said Helen hastily. ‘Milos was on holiday in England and my father asked him to—to look me up.’
‘Really?’ Alex was obviously intrigued. ‘You know, I’ve never known Milos go to England except on business.’
That’d be right, thought Helen cynically. She’d been just another piece of business. A piece of something, anyway, and she’d been the one to pay the price.
CHAPTER SEVEN
IT WAS still early when Milos stepped out onto the balcony of his bedroom at Vassilios.
Although the rising sun was already spreading fingers of gold over the grey-blue ocean, a cool breeze drifted about his bare legs and chilled the sweat drying between his shoulder blades. Silk boxers hung dangerously low on his hips, but he didn’t notice. A sense of dissatisfaction was overriding his awareness of everything, including the beauty of the morning.
He’d slept badly again and frustration was making him not only weary, but short-tempered. Dammit, he ought to have had what was troubling him out with Helen the night before and it infuriated him that once again he’d let her off the hook.
But a combination of his aggressiveness and her fragility had once again defeated him. Besides, he hadn’t been able to keep his hands off her and that had definitely not helped his cause.
Yet this was an emotional business, an emotional time bomb even, and he knew he was a fool for letting her run rings around him. Why did he feel this foolish need to protect her, even from himself? Why, when she looked at him with those wide haunted eyes, did he begin to doubt his own beliefs?
Whatever, the party the Campbells had arranged for them hadn’t been a suitable place to conduct a serious conversation, and Milos had left as soon as he decently could. Rhea had objected. She’d wanted to stay for the dancing, which was to follow the buffet. But Milos had told her rather baldly that, unless she wanted to find her own way home, she would have to leave with him.
The whole evening had been a disaster, he acknowledged, watching the birds scavenging for food on the beach below his balcony. And what was really bugging him was the fact that he was leaving for Athens later today. The conference on world ecology, which he was forced to attend, began the next day, and it would be at least three more days before he could get back to the island.
Frustration swept over him again. He had to talk to Helen before he left. He had to get her to admit the truth about Melissa. Until she did, he was just whistling in the wind.
Even Sam was surprised when Helen was called to the phone and returned to say that Rhea Stephanides had invited her and Melissa to lunch.
‘I don’t know why she’s invited me,’ she murmured, despite Melissa’s sudden enthusiasm. ‘I hardly know the girl.’
‘I do,’ said her daughter eagerly. She frowned at her mother. ‘You didn’t refuse, did you?’
‘No-o.’
Helen admitted that she hadn’t, even though she was still doubtful, and Melissa was pleased. ‘I can always go on my own,’ she said consideringly. ‘I don’t need you to baby me.’ She turned to her grandfather. ‘You’ll take me, won’t you, Sam?’
Helen hesitated. ‘Melissa—’
‘I think you should both go,’ Sam declared firmly, and for once Maya agreed with him.
‘It’s not as if Milos will be there,’ she said smugly. ‘From what I can gather, he’s leaving for Athens this morning.’
‘The conference. Of course.’ Her husband endorsed this statement. ‘It’s a gathering of oil producers discussing the ways of reducing pollution on world ecology,’ he explained to Helen. ‘Milos is one of the keynote speakers.’
‘I see.’
Helen was just absorbing this when Melissa spoke up again. ‘There you go, Mum,’ she said. ‘You don’t have to worry. This isn’t some sneaky way for Milos to get you on your own.’
Helen’s face blazed with colour. ‘I never thought it was,’ she protested hotly, conscious that both Maya and her father were aware of her embarrassment. ‘I wish you wouldn’t say things like that, Melissa. I—I hardly know the man.’
‘He’d like to know you, though,’ said Melissa slyly. ‘Rhea and me saw you together last night, remember?’
‘You saw us talking, that’s all,’ exclaimed Helen, giving her father a humiliated look. ‘Honestly, she has such a vivid imagination!’
‘Don’t let her upset you,’ said Sam mildly, his eyes twinkling at his granddaughter. ‘She’s only teasing you. We all know Milos is easy on the eye, but I don’t imagine you’re foolish enough to take him seriously. You’ve got the wrong idea, Melissa. I think you should apologise.’
Melissa looked sulky now and Helen’s heart sank at the prospect of what she was sure was to come. But in the event all Melissa said was, ‘But Mum does like Milos; I know she does. And he couldn’t take his eyes off her when we were having supper.’
Sam sighed, but it was Maya who chose to answer the girl. ‘You’re imagining things. It’s like your grandfather says, Milos has always been popular with the opposite sex. But you shouldn’t run away with the idea that he might be interested in an Englishwoman. Greeks marry Greeks. It’s the way it should be.’
‘You didn’t—’ began Melissa, but before she could dig a bigger hole for herself Sam spoke again.
‘Be that as it may, I do agree that Maya might have a point. I think Milos has had enough of marriage. I don’t think he’s likely to burn his hands again.’
An hour later, Helen found herself in the front seat of her father’s Jeep. He’d offered to drive them to the Stephanides’s villa at San Rocco himself after Melissa had taken her mother’s breath away by apologising for upsetting them all.
‘We’re almost there,’ Sam said suddenly, pointing to the white walls of a villa just visible above some trees. ‘That’s Aristotle’s place up there. It doesn’t have a pool,’ he added for Melissa’s benefit, ‘but the views are magnificent.’
‘You’ve been here, then?’
Melissa loosened her seat belt and leaned forward to rest her arms along the backs of their seats, and her grandfather nodded. ‘Many times,’ he agreed. ‘As you know, the Stephanideses are distantly related to Maya.’
‘And she doesn’t let us forget it,’ remarked Melissa unthinkingly, before adding, ‘Sorry. It looks great.’
‘It is.’ Her grandfather wasn’t offended. ‘It’s not as modern as Milos’s place, of course, but I think you’ll like it.’
Rhea came out to meet them as the Jeep reached the gravelled forecourt. She was wearing an ankle-length wraparound skirt and a sleeveless shirt, tied at her midriff, and Helen saw the way Melissa checked out her appearance as she got out of the vehicle.
The two girls greeted one another warmly, but although Rhea invited Sam in he said he’d be on his way. Rhea also offered to see that Helen and Melissa arrived home safely and Helen guessed her father would be glad not to have to make the journey a second time.
She was also relieved to see that Rhea looked more her age this morning. Last evening, the resemblance between the two girls had seemed obvious. But today Rhea looked older, more mature. Which was reassuring.
‘You both look nice,’ she remarked now, surveying her guests as they entered the deliciously cool entrance hall of the villa. She gestured towards Melissa’s low-rise cotton trousers. ‘Are they new?’
‘Yes.’ Melissa preened at the unaccustomed praise. ‘And Mum’s dress is new, too. Do you like it?’
‘Very much,’ said Rhea politely, but Helen guessed the cheap sundress, in shades