The Theotokis Inheritance (10 page)

Then, as if reading her thoughts, Oscar said, ‘Europeans go in for wide beds,’ he said casually. ‘Useful—and necessary—in hot climates.’

And, with that, he kicked off his shoes and flopped down on the other side of the bed, well away from Helena. He yawned, not looking at her. ‘After we’ve had a rest and a shower, I’ll take you exploring. Alekos will be making us one of his superb suppers. Which we won’t be eating until much later in the evening when everything’s cooled down.’

Oscar closed his eyes, waiting for Helena to say something, but instead he heard her take off her sandals and lie down quietly beside him, positioning herself almost on the edge of her side of the bed. He smiled
inwardly. He’d waited this long; he could wait a bit longer, he thought… Wait for that special moment…

It was seven o’clock before they both surfaced, Oscar first, and for several minutes he lay on his side, propped up on his elbow, just drinking in Helena’s appearance. Her skirt was pulled up around her thighs and her loose top had fallen slightly, exposing the rounded curve of her breasts in the lacy bra. She’d pulled the clip from her hair, which hung loosely around her shoulders, and her face was pale in sleep—pale and perfect, he thought, longing to touch her. He shifted slightly, and the movement made Helena wake with a start. She sat up quickly, drawing her skirt down and looking across at him.

‘How long have we been asleep?’ she asked. ‘I can’t believe I dropped off so easily!’

‘That’s what the Greek climate does to you,’ Oscar said, getting up and swinging his legs off the bed. He glanced back. ‘I’ll have a shower first, allow you to wake up properly. Then I’ll show you around my island. It’ll be getting cool now.’

Later, both having changed into light shorts and fresh tops—and with Helena wearing her deck shoes, they set off.

‘You can walk the whole island in a couple of hours or so,’ Oscar said briefly. ‘But tonight we’ll head down to the little cove I like best. It’s usually nice and breezy down there.’

As they made their way across the rough ground together, Helena took a deep breath. Not just because of where they were, and of the tangible sense of peace and tranquillity, but because she and Oscar were alone,
just the two of them again, just strolling along as they used to do, talking only when they felt like it, absorbing their togetherness. Helena was not going to think of anything else, not allow her anxieties about her life to spoil these precious moments which would never come again. At this point in time her heart felt like a singing bird.

Just then, her foot caught on something and she staggered slightly, lurching forward. But not before Oscar had caught her, holding her to him briefly.

‘Careful,’ he murmured. Then, ‘It gets easier in a minute.’ But he didn’t let go of her, clasping her hand in his tightly as they walked on, with Oscar pointing out certain things that interested him.

As they started to make their way down towards the sea, they came across a tiny white-washed domed chapel, and Helena glanced up at Oscar.

‘Could we go inside… just for a second?’ she asked, thinking that she would like to say one or two things to her guardian angel.

Oscar made no comment, but led the way towards the door, which was partially open. As they went inside, Helena almost choked with emotion as she looked around. The place was cool, dark, mysterious, with just three small rows of chairs leading to an altar on which was a single tall candle, a simple cross and a gilded icon. And below was a small prayer table on which were a few lit candles flickering softly.

After she’d taken in her surroundings, Helena went forward slowly and stood gazing up for a moment. Then, turning to Oscar who had come up behind her,
she said softly, ‘Did you bring any money with you? I would like to… I would like to light a candle…’

Immediately, Oscar withdrew a note from his pocket, slipping it into the donation box, and Helena lit a candle and placed it alongside the others. Then she moved over to the nearest chair and knelt down, closing her eyes. She knew she’d have to stay there for a moment until she’d regained her composure because the whole atmosphere was making tears well up behind her eyelids, and she did not want to make a fool of herself in front of Oscar, who she didn’t imagine had her spiritual sensitivity.

But Oscar had moved right away from her, allowing her privacy, and when she got up and turned back to him he reached out his hand and took hers again, not saying anything. He led her back out into the softly darkening night and she looked up at him gratefully.

‘Thanks,’ she said. ‘At that moment, I had an overwhelming need to ask for something.’

He smiled down at her, releasing her hand and putting his arm around her shoulders instead. ‘What were you asking for? Or am I not allowed to ask?’ he said.

‘Well, seeing that you paid for my candle, you are entitled to know that,’ Helena said, feeling so utterly, utterly happy and contented she could tell him anything.

‘I was asking that Mulberry Court is always looked after properly, and that it never gets into the hands of the wrong people, that it will never become a monstrous, money-making place that would have horrified Isobel,’ she said slowly. ‘And that whoever eventually owns the house… and the wonderful land surrounding
it… will give it the love and cherishing that it’s always been used to.’

Oscar made no comment, yet Helena was somehow aware that he understood her feelings; the occasional pressure of his hand on her bare shoulder as he tucked her in closer said things that needed no words… not just then.

By the time they got to the little beach, the light was finally beginning to fade. They found a small sandy hillock and Oscar sat first, pulling Helena down beside him, and as they looked up into the night sky the visible universe appeared before them, a myriad tiny stars twinkling in their thousands, as if thrown there carelessly by an overindulgent god.

Sitting up, with her arms wrapped around her knees, Helena said, ‘Even in this light, the sea still looks a beautiful colour, doesn’t it… I noticed it when we were coming across this afternoon—shades of azure and turquoise and emerald, all mixed up.’ She glanced down at Oscar, who’d been gazing up at her. ‘I can’t say I’ve ever noticed colours in the water like that anywhere else before.’

He smiled at her, his dark-fringed eyes gleaming in the dusk. ‘We have our very own god Apollo to thank for that,’ he murmured. ‘He continues to send us a permanent supply of an extra-special light to produce such fluorescence.’ Oscar paused. ‘I’m glad you noticed,’ he added.

Looking away, Helena put her head on one side thoughtfully. Was he teasing her because of what she’d said in the chapel? Did he really give any credence to the idea of other-worldly beings? Perhaps he, too, had
a guardian angel, some unseen presence that he needed to get in touch with now and then. She smiled inwardly. That the all-important, almost obscenely successful Oscar Theotokis might need anything, or anyone, other than his own self-belief, was a most unlikely thought.

They sat there for several minutes, basking in the warmth of the night. Then Oscar’s meltingly sexy tone interrupted Helena’s dreamy thinking.

‘Heleena,’
he murmured quietly.

Drawing her down to lie beside him on the soft sand, he turned towards her on his side, lowering his head to close his mouth over hers, and Helena, her heart leaping in response to his touch, knew that she was lost, utterly lost. She was here in this divine place with the most desirable man in the world, and nothing, ever again, was going to compare with this brief interlude in her life.

She closed her eyes, loving the feel of his lips parting hers, the gentle thrust of his tongue, the feel of his hands entwining her hair as he bent over her. She kissed him back with increasing fervour, lost in the urgency of her need, not caring that these were to be temporary, passing moments that would never come again…

‘Heleena,’
he said again softly, gazing down into her now wide eyes. Then he began undressing her, touching each part of her with his lips as he went, her pale forehead, the tip of her nose, the tender skin at the base of her throat, the round smoothness of her naked body, knowing that he was heightening her unashamed passion, bringing it to the stratospheric level of his own…

‘You make me so happy,
Heleena
,’ he murmured,
gazing down at her. ‘You always, always made me so happy…’

And all Helena could do was to whisper his name, over and over again.
‘Oscar… Oscar…’
He was so gorgeous, she thought, feeling almost dazed in ecstasy at the feel of him, at the sight of him, his dark, suntanned skin shining faintly with perspiration, his hair glistening black in the soft light.
My Oscar…

Gently, tenderly, he went on making slow, passionate love to her, knowing that neither of them wanted it to end quickly. As she felt his vigorous, naked body against hers Helena felt shafts of indescribable pleasure ripple through her and she moved restlessly beneath him, clinging to him with increasing intensity, her breathlessness becoming painful, and she kept on whispering his name again and again…

And then, finally, he was inside her, and their worlds exploded in a dramatic firework display of wave upon wave of heated emotion until exhausted, sated, they lay back side by side, holding hands, saying nothing to disturb their sublime contentment.

And they remained there, silent as statues, until they saw Venus sink slowly in the west.

L
ATER
, with their arms around each other’s waists, they strolled back to the taverna, neither of them wanting to spoil their ecstatic moment on the beach by soiling the memory with words.

Helena glanced up at Oscar, admiring for the millionth time the chiselled contours of his face, the broad forehead, the firm mouth which had claimed hers with such intensity that she could still feel her lips tingling.

‘Alekos seemed very happy at having a grandson,’ she said presently.

‘Well, of course he is,’ Oscar said. ‘Families are an essential part of the Greek culture, and having a boy child is considered extremely fortunate. For obvious reasons,’ he added dryly.

He said no more, and Helena shot him a look, realizing that Oscar’s own family must be very thankful that he was there to shoulder the burden of their company. But after him… then who? she thought.

Their rather late meal of thinly sliced boiled octopus in olive oil on a bed of glistrada leaves wouldn’t have been Helena’s first choice, but she was surprised at how much she enjoyed it. Alekos was clearly very experienced at presenting tasty dishes for his visitors,
and the man’s delight when he collected their empty plates was palpable.

Presently, after sharing more than one bottle of local wine with Alekos to christen the new baby’s head, Helena and Oscar made their way upstairs. And when Helena cast her eyes once more on that snowy-white bed, she had no sense of trepidation, only a warm rush of pleasure at the thought of lying there with Oscar. Of being close. Of feeling his warmth meld with hers.

And in the small hours of the morning, he came to her again, embracing her tenderly, inviting her to make another journey of love within his arms. And this time it was even more wonderful than before because now they knew each other, and the familiarity of the moments only enhanced the sensual act taking place.

Then, finally, cradled in each other’s arms, the surging tides of passion gave way to blissful, wonderful peace, and at last the lovers slept.

The rest of their break passed in a blur to Helena, and soon they were once more flying back towards London.

Sitting opposite her in the aircraft, Oscar gazed across at Helena, wondering what was going through her mind, what lay behind the expression in those beautiful, sometimes sad and soulful eyes.

The few days had passed exactly as he’d planned—and he knew that Helena had enjoyed it. Had enjoyed
them
. But that still didn’t tell him what he really wanted to know, where exactly their paths might lead, how exactly this last chapter was going to be written. He shifted in his seat and leaned forward to stare out of the window.

And, for herself, Helena was feeling more than slightly confused at her present situation with Oscar. Their short holiday had been beyond wonderful, she thought. Their lovemaking had been fantastic, unbelievable and had sent her into paroxysms of joy she would never be able to easily describe.

And yet, and yet… Oscar had not told her he loved her. The three words she wanted to hear him say, the three words that every woman needed to hear. She knew that he’d wanted her—in the erotic sense. Oh yes, he’d made that plain enough. As much as she had wanted him. But all he had murmured over and over again was that she made him happy… that was all. She—made—him—happy. Was that enough? And what did it really mean? Did he imply that
they
could be happy again together? Or was it that their mutual pleasure had given him just a passing happiness?

She frowned as her thoughts tormented her. Was it merely the sort of happiness that went with satisfied lust? Something which he could obtain quite easily with others? And doubtless very frequently did? Or was it more significant? She bit her lip. She would probably never know the answers to all that, she thought.

They had both been rather quiet that morning, perhaps not relishing the thought of picking up the strands of normal life again. Helena looked across at Oscar, noting the familiar determined set of his jaw. His mind was probably already fixated on the work which would be waiting for him when they returned to Mulberry Court, she thought. Their holiday romance was at an end—and wasn’t that to be expected? All holiday flings came to nothing, everyone knew that. They were
merely passing flights of temporal fantasy. So?…So? Well, just live with it, she told herself.

She wished—not for the first time—that she could spend a few hours with her friend Anna and pour out her heart. Anna was one of those people who seemed able to read the lives and problems of others and come up with definitive answers—or, at any rate, some sound advice. But although the two girls had had several conversations on the phone since Helena had come to Dorset, Helena could never bring herself to talk about Oscar—had deliberately been evasive when questioned about the other person involved in the will. And, anyway, although Anna and Helena had been close over the years, Helena had never revealed details of her youthful love affair to another living soul because it would have been too painful. And pointless. Pointless going over something which had ended, and which it would have been far better never to have begun.

Much later, Oscar and Helena arrived back at Mulberry Court and, having eaten during their journey, no more food was considered necessary. All Helena wanted to do was to shower and get some sleep. With her foot on the bottom stair, she looked back at Oscar, who’d said he would be doing work in the study before going to bed himself.

‘Goodnight, Oscar,’ she said to his departing back. ‘And… um… thank you… thank you for my… holiday.’ She paused. ‘I loved your island,’ she added softly.

He turned briefly and gazed up at her, his heart almost bursting with love for her, his fertile mind doing somersaults, longing to tell her, longing to know…

‘I knew you would like it there as much as I do,’ he
said. And then, impulsively, he added, ‘By the way, I want you to know… um… I don’t want you to lose any sleep about the future of Mulberry Court.’

Helena stared back at him. ‘I’ll try not to…’ she began, and he interrupted.

‘No, what I mean is that I’m not going to sell this place—to strangers, I mean.’ He cleared his throat. ‘I intend keeping it, keeping it in the Theotokis family, where it belongs. And I intend… I shall be bringing my wife here one day—if I can persuade her to see my point of view,’ he added obliquely.

Frozen to the spot as she stared up at him, Helena felt as if she was going to pass out. His
wife
? What wife? she asked herself incredulously. He’d never mentioned a wife before, and in fact he’d implied that he would probably never marry anyone! She forced herself to appear unperturbed by what he’d just said.

‘Oh, well…’ she swallowed ‘… it’s a great relief that you intend saving Mulberry Court from a terrible fate.’ She paused. ‘I hope your wife will appreciate the place as much as we… as much as I… have always done,’ she added.

Oscar gazed down, his eyes gleaming blackly. ‘Oh, I know her well enough to be absolutely certain that she will,’ he said slowly. ‘And I know she’ll love living here for as much of the year as is possible, allowing for work commitments. She’ll have to understand that we’ll need to be away fairly regularly,’ he added.

‘Oh, I’m sure she’ll fall in with all your requirements, Oscar,’ Helena said tightly.

He shrugged. ‘I hope so,’ he said, ‘but women can be… unpredictable… at times.’

Helena could think of several ways to respond to that remark, but thought better of it. Instead, she turned and went resolutely up the stairs.

‘’Night,’ she said casually over her shoulder, before going into her room and shutting the door firmly.

For a full five minutes she stood there, her blood racing through her veins. If Oscar had taken a gun and shot her through the heart, she couldn’t feel more shocked and empty. How could he even
mention
a wife to her after what had taken place between them under the stars only a few days ago? What
was
it with men, that they could switch passion on and off like that? And what was it with Oscar Theotokis that he could treat women like he did… and that they came back for more? As she had done! Perhaps if—and when—he introduced them, she should tell Oscar’s lady love just what she’d be taking on!

Helena sat down on her bed with a thump. One thing was certain—no Greek woman was going to like being in England for very long, she thought fiercely; they wouldn’t survive the variable temperatures of the local climate. There wasn’t usually any need to slap on the factor five thousand
here
! And, whoever she was, she’d soon start complaining when it rained for two weeks without stopping!

Then Helena’s shoulders drooped. Who else would appreciate this very special place as she did? she asked herself. Who else would know the warm, personal welcome that filled every room in the house, who else would ever bother to roam every corner of the grounds, find out where the wild flowers peeped out in early
spring, or want to help with fruit picking in the autumn? Or want to take a book and have a lazy read inside the long, sheltering branches of the willow tree? It would be a complete waste to bring another woman here, she thought, especially one not used to the simple pleasures in life. She would just not fit in. And she’d make Oscar’s life a misery, always wanting to get back where the sun perpetually shone.

As she started to unpack her holdall listlessly, Helena knew that none of that mattered. This was all about Oscar. Nothing to do with the ownership of a property. And the unpalatable truth was that she was jealous—jealous as hell to think of anyone else being his wife even though he’d never given her any reason to think he’d want her, Helena, to fill that role. He’d never told her that, or even hinted at it. Oscar didn’t want her, had never wanted her—not in a lasting, bonding sense.

She gripped her hands together tightly. Oh, why, why,
why
had Isobel thrown them together again? she asked herself desperately.

And downstairs Oscar admitted to feeling bad, feeling uncomfortable at what he’d said to Helena. It had been disingenuous, to put it mildly, but at the last second something had made him hesitate before going on to say what was really in his mind and heart.

His jaw tightened. With their past history, he knew he was standing on uneven emotional ground with Helena—and he had to be careful not to take a false step. He knew that she desired him, but could she risk trusting him? Would she ever take another chance with him, and was it fair of him to expect it? His eyes narrowed.
All was fair in love and war, and he’d do whatever it took to convince her. And wait for that golden moment when he would make it impossible for Helena to refuse him.

Next day, Helena woke up feeling surprisingly in charge of her emotions. Even though Oscar’s mind-boggling announcement last night had taken the wind right out of her sails, at least he would see that no wretched development took place here, she thought. Mulberry Court was going to be safe. And, anyway, he’d wanted to buy her out all along, so he’d be getting his wish. No surprises there. Oscar was used to getting his own way. He had the powerful personality—and the money—to do it.

And she should also be grateful that he’d left her in no doubt that when choosing a wife he wasn’t looking in her direction! Because any man who could transport a woman to such dizzy heights of emotion—and then act as if it had meant nothing—wasn’t worth the time of day! Not in
her
book! Oscar didn’t know the meaning of true love—unconditional, selfless love. Passion—of course—naturally! But love, true love, which meant permanent bonding? Forget it!

Helena marched over to the chest of drawers for some fresh clothes. Whoever Oscar’s future unknown wife was out there, she thought… well, she had
her
sympathy!

It was gone nine o’clock before Helena went down into the kitchen to make herself some breakfast. As she passed the study, she could hear Oscar. He was obviously speaking on the telephone and his voice was
raised, sounding urgent. Helena made a face to herself. It had been amazing that he’d managed to actually have almost three days away without someone contacting him, she thought.

She put the kettle on to make some tea and took bread from the freezer to make toast. Oscar could join her when it suited him, she thought, laying two places at the table and putting grounds into the cafetière for his coffee, forcing herself to hum a little tune. She’d made up her mind to act perfectly normally when she came face to face with him today, as if she hadn’t given another thought to what he’d said last night. And, after all, what had changed? Nothing, she told herself. She was back to square one, having a simple break away from London for a few weeks, except that there was nothing simple about it. It would have been if Oscar wasn’t part of the equation… if they’d never met up again, if he hadn’t whisked her off to that sunlit island…

Suddenly, her mobile rang. It was Anna, and hearing her friend’s voice made Helena’s heart lift instantly. After the two girls had exchanged greetings, Anna said, ‘You remember that position I told you about here… the vacancy I knew was coming up? Well, it has—much sooner than I’d thought—they want it filled by the beginning of August, and they’re going to be interviewing shortly, but you’ll have to get your application in on time.’ Anna stopped for breath before going on, ‘This sort of opportunity doesn’t often come up in our place, so I hope you’ll go for it, Helena—it’s just your thing, I know it is! And you’d fit in a treat! And wouldn’t it be fantastic to be seeing more of each other again? I miss you, Helena! It seems ages since we had
some fun together. I’ll send all the details to Mulberry Court tonight, shall I, and then you can think it over. OK? But don’t leave it late, will you…?’ And, as an afterthought, ‘You must be feeling right back to your old self by now, lapping up all that peace and quiet, not to mention being totally free from the deadly male species for a change!’ It had been Anna who had helped mop up Helena’s tears after the failed relationship with Mark. ‘And don’t forget, you can always stay with us until you find your dream home!’ Anna said cheerfully.