she had no choice but to try and get to the beach on the other side of the rocks. There was no way she could turn back now. Above the roar of the ocean she was sure she heard his voice again, and Ursula knew he would not give up the chase easily.
As she felt her way along the cliff face she came across a crack big enough to squeeze into. She did not hesitate to plunge into the darkness of the cave, knowing it could be her only chance of survival. The floor was slimy beneath her bare feet and she immediately stepped on seaweed, but she was beyond caring about such things. She was feeling her away along the damp walls when Damien bellowed right outside the entrance, almost causing her heart to stop. If she could find the cave, he could too, and she was relieved when just a couple of minutes later she came across another narrow opening. This one was too small for him to get through, and even she had trouble squeezing into it. She scraped herself on the sharp edge of the rock and grimaced in pain.
Although her eyes had adjusted a little by now, she still could not see well. She sensed she was in a much bigger space, and she sat down on the damp ground, preparing to wait it out until the sun came up. If she ventured any further she could get lost or hurt herself on some sharp rocks. Her hope was that by morning Damien would have given up his search and gone back to the house.
S he closed her eyes but they flew open again when she heard his voice. This time it sounded further away. She was shaking uncontrollably as she buried her head in her hands, and tried to get a grip on herself. The thought of how close she had come to being murdered by someone she had just made love with was horrifying, but she couldn’t afford to give into hysteria now. She knew in her heart it was not Damien who had attacked her so brutally, but how she was going to convince other people of that she did not know. She was thankful that at least Bonnie would believe her, if she managed to make it to her house in one piece, and this was the only comfort she could find as she sat shivering in the darkness, waiting for the first light of dawn.
Chapter Eight
Despit e her terror Ursula was physically exhausted and she dozed off a couple of times in the damp, dark cave. Each time she was awoken by the sound of Damien yelling outside. Sometimes he sounded close and at others far away, as if his voice was carried on the wind from a long distance. He wasn’t just calling for Anna now but Mary and Rebecca as well. Although the newspaper article she had found at the library did not mention the names of Edward Stanton’s other wives she guessed that this was who he was chasing in his delusional state. When the light finally began to creep into the cave Ursula said a prayer that her ordeal was almost over.
The cavern was big, as she’d suspected, and she found several other narrow passages leading off it deeper into the labyrinth of caves that ran beneath the cliffs. It occurred to her that if she followed one of these passages she might find another way out on the other side of the rocks. She had not heard Damien’s voice for several hours, and she had no idea if he was still looking for her, but her chances were better if she got as far away from Colton Manor as possible before coming out onto the beach.
Although it was growing lighter with each second, it was still quite dark in the passage and she could barely see in front of her. She kept her eyes strained for any glimmers of light in the distance which would indicate she was moving towards an opening. She came to a sharp corner that led into a dead end and she turned around to retrace her steps, but to her intense frustration she seemed to walk for a very long time without coming back to the place she’d started. She must have somehow entered another tunnel without realizing it and now she was hopelessly lost.
Trying to stay calm she reasoned that if she just kept walking she would eventually have
As she felt her way along the cliff face she came across a crack big enough to squeeze into. She did not hesitate to plunge into the darkness of the cave, knowing it could be her only chance of survival. The floor was slimy beneath her bare feet and she immediately stepped on seaweed, but she was beyond caring about such things. She was feeling her away along the damp walls when Damien bellowed right outside the entrance, almost causing her heart to stop. If she could find the cave, he could too, and she was relieved when just a couple of minutes later she came across another narrow opening. This one was too small for him to get through, and even she had trouble squeezing into it. She scraped herself on the sharp edge of the rock and grimaced in pain.
Although her eyes had adjusted a little by now, she still could not see well. She sensed she was in a much bigger space, and she sat down on the damp ground, preparing to wait it out until the sun came up. If she ventured any further she could get lost or hurt herself on some sharp rocks. Her hope was that by morning Damien would have given up his search and gone back to the house.
S he closed her eyes but they flew open again when she heard his voice. This time it sounded further away. She was shaking uncontrollably as she buried her head in her hands, and tried to get a grip on herself. The thought of how close she had come to being murdered by someone she had just made love with was horrifying, but she couldn’t afford to give into hysteria now. She knew in her heart it was not Damien who had attacked her so brutally, but how she was going to convince other people of that she did not know. She was thankful that at least Bonnie would believe her, if she managed to make it to her house in one piece, and this was the only comfort she could find as she sat shivering in the darkness, waiting for the first light of dawn.
Chapter Eight
Despit e her terror Ursula was physically exhausted and she dozed off a couple of times in the damp, dark cave. Each time she was awoken by the sound of Damien yelling outside. Sometimes he sounded close and at others far away, as if his voice was carried on the wind from a long distance. He wasn’t just calling for Anna now but Mary and Rebecca as well. Although the newspaper article she had found at the library did not mention the names of Edward Stanton’s other wives she guessed that this was who he was chasing in his delusional state. When the light finally began to creep into the cave Ursula said a prayer that her ordeal was almost over.
The cavern was big, as she’d suspected, and she found several other narrow passages leading off it deeper into the labyrinth of caves that ran beneath the cliffs. It occurred to her that if she followed one of these passages she might find another way out on the other side of the rocks. She had not heard Damien’s voice for several hours, and she had no idea if he was still looking for her, but her chances were better if she got as far away from Colton Manor as possible before coming out onto the beach.
Although it was growing lighter with each second, it was still quite dark in the passage and she could barely see in front of her. She kept her eyes strained for any glimmers of light in the distance which would indicate she was moving towards an opening. She came to a sharp corner that led into a dead end and she turned around to retrace her steps, but to her intense frustration she seemed to walk for a very long time without coming back to the place she’d started. She must have somehow entered another tunnel without realizing it and now she was hopelessly lost.
Trying to stay calm she reasoned that if she just kept walking she would eventually have
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