by Anne Mather
Alex was clearly staggered. ‘But why would you do a thing like that? A beautiful woman like you.’ His lips twisted. ‘I’m sure there must be dozens of men who would consider it a privilege to be your husband.’
‘Well, maybe.’ Beth hesitated. ‘But I didn’t want a husband. I just wanted a baby.’
Alex’s eyes were intent. ‘Why?’
‘Oh—the women of my family haven’t been too lucky with personal relationships,’ she murmured ruefully. ‘And what you said—about how I look—that’s always seemed something of a disadvantage. Until—until I met you, I’d never known a man I’d want to—well, to sleep with, anyway. I was hopelessly vain. Hopelessly naïve.’
Alex shook his head. ‘You’re not vain,’ he said flatly. And then, ‘I can’t believe this. So that’s why you disappeared. Didn’t it occur to you that I might feel pretty bad about it myself?’
Beth sniffed. ‘I guessed you’d be mad.’
‘I was angry, yes,’ he conceded. ‘Wouldn’t you have been, if I’d done that to you?’ He smoothed his thumbs across her flushed cheeks. ‘But mostly I felt—responsible.’
‘Responsible?’
‘Yes.’ He sighed. ‘Beth, you’d never been with a man before. How do you think I felt?’
Beth pulled a wry face. ‘I guess I was pretty pathetic as a seducer, wasn’t I?’
‘I wouldn’t say that.’ Alex’s mouth took on a decidedly sensual slant. ‘I didn’t just want to find you because you’d made me look a fool, you know.’
Beth looked at him through her lashes. ‘Didn’t you?’
‘You know I didn’t.’
‘I’m so glad you did. Find me, I mean.’
‘Yeah.’ Alex closed his eyes for a moment. ‘Me, too.’ Then he looked down at her again. ‘I must say you didn’t look too pleased when I turned up at Linda’s house.’
‘I was scared,’ she said defensively. ‘I thought after—after what had happened that if you found out about the baby you might try to take it away from me.’
Alex made a strangled sound. ‘That’s some opinion you had of your baby’s father, isn’t it?’
‘Well—you’re a Thiarchos.’
‘So?’
‘So—men like you don’t get seriously involved with women like me.’
‘Don’t they?’ Alex’s voice was teasing now, and she gave him a nervous smile.
‘Well—not usually,’ she admitted. ‘So—do you forgive me?’
‘Forgive you?’
‘For not telling you before now.’
‘But you were going to tell me today?’
She nodded. ‘Yes.’
‘Even though you believed I didn’t want you?’
She coloured. ‘You know I was.’
‘Why?’
‘Because I was worried about you,’ she exclaimed fiercely. ‘When Linda told me how—how you were—I was desperate. I’d have done anything to make you start living again. Even if it meant giving up the baby—’
‘Oh, Beth!’ He brought her mouth to his with aching intent, and then turned until she was lying against the cushions again, cradled in his arms. ‘I’ve been through hell, thinking you didn’t want me. If only you’d been there when I went back to Sullem Cross. We could have saved ourselves such a lot of heartache.’
‘Mmm.’ Beth stroked his cheek. ‘But I knew I had to go away. The—the baby is beginning to show. Not a lot,’ she added, as his hand probed the gentle swell at her waist, ‘but enough for people to start talking. And I was afraid Linda might decide to come back.’
‘And tell me,’ put in Alex softly. ‘Yes. That could have been awkward.’
‘You don’t think she’ll mind, do you?’ she whispered, as Alex pulled her blouse apart, and bent to lay his lips against her stomach, and he made a satisfied sound.
‘Frankly, I don’t care what she thinks,’ he assured her huskily. ‘As far as I’m concerned, you’re the only person I care about. Now, tell me—when are you going to make me a father?’
* * *
Beth had never been to the Greek Islands before. And Kalos, the tiny island Alex had inherited from his Greek grandmother, and which he had chosen as their holiday home, was probably the most beautiful island of them all.
But then, she was biased, she thought contentedly, lifting a slim arm to take the weight of her hair from her neck. As far as she was concerned, so long as she and Alex—and baby Alexa—were together, anywhere was paradise.
Nevertheless, spring in the islands was a most attractive time of year. It was hot—but not too hot, sunny—but not too sunny. It was altogether delightful, and Beth knew they had all benefited from the break.
They had been staying here, in the villa, for the past three weeks, and although it had none of the amenities of some of the larger hotels it had been a wonderful experience. They had brought their own groceries, and cooked their own food, and after romantic evenings spent by candlelight she was not really looking forward to going home to the prosaicness of electricity.
Still, although they were flying back to England tomorrow, she wasn’t really discontented. She was quite at home in Alex’s house in Wilton Court now, and she knew Mallory was eagerly waiting to see how Alexa had grown in their absence.
And, at four and a half months, Alexa was developing quite a personality of her own. She was also quite demanding, which was why Alex hadn’t objected when Beth suggested inviting Linda to come with them. The girl was good with the baby, and her presence had enabled Beth and Alex to have more time on their own.
Of course, they could have brought Mrs Summers with them, but Beth had wanted some time alone with the baby, and the nanny Alex had hired to help her was inclined to fuss. Still, she’d have been lost without the woman’s assistance in the first few weeks after the baby was born, and although she still fed Alexa herself she didn’t mind sharing the less attractive duties.
But this holiday—their first together, since their honeymoon in Tahiti—had been utterly delicious. Linda hadn’t been intrusive, and she thought it was more than a passing coincidence that Tony’s cousin, Nicolas, should have found several reasons to come and see his uncle while they were away. She suspected Linda knew perfectly well why he kept appearing, but for the first time in her life she was independent, and Beth didn’t think she’d surrender that for a little time yet.
For herself, Beth couldn’t imagine her life now without Alex. The past nine months had been the happiest nine months of her whole life, and she could only pity the girl she had once been for being afraid of reaching for happiness. Her mother’s and her sister’s lives had no bearing on her own. She was just so lucky to have found the only man for her in such an incredible way.
Linda had thought their story was really romantic—once she had got over the fact that Alex had been more concerned with sustaining his relationship with Beth than obeying his father’s commands. The trip to Greece had been as much his idea as Constantine’s, although the old man had taken the opportunity to try and find out what Linda knew about his letters.
Justine had shown the most surprise. Beth had certainly not lived up to her opinion of her, and when she had learned that her friend was expecting a baby she had been her usual malicious self.
‘Better you than me, darling,’ she had declared, when Beth had gone back to Sullem Cross to explain that she was going to live in London. ‘And I’d have thought Alex Thiarchos’s experiences with fatherhood would have put him off once and for all! But there you are; it’s your life, not mine.’
And such a life, thought Beth now, getting up from the cushioned lounger she had been occupying on the veranda of the villa to wave at her husband and Linda, who were toiling up the beach from the shoreline. They had taken Alexa to dip her toes in the water—which she loved—and the baby was tipped over her father’s shoulder now, blowing bubbles at the young woman who walked beside them. Alexa’s sister-in-law, Beth thought incredulously. But it was good for Linda to have a real family at last.
Alex handed the baby to Linda when they reached the veranda, and heaved a sigh. ‘I need a rest,’ he said firmly, flinging himself on to the lounger Beth had vacated, and pulling his wife down on to his lap. ‘Be an angel, and look after Alexa for the next half-hour, will you, Linda? I’ve got to build up my strength before it’s time to prepare lunch.’
‘Poor thing!’ Linda pulled a face, but her eyes were warm as they rested on the pair of them. ‘OK. I’ll go and see if this young lady is ready for a nap. Then I’ll prepare the lunch. So long as you don’t mind something simple.’
‘Whatever takes your fancy,’ Alex assured her lazily, burying his face in the soft hollow between Beth’s neck and her shoulder. ‘So long as I can have the same privilege,’ he added, for his wife’s ears only, and Linda gave a resigned grin, and marched into the house.
‘Alex,’ Beth protested, but it was only a half-hearted sound, and he didn’t take any notice of her. With her honey-tinted skin, and skimpy black bikini, she was totally irresistible, and his mouth sought hers with an eagerness born of need.
‘I love you,’ he said huskily, threading his fingers through her hair. ‘I did tell you that, didn’t I? At least ten times before.’
‘At least a hundred,’ she corrected him softly, settling herself against his bare chest. Like her, he was only wearing the minimum amount of clothing, and he looked lean, and muscular, and marvellously fit.
‘Home tomorrow,’ he murmured, against her hair. ‘Will you mind?’
‘Just us not being together every minute of the day,’ she admitted ruefully. ‘But I guess I can live with that. Alexa keeps me busy.’
‘And what about your work?’ he ventured. ‘Have you thought any more about that? You know I won’t interfere—if it’s what you want to do.’
‘Hmm.’ Beth sighed. ‘Well, I’ve been thinking about that too. But, if it’s all the same to you, I’m in no hurry to get back to work. I like being your wife. I like being with our baby. And—who knows?—perhaps we’ll have another baby. It’s possible, you know.’
Alex shook his head. ‘It’s highly probable,’ he muttered his hands moving possessively over her body. ‘I just don’t want to tie you down. I know how you value your independence.’
‘How I used to value it,’ Beth amended swiftly. ‘I’m not like that any more. I suppose what I mean is, when you love somebody, you put their happiness first. I don’t think either my mother or my sister ever had that experience.’
Alex’s fingers caressed the nape of her neck as he kissed her. Then, with a sigh, he said, ‘Talking of families, Nick tells me my father is desperate to meet his new granddaughter.’
‘Is he?’ Beth lifted her head and looked at her husband. ‘And how do you feel about that?’
‘I don’t know.’ Alex grimaced. ‘Like you, I guess, I’ve mellowed during the last few months. I’ve got so much now. And who knows whether what happened wouldn’t still have happened if my father hadn’t been involved? Tony always was—well, he didn’t take kindly to control. He was a lot like his mother. He was always wanting to try new things.’
‘Like going to university in England?’
‘Yes, that. And—everything else.’
‘The drug taking?’
‘Hmm.’ Alex sighed. ‘What do you think? Do we give my father another chance?’
‘If that’s what you want.’ Beth snuggled down again. ‘We’ve got nothing to fear from him. In some ways, I feel sorry for him. He lost something precious, too.’
Alex turned his lips against her forehead. ‘I shall be sure and tell him that you persuaded me to forgive him,’ he declared. ‘You’re good at that—persuading people, I mean.’
‘You’re not so bad at it yourself,’ remarked Beth, sleepily. ‘Hmm, isn’t it hot?’
‘It’ll be cooler in our bedroom,’ agreed Alex, lifting her into his arms, and getting to his feet. ‘Well, the temperature, anyway,’ he appended. ‘I can’t vouch for anything else.’
ISBN-13: 9781460347461
A SECRET REBELLION
© 1993 Anne Mather
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