‘We’re already on it,’ Louise replied. ‘Al and I. And Jon’s agreed to it, too. We’re going to try to make an appointment for him as soon as he’s back in London. We’re trying to persuade him to change his flight and travel home with us.’
Relief washed through Stella, who took a deep breath. Jon was no longer solely her problem; she had help now. And she and Louise were going to work through their issues and be okay. Her body seemed to grow lighter; she hadn’t realised quite what a burden she’d been carrying. She felt as if this was the first time in months she could properly relax and let go.
News of the rescue had travelled fast round the village and Katerina arrived with a big bunch of flowers she’d picked from the mountainside.
Later, April turned up with all four children in tow and a cake from her shop, which the older kids devoured in front of Stella, scattering crumbs everywhere.
Baby Nikos sat on Stella’s lap, playing with her necklace, and Meaty was fascinated by Al.
‘He’syourhusband?’ he asked Stella in a puzzled voice. ‘So how come he wasn’t here and he is now? It’s a good job he came at just the right time, isn’t it? If he’d come tomorrow, he’d have been, what do you call it? A widow?’
‘A widower, yes,’ Stella said with a laugh, glancing at Al, who smiled, revealing the gap in his front teeth. She’d forgotten how much she liked that gap. It made him look cute.
‘Quiet!’ April said crossly to her son. ‘Stella doesn’t want to think about being dead.’
‘I don’t mind,’ Stella replied truthfully. ‘He’s saying it like it is. I admire his directness.’
The final visitor was none other than Marina. Louise hurried upstairs to ask Stella if she wanted to see her, and Stella said she did.
Al insisted on being there, partly because he was intrigued to meet the artist, but he also wanted to be sure she didn’t say anything to upset his wife.
‘You’ve had quite enough shocks since you arrived.’
His eyes widened when Marina entered the room, wearing one of her trademark, multi-coloured tie dye dresses.
She looked very beautiful and delicate, like an exotic bird, with her slim, tanned limbs, silver jewellery, long, straight nose, big black eyes and her shock of wavy hair reaching almost to her waist.
She’d walked all the way from the village carrying one of her large paintings, which she propped up against the wall where Stella could see it.
‘It’s for you,’ she said with a smile, before settling on one of the chairs nearby. Al was beside Stella on the bed. ‘I hope it will remind you of Porto Liakáda – in a good way.’
Stella stared at the abstract canvas in a simple, white wooden frame. It was the one she’d seen Marina working on by the quayside, a joyful splash of bright, swirling colours: yellow, orange, red, violet, silver, turquoise and deep blue.
‘It’s the sea here, isn’t it?’ she said, losing herself in the picture. ‘It’s just how I saw it when I first arrived. It’s beautiful, but I can’t possibly take it from you.’
‘Tsk.’ Marina shook her head. ‘It’s a gift. Accept it.’ She gave Stella a meaningful look. ‘I want you to remember our sea as a happy place.’
‘Thank you.’ Stella was still gazing at the iridescent colours. ‘I’ll treasure it always.’
Marina had been focusing on Stella the entire time, but now glanced round the room, taking everything in.
‘Katerina has a good eye,’ she commented appreciatively. ‘I love everything she’s done with the house.’
Stella raised her eyebrows. ‘Oh! So she’s responsible for the interior design? Not the owner?’
Marina seemed surprised. ‘Katerinaisthe owner. I’m sorry, I assumed you knew by now. Her employer left the house to her in her will, along with a large sum of money. She trusted Katerina completely to do something good with the villa, knowing she’d have no use of the place herself.
‘Katerina doesn’t like grandness, you see; she prefers the simple life. She doesn’t tell many people that Villa Ariadne is hers. In fact, the villagers have no idea, though a few might suspect it. One day, it will come to me, and I’ll try to do the same as her and rent it out to the right people, those who really need it.’
‘How does she choose the people who need it?’ Al, who’d been quiet up to now, was leaning forwards, elbows on knees, head cocked inquisitively.
‘Oh, Katerina doesn’t choose,’ Marina replied enigmatically. ‘The villa decides.’
With that, she rose swiftly, kissed Stella lightly on the cheek and shook Al’s hand, affording them no time to ask further questions.
‘I’ll leave you to rest,’ she said, straightening her dress and walking towards the door. ‘I’m glad you’re recovering so well.’
It wasn’t until she’d gone that Stella and Al were finally alone to talk.
