As if reading her mind he said, ‘We’ve had a good week haven’t we?’ She nodded
. ‘You have nothing to stay in London for, have you?’ he continued. Melanie looked at him with a puzzled frown. ‘Why don’t you stay on Skiapolos for a while longer?’
Melanie’s heart skipped a beat. All week she had constantly had to dismiss from her mind that these golden days with Electra were coming to an end. Was Nicos really promising an extension? She looked at him hopefully.
‘My office has heard from Gabby. Her arm is completely better and she is asking when she should return to work. If you agree to stay longer we can put off her return.’
If she would agree! Melanie’s heart soared. It was a dream come true. A part of her couldn’t help but hope that it wasn’t just for Electra’s sake that he was asking her to stay.
‘You’ve said yourself we’ve had a very happy week,’ she risked saying. ‘Perhaps we could go on like this.’ But his next words were a rebuff. ‘It’s better that you take care of Electra for the trip on the Athena,’ he said, his tone practical. ‘You are used to the sea. It might be better for Gabby to start looking after the baby again at the villa. rather than on the boat.’
Melanie's hopes deflated but she quickly recovered at the joyful thought that she had precious extra time with her daughter. What did she expect from Nicos? Capitulation? No, he wasn’t going to change his mind so why did she keep hoping he would?
Her thoughts travelled back to their last evening on the island when Nicos had said they would talk when they got back from London. Perhaps this is what he was thinking of. Foolishly she had presumed he meant their relationship.
She shook the thought off and resolved to enjoy this last evening and the happy expectation of the weeks to come. He interrupted her train of thought. ‘Well, will you stay?’
‘You don’t need to ask,’ she said. ‘Do you think I would give up any opportunity to be with my daughter?’
‘Even if it means having to spend a week in close confinement with her father?’ Seeing her expression he added, ‘I’m not suggesting we share a cabin if that what’s your thinking.’
‘I’d hardly call the Athena close confinement,’ she said, thinking of the motor yacht’s 200 feet of luxurious expanse. Nicos laughed. ‘It’s not just baby care, you know. Wouldn’t you agree we’ve had a great time together? We could extend the non-agression pact for a further week.’
He plays my emotions like harp strings, she thought. Up one minute, down the next. I wish he'd stop.
‘I won’t fight with you if you won’t fight with me,’ she said. ‘As long as you don’t say anything to make me.’
‘I think you will be fine. I’ve noticed that being sea makes you more mellow. He darted her a mischievous look.
‘Oh, just add water,’ she said indignantly, but she was experiencing an unexpected spurt of pleasure. Nicos was owning up that he wanted her with him.
‘All strong spirits need a dash of water; otherwise they can make you do things you might later regret.’ He looked meaningfully at her. ‘They can make your heart race and your temperature rise.’
‘Among other things.’ She couldn’t resist the innuendo. Nicos burst out laughing and still laughing called for the bill.
They rose from the table and made their way out on to the pavement. It was late and the crowds had thinned. Afterwards what happened next ran like a film over and over in Melanie’s mind. As if on a loop her mind re-ran and re-ran the look on Nicos’s face as it turned from stunned to cold fury.
He was looking for a taxi. He didn’t see the man who rushed up to Melanie until she was caught in an exuberant embrace.
‘My darling girl, I’ve missed you so much,’ the man who was a stranger to Nicos swept Melanie off her feet and swung round. Breathless, she turned to Nicos and said, ‘I think you two should meet. This is Mark.’
Nicos’s face darkened dangerously as the name burned into his consciousness. He looked from one to the other. He took in the man’s jut jawed blond good looks, his rangy height, his carefree air and slightly dishevelled appearance. Turing to Melanie, his tone poisonous, he said ‘So this is the man you went to jail for.’
His eyes bored into Melanie’s shocked face; his own a mask of fury. ‘I have absolutely no wish to meet him.' He snarled the words out before swinging away from them and striding off down the street.
'Nicos, don't. Come back. Let me explain.' Distraught, Melanie's voice cracked, as she called out to him. But he was jumping into a taxi and slamming the door. He didn’t look back.
Chapter Twelve
Melanie barely remembered how she got back to the house. She stood on the steps looking dumbly at the closed front door. She had no key. She couldn’t bear the thought of Nicos coming to the door. She didn’t know how to face him. She stared in misery at the bell. She’d rather sleep in the park than ring it. Her attention snagged on a lower button marked “basement”. Maybe one of the staff was still up. She gave a tentative push and waited. A light went on in the hallway and the peephole in the centre of the door darkened. A moment later the manservant opened the door.
With head averted and a muttered ‘Thank you. I’m sorry to have disturbed you so late,’ she fled up the stairs to her room. She didn’t sleep. Misery enfolded her. What was she supposed to do now? A few short hours ago she had been so happy at the thought of the time she was going to have with her daughter. Happy that Nicos seemed to want her with him. Now he had looked at her as if he never wanted to see her again. And if he didn’t want to see her there was precious little chance of her seeing her child.
She wondered whether she would ever see Electra again. The thought filled her with so much dread that she jumped to her feet in alarm and sped silently down the corridor to her sleeping daughter. Looking at her she felt her heart would break. Suitcases packed by Maria silent testimony to the fact that Electra was leaving her. What would Nicos do? Would he leave instructions to the staff to bar her from saying goodbye?
Unwilling to leave her for a moment she sat by her daughter’s side till light began to filter through the closed curtains. Before long Electra stirred and woke. Melanie lifted her and held her close. Carrying her down the corridor to the little kitchen she was almost floored by the memory of that earlier morning when Nicos had sung a nursery rhyme invitation to them. He was two different people, she thought sadly. One caring, loving and utterly endearing. The other immoveable and unforgiving.
She would wring every last bit of time with Electra now. She wouldn’t be going back to Skiapolos with her and the two of them wouldn’t be sailing on the “Athena”. So make every moment count now, she told herself. She hardly dare think what her life was going to be from now on without her baby.
Maria, sleep in her eyes and full of apologies, appeared at the kitchen door. Melanie assured her she had been up early so had seen to the baby. ‘I packed everything,’ the girl told her. ‘The car is coming for us at eleven to take us to the airport.’
Not for me, Melanie, wanted to say, but Maria would find out soon enough. Returning to her room to fetch a baby brush she had left there, Melanie, searching around for it, was surprised to see her packing had been done. The cupboards, the drawers, the antique chest were all empty of her belongings. Even the bathroom had been cleared of her toiletries. ‘It’s as if I was never here at all,’ she thought sadly to herself. She was interrupted by the housekeeper, a woman with none of the warmth of old Anna.
‘Mr Nicos has left instructions that you are to leave with Miss Electra and Maria for the airport at eleven o’clock, but that he will not be accompanying you.’
Thanking the woman Melanie did her best not to betray her shock. The housekeeper left and alone once more Melanie wanted to give way to floods of tears. Exhaustion and emotion were catching up with her. What did this mean? Had the housekeeper got the message right? Did Nicos really intend for her to return to the island?
Suddenly stiffening her resolve she told hers
elf, ‘I don’t care if it’s a mistake, I don’t care whether he wants me there or not. I’m going.’
At the small airport she had a moment’s panic when Nicos’s chauffeur who had driven them asked for her passport. But it was only for Customs clearance and Melanie breathed a sigh of relief. Aboard the private jet there was no sign of Nicos but Melanie did not relax till the jet had lifted off the runway and was safely airborne.
They landed without incident in Greece where a car waited to take them to the port and the island’s motor launch. It was early evening as they approached the home harbor and the sun was setting behind the white walled villa.
Fatigue caught up with her and she almost dragged herself up the path to the villa where Anna was waiting. The old lady cast a shrewd look at her. ‘I’m not feeling well,’ she excused herself. ‘I’ll go straight to bed if you and Maria wouldn’t mind seining to the baby.’ But Anna would already know that Nicos had not come back to the island. What else she knew Melanie could only guess.
The next morning she awoke to a bright, clear island day. Refreshed and clear-headed by her long sleep she came to a decision. When next she met up with Nicos Chalambrous he was going to find a very different Melanie, she vowed. No more being taken in by his charm. No more emotional seesaws leaving her raw and heavyhearted. She was taking control.
She didn’t have long to wait. The sound of the motor launch two evenings later heralded his arrival. She heard his voice greeting Anna but he didn’t appear on the terrace for dinner. She ate a lonely dinner in her room. In spite of her new demean she admitted to herself that after the scene on the pavement she was nervous about seeing him again. She would go about her usual routine with Electra and if she bumped into him somewhere then so be it.
It didn’t work that way. The next morning Anna came to the nursery looking sombre. ‘Mr Nicos want to see you in his office now.’ Melanie, spooning breakfast into Electra, found her hand holding the tiny spoon was shaking. She debated whether or not to ignore the summons. Was that cowardly? Yes, she told herself sternly. Summoning the new Melanie she had told herself she was going to be she squared her shoulders and marched downstairs. Attack was the best defence she reassured herself.
The door to his office was closed. Melanie decided against knocking and threw the door open, stalking across the room and seating herself down in the chair in front of his desk, arms folded. He had looked up as she entered, as if surprised at the intrusion.
‘I prefer staff to knock before they enter,’ he said coolly. ‘Tough,’ said Melanie. ‘I’m not staff.’
‘As far as I am concerned you are,’ he said. ‘Unless of course you are planning to leave.’
‘I’m not leaving until I’m ready to leave and that won’t be for some time. I’ll let you know.’ She made as if to get up. His next words stopped her. ‘You may stay on the island as long as you please.’ He paused. ‘As an uninvited guest, of course. However, Electra will be going with me.’ She felt herself pale. ‘What do you mean?’
‘As we had discussed we shall be leaving on the ‘Athena’ at the end of the week. It was my understanding that you would be accompanying us. But by all means, stay behind if you would prefer it.’
‘Damn the man,’ thought Melanie furiously. ‘He had wrong footed her again. She fought for control. ‘What was it you wanted to see me about?’ she said abruptly. ‘Merely to discuss arrangements for the voyage,’ he sighed. ‘But of course, if you would rather not I can make other arrangements for Electra.’
She was sure he was playing with her. She doubted he had intended to include her on the trip. Attack, attack, her brain screamed at her. Don’t let him get away with it. Inspiration struck. ‘I can’t possibly allow that,’ she said with finality. His eyebrows rose. ‘I can’t have someone Electra doesn’t know looking after her on the boat. It would be too disruptive for her. She will stay here with me.’
‘She will be coming on the boat,’ said Nicos firmly.
‘In that case, so will I,’ said Melanie, and getting to her feet swept out of the room.
Round one, to me, she said to herself, quite relishing the thought. But Nicos, she knew, was a wily negotiator. She would have to keep her wits about her if she was going to get the better of him. A furious thought shook her. My daughter is not a bargaining chip and I won’t let him treat her as if she is.
It helped to stay angry. A corner of her heart still mourned him but there was no going back. This morning had been just the beginning. She was never going to fall under his spell again. As Melanie took Electra for her late afternoon walk down to the harbor she saw the Athena was already docked, her decks a hive of activity. She was obviously being made ready for the voyage
Later from her room she heard the motor launch arriving from the mainland. Voices downstairs in the hall told her Nicos’s business guest, Katerina’s father, had arrived. Of Katerina there had been no sign since Melanie’s return but now she heard her voice and realised she had returned with her father. ‘She’s welcome to Nicos Chalambrous,’ she told herself savagely, but a small knife twist of jealousy found its way into her heart.
She was on tenterhooks for the next few days wondering if Nicos would come up with something to thwart her. But he seemed to have accepted that she would be one of the party on the trip. She avoided all contact with him and his guests, even going so far as to hide behind a tree when she heard them coming. She knew it was foolish. They would all be together on the boat; she would have to meet them then. How would Nicos introduce her? The nanny? Mother of his child? Discarded mistress? They’d all be true, she thought wryly.
* * *
There were no more summonses to Nicos’s office. Instead he sent a message through Anna. She and Electra were to board the boat first so the baby could be settled into the on-board nursery before the ship set sail. Nicos and his guests would follow later. Melanie was glad. She had given some thought to how Nicos would deal with her presence on board and she still wasn’t sure. Would she be mixing with the guests? Or would she be confined to the nursery? Hopefully it would be the nursery. She would much rather spend her time with Electra than make small talk with the Azistan businessman and his daughter who would no doubt ignore her, not to mention the lowering presence of Nicos. She pulled herself up short. ‘I’ll decide what I want to do on board that boat. The days of falling in with Nicos Chalambrous’s plans are well and truly over.’
The nursery on the upper deck of the boat was a delight, equipped with everything possible to make a baby safe at sea. Melanie couldn’t help but be impressed by her own adjoining quarters. It was more like a five star hotel room than a ship’s cabin. Once settled in she took Electra up on deck. The crew, getting ready to sail, were busy about the boat. The captain came and formally introduced himself before hurrying off to give departure orders. Melanie wondered if he knew who she was. Her guess was that he did. All the islanders must know by now that Electra was her child and what the islanders knew the crew of the Athena would not be long in finding out. She didn’t mind. Electra was hers. She wanted the world to know it.
Spying the motor launch approaching with the rest of the party she hurried below. She determined to keep out of Nicos’s way as much as possible during the voyage. The throb of the huge engines told her they were about to depart. She felt the motion of the boat change very slightly as they crossed the harbor bar and then they were heading for the open sea.
Not long after there was a knock on the door and a white uniformed woman wheeled in a trolley bearing Electra’s tea and announced herself as ‘the nursery stewardess’. Someone must have given the galley very precise instructions because Melanie was pleased to see that the food was everything Electra was used to. The stewardess carefully explained all the safety features in the nursery and showed her where everything was. Whoever had designed the nursery had thought of everything.
Half an hour later as she was wiping the baby’s smeary face there was a knock at the door. ‘Come in,’ she called, t
hinking it was the steward returning for the trolley. But Nicos stood there.
‘Is everything to your satisfaction,’ he asked neutrally. ‘Yes,’ thank you, she said equally polite. He turned to Electra and his face lit up. Melanie realised then that her plan to keep out of Nicos’ way wasn’t really going to work. She could hardly keep him away from Electra and where Electra went so did she. She busied herself tidying things away while Nicos cooed over the baby. She found herself wishing he would go and was relieved when at last he left and she could start getting the baby ready for bed. He hadn’t said anything about dinner so she assumed thankfully that she could eat a solitary dinner in her own cabin.
With Electra settled down for the night she went next door to her own cabin. She was wondering whether she should go and find the galley and ask them to bring her dinner to her. But a knock on the door forestalled her. Introducing himself as her cabin steward the man proceeded to instruct her on the air conditioning controls, the use of the shower in the adjoining bathroom, the baby alarm between her cabin and the nursery, and finally the bell which he informed her would bring him any time of the day or night. As he was leaving he turned and said, ‘drinks will be served on the upper deck at 7.30 for dinner at eight.’ Before Melanie could protest he was off down the corridor silent in his rubber-soled shoes.
Melanie debated. Should she plead a sick headache? She could hardly do that for the whole voyage. Was it Nicos who expected her to join them or was it just the steward’s assumption? No, she surmised, the steward would be under orders. If she didn’t go Nicos would think he had won. That decided it. She would go.
The evening air was balmy, hardly stirred by the ship’s steady progress. As she made her way to the upper deck she heard the irritatingly familiar laugh of Katerina and the deeper guttural tones of her father. She sighed. She wasn’t looking forward to the evening.
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