His eyes grew heavy, and he let his gaze travel around the ship’s deck. All of the children slept, except for Spiros, who stood with his father near the bow. The majority of the men sat around the edges of the deck. A few talked together, but most were silent. Alex closed his eyes, listening to the sound of the waves. He did not know that something as simple as making up one’s mind could bring such contentment.
[
Alex squinted when he opened his eyes and realized the morning sun shone brightly on the ship’s deck. He’d not realized he’d fallen asleep. He glanced down and saw that Diana had not moved, so he tried to stretch his stiff back without disturbing her.
Dino stood firm at the helm, and Alex imagined he had not moved from his position for hours. Petrobey, Argos, and Themis were beside him. Alex saw that some of the children still slept. But Elena was awake, walking slowly along the deck with her hand on the rail.
She caught his eye and approached, glancing to her grandfather, who nodded his permission, before she knelt on the deck by Alex.
“Uncle Dino says we will see Limeni soon.” She glanced down at Diana’s sleeping form, and the girl’s mouth curved into a soft smile. “She is a tired hero, isn’t she?”
Alex smiled. “Yes, I think that is a perfect description.” He glanced toward the Mavromichalis men and saw that they watched Elena closely while she spoke with an unmarried man. He thought he would do the same thing if he had a daughter. “And you are a hero yourself, Elena. We saw you leading the children out of the harbor.”
“Spiros too,” Elena said. Her eyes darted to where Spiros sat with his father and sister, and color rose in her face.
“How did you know when to run?” he asked the question quickly, trying to dispel her embarrassment. “And how did you untie your ropes?”
“Do you not know? No, I suppose you weren’t there when I told the others.” She glanced down at Diana again. “Missno dropped a bundle to me from the cliff. A knife and a cactus pad with a note scratched on it.”
“And you read it.”
Her face colored again, but this time, he knew it was pride, and he did not hurry to change the topic. “You are definitely a hero too then.”
“Petrobey said there are many other ways to win a battle beside fighting,” Elena said.
“Very true.” He shifted again. His one leg was numb and his back tight. “You and Miss Snow proved that exceptionally well.”
“He says all children need to learn to read,” Elena said. “Perhaps we will even have schools in the Mani.”
“That would be a wise thing.” Education was the very tool the impoverished Greeks needed to defeat the Turks. Petrobey would make sure of it, and Alex felt both grateful and proud that the Maniot children would learn because of Diana.
A shout came from one of the men at the bow. Limeni harbor was in sight.
Elena took her leave and hurried to the rail where she could get a better view
Alex shook Diana’s shoulder, and she sat up. She looked at him, rubbing sleepy gray eyes, pushing away her mussed hair, and smiling with a tired blink that made his heart flip over. Was this the sight that would captivate him each morning? With the other men so near, he did not dare to kiss her, though his fingers itched to pull her into an embrace. Instead, he stood and helped her to rise beside him. “We are near to Limeni,” he said, shaking his leg.
Diana leaned her hands on the rail as the ship rounded the bend. “I do not remember so many ships,” she said.
She was right. Three ships that had not been there the day before bobbed in the harbor. With a start, Alex recognized his own ship. The sight was a relief—the weapons from Corfu had at last arrived. But at the same time, his stomach grew heavy. The ship was a tangible reminder that that he would soon leave the Mani. He’d become fond of these people, and he would miss them.
“Hektor!” Dino gave a shout that drew glances from many of the men. Such a display was unlike him.
Alex followed Dino’s line of sight and saw that he pointed to another of the new ships.
Elena rushed to Diana and grabbed onto her arms. “Patéras has returned!” The girl’s eyes were shining. The ship belonged to Dino’s brother, Sophia’s husband. Alex glanced at Diana and saw the uncertainty on her face.
“Do not worry,” he said in English.
She glanced at him, but the tightness in her face did not entirely dissipate.
They neared the village, and Alex’s gaze was drawn to the last unfamiliar ship, wondering whom it could belong to. It did not look like a rough trader’s vessel or a Turkish warship. The ship was sleek with one mast and a bowsprit. Had it been captured like the vessel beneath him?
Men moved around on the deck of the mysterious ship, and Alex squinted in an effort to get a better look. He glanced at the other Maniots, wondering what their reaction was to the fine ship. He saw Dino’s squint as he studied the watercraft. Petrobey tapped his chin, and Themis scowled.
Alex heard Diana gasp and whipped around his head.
A man in the red coat of a British Marine stepped onto the ship’s deck.
“Lieutenant Ashworth,” Diana said in a choked voice. She pressed her palm to her breastbone. “He has come for me.”
As she said the words, Alex’s chest collapsed, and his hopes for a future with Diana dissolved, leaving him empty save for an ache. He tightened his grip on the rail. He could see that Diana tried to meet his eyes but knew he could not return her gaze, and so he kept his eyes firmly upon the British vessel that would carry away the woman he loved, and with her, his heart.
Chapter 24
Diana walked along the pier of Limeni village with Elena and thought of how altered the experience was after only a few weeks—relief at returning to a place that had filled her with uncertainty and fear.
“I am glad to be back,” she said to her companion, linking arms with Elena. She glanced back at the other vessels in the water, feeling a tug of doubt in her midsection.
A boat with Lieutenant Ashworth and other red-coated marines was rowing toward the village, passing another dinghy headed in the opposite direction.
Instead of accompanying her to shore, Alex was in the small boat, rowing directly to his waiting ship. Diana’s unease about him had grown from the moment she’d seen the British ship, and he had not met her gaze when she tried to engage him. Alex had become distant and occupied, perhaps it was simply because he had business to tend to. But his reaction felt personal, as if he were avoiding her. Had she disclosed too much? She felt self-conscious about the excessive bout of weeping in the hills. Perhaps she had misinterpreted his reaction, and he had merely tried to comfort her, nothing more.
The others who had come ashore on her boat dispersed, going their own ways.
Elena squealed and ran toward the road.
Diana turned her head and saw Sophia with a tall man who must be her husband. Each held one of the new twins. When Elena ran to them, her parents embraced her. Sophia wept, laying a hand on Elena’s cheek. Her father held on to her shoulder. Elena kissed her baby brother and sister.
Diana watched the reunion with a mixture of feelings. She’d missed Sophia and the babies, and the sight of them made her insides feel soft and her eyes swim with tears. But now, things were different. Hektor had returned to his family, and Diana felt as though she no longer belonged. She was certainly not needed as before. She twisted her fingers.
Sophia waved for her to join them. She gave Artemis to Elena and wrapped Diana in an embrace. “Thank you.” Her voice cracked. She moved back, her gaze traveling over Diana’s clothing, and her brow ticked upward when she saw the sword tucked into her sash. She pushed aside an errant lock of unruly hair in a motherly manner that made Diana’s heart warm. “Missno, this is my husband, Hektor.” Sophia’s gaze was soft as she looked at the large man.
“Pleased to meet you.”
Hektor looked almost exactly like an older version of Dino. Small wrinkles fanned out around his eyes as if he was
a man that smiled often. Diana was glad Sophia’s husband appeared to be a kind man.
He dipped his head in a small bow as he appraised her. “Since my return, I have heard of little else other than the magnificent Missno.” He swallowed and cleared his throat. “Thank you for caring for my family. I owe you a debt that I do not know how to repay.” His arm tightened around Elena’s shoulder.
“You owe me nothing, sir.” Diana’s throat constricted. “Your family took in a stranger and welcomed me as one of them. I—” A tear dripped onto her cheek. “I am so grateful for that.” She wanted to tell them everything, how she had never felt a family’s love, and being part of the Mavromichalis household—laughing at the supper table, playing with the children, allowing Sophia to braid her hair, or sitting quietly with a baby—were jewels of memory that meant more than words could say.
Elena handed the baby to her, and Diana was grateful for an excuse to lower her face to brush against the soft hair and breathe in the baby’s smell. “I missed you,” she whispered to the infant girl.
Hearing voices, she glanced over her shoulder and saw the small boat of British sailors had disembarked and were approaching.
Lieutenant Ashworth raised a hand in greeting.
“I am taking my family back to Tsímova,” Hektor said, glancing behind her. “Missno, you are always welcome in our home.”
Sophia kissed her cheek and took the baby, joining her husband.
Elena took Diana’s hands. She glanced toward the British soldiers, and her brow furrowed. “You are coming home, Missno?”
Diana did not know what to say to ease the worry in her friend’s eyes. “I do not know.”
“Come, Elena.” Sophia held out a hand for her daughter.
“But Missno . . .”
Diana did not think her heart could take any more battering, but the sight of Elena weeping squeezed like a hot band around her chest, and she could not draw a breath.
Hektor took his daughter’s hand and gently led her away.
Diana pulled her gaze from her friend when Lieutenant Ashworth reached her, and she curtseyed, breathing out a heavy breath as she calmed herself.
The lieutenant was tall with long limbs. His smile was friendly, and he walked with a confident stride. “Pardon me, miss. Do you speak English?” The lieutenant spoke with slow, clear words. “I am looking for Petrobey Mavromichalis.”
Diana blinked. She’d assumed the lieutenant approached her because he recognized her, but it appeared she was just the first person he saw. “Lieutenant, it is I, Diana Snow.”
The lieutenant pulled back in a jerk. “Oh, by Jove! Miss Snow, I apologize. I wasn’t expecting to find you—”
“No offense taken, Lieutenant. I am certain my appearance is immensely different from the last time you saw me.” She swallowed down her emotion, glancing back at the Mavromichalis family.
“I am here to meet with Petrobey Mavromichalis and to retrieve you. I do hope you have been treated well.” His brows rose as he glanced over her blood-spattered dress and matted hair.
“Very well, sir.” His concern made her smile.
“I am glad of it. My dearest Molly has been quite distraught, you know. She did not rest until we had secured a ship and the . . . means to rescue you.”
Diana’s face exploded in heat. She knew the lieutenant was speaking of the rescue money. She was embarrassed anyone should have to find the funding to pay for her freedom. And she also felt extremely thankful for Molly. She should never have doubted her young friend’s loyalty.
“Petrobey disembarked before I. We just arrived back in Limeni by ship, you see. I will take you to his house.”
Diana and Lieutenant Ashworth were shown into Petrobey’s library. She sat on a hard-backed chair while the lieutenant paced around the room, studying the pictures, books, and other items.
She knew Petrobey would ask her to remain. Since Alex was still on his ship, there was nobody in Limeni who could translate. The idea of acting as the go-between while the men discussed her ransom—discussed how much she was worth—left a bitter taste in the back of her throat. Would the lieutenant attempt to talk down the price, telling Petrobey that she was an orphan, unconnected, and that he had only come to appease his fiancée? Her stomach twisted.
The door opened, and Petrobey strode through. He nodded to Diana and then turned to assess the red-coated marine standing in his library.
“Lieutenant Jonathan Ashworth,” the lieutenant said.
Petrobey’s eyes squinted as he scrutinized the man. He tipped his head back slightly.
“And you are Petrobey Mavromichalis, sir?”
Diana could tell the bey’s silence disconcerted the friendly lieutenant.
He finally dipped his head in acknowledgement. He motioned for the lieutenant to be seated, then sat in his own chair, gripping the armrests. “Missno, ask the man what he wants.”
“Lieutenant, Petrobey asks you to state your business, please.”
The lieutenant sat. “Please tell him I have brought the means to pay your ransom, Miss Snow.” He pulled a leather purse from the inside of his jacket. The sound of clinking coins came from the bag, and heat filled Diana’s cheeks once more. “If he requires more, we can—” The lieutenant cut off his speech when Petrobey lifted his hand in a signal to stop.
The bey made a motion as if he were pushing forward with his hand. He did not even drop his gaze to the purse. His words confirmed the gesture. “I will accept no money for Missno.”
Lieutenant Ashworth sat up even straighter. Quite a feat for a military man whose posture was already rigid. “Sir, it is unacceptable for you to keep a citizen of the crown as a prisoner. I do not wish to threaten you, but it is in my power to give a command to sink the ships in your harbor, for starters. His Majesty’s Navy has been extremely understanding up to this point, and if you think you have the force to engage the most powerful nation on earth, you have another thing coming.” The lieutenant’s face was flushed, and Diana was quite shocked by the anger in his eyes. She had never seen anything but good humor from the man, and she realized she was getting a glimpse of him as a military officer.
Petrobey leaned forward in the chair. He did not ask for a translation, for which Diana was grateful. “Missno has repaid her debt to us a hundred times over. Your money does not even come close to compensating the way her actions have done.”
The lieutenant raised his brows and leaned his head toward her, asking Diana to translate.
But her eyes swam, and she turned to Petrobey. “I cannot say that. You see, it is not true. I fear I have deceived you.” She wiped away her tears with the tips of her fingers. “The reason the lieutenant has come is because my friend is engaged to him. The navy did not send the money, she did. I am not anyone of importance to England. I have no family. I am nobody. And I am sorry.”
Petrobey’s shrewd eyes studied her until Diana could not hold his gaze any longer. She felt like a fool, an imposter. Two men were arguing about her, but one did it at the bidding of his beloved. The other, because he had been misled.
“What did he say to you, Miss Snow?” Lieutenant Ashworth’s voice was low and dangerous.
She shook her head and pushed her words through a tight throat. “He was not unkind. He just did not understand.”
“Missno,” Petrobey said. “Do you know the meaning of Mavromichaleis?”
She had not thought of it. Mavros, black. “Black Michael?”
“It means my ancestor Michael had no surname. He was an orphan, in mourning, and was called Black Michael. And look at the Mavromichalis now. The most powerful family in Laconia. That orphan did great things with the little he was given. As have you. The Mani people will forever be in your debt. You will always have a home among us, Missno. You are family. And to Maniots, family is everything.”
Diana did not trust her voice. She bent down her head as tears fell into her palms.
“Did he threaten you, Miss Snow? What did he say? On my wo
rd, if that man—”
“No,” she pushed out the word. “He said I am welcome to stay or leave; it is my choice.”
“Stay?” Lieutenant Ashworth’s eyes opened wide. “You would consider staying?”
She looked up at him, realizing that he must be extremely confused by her reaction. “I have been happy here. The people—I love them.”
Lieutenant Ashworth tipped his head and gave a soft smile as if he understood. “What will you do?”
“I do not know.”
“Well, if you please, make up your mind soon. I would like to return as soon as possible to my dearest Molly.”
“Yes. I understand, Lieutenant.”
The lieutenant took his leave, and Petrobey only glanced in his direction when he departed.
Diana rose. “Thank you, Petrobey,” she said. “I need to make a decision.”
He squinted his eyes and dipped his head. “Yes. You do.”
Chapter 25
Diana sat on a low wall at the edge of Limeni Village, dangling her feet and watching fishermen unloading their catch in the harbor.
She looked at the British ship, still unable to believe that it was here for her. That someone cared enough to send for her and that she could be on it in a moment and back to her life teaching young ladies at Elliot’s School in London within a matter of weeks. The idea did not hold any appeal.
She turned her head, letting her eyes travel over the stone houses of Limeni. She did not think it would take much to convince Petrobey to start a school. She could live here among the people doing what she loved. Now that Hektor had returned, things would not be exactly the same. She was certain she could see Elena and Sophia and their family any time she wished, but still, it would be different. And she felt like something would be missing.
She let her gaze linger on Alex’s ship, knowing exactly what that something was.
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