by Anne Mather
‘After this afternoon?’ he countered. ‘I don’t think so.’
‘Oh, Demetri.’ A sob of hysteria rose inside her and, to disguise her real feelings, she said recklessly, ‘You must be getting old. When we were together, you used to have much more stamina.’
A phone rang somewhere in the house, but Demetri ignored it. He was staring at Jane with undisguised fury in his eyes, and she hastily moved around a sofa to seat herself beside his father. She knew it wasn’t fair to provoke him when he couldn’t answer back, but this time it seemed she’d gone too far, even for him.
‘What the hell is that supposed to mean?’ he demanded, coming to grip the back of the sofa behind her with white-knuckled fingers. ‘Jane, I’m warning you—’
But whatever he’d been about to reveal was arrested by the sudden appearance of his father’s housekeeper. Angelena halted in the doorway, and it was obvious from her flushed face and agitated hands that she had something momentous to report.
‘My apologies, kirie,’ she said, looking at Demetri, ‘but you have a call from Athens.’ She spoke in their own language but Jane could understand most of what she said. ‘I explained that the family was at dinner, but Kirie Avensis insists on speaking to you personally. He says it is a matter of life and death!’
Demetri hesitated only a moment before turning and following the woman out of the room. His departure left an uncomfortable vacuum, which Leo filled with his usual aptitude.
‘Avensis wouldn’t ring unless it was something serious,’ he averred half rising out of his seat and then sinking weakly back again. ‘Maria, would you go and see what has happened? I would myself, but…’
He spread his hands, his meaning clear, and for once Maria didn’t demur. ‘Veveha,’ she said, putting down her coffee and getting to her feet. Of course. ‘If you will all excuse me…’
Jane didn’t know what to say, but Stefan had no such reservations. ‘You could have asked me, Papa,’ he said tersely. ‘I am capable of carrying a message, you know.’
Leo shook his head, for once looking less than self-possessed. ‘I didn’t think, Stefan. I’m sorry. And of course you may go and see if there is anything you can do.’
Stefan shook his head. ‘Is there any point?’
‘There may be.’ His father’s face had resumed its normal composure. ‘If you wouldn’t mind.’
Stefan hesitated, but after a moment, he, too, got to his feet and left the room, leaving Demetri’s father with only Jane and Ariadne for company.
‘What do you think has happened?’
Ariadne voiced what they were all thinking, and Leo shook his head again. ‘Heaven knows,’ he said, his fingers massaging the head of his cane his only sign of agitation. ‘One of the tankers has had a collision, perhaps.’
Ariadne’s lips parted. ‘Is that serious?’
‘It can be.’ Leo forced a smile for their benefit. ‘Let us hope not, hmm?’
Jane wet her dry lips. ‘Will—will Demetri be expected to take charge?’
‘Not necessarily,’ replied the old man, before Ariadne could tell her it was none of her business. He stared thoughtfully into the middle distance. ‘We have technical staff for that sort of thing.’ He paused. ‘Of course, he may want to.’
‘As you would,’ said Jane understandingly, and Leo smiled a little wistfully.
‘You know me so well, my dear,’ he said, patting her hand. ‘Yes. I would love to be involved.’
Jane smiled and Ariadne huffed her annoyance, but just then Maria came back into the room, adjusting her grave expression when she saw her husband.
‘Well?’ Leo was impatient, and Maria sighed.
‘There’s been an accident,’ she said, sinking down onto her chair again and lifting her cooling cup of coffee. ‘Ugh, where’s Angelena? This is barely palatable—’
‘What kind of accident?’
Leo wasn’t about to be put off, and Maria put her cup down again. ‘Demetri will handle it,’ she said soothingly. ‘Now, does anyone else—?’
‘Maria!’ Leo was glaring at her now, and, with a groan, she gave in.
‘All right, all right. There’s been an explosion. It’s not clear yet how it happened, but the Artemis is holed just above the waterline.’
Leo swore then. ‘Holed?’ he echoed. ‘Has anyone been hurt?’
‘Avensis says one man has been reported injured, but other than that there are no casualties.’
‘Thank God!’ Leo was relieved. ‘But the Artemis: is she in danger of sinking?’
‘Possibly.’ Maria leant towards him and rubbed his knee. ‘It’s nothing for you to worry about, Leo. As I said before, Demetri will handle it.’
Leo’s frustration was evident. ‘I assume he’s flying back to Athens tonight?’
‘He’s arranging to have Costas pick him up as we speak,’ agreed Maria reassuringly.
‘Yes.’ Leo nodded. ‘The helicopter will allow him to fly straight out to the stricken vessel.’
‘Oh, I shouldn’t think so.’ Now his wife looked dismayed and Jane felt a stab of anxiety deep inside her.
‘Oh, yes.’ Leo sounded definite. ‘I know Demetri. He’ll want to see for himself what is going on.’
‘But—isn’t that dangerous?’
It was Ariadne who spoke now, and Demetri’s father gave her an impatient look. ‘Life is dangerous,’ he muttered. ‘Haven’t you discovered that yet?’ His lips twisted. ‘Jane has, haven’t you, my dear?’
Jane didn’t know what to say to this, but, as luck would have it, Stefan’s return prevented any need for a reply.
‘Has Mama told you what’s happened, Papa?’ he asked, leaning over the sofa where they were sitting. And at Leo’s nod, ‘I’m going with Demetri.’ He arched mocking brows at Jane. ‘Ain’t that somethin’?’
Jane could only stare at him, and it was left to Maria to say anxiously, ‘You can’t both be going, Stefan. What about—what about your father? What about us? We may need you—’
‘Let him go, Maria,’ Leo interrupted her. ‘Perhaps it’s time I remembered I had three sons and not just two, eh, Stefan?’ He paused. ‘Just be careful, hmm?’
‘I will, Papa.’ Stefan gripped the old man’s shoulder for a moment, and then, after bidding goodbye to the three women, he left the room again.
Maria looked near to tears and Jane herself felt decidedly shaken. The idea of the two men flying out to some oil tanker that had already experienced one explosion was terrifying. She wanted to go and find Demetri and tell him to take care, but she didn’t have that right, and it was Ariadne who, after a moment, sprang to her feet and followed Stefan.
‘Well!’ Maria regarded Jane coldly. ‘I hope you won’t let this interfere with your plans for leaving.’ She paused and ignoring her husband’s obvious dismay, she continued, ‘Leo tells me you want to leave as soon as possible. In the circumstances, I think that’s entirely the right thing to do. Don’t you?’
CHAPTER TWELVE
JANE parked her car outside her mother’s house and then sat for a few moments wondering how she was going to handle this. She had to tell her mother she was going to have a baby. She couldn’t take the risk that Olga might decide to make her suspicions public. Besides, she hadn’t seen Mrs Lang for over a week and her mother deserved to know the truth.
Nevertheless, she wasn’t looking forward to telling her who the baby’s father was. After everything that had happened, the words ‘I told you so’ were bound to make an appearance, and she had had enough of feeling like a pariah.
She’d left Kalithi the previous afternoon. Despite his reluctance to see her leave, Demetri’s father had arranged for a helicopter to take her to Athens instead of Andros, where a first-class air ticket back to London had been waiting for her.
Jane had been very grateful, even if Demetri’s mother hadn’t approved. She’d slept badly the night before she left, not knowing where Demetri was or what he was doing. She couldn’t deny the fears she had for bot
h his and Stefan’s safety, and if Maria hadn’t made her position so impossible she might have stayed for a couple of days longer, just to assure herself that all was well.
In the event, Leo had assured her that he’d had word from Demetri and that the news was good, but that wasn’t the same as hearing it for herself. And Leo was going to be here, at the epicentre of all information, while back home in London, Jane would have to rely on the news channels for any word about the Artemis. And her husband.
Leo had accompanied her to the helicopter pad and said his goodbyes there, far from his wife’s disapproving gaze. He’d thanked her again for coming, had expressed the wish that perhaps they’d meet again, and Jane had told him that, any time he wanted to see her, he had only to let her know.
Which had perhaps not been the wisest thing to say, in the circumstances, she acknowledged. How could she return to Kalithi when in a matter of weeks, possibly less, her condition was going to be obvious?
Still, it was unlikely to happen, she thought, feeling a twinge of despair at the thought of never seeing Demetri’s father again. While they’d waited for the pilot to load her luggage, she’d got the feeling that there’d been so much more he’d wanted to say to her. She guessed he’d wanted to defend his son, but he hadn’t been able to find the words.
Now, however, she had to put those days on Kalithi behind her. Her life was here, in London, and in a matter of days she would have to re-immerse herself in the business of buying and selling art and antiques. She owed it to Olga. She owed it to herself.
Mrs Lang opened the door as Jane walked up the garden path. ‘Well, well!’ she exclaimed, accepting her daughter’s kiss before stepping back to allow her to enter the narrow hall of the townhouse. ‘You didn’t let me know you were back.’
‘I got home last night,’ said Jane, gesturing towards the kitchen at the back of the house. ‘Shall we just sit in here?’
‘No, we’ll go upstairs.’ Apart from the kitchen and a second bathroom, all the living quarters were on the first and second floors. ‘I’ve just made a pot of tea. You go ahead. I’ll get the tray.’
Jane hesitated. ‘Do you need any help?’
‘I’m quite capable of carrying a tray upstairs,’ retorted Mrs Lang tartly. ‘I’ll just be a minute.’
‘OK.’
With a shrug, Jane climbed the stairs and entered her mother’s living room, which overlooked the front of the house. Polished cabinets, occasional tables covered with an assortment of knick-knacks, and a neat three-piece suite. There was patterned broadloom on the floor, and lace curtains at the windows, and Jane couldn’t help comparing it to the almost spartan appearance of her own apartment.
No wonder Mrs Lang didn’t encourage Lucy and her brood to visit, she thought drily, trying to distract herself. Paul and Jessica couldn’t help but create havoc here.
‘Sit down, for goodness’ sake!’
Her mother had appeared in the doorway and now she came bustling into the room to set the tray she was carrying on the low table in front of the hearth. It was warm enough outside not to need the gas fire today, but Jane could tell from the heat of the room that her mother had had the radiators on.
She seated herself in one of the armchairs, accepting the cup of tea her mother handed her. ‘Thanks,’ she said, grateful it wasn’t coffee. She still couldn’t face that on an empty stomach.
‘So, there we are.’ Mrs Lang perched on the sofa close by. ‘This is cosy, isn’t it?’ Then she gave her daughter an appraising stare. ‘But you’re still looking peaky. Do I take it, it didn’t go well?’
‘It—went OK.’ Jane was vague. ‘Leo made me very welcome.’
‘What about Demetri? Was he there?’ Then she frowned. ‘That reminds me: there was something about a tanker of his catching fire. It was on the TV this morning. In the Mediterranean, I think. I don’t suppose you know anything about that?’
Jane caught her breath. ‘What did they say? Has—has anyone been hurt?’
Her mother’s frown deepened. ‘If you mean was Demetri mentioned, then no. Obviously, he wouldn’t be. Men like him don’t get involved in minor incidents like explosions!’
‘That’s not true.’ Jane couldn’t let her get away with such a statement. ‘As a matter of fact, I did know about the accident. It happened the night before I came home. Both Demetri and his brother left for Athens immediately.’
‘So is that why you came home?’
‘No!’ Jane was defensive. ‘I’d already told Leo I was leaving before it happened.’
‘Oh, well…’ Her mother sniffed and took a sip of her tea before continuing, ‘From what I heard, it wasn’t much of a fire. I suppose it made news because of the danger it could have posed to other vessels.’
Jane nodded, not trusting herself to speak about it. It wasn’t the danger the tanker had posed to other vessels that had alarmed her. Simply knowing her husband was involved had been enough.
There was silence for a few moments and then Mrs Lang said, ‘And how was Mr Souvakis?’
‘Oh—not too bad. Very thin, of course, and he doesn’t have a lot of strength. But his mind’s still as active as ever.’
‘Do you really think so?’ Her mother sounded sceptical.
‘What do you mean?’
‘Well, he knows you and Demetri are getting a divorce, doesn’t he? So he must have known it wasn’t the wisest thing, inviting you out there. Surely he didn’t think that bringing you two together might cause a change of heart?’
‘No.’ Jane’s hand trembled and she quickly replaced her cup and saucer on the tray. ‘No, of course not.’
Her mother studied her thoughtfully. ‘Did you?’ she asked shrewdly and Jane felt the hot colour flood her cheeks.
‘Did I what?’
‘Hope that Demetri might change his mind?’
‘No!’ And it was true. When she’d left England, she hadn’t hoped for any such thing. ‘I—I left Demetri, Mum. Not the other way about.’
‘Hmm.’ Mrs Lang didn’t look convinced, and Jane thought how impossible it was going to be to tell her about the baby now. ‘So when are you going back to work?’
Jane expelled a weary breath. ‘I don’t know. Tomorrow. The day after. I’ll speak to Olga.’
Her mother huffed. ‘How nice to be so blasé about it.’
Jane moistened her lips. ‘Well—I haven’t been feeling all that good, actually.’
‘Ah, I thought so.’ Mrs Lang looked triumphant. ‘I told you, you looked ill before you went away.’
‘So you did.’ Jane felt a sense of resignation.
‘What is it, then? Have you been to see a doctor?’
‘I went before I went away.’
‘And you never said a word.’ Her mother looked offended. ‘I suppose you told that Ivanovitch woman what you were doing. You tell her everything. But I’m just your mother. You don’t think I deserve to know what’s going on—’
‘I’m pregnant!’
Jane hadn’t known what she was going to say until the words were spoken. She just knew she had to stop her mother making claims that simply weren’t true. But afterwards, she just sat and stared at her with horrified eyes.
This time the silence was longer. Her mother put down her own cup almost unthinkingly, swallowing several times as if her throat was suddenly very dry.
Then she said quietly, ‘It’s Demetri’s, I suppose.’
Jane’s shoulders sagged. ‘Yes.’
‘Oh, Jane!’ She’d expected many things from her mother, but not sympathy. ‘How long have you known? Is this why you really went out to Greece?’
‘No!’ Jane shook her head. ‘Demetri doesn’t know. He mustn’t know. He’s going to marry someone else.’
Her mother stared at her in disbelief. ‘You’re not serious!’
‘I am.’
‘But Jane, how can you let him marry someone else when you’re expecting his child? You’re not making any sense.’
Jane sighed
. ‘Mum, my being pregnant makes no difference to—to our feelings for one another.’
‘I can’t believe that.’
Jane bit her lip. ‘What happened between Demetri and me was—a mistake. It should never have happened.’
‘So why did it?’
‘Oh, I don’t know.’ Jane was glad now she hadn’t told her mother why Demetri wanted a divorce. ‘I was—upset, and he—he—’
‘Took advantage of you.’
‘No, it wasn’t like that.’
‘So what was it like?’
Jane felt the colour enter her cheeks at the question. ‘Mum, please. It happened. Can’t you just accept that?’
Her mother looked at her closely. ‘Don’t you usually take precautions on—on occasions like this?’
‘I don’t usually have occasions like this,’ replied Jane honestly. ‘It was reckless, I know. But my period was due and—’
‘And you thought you’d be OK?’
‘Yes.’
‘Dear lord!’
‘I know. It was stupid. I realise that now.’
‘I wonder how many young women have said that.’ Mrs Lang got up from the sofa to pace restlessly about the room. ‘And let’s face it, he’s just as much to blame.’
‘He probably thought the same as you: that I’d take care of it.’ She shrugged. ‘It wasn’t something we discussed at the time.’
‘Even so—’
‘Mum, this isn’t Demetri’s problem. It’s mine. And I want to keep it that way.’
‘Humph.’ Her mother snorted. ‘That man seems to make a habit of fathering children with women he shouldn’t.’ She hesitated. ‘I assume you saw—what was her name?—Ianthe, while you were there.’
Jane bent her head. ‘I saw her, yes.’
‘And is that who he’s going to marry?’
‘No.’ Jane hesitated. Then she said, ‘Ianthe’s baby died.’
Her mother’s brows ascended. ‘Really? How convenient!’
‘It wasn’t like that.’ Jane had to defend the other girl. ‘I believe she was very upset.’
