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‘Perfectly,’ answered Maggie calmly, as though she had not just been asked to change the entire cthos of the Daily View! ‘We’ll think of something to replace them.’
‘Something suitable,’ murmured Constantine quietly. ‘And in keeping with the new goals which I outlined earlier.’ Piercing black eyes swivelled in Maggie’s direction. ‘Perhaps you would like to hold a meeting after we’ve gone—to outline the turn- around in our editorial policy. Any employee who feels that they would be unable to support such a turnaround will, of course, be free to leave.
‘Oh, and by the way,’ he remarked, almost casually. ‘Miss Meredith is no longer employed by this paper—’ He stilled the buzz of comment with the upraised palm of command. ‘Because she and I are getting married. Good day, ladies and gentle- men. Come, Jade.’
As exits went, she would probably never better it, thought Jade, a flash of her customary humour returning as she observed the collective opening of mouths before following Constantine to the lift. How she wished she’d had a camera to capture the look on Maggie’s face!
‘What editorial turnaround?’ asked Jade curi- ously, as they rode down in the lift together.
The back eyes glittered. ‘It is quite simple,’ he said. ‘The Daily View is about to change and in future no one will be able to describe it as a “scandal sheet”.’
‘I see,’ said Jade faintly. Well, it would certainly have to change a lot in order to qualify for that!
Outside, a blindingly shiny black Daimler stood parked by the front of the Daily View building. There was a chauffeur in the front seat, whom Constantine introduced as Tony. Beside him was the Greek man who had opened the door to her at the Granchester, and Jade found herself blushing as she wondered whether Constantine had told him of the outcome of that little meeting.
‘This is Stavros,’ said Constantine. ‘My brother.’
His brother? Wait for the animosity, thought Jade, and then was surprised at the politely formal greeting.
‘How do you do, Miss Meredith?’ Stavros ex- tended his hand. ‘I saw you in Piros, but you will not remember me.’
Jade smiled; he had a kindly face. ‘On the con- trary,’ she said. ‘I remember seeing you in the taverna with your brother. Such a pity we did not meet.’
Stavros shrugged. ‘Indeed. Constantine guarded you too well. But I am flattered that you noticed me,’ he finished wryly. ‘I thought that you and Tino had eyes only for each other.’
Jade’s cheeks went pink. ‘I’m pleased to meet you,’ she said politely, if somewhat ironically.
She and Constantine sat in the back of the car, and he gave instructions in Greek to the driver, but Jade clearly made out the word ‘Granchester’.
‘Constantine—’
‘What is it, agape mou?’ he answered softly, and laid his hand on her forearm, only the lightest of gestures, but which had her senses on full alert im- mediately. It was…an almost…well, if not exactly a loving gesture, then certainly an affectionate one, and much too close to the way he’d behaved on Piros for her to derive anything but regret from it.
He’s putting on an act in front of his brother, thought Jade, wriggling away from him. He must be. ‘What about my things?’
‘Things?’
‘Yes, things. The kind of things which make such a difference to everyday living! You know—tooth- brush, clothes. Little things like that.’
He laughed softly beneath his breath. ‘I like it when you answer back, you know, Jade. I find your spitfire retorts most entertaining—’
‘Well, they aren’t supposed to be!’
‘And as for your things—we can easily buy you another toothbrush.’
‘And my clothes?’
‘There is an answer to that which I do not think my brother and chauffeur should be privy to, but if you insist on wearing any then we can arrange to buy you anything you like.’
‘But I don’t want you to buy me clothes—I happen to have some perfectly decent ones in my own wardrobe.’
His face darkened, with the look of a man obvi- ously not used to having his wishes thwarted. ‘I’m talking about garments by the best designers the world has to offer,’ he bit out impatiently. ‘You can spend what you wish.’
‘Keep them! I don’t want your money, or your designer clothes’ answered Jade emphatically. ‘I want my own!’ Through the glass partition, she was sure that she could see Stavros’s shoulders silently shaking.
‘As you wish,’ he said tightly, and bit out some new instructions, then bent his mouth to her ear. ‘So spirited,’ he murmured. ‘How I shall enjoy subduing that spirit.’
‘I shan’t let you!’
