been
so
young . . . she almost sixteen, he almost eighteen, and still, he knew nothing of the aftermath of their relationship, or of her life since then. And how their love
had changed her life.
A sudden lurch of fear clutched at Helena’s heart and she wondered again if coming back here was the worst possible thing she could have done. William would arrive in a matter of days, and
she’d told him nothing about Alexis. What had been the point of him knowing about someone who was little more than a shadow from her past?
But Alexis was no longer a shadow. He was very much alive and real. And there was no escaping the fact that her past and present were about to collide.
Helena’s mobile rang just as she was placing supper in front of Alex and Immy.
‘Answer it, will you, Alex?’ she said as she lowered the precariously packed tray onto the terrace table.
‘Hi,’ he said. ‘Yeah, hi Dad. We’re all fine. Apart from the fact Mum is about to make me and Immy eat some pickled goats’ testicles in a fish-poo sauce, from the
look of things. Enjoy your pizza while you can, that’s my advice. Yeah, I’ll pass you to Mum. Bye.’
Helena raised her eyebrows with a weary sigh as Alex passed the mobile to her. ‘Hi, darling. Everything okay? No, I’m not poisoning them. They’re trying feta cheese, hummus and
taramasalata. How’s Fred?’ Helena balanced the mobile between shoulder and chin as she unloaded the tray. ‘Good. Have a word with Immy, and we’ll speak later. Okay, bye.
It’s Daddy.’ Helena passed the mobile to her daughter and Immy took it.
‘Hi, Daddy . . . yes, I’m fine. Alex was dying this morning and Mummy and me saw a prince in a field while we were picking grapes but the police might have arrested us so we had to
leave them behind but then we got them again on the way back and the prince’s daddy came to see us here and had a cup of tea and was really nice. And I had ketchup and chips for lunch and
it’s very hot here and . . .’ Immy paused for breath and listened. ‘Yes, I love you too and miss you a bit. Okay, Daddy, see you soon.’ She made sucking noises down the line
to indicate kisses and expertly pressed the right button to end the call. She looked down at her plate. ‘Alex is right. This looks yucky.’
Helena was still cringing at Immy’s conversation with her father. She put two pieces of pitta bread on her plate and spooned on some hummus. ‘Try it,’ she encouraged.
‘Can I please have ketchup with it, Mummy?’
‘No, you can’t.’ Helena fed a small piece of bread and hummus into Immy’s mouth. She waited whilst her daughter’s taste buds whirred into action and eventually, the
food received a small nod of approval. ‘Good. I knew you’d like it.’
‘What’s the gloopy stuff made from?’ Immy enquired.
‘Chickpeas.’
‘Chick’s pees? Oooh,’ Immy said with a shudder. ‘You mean their wee-wee?’
‘Don’t be silly, Immy,’ countered Alex, who was yet to put anything in his own mouth. ‘Chickpeas are a kind of pea, they’re just not green. Sorry, Mum’
– Alex raised his hands in defeat – ‘I haven’t got my appetite back yet after this morning.’
‘Okay.’ Helena wasn’t in the mood for a battle. ‘So, it’s good news about the swimming pool, isn’t it? It should be filled by the time Daddy arrives. Here,
have some taramasalata, Immy. And tomorrow in Paphos we can buy some sun-loungers and—’
‘YUCK-EE!’ Immy inelegantly spat the contents of her mouth out onto her plate.
‘Immy!’
‘I’m sorree, but that is wank!’
‘
Rank
, Immy. And don’t copy what I say, please,’ reprimanded Alex, trying to remain straight-faced. ‘You’re only five.’
‘Yes, you are, and princesses do not use words like “rank”. Do they, Alex?’ Helena was also stifling laughter. ‘Now, while I call Daddy back, why doesn’t Alex
take you upstairs and get you ready for bed? Then I’ll come and tell you one of your
so
young . . . she almost sixteen, he almost eighteen, and still, he knew nothing of the aftermath of their relationship, or of her life since then. And how their love
had changed her life.
A sudden lurch of fear clutched at Helena’s heart and she wondered again if coming back here was the worst possible thing she could have done. William would arrive in a matter of days, and
she’d told him nothing about Alexis. What had been the point of him knowing about someone who was little more than a shadow from her past?
But Alexis was no longer a shadow. He was very much alive and real. And there was no escaping the fact that her past and present were about to collide.
Helena’s mobile rang just as she was placing supper in front of Alex and Immy.
‘Answer it, will you, Alex?’ she said as she lowered the precariously packed tray onto the terrace table.
‘Hi,’ he said. ‘Yeah, hi Dad. We’re all fine. Apart from the fact Mum is about to make me and Immy eat some pickled goats’ testicles in a fish-poo sauce, from the
look of things. Enjoy your pizza while you can, that’s my advice. Yeah, I’ll pass you to Mum. Bye.’
Helena raised her eyebrows with a weary sigh as Alex passed the mobile to her. ‘Hi, darling. Everything okay? No, I’m not poisoning them. They’re trying feta cheese, hummus and
taramasalata. How’s Fred?’ Helena balanced the mobile between shoulder and chin as she unloaded the tray. ‘Good. Have a word with Immy, and we’ll speak later. Okay, bye.
It’s Daddy.’ Helena passed the mobile to her daughter and Immy took it.
‘Hi, Daddy . . . yes, I’m fine. Alex was dying this morning and Mummy and me saw a prince in a field while we were picking grapes but the police might have arrested us so we had to
leave them behind but then we got them again on the way back and the prince’s daddy came to see us here and had a cup of tea and was really nice. And I had ketchup and chips for lunch and
it’s very hot here and . . .’ Immy paused for breath and listened. ‘Yes, I love you too and miss you a bit. Okay, Daddy, see you soon.’ She made sucking noises down the line
to indicate kisses and expertly pressed the right button to end the call. She looked down at her plate. ‘Alex is right. This looks yucky.’
Helena was still cringing at Immy’s conversation with her father. She put two pieces of pitta bread on her plate and spooned on some hummus. ‘Try it,’ she encouraged.
‘Can I please have ketchup with it, Mummy?’
‘No, you can’t.’ Helena fed a small piece of bread and hummus into Immy’s mouth. She waited whilst her daughter’s taste buds whirred into action and eventually, the
food received a small nod of approval. ‘Good. I knew you’d like it.’
‘What’s the gloopy stuff made from?’ Immy enquired.
‘Chickpeas.’
‘Chick’s pees? Oooh,’ Immy said with a shudder. ‘You mean their wee-wee?’
‘Don’t be silly, Immy,’ countered Alex, who was yet to put anything in his own mouth. ‘Chickpeas are a kind of pea, they’re just not green. Sorry, Mum’
– Alex raised his hands in defeat – ‘I haven’t got my appetite back yet after this morning.’
‘Okay.’ Helena wasn’t in the mood for a battle. ‘So, it’s good news about the swimming pool, isn’t it? It should be filled by the time Daddy arrives. Here,
have some taramasalata, Immy. And tomorrow in Paphos we can buy some sun-loungers and—’
‘YUCK-EE!’ Immy inelegantly spat the contents of her mouth out onto her plate.
‘Immy!’
‘I’m sorree, but that is wank!’
‘
Rank
, Immy. And don’t copy what I say, please,’ reprimanded Alex, trying to remain straight-faced. ‘You’re only five.’
‘Yes, you are, and princesses do not use words like “rank”. Do they, Alex?’ Helena was also stifling laughter. ‘Now, while I call Daddy back, why doesn’t Alex
take you upstairs and get you ready for bed? Then I’ll come and tell you one of your
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