by Anne Mather
‘Ah—’ Beth moistened her lips. ‘Well, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it, Linda. This is one of the most enchanting areas of Attica, and naturally Mr Thiarchos will know it like the back of his hand. He—he told me—at dinner last evening,’ she inserted hastily, ‘that he spent most of his youth here.’
‘Yes, I know.’ Linda nodded now. ‘And you heard his father say that Tony was born here, too. Tony was an only child, you know. Isn’t that sad?’
‘Mmm.’ Beth wondered why that news should give her any sense of reassurance. ‘So—what time are you leaving?’
‘Not me—us,’ said Linda, reddening herself now. ‘You’re invited too, of course.’
‘Oh, no.’ Beth was adamant. ‘Honestly. It’s very kind of you to think of me, but, as you said last night, I’m really only here as your companion. You don’t have to entertain me. I’d just as soon spend the morning—on—on the beach.’ The beach was the last place she wanted to be, but Linda wasn’t to know that. And, hoping that was the end of it, she offered the girl a friendly smile. ‘And now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to have a shower.’
‘Wait!’ Linda took a couple of steps forward, and Beth, who had been retreating into the bathroom, was forced to stop. ‘About last night,’ said Linda uncomfortably. ‘I didn’t mean what I said. About—about you embarrassing me, and all. I think I must have had too much wine or something. Of course you’re entitled to your opinions. And—and I am grateful that you persuaded me to come.’
‘Linda—’
‘That’s why you have to come out with us this morning.’
‘I don’t think so.’
‘You must.’ Linda looked desperate. ‘Mr—Mr Thiarchos was most insistent that you should join us. I—I think he likes you. He was asking me all sorts of questions about you.’
‘Really?’ Beth spoke round the aridity of her throat. ‘I—don’t think I like the sound of that.’
‘Oh, don’t be silly.’ Linda made an impatient sound. ‘It was all perfectly innocent. He was just interested in your work, and what you do in your spare time. I told him how good you are at your job and that you’re taking a year off to write a book. He was really interested in that.’
Beth felt the colour drain out of her face. Dear God, she thought, she was going to faint again. As she had almost done that day at Linda’s foster mother’s home. But she mustn’t. She mustn’t. Her behaviour had aroused far too many suspicions as it was, and if Alex should decide to call a doctor—
‘Are you sure you’re all right?’
Linda was watching her closely again, and with a superhuman effort Beth pulled herself together. ‘I’m fine,’ she declared, though she clearly wasn’t. And then, because the twin horrors of having to justify her absence to Alex, and of him spending the whole morning quizzing Linda, were simply too awful to anticipate, she gave in. ‘And—please thank Mr Thiarchos for his invitation, will you? Tell him I will join you, after all.’ She grimaced, though not for the reasons Linda imagined. ‘After—after I’ve had my shower.’
A maid had been in her absence, and when Beth returned to the bedroom it was to find a tray of coffee and hot rolls steaming on the table by the long windows. There was also milk, and cream, strongly flavoured butter, and a thick and juicy conserve, and a tall glass of freshly squeezed orange juice, which tasted as if the fruit had just been plucked that morning.
Beth attacked the meal with real enthusiasm. Hunger seemed to be her greatest problem at the moment, and she always felt better after a good breakfast. For someone who, for years, had existed on toast and coffee, she found she had an inordinately large appetite. Which was something else she would have to watch.
Nevertheless, she ate everything on the tray, gambling that Alex and his father were unlikely to question the servants about their guests’ preferences. And it was delicious. Even the coffee—Continental, not Greek—was very acceptable, and she lay back in her chair afterwards, wishing she could just relax for a while.
But the knowledge that Linda was becoming far too familiar with her father-in-law soon had her rummaging through her suitcase, looking for a satisfactory outfit. She had deliberately not brought a bathing suit with her, working on the premise that without a swimsuit she couldn’t be expected to swim. The fact that she had swum, and without a swimsuit at that, was incidental. That had been at night, and not even Alex could expect her to go skinny-dipping in broad daylight. And then she remembered what Linda has said about her own swim that morning, and her apprehensions returned anew.
She chose shorts now. Worn with a hip-length tunic, whose pleated style would have concealed a longer-term pregnancy than she could boast, they were both practical and flattering. The tunic’s primary colour was a pale primrose-yellow, with panels of dark navy that were repeated in the piping that edged the collarless neckline and hem, and in the narrow-legged Bermudas. Her arms were bare and they seemed very white when compared to Alex’s brown skin.
But she wasn’t going to think about Alex, she told herself, as she laced her canvas boots and ran a final brush through her hair. She had to deal with him, and that was that. She couldn’t spend every minute of the day in her room.
She thought about leaving the room as she had done the night before, by the French doors, and walking along the vine-hung colonnade. But it wouldn’t do to appear too familiar with her surroundings, and after collecting her sunglasses she chose the corridor instead. Closing her door, she walked the not inconsiderable distance to the cool airiness of the entrance hall.
And, although she had steeled herself for her first meeting with Alex, she was almost disappointed when she found he wasn’t there. The large room where they had gathered the night before was empty, and she was wondering what she ought to do when Constantine Thiarchos appeared at the open windows. He had evidently been in the courtyard, and she thought how lucky it was that she hadn’t chosen that route herself.
‘Ah, kalimera, Miss Haley,’ he greeted her formally. ‘How are you this morning?’
‘Um—very well, thank you.’ Beth held up her head. ‘It’s another lovely morning, isn’t it?’ She looked beyond him, into the sunlit courtyard. ‘This is such a beautiful place.’
‘I am so glad you like it.’ Constantine came further into the room. He was dressed all in white this morning: white shirt; white trousers; even white shoes, she saw with some amusement. Was it a conscious effort to deny the darker shades of his personality? ‘Did you sleep well?’
Now why did she feel as if that was a loaded question? she wondered uneasily. Linda had asked her the same question, and she hadn’t felt any undercurrents with her.
‘I—yes. Yes, very well, thank you,’ she conceded tautly. ‘My room is very comfortable.’
‘Is it?’ Once again, she had the feeling that he was baiting her. ‘You did not find it too hot or unfamiliar?’
‘N-o.’ But Beth had the distinct impression that Alex’s father knew she was not being absolutely truthful. ‘I—went out like a light.’
‘Like a light?’ He frowned now. ‘What is this? Like a light? You had trouble with the lamps in your room?’
‘No.’ Beth wished she hadn’t elaborated now. ‘I just meant—I fell asleep as soon as my head touched the pillow.’
‘I see.’ But he clearly wasn’t convinced. ‘Well, you must get my staff to show you the grounds of the villa today. And the cove, of course. There are steps leading down to the cove. It is completely private, you know.’
And that was when she knew. Knew for certain that Constantine Thiarchos knew of her walk the night before. Probably knew where she had gone, as well, she thought sickly. Oh, God, had he had his security guards watching them all the time?
She knew she had to say something; anything, to fill the pregnant silence that had fallen. A pregnant silence! she reflected mockingly. Oh, that was rich! Even her thoughts were betraying her. What must this man be thinking?
‘Thank you.’ The polite words of gratitude were probably not w
hat he had expected after her plain speaking of the night before, but she was in no state to face another argument with him. Besides, whatever she said, he would only believe what he chose to believe. And, whether or not she had planned that meeting with Alex, what had happened had certainly seemed no coincidence.
‘I—understand—my son is taking you and Linda for a drive this morning,’ Constantine went on, after a moment. ‘Forgive me, but does it not seem more appropriate that Alex should have some time alone with his daughter-in-law? I myself would offer to entertain you if I could, but regrettably I must spend the day in Athens. Nevertheless, the grounds of the villa are at your disposal.’
Beth’s face flamed. ‘I was more than willing to forgo the outing, Mr Thiarchos,’ she declared stiffly, ‘but your son insisted on my accompanying them.’
‘Yes. Well, Alex is apt to be—how shall I say?—a little indiscreet at times, Miss Haley. He does not always think before he acts. I am sure if you insisted he would not force you to attend.’
Beth had never felt so humiliated. No wonder Constantine’s competitors in the business world regarded him with such suspicion. He was completely single-minded; completely ruthless. He didn’t want her here, and whatever had happened between her and Alex he was determined to keep her in her place.
‘I—’ Words failed her. How could she compete with someone who would use any means at his disposal to achieve his ends? ‘Um—Linda—won’t go without me,’ she finished lamely.
‘Linda will do as—’
She’s told! The words hovered in the air between them, eloquent, but unspoken, and with the sixth sense she always felt around Alex Beth looked behind her.
And she was hardly surprised to see him there, his shoulder propped against the door-jamb, a lazy smile lifting the corners of his mouth, but hardly penetrating the sombre darkness of his eyes. In a black collarless shirt, whose sleeves were turned back over his hair-roughened forearms, and black chinos, he looked achingly familiar, and, for all her earlier misgivings, she was desperately glad to see him.
But, before she could reach past the shivering awareness of the previous night’s intimacy and say so, his father intervened. ‘Ah, Alex,’ he said jovially, as if Beth hadn’t just been the recipient of the cutting edge of his tongue, ‘I was just telling our guest she must see more of the villa today. Did you know we have a swimming-pool, Miss Haley? And tennis courts, too. Perhaps my secretary, Spiro, could be persuaded to give you a game if—’
‘I know what you were telling Miss Haley, Papa.’ Alex’s voice broke into his father’s speech without obvious expression. He came into the room as he spoke, and tucked his thumbs into the back of the belt that hung low on his hips. ‘I think I should make something clear, here and now: Beth is my guest, not yours.’
Constantine’s nostrils flared. ‘But this is my house!’ he retorted, before lapsing into a spate of Greek that was incomprehensible to anyone with only a cursory knowledge of the language.
But Beth could guess what he was saying. It was obvious by the glances he cast in her direction, and the fulminating anger of his words. She turned away in dismay, unwilling to appear even remotely interested in their exchange, and thought how naïve she had been in coming here. Where was the frail patriarch she had painted for Linda before they left England? This infuriated little man was no grief-stricken grandparent. He was hard, and unforgiving, and certainly capable of writing those letters that Linda had told her about.
But, before she could move away, Alex reached out and linked his fingers loosely round her wrist. ‘Stay,’ he said, when she turned incredulous eyes in his direction. And then, to his father, ‘Speak English, Papa. Beth only speaks a little of our language as yet. But—’ he looked at her again, and she felt her bones melting at the expression in his eyes ‘—she’ll learn. I’ll teach her myself.’
Constantine said something under his breath which she was sure wasn’t very complimentary, but a warning glance from his son had him clenching his lips. Nevertheless, he couldn’t resist one final salvo. ‘You are a fool, aghori! Was one mistake not enough for you?’
‘Evidently not.’ Alex’s lips twitched, but Beth did not think it was in amusement. ‘Like you, Papa, I am not infallible.’
‘Tch!’
Constantine snorted his disgust, and although Beth would willingly have given him his way she had discovered how strong Alex’s fingers could be. His grip might be loose, but it was inflexible, and she had no choice but to stay where she was.
And then Linda appeared, bringing a welcome release of tension, and Beth was free. And, before she had time to feel any relief at this sudden change of status, she encountered Constantine’s inimical stare. While Alex went to meet his son’s wife, treating her with the utmost courtesy, his father had no such delicacy.
‘Have a care, Miss Haley,’ he said, before she could turn away. ‘I can be a good friend. I am not a good enemy.’
* * *
Beth hadn’t thought she would enjoy anything after that, but she was wrong. In spite of the fact that Alex made no further attempt to treat her any differently than he had done the day before—and did she really want him to?—he was a fascinating tour guide, and knew all the myths and legends associated with this particular corner of his country. That he knew a great deal more than that she had no doubts, but he confined himself to what was near and familiar.
They started in the village of Vouliari, and Beth, seated discreetly in the back of the sleek Mercedes convertible, couldn’t help but notice how easily Alex spoke to the people. Even the children danced along beside the car, shouting words of greeting, little girls giggling merrily when he made some flattering response.
The village itself was clean and spare, in the way of Greek architecture, with white-painted stone dwellings clinging to the slopes above the harbour. A few boats nudged the stone jetty, their sails reefed, their nets spread over the stones to dry. Fishermen in patched jerseys, despite the hot weather, and cloth caps were mending their nets, and black-garbed women sewed and crocheted and gossiped as they watched the men.
It was a scene that was repeated all along the coast, but after a while Alex turned inland, and they drove past woods and camp sites and the rolling vineyards that marked this area of the peninsula. There was a gentle incongruity between the twentieth-century campers they saw, and the timeless indifference of a man leading a pair of oxen to market. But they all existed in an amiable melting pot, and there were few faces that didn’t watch their progress with friendly interest.
They stopped for coffee at a tiny taverna, perched on the rim of an escarpment, where the scent of pine was strong in their nostrils, and where the air was sweet and cooler than on the coast. The little café stood among tall pines, and little wooden tables, with cross-membered benches, were set to take advantage of the view.
Which was incredible, Beth acknowledged, as she got out of the car. Below them, the hillside fell away in a lush terrace of vines and shrubs, with the lance-like spears of oleander exposing their scarlet petals. Between the trees, and on the mountainous slopes that rose at the other side of the deep ravine, the roofs of isolated dwellings could be seen, with here and there the bell-tower of a chapel, or the pillared pediment of some ruined temple.
‘Beautiful, isn’t it?’ murmured Linda, coming to stand beside her, and Beth nodded, resigning herself to taking part in the conversation again. For the past couple of hours, she had been quite content to let Linda take centre stage, and Alex had inevitably restricted his remarks to the younger girl.
But now, out of the car, and once more under his eyes, Beth was aware of his appraisal, and although he appeared to be intent on summoning the waiter she was conscious of his guarded eyes upon her. What could he see? she wondered, making sure that the breeze did not mould the loose tunic against her body. Only her bare arms, and her legs, and the concealing fall of hair against her cheek.
Later, they sat at one of the wooden tables, drinking home-made lemonade spiced
with cinnamon. The breeze was welcome now, lifting Beth’s hair, and mitigating the sun’s unguarded radiance. But it was hot upon her shoulders, and she smoothed her hand across her skin. Hot, and sensual, she thought, looking at Alex. Oh, God, she wasn’t falling in love with him, was she? She couldn’t allow that to happen. Aside from anything else, he was far out of her reach.
But, meeting his narrow-eyed gaze, she thought perhaps it was already too late. Was that why she had been so afraid, when he came back into her life? Had she really been attracted to him when she slept with him in London?
She dragged her eyes away, and looked down into her glass, striving for control, and heard Alex ask Linda if her lemonade was satisfactory.
‘Mmm, it’s lovely,’ she answered, obviously not bound by the restrictions Beth was feeling, and Alex expressed his own approval.
‘I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself,’ he added. ‘It’s been a pretty gruelling couple of months for both of us.’
‘Yes.’ Linda’s response was more guarded now, but Alex had evidently decided to press his advantage.
‘So,’ he ventured, ‘what are you going to do now? Have you given it any thought?’
Linda glanced sideways at Beth. ‘Well, get my degree, I hope,’ she mumbled.
‘And then?’
‘A job, I suppose.’
Alex inclined his head. ‘You wouldn’t consider working for the Thiarchos corporation, I suppose?’
‘Working for the—’ Linda broke off. ‘You mean here?’
‘If you like.’ Alex shrugged. ‘I meant in London, actually. But it’s your choice.’
‘Oh.’ Linda had clearly not considered this possibility, and Beth thought how clever it was of Alex not to offer any overt support. ‘Well, I haven’t thought about it.’
‘Then do,’ said Alex, draining the liquid in his glass. ‘Shall we have another?’
Beth refused, knowing, in her present condition, that too many drinks created other needs, and she had no wish to draw attention to that. But Linda was only too willing to have more of the delicious concoction, and when Alex went to serve himself she pulled an expressive face.
