by Anne Mather
Dallas was astounded. ‘How do you know that?’
Stephanos shrugged. ‘It is not difficult. Alex is a pretty shrewd judge of character. He has to be. He was afraid that this man might try to deter you. ’
‘Charles merely told me that Mr. Stavros told him that we were going to Lexandros long before he had even consulted me!’
Stephanos shrugged. ‘I told you, Alex is a very good judge of character. ’
‘And what about his own?’ exclaimed Dallas angrily. ‘He’s practically blackmailed us into going! ’
Nikos intervened. ‘I will vouch for my brother’s character any time you say,’ he said coolly. ‘I would not be willing to make this remark for anyone else, but Alex, yes.’ He smiled. ‘Come now, Dallas, do not be like this. Let us be friends. What has Alex done that is so terrible? I know that most girls in your position would be blessing their good fortune, not throwing tantrums because he has been a little ... shall we say ... pretentious?’
Dallas shrugged her shoulders, feeling suddenly dejected. As her anger subsided her common sense asserted itself and she knew that it didn’t particularly matter now what Alexander Stavros had done; for Jane’s sake she had to go.
‘I’m not throwing tantrums,’ she said wearily.
Nikos glanced meaningly at Stephanos, and he quietly withdrew, leaving them alone. ‘Now,’ said Nikos, looking down at her, ‘surely the prospect is not such a bleak one. I mean, Lexandros is a marvellous place; and although I’ve been all over the world, there’s nowhere else I would rather call home.’
Dallas looked at him through the thick veil of her lashes, and felt the colour burning in her cheeks at the look in his eyes. Nikos seemed disturbed by her nearness, and he murmured:
‘You may find you actually enjoy it. It will be difficult not to do so when the men of Lexandros will all be charmed by your arrival.’ He smiled. ‘If your sister is like you your presence will certainly enliven our island.’
Dallas turned determinedly away. ‘I must go.’
‘All right,’ Nikos nodded, and moved ahead of her to the door to open it for her. ‘And I do not have to telephone my, brother that the matter requires his attention?’
‘No.’ Dallas compressed her lips.
‘Good. Adio, until Sunday.’
The flight out to Lexandros was a memorable one for the two girls who had never flown by jet before. Even Dallas found it difficult to maintain her detachment when there was so much around her to intrigue and delight her. There were four of them on this flight; Stephanos and Jane, Nikos and herself. She was not aware who separated them into two pairs, but she found herself with Nikos at her side, and as he was an amusing companion she began to enjoy the trip enormously.
They landed at lunchtime in Athens, and ate a delicious meal in the airport restaurant before driving out to a smaller aerodrome where the Beagle belonging to the Stavros Shipping Line awaited them, to take them on the last leg of their journey to the island. ‘Lexandros does not have an airstrip long enough to take a jet,’ remarked Nikos casually, ‘or Alex would most certainly have had one by now. My brother does not believe in wasting time.’
‘That I can believe,’ replied Dallas dryly, looking back regretfully at the soaring white mass of the Acropolis standing on its mound above the historic city, just waiting to be explored.
Nikos grinned. ‘I see. You would have liked to see more of Athens.’ He glanced at Stephanos. ‘Would you like to take Jane ahead to the island, and Dallas and I will spend a couple of days at the Hilton, and take in some of the tourist spots.’
‘Oh no!’ Dallas was horrified. ‘I mean, Jane wouldn’t want to go on alone, would you?’ She looked at Jane appealingly.
Jane smiled. ‘Quite honestly I’m a mass of nerves. I couldn’t go on alone, but contrarily, I don’t think I could cope with much sightseeing.’
Nikos nodded, and his smile was amused yet sardonic. ‘All right, we’ll play it cool. I forget you are not an impulsive race as we are.’
Dallas breathed a sigh of relief. Much as she would have liked to spend several days in Athens, she felt sure Alexander Stavros would not approve of too close a friendship with his brother, and besides, Nikos was too aware of his attraction and she felt strangely vulnerable now that she was free from Charles. The casual mention of the Athens Hilton brought home to her powerfully the immense difference in their backgrounds, as well. Even in the days when their father was alive they had stayed at small pensions on the few occasions when they were abroad.
The trip over the blue waters of the Aegean drove all other thoughts from the girls’ minds. Looking down, they could see dozens of tiny islands interspersed among the larger ones, looking like jewels in sapphire satin. The occasional white sails of sloops or schooners added their own splash of brilliance, and it was with regret that Dallas realised they were banking slightly, ready to land on the island below them.
Jane pressed a hand to her stomach, and Dallas looked swiftly at her. ‘Are you all right?’ she asked, at once.
Jane shook her head. ‘I just feel a bit sick,’ she admitted, looking a little pale. ‘Nerves, I suppose.’
Nikos was looking thoughtful. ‘Please,’ he said, ‘do not be afraid. There is nothing to be afraid of.’ He shrugged. ‘You may find my mother a little intimidating at first, but soon you will come to love and admire her. ’
Dallas felt apprehensive. She hoped Mrs. Stavros would not turn out to be another Mrs. Jennings.
‘How ... how many brothers do you have?’ she asked, looking
down as they dropped lower towards the island.
Nikos seemed to be studying this question and Stephanos answered for him. ‘He is teasing you, pretending he does not know,’ he replied. ‘There are three more sons, beside Alex and Nikos, and four daughters. Two of Nikos’s sisters are married, and also two of his brothers, this is in addition to Alex himself, who is of course a widower. ’
‘So there are nine of you,’ exclaimed Jane, aghast. ‘What a large family!’
Nikos smiled mockingly. ‘We like large families, madonna.’
Jane’s face suffused with colour, and Dallas felt sorry for her, and yet perhaps it would do her good to speak about her baby more naturally.
The island seemed to be rushing up to meet them now and Dallas stared in wonder at the long stretches of sandy beach set in coves with curving headlands. It was outstandingly beautiful and she felt a strange ache in her throat. It was unspoilt, uncommercialised, and there seemed an abundance of greenery, thick foliage bounding down to the shoreline in places.
Inland a mountainous range seemed covered with trees of all kinds, and among the trees she glimpsed the sparkling whitewashed houses where many of the population lived. The airstrip was on the coast, near to a cluster of dwellings and a small harbour which was obviously the main point of the island.
‘The fishing village of Lexa,’ murmured Nikos, in her ear, leaning across and following the line of her eyes.
Dallas glanced round at him, and for a moment their faces almost touched, and then she looked away again. Nikos blew softly on her ear, revealed by the upswept style of her hair which she had not changed despite Jane’s pleas.
‘I think I am going to enjoy this summer,’ he murmured softly, so that only she could hear, and Dallas moved as far across her seat as she could, conscious that Jane was watching them speculatively, a faint frown on her face.
‘Don’t you work?’ Dallas asked, a little breathlessly.
‘Sometimes,’ he said lazily, lying back in his seat, as though
pleased with life at the moment.
The landing strip at Lexandros was surprisingly modern and well laid out, and Dallas could only assume that this was on account of its connection with the Stavros company. The plane taxied to a halt near the airport buildings, and the two girls allowed Nikos to precede them down the flight of steps to the runway below.
Jane took Dallas’s arm tightly, and said: ‘Don’t leave me with Ste
phanos again, Dallas. Stay with me. I know Nikos seems to have gone overboard for you, but that’s not why we’re here, is it?’ Her tone was slightly peevish, and Dallas could only assume that the trip had been too much for her.
‘I know why we’re here,’ she said flatly, ignoring the hand that Nikos held out to help her down the last few steps, and turning instead helped Jane on to the ground.
There were plenty of lookers-on to their arrival. Children dressed in vividly coloured shorts and shirts were gathered in groups at the edge of the strip, giggling and laughing and pointing at the new arrivals. Several old men were seated outside the airport buildings, smoking and drinking the ubiquitous ouzo which seemed to be the most popular aperitif.
To the left of the strip, the ground sloped away towards a sandy shoreline, laced with palms, and beyond, the sparkling waters of the Aegean beckoned invitingly. The air was incredibly clear. Dallas had heard that this was so, but even she was not prepared for the clarity of the vista stretched like a backcloth before her fascinated eyes.
The cases were unloaded from the aircraft by two porters, and carried across the tarmac to a low-slung convertible, glistening in blue and chrome, which was parked by the gate. A slim young girl who was seated behind the wheel eyed them almost insolently as
Nikos led them across, and then slid out indifferently to be introduced.
‘This is my sister Natalia,’ murmured Nikos, giving Natalia a reproving glance. ‘Natalia, meet Dallas and Jane Collins.’
Natalia nodded her head languidly, her heavy mane of black hair falling in curling ringlets around her slim shoulders. She looked about sixteen, but was obviously older to be driving. She was dressed in a very short pink skirt and a sun-top which left several inches of her midriff bare, and looked cool and assured.
‘Hello, Natalia,’ said Dallas politely, refusing to be deterred by the other girl’s unfriendly manner, while Jane merely acknowledged Natalia in much the same way as the Greek girl had acted.
Dallas hoped there was not going to be unconcealed antagonism from the rest of the Stavros family, most particularly Madame Stavros, or their time on the island was not going to be very pleasant. Nikos had said they might find his mother intimidating earlier on, and Dallas felt her stomach muscles tense with nervousness. It was such an unreal situation, and one which she wished she had not got to experience.
Stephanos took over driving the car on the journey to the Stavros home. Natalia bestowed on him a most charming smile and Dallas thought that it was only themselves, she and Jane, with whom Natalia had any antagonism. Nikos seemed to notice nothing amiss, and smiling cheerfully assisted Jane and Dallas into the back of the open car, and then climbed in beside them. Natalia seated herself beside Stephanos, and with the cases safely stowed in the trunk they were off.
The road wound round the shoreline of the island, giving the girls ample opportunity to take in and admire the magnificent scenery. There were numerous small coves and inlets; some rocky promontories, and others soft and silkily sanded, caressed by the creaming surf. The profusion of greenery they had seen from the aircraft distinguished itself as groves of palms, clusters of fruit trees that Dallas recognised as orange and lemon, while the whole was embellished by the exuberant growth of every kind of flower imaginable from oleanders and jasmine to hibiscus and bougainvillea. The colours were startling, vivid reds and blues, yellows and pastel shades of every colour. Nikos identified the flowers for her, pointing out the beauty spots they passed, some overhung with blossoms, ruined temples looking like fairy-tale arbours, while the scents of the island surrounded them.
Nikos leaned forward, smiling at them. ‘It is as I said, is it not?’
Jane looked bemused. ‘I’ve never seen such a beautiful place,’ she admitted enthusiastically. ‘Does this all belong to your brother?’
Natalia glanced round, her eyes scornful suddenly. ‘Yes, it is all Alex’s now. When our father died it passed to the eldest son, but it is the home of the Stavros family, which is more to the point.’ Her words were scathing, and Jane’s cheeks turned bright red.
Nikos intervened before Jane could reply. ‘What Natalia is trying to say is that although the island is Alex’s property, provision is always made for those members of our family who continue to live here.’
‘I think I know what Natalia meant,’ retorted Jane hotly. ‘She was implying that we have no right to be here.’
‘Not at all,’ exclaimed Nikos, before Natalia made another angry response. ‘Look, let’s stop this, shall we? Alex is the boss and he invited you, and I for one am glad. Let’s leave it at that!’
‘Maria is my greatest friend!’ stormed Natalia, not abashed by her brother’s remarks.
‘Who is Maria?’ asked Dallas quietly, her stomach churning with the effort to keep calm.
‘Maria was Paris’s betrothed,’ said Natalia coldly. ‘How do think she feels to have your sister coming here, expecting Paris’s child, when she ... when she...’ Her voice broke, and she swung round in her seat so that they could not see her face.
Jane’s cheeks were pale now. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said, clenching her hands together tightly in her lap.
Dallas felt terrible, and again she wished they had not come. This was going to be awful; this continual resentment and antagonism. If it persisted no matter what Alexander Stavros said, they would leave. She could see that Jane was on the verge of tears herself and she looked at Nikos, biting hard at her lips.
Nikos shrugged his shoulders eloquently, and then half smiled. ‘Relax,’ he murmured softly, close to Dallas’s ear so that only she could hear. ‘Brother Alex will soon deal with Natalia. ’
Dallas looked at him squarely. ‘Do you think we want to be here on those terms?’
‘No. And you won’t be. As I said, relax, honey.’
Dallas wished it was that easy. But she couldn’t rid herself of the fear that Alexander Stavros himself might have changed once away from the confines of England and back in his own country. Had she not already had proof that he could be cruel and unyielding, arrogant when his own wishes were tampered with? She really knew nothing about him, he was unpredictable.
They reached the far side of the island quite quickly, and down an incline, nestling among a grove of trees, its grounds reaching down to the edge of cliffs which protected a silvery-sanded cove, was the Stavros villa. Slightly above it like this they could see the well-laid-out grounds with a swimming pool glinting in the sunlight in the forecourt. It seemed an enormous place even from this distance, and although it was modern in conception its design of Grecian pillars and courtyards inset with tinkling fountains, melted unobtrusively into its surroundings.
Nikos smiled as he saw Jane’s eyes widen as they turned between stone pillars and approached the house up a sweeping drive. Now the swimming pool was nearer they could see the mosaic-tiled surround, set about with airbeds and loungers, striped umbrellas protecting small tables from the heat of that already powerful sun. It was so much like a scene out of a Technicolor advertisement that even Dallas allowed herself a small gasp of pure enjoyment
To the right of the house, a veritable forest of trees converged almost to the doorstep, while among the trees were small chalet-type dwellings which Nikos explained were used when they had several house-guests.
‘At the moment there is only Maria Pengouste, and the Sharef family, but sometimes we have as many as twenty or thirty people staying here.’
Dallas’s heart sank as Nikos mentioned Maria Pengouste. She must be the girl Natalia had spoken about. This was not going to be an easy sojourn.
The car halted at the side of the house and Nikos helped Dallas out while Stephanos again took charge of Jane. The cases were left for someone else to collect, and they entered the house through french doors into a low light lounge which ran from one side of the building to the other. It was deserted, but Nikos and Natalia both walked out through an arched doorway into what appeared to be the hall of the house.
; Stephanos glanced at the girls thoughtfully. ‘Do not concern yourself with Natalia’s remarks,’ he said softly. ‘She is young and hot-blooded, and intensely loyal to Maria. Unfortunately, she was unaware of Paris’s penchant for the opposite sex. At home he acted impeccably. Only Alex knew the real Paris. You will need to exercise your own personalities here. That is the criterion by which you will be judged.’ He shrugged. ‘Maybe “judged” is too strong a word. Do not be alarmed. In no time at all you will be accepted, believe me. Madame Stavros is the most charming of women. She will not allow guests in her house to be treated less than politely.’
‘Thank you.’ Dallas made an attempt at a smile. ‘It’s all so strange. So opulent, so rich. However will we adapt?’
Stephanos grinned. ‘I was born in the back streets of Athens. I have achieved complete naturalisation. So will you. It takes time, that is all.’
‘Is ... is Mr. Stavros here at the moment?’ asked Dallas tentatively.
Stephanos shrugged. ‘I doubt whether he is actually in the house, but yes, he is on the island. Why?’
Dallas shook her head, and Jane glanced at her strangely. Stephanos’s eyes were shrewd. ‘Dahlia Sharef will be with him, wherever he is. You will meet them all at dinner this evening.’
‘Who is Dahlia Sharef?’ It was Jane who spoke.
‘She is the daughter of one of his business associates. Her
mother and father are staying here at the moment, as Nikos said.’ Dallas wondered why Stephanos had told her that. After all, what Alexander Stavros did was his own affair and no one else’s. It seemed strange that Stephanos should think she might be interested, unless, and her heart skipped a beat, unless Stephanos was trying to tell her something. To warn her.
Her cheeks turned pink and she quickly moved so that Jane could not see her face. Did Stephanos imagine she was becoming interested in Alexander Stavros rather more than was necessary? And was he trying to tell her that he was not a man to take seriously? It seemed ridiculous, and yet Stephanos had not mentioned Dahlia Sharef for nothing. As if she would be interested in Alexander Stavros! It was ludicrous. Apart from anything else, she did not have ideas like that. He was far above her head, and after all, Jane was a prime example of what could happen if one attempted to play games with tigers.
