Electra?’
Melanie’s mind reeled and her heart surged
with happiness. She felt as if all her dreams were coming true. She
did not care what had changed his mind. She only cared that he had.
She felt alight with joy. His next words brought her down to earth
with a bump. ‘But only for this summer, of course. After that you
will have no contact with her as you had previously agreed.’ His
voice, so charming over dinner, was perfunctory and cold.
She felt bound to ask, ‘If you don’t want me
to have contact with Electra after the summer why do you want me
here now.’
‘For Purely practical reasons. You are
needed.’ He looked at her sharply. ‘You have deceived me,
hoodwinked my office staff and invaded my private island and I do
not forgive that.’ Melanie opened her mouth to protest, but he held
up his hand to silence her. ‘Anna is getting old, it is not fair to
expect her to cope with the demands of childcare and she tells me
you are very good with the baby as I, myself, have seen.’
In a flash of understanding Melanie thought
back to the afternoon when she had been playing in the sea with
Electra. She had had a strong feeling that she was being watched.
‘You were spying on me today on the beach,’ she accused. He ignored
her interruption and continued.
‘As of course you know, the excellent nanny
we engaged had an unfortunate accident and however you inveigled
yourself on to Skiapolos and into my house the fact remains that
you are here. It’s too late now to think of getting anyone
else.’
‘What will you do if I refuse?’ Melanie was
driven to ask. Never in a million years would she give up the
chance of the summer with Electra, but some devil in her wanted to
hear what he would say.
For the first time a look of uncertainty
crossed his face. ‘I don’t know,’ he said. Melanie had never seen
Nicos at a loss. He was always so in command of himself, so sure of
the way forward. She could not help but put a reassuring hand on
his arm. ‘Of course, I will stay,’ she said, but could not resist
adding, ‘As long as you know it is for Electra’s sake and not for
yours.’
‘Oh, I never doubted it,’ he said, but the
look on his face was one of profound relief. He took her hand
across the table and the familiar feel of his long fingers caused
her heart to lurch. ‘Thank you,’ he said simply. She went to
withdraw her hand but he held it fast and circled his fingers
around hers.
‘No ring I see,’ he said.
‘No, she replied. ‘Did you expect one?’
‘I thought you might wearing his ring by
now,’ he said
‘Whose ring?’ she asked angrily, and
snatched her hand from his grasp.
‘We both know the answer to that,’ he said,
his anger matching hers.
Sharply she pushed back from the table, her
chair scraping noisily on the tiled floor, the brief truce between
them over. ‘I have no wish to continue this conversation with you.’
Her voice shook. ‘I didn’t come here to go over old ground. You
didn’t listen before and you won’t listen now.’
She turned on her heel and stalked away from
him. In her confusion she realised she was at the wrong end of the
terrace to gain entrance to the villa. The only exit left to her a
low gate beyond which was a flight of stone steps she knew led down
only to the sea. She could not retrace her steps without passing
Nicos. Feeling more than a little foolish she hesitated. She heard
his sharp voice behind her calling her name.
She turned briefly to see he was on his feet
and looked furious. She had had enough of confrontation for one
night. She grasped the handle of the gate only to find it locked.
Without a thought she swung her long legs over the gate and fled,
down the steep stones steps, stumbling in her stilettos and
clinging to the rail for support.
‘Come back! Don’t go down there.’ The sound
of his voice propelled her on, the only thought in her head to get
away from him.
She rushed headlong downwards in a mindless
panic,
Melanie’s mind reeled and her heart surged
with happiness. She felt as if all her dreams were coming true. She
did not care what had changed his mind. She only cared that he had.
She felt alight with joy. His next words brought her down to earth
with a bump. ‘But only for this summer, of course. After that you
will have no contact with her as you had previously agreed.’ His
voice, so charming over dinner, was perfunctory and cold.
She felt bound to ask, ‘If you don’t want me
to have contact with Electra after the summer why do you want me
here now.’
‘For Purely practical reasons. You are
needed.’ He looked at her sharply. ‘You have deceived me,
hoodwinked my office staff and invaded my private island and I do
not forgive that.’ Melanie opened her mouth to protest, but he held
up his hand to silence her. ‘Anna is getting old, it is not fair to
expect her to cope with the demands of childcare and she tells me
you are very good with the baby as I, myself, have seen.’
In a flash of understanding Melanie thought
back to the afternoon when she had been playing in the sea with
Electra. She had had a strong feeling that she was being watched.
‘You were spying on me today on the beach,’ she accused. He ignored
her interruption and continued.
‘As of course you know, the excellent nanny
we engaged had an unfortunate accident and however you inveigled
yourself on to Skiapolos and into my house the fact remains that
you are here. It’s too late now to think of getting anyone
else.’
‘What will you do if I refuse?’ Melanie was
driven to ask. Never in a million years would she give up the
chance of the summer with Electra, but some devil in her wanted to
hear what he would say.
For the first time a look of uncertainty
crossed his face. ‘I don’t know,’ he said. Melanie had never seen
Nicos at a loss. He was always so in command of himself, so sure of
the way forward. She could not help but put a reassuring hand on
his arm. ‘Of course, I will stay,’ she said, but could not resist
adding, ‘As long as you know it is for Electra’s sake and not for
yours.’
‘Oh, I never doubted it,’ he said, but the
look on his face was one of profound relief. He took her hand
across the table and the familiar feel of his long fingers caused
her heart to lurch. ‘Thank you,’ he said simply. She went to
withdraw her hand but he held it fast and circled his fingers
around hers.
‘No ring I see,’ he said.
‘No, she replied. ‘Did you expect one?’
‘I thought you might wearing his ring by
now,’ he said
‘Whose ring?’ she asked angrily, and
snatched her hand from his grasp.
‘We both know the answer to that,’ he said,
his anger matching hers.
Sharply she pushed back from the table, her
chair scraping noisily on the tiled floor, the brief truce between
them over. ‘I have no wish to continue this conversation with you.’
Her voice shook. ‘I didn’t come here to go over old ground. You
didn’t listen before and you won’t listen now.’
She turned on her heel and stalked away from
him. In her confusion she realised she was at the wrong end of the
terrace to gain entrance to the villa. The only exit left to her a
low gate beyond which was a flight of stone steps she knew led down
only to the sea. She could not retrace her steps without passing
Nicos. Feeling more than a little foolish she hesitated. She heard
his sharp voice behind her calling her name.
She turned briefly to see he was on his feet
and looked furious. She had had enough of confrontation for one
night. She grasped the handle of the gate only to find it locked.
Without a thought she swung her long legs over the gate and fled,
down the steep stones steps, stumbling in her stilettos and
clinging to the rail for support.
‘Come back! Don’t go down there.’ The sound
of his voice propelled her on, the only thought in her head to get
away from him.
She rushed headlong downwards in a mindless
panic,
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