Diana placed her hand on Sophia’s arm. “There is no reason for you to go as well. You are not ready for travel.”
“We cannot separate a mother from an infant,” Alex said.
“Of course not. Elena and I will care for Sophia and the babies.”
Alex looked at the baby in her arms, then raised his eyes to Diana’s face. He saw the precise moment the truth dawned on her.
She clutched Apollo closer against her chest. “No, they wouldn’t. He is an infant. Not three days old. Surely . . .”
“He is a gun, Missno,” Sophia said. Her hands were shaking, and tears slid from her eyes. “And he will grow up to seek revenge on anyone who harms his family.” She stroked the baby’s head and took him from Diana, placing him on the bed beside his twin sister.
Diana’s lips pressed together, and she swallowed hard. “I will get the clothing and help Alex with the wagon. You must get yourself and the babies ready.” She embraced Sophia and helped her to sit on the bed by her twins. She placed her hand on the mother’s cheek. “Do not worry. We will take care of everything.”
Her calm manner had a soothing effect on Sophia. Her face relaxed, and she nodded. “Thank you.”
Diana straightened up and motioned to him. “Come, Alex. The boys’ bedchamber is just down the hallway.”
Alex was grateful for Diana’s practicality. He knew she would not falter. She could be depended on to do what was needed. He was surprised when he realized there were few men he would trust in an emergency as completely as he trusted Diana Snow.
He stepped outside, holding up his rifle and scanning the area around the house, but all was calm. The church bells had thankfully ceased, and the village was quiet. He moved aside, and Diana came out behind him.
“The wagon is behind the house.” She carried a bag stuffed with the children’s clothing and extra blankets for the babies. She led him to a small outbuilding, put the bag into the wagon, then helped Alex attach the harness to the donkey. They led the wagon into the yard, leaving it where the animal would have shade as they waited for Dino and Themis to bring the boys.
Diana stepped around the wagon and clasped his arm, pulling on him until he faced her. “You must make certain the boys are protected. Please. If anything should happen to them . . .”
He knew precisely how she felt. The thought of one of Sophia’s boys coming to harm made it difficult to breathe. “I will watch over them.”
She released her hold and rubbed her arms, looking at the road that led into town. “The Sássaris clan would not really harm a child or a baby.” She turned to him. “Would they?” She looked at him with wide eyes, as if searching for reassurance.
He grimaced, wishing he could provide it. “I’m afraid they would. And the Mavromichaleis would not hesitate to do the same.”
Her forehead wrinkled. “But these are the people they worship beside, families that they greet in the village and dance with at weddings. I do not understand.”
“Nor do I.” He glanced up the road, knowing he needed to keep alert for danger. “But the vendetta is an ancient practice here, and they are a proud people.”
“They do not truly believe that Sophia put a curse on Daphne, do they?”
“I think they do.”
She shifted her position, stepping forward to look around him in the direction of the village. “Sophia cares for Daphne, feels pity for her. She would never—”
Alex nodded. “I know, and you know—and I think deep in her heart Daphne knows.”
“Her anger will cost lives, perhaps those of people she loves.” Diana’s voice rose in pitch.
He glanced toward her from the side of his eyes. “One should not attempt to understand the actions of a grieving mother. Heartache can steal a person’s reason.”
Diana’s lips puckered the smallest bit as she scrutinized him. Her gray eyes were wide and filled with compassion. “You are thinking of your own mother.”
Alex knew he could not answer around the boulder that had settled in the back of his throat. He tipped his head forward, swallowing hard.
“It would be unfair to judge Daphne.” Diana moved to stand in the shade.
He paced a few times in front of the gate then joined her, leaning back against the cart. Where were Dino and Themis and the boys? He tapped his foot on the ground and tried not to imagine any scenario where Mikhail or another of the children were hurt.
“You care for them too, don’t you?” she said. “I can see in your eyes. You are worried.”
“Yes.”
“Alex, until I came here, I had never felt such . . . I have had friends, people I cared for, students like Molly, other teachers. But these people”—she waved to the house behind her—“this family . . . they are more. I—”
“You love them,” he said simply.
Diana tipped her head. “I suppose that is it. The babies, the children, Elena, and Sophia—I feel a closeness to them.” She lowered her voice until it was nearly a whisper. “I know I will have to leave them, and it makes my heart feel like it is cracking.”
He turned toward her, understanding exactly how she felt. “That is what love is, a risk.”
She looked up at him through her lashes and drew in a shaky breath. He had never seen her expression so vulnerable. “Is it worth the risk? Your family was taken from you. Do you ever wish—? Would it have been easier if you did not love them in the first place?”
Her honest question touched on a thought he’d had in his darkest moments. The lump returned inside his throat, but it was not for his family or for himself. It hurt him to see how afraid she was to care. Because for Diana, caring had always resulted in pain.
He set down the weapon and clasped her shoulders, turning her so she faced him directly. “It would have been easier. That is true. But it was worth it. Their memory is everything to me. I assure you, Diana. It is definitely worth it.”
She took a step forward, slipping into his arms and clinging around his waist. Alex tightened his embrace and leaned his cheek onto her hair. He felt warm knowing that he could comfort her and wondering if she realized that her action did the same for him. How perfect would his life be if he knew her embrace waited for him whenever he was discouraged? He fought against the thought, knowing there was no use in indulging it.
The bleat of a goat pulled him from his thoughts. He released her, then lifted his gun with one hand and grasped Diana’s with the other. They walked together to the gate. An immense wave of relief washed over him when he saw Dino, Themis, Elena, and the four boys leading a string of animals.
“They are safe.” Diana breathed the words as a whisper and met his gaze with a look of relief.
“Missno, Alex!” Mikhail called to them. “We are going to Petrobey’s tower in Limeni!” The boy was the only member of the party whose face was not somber.
Diana released his hand and held open the gate. “I have your clothes already in the wagon,” she said in a voice Alex recognized as forced cheerfulness.
“Chrysanthos, lock the goats in the pen. Georgi, retrieve your father’s weapons.” Dino called out orders that were hastily obeyed.
Themis stood in the road with his back to the house. He held the rifle stock in one hand, the other ready to pull back the flint.
“Mitéra?” Elena leaned close to Diana and spoke in a low voice.
“Caring for the babies. She will be ready when it is time to leave.”
Elena’s young face looked as if it had aged ten years. She nodded gravely and turned toward the house.
Diana put her arm around the young girl’s shoulders. “Your uncles and Alex will take care of your family. Do not worry.”
Alex saw Elena tip her head onto Diana’s shoulder as the pair entered the house. His heart was heavy at the sight of the usually cheerful Elena’s sorrow.
Mikhail tugged on Alex’s sleeve, and he looked down. “Will you come to Limeni, too?”
“Yes.” He smiled at the boy’s innocence.
Diana and Elena lined the wagon with blankets and helped Sophia lie down inside.
Alex watched Diana kiss baby Apollo’s cheek before she laid him beside his mother. Her lip trembled. She bid the boys farewell, and Dino led the group toward Limeni.
Elena and Diana waved to the departing family.
Alex stopped at the gate and spoke to Diana in English. “I do not like leaving you and Elena alone, but all the men will be in the tower, and it would not be appropriate for me to remain here.”
“I understand.” Her lip trembled, and she clamped her hand over her mouth as she watched the others depart.
He leaned close, lifting her chin and capturing her gaze. Her eyes were wide and wet. He moved aside her hand and brushed his finger over her quivering lip. “Remember what I said, Diana. I promise it is worth it.”
Chapter 18
A cloud of melancholy hung over both Diana and Elena for the remainder of the day. Diana moved through the motions of the farm duties without noticing what she was doing. More than once, she found herself surprised to see that she’d already performed a task that she didn’t remember.
The supper table was silent. Diana picked at her food without really tasting it. She tried a few times to engage Elena in conversation, but neither was able to muster the energy for small talk. Finally Elena announced that she was going to sleep.
Diana remained at the table. She thought of her first morning in Tsímova, how out of place she’d felt and how quickly the family had welcomed her into their circle. The vacant chairs seemed to make the table feel even more lonely.
She replaced the dishes and tidied the kitchen, but putting everything in order didn’t bring the calm it typically did. Every sound she made seemed to echo through the empty rooms. She finally gave up and decided there was nothing else to do but sleep.
When she climbed the stairs and entered their shared room, she heard Elena weeping. The sound pulled at her heart. Diana sat on the bed beside her friend and brushed her fingers over Elena’s hair until she finally quieted and slept.
Diana undressed and lay on her cot, not tired in the least. Images appeared one after another in her mind, each bringing with it a wave of emotion: Sophia’s tears, Daphne’s glare, Alex’s embrace, the feel of a baby’s hand clasping her finger, the sound of the boys wrestling.
The images began to appear distorted and shifted, slipping from memories into dreams, and finally Diana slept.
[
In the morning, Diana attempted to maintain a pleasant conversation as they worked on the household duties, and the distraction seemed to help Elena’s mood.
Without a family to cook for, the chores were finished quickly, and the house set to rights. The two stood outside the goat pen.
“I suppose it is up to us to take them to graze then.” Elena made a face.
Diana smiled at the girl’s reaction to the task. “It will give us time to read. Bring your book.”
Elena’s expression lit up. “Yes! I shall.”
They packed a knapsack with food and the book, and drove the goats through the winding streets of the town toward the hills beyond. As they passed Spiros’s house, Elena glanced up at the tower. Men with weapons stood at the windows, watching the road, but Diana did not see Spiros among them.
Elena sighed and continued. Her mood seemed to sink lower as they climbed over the rocks and searched for shade where they could sit with a good view of the animals.
Diana did not know how the boys managed to keep themselves entertained for an entire day watching over goats among the rocks and scraggly bushes. Elena read for a while, but even Aesop’s fables lost a bit of their magic after a few hours. The most interesting thing that happened during the entire day was when Elena nearly sat on a turtle. Diana dreaded repeating the task the following day. Hours later, the pair made their way home, driving the goats before them.
They entered the gate, and led the goats to the pen, then turned to the house.
Elena stopped. “I smell bread.” She inhaled. “And souvlaki.”
The pair exchanged a look. Had Sophia returned?
Elena’s face lit in a grin. She hurried toward the house, but before she reached it, the door opened wide.
Stella bounded out and wrapped her cousin in an embrace. “At last you have come! Mitéra and I have waited for hours.”
Diana glanced behind her and saw Agatha in the doorway. Elena kissed Agatha’s cheek and pulled Stella into the house. Giggles and chatter sounded from inside.
“Sophia did not want the two of you to be alone,” Agatha said. She wiped her hands on a cloth.
“Thank you.” Diana was grateful for anything that would make Elena smile.
The mood at supper was a complete reversal from the evening before. Diana didn’t realize how hungry she was until a plate of souvlaki and a vegetable salad were set before her.
Elena and Stella talked about the wedding, how beautiful the bride was, whose dresses they admired, which young men impressed them with their dancing, and how well their kourabiedes were received.
Diana caught Agatha’s eye and opened her eyes wide, smiling at the intensity of the frivolous conversation. It was precisely what the girls needed during these tense days.
Stella laid her hand on her breastbone and sighed. “And oh, the twins are so perfect. Right now, they are being kissed and cuddled by every Mavromichalis in Limeni.”
Elena’s face fell. “I miss the babies.” She looked down at her plate. “I miss all of my family.”
“Perhaps we can go to Limeni soon?” Diana looked at Agatha, not knowing who else to ask if she and Elena could make the journey.
“A splendid idea.” Agatha nodded. “After church on Sunday.”
“But that is still four days away,” Elena said softly. She sighed and kept her gaze lowered.
“Elena, would you read us a story after supper?” Diana asked.
The girl glanced up at her guests’ faces. “Would you like that?”
“Oh yes!” Stella clapped her hands together.
Agatha nodded her head. “Yes, that will be just the thing.”
Diana could have embraced them for their reaction.
[
Hours later, after the supper dishes were cleaned, the house set to rights, and three fables read, Elena yawned. “I am ready to sleep.”
Diana was glad that the others were willing to sit in the room by lantern light for such a long time and listen to the girl’s slow delivery. Neither seemed to mind that she stumbled over words or needed to pause to analyze the sounds. They were gracious and complimentary.
“Oh! I nearly forgot.” Stella jumped up and hurried to a satchel that hung on a peg near the door. She pulled out two small packages and brought them to Diana and Elena.
“What is this?” Diana asked, turning over the bundle in her hands. It appeared to be a grouping of small objects wrapped in a piece of white netting.
“Koufetas from the wedding,” Stella said. “You both left early.”
“They are almonds coated with sugar,” Agatha explained. “A traditional favor for wedding guests.”
“And if you place them beneath your pillow while you sleep, you’ll dream of the person you will marry.” Stella grinned and waggled her eyebrows.
“Missno, perhaps you will dream of Alexandros Metaxas,” Elena said.
Diana felt her cheeks turn red. “Perhaps,” she said, hoping for a nonchalant tone. She set the koufetas in her lap. “Thank you, Stella.”
“Off to bed, girls,” Agatha said. “We have a farm to maintain tomorrow.”
“And you can come tend the goats with us.” Elena clasped Stella’s hand and pulled her to her feet.
“I’ll sleep in the boys’ room,” Diana said. “So the two of you can be together.”
The girls bid them good night and hurried up the stairs. The sound of their voices and laughter drifted down the stairs.
Agatha let out a good-na
tured sigh and raised her eyes to the heavens. She leaned back against the sofa.
“Thank you for coming,” Diana said. “A distraction is precisely what Elena needs. She has been worried about her family.”
Agatha’s shoulders slumped. “I know.” She looked down at her clasped hands.
Diana realized she was thinking about her own family: Kyros and his brothers and her husband, Themis. She moved from her chair to sit beside Agatha. She lifted the woman’s hand, a gesture she would have never considered two weeks earlier, but she’d learned that Greeks were much more affectionate than she’d been accustomed to. “Thank you, Agatha.”
Each day Diana was in Greece, she learned more about belonging to a family and never failed to be amazed by the sacrifices people were willing to make for those they love. Her heart was soft as she rose and bid Agatha good night.
Later, as Diana undressed, her eyes fell on the wrapped package of almonds. She sat on one of the boy’s beds and turned it over in her hands and then, since nobody would know, slid it beneath the pillow. She did not have to fall asleep before thinking of Alexandros Metaxas. Thoughts of him always seemed near. The memory of Alex cradling little Artemis, of him squatting down to discuss his fear of haircuts with Mikhail, and the way his coffee-brown eyes sparkled when he laughed swirled around in her mind, and she barely recognized that she was smiling just before drifting to sleep.
[
The next morning, Diana, Elena, and Stella herded the goats through the town. Diana had offered to remain behind, but Agatha thought the girls should not be alone.
When they passed the Sássaris house, Spiros’s younger sister, Theodora, was in the garden, spreading grain for the chickens. Diana hadn’t noticed before how lovely the girl was. Theodora was probably close to twelve years old. She bore a strong resemblance to her mother, but the bitterness and sorrow that lined Daphne’s face were absent. The girl raised her gaze shyly as they passed, looking at them through the long lashes that surrounded her dark eyes.
Elena waved, and Theodora darted a glance at her house before returning the greeting.
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