said.

“So?”

“Well-”

“Did he see you?”

“Yes.”

“Did he look upset?”

“No...”

Donna was quickly getting annoyed. “Then what is the problem?”

“Your fiancé... you two are together,” he said nervously.

Her hands were out of his pockets, aware they weren’t on the same playing field. “I really hoped we could have fun together.” She walked off. Scanning the area, she spotted Greg against the wall with two blonde girls and smiled.

Just when she was ready to retire gracefully, she bumped into her Scandinavian.

“Me and some friends are going to a club- want to join me?”

“I’d love to, let me just tell my date I’m leaving.”

He laughed and said, “Sure. I’m outside waiting in a black Hummer.”

Donna smiled. At least they’d be moving around in relative style.

Greg’s reaction to Donna’s departure was to tell her to be careful.

“See you back at the hotel tomorrow.”

The club proved to be even more charged than the party and Donna found her Scandinavian was an excellent dancer. And his kiss was expert.

They took a break at a corner table with drinks. That’s when he saw her ring- but he took it in with interest, instead of drawing back like JJ had.

“Where is he?” came the question.

“Not here,” she said with a smile.

“When are you getting married?”

“First week of January.”

“Love him?”

She shook her head once. “We’re friends.”

He took her right hand and kissed it. “So tonight you’re mine..?”

She cocked her head slightly in acknowledgement. “If you play your cards right.”

She was, on some level, aware that casual sex was stupid. At her age, she knew what discretion to exercise and the way to protect herself and her future. Her doctor had even helped her find a contraceptive she wasn’t allergic to, so every now and then she indulged her more spontaneous side.

They danced a while longer and then Donna asked Henry or Henrik or Hendrik to take her back to her hotel. Back to her room.

The rest should have been history except for the fact that H-whatsit was too drunk to drive, so Donna did, then when they got to her room, he fell onto the bed calling out compliments to her as she slipped off her coat and kicked her shoes towards the closet.

When her dress fell, so did the Scandinavian’s volume. “You’re so beautiful,” he slurred.

“So show me.”

He seemed to sober up a bit as he undressed but to cut a long story short he fell asleep before Donna had returned from the bathroom.

Within seconds her initial rage turned to sheer frustration, so she shoved him off her bed in his boxers and got in by herself. Snuggling in her Egyptian cotton sheets, she went to sleep. But before she could really slip into deep slumber, she felt something disturbing her.

At first she vaguely thought it might be the Scandinavian slipping into the sheets but it was more like someone leaning over her, putting an uncomfortable weight over her body. When she felt someone pulling on her hand, trying to take her engagement ring off, she lost her cool and screamed. Not once, not twice. Three times.

“Shut up,” her Scandinavian snarled, a hand now reaching for her throat. He began to choke out what little breath she had left.

“Give me the ring, bitch, and you’ll live.”

She shook her head, desperately wishing Greg would barge in.

“Stupid choice,” came the horrible whisper.

Donna noted he was fully dressed now and on the healthy side of sober, trying to prise the fist of her left hand open, bending her wrist painfully.

She whimpered loudly but refused to give up.

“Open your hand,” he growled, his hand squeezing her throat with renewed energy. “Give it to me!”

She tried pushing him but he effectively smothered her arms against her chest, making it even harder for her to breathe. She started to panic, feeling her strength slip away. Tears blurred her eyes and her greatest fear was the man was going to kill her.

Donna struggled to raise her legs in an effort to unsettle Hendrik on top of her. Just when she managed to get a knee up, he suddenly released her throat and she breathed a lungful of air. That was when she saw him raise a fist.

As she screamed a fourth time, there was a commotion at the door. Hendrik’s knuckles made contact with her skin and her world went black.