His Forbidden Bride (15 page)

top to bottom in vivid picture postcards from every corner of the world.

'From their son,' Andreas said, seeing her looking at them, while Androula

bustled around. 'He was a merchant seaman, and travel ed everywhere.

And, unlike Odysseus, always he sent cards home so that they would know

where he was, and that he was safe.'

'And is he stil safe?'

'Very much so,' Andreas said drily. 'He met an Australian girl, and now he

lives in Queensland. Every six months he sends his parents the money for

their airfares, so that they can visit him, and they put it in the bank instead,

so it wil be there for him if disaster should strike.'

'What a shame,' Zoe said softly. 'Do you think they will ever go?'

'I doubt it. I think he wil have to bring his wife and child to them instead. And then, of course, he wil stay. Or so Androula believes.'

'She thinks he'l give up the good life in Australia for Thania? Why?'

'Because of the water from the spring,' he said after a pause. 'There is an

old superstition that anyone who drinks it wil always return here.'

In the deafening silence that fol owed, Zoe heard herself swal ow. She said

huskily, 'Then it's a good thing I'm not superstitious.'

Andreas smiled at her. 'And neither am I,
matia mou
,' he said softly. 'Neither am I.'

The honey cakes were delicious and Zoe could praise them without reserve,

while Andreas translated for her.

When it was time to leave, Zoe found her hands clasped between

Androula's gnarled ones, while the older woman spoke to her softly and

earnestly.

'What did she say?' Zoe asked as they emerged into the sunlight. 'I feel

such an idiot not to be able to understand.'

His voice was expressionless. 'That she wil pray to the Virgin of the Cave to

send you tall sons.'

She kept her smile in place as if it had been nailed there. 'Wonderful,' she

said, lightly. 'My entire future mapped out on the strength of one drink of

water. Maybe I should stick to the bottled Loutraki brand from now on.'

Andreas made no reply, simply revved the engine and started off, sending

dust and pebbles flying.

Back on the road, they travel ed a mile, perhaps two, in a silence that Zoe

was the first to break. 'Are we going to Odysseus' bay?'

'It's on the other side of the island.' He didn't look at her. 'I thought we would have lunch first. I know a good place.'

'Run by another friend of yours?'

His wintry expression eased a little. 'No one can have too many friends,

pedhi mou
.'

'No,' she said quietly. 'I'm sure that's true.'

She'd had friends, she thought, at school and later at university, but over the

last few traumatic years, when Gina had been her priority, she'd lost touch

with most of them. That was something she would start to rectify as soon as

she got home. She might even use one of the internet sites that reunited

people. It would al be part of her fresh start— her new life. Once she had

laid the ghosts of the past…

'You are sighing,' Andreas said. 'What makes you sad?'

'I didn't realise I was.' Zoe hesitated. 'Perhaps al this wonderful sun and

scenery reminded me that this is only a holiday, and that there's a long

winter ahead at home.'

'But winter also has its pleasures, Zoe
mou,'
he said. 'If you have the right person to share them with.'

But I shan't have you
… Her hands gripped together, white-knuckled, at the

sudden pain of it.

Oh, dear God, she thought. How can I be feeling like this? I never meant it

to happen.

Was this how her mother had felt al those years ago? she asked herself

with a kind of desperation. And was ibis why she had never returned—never

accepted possession of the house that had been given to her? Because she

was suddenly overwhelmed—terrified by the force of her own emotions?

And so she'd opted instead for safety—security in England, with only the

picture she'd painted to remind her of what she'd left behind.

And I, she thought, I shal only have a few photographs.

She was aware of Andreas' swift, sidelong glance, and hurried into speech.

'I've just realised I forgot to take my camera up Mount Edira. How stupid of

me. I could have got some marvel ous shots.'

'Another time, maybe,' he said. 'When perhaps you wil trust me enough,

pedhi mou
, to tel me what you are really thinking.'

To which, Zoe decided in confusion, there was real y no answer. Or not one

that she dared to give.

They had the Bay of Odysseus al to themselves. Zoe's brows lifted as she

surveyed the deserted crescent of sand. 'Did you arrange for everyone else

to stay away?' she asked, not altogether joking.

Andreas smiled at her, unfazed. 'People usual y come here by boat,' he

explained. 'To swim and to dive. But there are no trips on Sundays.' He

paused. 'As you must have noticed, it is not particularly accessible unless

you have a four-wheel drive.'

'And not even then,' Zoe said, wincing at the memory of the bone-jolting ride

through olive groves and citrus orchards, ending in the descent of a track

like an Alpine black run.

'Also, it is not seen as a family beach,' he added. 'It shelves very deeply and

quickly about fifty yards out, and, if you are not a strong swimmer, you are

soon out of your depth.'

His warning came too late, Zoe thought, suppressing a bubble of hysteria.

She'd been out of her depth since the moment she'd set eyes on him. And

agreeing to spend the day with him—accompanying him to this silent and

solitary place—was madness.

She said quietly, 'Then I shal have to be careful.' She paused. 'But if it's

dangerous, why would anyone come here?' She glanced around. 'And there

are certainly no concessions for tourists,' she added wryly.

'They come for the legend.' Andreas pointed to a large flat rock, gleaming

white in the sun, jutting out into the sea at one end of the cove. 'They like to

dive from the place where Odysseus is supposed to have rested before

beginning the final leg of his journey to Ithaca.'

'You sound sceptical.'

He shrugged. 'He was on board a friendly ship, with a fair wind. Why

hesitate when Ithaca was within reach?'

She looked down at the rough ground. 'Maybe he encountered yet another

willing nymph.' Her voice sounded almost stifled.

'The story does not mention one.'

She swal owed. 'Then perhaps, after al those setbacks, he was simply

scared of being happy again with the people he loved. Petrified that

something else would go wrong. And he decided he needed a breathing

space.' She paused. 'I suppose you would have sailed straight on.'

'When what you want most in the world is within reach,' he said softly, 'why

hold back?'

He .went back to the Jeep, and began to unpack the rug, the sun umbrel a

and the cool-bag from the back, leaving her to stare after him, her heart

thumping against her ribs in mingled excitement and unease.

She turned and began to walk down the beach, feeling the burn of the sand

through the soles of her canvas shoes.

It was bakingly hot, the sea stil and almost colourless, the horizon a distant

shimmer.

She had not expected to be alone with him here, she thought. It might be off

the beaten track, but it was justly a famous beauty spot. Besides, the

taverna, where they'd eaten a wonderful lunch of freshly gril ed fish and

salad, had been equal y remote, clinging to the edge of a cliff, but almost

every table had been occupied.

She lifted a hand, pushing a strand of sweat-dampened hair from her

forehead, recalling the boisterous welcome they'd received from Takis, the

owner, a large, bearded man with a booming laugh. He'd clapped Andreas

cheerfully on the shoulder as he'd shown them to their table, and subjected

Zoe to a long look that had combined frank appreciation with curiosity.

But when he'd made some jovial comment in his own language, he'd

encountered a frosty glance from Andreas that had sent him speeding back

to his charcoal gril .

And when she'd enquired what Takis had said to provoke such a reaction,

Andreas had returned cool y and dis that it was unimportant, and asked her

if she would like some wine.

Clearly one was al owed to trespass so far and no further, she thought. And

maybe she should remember that.

When she turned back the sun umbrel a was in place, the rug was spread

beneath it, and Andreas was stripping off his outer clothing to reveal brief

swimming trunks.

She halted, feeling her mouth go dry. It was easier, she thought, struggling

for detachment, not to look at him.

He went past her, running with lithe grace, and plunged into the sea, his

body cutting the water like a knife, with scarcely a splash.

Last time, of course, this had been her signal to leave, but today there was

nowhere to run. They were isolated and alone together..

Yet so we were on Mount Edira, she reminded herself, and he didn't touch

me.

But that was then, she thought as she began to unbutton her shirt And this

is now… And what am I most scared of, anyway: that he'l lay a hand on

me—or that he won't?

When he returned she was stretched out in the shadow of the umbrel a,

sunblock applied, her hair tucked into her white cotton hat, sunglasses in

place, and her attention apparently concentrated on the book she was

reading. Even if her whole body was tingling in awareness of him, she

appeared cool, and that was what mattered.

He picked up his towel, and began to blot the moisture from his skin. She

knew that he was looking down at her, the dark eyes travel ing slowly over

her body. 'Are you going to swim, Zoe
mou
?'

'Later, perhaps.' She kept her tone light. 'I tend to keep out of deep water.'

There was a smile in his voice. 'And you are never tempted to throw caution

to the winds?'

'Rarely.' The words on the page danced in front of her in a meaningless

jumble. 'I like to keep life simple—and safe.'

'I too prefer to avoid complications,' he said. 'But sometimes they are

inevitable.'

He stretched out beside her, close but not touching. Very much at his ease.

He said softly, 'I am sure that is a fascinating book,
pedhi mou
, but I would be grateful if you could put it down. Because we need to talk, you and I.'

Zoe hesitated, then complied reluctantly. She said, 'What do you want to