Chapter Eighteen Over the next few days, the pain and stiffness in her muscles ebbed as her bruises turned from dark purple, to a colorful array of shades ranging from greenish yellow to a lovely shade of magenta. Now able to move around more easily by herself, she managed to shower and wash her hair, making her feel almost normal again -almost. She hadn't seen Duncan since the night he was waiting for her in her room with the dinner tray. Surreptitiously opening the door the next morning, she was surprised and she had to admit grateful, to find her suitcase sitting on the floor outside her room. She didn't know how he did it, but after that night, he managed to leave her meals on the dresser at the odd times when she left the room to freshen up or answer the call of nature. To make sure there were no further unexpected confrontations with him, she placed the tray on the floor outside her room when she was finished, and was thankful when he apparently got the message and left her alone. Feeling smug at first that she had succeeded in driving him away from her, as the days passed and she began to recover her strength, she finally had to admit to herself that she was lonely and missed his company. Sometimes late at night unable to sleep, she could hear him moving around the cabin. Just knowing he was there, gave her an odd sense of comfort. During the day, she could hear his voice through the door as he played and talked to Tanya. Lately, she noticed Tanya seemed to prefer his company to hers, and sometimes she envied the dog's time spent in his company. Alone in her room she had had the time to think about her father's journal and the photographs. Though she was still unable to make the correlation between the man she loved who had been such a giving and gentle lover and the man in the photographs, she remained confused and afraid to make an effort to bridge the gap between them. Giving her several days to think it over, late one evening, Duncan lightly rapped on Caitlin's door. "Caitlin, I want to talk to you, to explain. I promise I won't touch you." Still unable to trust her instincts about him, Caitlin kept her silence and refused to acknowledge his request. Duncan tried again. "Caitlin?" Greeted with nothing but silence, he started to raise his hand to knock once more, but then let it fall to his side. Shaking his head in frustration, he rested his forehead against the door and placed the palms of his hands on either side, and pleaded with her through the closed door. "Caitlin, I love you. But, what ever happens now, is up to you." Again, his plea was met with only silence.