And, without exception, everyone had understood, but he couldn’t help wondering if they’d have been as understanding if they’d known that checking up on his father encompassed only half the concerns he had. He was equally anxious to see Jane again, to assure himself that she hadn’t been intimidated in his absence.
He didn’t know why he felt this desperate need to defend his estranged wife, but he did. It wasn’t as if she’d be glad to see him. Because, despite the fact that he didn’t seem able to keep his hands off her, he was fairly sure she regretted it just as much as he did.
Nevertheless, when his pilot landed the helicopter on the pad a couple of hundred yards from the villa, he breathed a sigh of relief. Without waiting for Vasilis to swing open the door and let down the steps, he accomplished the task himself and dropped down gratefully onto the tarmac.
‘I won’t need you tonight, Theo,’ he said when the other man joined him. ‘You can go home, if you wish.’ Theo’s parents lived on one of the other islands in the group. ‘Costas will take you.’
‘If it’s all the same to you, I’d like to stay at the cottage,’ said Theo, mentioning one of a cluster of stone dwellings where many of the staff who worked on the estate lived. He set down the two briefcases he was carrying and stowed the steps back inside the aircraft. ‘I’m hoping to see Ianthe, if you have no objections?’
‘Why would I object?’ Demetri raised a hand to the pilot as Costas prepared to take off again. ‘She’s a free woman.’
‘I know that, but—’
‘But what?’
‘Well…’ Theo looked embarrassed now. ‘It’s common knowledge that you and she were once—were once—’
‘Friends,’ said Demetri harshly. ‘We were friends, Theo. Friends! Not lovers, as I’m sure you’ve heard.’
‘But your wife—’
‘She didn’t believe me either,’ said Demetri, his pleasant mood evaporating. ‘Forget it. It’s all in the past now. Perhaps one day Ianthe will tell you who Marc’s father really was. Until then, take my word for it, I wish you—both of you—nothing but good luck. OK?’
‘Thanks.’
Demetri picked up his own briefcase and the two men separated as they reached the house, Theo to circle the villa to where the cottages were situated and Demetri to run lightly up the steps and into the reception hall.
The place seemed deserted, but almost immediately his mother appeared from the direction of the terrace. ‘Demetri!’she exclaimed, evidently surprised to see him. ‘Is something wrong?’
‘Why should anything be wrong, Mama?’ Demetri felt a sense of impatience that was out of all proportion to the perceived offence. ‘I went to the conference as I promised and now I’m back.’ He paused. ‘Where’s my father?’ It was better than asking whether Jane was still here.
Maria Souvakis clicked her tongue. ‘You may well ask,’ she said, and it was obvious she wasn’t pleased with the answer she had to give him. ‘He’s gone for a drive with that woman, hasn’t he? I warned him that it was unwise to overtax himself, but he won’t listen to me.’
Demetri knew exactly who his mother meant, and his relief was so great he didn’t consider his words before saying, ‘I doubt if taking a drive with Jane will overtax him greatly, Mama.’
But then a frown formed between his brows. What was he saying? He wanted Jane out of his life, didn’t he? Encouraging his father to make her visit a pleasant one was hardly the action of a sensible man.
‘I might have known you’d disagree with me,’ declared Maria tersely. ‘After all, you’re the one who brought her here.’
Demetri let that go, but his mother wasn’t finished. ‘Thank goodness, Ariadne has gone with them,’ she continued. ‘She’ll make sure your father doesn’t do anything stupid.’
Demetri blew out a breath. ‘Anything stupid?’
‘Like inviting her to stay indefinitely,’ she explained irritably. Then, as if realising this was hardly the way to greet her son after he’d been away, she tucked her arm through his. ‘Come along. Thermia’s here. We’re having iced tea on the terrace. She’ll be pleased to see you.’
Demetri doubted that. And the last person he wanted to see right now was Ianthe’s mother. Was Ianthe with her? Could he really be that unlucky?
Remaining rooted to the spot when his mother would have drawn him across the hall, he said wearily, ‘Give me a break, Ma. I’m hot and tired. What I really need is a shower and something a little stronger than iced tea!’
‘Nonsense.’ His mother was having none of that. ‘What would Thermia think if you didn’t come and say hello?’
Demetri’s jaw tightened. ‘Is she alone?’
‘Of course not. Ianthe’s with her. And I know she’ll be glad of some younger company.’
Iperokha! Great! Demetri suppressed a groan. Who had invited the Adonides women here? But he didn’t really need to ask. Nevertheless, Theo was going to be so disappointed when he drove into town to find Ianthe wasn’t home.
Contrary to what his mother had said, Ianthe looked less than happy to see him. ‘Demetri,’ she murmured politely after he had greeted her mother. ‘Aunt Maria said you wouldn’t be back before tomorrow.’ Ianthe had always called his mother ‘aunt’ but it was only an honorary title. The two women were actually distant cousins, even if they behaved more like sisters.
Now Demetri cast his mother a sardonic look, but she busied herself taking another glass from the chilled cabinet the maid had placed beside her. ‘You’ll have some iced tea, won’t you, Demetri?’
‘Not for me,’ he said, aware that Ianthe was exchanging a furtive look with her mother. ‘I can’t stay. Now that I know my father’s OK, I’d like to get home.’
Maria straightened, the glass in her hand. ‘But Demetri, you can’t mean to leave without seeing your father?’
‘I’ll see him later,’ insisted Demetri through his teeth. ‘Right now, I’d like to catch Theo before he leaves for town.’
‘Theo is here?’
It was Ianthe who’d spoken, and Demetri saw a look of unguarded anticipation in her eyes.
‘Yeah,’ he said. ‘He’s staying the night in the cottage. D’you want to see him?’
‘Oh, well—’
‘I don’t think so, Demetri.’
Ianthe and her mother spoke in unison but it was Maria Souvakis who had the final word. ‘Why would Ianthe want to see Theo Vasilis, Demetri?’ she demanded. ‘For heaven’s sake, Thermia was just telling me that Ianthe’s had more than a dozen text messages from that young man while you’ve been away. He’s becoming a positive nuisance!’
Demetri arched a brow at Ianthe. ‘Is that true?’
‘That he’s texted me, yes.’
‘I meant the bit about him being a nuisance,’ said Demetri patiently. ‘He seems to think you like his company.’
Ianthe glanced awkwardly from her mother to her aunt and back again. ‘Well—I do—like him,’ she mumbled uncertainly and the older women exchanged an impatient look.
‘So?’ Demetri was getting impatient himself. ‘Do you want to see him or not?’ And when she kept her eyes averted, he added irritably, ‘You’re twenty-three, Ianthe. If you want to be friends with him, no one can stop you.’
‘Demetri!’
His mother, who had seated herself beside