5
Back at the villa, Lily and Amelia were only just finishing breakfast and Will and Hector were still upstairs.
The table outside was covered in plates, bowls, used cutlery, crumbs and milk spills, but the girls’ smiley, welcoming faces made everything all right.
‘How was it?’ Lily asked, rising and kissing her mother on the cheek.
She was wearing her pink and white checked bikini today, which knotted at the front. Amelia had the same one – they’d bought them together – but she was covered up now in an oversized green T-shirt.
‘Good,’ Stella replied, pulling out a chair and sitting down. ‘It’s a charming village. Lots of nice shops. You’ll love it.’
She wasn’t going to mention Marina; it would only make the girls worry.
‘Great. We might walk down later. D’you mind if we go for a swim now?’ Lily went on. ‘Sorry, I know you’ve just arrived, but we’re so hot.’
Her thoughtfulness warmed Stella’s heart. ‘Of course I don’t mind. Go. I’ll join you in a bit.’
She and Louise watched the girls saunter off to the pool, chit-chatting all the way.
‘They never stop, do they?’ Stella said, amused. ‘Girls are so different from boys.’
‘We were the same at that age,’ Louise replied. ‘Don’t you remember? In fact, we’re not that different now. Josh can’t believe how long we spend on the phone. Just as he thinks we’re about to hang up, he says we launch off into another great long topic of conversation about nothing in particular. He gets a bit annoyed, actually. He only uses the phone to make quick arrangements. Bish bosh and that’s it, call over.’
Perhaps if he listened more carefully to Louise, Stella thought, he’d realise these conversations were as important to her as Stella, and not just about ‘nothing in particular.’ But she didn’t say so.
There was a little coffee left, which they agreed to share.
‘I wonder why Marina wouldn’t tell us who the villa’s owners are,’ Stella mused as she poured cold milk into her mug. ‘I can’t think why it’s such a mystery.’
Louise took a sip of her drink before raising her eyebrows. ‘I think you should make it your mission to find out. You’re good at that sort of thing.’
‘What? You mean I’m nosy?’
Louise grinned. ‘Well, you always seem to know an awful lot about everyone. It doesn’t take you long to tease out someone’s life story.’
‘I’m just interested in people, that’s all,’ Stella protested.
‘That’s what I said. Nosy.’
It was the hottest part of the day now and both Stella and Louise were keen to swim. After getting changed, Stella did a few laps then lay in the shade for a while under a sweetly scented lemon tree.
It was several hours since she’d checked her messages and to her relief, there was nothing urgent. She was weary and could easily have fallen asleep, but Louise’s words had struck home and before long, she found herself googling Villa Ariadne to see if she could discover anything more about its previous and current owners.
It wasn’t listed on the usual travel agency sites; it had its own website which you had to book through. Stella had first stumbled across it when searching for a quiet villa to rent in Crete for six people, near the sea, with its own private swimming pool.
The website was pretty basic and must have been created quite some time ago. The pale-blue font looked old fashioned and the photographs were slightly grainy. However, as soon as she’d seen a picture of the outside of the house, with its grand yet welcoming façade and the avenue of ancient olive trees leading up to it, she’d known this was where she wanted to stay.
She’d become even more convinced after reading the unusual and rather charming blurb on the homepage, written by the housekeeper, which she now read again:
Eleni Papadakis welcomes you to the magic of Villa Ariadne and Porto Liakáda. No roads, no cars, no mopeds. You will arrive here by ferry from Chora Skafion, fifteen minutes away, and immediately feel as if you have left behind the stresses of the modern world.
Villa Ariadne is a historic jewel. Built by the Venetians, sections date back to the fifteenth century. Whilst retaining many traditional features, however, it has been lovingly updated to create a modern, luxurious yet laid back and uniquely calming home.
Everywhere you look, there is some piece of art, pottery or sculpture to delight tired eyes and soothe weary souls and senses. Everywhere you go, you will be able to lose yourself in nature, whether in the mountains, by the coast, in the azure Libyan sea or just at home in the villa’s gardens, filled with aromatic flowers and trees.
The villa is set high up in the White Mountains overlooking Porto Liakáda, where discos and clubs don’t exist, just a few quiet bars and restaurants by the beautiful bay. Night life is you, your conversation, your next drink, as you gaze up at the night sky and feel yourself start to heal…
It had seemed to Stella then, as it seemed now, that the piece had been written just for her. It was quite uncanny. It was almost as if Mrs Papadakis knew she was weary to her bones and sick with sadness. She needed far more than just a fun-filled beach holiday; she needed to convalesce and be reborn.
