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“Initially, but he soon fell back into the same old patterns. My mother went to work, something she’d never been prepared for, and she kept us going until my brother and I were done with school and old enough to work.”
“What did your mother do?” asked Scarlett, thinking she already knew the answer after what he’d said about her servants.
“She became a maid. She refused to quit when I graduated from high school. She insisted I got to college, and I did. Even when my father died the next year, she refused to let me drop out of the university.”
“Then what happened?” Scarlett asked as his face close.
“It’s not important.”
He fell into a brooding silence, and Scarlett stopped trying to draw him out. Instead she dozed off, and woke an hour later to him shaking her awake. “I don’t want you to burn,” he said, seeming to be restored to good humor.
“Are we going back to your island now?” Scarlett asked reluctantly. She did not want to face his sisters again anytime soon.
“It’s up to you. There is a wedding tonight, and we’ve been invited. I know the groom slightly. A traditional Greek wedding is an interesting experience, but it would mean staying the night here in Mykanos. We can’t return to the island at night.”
“I don’t have any clothes with me,” said Scarlett. “But if I can pick up a change of clothes it sounds wonderful.”
“That can be arranged.”
She returned to the changing cubicle, longing for a hot shower and making do with the sink. When she emerged, dressed once more in the linen slacks and white shirt, Carter was waiting for her. They walked away from the beach and down a few streets until they came to a shop.
Scarlett only selected a simple dress and nightgown, as there wasn’t much from which to choose. The gown was a gauzy material, palest blue.
“We’ll book rooms at the inn next, so we can prepare for the wedding.” He had selected a simple outfit of trousers, and a black shirt.
The inn was a small building, simply decorated, but everything was clean. Carter spoke in Greek with the owner, shaking his head often.
“What’s going on,” she asked after they had been talking for some time.
“There’s a little problem. Because of the wedding there’s only one room left.”
Scarlett eyed him carefully.
“And?”
He smiled at her smugly. “And I guess we’ll make it work,” he said placing his credit card on the desk.
Carter waited outside as she showered and got changed. Then she sat on the bed reading a book that had been left in the room. It was in Greek, but she didn’t care, it was just nice to relax. When Carter stepped out of the bathroom in his slacks and grabbed his shirt from a chair, Scarlett could hardly stop herself from drooling. She saw him look toward her direction and she ducked down behind the safety of the book once more.
They walked out of the inn and down the street, stopping at one of the many churches where a crowd was already gathering. Lively discussions in Greek flowed around them, and several people stopped to speak with Carter. He introduced her to many of them, and she smiled affectionately.
“What time is the wedding?” Scarlett asked Carter.
“As soon as it gets dark, you’ll hear the bride coming.”
She frowned. “What do you mean?”
With a vague smile, he said, “You’ll see.”
The groom, a nervous young man, paced continuously in front of the steps, growing more agitated as the sun changed the sky from blue to orange, then pink, and finally black velvet. Candles and torches were lit as the light faded away. He cried out with excitement as a chorus of music and voices could be heard descending towards them. Several other people began to form two lines, and Carter led Scarlett off to the side. “Here she comes now,” he said.
Behind a small procession of people, Scarlett could make out a cart drawn by a horse. Standing in the cart was a young woman in a stunning white gown. The people in her procession mingled with the others forming on the s
teps, and the groom lifted his bride from the cart.
The ceremony was brief, conducted all in Greek, but it still brought tears to Scarlett’s eyes. When they were joined, a loud cheer issued from the assemblage. Scarlett joined in, not knowing the words, but still raising her voice.
They followed the line of people back to a home nearby, and into their courtyard, where a bonfire blazed and a table was loaded with food. Scarlett sampled a little bit of everything and watched as the guests opened their presents. Everything from wine to pottery was given to the new couple, and she wished they’d brought something.
