Had that really been such a big thing to want?
Shaking off the melancholy, she opened her laptop and turned it on. She took a seat and adjusted the screen.
‘Do you know what you’re going to say?’ he asked, standing behind her, close enough for her to smell his freshly showered scent and that gorgeous cologne she could never get enough of.
She jerked her head in a nod and did a test run of the camera. ‘You need to stand to my left a bit more to keep out of shot.’
His heart thumping erratically, the palms of his hands damp, Theseus watched as the call rang out from the computer.
It connected almost immediately. The screen went blue, and then suddenly a little face appeared.
‘I’m eating my breakfast!’ the face said, in a high, chirpy voice.
‘Good morning to you too!’ Jo laughed.
The face grinned and laughed as a pudgy hand pushed away a lock of black hair that had fallen over his eyes.
Theseus couldn’t move. His body was frozen as he gazed at the happy little boy dressed in cartoon pyjamas.
Jo had been right.
No one looking at this child could ever doubt he was a Kalliakis. It was like looking at a living version of his own childhood photographs.
CHAPTER NINE
‘I’VE DRAWN YOU another picture,’ the boy—Toby—his son—was saying. ‘I’ll go and get it.’
The screen emptied, then seconds later he reappeared, waving a piece of paper.
‘Keep still so I can see it,’ Jo chided lightly.
Toby pressed the paper right to the screen.
‘Wow, that’s an amazing dinosaur,’ she said.
The picture was dropped and Toby was back. ‘Silly Mummy—is not a ’saur,’ he said crossly. ‘Is a plane.’
Theseus covered his mouth to stop the sudden burst of laughter that wanted to escape.
‘It’s good that you’ve drawn an aeroplane,’ Jo said, clearly holding back her own amusement, ‘because guess what?’
‘What?’
‘You’re going on an aeroplane.’
‘Wow! Am I? When?’
‘Today! Two nice men are coming to collect you and you’re going to get on an aeroplane with them and come and see Mummy on Agon.’
‘What—now? Right now?’
‘Lunchtime.’
Toby’s eyebrows drew in. Theseus almost laughed again. It was the same face Talos pulled when he was unamused about something.
‘Aunty Cathy is making meatballs for lunch,’ he said, as if missing that would be the biggest disappointment of his short life.
‘I’m sure they’ll let you eat the meatballs before you leave.’
That cheered him up. ‘Can I bring my cars?’
‘Of course you can.’
‘And can I meet the King?’
Finally her voice faltered. ‘Let’s get you here first, and then we can see about meeting the King.’
‘Can I meet your Prince?’
The knuckles of her fists whitened. ‘Yes, sweet pea, you can definitely meet the Prince.’
‘Have you got me a present yet?’
‘Enough with the questions! Finish your breakfast and then go and help Aunty Cathy pack.’
The cute, mischievous face pressed right against the screen, a pair of lips kissed the monitor with a slapping noise and then the screen went blank.
Jo’s shoulders rose in a laugh, then she fell quiet.
‘Have you got him a present?’ Theseus asked, breaking the heavy silence that had come over the room.
She shook her head, keeping her gaze fixed on the computer screen. ‘I was going to get him something from the museum gift shop when I’d finished the biography.’
Suddenly she seemed to crumple before him, her head sinking into her hands.
‘God, what are we going to do about the biography?’
With all that had been going on the biography had completely slipped from his mind.
Theos. Right then all he could see was that little face, so like his own—the child he had helped create.
So many emotions were driving through him, filling him so completely that he felt as if his heart might explode out of his chest.
She staggered to her feet. ‘I need to get back to work.’
Her face was white. He could see how much keeping her composure in front of their son had cost her.
‘Now?’
‘Yes. Now. I need to do something.’ Her hands had balled back into fists. ‘We’re turning his life upside down, ripping him away from everything and everyone he knows—’
‘No,’ he cut in. ‘You can’t think of it like that. We’re building him a new, better life.’
‘I am trying to think of it like that. I’m trying not to be selfish and not to think of the personal cost. I’m trying not to think that I’m throwing away my future happiness just so you can secure your heir when your heir is happy exactly as he is!’
The colour on her face had risen to match the raising of her voice.
‘He will be happy here,’ he said with authority. He would ensure it. Whatever it took.
But would she...?
‘We will work together to make him happy,’ he added in a softer tone.
She breathed heavily, then unfurled her fists and gave a long sigh. She nodded almost absently.
He watched her closely to see if she had herself under control.
‘The book needs to be finished. Are you sure you can carry on with it?’
Her face twitched and she looked away, biting into her lip. Then she seemed to shake herself and met his gaze. ‘Your grandfather is our son’s great-grandfather. He is a remarkable man and deserves to have his story told. I will do it for him.’
Those blue-grey eyes held his, and understanding flew between them.
Jo understood.
‘But you’ll need to do the bulk of the childcare when Toby gets here,’ she added, after a beat in which the tension between them had grown thick enough to swim through.
‘I know nothing about childcare.’
She laughed, but there was no humour in the sound. ‘You’re the one insisting on being an instant father. I’ll work until he arrives—the distraction will be good for me—but when he gets here... Trust me, there is nothing like an energetic four-year-old to put the brakes on whatever you’re supposed to be doing.’
‘How much longer do you think you’ll need to get it finished?’
‘I can make the deadline, but I will need help with Toby for the next few days.’
‘I have excellent staff at my home who will happily entertain a child.’ He began to think who amongst them would be best placed for the job.
Jo’s eyes hardened, then sent him a look he was already starting to recognise—it was the mother tiger preparing to appear.
‘You are not turning his life upside down only to palm him off on staff,’ she said steadily. ‘Being a father requires a lot more than marrying the child’s mother, giving him a title and writing him into your will.’
His temperature rose at her implied rebuke, but he spoke coolly. ‘I know exactly what being a father entails, but it is impossible for me to put all my work and duties to one side without prior planning.’
‘Don’t lie to me.’ Her eyes flashed a warning. ‘There have been enough lies between us. Now we draw a line in the sand and tell no more. From now on we speak only the truth. You want Toby here and in your life, so it’s up to you to forge a relationship with him. You’re the adult, so it must come from you. He’s a sociable, gregarious boy and I know that the second he learns you’re his father he’ll be stuck to your side like glue.’
That was what scared him.
Theseus reme
mbered being a small boy and wanting nothing more than his father’s attention. But his father’s attention had been wrapped up entirely in his eldest son and heir, Helios. As the spare, Theseus had never been deemed worthy of his father’s time, had always been left trailing in Helios’s wake.
The favouritism had been blatant, and with only a year between them Theseus had felt the rift deeply. His mother had tried to make up for it, lavishing him with love, but it hadn’t been enough. It had been his father’s respect and love he had so desired.
What if Toby found him lacking? What if he was as great a disappointment as a father as he had been as a son and a grandson?
He needed time.
His overriding priority was to get his son safely to the island and under his protection. Anything after that...
‘I will make the necessary arrangements after I have spoken to Helios,’ he said, ignoring her swift intake of breath. ‘There is much to arrange, agapi mou,’ he continued smoothly. ‘A prince’s wedding on this island is usually a state affair, but I am not prepared to wait for the months of planning that will take. I am going to tell Helios of our plans—I want my ring on your finger as soon as it can be arranged.’
‘I thought you were going to keep things a secret until after the Gala?’ This time there was no hiding her bitterness. He knew he was railroading her into this marriage, but he also knew it was the best course of action for all of them—especially for Toby.
‘Only from my grandfather. Since we’ve known of his illness Helios has been running things in preparation for when...’ He shook his head. She knew when. ‘Helios’s staff can work with mine to get the preparations up and running.’
‘You don’t hang around, do you?’
‘Not when it comes to important matters, no.’
She rubbed her eyes, then sighed. ‘Will Helios want to meet me?’
‘For sure. But don’t worry about it—he’s a good guy.’
‘And what about Talos? Will you tell him too?’
‘If I can get him to myself for more than a minute. He’s working closely with the Gala’s solo violinist, and if the rumours are to be believed—which they probably are, as palace gossip here is generally reliable—she’s playing more than just her violin for him.’
Jo gave a bark of surprised laughter at his innuendo.
He grinned as the sound lightened his heart. That was better. Seeing Jo laugh was a whole lot better than seeing her cry.
He might not be anywhere near a place of forgiveness, but he was no sadist.
He swallowed down the notion that seeing Jo cry felt like a knife being stabbed in his heart.
* * *
The sun had long gone down over Theseus’s Mediterranean beachside villa when the driver pulled to a stop outside. Toby had fallen asleep in the car, curled up in her arms. According to Nikos he’d spent the entire flight talking. No wonder he was so exhausted.
But, other than being worn out with all the travel and excitement of the day, Toby had been his usual happy self and overjoyed to be with his mummy.
The butler, a man who looked as if he should be surfing in Hawaii rather than running a prince’s household, was there to greet them. Nikos took Toby’s suitcase inside, leaving Jo, at her insistence, to carry Toby inside.
She’d packed her clothes and then worked on the biography until the call had come through that the plane was circling above the island. Dimitris had accompanied her to the airport. She’d had no idea where Theseus was; she hadn’t seen him since the morning.
Her blood had boiled. She had been totally unable to believe that the man who was turning three lives inside out was failing to meet his own son.
Now, as she followed the butler inside, treading over the cool marble tiles, she wondered if all her work stuff had been brought over as Dimitris had promised. She hoped they’d remembered to bring her suitcase. There were so many things to think of her head was full enough to overspill.
Although not as grand as the palace—how could any dwelling possibly compare with that?—Theseus’s villa had an eclectic majesty all of its own. The façade a dusky yellow, the interiors were wide and spacious; filled with more of the South American vibe she’d felt in his palace apartment. Bold colours, stunning canvases and statuettes—homely, yet rich. A place she felt immediately at ease in.
It was the kind of vibe she’d always imagined Theo’s home would have.
Shivers coiled up her spine.
For all of Theseus’s talk that Theo didn’t exist, this house proved that he did.
She and Toby had been given rooms opposite each other on the second floor. Toby’s was large and airy, with a double bed. His sleepy eyes widened to see it.
‘Is that mine?’ he asked, yawning.
‘While we’re here, yes.’ Placing him on the bed, she rooted through his suitcase until she found a pair of pyjamas.
‘How long are we staying for, Mummy?’
What could she say? He’d only just arrived. Did she have to tell him so soon that their stay here would be for ever and that the life he knew and loved was gone?
She was saved from having to answer by a soft tap on the door. A young woman, no older than twenty, stood at the doorway almost bouncing with excitement. She introduced herself as her maid, Elektra.
‘My maid?’ Jo asked, puzzled.
‘Yes, despinis. I am excited to meet you and your son.’
Elektra stepped into the room. When she looked at Toby her eyes widened. ‘He has—’
‘I need to get Toby settled down for the night,’ Jo interrupted, certain the maid was about to make a reference to Toby’s likeness to Theseus. ‘If you give me ten minutes, then you can show me what’s what.’
Understanding flashed in Elektra’s eyes. ‘I’ll unpack your cases. Nice to meet you, Toby.’
When she was alone with her son, Jo got him washed, teeth brushed and into his pyjamas. He was already falling asleep when she kissed him goodnight and slipped from his room, going across the corridor into her own.
She stepped inside on weary feet, but still had enough energy to sigh with pleasure at the room’s graceful simplicity and creamy palette. Looking at the four-poster bed, with its inviting plump pillows, she knew she at least had a sanctuary that was all her own. This room was entirely feminine.
Her chest squeezed and she shut her eyes tight, fighting back a sudden batch of tears.
Shouldn’t she be happy? She was going to be a princess! Her son would never want for anything ever again. There would be no more juggling money or eking out her salary, no more shame at sending Toby to preschool with trousers an inch too short. As Theseus’s son he would have the best of everything, from clothing to education. And so would she, as his wife.
She would never have to struggle again.
She should be as happy as one of her mother’s pampered animals.
So why did she feel so heartsick?
* * *
The villa sat in silence when Nikos dropped Theseus off outside the main door.
Philippe, his young, energetic butler, greeted him. After exchanging a few words about the two new members of the household, Theseus dismissed him for the night.
At the palace there were always staff members on shift. If he wanted a three-course meal at three o’clock in the morning, a three-course meal would appear. Always somewhere there would be activity.
Here, in his personal domain, away from stuffy protocol, he liked a more relaxed, informal atmosphere. If he wanted a three-course meal at three o’clock in the morning he would damn well make it himself. Not that he could cook anything other than cheese on toast—a hangover from his English boarding school days and still his favourite evening snack.
Tonight he was too tired to eat.
Dragging himself up the stairs on legs
that felt as if they had weights in them, he reached the room his son slept in. He stood at the partly open door for an age before stepping inside.
A night light in the shape of a train had been placed by the bed, giving the room a soft, warm glow. On the bed itself he could see nothing but a tiny bundle, swamped by the outsized proportions of the sheets, fast asleep.
He trod forward silently and reached Toby’s side. All that was visible of him in the pile of sheets was a shock of black hair. He stood there for a long time, doing nothing but watching the little bundle’s frame rise and fall.
He waited for a feeling of triumph to hit him.
His son was here, sleeping in his home, safe under his protection. But there was no triumph he could discern in the assortment of emotions raging through him, just a swelling of his chest and a tightness in his gut.
He went to lean over and kiss him but stopped. If he woke him it would scare him. In his son’s eyes Theseus was a stranger.
Jo’s bedroom door opposite was also ajar. A light, fruity scent pervaded the air. He went in and stuck his head around the open en-suite bathroom door.
Jo lay in the sunken bath, her russet hair piled on top of her head, her eyes shut.
She must have sensed his presence for she turned her head, jolted, and sat up quickly, sloshing water everywhere. She folded her arms to cover her breasts and glared at him.
‘Sorry—I didn’t mean to scare you,’ he said, his mood lifting. After feeling as if he could fall asleep standing up, he now felt a burst of energy zing through him at seeing her in all her delicious nakedness. Not that he could see much of her; the bath was filled with so many bubbles he suspected she’d poured in half the bottle of bubble bath.
‘Have you never heard of knocking?’ she asked crossly.
‘The door was open,’ he said with a shrug.
She lay down again, still keeping her arms across her breasts. She raised her left thigh and twisted slightly away from him, to keep her modesty. ‘I kept the door open so I could hear if Toby woke up.’
He perched on the edge of the bath. ‘Does he normally wake?’
Theseus Discovers His Heir Page 11