His ship should arrive within the week, and he’d return to Constantinople, but the thought of leaving Diana to her own devices troubled him. How could he depart without making sure she was taken care of? Surely a British ship would arrive for her soon. The memory of the hurt in her eyes returned. Was she returning to a life that brought her happiness?
He heard the bleating of goats; then laughter and children’s voices floated on the air as he neared the farmhouse. He paused at the gate, peering between the foliage and attempting to see the source of the noise.
“Mr. Metaxas!” Elena waved and hurried toward him. She opened the garden gate, and he noticed she carried a wooden comb and pair of scissors. “Have you come for a visit? Missno will be so happy to see you.”
The girl’s words caught him off guard, but a glance at her guileless expression told him her innocent statement implied nothing out of the ordinary. She knew he and Diana were friends and assumed no more. Was there more to assume? He was momentarily at a loss for words and realized he stood foolishly at the gate, staring at the house with Elena watching him. “Thank you.”
She stood aside and closed the gate behind him.
A pair of young boys ran into the garden but stopped when they saw him.
“Iakob and Mikhail, this is Mr. Metaxas. He is a friend of Petrobey’s. Mr. Metaxas, these are my youngest brothers.”
“Chaírete.” Alex smiled at the boys.
Iakob, the older of the two, returned the greeting, but the small Mikhail studied him with the unapologetic curiosity of a child. Alex assumed the family didn’t receive many unfamiliar callers.
“Miétra, a visitor,” Elena called.
A woman’s voice bid them approach, and Alex followed the children and Elena around the side of the house.
“We are preparing for the wedding tomorrow,” Elena told him. “The boys are all being given haircuts.”
The woman he'd seen at church and assumed to be Elena's mother reclined on a wooden-framed sofa in the shade beneath a tree, her fingers moving worry beads along a string. She pulled herself into a sitting position when Alex approached. A boy of about fourteen sat on the ground beside her and rose when he saw Alex. Another boy, a bit younger, was perched on a chair with a sheet tied around his neck. The chair was situated a few feet away in the sunlight.
“Miétra, this is Mr. Metaxas from Constantinople.”
“Alexandros, please,” Alex said. “I am sorry to impose.”
“Not at all. Sophia Mavromichalis. You’ll excuse me for not rising.” She smiled, and he was struck by the similarity in appearance between mother and daughter. Both had pleasant smiles and laughing eyes, although Sophia’s seemed a bit tired.
“My other brothers, Georgi and Chrysanthos,” Elena said.
Alex greeted the boys. He estimated the Mavromichalis children ranged in age from Elena, who he thought might be seventeen, to young Mikhail, who he guessed was probably three or four.
He heard the whisper of scissors as Elena returned to cutting Chrysanthos’s hair.
“What brings you to our home, Alexandros?” Sophia winced as she shifted against the pillows.
“I—” Alex began but broke off when Diana came through the doorway carrying a tray with grapes and pieces of white cheese.
She froze when she saw him, and pink flooded her cheeks. “Al—Mr. Metaxas. What a surprise.” She spoke in English and glanced at Sophia then back, dipping in a curtsey. She set the tray on a low table near the sofa. “How do you do this evening?” This time she spoke in Greek. A small wrinkle appeared in her forehead. Her expression, though she fought to keep it neutral, seemed uneasy. Perhaps she thought she would be chastised for his visit. Or she worried he would renew their earlier conversation.
“I have actually come to see Elena.”
He had the pleasure of seeing Diana’s usually composed face slacken in shock, which she hurried to cover by bending down and arranging the items on the tray.
The oldest brother stepped closer, and Alex realized his statement might be perceived as inappropriate. He turned to Sophia and proceeded to explain. “I brought a gift.” He pulled the book of fables from his knapsack.
Elena gasped.
Alex held out the book toward her mother, knowing he needed parental approval before giving a single young lady a gift of any type.
“It is very kind of you.” Sophia’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. She looked down at the book in her hand, opening it and glancing through the pages.
“I thought she might find it more appealing than the books in the church. Perhaps a bit easier to understand.”
Alex turned his gaze to Diana and saw her expression was soft. She nodded her head and voicelessly mouthed the words, “Thank you.” Her eyes shone, and her brows rose in the center in a look of the most sincere gratitude, as though his simple act had been the grandest gesture ever performed. The fact that his gesture had touched her so deeply spoke volumes about her affection for the young girl, and Alex’s heart felt full.
He glanced back at Elena’s mother. Sophia’s expression took on a knowing look as her gaze moved between the two of them. The wariness left her face.
Sophia offered the book to her daughter and smiled with a bit of a smirk, and Alex thought his face may have revealed too much about his heart’s true sentiments.
Elena handed the scissors and comb to Diana and sat on the ground, her brothers crowding near. She turned the pages reverently. “Oh, thank you, Mr. Metaxas. It is the most beautiful book I have ever seen.”
“Perhaps you will read a story to us?” Sophia said. “Missno, will you finish the haircuts, please?”
Diana glanced at the scissors and then nodded.
Alex turned toward the gate.
“You will stay, won’t you, Alexandros?” Sophia said. “You might enjoy listening as well. If you are not in a hurry.”
He glanced at Diana once more, trying to judge how she felt about his presence.
She held his gaze, and the warmth in her eyes sent heat through his core.
“I would be delighted to hear Elena read,” he said.
“Come, Mikhail.” Diana held out her hand. “Time to cut your hair.”
The boy folded his arms. “No. I want my hair to grow long like Uncle Dino’s.”
“Dino’s hair was short when he was your age,” Sophia said. Her voice was patient but stern. “And young boys must obey their mothers.”
“But I do not want my hair cut.”
Elena rose up on her knees. “Mikhail, I will wait to read until you are finished. And I saw a drawing of a lion. We can look at it together . . . once your hair is cut.”
The boy seemed to falter as his gaze wandered to the book, but he frowned. “I do not want it cut.”
Alex watched the women’s frustrated expressions grow as they tried to convince the boy. Sophia sighed tiredly, and Elena looked as though she were bracing herself for battle.
Alex crouched down until his face was even with the child’s. “Mikhail, I have a problem. You see, I need a haircut as well, but I am afraid. Will it hurt?”
“A haircut does not hurt.”
Alex opened his eyes wide, pulling back his head in a look of astonishment. “You must be very brave. Just like your Uncle Dino.”
Mikhail lifted his chin and stuck out his chest. “I am brave.”
Alex tapped his own cheek. “Perhaps if I watched you get your hair cut first, I would not feel so frightened.”
“Do you want Missno to cut your hair?”
Alex grimaced. “I don’t know,” he whispered. “Would she be gentle?”
He nodded solemnly. “She is nice.” Mikhail glanced at Diana, leaned close to Alex, and lowered his voice as if sharing a confidence. “She’ll not hurt you. If you like, I will show you.”
“You really are fearless.” Alex chewed his lip to hide his amusement.
Mikhail climbed into the chair. “I am ready, Missno. Then Mr. Metaxas will have a haircut too.”
>
Alex glanced up to see Diana studying him. The corner of her mouth lifted the slightest bit before she pursed her lips. He thought she was stifling a smile, and he felt a burst of triumph. He would see that woman smile—a full-fledged toothy grin—he vowed to find a way.
He moved closer.
Diana carefully cut off a lock of the boy’s hair.
“See, it did not hurt at all.” Mikhail regarded Alex with half-lowered eyelids in a look of superiority.
Alex shook his head. “I do not know if I have ever seen such courage.” He winked.
Mikhail laughed and sat straighter, enjoying the attention. “Missno is teaching Elena to read.”
Diana glanced up, then carefully cut another piece of hair.
“How fortunate for your sister. Perhaps one day you will learn to read as well.”
“I would rather learn to fight.”
“Fighting is certainly a valuable skill, but so is reading.” Alex crossed his arm and grinned at the boy’s amusing conversation.
Mikhail glanced up. “Who taught you to read, Missno?”
Diana looked startled at the question. She squinted her eyes and made a snip. “When I was small, a bit older than you, I snuck into a library. I was hiding from . . . some older children.”
Mikhail nodded, and she placed a hand on his head to keep it from moving. “The library belonged to a minister—a church man. It was near to . . . where I lived in London. I opened his books and looked at all the words, wishing I knew what they said. I would go to the library whenever . . . whenever I needed a place to hide.” She combed through the boy’s hair, looking for spots that were uneven, then snipped another lock.
Alex glanced at Sophia and saw that she was listening. Her eyes squinted, and Alex knew she also understood there was more to the story than Diana revealed.
Diana moved around in front of Mikhail, combing through his thick curls. “I looked at the books for a long time and taught myself to understand the words.”
Alex could not help his jolt of surprise. As a young girl, she had taught herself to read?
“The minister found me one day, and I feared he would be angry with me. I begged him not to turn me out. He showed me some books, and when he determined that I was actually reading and not up to any mischief, he allowed me to continue. He encouraged me and discussed with me what I had learned. When I was old enough, he sent me to school.”
“Were your mother and father angry with him for sending you away?”
Diana paused, only for an instant, then bent down to trim the hair at his neck. “Come, you mustn’t move, or I will slip and your haircut will not look handsome.” She spoke in a teasing voice. “Then you will never marry, and all because you wiggled.”
“I do not want to marry.” Mikhail scrunched up his nose and formed an expression of disgust.
Alex caught Diana’s eye and grinned. Diana’s lips pursed and pulled to the side again.
“Do you have a husband in London, Missno?” Mikhail asked.
“No.” She trimmed the hair above his ears.
“Why not?”
Diana untied the sheet around his neck. “I suppose, if I was married, I wouldn’t be living with you. I would have to live with my husband.”
“Then I would miss you.”
“And I would miss you as well.”
She knelt down in front of him and placed her hands on his shoulders. “You look very handsome with your hair cut, Mikhail.” She kissed his cheek, then stood and shook off the sheet.
Mikhail slid off the wooden chair. “Mr. Metaxas, it is your turn.” The boy stood close, apparently planning to supervise the procedure.
“Do you mind, Miss Snow? I am afraid it is long overdue.” He spoke in English, hoping she would not feel any pressure and would be able to decline if she was uneasy.
“Are you certain you trust me? I am not an expert at all. I have performed only one haircut, which you just saw.”
“And it turned out very well.” Alex remained standing, waiting for her invitation.
She spread her palm toward the chair and dipped her head. Once he was seated, she tied the sheet and combed her fingers through his curls. “Now, how shall I cut it?
Alex knew her motions were simply part of the haircutting procedure, but the feel of her fingers in his hair made his scalp tingle and his heart stutter, and it cast all thoughts from his head.
“Mr. Metaxas?”
“I think he is afraid.” Mikhail put a hand on Alex’s knee. “I told you, it will not hurt.”
“Yes.” Alex blinked and shook his head in an effort to focus. “What did you say?”
She stepped in front of him and lowered her head to catch his gaze. “How shall I cut your hair?” Diana glanced at Mikhail and winked. “Shorn like a sheep?”
The boy laughed.
“Just trim a little.”
Diana moved around behind him. “Are you certain? You would make a very nice-looking bald man.”
He had never heard Diana tease and was unprepared for the way her tone made his heart flip like a bird trapped in a cage. “A very little, please.” He spoke in a trembling voice, as though he were afraid of what she might do.
Mikhail patted his knee. He’d nearly forgotten the boy stood next to him.
Alex heard the snip and saw a curl fall.
“It did not hurt, did it?” Mikhail said.
Alex shook his head.
“Be careful not to wiggle,” the boy advised.
“Mikhail.” Elena waved her hand. “Come and listen to the story.”
He glanced at Alex with a question in his gaze.
“I will be all right now,” Alex assured him.
“I’ll read loudly so everybody can hear,” Elena said. She pulled her brows together and ran her finger along the page. “The Peacock and the Crane.” She glanced up at Diana then continued. “A peacock, spreading its gorgeous tail mocked a crane that . . .” She stumbled over a few words and read slowly but persevered. When she could not decipher a word, Diana crouched down by her and helped with the sounds she needed, then returned to cutting Alex’s hair.
He let his gaze travel over the family, the beautiful garden, and the lowering sun. Diana moved around him, at times bending close. Her legs occasionally bumped into his knees, or her arms brushed his shoulders, and his skin remained warm long after her touch. The evening air felt cool, and he closed his eyes. He could not remember the last time he’d spent the evening with a family as they went about their tasks. He’d nearly forgotten how it felt to be among people who cared for each other and was surprised by how readily they accepted him. He let the feeling of comfort wash over him, and for a moment he considered how nice it would be to have his own family, to have a place where he felt safe and cared for. But he halted the thought. He would not risk it. His work was dangerous, and he would not put others in jeopardy. He could not endure having people he loved torn from him. He would not have a family until Greece was safe.
He felt Diana’s knees pressed against his. He opened his eyes to see her face was directly before him. She pulled the hair above his ears through her fingers, tipping her head back and forth, making sure the length was even. Her hands moved down to pull the curls at his neck. She leaned close, clipping one side.
Alex held his breath. Surely she could hear his heart pounding. If he were ever to change his mind, this woman might be just the one . . . But no, it was not fair. He was a revolutionary and would never draw her into his dangerous world.
She stepped back, looking over her work one more time. “I am done.” She untied the sheet and shook it.
“Miss Snow, you are not completely finished.” Alex spoke in English.
She squinted. “Your mustache? Do you want me to trim it?”
He shook his head, blinking and raising his brows as if he were extremely offended. “A man tends his own whiskers, miss.”
“Then, what else . . . ?”
“You did not tell me I look handsome. A
nd I believe the previous customer received a kiss.” He tapped his cheek and could not help a smile at her shocked look.
She glanced at the family, then back, and he saw her face and neck were pink. “You are very impertinent, Mr. Metaxas.” She folded the sheet and walked toward Elena, but not before he saw her lips pulling as she stifled a smile.
“Elena, you did a masterful job reading that story,” Diana said.
The young woman smiled. “Thank you.”
Alex helped Georgi carry the sofa into the house, then he bid the family good night. He was surprised when Diana offered to walk with him to the gate.
“I cannot thank you enough for bringing Elena that book,” Diana said as they walked through the garden. “She was so grateful.”
“You’re welcome.”
Diana held her hand on the wooden gate. “She’s so intelligent. I wish she could go to school.”
“You see yourself in her, don’t you?”
She glanced back at the house. “Maybe a bit. I was much more shy.”
“But intelligent as well,” he pointed out.
Diana blushed and looked down.
He tapped beneath her chin, raising her gaze to his. “I noticed it the moment I met you. And you taught yourself to read as a young girl? Truly remarkable.”
“Thank you.” Diana rubbed her arms, and though she attempted to hide it, he could see that his statement pleased her.
“You seem happy here,” he said.
Her eyes took on a faraway look. “I am happy, for now, but of course this situation will not last.”
He understood what she meant. Her time in the Mani would not be long. “The ship will come for you soon. And will you be happy to return to London?”
She met his gaze and looked away. “I do not know.”
Her glance made him uneasy. There was something in her expression, an uncertainty, or even more, a fear. Was she afraid to return home? Or was it something else entirely?
“Good night.” She curtseyed and started back toward the house but stopped. She turned back and crossed the distance between them in a few steps. “You look handsome, Alex.” Her cheeks flooded scarlet as she whirled and bolted to the house.
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