DEMELZA was humming happily to herself as she tossed the aubergines into a pan. A little oregano perhaps? She sprinkled on some of the herbs that Ianni and Lefteris had gathered with her on the hillside that morning. Stepping back from the cooker, she leaned against the window, taking in the full beauty of the gathering twilight.
She gave a sigh of contentment as she watched Ianni, out there on the terrace, drawing a picture of the impending sunset, his tongue clamped between his teeth in concentration. Before Nick had left to do his evening rounds at the hospital he’d told his son that they could spend the whole day on the beach tomorrow. And they’d had such a marvellous time this afternoon on the beach that Ianni was as thrilled as Demelza was at the prospect of another idyllic day.
She thought back over their wonderful day together. Nick had returned from the resort with a very subdued Ianni who’d refused to give them a clue as to why he didn’t want to stay with his mother. All he would say was that he wanted to be with his dad up in the village. After Nick had gone to the hospital, Demelza had told Ianni to go round to Katerina’s to call for Lefteris so that she could take both boys up on the hillside to gather herbs.
They’d had such fun up there, calling to the goats with their tinkling bells, patting the donkeys who’d trekked over from the other side of the hill, carrying their heavy loads down to Kopelos town, and eating their midmorning picnic of biscuits still warm from the bakery. And when Nick had come up the path, telling them he’d got back early from the hospital so they could all go to the beach, she’d felt that her happiness was complete.
‘I’m going to get some more coloured pencils from downstairs, Demelza,’ Ianni called. ‘There’s a special red colour that would be brilliant for the sun, if I can find it. OK?’
‘Fine! But don’t be too long. Daddy will be back soon.’
She clasped a hand over her heart which seemed to be swelling with joy. This was the exact scenario she’d always dreamed of. A calm domestic situation shared with a wonderful, loving man, an adorable child who—
Her blissful thoughts vanished as a figure appeared at the top of the stairs. There was no mistaking that long, expensively styled blonde hair. Her spirits sank.
She moved quickly out through the open door.
‘Hello, Lydia. You’ve just missed Ianni. He’s gone downstairs for something. And Nick’s at the hospital. He should be back soon so—’
‘It’s you I wanted to see,’ Lydia said in a steely voice, as she sank down onto one of the chairs on the terrace. ‘I was hoping to find you alone. If Nick’s due back soon, I’ll come straight to the point.’
Demelza moved towards the table and sat down on the opposite side from her unwanted visitor.
Lydia’s eyes flickered ominously as she looked across the table. ‘This is a very cosy little set-up, isn’t it? How convenient for you to move in with the boss.’
Demelza bridled. ‘I’ll ignore that remark, but don’t waste any more of my time, Lydia. Why have you come here?’
Lydia bared her dazzling white teeth in an approximation of a sugary smile. ‘I’m Ianni’s mother, remember? Or had you conveniently forgotten? My only concern is for his welfare. Something that you seem to disregard entirely.’
Demelza gasped. ‘How dare you? Ianni is like a son to me and—’
‘Exactly!’ Lydia’s eyes flashed triumphantly. ‘That’s why I’m here. I know what your game is but it won’t work. I came out here for a reconciliation with Nick. Did you know he actually invited me to come here to see if we could get back together again? He phoned me to say that Ianni was missing me and he wanted us to be a family again.’
‘I find that very hard to believe,’ Demelza said evenly. ‘Nick has always led me to believe that it was over between you.’
Lydia gave a harsh laugh. ‘Well, he would say that, wouldn’t he? Nick’s one of the boys. Always happy to have a bit on the side. He’s a full-blooded man, for God’s sake! How else could he manage without a wife if he didn’t find himself a girlfriend to satisfy his insatiable lust? Oh, and he’s got plenty of that, hasn’t he? Don’t you find he’s fantastic in bed, Demelza?’
Demelza stood up, her eyes blazing with anger. ‘I think you should go now, Lydia.’
Lydia remained rooted to her chair. ‘Not until I’ve said what I came to say. When I was married to Nick I took exception to him having other girlfriends. That’s why I chose to divorce him. But now I’ve come to realise that was a mistake. Some men…lusty, super-sexy men like Nick…need more than one woman to satisfy them. So when we get married again, as we will, I’ll be prepared to overlook his philandering. But until we’re back together as a family, I’m not going to tolerate any opposition.’
Demelza leaned both hands on the table and glared at Lydia. ‘That wasn’t what Nick told me. According to him, you were the one who was always having affairs.’
‘Hah! Well, Nick would say that, wouldn’t he? He’s not going to admit that he was the one who always loved his little bit of extra excitement. But family is family and Nick knows where his duty lies. Very strong on family is Nick…’
Demelza drew in her breath. It was as if a cold breeze had suddenly blown over the terrace. She was trying not to believe what Lydia was telling her but the part about Nick’s insistence that the family was all-important struck an unpleasant chord with her. She remembered that was a fact he’d stressed when they’d chatted together.
Lydia’s relentlessly strident voice was continuing. ‘Nick was reluctant to break up the family before and he’s seen what splitting up has done to Ianni. That’s why he wants me back. And that’s why I want you to clear off and leave us to get our family life together again. Ianni needs a mother, his true birth mother. So stop pushing your nose in where you’re not wanted. If you have any feelings for little Ianni, then let him have his real mother back. Nick and I made this family, not you!’
Lydia stood up quickly. Her wrought-iron chair fell backwards with a loud clanging sound. Demelza noticed how the noise echoed eerily around the silent hillside as if sounding the knell of her dreams. Had Nick really asked Lydia to come out to the island for a reconciliation? Was she herself simply just his ‘little bit on the side’?
Lydia paused at the top of the stairs and turned round, narrowing her eyes as she glared at Demelza. ‘Think about it before you carry on this wicked affair with Ianni’s father. How would you like it if somebody was trying to break up your family?’
‘But you’re divorced!’ Demelza flung back at her.
‘All a mistake, I assure you. I should have been more tolerant with my straying husband. I’ve learned my lesson and when we get back together again I won’t make the same mistake twice.’
Demelza found she was trembling as she watched Lydia going down the stairs. She held her breath until the courtyard door closed behind her and then she sank down onto the nearest chair and put her hands over her face.
A tiny hand touching her shoulder made her jump. ‘Ianni! You’re back! Did you find the crayon you wanted?’
Ianni’s eyes were solemn as he nodded. ‘What did Mummy want? I waited until she’d gone before I came back. I thought she’d come to take me away.’
What a sad thing for a child to say! Demelza brushed a hand over her damp eyes. Was she herself adding to Ianni’s misery by confusing him as to where his loyalty should lie?
‘Mummy called in to see me about something but she was in a hurry. That’s why she didn’t wait around to see you and Daddy.’
She heard the courtyard door opening and Nick called out, ‘I’m home!’
Oh, what a welcome sound! Demelza leapt to her feet and ran to the top of the stairs to wait for him. As he reached the top step he held out his arms and folded them around her. She went willingly into his embrace, Ianni clinging tightly to both of them.
But moments later she pulled herself away as she remembered this was exactly the sort of behaviour that was splitting up Ianni’s natural family. She couldn’t go on playing surrogate mother to Ianni and wife to Nick. If Nick really wanted to resurrect his marriage and she herself was simply the other woman, shouldn’t she back off and allow Ianni to get to know his natural mother again?
She walked purposefully towards the open door of her apartment. ‘I was cooking supper for all of us, but if you’d rather go out…’
Nick was right behind her, his arms on her shoulders. ‘Of course I don’t want to go out when you’ve cooked supper. There’s nothing I like better than being here with you, just the three of us, and—’
‘Nick!’
She swung herself around and looked up into his dark eyes. How she loved him! It was agony to contemplate ever living without him, but did she have the right to continue her affair with him?
‘Nick, don’t you think you should take Ianni down to the resort and spend some time with Lydia? After all, she’s made the effort to come out here. Maybe if you took Ianni with you he would get used to his mother again. It’s bound to be difficult for him when—’
‘Hey! What’s this all about?’ Nick pulled her against him and held her so close she could hear the beating of his heart. ‘Ianni wants to stay here and so do I. Unless you’re fed up with us. In which case…’
She raised her eyes to his. ‘I want you here with me,’ she said quietly. ‘But maybe you should try to patch things up with Lydia…for Ianni’s sake.’
‘I think we should stay here,’ Nick said firmly as he sat down at the table next to his son. ‘Wow! That’s a beautiful picture you’ve done, Ianni!’
Ianni smiled. ‘It’s for Demelza.’
Demelza sank down at the other side of the little boy and put her hand on his shoulder. ‘Thank you very much. I’ll put it on the wall in my living room where everyone can see it.’
‘Now, how about doing a picture for Mummy to take with you when you go down to see her on Monday?’ Nick said.
‘Do I have to go?’ Ianni asked plaintively. ‘I want to stay up here with Demelza.’
Nick turned to look at Demelza. Was it her imagination or did he look uneasy?
‘I’ve agreed to take Ianni down to spend the morning with his mother,’ he said in a careful, casual tone. ‘Now that the school holidays are here he’ll have more time to play and Lydia was upset that he didn’t want to stay on with her this morning. So I’ve agreed to take him down for a few hours each day while she’s here. It’s important for him to get to know his mother again. Family ties are so important.’
Demelza felt her spirits plummeting. Yes, it was important for Ianni to get to know his mother again, especially if Nick and Lydia were planning a reconciliation.
‘But I can come back here to sleep, can’t I?’ Ianni asked.
‘Of course you can,’ Nick said.
Demelza stood up. ‘I’ll go and get supper ready.’
‘And afterwards we can go down to Giorgio’s, join in the Saturday night fun. What do you say, Demelza?’ Nick called after her.
She put on a bright smile. ‘Fine!’
As Demelza listened to the haunting Greek music in Giorgio’s taverna she found it impossible to recapture the excitement she’d experienced on that first evening here. Now that she’d fallen in love with Nick, the whole scenario had changed. She’d had no idea what kind of a relationship she’d been heading for. And when she’d finally overcome her fear and apprehension it had been only to discover that she was destined to be the other woman, not the main person in Nick’s life.
That was, if Lydia was to be believed. Only time would tell. Nick seemed already to be taking steps to include his ex-wife back in his life.
‘You haven’t drunk your wine. Are you feeling OK?’
Nick’s concerned voice interrupted her thoughts. She forced herself to smile up at him.
‘I’m fine. A bit tired, but it’s been a long day. And it’s so hot. It doesn’t even get much cooler in the evenings now.’
‘But you’re still happy out here, aren’t you?’
She revelled in the tender expression in his eyes. ‘I love it.’
‘You don’t have to go back when your contract runs out in October. We need another experienced nursing sister in the hospital. Why don’t you stay on?’
The thought of remaining here indefinitely with Nick was very tempting, but not if he was planning a reconciliation with Lydia. And not if he needed to have more than one woman, as his ex-wife had insisted…and she should know!
Her dream was to have Nick all to herself and she wouldn’t compromise. Until now he’d seemed the sort of man who would be totally committed to the woman he loved but, then, she’d only known him a few weeks. Was that long enough to find out his faults? Probably not. They were still in the honeymoon period. A honeymoon without any hope of a wedding!
She looked at little Ianni who had fallen asleep in Nick’s arms. ‘I think we should take Ianni home,’ she said quietly.
‘Let him sleep here for a while,’ Nick said. ‘Anna has finished her cooking. She loves to care for him.’
Demelza looked across the room to where Nick’s kind, motherly aunt was watching them. As if sensing what they were saying, she moved between the tables to join them.
‘Go and dance with Demelza, Nick,’ she said, in her fascinatingly accented English, reaching down to take her great-nephew in her arms. ‘Leave Ianni with me. He looks so like your father when he is asleep.’
She turned to smile at Demelza as she cradled the little boy against her. ‘Nick’s father, Andreas, was a handsome boy, just like little Ianni. He was five years younger than me and I used to look after him when my mother was busy in the kitchen. I would take him down to the harbour to watch the fishing boats coming in and…’
Anna broke off as her voice choked. ‘Yes, I loved my little brother. And then when he grew up he was so handsome—all the girls wanted to be his girlfriend. The village girls didn’t like it when he fell in love with Lucy—that was Nick’s English mother. But I was happy about it, because she was a beautiful girl and she adored my Andreas so I didn’t mind that she took him away from me. But when Andreas was drowned in the storm…’
Once more Anna had to pause. She pulled a tissue from the pocket of her voluminous cotton skirt and dabbed her eyes before continuing, ‘When Andreas was lost at sea I thought my heart would break. But there was little Nick to remind me of my brother, and later on my little Ianni. Leave me here with him, Demelza. Nick is longing to dance with you.’
Nick leaned across. ‘What are you two whispering about?’
‘I was telling your lovely Demelza some of our family history,’ Anna said. ‘Go and dance and let me spend some time with Ianni.’
Nick held out his hand and drew Demelza to her feet before leading her away from the table.
The small three-piece group of musicians had struck up a soulfully slow dance after several loud, lively pieces. Nick pulled Demelza closely against him as they moved across the uneven flagstones that served as a dance floor. She could feel the beating of his heart against hers and the conflict inside her increased. Should she compromise and go with the flow? Should she take what little part of Nick’s life he was willing to share?
For the moment the only decision she would make was to make no decision on the future! She hadn’t had time to recover from Lydia’s shock announcement about the possibility of a reconciliation. Maybe when she’d had more time she would be able to assess the situation without emotion creeping in to cloud her judgement. But until she knew if this reconciliation was really on the cards she must try to pretend it wasn’t going to happen.
‘You’re looking very solemn,’ Nick whispered, his lips close to her ear. ‘What’s the matter?’
She took a deep breath. ‘I was thinking about Ianni having to go down to see his mother on Monday. How long is Lydia planning to stay out here?’
She watched in alarm as a veiled expression removed the tenderness from Nick’s eyes.
He hesitated. ‘I really don’t know. She’s planning to stay on longer than we initially anticipated.’
‘But I thought she had an important modelling contract to go back to.’
‘I think she’s completely freelance so she can please herself,’ he said in an even tone. ‘When I was talking to her this morning she said she was going to stay on longer than she’d intended. Anyway, why all this concern about Lydia? I know you don’t like her but that’s understandable. She has that effect on most women. Something to do with the model image, I suppose. But you won’t have to see much of her.’
‘Will you?’ she asked evenly.
He raised an eyebrow. ‘Will I what?’
‘Have to see much of her?’
He held her at arm’s length in front of him. ‘That’s a funny question. I’ll have to see her when I take Ianni down, of course. She’s really making an effort to get to know him again, and after all she’s his natural mother. So, genetically, they must have something in common. It would be nice if they could get together again.’
She swallowed hard. ‘Yes, it would.’
‘Now, come on, stop worrying about Lydia. Relax!’
He pulled her against him once more and she weakened as the feel of his muscular body against hers sent shivers down her spine. She remembered how they’d made love together in that out-of-this-world experience which had lasted all night. How could she possibly deny herself the joys of their love-making now that she knew what it was like to lie in Nick’s arms? She couldn’t call a halt to this affair just because there was the possibility of a reconciliation between Lydia and Nick.
She had to fight to keep Nick! But only if it wasn’t going to harm Ianni. If Ianni’s place was with his real mother in his natural family unit then that changed everything.
One day at a time! She couldn’t bear to look too far into the future.
They walked slowly back along the deserted village street, Ianni cradled in Nick’s arms, sleeping peacefully. As they reached the courtyard, Nick stopped and looked down at Demelza.
‘Will you sleep with me in my apartment tonight, Demelza?’ he asked, his voice tender and husky with emotion.
She looked down at the sleeping child and shook her head. ‘I wouldn’t want Ianni to wake up and find me in your bed.’
‘But Ianni accepts you as if you were his mother and—’
‘Shh! I’m not Ianni’s mother and I don’t want to confuse him. He’s a little boy who already has a mother, a mother who’s trying to get to know him again.’
It was breaking her heart to say these things but she felt that she had to take a stance. It would be so easy now to snuggle up beside Nick, to feel his arms around her, to lie there in the morning, satiated with their love-making, pretending that she was the only person in Nick’s life who counted for anything, other than Ianni. She could pretend she was Ianni’s mother but deep down she would feel a terrible guilt for trying to steal Lydia’s child away from her.
‘Goodnight, Nick,’ she said quietly.
She noticed the sadness in his eyes as he stooped to kiss her lightly on the lips. The confusion of her emotions continued as she hurried up the stairs and made her way into her own apartment. She expected to feel at peace with herself for having made the decision to back off.
But she didn’t.
As the long, hot summer days continued with cloudless skies and relentless sun, Demelza found that she was having to deal with far too many cases of sunburn. In spite of her talks and discussions with the incoming tourists about the danger of over-exposure to the sun’s damaging rays, there were still people who came out for a week, expecting to go back to the UK with a golden tan. She’d had to hospitalise two patients already and one of them had been so badly burned that he’d had to postpone his flight home.
It was now midway through August so there were many weeks to go before the cooler days of October would be upon them. She leaned forward to sort out the case notes on her desk. It had been a busy morning but everything was quiet now. This afternoon she would be able to relax and that was when she would start to worry again about her relationship with Nick.
Since Lydia had asked her to keep out of Nick’s and Ianni’s life her emotions had been in turmoil. On the one hand her instinct was to fight, but on the other her love for little Ianni made her more cautious. If Nick really was planning to get his natural family back together again then it would be utterly wrong of her to interfere.
Nick was still as attentive and loving towards her, but she’d made a point of holding off making love with him since Lydia’s revelations. She’d hoped that the situation would have been resolved one way or another by now, but she still felt that she was in a state of limbo.
Glancing out of the window towards the beach, she found herself holding her breath. As if to confuse her even further, she could see Lydia out there, walking down to the sea. Ianni was with her, holding her hand. And in the other hand he was carrying a brand-new football.
Nick had given Demelza a lift down to the beach resort this morning when he’d brought Ianni to be with his mother. She remembered how Lydia had rushed to the car park when they’d arrived, her make-up flawless, wearing a fabulous designer-looking sundress and the inevitable high-heeled strappy sandals. She’d reached up to put her arms around Nick’s neck and kiss him on the cheek. And then she’d given Ianni the new football, which had made him whoop with delight.
Demelza could still hear his cries of happiness as he’d demanded to go straight to the beach.
‘Come to the restaurant with me first, darling, for some breakfast,’ Lydia had cooed. ‘You can have ice cream if you like and…’
Demelza shivered at the disturbing recollections. Since Lydia’s arrival last month, she had showered her son with presents and Ianni seemed less reluctant now to spend some of his days with her. His days, but never his nights. For some reason known only to Ianni, he refused to stay down at the expensive apartment Lydia was renting now for an indeterminate period. Nick had continued to bring Ianni down to the apartment several times a week and Demelza couldn’t help but wonder how he was getting on with his ex-wife now that he was seeing so much of her.
She tried to tell herself that sooner or later she would find out just how real or false this reconciliation was going to be, but it didn’t help her to contain her impatience. A couple of times she’d felt like challenging Nick, asking him to come clean about his intentions towards Lydia, but at the last minute she’d managed to restrain herself from upsetting the rapport that existed between them. She had no right to expect him to be faithful to her and therefore she should allow their relationship to drift along with no demands on either side.
It was always wonderful to be with Nick, even though she spent half the time torturing herself with thoughts that it couldn’t last. For the moment she had to be content with whatever time they could spend together.
The ringing of the phone interrupted her thoughts. ‘Sister Demelza here…Yes, Nick…’
She leaned back against her chair to enjoy listening to the sound of his voice. ‘Yes, I’ve just finished,’ she told him. ‘I can come over to the hospital if you need me.’
It was wonderful to be needed by Nick! She could feel her toes tingling in that special way that happened whenever she was going to meet him. The fact that this was a purely professional situation didn’t make any difference.
Nick was waiting for her in his office as arranged. He’d been deliberately professional over the phone and she’d gathered that he’d had a patient with him at the time. He stood up when she went in and motioned towards one of the seats at the other side of his desk.
‘You know Bryony Driver, don’t you?’ he said, referring to the patient who was sitting in the other chair.
Demelza smiled as she recognised the woman who’d come to her clinic back in May, suffering from depression.
‘How are you, Bryony? You’re looking much better than when I last saw you.’
Bryony smiled back. ‘I feel great! That psychiatrist you put me on to has worked wonders.’
‘Glad to hear it. It was Dr Capodistrias who found him for us. Are you still having treatment?’
Nick leaned forward across his desk. ‘That’s what we’re here to discuss. Bryony is insisting that she doesn’t want any more sessions with Dr Michaelis, but I’m suggesting to her that it’s too soon to consider herself fully cured. And as Bryony is also your patient, Sister, I felt I should consult you. The problem is that Bryony hasn’t even finished the first course of treatment and—’
‘Excuse me, Dr Capodistrias,’ Bryony interrupted. ‘Now that Sister Demelza is here I can tell you the real reason. I wanted you both to know what was happening.’
Their patient hesitated as she looked first at Nick and then at Demelza, as if to judge their reactions.
‘You see, I’ve met a man…a wonderful man…We’re having an affair and I don’t want him to find out I’m seeing a psychiatrist. I don’t want him to think there’s something wrong with me. Dr Michaelis wants me to continue treatment, but I don’t think it’s necessary any more. I feel so happy!’
‘I’m glad you feel happy again, Bryony,’ Demelza said gently. ‘Are you still taking your tranquillisers?’
Bryony gave her a dazzling smile. ‘No, that’s the best part about it. I stopped taking them in June, two weeks after I met Costas, and I haven’t had any since. I’m ecstatic! It’s the best thing that ever happened to me.’
Nick stood up and came round to their side of the desk. He stood looking down at Bryony, his expression guarded.
‘Are you talking about Costas who owns the fish restaurant, down in the harbour?’
Bryony nodded happily. ‘Do you know him?’
‘I’ve known him since we were children. We’re about the same age. His wife died a couple of years ago and his mother has been helping him to look after the two children.’
‘They’re lovely little boys,’ Bryony said, her voice warm with enthusiasm. ‘I’ve always wanted kids of my own but my husband wasn’t keen on the idea. Anyway, they’ve really taken to me and I think it won’t be long before Costas asks me to marry him. The point is, I don’t want anyone to tell him I’ve been seeing Dr Michaelis about my depression. I’m not depressed any more and I just want to get on with my new life.’
‘I understand how you feel, Bryony, and I’m very happy for you,’ Demelza said carefully. ‘But are you sure that Costas feels as happy as you do about this relationship?’
‘Of course he does! You should see us together! We’re both very much in love. That’s why I want to finish my treatment with Dr Michaelis and I don’t want anybody to know I’ve been one of his patients.’
‘I’ll have a discreet chat with him,’ Nick said, ‘and we’ll take you off his list of patients. But if ever you feel you need to see him again…’
Bryony gave him a beaming smile. ‘That’s wonderful. Don’t worry, I won’t need to see Dr Michaelis again. And you won’t breathe a word to anyone, will you, Doctor?’
‘Absolutely not!’ Nick said solemnly.
‘Thank you both for all your help.’ Bryony stood up, shook hands with them and hurried out of the door, her feet in their high-heeled sandals barely touching the ground.
Demelza turned to look at Nick. He leaned forward and took hold of both her hands.
‘The power of love!’ he said, his voice husky with emotion.
‘Magic, isn’t it?’ Demelza breathed. ‘But do you think it will last?’
Nick shrugged. ‘Who can say? Who can ever predict the future?’
Demelza felt this was all too close to home. ‘This Costas, is he an honourable sort of man? I mean, he’s not just stringing Bryony along, is he? She’s a very vulnerable, unstable woman, and I wouldn’t like to see her hurt again. She had a rotten experience because of her husband’s infidelity and another disappointment could push her over the edge.’
Nick’s eyes flickered. ‘Costas is as honourable as any man I know. But, having said that, who am I to judge someone’s character? He’s never done anything dishonourable before. As far as I know, he was always faithful to his wife. But that doesn’t mean he might be unfaithful in the future if he and Bryony get married. You’ve got to take a chance with love. There are no certainties in life, are there?’
Demelza suppressed a shiver. Was Nick trying to tell her something? She lived in fear of the day that he might tell her he was going to take Lydia back as his wife.
‘Bryony will have to take one day at a time and enjoy her present happiness while it lasts,’ Demelza said quietly.
‘Hey, don’t sound so pessimistic!’ Nick said. ‘It could last for ever.’
She put on the bright smile that always helped to cover up her true feelings. ‘It could indeed.’
He leaned forward and pulled her gently to her feet so that he could cradle her in his arms. She felt herself relaxing against him, revelling in the feel of his strong athletic body so close to hers. If only she could be sure, if only…
‘I needed to see you about something else, Demelza,’ he whispered. ‘I don’t know what’s been troubling you lately but it seems ages since we were alone together, really alone.’
‘Nick, I—’
‘No, listen for a moment. You’ve always got some excuse to make when I want you to spend some time with me. Your main concern seems to be that Ianni shouldn’t find us together in a…well, an intimate situation. But tonight he’s going to stay with Anna and Giorgio. They’re putting on a birthday party for one of their grandchildren and they’re having the Greek equivalent of a sleepover. I’d like to take you out to that new restaurant that’s just opened by the harbour and then, maybe afterwards…just maybe…no promises…you would come home with me and we could be alone…really alone…’
Nick was looking down at her with that plaintive expression that little Ianni used when he was bent on getting his own way. Demelza reached up and pushed the wayward lock of hair away from his forehead so that she could fully appreciate the tender expression in his dark, searching eyes.
‘I’d love to,’ she whispered, deliberately ignoring the small voice of warning that constantly nagged her when she allowed herself to follow her heart’s desires.
Slowly, he bent his head and kissed her on the lips, gently at first and then with an all-consuming passion that gave her a hint of what was to come later.
Pulling himself away, his eyes searched her face. ‘Don’t change your mind before this evening, will you, Demelza?’
She smiled. ‘Why should I change my mind?’
He hesitated. ‘Well, you seem so unpredictable at the moment. I don’t understand you.’
‘I don’t understand you either,’ she countered.
‘We’ll have to do something about that,’ he said gently. ‘But not here. Tonight…’