by Mather, Anne
‘You have to learn to relax, Jane,’ Stefan said, puffing a little as he came up beside her. ‘You are not in England now.’
‘Do you think I don’t know that?’ Jane kept her eyes on her feet, watching as the sand slid away beneath them. Then she shrugged and looked up at him. ‘What are you doing here, Stefan? Have you been sent to keep an eye on me?’
Stefan gave her a wounded look. ‘Do you think I would agree to that?’
Jane arched a mocking brow. ‘I’ll take that as a yes, shall I?’
‘No!’ He was indignant. ‘I thought you might be glad of some company, is all.’
Jane regarded him intently for a few seconds and then she turned away. ‘OK.’ She started to walk along the sand, her feet in the shallows. ‘So tell me what you’ve been doing. Don’t you work for your father any more?’
Stefan’s mouth compressed. ‘I’m sure you’re not interested in my problems, Jane. But I am intrigued by your relationship with Demetri. Are you aware he’s going to marry Ariadne as soon as his divorce is absolute?’
‘Yes, he told me.’
‘And did he tell you why?’
Jane sighed. ‘Is this relevant, Stefan? Demetri wants a divorce. End of story.’
‘No, it’s not the end of the story,’ retorted Stefan shortly. ‘There was no need for Demetri to get a divorce, not unless he chose to do so, of course.’
Jane frowned. ‘What do you mean?’
‘I mean I was perfectly willing to give our father the grandchild he so desperately craves. But I was not good enough. My relationship with Phillippe is not good enough, despite the fact that we have been together for over six years.’
Jane halted to stare at him in disbelief. ‘You mean, you and Phillippe Martin are—are—’
‘A couple? Yes.’ Stefan raised dark brows. ‘Of course, you met him, did you not? Didn’t Demetri tell you we lived together?’
‘He said you were—friends,’ said Jane, feeling enormously stupid. Even when Demetri had told her Stefan wasn’t interested in women, she still hadn’t put two and two together.
‘Of course, I shouldn’t be surprised.’ Stefan was walking on now, kicking the water into a spray ahead of him. ‘Demetri is our father’s heir. The eldest son. The golden boy! No one else’s child is good enough.’
Jane shook her head. Did Demetri know this? Had he any idea how Stefan felt? Or course, he must do. The situation was too raw not to have been discussed between Demetri and his father at some point.
‘I’m sorry,’ she said, knowing that was inadequate but not knowing what else to say, and Stefan gave her a reluctant smile.
‘Then pirazi,’ he said philosophically. It doesn’t matter. ‘Shall we go a little further?’
They walked about a quarter of a mile along the beach and then turned back. To Jane’s relief, their conversation had shifted to less personal things and she was so busy trying to avoid any controversial topics that she completely forgot how hot it was.
But by the time they left the beach and threaded their way back to the terrace, she could feel her shoulders prickling. A hasty glance informed her that her arms were very red, too, and she could only guess that her face looked like a beetroot.
Which was so galling when she saw both her mother-in-law and Ariadne sitting on the terrace, securely shaded by a fringed striped canopy.
It took a great deal of courage to continue walking towards them, particularly as she was feeling a little faint now and distinctly dizzy. A situation that wasn’t helped when Stefan excused himself and continued on into the villa, leaving Jane to face the two women on her own.
‘Ah, Jane,’ said Maria at once, her shrewd eyes quickly assessing how her daughter-in-law must be feeling. ‘Why don’t you come and join us? We were just having coffee.’
Jane knew Maria had no real desire for her company. It was just her way of making an embarrassing situation worse. She obviously knew that Jane would have preferred to go to her room to put some salve on her arms and shoulders, but she couldn’t resist any opportunity to torment her.
And Jane, desperate not to do anything to worsen the situation, forced a tight smile, and said, ‘Thank you,’ before sinking weakly into the cushioned chair beside Ariadne.
But even the smell of the coffee was sickening, and, when Maria summoned the maid to get another cup, Jane licked her dry lips and said, ‘Would you mind if I just had water?’
‘Water?’ Maria gazed at her impatiently. ‘What’s wrong? Aren’t you well?’
‘I’m hot,’ said Jane quickly, desperate not to arouse suspicion. ‘And very thirsty. If you don’t mind?’
‘She’s not used to our climate,’ remarked Ariadne scornfully. ‘She looks like a cooked lobster, Maria. Perhaps she would prefer to go to her room.’
Jane objected to being spoken about as if she wasn’t there, but she was so grateful to the other girl for saying what she had, she didn’t complain.
‘I think I would prefer to do that, Maria, if you don’t mind,’ she murmured, getting to her feet again on legs that felt distinctly unsteady. ‘Perhaps you could ask the maid to bring the water upstairs?’
Maria’s mouth tightened. ‘Surely you can stay for a few minutes, Jane? We haven’t had an opportunity to talk together yet. Don’t you want to know how my husband is feeling this morning?’
‘Of course I want to know how Leo is,’ protested Jane, sinking obediently back into her chair. ‘I just thought—’
‘I can imagine what you thought. You would prefer not to have this conversation, I have no doubt,’ Maria interrupted her sharply. ‘But let us be clear about something, Jane. I did not approve of Leo inviting you here. No matter what he says, you are not welcome in my home. Now that you’ve seen him, I hope you’ll make your excuses and leave as soon as decently possible, neh?’
Jane expelled a shaken breath. ‘Why did you allow Demetri to contact me?’ she exclaimed. ‘Why didn’t you just pretend that you’d spoken to me and that I’d refused to come?’
‘Because Leo would never have accepted that. And I care too much about Demetri to deliberately lie to him.’
Jane shook her head and then wished she hadn’t. The dizziness she’d felt coming up from the beach had come back and she clutched desperately at the arms of her chair in an effort to steady herself.
Unfortunately, both Ariadne and Maria noticed and her mother-in-law gave an impatient snort. ‘Oh, go to your room, then,’ she said irritably. ‘If you can’t control yourself for five minutes, then you’d better do as Ariadne says. But don’t forget what I’ve told you, will you? Next time I might not be half so understanding.’
Whatever that meant.
Chapter 9
Demetri flew back to the island late the following afternoon. He hadn’t stayed to hear the final conclusions of the delegates to the conference, making the excuse that, as his father was so ill, he’d prefer to get home.
And, without exception, everyone had understood, but he couldn’t help wondering if they’d have been as understanding if they’d known that checking up on his father encompassed only half the concerns he had. He was equally anxious to see Jane again, to assure himself that she hadn’t been intimidated in his absence.
He didn’t know why he felt this desperate need to defend his estranged wife, but he did. It wasn’t as if she’d be glad to see him. Because, despite the fact that he didn’t seem able to keep his hands off her, he was fairly sure she regretted it just as much as he did.
Nevertheless, when his pilot landed the helicopter on the pad a couple of hundred yards from the villa, he breathed a sigh of relief. Without waiting for Vasilis to swing open the door and let down the steps, he accomplished the task himself and dropped down gratefully onto the tarmac.
‘I won’t need you tonight, Theo,’ he said when the other man joined him. ‘You can go home, if you wish.’ Theo’s parents lived on one of the other islands in the group. ‘Costas will take you.’
‘If it’s all t
he same to you, I’d like to stay at the cottage,’ said Theo, mentioning one of a cluster of stone dwellings where many of the staff who worked on the estate lived. He set down the two briefcases he was carrying and stowed the steps back inside the aircraft. ‘I’m hoping to see Ianthe, if you have no objections?’
‘Why would I object?’ Demetri raised a hand to the pilot as Costas prepared to take off again. ‘She’s a free woman.’
‘I know that, but—’
‘But what?’
‘Well…’ Theo looked embarrassed now. ‘It’s common knowledge that you and she were once—were once—’
‘Friends,’ said Demetri harshly. ‘We were friends, Theo. Friends! Not lovers, as I’m sure you’ve heard.’
‘But your wife—’
‘She didn’t believe me either,’ said Demetri, his pleasant mood evaporating. ‘Forget it. It’s all in the past now. Perhaps one day Ianthe will tell you who Marc’s father really was. Until then, take my word for it, I wish you—both of you—nothing but good luck. OK?’
‘Thanks.’
Demetri picked up his own briefcase and the two men separated as they reached the house, Theo to circle the villa to where the cottages were situated and Demetri to run lightly up the steps and into the reception hall.
The place seemed deserted, but almost immediately his mother appeared from the direction of the terrace. ‘Demetri!’ she exclaimed, evidently surprised to see him. ‘Is something wrong?’
‘Why should anything be wrong, Mama?’ Demetri felt a sense of impatience that was out of all proportion to the perceived offence. ‘I went to the conference as I promised and now I’m back.’ He paused. ‘Where’s my father?’ It was better than asking whether Jane was still here.
Maria Souvakis clicked her tongue. ‘You may well ask,’ she said, and it was obvious she wasn’t pleased with the answer she had to give him. ‘He’s gone for a drive with that woman, hasn’t he? I warned him that it was unwise to overtax himself, but he won’t listen to me.’
Demetri knew exactly who his mother meant, and his relief was so great he didn’t consider his words before saying, ‘I doubt if taking a drive with Jane will overtax him greatly, Mama.’
But then a frown formed between his brows. What was he saying? He wanted Jane out of his life, didn’t he? Encouraging his father to make her visit a pleasant one was hardly the action of a sensible man.
‘I might have known you’d disagree with me,’ declared Maria tersely. ‘After all, you’re the one who brought her here.’
Demetri let that go, but his mother wasn’t finished. ‘Thank goodness, Ariadne has gone with them,’ she continued. ‘She’ll make sure your father doesn’t do anything stupid.’
Demetri blew out a breath. ‘Anything stupid?’
‘Like inviting her to stay indefinitely,’ she explained irritably. Then, as if realising this was hardly the way to greet her son after he’d been away, she tucked her arm through his. ‘Come along. Thermia’s here. We’re having iced tea on the terrace. She’ll be pleased to see you.’
Demetri doubted that. And the last person he wanted to see right now was Ianthe’s mother. Was Ianthe with her? Could he really be that unlucky?
Remaining rooted to the spot when his mother would have drawn him across the hall, he said wearily, ‘Give me a break, Ma. I’m hot and tired. What I really need is a shower and something a little stronger than iced tea!’
‘Nonsense.’ His mother was having none of that. ‘What would Thermia think if you didn’t come and say hello?’
Demetri’s jaw tightened. ‘Is she alone?’
‘Of course not. Ianthe’s with her. And I know she’ll be glad of some younger company.’
Iperokha! Great! Demetri suppressed a groan. Who had invited the Adonides women here? But he didn’t really need to ask. Nevertheless, Theo was going to be so disappointed when he drove into town to find Ianthe wasn’t home.
Contrary to what his mother had said, Ianthe looked less than happy to see him. ‘Demetri,’ she murmured politely after he had greeted her mother. ‘Aunt Maria said you wouldn’t be back before tomorrow.’ Ianthe had always called his mother ‘aunt’ but it was only an honorary title. The two women were actually distant cousins, even if they behaved more like sisters.
Now Demetri cast his mother a sardonic look, but she busied herself taking another glass from the chilled cabinet the maid had placed beside her. ‘You’ll have some iced tea, won’t you, Demetri?’
‘Not for me,’ he said, aware that Ianthe was exchanging a furtive look with her mother. ‘I can’t stay. Now that I know my father’s OK, I’d like to get home.’
Maria straightened, the glass in her hand. ‘But Demetri, you can’t mean to leave without seeing your father?’
‘I’ll see him later,’ insisted Demetri through his teeth. ‘Right now, I’d like to catch Theo before he leaves for town.’
‘Theo is here?’
It was Ianthe who’d spoken, and Demetri saw a look of unguarded anticipation in her eyes.
‘Yeah,’ he said. ‘He’s staying the night in the cottage. D’you want to see him?’
‘Oh, well—’
‘I don’t think so, Demetri.’
Ianthe and her mother spoke in unison but it was Maria Souvakis who had the final word. ‘Why would Ianthe want to see Theo Vasilis, Demetri?’ she demanded. ‘For heaven’s sake, Thermia was just telling me that Ianthe’s had more than a dozen text messages from that young man while you’ve been away. He’s becoming a positive nuisance!’
Demetri arched a brow at Ianthe. ‘Is that true?’
‘That he’s texted me, yes.’
‘I meant the bit about him being a nuisance,’ said Demetri patiently. ‘He seems to think you like his company.’
Ianthe glanced awkwardly from her mother to her aunt and back again. ‘Well—I do—like him,’ she mumbled uncertainly and the older women exchanged an impatient look.
‘So?’ Demetri was getting impatient himself. ‘Do you want to see him or not?’ And when she kept her eyes averted, he added irritably, ‘You’re twenty-three, Ianthe. If you want to be friends with him, no one can stop you.’
‘Demetri!’
His mother, who had seated herself beside Thermia, now looked up at him with horrified eyes, but Demetri had had enough. ‘Well?’ he said, pointedly, and with another anxious look in her mother’s direction, Ianthe got to her feet.
‘Yes, I’d like to see him,’ she muttered humbly, and with a muffled oath Demetri bid a terse farewell to his mother and Thermia, and stepped back into the house with Ianthe at his heels.
They were crossing the reception hall when Demetri heard the unmistakable sound of a car coming up the drive to the house and his stomach clenched instinctively. Oh, right, he thought tiredly, wasn’t this just par for the course? He’d thought things couldn’t get any worse, but they just had.
‘That must be your father and Ariadne and—and your wife,’ offered Ianthe uneasily, and Demetri gave her a wry look.
‘Yes,’ he said flatly. ‘I think you’re right. How wonderful!’
Ianthe’s eyes held an expression of reproach. ‘You don’t mean that.’
‘Don’t I?’ Despite his reluctance, Demetri continued doggedly towards the outer doors. ‘Well, we’ll see, shall we?’
They paused in the open doorway as his father’s vintage Bentley halted at the foot of the steps that led up to the terrace where they were standing. Unaware of being observed, Jane was first out of the car. She’d apparently been acting as his father’s chauffeur with him beside her in the front seat. Now, she hurried round the bonnet to pull open his door, offering him a hand to alight. He did so gratefully, leaning heavily on her arm before rescuing his cane and transferring his weight to it.
‘Thank you, my dear,’ he said with evident warmth. And then he saw his son.
‘Demetri!’ he exclaimed, and Ariadne, who had been getting rather ill-temperedly out of the back of the car, lifted h
er head disbelievingly.
‘Darling,’ she cried, ignoring Jane and his father. Darting ahead of them, she reached Demetri and, grasping his free arm, she stood on tiptoe to brush her mouth against his. ‘You’re back!’
‘You noticed.’ Demetri’s tone was even, but he was watching his wife and his father making their careful ascent of the steps. Then, with an inward curse, he put down his briefcase and went to help them, leaving Ariadne and Ianthe to exchange an unfriendly look.
‘I can manage,’ said his father irritably, and Jane permitted her husband a contemptuous stare.
‘Hoping to impress your girlfriends?’ she asked but the smile she’d adopted for his father’s benefit turned malicious when she looked at him.
‘Well, obviously I’m not impressing you,’ he retorted, ignoring his father’s protests and taking his full weight on his shoulder. ‘And believe it or not, I didn’t know Ianthe was coming here today.’
‘It’s of no interest to me whether you did or not,’ declared Jane, not altogether truthfully. She directed her whole attention to the old man. ‘Not much further, Leo.’
‘I see that.’ Demetri’s father shook his head. ‘But I’m not an invalid, you know.’
‘You’re not used to climbing steps,’ pointed out Demetri drily as they reached the level surface of the terrace. ‘OK.’ He released his father’s arm. ‘You’re on your own now.’
‘Thank you.’ Leo’s tone was clipped, but then, noticing Ianthe’s anxious expression, his voice softened. ‘Hello, little one. Where are you and Demetri off to?’
‘We’re not going anywhere,’ Demetri answered him, his irritation increasing with every word his father spoke.
‘I’m going to see Theo,’ Ianthe explained nervously. ‘Demetri says he’s staying at the cottage.’
‘Ah.’ The old man nodded. ‘And does your mother approve?’
‘Whether her mother approves or not isn’t relevant,’ said Demetri angrily, and his father gave him a warning look.
‘Just because you do exactly as you like, don’t expect the same behaviour from everyone else,’ he said coldly. He glanced round for Jane. ‘Come, my dear, will you give me your arm?’
