by Anne Hampson
'Are you on holiday?' he inquired after Kathryn had thanked him again.
'No, I live here.'
'In Athens?'
'Very close—yes, the actual address is Athens.'
'I live here, too.'
She looked surprised. 'I thought you might be a tourist,' she said, again taking in his appearance and this time including in her appraisal his clothes—an open-necked shirt of fine linen and well-cut pants of dark blue to contrast with the lighter colour of the shirt. He spoke in cultured accents, and she found herself asking curiously, 'Do you work here, then?'
He nodded, his eyes moving from her face to her throat, where he seemed to be interested in the delicate lines and the smooth hollows where the thin straps of her sun-top were white against the tan of her shoulders. A faint flush touched her cheeks at the undisguised admiration that lay in his roving glance.
'I'm a student at the hospital here, in Athens.' He paused, and when she made no comment, he went on interestedly, 'You live here, you say. Do you work in the city too?'
'No, I'm married. My husband's Greek and our house is here.' She spoke slowly and with a catch of which she was unconscious but which did not escape the man sitting beside her, his face turned to hers.
'You're young to be married,' he commented, and without thinking, she told him her age. 'You… er… sounded a little sad.' His hesitancy was obvious; it was a question, too, in a way, and Kathryn responded swiftly.
'I'm not sad. I've only been married a few weeks, so how can I be sad?' Again that catch in her voice, and she saw her companion's eyes take on a curious expression. He was going to be a doctor, so she surmised he was something of a psychologist, too. He would not have to be very clever, anyway, in order to see that she was not all joy, she told herself, trying to produce a smile in an attempt to erase the previous impression she had made. He responded to her smile, but the expression in his eyes was serious.
'Can I take you somewhere and we'll have afternoon tea?' he suggested, and Kathryn's hesitation lasted no more than a few seconds.
'That would be nice,' she returned, her smile deepening. 'I hadn't thought of it, but now you mention it, I realise I could do with a cup of tea.'
Together they went from the Acropolis to find a small taverna in the Plaka. It was high up, reached by several flights of twisting steps, but the climb was well worth it. The view over the Plaka and beyond was magnificent, with the sun's rays gilding the lovely temples, adding to their mellowness and seeming to add more magic, too, more mystery and even more beauty.
'Do you like living in Greece?' The young man put the question, but before she could answer, he told her his name.
She repeated it. 'Jake Pierce. Mine's Kathryn Coletis.'
'I like Kathryn. They call you Kate, I guess?'
'Some friends in England used to do, but my husband doesn't approve of its being shortened.' She was suddenly in a state of disturbed emotions and could not tell if it was the aftermath of the slight shock she had received when she jolted her ankle, or if it was fear that her husband would be furiously angry were he to know she was here taking afternoon tea with a strange young man… a very attractive young man, and English like herself. Leon would never approve. She had more than once told herself that he could be formidable if jealous. Yes, she supposed that he could be jealous even though he did not love her. She was his property according to the customs of Greece, and therefore she was not supposed to enjoy the company of any man other than her husband—at least, not alone, as she was at this moment.
She supposed it was inevitable that Jake should notice how she was, so she felt no surprise when, after the waiter had taken the order, then gone again, Jake said anxiously, 'Is something wrong, Kathryn? You look so troubled.'
'It isn't anything I can talk about,' she answered, but now she made no attempt to smile. On the contrary, a deep sigh accompanied her words. 'Tell me about your work,' she invited. 'Why are you here, instead of in England?'
He paused for a moment, fully aware of the reason why she had changed the subject. However, he talked for a few minutes while they waited to be served with their refreshments, and she learned that Jake had a great liking for Greece and its people and when the opportunity arose of his working in Athens, he had seized it without hesitation.
'And now—are you on holiday?'
'I have two weeks' vacation, yes. This is my first day.' There was a significance in that last short sentence, and Kathryn realised, not without a little shock, that she would not be averse to meeting him now and then, just for a little break like the one she was having now. It was nice to be with one of her own people… and it also did something, however slight, to take her mind off the tragedy of her marriage.
'What are your plans?' she ventured. 'Are you staying in the city or going to one of the islands?'
'I shall stay in the capital. There's so much to see and explore. I'll leave the islands for another time.' He had an eagerness about him, and although he must be constantly aware of her being a married woman, there was an unmistakable invitation both in his eyes and in his voice. 'Do you come into town often?'
'I… I could do…' She felt a pang of guilt even while telling herself she was not guilty of any serious crime.
'We could meet?'
He was bold, as a friend of Kathryn's from Ireland would have declared. It was a word which meant 'naughty' if said of a child, and 'forward' if said of an adult. She looked at him for a long moment before saying, 'We could, yes, Jake. Er… we could have afternoon tea here. I love this place.'
'So do I. I come here often—sometimes for lunch. It's relaxing because the tourists don't seem to have found it yet and so you have only the locals, people from offices or shops. They do a good lunch for less than two hundred drachmas.'
He was obviously inviting her to lunch with him. She said after a small silence, 'My husband is mostly at home for lunch, so I have it with him.'
'Mostly—but not always?'
Yes, he was bold—far too bold! 'My mother-in-law and sister-in-law live with us, and so even if my husband is not at home, they are.'
'And would wonder where you were if you did not have lunch with them?'
She swallowed hard, baffled by her emotions, by the tenseness within her. Had she already resigned herself to the possibility of her marriage coming to an end? Was it no longer of any importance in her life? Did her husband mean so little that she could think of escaping? Or was this desire to cultivate Jake's friendship born of a primitive wish for revenge for a hurt inflicted? She had always, basically, believed in an eye for an eye; she could not see why anyone should suffer a hurt or even a slight and not find a way to get even. It was fair. It was justice. Leon had wronged her grievously, so why should she not get her own back? He might, of course, never know, so what she was doing would not trouble him… but it would afford her a personal satisfaction and so she found herself saying, with a forced smile, 'I'm my own mistress. If I want to have my lunch out, then it has nothing to do with my husband's family.'
He glanced swiftly at her, and she knew she had gone too far to make a flat denial when Jake said, 'You're not happy, are you, Kathryn? Your marriage… well, you must admit you don't present a picture of the starry-eyed bride who's seeing nothing but roses and red wine before her.'
She passed her tongue over her lips. 'I don't want to talk about it, Jake.' And yet, before she had left him an hour and a half later, she had related the whole to him, allowing it to pour from her, unable to stop once she had begun, even though she would have wished to.
He left her and went on his way. They had arranged to meet the following day at the same time, same place—close to the Temple of Nike on the Acropolis.
It was after six o'clock when Kathryn arrived back at the villa. Leon was on the verandah, standing there as though he had been waiting for her. His first words, sharply spoken, strengthened the idea.
'Where have you been?' His dark eyes flashed over her figure and came to rest on
her ankle, which was badly swollen.
'I went for a stroll.' She struggled and would have brushed past him, but he caught her wrist to halt her progress. She flared at the mastery of the action but said nothing, and after a moment he asked her where she had been strolling and what she had done to her foot.
'I was on the Acropolis, and I twisted my ankle by treading awkwardly on a stone.'
'It looks painful,' he observed. 'You'd better let me take a look at it.'
'There's no need,' coldly and with a tug to free herself, an attempt which failed. 'It's getting better on its own.'
'It's badly bruised.'
'That's nothing. I've had bruises before.'
Impatience lit her husband's eyes. 'Go inside,' he ordered peremptorily, 'and let me examine it. You might need to see the doctor.'
She set her teeth; her eyes met his in a challenge, but eventually she lowered them and obediently went into the house. Leon told her to sit down while he examined the ankle.
'Yes, it needs a doctor,' he decided, and she frowned at the top of his head and declared emphatically that she would not see a doctor.
'He'll only tell me to stay off it for several days, and I do not intend to do that.'
'You can go into the garden—'
'I want to go into town,' she snapped. 'I'm bored hanging around the house all day!'
'Bored?' he echoed, diverted and curious. 'This is the first time you have mentioned boredom. You've always said how much you enjoy the house and the grounds; you've enthused on the pleasure you get from Marina's company. This desire to go into town puzzles me, Kathryn.'
She faced him squarely as he let go of her foot and straightened up. 'Things were different then. After what I've learned, my life will be run on different lines. I feel that from now on I am my own mistress. You will go your way and I shall go mine.'
He was frowning heavily but it was puzzlement rather than anger that characterised his expression. 'What can you find to do in town?' he asked her slowly.
'There are the shops, the antiquities…oh, lots and lots to relieve the boredom.'
'Stop mentioning boredom,' he said harshly. 'And you can just stop all this other nonsense. We're married, and it's as a married couple we shall live—'
'No!' she broke in fiercely. 'We shall not live as married people! I refuse to be a wife to a man who does not love me!'
The dark, serpentine eyes narrowed to mere slits. 'Am I to understand that our marriage is to be platonic from now on?' There was the hint of an amused sneer in his tone, which only served to ignite her anger, although her voice was quiet enough when she answered him.
'Yes, it is, Leon. Marriage without love is something I had not envisaged. You were in the wrong entirely, and I was duped—the poor trusting fool whom no doubt you were laughing at! Well, as I've already said, you're going to pay!'
He glowered down at her, but she met his threatening eyes unflinchingly because she held all the aces.
'And if I am not in agreement?' he said in a softly dangerous tone of voice. 'If I insist on my rights?'
'Rights?' with a glint of challenge in her eye. 'What rights do you happen to have, might I ask?'
She heard him grit his teeth. 'I'm your husband!'
'You are, I agree, but as you married me under false pretenses, you have no rights—as you like to term them!'
'We can't go through life in the way you are contemplating—' he began, but she interrupted him.
'If you think I shall agree to a divorce, you are mistaken! If you want Eugenia, then you will have to take her as your mistress!'
'You… !' Leon took a step towards her, then stopped, as she thrust out her hands in a defensive gesture. 'Kathryn, don't try me too far. You've only seen one side of me, but I assure you there's another, and it's very different. Take my word for it and be warned!'
She paled a little, and her nerves began to play up. Her temper flared as a result and she decided to use one of her aces. 'If you do not promise to leave me alone, then I shall not give the ring to your sister.' She did not mean it, but hoped she had been sufficiently convincing, and watching his changed expression, she breathed a little sigh of satisfaction and relief.
His face was almost as pale as hers as he said, the words coming from between clenched teeth, 'You'd punish my sister—sacrifice her happiness?'
'Mine was sacrificed—remember?' Kathryn thought of the happy days when she had her job and the flat and she and Carole used to tend the garden lovingly. She recalled happy hours spent at the seminars at Branton Manor just down the road. Peaceful, trouble-free days spreading into months and no problems coming along except the minor ones of an unexpectedly large electric bill or a repair needed for the car. No heartache or dissension… no husband who did not love her. She thought: Women do not know when they are well-off. They all want more than anything to get married, because nature meant them to mate and reproduce, but with marriage comes the problems… No, that was not a fair conclusion. It was not justifiable to judge all marriages on the failure of her own.
'I can't really believe you'd keep the ring…' Leon broke off, then added, with a surprising edge of capitulation to his tone, 'I cannot take the risk. You have my promise.'
She stared, numbed, and with an almost physical pain in the region of her heart. She wondered if he guessed that this was not really what she wanted. But what did she want? She could not let him make love to her, knowing as she did that not only had he no love for her but that he was in love with someone else. In her agony she could easily imagine him pretending it was Eugenia he was making love to…
'I hope you will keep your promise,' she said in a low tone.
'I shall certainly try,' was all he said, and she sent him a swift and rather frightened glance.
'I want it categorically,' she began, but he shook his head.
'I'm human, Kathryn,' he reminded her, and his manner and expression were almost tender. 'I might slip—I cannot say with certainty that I can always resist my lovely wife.'
She stared again, and tears gathered to dim her eyes. He looked so sad, so lost in distress, that her soft heart went out to him and it was with the greatest difficulty that she stopped herself from going to him and pulling his head onto her breast. 'Shall we try to make a go of it?' she wanted to ask. 'Can you ever come to care for me? If so, then I can let you make love to me…' The words would never come. For if they did, Leon would be in a most embarrassing position; he would have to tell her he could never love her because he loved someone else. Yet… he had said all was over between him and his old flame… But he would have to say that, mused Kathryn. Yes, he would have to say that to the woman who was his wife.
She was sure, though, that it wasn't true.
She looked at her husband and said quietly, 'If you ever do break your promise, Leon, then I shall leave you.' And with that she walked painfully to the door and opened it. 'And I don't want the doctor,' she said over her shoulder. 'My ankle hurts, but there's no real damage done to it.'
Chapter Six
Dust spiraled up from behind the car as Leon drove away from the villa. He had lost his temper when she had insisted on going out for lunch. He himself had an appointment with a business associate but had expected Kathryn to lunch with his mother and Marina.
'I'm lunching out,' Kathryn had told him firmly, and her husband had frowned and demanded to know why it was so important for her to go out.
'It isn't as if you have anyone to meet,' he had asserted, and at that she had fluttered her long lashes, bringing them down to hide her expression.
'What does that signify?' she had countered. 'I enjoy the city; it's exciting, full of life. There is no life here!' Derisive the tone and the look she gave him. These assertions she repeatedly made were far from true, but she wanted to hurt him; in fact, the desire to hurt him had become almost an obsession.
'It's the third time this week you've been out for lunch!'
'And tomorrow will be the fourth.' It was at th
at juncture that Leon had lost his temper, warning her not to test his patience too far because he would not be responsible for his reaction if she did. 'Lay a finger on me and I shall leave you,' she had threatened, and now, with tears misting her vision, she watched the car speeding along the drive, a wrathful man at the wheel. She turned as her mother-in-law came silently onto the patio.
Their eyes met and held for a long intense moment before the older woman broke it to say, 'You've quarrelled, dear?'
'It's nothing. Just one of those tiffs…' She trailed to silence, her voice caught by the painful constriction in her throat. She turned away, unwilling to let Mrs. Coletis see the tears in her eyes.
'I see there are problems,' insisted Mrs. Coletis. 'It was only to be expected.'
'I don't understand?'
'Leon told me you had overheard a conversation between Marina and me.'
'I see…' She supposed it was not unnatural that Leon would mention the matter, probably with both anger and regret. 'Does Marina know about it?'
'No, and we don't want her to.'
'I can understand that.'
'We don't want any setbacks. Leon says you are giving Marina the ring tomorrow, on her birthday.'
'That's right.'
'You believe in the curse?' curiously and after a small pause.
'I didn't—until I met your son!'
'Kathryn, dear—'
'Mrs. Coletis, please accept that I am not in the mood to discuss the situation between Leon and me!'
'You would call me Mrs. Coletis? You were calling me matera.'
'If I do not regard Leon as my husband, then I can scarcely regard you as my mother.' She was still turned away, avoiding the possibility of revealing her tears. They had fallen onto her cheeks, and surreptitiously she brushed a hand across them as she said, 'You'll have to excuse me, Mrs. Coletis. I am going out for lunch.'