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‘Oh, Constantine,’ chided Eleni, batting superb black lashes which didn’t need one scrap of mascara to emphasise them. ‘There isn’t a drop of shared blood between us. I’m your stepsister. Remember?’ The coldness re-entered her brown eyes as they flickered from Constantine’s face to Jade.
‘So this is your bride,’ she said haughtily, and there was a theatrical pause. ‘Not at all what I would have expected. Hello, Jade,’ she gushed insincerely.
And I can be just as insincere, thought Jade as she pinned a bright smile onto her lips. ‘Hello, I’m very pleased to meet you,’ she said, holding out her hand and receiving a limp imitation of a handshake in return.
Eleni’s head was perched to one side, like a watchful bird. ‘You’re so very young,’she observed.
‘Twenty,’ Jade defended, her misgivings growing by the second. There were all kinds of strange undercurrents going on here, she could sense them as easily as if they’d been visible to the naked eye. She could see an alertness and a rigidity about Constantine’s stance, could sense the blatant sexual challenge which glittered at him from Eleni’s eyes.She wants him, thought Jade, with a sudden sick feeling. What the hell had he brought her to?
He fired a question at Eleni in Greek, which only increased Jade’s sense of being an outsider, and Eleni replied in the same language, giving Jade a smug stare as she did so, as though sensing her discomfiture.
Constantine turned to Jade, his voice softer. To sweeten the blow, she wondered fleetingly?
‘My stepmother is inside. Come, we shall go and meet her.’
Eleni turned to Jade. ‘We’re very cross with Constantine for denying us the pleasure of at- tending his wedding. When I rang Stavros and he told me it was taking place yesterday—I couldn?
??t believe it—’
‘Damn Stavros!’ swore Constantine succinctly. ’He was under strict instructions to tell no one.’
Eleni hooded her eyes with their heavy lids and slanted him a look. ‘But for heaven’s sake, why, Constantine?’ she queried, mischief sparking her exquisite features. ‘We’ve waited for so long for you to plight your troth, and then you rush away and do it in secret. Almost—’ She gave a malicious smile. ‘Almost as though you were ashamed of your beautiful young bride.’
Jade flushed, wishing that she could spirit herself away from here by thought alone. What the hell was Constantine playing at?
‘Unless, of course,’ said Eleni maliciously, ’there’s some other reason for the indecent haste?’ And she looked pointedly at Jade’s flat stomach.
Jade flushed. ‘There’s none,’ she said smoothly, thinking that if Constantine didn’t get her away from this woman in a moment, she wouldn’t be responsible for her actions!
As if he’d homed in on her thoughts, he caught her elbow. ‘Come,’ he said softly.
The inside of the house was deliciously cool and dark. Jade got a brief impression of marble floors, of white walls and shuttered windows, before Constantine took her into what was obviously the formal drawing-room to meet Eleni’s mother.
And if she’d been hoping for some dear little apple-cheeked old lady, she was in for a shock, be- cause on first impression the pencil-thin beauty who sat on a high-backed chair looked little older than Eleni herself.
On first impression.
Closer to, Jade could see the ravages of time, made far more apparent by the older woman’s de- termination not to give in to them. Thick foun- dation lay in the deep lines which tracked over her face, cruelly emphasising them, and the bright blue which glistened on the heavy eyelids—so like Eleni’s—were like a throwback to the sixties, as were the thick black false eyelashes.
‘Marina,’ said Constantine. ‘May I present to you my wife, Jade?’
Jade was subjected to another chilling scrutiny as she took the gnarled old hand in hers. Marina inclined her head briefly, then spoke in rapid Greek to Constantine, who shook his head.
‘We will not, I think, speak in any language other than English since Jade is not yet familiar with Greek.’
‘Yet?’ mocked Eleni. ‘And you plan to actually learn our language, do you, Jade?’ she queried dis- believingly. ‘Believe me, the English find it almost impossible.’
Some devil sparked insubordination in Jade’s soul at the put-downs which the two women were loosely handing out. This marriage might be a farce as far as Constantine was concerned, but if he was playing the part of contented spouse, then she could go one better. And if it infuriated Eleni that she had married Constantine—then she would really give her something to get her teeth into! She gave a smile. ‘I realise that, and I certainly don’t under- estimate how difficult it’s going to be, but I’m quite determined, aren’t I, Constantine? Especially if you teach me. He’s the most wonderful teacher,’ she confided glowingly. ‘In just about everything!’
The black eyes glittered briefly at her in response before he turned back to his stepmother, a look of polite query on his face. ‘This is most—unexpected,’ he said carefully. ‘To have company on our honeymoon.’
Eleni smiled without humour. ‘You must allow us women our little foibles. We have brought Sophie with us to prepare a small wedding feast—but do not be troubled, Constantine—we are intent on leaving in the morning. And surely your bride will allow us one meal with you?’
Constantine gave a small nod of his head. ‘You are, of course, most welcome to stay with us for as long as you like, and naturally Jade and I are honoured and delighted to share in a surprise meal with you. Have you—’ and his black eyes looked as hard and as forbidding as metal ‘—planned to invite any others for this—er—feast?’
‘Just the four of us,’ said Eleni, a cool smile playing on her lips. ‘Which will give us the chance to get to know each other better. Now please, Jade—sit. You stand like a stranger in your hus- band’s house. Sit and Sophie will bring us refresh- ments—you must be parched after your long journey.’
‘Thank you.’ Jade sat down on the edge of one of the overstuffed chairs, her knees pressed tightly together, feeling a bit like a child invited to the party, who nobody had really wished to come.
