The Theotokis Inheritance (13 page)

‘Well,’ he said, looking down at her, ‘did you have any inkling about that?’

Helena smiled. ‘Sort of,’ she said, not really surprised at Benjamin’s request that Mulberry Court might look after itself for a few days at the beginning of next month while he took Louise to London to show her the sights. And with a further request that he might bring his young children back for a short holiday in Dorset.

‘Louise has heard me banging on about Andrew and Daisy for long enough; I think she deserves to see them for herself,’ Benjamin had said, adding, ‘I don’t get many chances to bring them away for a holiday, and Mulberry Court is such a perfect place for children.’

Helena glanced up at Oscar. ‘It’s impossible not to see how close, more than close, Benjamin and Louise have become,’ Helena said. ‘And I think it’s lovely for them, don’t you?’ She smiled quickly. ‘Louise adores children, I do know that, and she’s going to love having Benjamin’s here for a holiday.’ And after a moment Helena added, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if Louise and Benjamin got together, and really became a couple?’

‘It would be perfect all round,’ Oscar agreed. He
paused. ‘Do you think that might have been one of Isobel’s little plans?’ he asked. ‘She was always an incurable romantic.’

Helena smiled. ‘I shouldn’t be at all surprised,’ she said. She looked away for a second, thinking what a very long, eventful day it had turned out to be. ‘I notice that neither of us bothered to mention anything about the new owners who were going to be residing frequently at Mulberry Court,’ she said. Oscar squeezed her waist more tightly.

‘Tonight didn’t seem the appropriate occasion,’ he said. ‘After all, we had spoken at length of my father’s demise, and Louise had been so touchingly sympathetic, and, after that, we were enlightened about her and Benjamin’s wish to spend time together, away from here, and about his children coming to stay…’ Oscar paused… ‘Of course, for obvious reasons, they are going to be thrilled and excited when we do tell them, but I thought our own personal announcement could wait.’ He smiled down into Helena’s upturned face. ‘Because I want to savour it… to hold on to it for just us… for a little while longer,’ he added.

They let themselves into the silent house and, as they passed the door to the library, Oscar instinctively led Helena inside and looked up at the portrait of his great-aunt.

‘Aunt Isobel,’ he said softly, ‘what plots have you been hatching?’

Helena wandered over to the alcove which held her figurines, and glanced up at Oscar. ‘You know, Oscar, the only things I ever imagined I would possess are
these two beautiful lovers,’ she said quietly. ‘To be left so much else of value never even crossed my mind.’

Oscar was well aware of that. Helena was the most generous, unworldly woman he had ever met. And her night-time mumblings as she’d sleepwalked that night proved her own words.

Suddenly, something made Helena pause in her thoughts—something she’d been meaning to ask Oscar and had kept forgetting to do, and which she was past caring about now. But still… Without looking at him, she said, ‘Who was the lady who turned up the other day—the lady with the children, Oscar?’

‘Oh—that,’ he said non-committally. He frowned briefly, as if trying to remember something, then went over to one of the shelves and took down the envelope he’d left on top of the books. Without a word, he handed it to Helena and, after hesitating for a second, she opened it slowly.

Inside was a handwritten letter and two brightly coloured childish pictures decorated with hearts and flowers and a big
‘Thank You’
emblazoned on the front of them. The more formal one read:

It was signed
‘from Maria, Antonio and Paolo Giolitti’
.

Helena looked up with tears in her eyes but, before she could speak, Oscar said, ‘Do you remember the night I was held up on my way to the Horseshoe Innn? That first weekend?’

Of course she remembered, and Helena felt a pang of true remorse. She’d thought his surly attitude that night had been because he was annoyed at being held up on his journey. Instead of that, something much, much more important had happened.

‘So—tell me about it,’ she said quietly.

Oscar shrugged. ‘It was pure chance that I was first on the scene,’ he said casually. ‘I saw them trapped in the back of the car, which had landed on its side… so I ran across and managed to get them out… the doors were jammed so I had to smash the window.’

Helena shuddered as she pictured the scene, hating herself for her ungenerous thoughts at the time. And when the woman and children had turned up here at the house, she’d thought the very worst of him then,
too. How wrong could you be? she thought. Jumping to conclusions was a dangerous thing to do.

Carefully, Helena tucked the letters back into the large envelope and replaced it on the bookshelf. ‘I had… wondered… whether those beautiful boys might have been yours, Oscar,’ she admitted quietly.

He smiled down at her. ‘I don’t have any children,’ he said, adding darkly, ‘Not yet.’

They made their way upstairs together and, without hesitation, Oscar guided Helena into his bedroom and closed the door firmly. Without putting on the lights, he took her hand and they wandered across to gaze out of the window, the peace of the beautiful surroundings matching the peace in both their hearts—the peace of knowing that something longed for had happened, had come true at last.

Then he put his arms around her in a close embrace and Helena leaned her head into his neck, loving the feel of him, loving the familiar, sensuous smell of his warm skin. She turned her head slowly to gaze up at Oscar, nestling into him, her soft curves melding with the masculine strength of his frame. She raised her hand, tracing the contours of his face, touching his lips gently with her forefinger, which he immediately took between his teeth. Then, ‘Do we have to… I mean is it necessary for us to be married in Greece?’ she asked tentatively. ‘It’s just that I would really love to…’

He interrupted her, his dark eyes burning deeply into hers. ‘We shall be married wherever you like, Helena. Just so long as it’s soon.’

‘Then I would like it to be here, in the garden at Mulberry Court… with just a few of us. Of course we
would go to Greece afterwards for an appropriate ceremony, do whatever protocol demands—that would only be fair…’ Her words came quickly, and Oscar hushed her gently.

‘That’s a minor detail,’ he assured her, ‘which will be dealt with as necessary.’ He paused. ‘And I, too, would like the ceremony to be held here, with just the people we love—past and present—to hear us make our vows.’

And in her dreamy mind’s eye Helena could already see it. She would be wearing a simple white cotton dress, trimmed with lace, and there would be a single white rose in her hair and a spray of similar flowers in her hand. And the modest expense would be settled with her father’s legacy. The money she had been keeping for something very, very special.

For several moments they remained there locked together, without speaking, and Helena could only marvel at the surging tide of happiness that rippled through her entire body, painting her cheeks with a rosy warmth, sending a delightful tingle right down her spine to her toes. She shuddered slightly, pleasurably, and Oscar looked down at her, his expression telling her everything she’d ever wanted to know. Then he lowered his head to kiss her, pulling her gently even closer, and Helena clasped her arms around his neck and closed her eyes, her lips very slightly parted to receive his kiss. A kiss so soft yet so passionate, so all consuming.

Then, with his perfect timing, Oscar led her over to the bed and they both sat down, and Helena leant forward to slip off her sandals, conscious that he was unzipping her dress, releasing her bra…

He laid her down gently and took his place beside her, and Helena turned her head to gaze into his eyes, those black, impenetrable eyes which had haunted her memory for so long.

‘As to the matter you mentioned a little while ago, Oscar,’ she murmured, ‘I think—perhaps two of each—if you’re happy with that?’

He smiled at her darkly. ‘Perfect… to start with,’ he agreed. ‘And since there’s no time like the present,
kopella mou
—tonight, we shall make a beginning.’

* * * * *

All the characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author, and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all the incidents are pure invention.

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First published in Great Britain 2012
by Mills & Boon, an imprint of Harlequin (UK) Limited.
Harlequin (UK) Limited, Eton House, 18-24 Paradise Road,
Richmond, Surrey TW9 1SR

© Susanne James 2012

ISBN: 978-1-408-97385-1