by Sara Craven
‘The conversation did not go well.’ He was stating a fact, not asking a question, as he scanned her pale face.
‘No. She was—furious.’ She tried and failed to smile. ‘With me even more than Millie, I think.’
Fool of a girl—completely useless—can’t have been trying.
The words stung at her.
She said, ‘I’ve been told I have to make Millie see sense, however long it takes.’ She swallowed. ‘And I’m forbidden to go back without her.’
‘Po, po, po.’ He sat down beside her, not touching.
‘She has little understanding of love, this aunt.’
‘You think it’s really that?’ she asked wistfully. ‘That they genuinely love each other?’
‘Who knows?’ He shrugged. ‘Only time can tell. When I spoke earlier to Kostas, he claimed to care for your sister very deeply. Perhaps it is the first time in his life that he has felt this for a woman.’
Selena sighed. ‘All the same, I have to try again to change her mind.’
‘But not at once, perhaps,’ he said musingly. ‘Let them think that you have accepted the situation, and that you are only staying on to give your aunt’s anger time to cool.’
He added, ‘Who knows? If they are no longer persecuted lovers, their romance may lose some of its excitement, especially if passion is exchanged for convention.’
He paused. ‘Tell me—can your sister cook? Clean a house? Look after hens—even milk a goat?’
She stared at him. ‘Millie? Of course not.’
‘Then for Kostas’s sake, she must learn,’ he said briskly. ‘I will have your belongings brought from the hotel, Selene mou. You and your sister will stay here as my guests. My housekeeper will act as chaperone when Kostas comes to visit your sister. Eleni has a fierce reputation,’ he added drily. ‘So he will attempt no further liberties.’
He paused. ‘And your sister will spend time each day with my staff, learning to cook and clean.’
She drew an incredulous breath. ‘Millie will never agree to all this.’
‘I think she will, agapi mou, when it is explained to her that this is the path that leads to her wedding.’
He added softly, ‘I shall also suggest that Father Stephanos gives her instruction in the Greek Orthodox faith, which may soften the attitude of Kostas’s mother to the marriage.’
Ridiculously, she found herself bristling. ‘Why should she object?’
‘Because she will already have picked out a suitable bride for her only son,’ he said calmly. ‘Does this not happen in England, too?’
‘Not where I live. But do whatever you must to stop her screaming again,’ she said reluctantly. ‘Although I really don’t see the point of encouraging them to get married.’
‘This is not encouragement,’ he said with a touch of grimness. ‘More a demonstration to your sister of what she may expect as the wife of a working man on Rhymnos. Who can say what her reaction to this new regime will be.’
She said slowly, ‘You think she’ll hate it and want to leave.’
‘We can hope. You have a better idea?’
‘No,’ she admitted reluctantly. ‘But once again, you’re being put to a great deal of trouble.’
‘It’s no problem. And while your sister is occupied, you, Selene mou, will learn to relax. To be free to swim, and to sunbathe. To drink wine and, I hope, enjoy all that Rhymnos has to offer.’
He got to his feet and walked to the door. ‘After all, where else do you have to go?’
And left her staring after him.
With hindsight, she realised how easy it had been. How stupidly, terrifyingly easy to tell herself that she was only agreeing to this for Millie’s sake.
That it might only be a week or so before her sister decided she’d had enough of Greek home economics and would prefer to go back to Haylesford.
The time would soon pass, she told herself and when, mission accomplished, she arrived back with Millie, their aunt might, for once, be forced to eat her words.
At least she had to try it and see if it worked.
Upon which, the door re-opened abruptly and the plump woman in grey entered.
She said without preamble, ‘I am Eleni Validis, thespinis. If you will come with me, I shall show you your room.’
As Selena scrambled to her feet, the housekeeper crossed the room, opened the wide glass doors that almost filled one wall and slid back the shutters beyond, revealing a spacious courtyard with a large swimming pool at its centre.
Skirting the pool in Eleni’s brisk wake, Selena felt the heat like a blow.
More shutters, another pair of glass doors and she found herself in a capacious bedroom, with cream walls, matching floor tiles, and filmy cream and gold drapes at the windows. Confronting her was the widest bed she’d ever seen, its snowy linen set off by the midnight blue coverlet folded across its foot.
Facing it, and flanked by an array of louvred wardrobes in pale wood, was an archway leading to a bathroom tiled in glowing mother of pearl.
In the centre of the ceiling, a large fan murmured softly as it turned.
She swallowed and turned to Eleni. ‘It’s—beautiful. Thank you.’ She smiled. ‘I mean—efharisto.’
But there was no responding smile, just a brief inclination of the head. ‘Lunch will be served in an hour, thespinis. Yorgos will come to take you to the dining room.’ And, on that, she crossed to the door opposite and disappeared into a white-walled passage.
So much for Greek hospitality, thought Selena, feeling a little bleak. But maybe they’re accustomed to a better class of visitor and infinitely less aggravation.
Having explored her new domain, she would have dearly loved to cool down in the walk-in shower, or even soak in the deep tub, but was deterred by her lack of clean clothes to change into.
But she soon found an hour was a long time to be alone with one’s thoughts—especially when they were as potentially disturbing as hers were becoming.
It was almost a relief when the passage door was flung open and Millie marched in, scowling.
‘Kostas has gone,’ she announced tragically.
‘Gone?’ Selena repeated on a note of hope.
‘His brute of a boss has taken him back to the hotel.’
‘Oh,’ said Selena, sighing inwardly as hope died. ‘Well, that is where he works.’
‘And about as far from this place as it’s possible to get,’ Millie flung back. ‘But if they’re hoping to keep us apart, it won’t work. Kostas intends to borrow his cousin’s motor bike.’
She glanced around, her frown deepening. ‘Easy to see who’s going to be the skivvy round here. This room is twice the size of mine.’
‘If it matters so much, we could swap.’
‘What—and disobey the orders of the great god Constantinou?’ Millie asked derisively. ‘You must be joking. He practically owns the island and everyone in it. They all jump to his bidding.’
‘Including you,’ Selena said drily, noting the demure blue chambray dress Millie was now wearing. ‘Isn’t that your school uniform?’
Millie grimaced. ‘I wore it to the airport to avoid grief from Aunt Nora. And I thought it might do me some good with Kostas’s mother. Fat chance. As soon as she saw me, the old bag started beating her chest with her clenched fists and screaming. You’ve never heard anything like it.’
That’s what you think, Selena informed her silently.
‘Kostas brought us here hoping his boss would speak to her for us,’ Millie continued angrily. ‘Tell her he approved of the marriage. We had no idea she’d got here first.’
Selena said quietly, ‘She was probably worried about his disappearance. And maybe the skivvying, as you call it, will be worthwhile if Mrs Papoulis thinks you’re trying to learn to be a good Greek wife.’
‘I wouldn’t bet on it.’ Millie paused. ‘And why are you still here? Why didn’t Mr Constantinou take you back, as well, to pick up your stuff and catch the ferry?’
The million dollar question, thought Selena.
She said carefully, ‘Because I’m also trying to avoid grief from Aunt Nora. She’s angry because you won’t come home with me.’
‘Too bad,’ said Millie. ‘Besides, Rhymnos is my home and I’m not leaving, now or ever, so you’re in for a long wait, babes. Enjoy.’
And in a whirl of blue chambray she was gone, leaving Selena standing rigid in the middle of a beautiful room that had suddenly become a trap of her own making.
Or his, she thought. And shivered.
CHAPTER SIX
LUNCH PROVED TO be a simple affair of grilled chicken with a Greek salad, accompanied by a light and crisp white wine and followed by fresh fruit.
To her surprise, Selena found sheer hunger overcoming her stomach’s nervous churning and ate every bite.
‘Not exactly a banquet,’ Millie commented sourly as they drank the thick, sweet Greek coffee. ‘Any more than this place is a mansion,’ she added, giving the cool blue-washed dining room a derisive glance. ‘And there isn’t even an infinity pool. You wouldn’t think the Constantinou family were billionaires.’
Selena put down her cup, suddenly breathless as if she’d been kicked in the ribs.
She thought, That’s nonsense. He owns a hotel, that’s all. Although even that might represent untold riches on such a small island.
And yet...
As if she’d returned to a half-finished puzzle, pieces began to fall into place.
Even if billionaires didn’t usually do their own stock-taking, they could find the money to fund roads and olive oil processing plants, and successfully launch a new product in an already thriving market.
Besides, there’d been that casual reference to contacts in the States and, of course, the helicopter as if that mode of transport was the norm.
Not to mention the effortless way he’d taken charge. His assumption that she would follow his advice, allow him to solve her problem and, finally, accept his hospitality.
A powerful man, she realised dazedly. Accustomed to doing exactly what he wanted. To using his power and being obeyed. To—using people.
In all sorts of ways...
Stop right there, she adjured herself fiercely.
Somehow she managed to keep her tone casual. ‘Perhaps they don’t like to flaunt their money in the current economic climate. That is—if it’s true.’
‘Of course it is,’ said Millie. ‘Kostas says they have homes in Athens and New York as well as this house. Eleni was born in New York, which is why she speaks such good English. She used to be Madame Constantinou’s maid and she met Yorgos while the family were here on holiday. He didn’t want to leave the island after they were married, so he became the major-domo here with Eleni as housekeeper. All nice and cosy. Although they have more to do since Alexis returned.’
She added more quietly, ‘Kostas says he quarrelled with his father over his plans for Rhymnos. Or so everyone thinks.’
Selena’s brows lifted. ‘Kostas appears to be a mine of information,’ she said drily.
Millie shrugged. ‘I told you. The Constantinou family is a big deal on Rhymnos. However, I’m still getting married and I’ll need my birth certificate. So don’t forget.’
‘I’ll do my best,’ Selena said drily. ‘And I’ve remembered something else.’ She delved into her pocket and produced the silver bracelet. ‘I came across this on my travels.’
‘I wondered where it had got to,’ said Millie. She gave Selena a winning smile. ‘The clasp’s a bit dodgy so maybe you could get that fixed, too, and send it with the other stuff.’
She finished her coffee and stood up. ‘Now, I’m going to change out of this foul dress and catch some rays by the pool.’ As she turned to the door, it opened and Eleni came in with a tray and an apron which she handed to Millie.
Her voice was pleasant but firm. ‘You will clear the table, if you please, thespinis, then bring the tray to the kitchen. Hara, our cook, will show you where everything is kept, and afterwards you will help her to begin preparations for the evening meal.’
Millie gasped. ‘But we’ve just eaten,’ she objected. ‘And it’s sweltering.’
‘Even so, you will find that a tired and hungry man will require to be fed.’ Eleni was inexorable. ‘You must accustom yourself, Kyria Amelia.’
Selena braced herself for the hissy fit of the century. Instead Millie’s shoulders slumped and she muttered a grudging acquiescence and began to pile the remaining china and cutlery on to the tray.
Selena cleared her throat. ‘Can I do anything to help?’
‘That would not be appropriate, thespinis.’ The older woman spoke with chilly politeness. ‘Not for a guest of Kyrios Alexis.’ She beckoned to Millie. ‘Come, little one.’
Well, that’s me told, Selena thought without pleasure.
She hesitated for a moment, debating whether or not to go back to her room but decided it would be better not to treat it as her sole option, or it might soon seem like a prison cell.
Instead, she slid open the door to the courtyard, and emerged cautiously, feeling once again as if she was walking into a wall of heat.
During lunch, cushioned loungers and parasols had been arranged temptingly round the perimeter of the pool.
Selena dragged the nearest one into a patch of shade, adjusted its parasol to cover her completely, and lay down, aware within minutes that her pants and tunic were sticking to her sweat-dampened body.
She sent the pool a longing look, knowing at the same time it would make no difference when her bag arrived from the hotel, because her swimsuit was still in England.
I packed for a flying visit, she thought, not for sunbathing and swimming.
Just one of many reasons not to hang around but to go home and brave Aunt Nora’s wrath.
The prime one being her need to avoid any further involvement with Alexis Constantinou.
Not that there’s been much, she tried to tell herself. And certainly nothing serious. Especially on his part.
On the contrary, he’d merely been—amusing himself by playing with the senses of someone he’d instantly recognised as being totally inexperienced. Something of a novelty, no doubt, in the world he moved in.
Even something of a novelty in her own world, come to that.
But, for whatever reason—a belated sense of decency, or, more probably, a suspicion that her innocence might prove sexually unrewarding—he had not allowed those moments in the cave to proceed to their obvious conclusion.
Well, why would he, when he could probably have his pick from most of the women in the world?
And she should be grateful that he’d thought twice and go while the going was good.
Except there was still a chance—in fact, a distinct possibility—that Millie might start to have doubts, now that romance had truly collided with reality. Her expression in the dining room just now had indicated as much.
And if so, Selena told herself resolutely, I should stay to help tip the balance, maybe. I just hope she doesn’t take too long to come to her senses.
While she ignored the sneaking suspicion she might just have taken leave of her own.
But as the days passed, Selena was forced to the conclusion that both her hopes and her fears were equally groundless.
To her surprise, Millie’s sulks over the new regime had been relatively short-lived. She had accepted that she would only see Kostas on his afternoon off, and that part of their time together would be spent with Father Stephanos, so that she could learn about the Greek Orthodox religion.
Even more amazingly, she’d developed a penchant for cooking under the good-natured direction of Hara the cook, a large well-built lady who looked like a walking advertisement for her own skills.
In fact, the moussaka Millie had produced for lunch with something of a flourish the previous week had been delicious.
The plan, Selena thought grimly, was clearly not working. While her co-conspirator in all this seemed to have vanis
hed off the radar.
Because, in nearly three weeks, Alexis Constantinou had not paid a single visit to the Villa Helios. Not a sight. Not a sound. Not even a message.
Not that she wanted him there, she hastened to assure herself, but although it had been a novelty at first to relax by the pool in the bikini airily proffered by Millie—‘It belongs to Fiona. I must have packed it by mistake. Something else for you to take back when you go’—she was beginning to find it lonely, which was odd for someone so used to her own company, she thought wryly.
Also, even if she’d been interested in acquiring a tan, it was difficult to relax when each day increased her conviction that she was not truly welcome at the villa.
Eleni and Yorgos remained coolly polite and unswervingly formal while Penelope, whenever Selena tried to engage her in conversation, clearly could not wait to scuttle away.
She’d spent some of her time exploring her immediate surroundings, becoming familiar with the villa’s layout around the central courtyard, while beyond the gardens at the rear and towards the broad headland, she’d found the landing area for the helicopter and the massive shed where it was kept.
But most of the time, she occupied herself with the small cache of British and American thrillers she’d found in a cupboard in the saloni and which, according to Eleni, had been left there by ‘my lady, Madame Constantinou’. The information, accompanied by a heavy sigh, reminded Selena that Alexis had mentioned his parents were divorced.
Selena sighed, too, as she closed the current Elmore Leonard and prepared to go inside and change. Kostas was due soon, possibly accompanied by Father Stephanos, and Eleni had hinted heavily on the first occasion that it would be unbecoming to be seen in a bikini during these visits.
So, it was back to a cotton top and her button-through denim skirt, of which she was already heartily sick even though it was returned to her, like the rest of her meagre wardrobe, beautifully laundered after each wearing.
However, she just had enough time for another swim, she decided, walking to the pool and poising herself for her dive. This was the real luxury of the Villa Helios, she thought. Not the king-size bed, or the power shower, but this secluded expanse of turquoise water, the total opposite of the crowded public baths in Haylesford where it was almost impossible to swim even a few metres uninterrupted, and she would miss it when she left.