The Beads of Nemesis (10 page)

and your eyes flash fire and promise -”

“They promise you nothing! Takis, if you go on like this,

I shall tell Pericles - and Dora!”

“Dora would blame you. No man is ever to blame for flirting with a pretty girl in her opinion. I think you won’t say anything to Thia Dora. And you are too afraid of Pericles to mention any escapade to him. No, no, you value his opinion of you too highly to risk his taking you to task for playing games with me!”

Morag hurried her footsteps, her indignation reverberating along the pavement. “I’ll never speak to you again!” she told him furiously. “Why won’t you go away?” But he only laughed and took her new dress from her, tucking it under his arm as he put a hand on her elbow to guide her across the busy street.

If Morag would have rather that he was anywhere else; the children were more than pleased to him, however. They were already seated at one of the tables that had been arranged under the trees in the forecourt of the museum. “We didn’t order until you came,” Kimon mentioned quickly. “We thought Takis might be with you.”

“So I can pay, huh?” his cousin teased him. “Well, here I am! What are you all going to have?”

“Ice-cream,” they demanded unanimously.

Takis looked at Morag, his eyes bright - too bright. “And you?”

She would have liked to have refused to have anything but she thought that that would be making too much of a silly incident. Besides, it was terribly hot and the cooling breeze that always seemed to be present beside the sea was absent from the stifling Athens streets. She looked down her nose, sitting very straight in her chair. “I’ll have a pressed lemon,” she said.

Takis laughed. “I’ll tell him to bring you plenty of sugar!” he teased

her.

Morag averted her face. She rescued the box holding her dress from beside his chair where he had put it and hugged it to her. He had spoilt her whole afternoon, but at least she had her dress!

It was a long time before their order came. The waiter, when he did come, was carrying a huge tray, laden several layers deep with drinks, ice-creams, cakes and large, cool glasses of water that were served automatically with every order. Diverted for a moment from her anger with Takis, Morag watched the man making his way towards them and thought how well the Athenians laid out their cafes, making the best of every site, temporary or otherwise. Then, with a start of dismay, she realised that the waiter was not the only one who was coming towards them, for behind him came Pericles, a Pericles looking so grim that she clutched her package closer still for comfort.

“Daddy!” Peggy exclaimed. “Daddy, what are you doing here?”

Pericles’ eyes rested on Morag’s face. “I came to take you home. Are you ready to go?”

She nodded helplessly, as tongue-tied as she always was in his presence nowadays.

“But you haven’t had your pressed lemon,” Kimon reminded her, his voice tinged with indignation. “Nor have we had our ice-creams!” he added.

Pericles put his hand on Morag’s feet, the steely pressure of his fingers drawing her to her feet. “Then you two can come home with Takis,” he ordered them. “Morag will come with me - now!”

Morag clutched her package and followed him to where he had left his car in silence. She wished that he would look a little less grim, or that she could think of something bright to say that would relieve the atmosphere between them.

“I thought I told you not to dally with Takis, or to be alone with him?” Pericles said smoothly in a voice that brought a wave of panic to the pit of her stomach.

“The children,” she began.

“The children! Were the children there when you went shopping together ?”

In silence she shook her head. “I didn’t ask him to come, Perry. He followed me to the shop.”

He gave her a long, level look. “All right, Morag,” he said at last. “But I shan’t tell you a third time. Stay away from Takis, or I shall make it my business to see that you do! Now get in and I’ll drive you home.”

She did so, the tears stinging her eyes. He got in beside her and started the engine, but he didn’t drive off immediately.

“Tears, Morag? Then see that you don’t give me cause to get really angry with you because, by God, you’ll be sorry if you do!” Morag gave him a frightened look and thought he looked grimmer than ever. She had not the slightest difficulty in believing him. She was sorry now, though she didn’t see how she could have got rid of Takis under the circumstances and, if she had felt braver, she would have said so. Pericles lifted an eyebrow and smiled suddenly.

“You could have refused to get into his car in the first place,” he told her. “That was where you made your mistake.”

And looking back over the afternoon, Morag could only agree with him.

CHAPTER SIX

“Have I any money?”

The question as it came out sounded bald and ungracious, and she immediately wished it unsaid, as happened so often with her nowadays.

Pericles glanced at the parcel she was still hugging to her. “I hadn’t thought about it,” he admitted. “I’m sorry, Morag. I should have done so. What have you been living on all this time?”

“I haven’t needed much. I don’t need much now. I only meant that it’s nice to have a little, to give the children ice-creams occasionally, and things like that.”

He gave her a wry look. “Is that an explanation of why you encouraged Takis to tag along? To pay for the children’s ice-creams?”

She coloured. “No, of course not. I was only trying to explain why I needed money.”

“My dear girl, if you buy all your clothes at that particular boutique you’ll need more than a few drachmae to keep you going!” She found his amusement very hard to bear, but it was worse still when he added, “Did Takis suggest you went there too ?”

“No.”

He cast her a quick, curious glance. “I thought you brought all your clothes back from England with you?” he enquired.

“Yes, I did,” she admitted. She knew he was going to ask her why she found it necessary to buy anything more and she had no answer ready for him. How could she confess that she had deliberately gone out to buy a dress that would transform her into the woman of his dreams, and not just the girl whom he had married as a convenience to look after his children! “But one doesn’t want to wear old clothes for ever. I’m sure your mother must be sick of the sight of me in jeans. She’s very elegant herself, isn’t she?”

“I don’t think she minds your jeans,” he said, still looking amused. “Is this new dress to take their place?”

“Not exactly,” she said. Was it likely that she’d wear an evening dress of cloth of gold in the middle of the afternoon? It made it all the more difficult to explain why she had bought it at all!

“Did you buy the dress for Takis ?”

“Of course not!”

“I don’t see that there’s any of course about it,” he returned with renewed anger. “He has a way with women - as I know to my cost!” Morag felt an impatience with the dead Susan that made her long to tell Pericles once and for all how stupid she thought his wife had been. But there are limits as to what one can fittingly say about the dead, and she bit back the words, her mind working furiously as to how else she could convince him that Takis meant nothing to her, whatever emotion he had stirred in Susan’s breast.

“I’m not surprised Takis is so spoilt,” she said in an amused, cool voice that pleased her well. “You all go on about him as if he were something fantastically special. No wonder he believes it himself!” Pericles’ mouth tightened. “You have to admit he is handsome-”

“Do you think so?” Morag said in the same light tones. “Don’t you?”

Morag achieved a yawn. “In a way. Flashy good looks like his have never appealed to me much. I prefer,” She broke off. If she told him what she preferred, he would be bound to recognise himself in the picture she drew. “I prefer someone less obvious - stronger, if you know what I mean, who doesn’t have to play-act all the time.”

“Does he play-act?” He sounded as though it were a new thought to him and one that he rather liked.

“All the time. He’s the biggest ham I’ve ever met!”

“Well, well,” he murmured. “And what makes you think you prefer the iron hand in the velvet glove? I haven’t noticed you giving way to anyone or anything, except when one of those sudden impulses of yours takes you by storm.” “I may have been impulsive over David, but I’ve got over that.” She glanced at him covertly through her eyelashes. “I wish I’d never told you that Takis is like him! You’ve been quite horrid and suspicious ever since! And anyway, David had more substance that Takis, even if he wasn’t all that I’d thought him. You make me sound a perfect idiot!”

“Didn’t you also marry me on impulse?” he said.

She refused to answer. Was that what he believed of her? It seemed to her only too likely, and it was a depressing thought to her that she could see no way of denying the charge without telling him why she had married him, and she wasn’t ready to do that, even if she could have found tie words to do so.

“Well?” he prompted her.

Morag bit her lip in displeasure, frowning out of the window. “You don’t understand!” she said. “You don’t understand me, and I don’t think you understood Susan either!” She put a hand quickly up to her mouth. “I didn’t mean-”

His hands tightened on the steering-wheel and he slowed the car down to a crawl. “What did you mean?” he asked in the inflexible dangerous tones that she knew so well.

“Only that I’m not as silly as you think!”

He stopped the car altogether. “Aren’t you, my dear?”

She shook her head, swallowing hard. “I’m not a child!” she almost shouted. “You go on as if I do nothing but jump from one scrape into another!”

She knew he was looking at her and that she wouldn’t be able to read his expression even if she could bring herself to look back at him. She began picking , at her fingers instead, unconsciously betraying the nervousness that she most wanted to hide from him.

“If you do,” he said, “this is one scrape you won’t get out of in a hurry! You had your chance to change your mind. It’s too late for you to do so now!” He went on watching her, then he put a hand over hers, forcing her to be still. “Why don’t you think I understood Susan?”

“I don’t know,” she admitted.

“You must have some reason for saying such a thing!” She hesitated. Then, “I don’t believe she preferred Takis,” she said at last in a small voice. “Not unless you made her think she did.”

“Oh?” his voice was wintry in the extreme. She made a restless movement with her hands, but he had no intention of releasing his hold on them.

“She couldn’t have done!”

His eyebrows rose at that. “Why not?”

“Because she married you!”

One corner of his mouth turned down. “She didn’t have much choice. Her family saw to that, aided and abetted by mine. Love and romance didn’t come into the matter. It’s not unusual in Greece, you know.” Morag bent her head. “I can’t explain,” she muttered. “I knew you wouldn’t understand!”

“On the contrary, I think I do understand. I find it a very interesting point of view!”

She shrugged her shoulders. “Yes, well, aren’t we going home? Takis and the children will be there before us if we don’t hurry.”

“Does that matter?” he drawled.

“Of course!” she said. “It’s my job to look after them!” She saw him smile. “As my wife, your job is whatever I say it is. The children will be all right without you for a few minutes. Now, let’s talk about you. How much money do you think you’ll need each month?”

She was so relieved that Pericles wanted to talk about money and nothing more personal that she looked up with a quick intake of breath. Her eyes met his and dropped into his hand which was still covering hers. “It’s very hot. Takis had ordered a pressed lemon for me, but you took me away before I could drink it. You might at least have waited until I’d had a sip from it.”

“Is that a hint that I should find a cafe and buy you a drink?”

She nodded, feeling more at ease. “If we don’t have to worry about the children. And if you can spare the time?” She turned on him, suddenly aware that it was the middle of the afternoon and that he ought to be working. “Why are you here anyway?”

His expression was indulgent. “Would you rather I went away?”

“No, but shouldn’t you be working?”

He glanced at his watch. “I think I can spare you a few minutes. Besides, I could do with a drink too.”

He chose a cafe overlooking the sea. He pulled out a chair for her and sat down himself opposite her, watching her closely. When the waiter came for their order, he gave it in Greek without consulting her. Morag presumed that he had ordered another pressed lemon for her, but when it came there was a cottage type bowl of yoghurt, rich and creamy, which he pushed over to her side of the table. “It’s very good for the complexion,” he told her.

She found it very refreshing. It was cold and sour, but not too sour. It was much richer than the yoghurt she had known in England, but she thought perhaps it was because this was obviously home-made and had no other flavour, or real fruits added. It disappeared quickly and she had practically finished it before she became aware that Pericles was still watching her with the same close attention. “Aren’t you going to have any?” she asked him.

“I was going to have half yours. Didn’t you have any lunch?”

“Oh,” she said. “I’m sorry. You should have told me before.” She smiled. “You’re too late now, it’s all gone!” “I’ll make do with my lager.” He paused. “Why did you buy the dress, Morag?”

She licked her spoon thoughtfully, and then took a sip of the ice-cold water which had actually come with Pericles’ beer but which she didn’t think he was going to drink himself. “No particular reason,” she said.

“Shall I tell you what I think?” He picked up the parcel that held her dress. “I think you plan to dazzle someone-” She retained her composure with an effort. “I plan to dazzle all of you!” she said quickly.

“No one in particular!” Pericles looked into the parcel, fingering the

cloth of gold. “Dazzle is the word!” “Yes.” Her enthusiasm for the dress rekindled. “Don’t you think it’s beautiful? It cost every penny I had, but I can’t regret it! I won’t regret it.”