Grace looked at Christian expectantly, and he stuttered a little. ‘I … I’ve been meaning to ask you if you’d like to come to Fengari Bay. I can show you the boat Demetrios is building.’
‘Well, the good news is that tomorrow is my day off, too.’
Christian was hesitant. ‘You’ll come then?’
‘I’d love to!’
He smiled. ‘Bring a swimming costume.’
Chapter 25
Grace put the final touches to her outfit. She hadn’t expected to stay as long as she had on Ithos, but since her arrival, she had manged to supplement her meagre wardrobe with a few extra items: a pair of brown leather sandals, a new bikini and a couple of cheap but pretty summer dresses, all picked up from the weekly market in the square, where the traders had enjoyed her haggling and given her a good price for the items.
Tonight, she had a choice, either a yellow knee-length gypsy-style dress, or a pale blue halterneck with a slight flare that gave it a vintage feel. Blue, she decided, and slipped it on, pulling the dress up over head, and enjoying the feel of it as it slipped over her hips.
She brushed a little grey shadow over her lids, some dark grey eyeliner – she found black too harsh – and a slick of pink lip gloss.
‘You’ll do,’ she told herself, pleased with how she looked.
She could already hear the hubbub of the guests from her window, which gave her a delicious sense of anticipation. As she made her way down to the taverna, she saw that all the individual tables on the terrace had been rearranged to form two long tables that filled the space, and the whole square was crammed with people dancing to the music of a traditional dimotika band. She drank in the lively scene; everywhere she looked, guests were laughing, drinking, eating and having fun.
Grace held back for a moment, a sudden shyness giving her pause. Maybe she should go and read a book in her room; no one would miss her, she reasoned, she was just the English waitress.
Before she could turn tail, she was spotted by Níko, who was entertaining a table of guests with an anecdote that was making them roar with laughter. As soon as he saw her, he dashed over and embraced her. ‘Grace! My favourite young agapitós! Come meet my friends and join my party!’
He grabbed her hand and, laughing, led her over to the table, seating her next to Demetrios.
‘This is Elana, Demetrios’s mitéra,’ he told her, introducing her to an older woman seated next to Demetrios.
Then Níko indicated the lady seated opposite, who looked old enough to be a great-grandmother. ‘And this is my mitéra, Katerina,’ he teased. ‘She is ninety years old, but she makes the rest of us look old, don’t you?’
‘Stamáta na me peirázo gios.’ The old lady shook her finger at him.
‘Nonsense, I would never tease you, Mama! You are a spring chicken!’ He gave the old lady a noisy kiss then rushed off to greet more new arrivals.
‘Welcome, Grace, you must eat, drink and be merry. It is demanded tonight.’ Demetrios poured her a glass of red wine and served her up a plate of the lamb stew called kleftiko that was a speciality of Teresa’s.
She lifted a forkful of it into her mouth, savouring the flavours of lamb, oregano, lemon and garlic that danced over her tongue. ‘This food is delicious.’
At that moment, Christian joined them at the table. He was wearing a pair of white linen trousers and a navy-blue shirt. A few of the shirt buttons were undone and Grace tried hard not to stare at his toned chest.
‘Hi, Grace,’ he said. ‘You look … very nice. I’m glad you came.’
‘So am I. This is the best food I’ve ever eaten.’
‘Now, Grace,’ Demetrios said, ‘you must tell us about yourself. It must be three months that you have been here, and yet still you are woman of mystery with your reserved English ways.’
‘Do you have a boyfriend?’ Christian asked her.
Grace almost choked on a bite of stew. ‘That’s very direct!’
Christian coughed awkwardly, ‘I’m just wondering what sort of fellow would let his pretty girlfriend go off to spend the summer without him.’
Grace felt herself getting sucked in by his blue eyes again and tried to concentrate on the plate in front of her.
‘No boyfriend. I’m due to start university in September, but I’m taking a working holiday first so I can earn some money to help finance my studies, and then spend a few months travelling.’
‘Why did you come to Ithos?’ Demetrios enquired, looking at her quizzically. ‘Ithos is not on most young people’s list of must-see destinations. We are a little “square” here. I feel it is no accident that you were brought here though. You already feel like one of the family.’
Grace noticed that, although Elana made no comment, her eyes narrowed as Demetrios said this. Grace had seen Demetrios’s mother a handful of times in the town, occasionally wandering through the market examining the fresh fruit. Despite her age, she cut an imposing figure.
‘I’ve always wanted to come to Greece, but Ithos I only learned about recently.’
‘We are a little off the beaten track.’ Christian said. ‘How did you hear about it?’
‘Well, I—’
Before she could speak, Elana cut in: ‘Demetrios, where is your daughter, she must join us now Christian is here.’ She turned to the young man. ‘I hear you have promised her a dance?’ Her eyes twinkled mischievously.
‘Elana, you know I cannot dance.’
‘That is not true, I taught you myself. Ariana, come over here!’ Elana waved to her granddaughter, who was laughing and joking with a group of friends. At that moment, the band struck up the famous traditional dance, the Sirtaki, famous all over Greece.
Grace thought Ariana looked beautiful, dressed in a white floor-length off-the-shoulder silk dress that emphasized her ample breasts and her curvaceous hips. The eyes of every young man in the square turned to watch as she glided over to their table, making a beeline for Christian, and Grace noticed girlfriends and wives nudge their men in jealous annoyance. Ariana certainly turned heads.
‘Come, Christian!’ Ariana grabbed his hands, pulling him onto the floor, and Grace could see he was powerless to resist. Ariana swirled around him, her dress lifting up to reveal perfectly tanned legs and a glimpse of her thighs.
‘They make a handsome couple, do they not?’ Elana said, watching smugly as her granddaughter and Christian dominated the dancefloor, drawing claps and encouragement from the birthday crowd.
‘They do,’ Grace agreed, once again feeling like an outsider.
‘Some things are meant to be.’ Elana nodded her head in satisfaction.
Demetrios said nothing, looking on impassively, and Grace found it hard to work out what he might be thinking.
‘Elana, you are turning into a wallflower.’ Níko descended on their table and pulled Elana to her feet. ‘We can’t have that. We all know you are the best dancer in Ithos.’ The older woman laughed, clearly enjoying the attention, and they both joined the throng of dancers now joined together arm in arm, circling around the room in the traditional Greek style.
Níko’s mother had been quiet until now, just watching and enjoying the festivities, but she reached out to Grace and touched her hand, making a motion Grace didn’t understand. She shook her head, not comprehending what the woman meant.
Demetrios helped her out. ‘Katerina is asking you to show her your palm; she wants to tell your fortune.’
‘Oh.’ Grace wasn’t sure she wanted her palm read but she didn’t want to be rude, so held it out tentatively.
‘The story goes that Katerina is of Romany blood. Níko says that she has the gift of second sight.’
Grace couldn’t tell from Demetrios’s tone whether he thought there was any truth in it or not. But the woman examined her hand, muttering in Greek as she did so.
Then Katerina looked intently at Grace, making her squirm a little under the scrutiny. When she spoke, again it was in Greek but Demetrios was able to translate.
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‘Katerina says Ithos has called you and you have come.’
Katerina nodded, smiling at Grace, then she began to speak again.
‘Do not be afraid to seek the truth. The light is nothing to be afraid of,’ Demetrios translated.
The woman said something else. ‘Katerina says that tomorrow, under a full moon, you will find your heart’s desire.’
Grace laughed a little nervously, but Katerina looked at her with eyes full of wisdom and said, in broken English, ‘You are looking for your own truth, but you must look for it in the right place.’ She gave Grace a beatific smile, patted her hand, and went back to tapping her feet to the music.
Grace blinked, a shiver creeping up her spine. Katerina’s words seem to hang in the air.
‘Katerina is a wise old bird,’ Demetrios said. ‘We are all looking for something, no?’ He took her hand. ‘Come, too much introspection is not good for the soul, but dancing is.’
With that her swung her onto the dance floor and Grace was soon swept up by the music, his kindness and the thought that tomorrow would bring something new.
Chapter 26
It was well after midnight when the yacht moored in Ithos harbour. The captain had radioed ahead, and a car was waiting to greet the visitors as they stepped off the gangplank.
Shauna held a fast-asleep Alex in her arms. He had been so excited about arriving at Ithos, but hadn’t been able to stay awake long enough to enjoy the moment the ship docked. The last couple of weeks had been exhilarating for him; the Acropolis and the Parthenon in Greece, the tourist sites of Crete and Rhodes. Being with Roxy again had felt like old times; they had loved feeling like tourists again and this time, Roxy pointed out, they weren’t reduced to picking up old fruit from the gutters but had dined in the best restaurants and stayed in the best hotels. Shauna was travelling incognito, under the name O’Brien, and she had asked her stylist to get rid of the highlights, so she was a redhead once more. So far, they had managed to dodge the paparazzi. They had chartered a yacht in Athens and their island adventure had given her a sense of freedom and lifted her spirits. She didn’t miss the film world at all, and she’d been able to forget about being Shauna Jackson movie star, and focus on being there for Alex.
She looked around her at the harbour. There were still revellers in the square spilling out of the taverna, laughter and music drifted on the air and she picked up the smell of the pink bougainvillea that she remembered so well. Could she really be here again after all this time?
With their luggage following separately, they bundled into the car, Alex only briefly rousing as she settled him on her lap. As the car climbed up the narrow road to the brow of the hill, Shauna caught a glimpse of the Theodosis villa. Their own villa was a little further on, and soon they were being greeted by Delphine, the chatty and capable housekeeper, who bustled them into the cool interior. She guided Shauna up to the bedrooms, taking Alex out of her arms and tucking him up in bed. He briefly awoke, rubbing his eyes and asking where they were.
‘We’re on Ithos now, darling,’ she told him.
He yawned. ‘Sing me “Luna Lunera”, Auntie Shauna.’
Shauna had learned that Alex could only fall asleep with this lullaby in his ears, but she spoke no Spanish so had leaned the words in English, which seemed to keep him happy. She quietly sang the lines, ‘Moon bright moon, you have seen me crying …’ He was asleep in moments. Shauna kissed him and turned out the light.
Roxy was eager to explore the villa now rather than wait until morning, so they went around peering into the beautiful minimalist rooms, oohing and aahing with delight when they came to the large lounge area that opened on to a wide terrace, beyond which there was a gate to a swimming pool which made them both gasp. It balanced on the edge of the overhanging rock, overlooking Fengari Bay to the east and Ithos harbour to the west.
‘Alex is going to love it here. He’ll never want to leave,’ Roxy said.
‘He might not be alone in that. It’s magical,’ Shauna said.
‘How are you feeling?’
Shauna smiled. ‘It’s funny, but being here feels good – it feels right somehow. I forgot how much I loved this place.’
It was late and they were both tired. Shauna climbed the stairs to her room, which had a large balcony that looked out over the pool. The moon was high in the sky; not quite full, but almost so, and there was a pinkish tinge to it which seemed to bathe the bay in a warm glow.
Before they left, Isaac had made a few phone calls and found out that Demetrios Theodosis always holidayed at his home in Greece for the summer months. As the breeze rippled through her light silk shirt and her red hair billowed out behind her, Shauna found it strange to think that Demetrios was here, somewhere close, perhaps looking up at the moon at this same moment.
You’re being fanciful again, Shauna, she told herself, but as she climbed into bed and drifted off to sleep, her dreams were filled with the moon whispering to her of lost love.
‘Auntie Shauna, I think I can see China!’
‘Hmmm, is that so?’ Shauna peered over the edge of the pool across the bay, screwing up her eyes in concentration. ‘You must have wonderful eyesight, Alex. Or maybe I should get new glasses?’
He giggled, bobbed on the surface like a duck for a moment, then swam underwater to the end of the pool, where he immediately climbed out, ran back to where he had started and dived in again, popping up next to Shauna. She squealed in mock surprise, and then the two of them shrieked as they splashed each other with water. Shauna broke first and begged him to stop.
The first thing Alex had done upon waking that morning was to throw his swimming trunks on and shake Shauna awake, demanding that they go for a swim. He’d been having intense lessons since he had come to live with her and was now swimming like a fish. Shauna had barely been able to drag him away from the pool, but it was mid-morning and Ithos beckoned. She was about to insist that they get some clothes on and go exploring, when Roxy appeared, coming through a vine-covered gate that she hadn’t noticed until now. Shauna had assumed that Roxy was enjoying a lie-in.
‘Good morning!’ she hailed them both. She looked tanned and relaxed in a wide-brimmed sun hat and a full-length wraparound sarong in a tropical palm print.
‘Have you been exploring?’ Shauna asked.
‘I couldn’t resist. You’ll never believe this, but on the other side of that gate there’s a stairway cut into the rocks that leads down to the beach. It’s like our own private path.’
Delphine appeared carting a tray of drinks and a delicious-looking Greek meze of dolmades, olives, houmous and Greek salad.
All three of them realized they were hungry at the same time. Alex scrambled out of the pool, Shauna following suit, pausing to pull on a light silk kimono over her white swimming costume. Her skin was a golden colour, but she smoothed on some suncream to protect it from the heat of the sun.
‘Yes,’ Delphine said, having caught the end of their conversation, ‘the path is private and will take you to the beach, but it also connects with other paths, so you must be careful otherwise you will be taken off course along the line of the sea rather than down to it.’
‘Why don’t you let me take Alex to the beach for a few hours so you can get some rest?’ Roxy offered.
‘I’m not tired at all,’ Shauna replied, ‘but I should do a little work today, I’m supposed to be writing my memoirs.’
‘You haven’t taken the publisher’s advance yet.’
‘But I haven’t said no either. Maybe I should try …’
Roxy bit into a big fat juicy green olive. ‘You’re on holiday. I think that means you should spend your days eating meze and ice cream – and drinking wine, of course.’
‘That sounds like a great idea.’
‘Seriously,’ Roxy said, ‘you could do with a few hours’ head space.’ She looked at Shauna meaningfully.
‘Don’t look at me like that,’ Shauna frowned, knowing that Roxy was expecting her to
have come up with a plan as to how she was going to deal with Demetrios. ‘Why don’t you and Alex go down and have an explore, and I’ll join you in a little while?’
‘It’s a deal. Make sure you use your time wisely.’
Shauna put her nose in the air imperiously. ‘As you have rightly pointed out, we are on holiday and I shall use my time as I please.’
‘Is this you talking, or is it Grace Kelly?’
Shauna laughed. ‘I’m not sure I know any more!’
Grace loved working at the taverna, but she also loved the one day she had off each week. She didn’t think it was mean for Teresa to only give her one day off; the season was short and everyone had to make the most of it before all the tourists and holidaymakers went back to where they had come from. Everyone at Níko’s worked hard, the owners most of all – they never seemed to have a day off.
Ever since she’d learned to snorkel on a family holiday as a child, Grace had been hooked. She and her father would always insist on going to destinations where they could get in a little underwater sightseeing. She particularly remembered diving from a boat in Malta, and being dazzled by the colourful reefs teeming with life.
Visitors left many things behind by accident at Níko’s taverna, and in the lost property cupboard there were any number of flippers, googles, sun hats and flip-flops. Níko didn’t mind her ‘borrowing’ some of the items, and today she had spent an hour swimming up and down, not too far from the shoreline, hoping to see one of the elusive sea turtles, or maybe a shy parrotfish or two. She hadn’t been lucky today and was now sitting on her beach towel watching the world go by.
The beach was busy by Ithos standards, but there were never throngs of tourists on the island. The day-trippers came to experience the picturesque Greek harbour and its narrow streets lined with shops selling traditional Greek craft: goods made from leather that was tanned locally and baskets that the local women sat weaving on their doorsteps.
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