There was nothing remarkable about Alex having a parent, but somehow she had never connected him with a family.
'Do you live with her?' she asked.
'I stay with her when I'm in Istanbul. She has a charming house on the Bosphorus. You'd like it.'
'I daresay, but I shan't see it. As soon as we reach land I must go back to Kusadasi.'
'How?'
Just the one word, with a glint in his eyes. Jan suppressed a sudden qualm and said severely:
'That's your problem. Since you've carried me off, it's up to you to get me back again.'
'We'll reach Lesbos in about an hour,' he told her. 'I'm meeting a colleague at Mithimna. He is on his way to Rhodes, so it seemed a convenient rendezvous. Our business is confidential and private, so we chose this out-of-the-way spot. Then I shall proceed to Istanbul. You'll have to accompany me.'
'Meaning it would be difficult to find transport from Lesbos?'
'Precisely.'
Jan digested this. It seemed she must spend several days aboard the Artemis.
'I'm afraid I'm an unwelcome guest,' she said diffidently.
'Not at all,' he returned gallantly. 'I find your society quite diverting.'
'In spite of my hair-do?' she asked provocatively, while she quelled her rising alarm. She did not want to provide a diversion if it meant any more scenes like the previous night.
'That can be remedied,' he grinned. Then he became serious. 'It would be a waste of time for you to return to Kusadasi, for as you know, your visit is nearly at an end. I suggested to your uncle that he might like to spend a few days in Istanbul on his way home, as he wants to see the Ephesian relics in the museum and the pillars taken from the temple in St Sophia, but evidently he hadn't got round to relaying the suggestion. He and Renata can collect you on their way home from there.'
So he had plans to contact Renata again, and had not relinquished his pursuit of her. Jan broke a roll with a vicious gesture as if she wished it were his head.
'I shouldn't think Rena would come.'
'Oh, she will,' he asserted confidently. 'If only to discover how I've taken her desertion.'
'If she's any sense ...' Jan began.
'She hasn't.' Alex's eyes slid appreciatively over her slight figure. She ate daintily, and her fingers and wrists were delicately formed; her long throat was graceful and well set upon her shoulders. She was fine-boned and thin-skinned, though men never noticed her in detail when Renata was around. Alex was observing her now with the eye of a connoisseur, and evidently liking what he saw. 'She may find she's been superseded,' he added.
'Probably.' Jan never dreamed he could possibly be thinking of herself. 'I imagine you've a host of female admirers to console you.'
'You sound as if you thought I kept a harem.'
'Isn't that rather to be expected... in Istanbul?'
'My dear girl, those days are long past. Most Turks have only the means to keep one wife, without indulging in concubines, and the law decrees monogamy.'
'Hard luck.' Jan was trying to needle him. She was finding his intent scrutiny disconcerting. No doubt he was comparing her unfavourably with her cousin, who should have been sitting in her place if his plans had not gone awry. 'But there's no law against mistresses, is there?'
'Only moral disapproval.'
'Which I don't suppose troubles you.'
'Again, my dear, you're drawing naive conclusions about situations of which you're ignorant.'
Her eyes flashed up to meet his tawny gaze and she saw irony in it. The word naive annoyed her.
'I shan't be so ignorant if I see much more of you,' she said with deliberate provocation.
'If you're alluding to last night, I can and will repeat the treatment if you continue to be impertinent.'
Against her will she blushed furiously and her heart knocked against her ribs. He looked so cool and calm this morning she had forgotten his demeanour concealed a sleeping tiger. There was a gleam in his eyes which warned her he might mean what he said. She blurted out:
'But you can't enjoy embracing a plain Jane like me.'
'Which again betrays your ignorance ... or innocence. You're not really plain, I see great possibilities in you. If you'd let my mother take you in hand, she'd transform you.'
'Thank you very much, but I don't want to be transformed!'
'Liar—you'd give your ears to put that flamboyant cousin of yours in the shade.'
Jan laughed merrily. 'I've never been jealous of Rena's looks. I admire her too much, and you must be feeling piqued to descend to such gross flattery. I know my limitations only too well.'
She began to peel a peach, but her blue eyes were wistful. If only she had a chance to detach Alex from Renata ... What was she thinking about? She loathed the man, didn't she? The last thing she wanted was to attract him. He had shown what a brute he was last night, and yet... she looked at his well shaped hands and brown muscular arms as he started to light a cigarette, and to her horror felt a surge of desire to feel them around her again, the firm mouth drawing on the cigarette crushing her lips. What was happening to her? She had never had such sensual thoughts before, but then she had never met anyone like Alex to arouse them. She pushed aside her plate and rose to her feet.
'If it's all the same to you, Mr. Leandris, I'd like to take a walk along the deck.'
He looked up at her with inscrutable cat's eyes and she hoped fervently he had no inkling of what was in her mind. She kept her own eyes downcast, and her long lashes made shadows on her cheeks. She did not know it, but she looked innocently alluring.
'By all means, but don't fall overboard. Your virtue is in no danger, so there's no need to have recourse to extreme measures.'
'I never thought of such a thing.'
'No? But you might. Strange notions seem to seethe in that well shaped head of yours.' Of course he was laughing at her, and she looked at him scornfully. 'But since we're together in rather intimate circumstances ... through no fault of yours, of course ... don't you think you might call me Alex? At least for the voyage?'
Jan's heart sank. The voyage—how long was she going to be cooped up with this unpredictable man? She looked round at the blue sea, noticing the humped shape of one of the innumerable Aegean islands on the horizon, and up at the blue sky—no storm clouds about this morning—and again at the handsome man lounging in his chair. Suddenly she experienced a complete reversal of feeling. Why shouldn't she enjoy this adventure which had so fortuitously come her way? The yacht was luxurious, the scenery lovely, and Alex ... well, he was stimulating company.
'Very well, Alex it shall be ... for the voyage,' she said demurely.
'Good.' He stood up. 'Will you allow me to show you over the ship?'
'With pleasure ... Alex.'
They moved off side by side. He was playing the charming host, his antagonism apparently forgotten. She said bluntly:
'Am I forgiven for interfering?'
He gave her a sidelong narrow look, but did not answer her question. Instead he observed:
'Since we've been thrown together for a few days I see no point in existing in a state of war. Do you?'
'I'm quite ready to accept a truce.'
'Are you now? You're being magnanimous, Miss Reynolds,' he mocked her. 'I suppose when you're secure in the bosom of your family, you'll open fire again?'
'That depends upon how you treat Rena.'
'Oh, bother Renata. She isn't here, and you are.'
Recalling the previous night, she said firmly: 'But not as her substitute.'
'My dear girl, you could never be that.'
'Of course I can't, though you seemed to have had a different idea last night.'
Alex looked very faintly ashamed.
'If we're to preserve our truce, you'd better forget about last night.'
They had reached the stern and leaned over the rail to watch the widening V of wake following the ship's passage.
'That is quite impossible,' Jan retorted wi
th vehemence. 'You made an indelible impression, but I'll not refer to it again.'
She saw a flicker of amusement cross his face and wished her last words unsaid. They could be taken as a compliment, which was not what she had intended. But it was only too true, that night was burned into her memory for all time, all the more so because she was unlikely to ever again feel such emotions. She eyed him surreptitiously as they turned and walked back along the other side of the deck. What a beautiful creature he was, but how unpredictable. Now he seemed anxious to win her approbation, and eliminate her first impressions of him, but she must not allow herself to be deceived. Beneath his suave exertion he was as ruthless and domineering as he had ever been. Yet though she wanted to despise him she was unwillingly drawn to him by his personal magnetism. An expression she had read somewhere recurred to her. 'An enchantment of the senses.' That was what he was doing to her, enchaining her senses, aided by the luxurious appointments of his yacht, but such sensations were wholly ephemeral, she did know that much; only the very young mistook them for something much stronger.
They went all over the ship, and it was a beautiful boat. There was a lounge and saloon, both done in the prevailing white and gold. There were other guest cabins, but he did not show her his own. On the bridge she was intrigued by the various instruments used in modern navigation, especially the asdic which showed neighbouring shipping like black fish in a green sea.
Then Alex left her in a deck chair to doze in the sun, and being tired after her restless night, she fell asleep.
When she awoke, the ship was at anchor, and Lesbos lay ahead of them, an island of green and brown slopes, with a castle crowning the hill above the little town of Mithimna. Jan stared at it trying to recollect where she was and what had happened. Then as remembrance returned, Alex came towards her dressed for going ashore in a conventional white suit. Again he seemed to have changed, he was every inch the business executive from his smooth head to his polished shoes, complete with briefcase under his arm.
'I'm afraid I must leave you until after lunch,' he told her politely. 'Your meal will be served in the saloon.'
She looked wistfully at the island.
'Can't I go ashore?'
'Not now,' he said firmly.
'You mean you don't want to advertise my presence on your yacht?'
He shrugged his shoulders. 'I couldn't care less, but I'd rather you didn't go unescorted. I'll come back for you later on. We might have dinner at the hotel. You'd like that?'
'I would,' she said eagerly.
'Well, be a good girl, and we'll do that.'
He left in the yacht's tender, for there was only a small harbour. Jan stood at the rail watching the boat diminish in size as it approached the shore. She became aware of another ship in the vicinity also at anchor. That must be Alex's colleague's vessel. She wondered vaguely what business intrigue was afoot to necessitate a secret meeting. The water rippled against the sides of the ship. Relieved of their master's presence, the sailors were singing. Presently she was summoned to lunch, which was served to her ceremoniously in the white and gold saloon. The steward eyed her curiously when he thought she was not looking, and she smiled to herself. He must be wondering what had induced his master to take aboard such an ordinary piece of goods. Even her clothes were borrowed. That turned her mind towards the night's entertainment. Wasn't Alex delaying their arrival in Istanbul by lingering on the island, when his business was concluded? She could hardly credit he was doing it for her sake, there must be some other attraction of a more frivolous nature of which he had not informed her. The thought was depressing; she did not want to be an unwanted third at his dinner party. She decided she would tell him she had changed her mind about going ashore.
In the afternoon, Ariadne brought her laundered clothes to her cabin, and she changed the blue and white silk for her own cotton dress. It seemed even less becoming and she surveyed herself in the bathroom mirror with distaste. Well, that was she, Janet Reynolds, in her ordinary guise, and if Alex disapproved it was just too bad.
Alex did. He returned when the sky was aflame with the sunset, with the sleek satisfied air of a man who had concluded a satisfactory deal. The other ship was preparing to depart.
She met him as he stepped aboard.
'Well, that's concluded,' he said cheerfully, 'and as I wished. Now I think I deserve a little relaxation. Missed me?'
'It was rather dull without you,' she conceded. 'Alex, I don't want to go ashore, I've changed my mind.'
'But you were so keen, and I've ordered dinner.'
She fell back on the well worn feminine excuse.
'I've nothing to wear.'
'Rubbish, there's a whole wardrobe full of clothes in your cabin. There must be something that will suit you.'
'Thank you, but I don't care to wear other women's dresses,' she said stiffly.
'They don't belong to any other woman, they're pro bono publico ...'
'I don't know what that means, and I prefer to wear my own clothes.'
'As represented by that limp rag?' He seemed to recollect himself. 'Doubtless it's very suitable for ... er ... your daily tasks, but not for dining in a hotel. There'll be a dinner gown in the cupboard.'
'There may be a dozen, and I'm staying aboard.'
'No, my dear, you're not.' He spoke almost gently and taking her by the arm, led her out of earshot of the grinning sailors, who although they did not understand what was said, guessed a disagreement was in progress. His use of an endearment startled her and his touch wrought havoc along her nerves.
'Don't be a little idiot, Jan,' he went on. 'Those dresses are no more than fancy clothes provided for emergencies, like you find yourself in now, a piece of foresight on my mother's part. She often sails with me and after a gruelling afternoon I'm in the mood for light entertainment. It'll be no fun to dine alone, and I'd be grateful for your company; but you wouldn't feel comfortable in what you've got on,' his voice became coaxing, 'so let Ariadne maid you and come along. I'm going to change myself.'
So there would be no other woman, and Jan capitulated. She very much wanted to go ashore, and only her pride and independence had prompted her to refuse him. She had been so sure that the wardrobe had been discarded by one of his lady friends, but it appeared that was not so and she was spiting herself by her obstinacy. She very much wanted to appear glamorous before Alex, if she could Ariadne was more than helpful. They chose a green dress with a chiffon overlay, the flowing lines of which did much to disguise Jan's angularity. It was a little large, but a wide sash bound it round her slim waist. The low neck was trimmed with diamante. The Greek woman did her hair for her, piling it up on top of her head and securing it classical fashion with two silver bands so that the graceful line of her neck and shoulders was exposed. Jan stared at her unfamiliar reflection in the glass with surprise.
'Why, I'm really quite good-looking!' she exclaimed.
Ariadne did not understand her words, but she was pleased with her handiwork and smirked complacently. Jan went to join Alex with renewed confidence. Wherever they were going he would have no cause to feel ashamed of her, she was thankful that she had allowed herself to be overruled over the dress. He was garbed as he had been on the previous evening, and the sight of him so clad brought back a flood of recollection that caused her a moment's unreasoning panic, but his expression held no threat, he was smiling benignly. He exclaimed when he saw her:
'The cygnet has become a swan!'
'You mean the ugly duckling. I suppose I did look like one. Surprising what a difference clothes can make, but I'm the same me underneath.'
'I hope so, I rather like that me.'
She dimpled. 'That's a change, but it amuses you to tease me, doesn't it?' Her eyes clouded. 'You find me awfully naive.'
'I find you quite charming.'
She shot him a nervous look. She distrusted his compliments.
'You have a silken tongue,' she remarked, 'but you needn't waste it on me. I prefer since
rity.'
'Why don't you think I am sincere?' he asked, taking her arm to guide her down the companionway.
'Because I can see you make a habit of buttering women up. It oils the wheels, doesn't it? Except of course when you're angry.'
'You'd be improved if you applied a bit of butter yourself,' he retorted. 'You're more likely to get your own way if you use a bit of flattery, most men are vain.' 'Thanks for the advice. I'll remember it.' He conducted her to an emergency door in the bowels of the ship, which meant that they could step straight out into the tender without exposing their finery to the hazards of a ladder. The sea was as smooth as a pane of glass under a star-spangled sky. The lights of the little town were reflected in the dark water and the cascade on the hill above it was floodlit.
They dined out of doors in an arbour under a trellised vine, at a hotel situated a little way up the slope to the town. They ate stuffed avocados, shellfish soufflé and spiced lamb. Jan had ice cream for dessert and Alex the local goats milk cheese. He ordered Muscat for her to drink, observing he did not suppose she liked resituated wine, in which he was correct. He seemed well known there, the staff served him swiftly and efficiently, and he addressed them all by name. There were other guests, but they were unobtrusive; in their leafy bower they seemed to be alone. Alex talked about the islands, and their stormy history. Greek, Italian, Roman and Ottoman had swayed their destinies until finally they became Greek. When they reached the coffee stage, the proprietress herself came to speak to them, a big dark woman who spoke English. Alex introduced her as Leda, and she seemed to know him well.
Studying Jan critically, she asked: 'The thespoinis is your betrothed?'
'No, my concubine,' Alex promptly replied. Jan did not even blush, as she suspected he had hoped. She was becoming used to his peculiar humour, but she was about to protest until she saw the mischief in his eyes and that Leda did not believe him.
'It is time that you wed, kyriej the Greek woman said. 'You need a son to follow you, but this little one is too thin and pale. Leave her with me for a month and I will fatten her, make her strong, to be the mother of fine sons.'
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