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He took the phone out and flipped it open. ‘Ne?’

After a quick brief conversation, so quick that Kallie couldn’t follow it, he closed the phone again.

‘There’s something I have to do. But I don’t want you to move. Kallie, promise me, just stay here, exactly as you are. I’ll be back in half an hour—we’ve not finished talking yet.’

She nodded slowly and felt something momentous move between them. But she didn’t dare try and fathom what it could possibly be.

When he had gone, she stayed on the sofa, exactly where she was. Not moving. How had he guessed so much? She didn’t even feel relief. She just felt curiously at peace and a bit numb. As if something huge had shifted.

The phone rang shrilly in the hall, making Kallie jump. She left it for a minute, thinking Thea would appear to answer it, but she didn’t. Kallie figured she must be out in the garden. She went and picked it up. A curt, officious voice on the other end asked abruptly for Alexandros.

‘He’s not here. He’s gone into Athens.’

‘Damn! I tried him on his mobile.’

‘Sometimes the signal goes on the way down the hill.’

‘Look, it’s very important I speak with him.’

Kallie felt a little awkward now. ‘Well, I’m his wife. He’ll be back—’

The man sounded distracted. ‘I’m out of my office. You said you’re his wife…so you’re Kallie Demarchis?’

‘Yes.’ She felt a prickle of foreboding come over her skin.

‘Well, this involves you, too. I’m sure you know anyway. It’s about the divorce. He said he wanted it to happen as soon as possible…’

Kallie nearly dropped the phone. And found herself saying in a thin voice, ‘I’m sorry, who did you say you were?’

‘I’m his solicitor. Look, I’m sorry to be so rushed, I didn’t think I’d have to call. Just tell him to call me on my mobile when he gets back, if he wants this to happen as quickly as he said he did then I need some papers signed immediately. Oh, and, Miss Demarchis?’ He didn’t wait for a reply. ‘You’ll probably be hearing from your solicitor next week. Have a nice day.’

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

KALLIE dropped the phone back into its cradle. Thea rounded the corner. ‘Did I hear the phone?’

Kallie nodded briefly, didn’t look at her except fleetingly. ‘Wrong number.’

Thankfully Thea went off again, muttering about her hearing. Without feeling her legs move, Kallie went upstairs to the bedroom and very calmly started to pack her things.

Every now and then, as if trying to break into her consciousness, she’d get flashes of pain so intense she had to close her eyes and focus on breathing. She would not let this turn into another panic attack. All she needed was to get away from here. Right now. Before Alexandros came back. She’d get a flight back to Paris. Maybe even get the train to London for a few days, somewhere he wouldn’t be able to find her.

She sat on the bed and looked blankly at her packed case. She couldn’t believe that she’d come so close to telling him…to almost telling him everything. To think that she’d thought for one second that something momentous had happened downstairs between them. Of course he’d figured it out. He was an intelligent man, and when emotions weren’t in the way, he’d been able to see the facts for what they were.

All this showed now was that he wasn’t angry any more. She put a shaking hand on her belly. Thank God she hadn’t told him she was pregnant.

The door opened. Alexandros. ‘Kallie, why didn’t you stay downstairs?’

He came in and answered himself. ‘It doesn’t matter. I can say what I have to say—’

He stopped abruptly when he saw her face properly. It was white, the freckles standing out starkly against the unnatural hue.

His concern was immediate. He came in further but something held him back from touching her. She was so unnaturally still.

‘What is it, Kallie? Did you have another attack? Did you—?’

He broke off as he saw the packed case on the bed behind her, looked around and saw the other case on the floor. He felt cold inside.

‘What’s going on?’

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