by Sara Wood
Emma choked on her biscuit. Leon slapped her on the back and put a glass of iced water in her hand.
‘It’s a temporary obsession,’ he explained curtly in English. ‘She wants to be like Soula.’
Lexi began to chat to Leon. Her conversation was so quick and occasionally garbled that Emma couldn’t understand what she was saying. But her daughter was laughing and she could tell that the two of them were fond of one another and were at ease in each other’s company.
Leon was ever watchful, she noticed, seeing problems before they arose. Without making a song and a dance about it, he moved Lexi’s colourful plastic cup away from her exuberantly gesturing hands. Her daughter was impetuous and enthusiastic, she mused. Just like her.
And a moment later he heaved his wriggling niece back to the centre of her chair when it seemed she might fall off in her excitement.
He also gently asked her to slow down her frantic gobbling of her biscuit. Just like her, Emma thought again—she always ate fast. Her father had said she seemed eager to grab life by the throat—or teeth—and never did anything slowly.
‘Did you like your biscuit?’ Leon enquired of Lexi.
‘Mmm-mmm!’ she said. ‘Did you?’
He grinned. ‘I think we’d all like another one. Yes?’
Lexi clapped her hands. ‘Yes, please!’
Emma was interested to see that he was a stickler for good manners, making sure that Lexi never spoke with her mouth full nor interrupted a conversation. She wasn’t sure she would have been so strict with such a young child but her daughter seemed to be coping very well with the rules.
Perhaps, Emma thought gloomily, that was because he doted on Lexi and she on him. His body language told her that. And the expression on his face when he looked at the little girl was tenderness itself.
Emma felt utterly excluded by their mutual affection. This was no act for her benefit, nor to punish her. It was obvious that he had become both father and mother to her daughter. Hence his opposition to anyone who might take one of those roles away from him.
John had made a terrible mistake. She shrank into her seat, hardly noticing that the coffee was almost scalding her mouth. Leon adored her child. And that was why he’d felt confident in inviting her here.
She couldn’t have spoken if she’d wanted to. She knew she’d gone pale, that tremors were capturing her body and draining it of strength. Her lips seemed glued together; dry and bloodless, arcing down in misery.
Lexi’s sturdy little legs were swinging beneath the table. Leon caught one in his hand while he replied to something she’d said and his hand affectionately stroked the soft, baby skin.
Emma closed her eyes at witnessing such casual intimacy, the kind usually shown only between fond parent and daughter. He has claimed her for his own, she thought miserably, her heart bumping hard in her chest. My child!
‘Emma. Are you all right?’ Leon asked quietly in English.
‘No,’ she whispered.
‘Do you want to go back to the villa, or do you want to come to the beach with us?’ he asked gruffly.
‘I—I’ll come to the beach,’ she mumbled.
‘Sure? Haven’t you had enough?’ Leon queried. ‘I think I’d better rescue that.’ He took the coffee cup from her shaking hands and she stared at it with blank eyes. ‘Emma, this won’t get any easier for you… Lex, if you’ve finished,’ he said, breaking off, ‘you can go and play. Let me wipe your mouth.’
Emma’s heart lurched as he took out a handkerchief and delicately wiped the little mouth which had been pursed up in preparation for the ritual.
‘Kiss!’ Lexi demanded merrily.
‘Sweetheart,’ he murmured, gently kissing each rosy cheek.
Emma writhed and caught a fragment of something that Lexi was saying about love.
‘Yes,’ Leon answered huskily, his forefinger tucking a golden curl behind Lexi’s small ear. ‘I love you, poppet.’
Emma looked away, unable to bear any more.
‘Listen to me,’ Leon said softly in her ear. His low tone made her skin tingle. ‘Don’t do this to yourself. You’ve had long enough to see that your daughter is fit and well and very happy—’
‘And she is loved,’ Emma whispered miserably.
‘Very much.’ He sounded very gentle, almost as if he knew how badly she was hurting. But that couldn’t be so. His only concern was for Lexi. ‘Why did you put yourself through this?’ he asked. ‘You must have known that after two years with me her life would be established. I am her legal guardian. I have pledged to devote myself to her.’
She turned glistening eyes to him. ‘I didn’t think it would be like this. You—you gave John the impression that she was a nuisance,’ she mumbled, choking over the words.
‘That’s not true.’ He hesitated, glanced down at Lexi who was politely tapping his knee for attention, and he tied the ribbon which had come unknotted around the doll’s improbably yellow hair. ‘Either he’s a terrible judge of character, or he was determined to think ill of me, or…or he wanted you to come here and be disappointed.’
‘Why would he do that?’ she said indignantly.
Leon shrugged. ‘Perhaps,’ he said, his eyes dark and watchful, ‘he likes to be needed and he hoped you’d run to him for comfort.’
‘I wouldn’t…’ Her voice tailed away. She had done just that. And John had seemed delighted, smiling as he’d soothed her, had stroked her back, and had held her tightly… She bit her lip, determined not to be thrown off course. ‘Lexi must get to know me,’ she said obstinately.
‘Why? Don’t you think she can live happily without you?’
Emma glared. ‘Maybe now she can, but soon she’ll want to know who her mother is,’ she declared. ‘She’s already muddled, calling you daddy and naming her doll “Mama”. That’s not normal, Leon. She wants to be like Soula, who knows very well who she is and who her parents are.’
Leon winced. Soula was also muddled—Marina had seen to that. But Emma had a point. Lexi’s searching for a parent was beginning to present a problem. The last thing he wanted was for her to end up an emotional mess like Soula. And keeping Emma out of the equation was surely the best solution. He could then deal with the problem quietly and lovingly, without Emma’s emotional input.
He shuddered. He certainly didn’t want anyone else having hysterics in the house. He’d had enough to last a lifetime.
‘I understand what you’re saying,’ he said, ‘but this is clearly painful for you—’
‘I’ve been through pain before. And fear, and humiliation,’ she cried passionately.
Her words reached deep inside him, wounding him as though she’d wielded a knife. Looking deeply into her eyes, he could see the scars of her life there, raw and naked and slashing across the clear blueness like a laser. Her lashes had become spiked with tears and her mouth had parted softly, the swelling curve of her lips trembling gently with misery.
Reluctant to let her into their lives, he suppressed his over-whelming sense of compassion and raked in a strangled breath.
‘Then, why suffer any more?’ he argued. ‘Be glad she’s safe. And go home.’
Emma moaned. It was tempting. To shut him out, this house, Lexi’s happy face… To start her life again… There would be certain torment if she stayed. And her planned abduction was looking less and less likely with every second that passed.
But the moment she considered the idea of leaving, she knew she couldn’t do it. There would be something unfinished about her life. At least if she tried to befriend Lexi and failed, she would know where she was, once and for all.
‘I can’t go without being acknowledged as Lexi’s mother,’ she said croakily. ‘I know it’ll be hard for me. But it’s her right to know me. It’s not much to ask, Leon, access to my own daughter.’
His eyes narrowed. ‘But is that all you want?’
Caught off guard, her eyes flashed to his and revealed the truth. His sympathetic expression vanished. �
�I—I’d expect to have her for holidays when she’s old enough—’ she began honestly, hoping to cover up her secret intentions.
‘While she is still under age, she will never leave Zakynthos without me,’ Leon said meaningfully.
‘Then, I will claim my rights in court,’ she said defiantly.
He looked over at Lexi, who was happily stuffing rose petals into the doll’s rucksack. ‘You’ll be wasting your money—and Sefton ought to know that. Go to an independent lawyer here and learn the truth,’ he said in a hard tone. ‘The situation is this, Emma. She is under my care. You will be able to visit a couple of times a year—’
‘I want more than that!’ she cried.
‘Then, you will have to live on this island. That was the ruling in the case of a friend of mine who was having similar problems with his German ex-wife. She had to give up her home and her job in Germany and come to live on Zakynthos. Or never see her children again.’
CHAPTER SEVEN
EMMA sat quietly, watching Leon reading a bed-time story to Lexi, her mind in turmoil. It could have been an idyllic day if the shadow of her daughter’s future hadn’t hung over everything they did.
They had taken a picnic to the beach below the house, walking through the glorious gardens which were alive with birdsong and thick with the scent of plant oils vaporising in the heat.
Dancing ahead of them, her daughter had looked the picture of happiness. Occasionally Leon had called out and the little girl had come running eagerly, to be shown delights: a gecko with its padded feet, tadpoles in a meandering stream, a snake’s skull, and—most exciting—a huge eel lurking in a pond beneath a huge eucalyptus.
Each time Emma had bitten back her urge to be the one who expanded Lexi’s knowledge of the world around her. But Leon had been able to explain in fluent Greek, of course, and she’d had to ask him to translate nearly everything he’d said.
Language had proved to be just one more barrier. Until Lexi unexpectedly had spoken in English.
‘Marina was born and brought up in England,’ Leon had said a little uncomfortably. ‘She and Soula speak mainly English. Lexi will probably grow up bilingual—she has as many English words as Greek.’
It had been easier after that. She’d said nothing but had given Leon a hard, angry glare and had spent the rest of the afternoon concentrating solely on Lexi, building sandcastles, digging a pit for the sea to fill, and running squealing in and out of the waves with her. Their shared laughter had been worth a thousand tears.
And once, she’d even lifted her daughter in her arms when a huge wave from the wash of a boat had rolled towards them. For a brief, glorious moment she had held the firm little body close, Lexi’s excited giggle tickling her ear.
Then had come the demand to be put down and she’d had to comply, her arms suddenly horribly empty of her wriggling, much wanted burden.
As Leon finished the story and kissed Lexi’s sleepy face, hot tears prickled in Emma’s eyes, but she refused to cry again. The day had been full of bitter-sweetness and yet the joy had exceeded the sadness.
And now it was late, very late. Lexi had been determined to keep going till she was ready to drop and, because Emma was there, Leon had let her. However, she knew this was part of his plan for her to be convinced of Lexi’s happiness.
Her daughter had certainly co-operated in that plan. That afternoon Lexi had refused to take a nap on the beach, but had consented to curl up on Leon’s naked chest for a few minutes.
Sighing with envy, Emma had stared at them both: her daughter’s small body squirreled into a ball, Leon’s tanned and muscular length stretched out on a lounger beneath a huge sunshade.
Emma’s throat had gone dry. It had been the most tender and heart-wrenching picture and she had found herself wishing fruitlessly that he was Lexi’s father, not Taki.
Because his eyes had been closed, she had been free to feast her gaze on his tousled dark hair, which was breaking the line of his broad forehead. She had admired the beautiful jut of his strong nose, the carved arch of his mouth, and the power of his perfectly toned body.
And then Lexi: sweet-faced, pouting-lipped and infinitely adorable, lying so trustingly in Leon’s adoring embrace. Her daughter would be safe with him. He would bring her up well.
Emma had turned away, fighting the sharp pain which had knifed through her chest. She adored Lexi. She would bring her up safe and well! And Lexi was flesh of her flesh, blood of her blood.
A grunt had interrupted her thoughts. Lexi had scrambled up and was bouncing on Leon’s hard stomach till he’d lifted her off. Emma and Leon had exchanged amused glances at Lexi’s desire not to miss a second of the day.
Emma sighed. She remembered the catch in her throat at the sight of her daughter at the water’s edge, as she’d picked up handfuls of sand and had happily thrown them into the glittering waves. Funny little mite! she’d thought affectionately.
‘Night, Lex,’ Leon murmured, bringing Emma back to the present.
The little hand opened and closed in a heart-wrenchingly sweet attempt at a wave. ‘Night.’
‘Say goodnight to Emma,’ he prompted.
‘Goodnight to Emma,’ Lexi obediently, wickedly, replied and they all chuckled.
‘Goodnight, Lexi,’ Emma said huskily, her voice shaking with emotion as her daughter pushed the new doll under the bedclothes. And she turned to leave.
‘Night Mama.’
Emma froze, every nerve in her body electrified. Leon too, was visibly shaken. Slowly she swivelled back again, a smile lighting her face, her heart soaring with delight. It had happened!
And then, through her glistening tears of happiness, she saw that Lexi was hugging and kissing the doll. Mama.
Leon couldn’t move for shock. Seeing Emma’s joy and disappointment had shaken him more than he could have believed possible. And now, with a cold certainty, he realised that Lexi was showing the first outward signs of deprivation.
Appalled, he registered Emma’s white face, heard her broken sob and felt his body turn to ice when she ran from the room as if the hounds of hell were after her.
He passed a hand over his forehead, rooted to the spot. Lexi’s need for her own mother and father had only become apparent in the last ten days. But for a child of that age, ten days was a long time. He muttered a low curse. Events had escalated faster than he’d dreamed. He needed to take action—fast.
Emma ran out of steam halfway down the stairs. Incapable of continuing, she slumped in a miserable heap on one of the wide steps. Leon came to sit beside her. His whole body was tense for some reason and she gritted her teeth, so exhausted—both emotionally and physically—that she couldn’t bear to do battle with him.
All she wanted was to be spirited back to the villa by some magic hand, to be presented with a cup of tea and then carried to bed. She felt she could sleep for England.
‘Go away!’ she grated fiercely.
‘Emma! I’m sorry that happened,’ he said shakily. Astonished by the sincerity in his tone, she searched his face. He seemed very upset. ‘I’m sorry,’ he repeated helplessly.
Bewildered, she mastered her trembling lip. ‘I’d f-forgotten,’ she mumbled, thrown completely into confusion by his hand, which was sympathetically stroking her cheek. ‘The doll… I should have realised…but…’ She couldn’t go on. The joy had been too intense, the disappointment too wounding.
He put a comforting hand on hers. ‘It was a bad moment for you.’ He removed his hand and cupped her chin and she felt more muddled than ever. ‘Poor Lexi. I’ve been blind.’
‘Blind?’ she repeated, her brain and her voice in a fog.
‘To her needs.’
Emma’s heart skipped a beat. She looked at him with huge, wondering eyes, her lips parted with breathless hope. Of course Leon didn’t care particularly that she’d been hurt. But he did care about Lexi. And maybe he’d see that her daughter truly needed her. It was possible that he’d stop trying to get her on the next fli
ght back to England and would allow the relationship to develop. She had a slim, but welcome chance.
‘Leon,’ she cried fervently, grabbing his arms in her desperation. ‘You want me to give up and go home. But you can’t keep us apart. It would be wrong. You can see that, can’t you? She wants her mother.’
‘Sure. A mother, perhaps. But…you?’ he said gratingly.
She winced. ‘You think I’m a criminal but I’m not. And even if I were,’ she added hotly, ‘does that make any difference to the fact that Lexi wants a real mother of her own? Not Marina, or Natasa, or any other woman you bring into your life, but me! I’ve only known her for a few hours today but already I can see that she has sensed that something’s missing in her life. Let me be part of her world, Leon. She needs me.’
‘You’re asking too much,’ he muttered.
‘Not if you really do care about her,’ she cried passionately. ‘You’d put your own revenge and anger aside and do what’s best for her.’
For a long time he contemplated her and she held her breath waiting for his verdict. ‘I need time to work out the best way of dealing with this.’
‘How long?’ she whispered.
‘I don’t know,’ he snapped irritably. ‘As long as it takes. I wasn’t going to let you near her originally. Part of me wishes I’d stuck to my guns—’
‘And the other part?’ she asked anxiously, scanning his frowning face.
‘Is worrying what damage you’ll do to both of us,’ he growled.
‘Why would I want to hurt my own child? That little mite…’ Her words became caught up in her tightened throat. ‘Leon, I’ll be careful. Sensitive,’ she promised desperately. ‘You can set the agenda. I’ll be her daddy’s friend until you say it’s time to tell her the truth—’
‘It could be a long while.’
‘I have the rest of my life,’ she replied with heartfelt passion. ‘What could be more important?’
‘I do believe you mean that,’ he muttered. ‘I’ve never known anyone so determined.’ He hesitated, his eyes brooding. ‘I’ll give it some thought. I will do what I consider to be best for Lexi. Your wishes don’t come into it. And now stop restricting my blood supply.’
