Dear Stranger

by Anne Hampson

  A tense silence followed. Coming forward on to the end of the patio where the other two stood facing one another, Gilbert spoke at last, a sternness in his voice that Shara had never heard in all the years she had worked for him.

  Is this true, Colin?’ and before his nephew had time to speak. ‘It’s certainly true that you’ve paid her a good deal of attention almost since the moment of her arrival here, much more attention than I’ve ever known you pay a

  woman before.’

  ‘True, Uncle . . . but then I’ve never been serious with a woman before—’

  ‘Serious!’ Shara and Gilbert spoke together, both staring at Colin in disbelief.

  ‘You’ve known her less than a week!’

  ‘I believe you fell in love with Aunt Sylvia in even less time than that.’ Cool tones; Colin’s eyes were on Shara’s face - staring unfathomable eyes. And an enigmatic smile hovered on his lips.

  ‘You - you intend marrying Annoula?’ Her voice was low and not at all steady; it reflected the quivering of her nerves and the thudding of her heart. Carl, it seemed, was hers... and yet....

  ‘Of course.’ The voice was as masked as the expression. ‘That’s why I couldn’t understand what you were talking about, Shara.’

  Her grey eyes narrowed.

  ‘Annoula could be easily hurt, Colin,’ she said softly. ‘Undoubtedly. I shall never hurt her. Why should I?’

  She made no reply, but transferred her gaze to Gilbert. Having listened to the interchange with an expression as unreadable as that of his nephew, Gilbert now said,

  ‘Have you asked Annoula to marry you, Colin?’

  ‘Not yet.’ An abstracted smile touched the outline of his mouth. ‘It would hardly be the thing when she’s engaged to someone else. ’

  ‘You’ve discussed the breaking of her engagement to Carl?’

  ‘I’ve told Annoula that she must do this - in fact,’ he added with a flickering glance at Shara, ‘she’s probably giving Carl his freedom at this very moment.’

  Instinctively Shara glanced at her wrist watch.

  ‘Carl’s just called for her - to take her to the hospital; she was told yesterday that she must visit Nico in the mornings now.’ The child would be out in a couple of days’ time, reflected Shara absently.

  ‘That’s right. I advised her to tell Carl that she wishes to break her engagement—’

  ‘Because you yourself wish to marry her?’ cut in Gilbert sharply.

  ‘Haven’t I just said I intend marrying her? Yes, certainly it’s because I wish to marry her.’ Colin seemed a trifle impatient, Shara thought and, meeting her employer’s gaze, she realized that he was of the same opinion.

  ‘Are we to have a double wedding, then?’ inquired Gilbert at length.

  ‘I do have a job of work,’ Colin reminded him and, with an unmistakable hint of satire, ‘Had I had any idea that I should want to get married I’d have taken my holidays all at once. As it is, I took only half.’ He went on to say that Annoula would follow him to England when she had done all there was to do at her home, and that she would stay with his grandparents for the short period before their marriage. All the time he spoke he seemed to be lost in some thoughts of his own, and it seemed to Shara that what he was saying was of secondary importance to these thoughts.

  A deep dejection had fallen on her and she experienced a feeling of loss because of it. By rights she should be on top of the world, her spirits soaring to the clouds. She should be straining with impatience at the time which must inevitably elapse before she could get to Carl, could savour the feel of his arms without the sadness or guilt which she had experienced up till now. Carl was free, and they could marry - they would marry ... but would complete happiness ever be really theirs?

  The violet shades of twilight had invaded the drowsy landscape as Shara and her husband strolled along the lane, their fingers entwined. Blowing in from the sea, the soft sun-down breeze diffused exotic perfumes into the air, perfumes gathered on its way from the narrow coastal plain to the hills. From some lonely faraway place came the forlorn bray of a donkey, heard above the incessant whir of cicadas in the olive trees. From a vine-shaded patio someone called,

  Kalispera, Mr. Carlos. Kalispera, Mrs. Carlos!’

  ‘Kali spera, Demetrios.’

  The couple spoke in unison and walked on, traversing the dusty lane.

  ‘What is it, my love?’ Soft caressing tones and an impulsive tightening of her husband’ s fingers round hers. She did not reply for a while; she did not quite know how to. Three months they had been married, and although by the very strength of their love happiness must flourish, there had been only ephemeral interludes of total bliss, of the perfection each had visualized when in their anguish at being parted they had allowed their minds to dwell on what might have been.

  ‘I’m not sure that I want to see Colin and Annoula just now,’ she sighed at last.

  ‘Nor I, but we had to accept Gilbert’s invitation to dinner. And of course we shall have to return the invitation; you are prepared for that?’

  ‘Yes—’ She turned her head and he stopped. Taking her face in his hands he kissed her, tenderly.

  ‘Darling, there’s nothing we can do about it, so we might as well try to be happy.’

  ‘We are happy.’ No comment on that and she added in tones edged with apology, ‘I’m spoiling what should

  be such a lovely thing, aren’t I, Carl? But always with me is this sacrifice Colin made — just so that we could be married. And always with me is the terrible fear that his marriage will break up because, as far as Colin was concerned, it was never based on love. A woman soon knows, Carl, and by now Annoula must know that Colin doesn’t love her.’

  Her husband merely nodded and they began to walk on again. They had chosen to go on foot because the evening was too beautiful for riding in the car. And in any case, they both loved the walk back from Gilbert’s villa, in the real cool of the night, with the breeze stirring a myriad leaves as it blew through the citrus groves; and the stars and moon showering mountains and sea with their silver luminescence. They did the walk regularly, as Shara was still employed by Gilbert, just until the present book was finished, and on the three days on which she worked Carl would walk over to the villa and they would all have dinner together before Shara and Carl left for their own home.

  Lights from Gilbert’s house flooded the gardens and even from this distance the three figures on the patio could easily be discerned. Shara’s heart seemed to lurch. Would she see bitter disillusionment on Annoula’s lovely face? - or regret on that of Colin -regret for the mistake he had made?

  Suddenly laughter rang out - happy girlish laughter, and then the two men joined in. The three were still laughing when Carl and Shara joined them.

  ‘Just listen to this joke,’ said Gilbert as, rising, he brought forward a chair for his secretary.

  Three hours later she and Carl were leaving, Carl having invited Gilbert and his guests to dinner the following evening. Breathlessly Shara turned to her husband the instant they were outside the gate.

  ‘Carl, did you see the way they were with each other?’

  ‘I could scarcely fail to see it, my love. They made me feel quite old - and very much the married man.’

  ‘He worships her ...’ Wonderingly she spoke, seeing Colin’s tender glances so often cast at his wife. And Annoula herself. ... Had any bride ever been more glowing? ‘I never dreamed he was marrying her for love. He made no attempt to deny it when I accused him of duping her. Why didn’t he—?’ Shara broke off, her eyes widening. ‘Did he marry her for love, Carl? Or has this happened since?’

  ‘We shall never know,’ returned Carl gravely after a thoughtful pause. ‘ Nor need we tease ourselves with it. They’re blissfully happy—’ Breaking off, he tilted his wife’s head with a gentle touch under her chin. ‘And there’s now no obstacle in the way of our being blissfully happy too. ’

  She nodded in agreement, and a tremulous smile
broke. She felt as light as on the day she had signed a fortune over to his daughter.

  ‘No obstacle, dearest Carl,’ she whispered as, beginning to walk on again, Carl reached for her hand and tucked it lovingly into his.

  Table of Contents

  ‘That’s absolutely correct, they do. Everyone’s re

  but of course it was said in the nicest way.