“That’s a fine family name.”
“Yes. Ask Nikos to show you a picture.”
The older seaman’s eyes looked suspiciously bright. “I’m very happy for you.”
“We’re happy, too.” She would keep up the pretense if it killed her. “Thank you for all your kindness to me, Yannis. You do so many things to help me, and I’m grateful.”
“It’s my pleasure.”
“Nikos couldn’t get along without you, even if you do put him through torture every day helping him do his exercises. But you already know that, don’t you?”
For once she saw him blush.
“He’s a slave driver, all right.” Nikos had just joined them. “I guess my wife has told you the news.”
Yannis clapped him on the shoulder. “She says you have a photo.”
“Right here.” Nikos pulled it out of his pocket.
The seaman’s eyes squinted against the light to get a good look. “He’s beautiful, like his mother.”
“I was just telling her he’ll have the most beautiful woman on the island for his mana.”
But you can’t take credit for being the father yet, her heart cried.
Stephanie would have to harden herself, because this was going to be the way of it for the next five months.
CHAPTER NINE
December 10
STEPHANIE LOVED HER Greek lessons. For the last four months Yannis had driven her faithfully to and from the school on Oinoussa every weekday after breakfast for her two-hour session with Borus. The forty-year-old was a part-time counselor who was glad for the extra money. He was also a lot of fun.
The closer she drew to her delivery date, the more taciturn and anxious Nikos had become. Whether or not he believed this child was his, she knew he worried. Even though Dr. Panos had assured him at every appointment that she was coming along normally, with no unexpected complications, he didn’t seem to quite believe it, and hovered over her until there were times when she wanted to scream.
With the baby due in three weeks, he argued with her that she should stop the lessons. A month ago he’d told her no more swimming with Tassos’s wife in order to give her scuba pointers.
While they were eating breakfast this morning, she asked Nikos if he was ordering her to stay home today. The question turned his features into a cool mask before he told her the lessons would end when her teacher left for the Christmas holidays on the seventeenth.
With that pronouncement Nikos got up from the table, taking his coffee with him to the lounge to work. These days the Diomedes stayed in port and he used a small cruiser to travel back and forth from the rig erected offshore.
To her joy his business with Tassos was growing, and he’d acquired rights to drill off some of the other uninhabited islands of the Oinousses cluster. His strong concern for the environment made certain there’d be no damage to the local habitat.
As usual when Stephanie came out of class, she tried out what she’d learned on Yannis, who was an excellent teacher himself. But today when he greeted her, she could tell he had something serious on his mind.
“What’s wrong? Has something happened to Nikos?” she cried in alarm.
“No, no.”
“Thank goodness.” She had to wait for her heartbeat to slow down.
“You have a visitor on board. She’s very anxious to talk to you.”
Stephanie frowned. “Who?”
“Kyria Vassalos, Nikos’s mother.”
“Oh...” She couldn’t believe it. “Is Nikos with her?”
“No. He’s gone to the rig. She came when she knew he wouldn’t be here.”
“How did she know?”
“Because I worked for her when he was just a boy. We’ve always been friends.”
“Which means you’ve always kept her informed.” Stephanie got it.
“Yes. Today Nikos’s father is away in Athens on business. It’s been her first chance to come and visit. I sent my son to fetch her in his boat. But if you don’t want to meet her, I’ll tell her to go back to Egnoussa.”
“No. Don’t do that.” More than anything in the world Stephanie had wanted to meet his mother. She just hadn’t expected their first meeting to happen when she was in full bloom, with swollen feet and her face marked with chloasma, the pregnancy mask. If she could be thankful for one thing, it was that she could carry on a basic conversation in Greek.
Her nervousness increased as Yannis drove her to the port. Together they walked along the pier to the yacht. Stephanie could see his mother looking out from the rail. Her luxuriant black hair was pulled back in a stylish twist. She was trim, and shorter than Stephanie by several inches. With her white slacks and stunning blue blouse setting off her olive skin, she was a true Grecian beauty. This was where Nikos got his fantastic looks.
As Stephanie stepped on board, the older woman turned, focusing her soft brown eyes on her. “I hope you don’t mind,” she said in accented English. “I’ve wanted to meet the woman my son married. I’m sorry it didn’t happen when you came to our home. You need to know I’m ashamed of my husband’s behavior toward you. My name is—”
“Hestia.” Stephanie supplied it for her. “I know your name and I’m so glad you’re here now,” she said in her best Greek. “You raised a wonderful son. I love him very much.”
His mother made a quiet study of her. “For him to have married you the day after you arrived in Greece, it’s obvious how he feels about you.”
Stephanie shook her head. “He married me for the sake of the baby.” Taking a risk, she added, “He doesn’t believe he’s the father.”
Hestia looked stunned. “I don’t understand.”
“Come downstairs with me and we’ll talk.” They went below. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“Nothing, thank you.”
“Then come to my room.”
A gasp escaped Hestia’s lips when she saw the bedroom turned into a nursery. Between Stephanie’s bed and everything a mother needed to take care of her new baby, there was barely room to move.
At this point Stephanie’s speech was sprinkled with Greek and English. “Please sit down in the rocking chair. I have something to give you.” She went over to the dresser and pulled out a photo album. “I wish you had been at the wedding. You should have been there. I made this for you and your husband to keep.”
The older woman opened the cover. For the next five minutes she remained speechless as she looked at all the pictures. When she finally lifted her head, tears were rolling down her cheeks. Stephanie saw in those brown eyes all the sorrow a mother could at missing out on her child’s wedding day.
“Nikos told me about your husband’s distrust when you were pregnant with him. I’m afraid the same thing has happened to me. We had only ten days together on vacation last April. We don’t know that much about each other, and so much happened after he had to return to active duty, it raised his doubts about life. About everything.”
His mother nodded sadly. “Even though he could walk, he was on the verge of giving up when we took him home from the hospital.”
Tears welled in Stephanie’s eyes. “He’s much better now, but he won’t believe this is his baby until after Alexandros is