South of Mandraki

by Anne Hampson

  ‘How can you be in love with an arrogant dictator? Is that what you were going to say?’ and when she did not reply, ‘I’m not, you know, my dear, but you have been a trial to me.’

  What was he saying? And why this gentle voice, edged with nothing more than a hint of tender amusement?

  ‘Daros,’ she breathed softly, unbelievingly, ‘do you ... care for me?’

  ‘Care?’ Before she knew it she was caught in his arms and his lips were on hers, possessive and yet gentle. ‘I adore you.’ At last he held her away from him, a rueful light in his eyes. ‘Tell me, my darling, is the change in you due to my - my—’

  ‘Schooling was the word you used,’ she supplied, not without a tiny hint of rebellion in her voice.

  ‘Did that bring about the change, or has there been no change?’ He did not give her time to answer as he added, ‘I suggested there hadn’t been one, if you remember?’

  ‘No.’ She lowered her head and spoke in rather muffled tones, partly because she was resting against his coat and partly because her admission was difficult to make. ‘There hasn’t been a change, not basically. I did everything because I wanted to pay you back for all those horrid things you said about English girls.’ He gave a little gasp now and then as she continued, while Toni herself blushed as she recounted her tale. Lastly, she told him where the settlement had gone; he found no excuse for her reticence about it when he repeatedly made inquiries, but Toni said,

  ‘I thought it wouldn’t make any difference, because you weren’t in love with me. And afterwards when you began going out with Olivia—’

  ‘It so happens,’ he cut in swiftly, ‘that those two occasions were the only times I did go out with her.’ He went on to explain about Olivia. He had been engaged to her and with complete trust had handed over a large sum of money when she came to him, weeping, and said it was required in order to keep her young sister out of trouble. She had been robbing her employer and was under threat of exposure and police action if the money was not instantly refunded. ‘I had to let her have the money, and I did not even think of ever getting it back. But it was all a ruse; Olivia wasn’t in love with me at all. She was a greedy little gold-digger whose sole aim was to take some rich man for a ride.’ His voice grated and an almost satanic look entered his eyes.

  ‘I’d have made her suffer had I been able to get my hands on her at that time,’ he said viciously. ‘But she disappeared. However, she later found she did love me, after all, and rang me several times, all contrite and asking to be forgiven. I decided to play her game ... until I received my money back. She gave it to me on our second meeting, believing I was to divorce you on my grandfather’s death and marry her—’

  ‘You told her you would?’ asked Toni unbelievingly. The idea of her husband’s doing this somehow hurt. But he was shaking his head.

  ‘She took it for granted. She’d heard a rumour that our marriage was forced on us by the intention of Grandfather to kill you. And naturally she took it for granted that we couldn’t be in love. She had the presumption to think that she had only to come back and I’d be ready to forgive her.’ He stopped and kissed his wife tenderly. ‘What she didn’t know was that I was already very much in love with you - even though you would have me believe you were hoarding that money. ’

  ‘I wanted to tell you about it, but as I said, I didn’t think it would be any use. I felt you detested me - and I deserved to be thought badly of,’ she admitted contritely.

  ‘You did,’ he agreed grimly. ‘I honestly believed I’d be driven to use violence on you in the end. You have no idea how many narrow escapes you had!’

  ‘This evening,’ she murmured after a long while, ‘you weren’t

  with Olivia, apparently?’

  ‘No, darling. The reason for my lateness results from nothing more than a fault with the car. I had to get it fixed and as I didn’t know how long it would take I rang and told you not to hold the dinner. I was on the point of explaining when you rang off, or the phone went dead— By the way,’ he suddenly asked, diverted, ‘why did you invite that fellow Charitos to dinner?’

  ‘Because I thought you were with Olivia,’ she explained hastily, her lip trembling at the change in his expression.

  ‘Revenge, was it?’ He shook his head, the amusement returning to his eyes. ‘You’re a wretch, Toni, and I don’t know why I love you, but I do.’

  ‘Why didn’t you tell me before?’ she asked on a plaintive little note.

  ‘Because I still believed you to be hoarding that money, and if there’s anything I abhor it’s meanness. Sometimes I felt there must be an explanation, and I once remarked that you’d come across in your own good time, but you never did.’ She remained silent and he said again, in the tenderest way he knew, ‘I love you, sweetheart.’

  She nestled close, but lifted her face.

  ‘And I love you,’ she whispered huskily, and waited for his kiss.