Not sure what the tour would consist of, Penny had tried to cover all eventualities with flat pumps, knee-length shorts, a light cotton shirt tied at the waist, and a straw hat.
‘Ready?’ Nic asked, putting his sunglasses on.
‘Absolutely.’ Penny turned around to smile at Theo. As she did, Dimitris walked into the Athena with his father, carrying a box full of fish from the morning’s catch.
As she settled back in her seat Nic started the car and the small white lanes of St George South led them out to the roads taking them north and then inland.
After driving for half an hour Nic pulled the car off the main road and into a small car park. There were just a few more cars and, a short stroll away, an old crumbling building that contrasted sharply with a smart white wall and glass visitor centre.
The smell as Penny stepped out of the car was an intoxicating mix of olives and heat. But before she’d had a moment to adjust to the landscape and the light, a man strode towards them.
‘I should explain that Kostas and I were at school together and this is his family’s business,’ Nic said after exchanging greetings with his friend. ‘For generations they’ve been pressing olives and making the best olive oil you’ve ever tasted.’
‘Well, if it’s the oil Tess uses in the Athena, I would have to agree with you.’
‘Indeed, it is. I’m thrilled you think that.’ Kostas beamed and looked at her more intently than he had when Nic had introduced them.
She noticed how very blue his eyes were, a stunning feature of a tanned, toned, lean face, topped by blonde hair, shot through with grey. He was without doubt a handsome forty-something man, and she supposed that when at school together Kostas had been the girl magnet and Nic had been the quiet one, always in the background.
For that reason alone, she felt more comfortable with Nic. There was no smoothness or flirting, no innuendo or pregnant pauses. He was simply Nic, which was perhaps why, she mused, if he did have feelings for Tess, he hadn’t even hinted at them, let alone said anything.
Throughout the tour, which Penny conceded was excellent, Kostas’s knowledge was impressive. One story particularly enchanted Penny. During the Venetian occupation centuries before, the Corfiots had been encouraged to plant and harvest olives, with the oil used to light the lamps of Venice. It conjured up romantic images of St Mark’s Square and the Doge’s Palace, their stone-carved terraces lit by hanging lamps, reflected in the canals. In her head Penny was already painting this scene.
Theo had to be patient until the end of the tour when the old millstone for pressing the fruits, which had originally been pulled by a donkey, appeared. In a paddock next to the ancient press a pair of donkeys stood patiently in the shade of the olive trees.
Before anyone had a chance to stop him, he was over the small fence and heading towards the animals. As Penny looked up into the hills and the groves beyond, the scream of the cicadas was constant. The shade that the donkeys wisely sought looked inviting.
‘Thank you so much, Kostas,’ Penny said, keeping her eye on Theo. ‘This has been a real treat.’
‘Well, as Nic knows, it’s not over yet. Please follow me.’ Kostas walked into the groves. Theo hugged the necks of the donkeys before he climbed back over the fence to join them.
As they strolled in the groves, the sun became dappled and kinder, the strong midday heat softened by the canopy of trees. Ahead was a large wooden table, topped with bottles of oil, goat’s cheese, olives, golden-crusted loaves of bread, and a carafe of wine, all arranged on a white tablecloth, covered by a clear weighted gauze which, as Kostas pulled it back, revealed the sparkle of the wine glasses and beautifully polished knives.
A sylvan scene straight from a fairy tale. A banquet for elves, or fairies in a forest.
Kostas looked up and said, ‘We usually have tastings in the mill, but I thought today you’d prefer this. Please, help yourself.
‘The two unopened bottles of oil are for you, Penny,’ he continued, ‘to take and enjoy when you return home.’ As he finished speaking his mobile rang and he walked away to take his call.
‘Well, I didn’t expect any of this,’ Penny said to Nic, as she poured water for Theo and made sure he had what he wanted to eat.
‘Neither did I. I’ve been a few times before for the tour, but never had this special treatment,’ Nic whispered back.
Kostas finished his call and made his apologies – he had to meet a business associate at the main building, but he hoped to catch them before they left.
To Penny he gave one last dazzling smile and with a nod to Nic, he was gone.
The three left in the enchanted landscape ate in comfortable and contented silence. The bread tasted like the best bread ever baked and the oil had a delicate nutty flavour that made Penny want more, to never be full, so that she could carry on dipping and enjoying the food of the gods. Penny felt she had to try the lightly fragranced red wine in the carafe, while Theo sat in the lower branches of a weathered old tree, his plate balanced on a knee and his eyes firmly fixed on a colourful, strange bird in the upper branches.
‘Shall we?’ Nic pointed towards a small incline of well-shaded grass.
They sat, side by side, watching Theo and sipping their drinks.
Penny looked down at her legs, now shiny and brown, like a pale hazelnut, and wondered idly what colours she would mix on her palette to recreate that hue.
Thinking out loud, she heard herself suddenly say: ‘I never thought Corfu would be like this. How could I have imagined somewhere so perfect?’
It was a moment or two before Nic responded. It was not what Penny expected to hear. ‘No place is perfect, because none of us are. We carry our hopes, dreams, hurt, and failings with us wherever we go. But when life brings you heartache, as well as good things, as is the usual way, Corfu does its best to either soothe you or celebrate with you.’
Without hesitating Penny asked, ‘Is that how it works for you? Does it soothe you?’
He put down his glass and peered up through the sky at the interwoven tree branches, before answering. ‘Yes, and sometimes no. There are days, moments, when it’s easier to be away from here, with all its familiarity and memories.’
‘I can see that,’ Penny said. ‘Is there something that feels more painful here than when you’re in Athens?’
There, she thought, I’ve said it. I’ve asked; then immediately regretted prying.
‘I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked that. It’s none of my business. I apologize. It’s just that I know a little about wanting to be somewhere else, looking for answers that don’t come when you’re at home, thinking that somewhere else might have them.’
Penny stopped speaking as Nic gently put his hand on hers, patted it and said, ‘Don’t worry. You’re only asking the questions I’ve been too afraid to ask or answer honestly for myself.’
She wanted to say, ‘Is it Tess? Are you in love with Tess?’ but instead, she tried frantically to think of something to say that wouldn’t press Nic to reveal anything, but would offer the option for him to share.
‘If there is something . . .’ She paused. ‘Whatever it is, if you want someone to just listen, I know we barely know each other and I’m only here for a little while longer, but – and I may be talking absolute rubbish, so feel free to forget everything I just said . . .’
The last few words came out in a rush and she sat hoping she hadn’t gone too far and invaded the privacy of a clearly very private man.
She hadn’t even considered that Tess might not feel the same way about Nic. Why should she? It was Georgios she had chosen originally, so why would she choose Nic now?
In the seconds that it took Penny to travel through all the contradictions and possibilities in her head, Nic remained silent.
Then suddenly their attention was drawn alarmingly to Theo, who fell – not very far, but with spectacular comic timing – out of the tree.
They both rushed over to the small boy, who seemed unper
turbed by his fall and, as though he was part of a circus act, still held tightly to his plate.
‘Ouch!’ he said, almost as an afterthought.
Theo asked if they could see the donkeys again before they left.
‘I don’t see why not. Are you ready to go now?’ Nic asked.
‘No, not just yet. I’ve got my insect box, but I haven’t found an insect yet.’ Theo ran to fetch his backpack.
‘That’s okay, we don’t have to hurry. Take your time. That is, if you’re fine with that, Penny? Can we stay a little longer?’ Nic turned to ask.
‘It’s okay with me. I’ve no plans at all today except for this,’ said Penny relieved at Nic’s apparent lack of annoyance or embarrassment at her meddling. ‘I can’t wait to see what he brings back.’ Penny raised her eyebrows.
Nic laughed and nodded. ‘Yes, we’ve had some moments. The scorpion was one new friend he found when not much more than a baby. I think Georgios kept that one quiet. I’m not sure Tess knows about it even now.’
‘Very wise.’
They sat back down on the grass bank.
‘Penny, what you were saying before Theo decided to become an acrobat was very kind. You’ve only been here for a short time, but I think, hope, you know that you have settled into our small community very quickly. You will be missed when you go home. Tess, in particular, enjoys your company and for that, I am personally very grateful. So, while thanking you for your kindness to me just now, I want to offer you the same listening ear. I too, so I’m told, am a good listener.’
Theo came running back to them, transparent bug carrier in hand, which revealed a very shiny black beetle; then ran off again to find more.
‘There was something I wanted to ask you.’ Penny looked away into the sun as she spoke, afraid to look him in the eye as spoke in case he read something there she didn’t want him – didn’t want anybody – to see. ‘Do you know Dimitris well?’
‘Dimitris? I’m guessing you mean our fisherman-lawyer?’
Penny nodded.
‘I’ve known him since he was a boy. Our paths didn’t cross for a few years when he lived in England, but I’ve seen more of him since he returned, although of course, I’m away for a fair part of the year.’
‘What’s he like?’ Penny asked.
‘Well, he’s quieter than when he was a boy. He was always lively, asking questions all the time . . . not unlike young Theo. He’s certainly been quieter since he returned, but that may be maturity. Although . . .’ He paused, as though wondering whether to continue. ‘Well, no doubt you may have heard if you asked the same question of Tess – his mother died when he wasn’t here and I believe there was a break-up with a partner over in England.’
Penny nodded.
‘But if what you’re really asking me is, is he a good man, then I’d say yes, but of course with all the reservations about faults and foibles that all of us have.’
Penny wondered if Nic was being discreet about Dimitris’s conquests, which she imagined often, but of which she knew nothing for certain.
Theo ran back up to Nic.
‘Now, what about those donkeys?’ Nic asked his godson.
As they gathered up their things, Penny saw Kostas on the horizon. Before he got any closer, she said, ‘Thank you, Nic, for what you said just now and about the listening. I appreciate it.’
There were thanks again to Kostas and more time with the donkeys, before they finally persuaded Theo it was time to leave.
Chapter 37
As Nic drove back on the road south, the sun was still high. Light filled the world as they passed by, making it difficult to imagine that in such bright and brilliantly beautiful surroundings anyone could be troubled or sad. A life force ran through the island that, if it couldn’t make the hurt or worry go away, still seemed to lift the spirits.
From the moment Penny had stepped off the plane, the sheer exuberant, unashamed beauty of the place had embraced her, as though saying, ‘You’re not alone. Everyone here is dealing with something they never expected, or wanted, or dreamed. We may not have any answers, but while you’re here, let’s keep each other warm for a while.’
‘Thank you for today.’ She turned to Nic. ‘It’s been a real treat; an unexpected, lovely day.’
‘So, was the invitation unexpected, or the fact that it was lovely?’ he teased, as she added Nic Constantine to the list of extended family that had begun with Guy, Rich, and Lily. He felt more like an older brother in that moment than a holiday acquaintance she’d known for only for a couple of weeks. It was comfortable and comforting to be around Nic.
As she gazed idly out of the car window, she felt a pang as she wondered if that was how Tess felt about Nic: comfortable, caring, platonic, but no more than that.
She hoped that wasn’t the case.
Sometimes even the people who ultimately made you happy weren’t the ones you immediately fell in love with. Where was Tess on this journey? Surely if Nic was in love with her, she had some idea of his feelings. Even his noncommittal answers to Penny were, she thought, in some senses so telling. The two of them were obviously close.
She took the opportunity to look at Nic as he drove. His face was quite angular, his nose strong and well-shaped. His beard and moustache softened the face of the purposeful professor into a more approachable character. His olive complexion was topped with dark, now slightly greying hair, the sort of hair that had clearly never been tamed, and even when wearing his Panama hat, looked as though it was trying to escape from his head. He was an attractive man, who at over six foot was an impressive, albeit quiet figure when he entered a room.
He was, in every sense, a rock. Someone of stature and kindness, reliable, who wouldn’t let you down. Nic Constantine was, in old-fashioned parlance, clearly a good man and an eligible bachelor – a catch.
The fact he had not been caught yet was a mystery to which perhaps only Tess had the answer.
Lily had been trying all the usual tricks to distract herself from some of her darker thoughts all day. Ever since she’d shared with Penny the story of Sophie’s suicide, she’d felt as though pressure had been released from her head, but the memory hadn’t lost its power to grab hold of her heart and mind, stop her in her tracks.
She knew too that the gentle questions from Rich and Guy – mostly from Rich – came from a good place rather than prurient curiosity. Rich, she’d noticed, had watched her as though she were made of glass and might trip and break at any moment. Guy had, in his usual bantering, self-mocking way, offered, if she ever needed it, an evening of poetry and wallowing. She’d smiled at that, knowing Guy well enough now to understand his unique ways of being a friend. Tess, as expected, had been kind and solicitous when she’d told her about Sophie, and every time Lily spoke about Sophie now it became a little easier.
A familiar voice brought her back into the moment. ‘Lily, look. This is my new beetle. He’s called Jet,’ Theo informed her.
Lily stared at the large insect that seemed to be sleeping on a bed of grass and leaves. ‘Why Jet? It’s a good name though,’ she added.
‘Penny told me about a stone called jet that is very black and shiny, just like my beetle.’
Penny was one of those people who made you feel better just by being there. She and Tess were so similar in that respect; very alike, Lily thought.
She reflected on how lucky she’d been to end up in St George South, but more importantly, at the Athena. It was the best place she could be, with – and this was the miraculous thing – just the people she needed right now.
Guy and Rich drove back from the airport, having guided six planeloads of new holidaymakers either onto coaches, to their destinations, or through the departure lounge towards home.
They weren’t on coach and destination drop-off duty, but had to deliver a welcome meeting in Kavos and then St George. After this they could blend almost seamlessly into the evening revelries, pausing only to take calls on their mobiles from holidaymakers who
couldn’t find a plug for the bathroom, or needed to know the name of a local dentist.
The attraction of Greek Night also dragged them towards St George. Although exhausting on some levels, after a long day with an early start of 5 a.m., it cast an almost hypnotic spell. The energetic and liberating Greek Night reaffirmed what life was about – or should be about.
As he drove, Guy tapped the steering wheel, uncharacteristically distracted and thoughtful. He had told Faith and Dee about the Athena and they had seemed excited about the idea of Greek Night. Having spent an evening with them, Guy imagined the warmth and welcome, the people and atmosphere at the Athena would appeal to them. Dee clearly loved shopping, but wasn’t an all-night, hard-partying girl, and Faith seemed more at home in a quiet bar, chatting and absorbing the atmosphere of the never-ending pageant around her.
He then realized, as he directed the seemingly endless groups of people to their coaches at the airport, that for once he wasn’t looking for new faces and new possibilities. He was thinking about Faith and hoping she’d turn up that night in St George.
Chapter 38
The red wine at the olive grove had been light and delicate, but by the time Penny got back to her apartment it had the impact of an opiate sleeping draught. Sleep descended, bringing with it strange, but not unpleasant dreams, which for once didn’t feature her dad in distress.
Her new experiences on the island filled her head. Grief and loss lingered in the background, but seemed to be making room for life again, as they stood back and left space in the corners of her mind for fresh air and hope.
It was gone six o’clock when she woke up. The book she’d been rereading lay at her feet, about to fall off the bed. Prospero’s Cell was a love letter to Corfu, but especially Kalami. The White House, the old fisherman’s house in all its rustic and romantic glory, was still waiting to be discovered. For the hundredth time she promised herself she’d speak to Dimitris when she saw him next and book her place on the Antiopi. Time on her holiday was now telescoping, as it always did, running downhill to the finishing line. There remained less time on Corfu than she’d already enjoyed, and the rush and panic of a mid-holiday crisis assaulted her briefly, before she remembered she had come for a month and many adventures and days in the sun still lay ahead.
Looking for the Durrells Page 17
