Conveniently Wed to the Greek

by Kandy Shepherd

  ‘I’m honoured to be invited,’ she said. ‘But do you think it’s wise, considering the ongoing speculation about us as...well, as a couple?’ She laid her hand on her gently rounded belly. ‘It’s getting harder to conceal my pregnancy.’

  ‘Your pregnancy is your business,’ he said. And nothing to do with me. Dell sensed his unspoken words. ‘You don’t owe an explanation to anyone in my family. When it becomes obvious you’re expecting you can tell them whatever version of the story behind it you choose.’

  ‘In that case, I happily accept the invitation. All three invitations.’

  ‘But you’ll be coming to the party with me,’ said Alex.

  An imp of mischief prompted Dell’s retort. ‘But Cristos said he’d take me in his boat.’

  Alex glowered down at her. ‘You will not go in my cousin’s boat. You will go in my boat. It’s much more comfortable and better for a woman in your—’

  ‘Condition, I know,’ she said. ‘Of course your boat is far superior to Cristos’s boat. Your boat is superior to any other man’s boat I know. Not that I know another person who owns a super duper speedboat like yours.’ What was lacking in his four-by-four Alex kept on Nidri, and the equally battered van he kept on Kosmimo, was more than made up for in his luxurious streamlined boat.

  ‘You’d better believe it,’ he said with a reluctant grin. ‘Cristos can transport his grandparents Aunt Penelope and Uncle Stavros to the party.’

  ‘Befitting as she is the guest of honour,’ Dell said.

  ‘The party starts in the afternoon and might go on quite late,’ he said. ‘The taverna also has rooms to rent. I will book one for you so you can stay overnight. If you get tired you can slip away any time.’

  ‘And you?’ she said.

  ‘I’ll bunk down at my uncle’s house. It’s where I stayed when I first arrived from Australia. It’s on the same street so I won’t be far should you need me.’

  ‘I’ll be okay,’ she said, hoping that was the case. Anyone she had met from his family had been friendly and hospitable, while being subtly—or not so subtly, depending on gender—interested in her relationship with Alex. ‘I’m looking forward to it.’

  * * *

  Taverna Athina was set right on the beach at the southernmost corner of a delightfully curving bay. The water rippled from sapphire, to the palest aquamarine, to crystal clear lapping up on a beach comprising tiny pale pebbles.

  The open-air dining area of the taverna—entirely reserved today for the family party—sat right over the water on a dock. A banner was strung from post to post with a message in the Greek alphabet that Dell assumed meant Happy Birthday but Alex explained read hronia polla, and was a wish for many more happy years of life.

  The taverna was painted white with accents of bright blue and tubs of Greek basil at its corners. The effect was friendly and welcoming. Behind the taverna was a traditional Greek building with a terracotta-tiled roof. Its idyllic position with the tree-studded hill as background and the water in front made it look as if the restaurant could sail off at any moment.

  ‘That’s where you’ll be staying,’ said Alex, indicating the older building as he helped her off his boat, moored nearby. ‘It’s humble but comfortable.’

  ‘The taverna is charming, Alex,’ she said. ‘No wonder you were so attached to Athina in Sydney if this was its parentage.’

  Greek music, typical of the Ionian Islands, was echoing out onto the beach. ‘It’s what Tia Penelope likes,’ Alex explained.

  ‘I like it too,’ said Dell.

  She held back as she and Alex got near to the taverna entrance, suddenly aware of her ambivalent status as employee and yet friend enough to be invited to a family party. And then there was the persistent speculation about her and Alex as an item.

  She need not have worried. As soon as she got inside she was swept up by Aunt Penelope and introduced to the family members she hadn’t previously met at either the villa or on Kosmimo. She told herself she was imagining it that the first thing the women did was glance down at her stomach.

  As she was being carried away Dell turned to see Alex in animated conversation with a tall older man with steel-grey hair and glasses and an elegantly dressed woman of about the same age who had her arm looped through Alex’s as though she could never let him go. Dell had no idea who they were. But even from a distance, she could see Alex bore a distinct resemblance to the man. Perhaps they had come from Athens for the party.

  * * *

  ‘What are you doing here?’ Alex asked his parents, still reeling from his shock at seeing them at the taverna. ‘I had no idea you were coming.’

  ‘A surprise for Penelope for her birthday,’ his father said. ‘She says she’s getting too old to fly all the way to Australia so we decided to come to her.’ His father’s voice was husky as if he had a heavy cold. He was getting older now, surely he shouldn’t have flown with a cold.

  ‘We wanted to see you, too, catch up with how you’re doing,’ said his mother.

  That made sense. But Alex detected an unfamiliar restraint to the tone of both his parents’ voices and wondered. ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ he said.

  ‘We thought it could be a surprise for you too,’ said his mother, unconvincingly to Alex’s ears.

  ‘It’s certainly that,’ said Alex. ‘Where are you staying?’

  ‘Here at the taverna,’ his father replied. ‘Where we always stay when we visit the family.’

  Alex’s father was a highly regarded orthopaedic surgeon back in Sydney, his mother a sports physiotherapist of some renown. They could afford to stay in the best of hotels. Fact was, on Prasinos the two-star Athina was the best hotel. There were luxury villas and houses to be rented but the family would take great offence if his parents stayed anywhere but the family hotel.

  ‘We saw you come in with that lovely red-haired girl Penelope has been telling us about.’

  ‘You mean my assistant, Dell Hudson?’ Alex asked, forcing his voice to stay steady.

  ‘Is that all she is?’ said his mother, sounding disappointed. ‘Penelope led me to believe there was something more between you. You know how much we want you to be happy after Mia and—’

  ‘Dell is a very capable employee, that’s all,’ Alex said through gritted teeth.

  Was his aunt just speculating or did she at some level recognise how attracted he was to Dell? Whatever, he wished she would stop the gossiping. The sideways glances and speculation from the rest of the family were beginning to get uncomfortable. There were handwritten name-cards at each table place. Someone had thought it funny to strike out Dell Hudson to be replaced by Dell Mikhalis. He had grabbed it and crumpled it into his pocket before Dell could have a chance to see it.

  His father frowned. ‘Wasn’t Adele Hudson the woman who gave Athina that bad review? When you sued the newspaper and lost all that money.’

  ‘Yes,’ he said.

  ‘So why are you employing her?’ said his mother. ‘Is this a case of keeping your friends close and your enemies closer?’

  Why was this conversation centring on Dell? ‘She’s not an enemy. In fact she was right about the falling standards at the restaurant. I employed her because she’s really smart and switched on. She’s proved to be immensely valuable to me on my new venture.’

  ‘Oh,’ said his mother again. Alex gritted his teeth even harder.

  He looked over to see Dell helping out by carrying a tray of meze, an assortment of Greek appetisers, to the buffet table. Dell was laughing at something Aunt Penelope was saying. Among his mostly dark-haired family she stood out with her bright hair and her strapless dress in multiple shades of blue that reflected the colours of the Ionian Sea. She had never looked lovelier. Alex could see exactly why his mother was looking at her with such interest.

  ‘Would you like
to meet Dell?’ he asked his parents.

  ‘We would, very much so,’ said his father. ‘But first we need to tell you something important. News that we ask you not to share yet with the rest of the family. Come outside so we can talk with you in private.’

  * * *

  Dell was enjoying herself immensely. Alex’s extended family were so warm and hospitable she hadn’t felt once she was an outsider. In fact she had been embraced by them because she was his friend.

  A lot of good food and wine was being consumed. No wine for her of course—she hadn’t touched a drop since she’d discovered she was pregnant. She realised her abstinence was probably a dead giveaway but came up with an explanation that she was allergic to alcohol. Whether or not she was believed she wasn’t sure.

  She looked around for Alex. Despite what half the room seemed to think, she wasn’t there as Alex’s date. Still, it seemed odd that he would leave her so long by herself when he was aware she only knew a handful of people.

  Several times she looked around the room but didn’t see him. When the older couple he had been speaking with came in by themselves, she went outside to see if she could find him.

  Night had fallen and light from the taverna spilled out onto the beach. Some distance away, Alex stood by himself on the foreshore staring out to sea. In the semi-darkness he looked solitary and, Dell thought, sad. He had every good reason to be sad in his life but she hoped from their conversation the previous week that he was beginning to come to terms with the tragedy that had brought him to Greece. He appeared so lost in his thoughts he didn’t seem aware of her approach.

  Softly, Dell called his name. Startled, he turned quickly, too quickly to hide the anguish on his face.

  Shocked, Dell hurried to his side. ‘Alex. What’s wrong? Are you okay?’

  Slowly he shook his head. ‘Everything is wrong.’

  The devastation in his voice shocked her. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘My parents are here. You might have seen me talking to them earlier. A surprise visit, to share some news with me, they said. But the news was to tell me my father has cancer.’ His voice broke on the last words.

  ‘Oh, Alex.’ After the tragedy he’d endured he didn’t deserve this. ‘Is it...serious?’

  ‘Cancer of the oesophagus. He’s started radiation therapy already. More treatment when he returns to Sydney.’ He clenched his fists by his sides. ‘Dad is a doctor. Yet when he started having difficulty swallowing he didn’t realise it could be something bad. By the time he sought help the cancer was established. There...there’s a good chance he won’t make it.’

  Dell put her hand on his arm. ‘I’m so, so sorry. Is there anything I can do to help?’

  ‘Actually there is,’ he said.

  ‘Just tell me, fire away,’ she said.

  ‘My father told me his greatest wish is to see his only son married before he...before he dies. My mother wants it too.’

  Dell gasped. ‘How can I help you with that? Find you a bride?’ Her words were flippant but she couldn’t let him see how devastated she was at the thought of him getting married.

  ‘My mother has already suggested a bride.’

  ‘But...but you don’t want to get married.’

  ‘I know,’ he said. ‘But it’s my father’s dying wish. I have no choice but to consider it.’

  Dell dropped her hand from his arm and stepped back, staggering a little at the pain his words stabbed into her. She struggled for the right words to show her sympathy for the situation he found himself in without revealing her hurt that he would be so insensitive as to discuss a potential bride with her.

  ‘An arranged marriage? Didn’t they go out of fashion some time ago? And what has that got to do with me?’

  ‘Not an arranged marriage. I would never agree to such a thing. But if I chose to get married to fulfil my father’s wish, the obvious bride for me is you.’

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  DELL STARED AT Alex, scarcely able to believe she’d heard his words correctly. ‘Me! Why would you say that?’

  ‘You know how much I like and respect you, Dell. That’s the first reason.’

  Why did like and respect sound like the booby prizes? She wanted so much more from Alex than that. Not love. Of course not love, it would be way too soon for that even if insurmountable barriers didn’t stand in their way. She was certainly not in love with Alex. A crush on her boss didn’t mean she was in love with him. Of course it didn’t. But she would like some passion and desire to sit there alongside like and respect. Especially if it was in regard to marriage—though this didn’t sound like any marriage proposal she’d ever heard about or even imagined.

  ‘And the other reasons?’ she said faintly.

  ‘My mother, my aunt, my cousins—even my father—assume because you’re pregnant that I will do the honourable thing and marry you.’

  ‘What?’ The word exploded from her. ‘You can’t possibly be serious.’

  Alex looked down into her face. Even in the slanted light from the taverna she could see the intensity in his black eyes. ‘I’m very serious. I think we should get married.’

  Dell had never known what it felt to have her head spin. She felt it now. Alex had to take hold of her elbow to steady her. ‘I can’t believe I’m hearing this,’ she said. ‘You said you’d never get married. I’m not pregnant to you. In fact you see my pregnancy as a barrier to kissing me, let alone marrying me. Have you been drinking too much ouzo?’

  ‘Not a drop,’ he said. ‘It’s my father’s dying wish that I get married. He’s been a good father. I haven’t been a good son. Fulfilling that wish is important to me. If I have to get married, it makes sense that I marry you.’

  ‘It doesn’t make a scrap of sense to me,’ she said. ‘You don’t get married to someone to please someone else, even if it is your father.’

  Alex frowned. ‘You’ve misunderstood me. I’m not talking about a real marriage.’

  This was getting more and more surreal. ‘Not a real marriage? You mean a marriage of convenience?’

  ‘Yes. Like people do to be able to get residence in a country. In this case it would be marriage to make my father happy. He wants the peace of mind of seeing me settled.’

  ‘You feel you owe your father?’

  ‘I owe him so much it could never be calculated or repaid. This isn’t about owing my father, it’s about loving him. I love my father, Dell.’

  But you’ll never love me, she cried in her heart. How could he talk about marrying someone—anyone—without a word about love?

  ‘I’m so sorry, Alex, about your father’s illness. But perhaps the shock of his sad news has skewed your thinking. Perhaps it has even...unhinged you,’ she said. ‘Who would think such a sudden marriage is in any way reasonable or sensible?’

  ‘My family would not question marriage to you. In fact I believe they think us getting married is virtually a fait accompli.’

  Dell was too astounded by his reasoning to be able to reply. She fought to keep her voice under control when she did. ‘What about me? Where do I fit in this decision-making process? Aren’t I entitled to an opinion?’

  He put up his hand to placate her. ‘You’re right. I’m sorry. It seemed like such a good idea and I’ve rushed things. You know often my best decisions are made on impulse.’ She had become so knowledgeable about his business dealings she had to admit the truth of that.

  ‘This is my life we’re talking about here, Alex. I deserve more than a rushed decision.’

  ‘When it comes to your life, I think you’ll see it makes a lot of sense,’ he said.

  ‘Please enlighten me,’ she said. ‘I’m still not convinced I’m not dealing with an idea sprung from grief-stricken madness.’

  He shook his head but it was more a gesture of
annoyance that he should be so misunderstood than anything else. ‘Let me explain my perfectly sane thoughts,’ he said.

  ‘I’m listening,’ she said, intrigued.

  ‘You help me with this and there are benefits to you. You’ll be able to stay here to have your baby, surrounded by people who will no longer be strangers. I have dual nationality so you would be the wife of a Greek citizen. Your baby will have a name. And I will support him or her until he or she is twenty-one years of age. You wouldn’t have to ask your parents any favours or perjure yourself to get government social security. In fact you would be able to enjoy the rest of your pregnancy and after the birth without worrying about money or finding a place to live. And I imagine it would be somewhat satisfying to stick it up the BX.’

  His last point dragged a smile from her. Clever Alex with his charisma and business smarts made the crazy scheme seem reasonable. But there must be more to it than that, an ulterior motive.

  ‘It would also get the media off your back regarding Mia,’ she said. ‘Quite the fairy-tale romance. The press would lap it up. The story would make great publicity for your new venture.’ She couldn’t keep the cynical note from her voice. ‘I suppose you’ve considered that angle.’

  Alex stilled. ‘Actually, I haven’t. You can’t honestly think that’s a consideration?’

  ‘I’m hardly privy to your thoughts,’ she said.

  ‘My only motivation here is my father’s happiness while he’s battling cancer. Since Mia’s death I’ve done my best to make reparation to the people I harmed with my aggressive business techniques and ruthless selfishness. People like you. I’ll never get the chance to make amends for my behaviour towards Mia and I’ll live with that for the rest of my life. But I can try to make up for it with my father by getting married so he can dance at my wedding before he dies.’

  If Alex had said just one thing about how fond he was of her, and for that reason if he was going to have to marry someone he would want it to be her, Dell would probably have burst into tears and said she’d do it. But he didn’t. So she toughened her attitude.