Greek Wedding

by Jane Aiken Hodge

  She was so horrified that it was hard to know where to begin. ‘Mr. Renshaw and I are hardly on such terms—’

  ‘Played your cards badly all round, haven’t you? But never mind, Alex still carries the torch for you. God knows why. I told him he’d be hag-ridden as I used to be, but he just said, “Nonsense”. Well, it’s his own business, and, of course, with things as they are now, he’ll find the money handy. How much is there, by the way? Isn’t it about time we sent to old Biddock for an accounting?’

  ‘No need.’ He had shocked her so much that the only thing to do seemed to be to treat the whole subject as the most ordinary one in the world. ‘I have all the figures here. But we’ll have to wait till we get to Zante to have the papers drawn up handing over your share. Biddock will have to do that.’

  ‘And till then I’m to be dependent on you for every penny I spend! Just like the bad old days. You never knew, did you, how it irked me to have you dole out my pocket-money as if you were my mother.’ He moved restlessly in bed. ‘I wish that damned doctor of yours would let me get up and start getting my strength back. But in the meanwhile, what’s this about you and Alex?’

  ‘Just that I’ve refused him.’ She must try not to let him excite himself further.

  ‘But that’s not the whole story, and you might as well admit it. You didn’t refuse him the first time, did you? Got cold feet, I suppose, now the Greeks are losing.’ It was what Alex had said, which did not make it any pleasanter hearing. ‘Did he tell you I’d given my permission?’

  ‘Yes.’ Odd to remember that she had actually found this comic.

  ‘I suppose that goes for nothing with you? I’m just the little brother you used to bully—oh quite for his own good, of course. Harvard, and the law, when you knew perfectly well all I wanted was a chance to try my luck against those damned turncoat Canadians. Well, times have changed now, Phyl, and the sooner you realise it, the better. I’m the head of the family, and what I say, goes. That crazy will of the old man’s would never stand for a moment if I were to fight it. Undue influence … Obviously his mind was going or he’d never have dreamed of bringing a couple of women here in times like these. Frankly, I thought him a little touched in the head the last time he was home, and I’ve friends who’d say so too. But no need to look so qualmish, I’m a fair-minded man. Fifty-fifty should do us both well enough … Of course, I ought to have the larger share, but there’s Alex to be considered. The best friend a man could have.’

  ‘But I’ve told you, Peter.’ Here at least was a bit of solid ground. ‘I’ve refused Alex.’

  ‘Want to be an old maid, do you? Like dear Aunt Cass?’

  She shivered a little at the spite in his tone. ‘I can imagine worse fates.’

  ‘Such as marriage to a real man like Alex, who’ll expect a real wife? Scared of it, aren’t you? Scared of anything real? A proper New England miss you turned out to be. Frankly, I can’t think why Alex wants you, but he does, and, I tell you, Phyl, if you don’t take him I’ll break that will, and you can starve, or turn governess for all I care. You’d make a good governess,’ he concluded brutally.

  ‘Who’d make a good governess?’ Jenny pushed open the door, her arms full of flowers. ‘Look what Marcos brought me! I thought they’d cheer up the sickroom a bit.’

  ‘You cheer up the sickroom, Jenny.’ His tone changed completely at sight of her. ‘I was beginning to think you’d never come. And so, I’m sure, was Phyllida who longs to be off counting okas of flour with those American friends of hers.’

  ‘And a very good work, too,’ said Jenny. ‘I think you must be better. I’ve always found that bad temper is a great sign of convalescence. And just look at the state you’ve got your pillows into. Anyone would think you and Phyl had been having a fight!’

  And so we have, thought Phyllida, retreating wearily to her own room. She could not even bring herself to go down to the warehouse, though she knew she would be missed, but sat, all afternoon, wondering wretchedly where she had gone wrong with Peter. And what should she do about it now! She longed to ask advice, but whose?

  The roar of an explosion brought her out of her reverie with a start. She hurried downstairs and found the rest of the family already gathering. ‘What is it?’ ‘Did you hear it?’

  ‘Gunfire.’ Brett had emerged from his study. ‘It sounds to me as if the Palamede has opened up on the Itchkali.’

  ‘And what happens to us?’ asked Jenny.

  ‘We leave, I think. Stay here, all of you; keep calm. There’s no reason why a ball should fall here. Marcos and I will find out what’s happening and make arrangements to board the Helena, if necessary. I just hope Peter’s well enough.’

  ‘Of course I’m well enough.’ Peter himself appeared at the head of the stairs. ‘So we’re to run away are we?’

  ‘Well,’ said Brett reasonably, ‘what would you suggest?’

  ‘You’ll be careful, B?’ Jenny said what Phyllida had longed to.

  ‘I’m always careful, kitten. You should know that by now.’

  ‘Yes, indeed.’

  Something in Peter’s tone made Jenny turn on him. ‘He’s been pretty careful of you, when you come to think of it, Mr. Vannick.’

  ‘Yes. Forgive me, Jenny. I’m not myself.’ A convincing stagger brought her hurrying to his side to help him back to bed.

  ‘I hope we don’t have to move him.’ She rejoined Phyllida downstairs. ‘He’s not a bit well really. I’m sure that’s what makes him so short-tempered, poor thing. I expect it was just one gun, don’t you? An accident or something?’ But her hopeful words were drowned by a new burst of gunfire. ‘That’s from the other direction!’

  ‘Yes,’ said Phyllida. ‘From the Itchkali.’

  Brett returned with more bad news. ‘The town’s in a panic, and the gates are shut. For the moment, no one’s allowed out or in. Oh, I expect we could bribe our way through if the worst came to the worst, but the streets are in such a state I really think that for the moment we’d do better to stay here and take our chance of a stray ball. Under the cliff as we are, I think we should be safe enough.’

  ‘And to think I used to complain of the overhang!’ said Jenny. ‘You don’t think a ball might bring it down on us, Brett?’

  ‘I hope not. They’re wild shots, God knows, but not I hope, so bad as that. It’s what we thought. Trouble between Fotomarra and Grivas.’

  ‘What are the government doing?’ asked Phyllida.

  ‘They’re mixed up in it. It all started with trouble among the three regents. I wish to God Capodistrias would get here.’

  ‘I’m not sure I wouldn’t rather see Captain Hamilton and the Cambrian,’ said Phyllida.

  ‘You may well be right. Or Codrington himself, the Admiral. I’ve never met him, but from what I’ve heard, he’s not one to stand much nonsense. Oh—that reminds me of one good thing: Dr. Howe must have had early information of the trouble. The American relief ship that arrived yesterday, the Six Brothers, slipped anchor and sailed in the night. I imagine Howe didn’t intend the government to take their tithe of her supplies, as they did with the Tontine.’

  ‘Yes,’ said Phyllida. ‘It made him furious, and no wonder. I hope he’s all right today. Did you see him, Brett? Should we ask him to stay here? It’s much safer than those lodgings of his in the centre of the town.’

  ‘That’s what I was coming to,’ said Brett. ‘He sailed with the Six Brothers.’

  ‘Oh! So—no doctor?’

  ‘What a good thing Peter’s so much better,’ said Jenny cheerfully.

  Chapter 20

  The intermittent gunfire between the two forts continued, the town gates remained shut and food prices soared. Several houses were destroyed, and a ball from the Palamede hit the converted Mosque where the Government met, and wounded three senators. This had much more effect than a hundred civilian deaths and they promptly packed up and moved to the Burj, a fortified island in the bay out of range of the firing.

  In
the house under the cliff, things went on with an odd appearance of calm. Price, characteristically, turned out to have been building up a reserve of supplies, so that though their diet was dull it was perfectly adequate.

  ‘I still think we’re safer here.’ Brett and Marcos, the only two who now left the house, had just returned from a walk to the central square. ‘I don’t a bit like the look of the soldiers at the town gate.’ Nor did he much relish the idea of escorting the three women through the crowded and panicky streets, where looting and disorder of every kind were already rife.

  ‘Besides,’ said Jenny, ‘Alex said he’d come for us if he heard of trouble in Nauplia. We really need his escort round Matapan, don’t we, Brett?’

  ‘Yes, I think we do. Unless of course the Cambrian or one of the other Allied ships is going that way.’

  ‘Which seems extremely unlikely.’ Peter joined them fully dressed. ‘It would be madness not to wait for Alex. We can count on him.’

  ‘In so far as we can count on anything,’ said Brett. ‘But at least, thank God, the Helena’s still there in the harbour, safe and sound.’

  ‘Does that surprise you?’ Peter’s tone was belligerent. ‘You don’t seriously think she’s likely to be attacked right here in the Bay of Nauplia, under the nose of the Government?’

  ‘Frankly, nothing would surprise me by now.’

  ‘You don’t understand the Greeks.’

  ‘I’m not sure I want to.’

  ‘I don’t like to think what that book of yours is going to be like!’

  ‘It’s going to be a tearing success!’ Jenny intervened, as so often when things began to go wrong between the two men. ‘I hope you’re making the most of this episode, B. What’s the title to be now? “Between Two Fires”?’

  ‘It’s not a bad one,’ said Brett. ‘I suppose all we need now is an attack by Ibrahim Pasha to make it three.’

  ‘Yes indeed!’ Peter actually seemed to welcome the idea. ‘If Ibrahim would only attack, the Greeks would unite at once.’

  ‘Rather a drastic way of achieving it, surely?’

  As so often, Peter took no notice of Phyllida’s comment. Later, alone with Jenny, she made herself raise what she felt to be a difficult subject. ‘I am grateful to you for smoothing things down between your brother and mine. Sometimes I almost wish poor Peter was still confined to his room.’

  ‘Prickly, isn’t he?’ said Jenny cheerfully. ‘I expect being defeated, and surrendering, and all that was a perfectly horrid experience. He’ll get over it.’

  ‘I hope so.’ It was on the tip of her tongue to warn Jenny of his intentions towards her, but what right had she to do so?

  ‘Just the same, Jenny went on. ‘I can’t say I’ll be sorry to get away from here. Though mind you it’s going to be no picnic on the Helena. Have you thought what a crowd we’re going to be?’

  ‘I have indeed! I’d even wondered whether Peter mightn’t consider sailing on the Philip—if Alex really comes.’ Odd to find herself actually wishing he would. ‘Lord! That was a near one!’ Most of the time they pretended not to notice the sporadic outbursts of gunfire, but this shot had been very much too close for comfort.

  ‘Yes! Look at the dust. Poor Price, he’ll be quite in despair. I do hope they mend their aim before they fire again. Do you think we ought to go and see if anyone’s been hurt next door?’

  But Brett refused to allow this. He and Marcos went and returned to report that the ball had merely set fire to an empty house.

  ‘Merely!’ said Jenny.

  ‘Well, kitten, you know what I mean.’

  ‘I do indeed. It’s remarkable, isn’t it, how one can get used to anything. Was it like this in the Acropolis, Peter? Did you get so you hardly noticed?’

  ‘Good God! You don’t delude yourself that this is anything like what we endured on the Acropolis! Compared to what we went through, this is merely playing at war.’

  ‘It’s playing quite hard enough for me. I can see I’m not the stuff heroines are made of. Right now, I’d give my eye-teeth for a quiet country walk and a picnic of fruit at the end of it.’

  ‘Just to get out!’ said Phyllida. ‘Are you sure we couldn’t be out helping with the wounded, Brett?’

  ‘Quite sure.’

  ‘Idiotic!’ said Peter. ‘If you didn’t faint at the blood, you would at the remedies the Greeks use.’

  ‘I might,’ said Jenny. ‘But Phyllida wouldn’t. She’s game for anything.’

  ‘Most unsuitable,’ said Peter.

  Jenny rounded on him. ‘Really, there’s no satisfying you today! I shall go and help Aunt Cass with the mending!’ She flounced out of the room, closely followed by Brett.

  ‘Promising!’ Peter moved closer to Phyllida, who had been busy all this time with some copying for Brett’s book. ‘It’s always a good sign when they begin to lose their temper with one. I wish I could decide whether to declare myself before or after you make over my estate to me. She’s such a romantic little idiot, she might prefer to accept me for my beaux yeux alone, don’t you think? Specially as, from what I can gather, she’s got nothing herself except some shabby old family jewellery. Lucky I’ll have enough for two! But what do you think, Phyl? Shall I throw myself at her feet in all my interesting convalescence, or wait till Zante?’

  She looked up at him, troubled. ‘Do you care about her at all, Peter?’

  ‘Care? Of course I care! It’s a chance in a thousand! You don’t understand anything, do you? It’s connection that counts in the world, and that’s what she’s got. Look at the way that brother of hers sails about the Mediterranean as if it belonged to him. I count on you to turn him up sweet about this, by the way. I wouldn’t be surprised if he took against the idea at first, but you and my Jenny will bring him about between you.’

  His Jenny? ‘Aren’t you taking things a bit for granted?’

  ‘I might have known you’d take that line! Trust you to put a spoke in my wheel if you can! I warn you, Phil, if you try and turn Jenny against me, you’ll regret it to your dying day.’

  ‘But, Peter!’ No use. He had slammed out of the room. She sighed, picked up her pen and went on with her copying. At least Brett still let her do this for him. Jenny and Cassandra might help with his first drafts, but the final version of the book would all be in her beautiful copperplate hand. Writing away, she could not shake off her anxiety about Peter. What ought she to do? Speak to Jenny? Speak to Brett? But how could she speak to Brett, when he contrived never to be alone with her? Besides, everything she did went wrong. Best let things alone? And blame herself for ever if Jenny should accept Peter, and be wretched? She was so young…

  A tear fell, blotting the page. As if they were not short enough of paper already. She jumped furiously to her feet, and was aware, as she did so of angry voices in the courtyard. Brett and Peter. Now what?

  It must have blown up very suddenly. ‘I’m going, I tell you!’ Peter was still incredibly gaunt, and weak to match, and they had so far managed to persuade him not to leave the house. ‘I’ll be able to get more sense out of them in five minutes than you and Marcos can in days of pleading. I’ve fought for them, remember. I’m one of them.’

  ‘Yes,’ said Brett reasonably. ‘Just so long as you don’t happen to be on the wrong side. Have you considered that? There’s a good deal of feeling in town about the surrender of the Acropolis. No, don’t flare up at me! I know as well as you do that it was no decision of yours, but what’s reason to an angry Greek? Besides, if you could persuade them to let us out, as, perhaps, you could, we’d merely have to wait on board the Helena till Alex arrives. If we’re crowded and cross here, what will it be like there, do you think?’

  His reasonable tone was wasted on Peter. ‘You think I’m suffering with my “nerves” do you? Don’t you realise how near that last ball came? Death’s nothing to me. I’ve faced it a thousand times. I’m thinking of your sister. How will you feel when you see her lying dead—or, worse still, raped at your
feet?’

  ‘Surprised,’ said Brett equably. ‘Look, Mr. Vannick, I’m not a fool. I’ve thought, over and over again, of the risks to which my sister—and yours too, and her aunt are exposed. I’m responsible for them, and I shall do my best to see them safe out of this danger, into which, by the way, they would never have to run but for you. You’ve been a soldier; you must have seen the dangers of a divided command. I’m in command here, and I intend to remain so. And I’ve made up my mind. We will all remain here, together, to await Alex’s arrival.’

  Phyllida, listening unashamedly from the concealing darkness of the saloon, had a moment of terror, afraid it would come to blows. But—had Peter remembered that this was Jenny’s brother?—his answer, when it came at last, was surprisingly meek, ‘I’m sorry. It’s this inaction. It’s my anxiety for her, for your sister, for Jenny!’

  ‘Believe me,’ said Brett, ‘I am anxious for her too. And for Phyllida and her aunt,’ he added and brought uncontrollable tears to Phyllida’s eyes.

  ‘What’s the matter, love?’ Jenny joined her. ‘Been listening, too? That was a turnup for the books, wasn’t it? Or for the book!’ Wickedly. ‘I wonder if we could persuade Brett to write it in. He put that suitor of mine nicely in his place, didn’t he?’

  ‘Suitor?’

  ‘I’m not quite a fool. What I don’t rightly understand is why he wants me. Not for love, I’m sure, nor yet for my riches, since I’ve none.’

  ‘He says connection is the most important thing in the world.’ There, it was out, and she was glad.

  ‘So that’s it. I did wonder. Thank you, Phyl; that will help. And now, dry your eyes for goodness sake. They’re coming in and, remember, we’ve not heard a word of it. One good thing: there’s less chance of the two of them coming actually to blows if Peter’s after me. He’s a cold-blooded one, that brother of yours.’