‘Well, take a good look at them when you go back and see if they remind you of anyone. The nose, the eyes, the lips. I think you know what I’m driving at?’
Stella’s eyes widened in astonishment. ‘Marina’s the daughter of your former employer?’
A slight incline of the housekeeper’s head confirmed the truth.
‘Are others in the village aware of this? Does Marina even know?’
‘Marina, yes. Everyone else, no.’
‘But why? Why was she given to Cora and her husband? What was the reason?’
She almost added,And why are you tellingme, a virtual stranger?but stopped herself. She felt privileged to be party to the information, for whatever reason, and didn’t want to break the spell.
‘Ah, well that was because my lady wasn’t supposed to be able to have children. She and her husband were childless. When he found out, he agreed to keep it quiet on the one condition – that his wife give up the baby and have no contact with her whatsoever. I was entrusted with the job of arranging where to place her. Mr Makris and his wife were the obvious choice, as they were childless themselves, and I knew Cora would be a wonderful mother.’
‘Is Mr Makris Marina’s father?’
Katerina frowned again and opened the woollen pouch, taking out a silver pendant, which she ran through her fingers like a rosary.
‘He is, though he doesn’t deserve to be. It’s a mystery to me how anyone so beautiful and talented could come from someone like him.’
Stella’s mind was buzzing. She had a million more questions, but Katerina was beginning to tire.
‘I think that’s enough,’ Katerina said, finishing her tea and replacing the cup on the table. She gave a weary little smile. ‘Don’t you?’
‘Just one more thing,’ Stella gently pleaded. ‘Did your lady, as you call her, think she had special powers as well?’
‘Certainly,’ the old woman replied decisively. ‘She could see things before they even happened. She saw my husband’s death at sea, but unfortunately, I didn’t take heed. At that time, I thought she was, what do you call it? Fey. I think that’s the word. Now, I know better, of course.
‘I don’t have her gift; very few do. But I used to know when she’d had a vision. Her eyes would glaze over and she’d whisper things to herself. Sometimes, she’d become upset and I’d have to comfort her. I was the only one who could. She always wanted me by her side in those moments.’
Stella was silent for a few minutes while the information sank in, then her stomach clenched and she stared at the housekeeper in sudden panic.
‘If she foresaw your husband’s death, maybe Marina’s right to warnme? Do I need to take her seriously? I’ve never really believed in things like that before, but should I be cautious this time? Should I get everybody home?’
Katerina took another deep breath before shrugging her thin shoulders and raising her hands, palms out.
‘I’m sorry, I can’t answer that. It’s for you to decide. You must make up your mind and do what you think is right.’
Stella felt dizzy and her leg started bouncing up and down involuntarily, making the table shake.
‘Can’t you give me some guidance? I don’t want to ruin the kids’ holiday unless I have to.’
‘Listen to your own intuition. Trust your gut.’
Katerina fixed Stella with an enigmatic gaze, which made her fists clench. She tapped her fingers on her thigh repeatedly.
‘You know what to do. You just have to figure it out,’ the old woman added.
