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‘He’s in the leisure industry.’ He shrugged. ‘But I always knew what I wanted to be and my parents never stood in my way.’
‘So maybe they don’t really expect you to settle down.’
He smiled thinly. ‘Unfortunately, they do. Hence the string of potential brides. If I’m not going to be in the family business, the next best thing is that I marry someone who’ll be in the family business in my stead.’
She frowned. ‘But your sisters and brother aren’t.’
‘My sisters are,’ he corrected. ‘And my brother will be, when he graduates.’
She remembered what he’d told her about them when he’d shown her the photographs. A PR consultant, an interior designer and a chef. Where did that fit in with leisure? But she knew there was no point in asking Theo. He’d probably already let slip a lot more than he’d intended.
Theo glanced at Madison as he paced the room. He really wasn’t being fair to her. Here, in London, his background wasn’t an issue. She saw him as Theo the man, the doctor, not the heir to the Petrakis hotel chain. And it wasn’t her fault that his family drove him crazy.
He sighed and sat on the sofa next to her. ‘Signomi, Maddie. I’m sorry. I should have explained. My family owns a chain of hotels—little romantic boutique hotels. Expensive hotels.’
‘So you’re telling me you’re rich?’
‘My family is.’ He paused. ‘Though I’ve told Dad that because I’m the only one who hasn’t joined the family firm, I don’t expect to inherit anything. The others have worked for it, so my share belongs to them. And if he ignores me, I’ll divide up my share between them anyway.’
Her approving look warmed him.
‘But they still keep trying to set me up with a suitable bride. The daughters of friends who also own hotel chains and whose families are all very involved in the business.’ He grimaced. ‘It’s one of the reasons I left Greece. I’m tired of them trying to marry me off to form a dynasty.’
‘You never wanted to be part of the business?’
He shook his head. ‘I’m a doctor, Maddie. It’s who I am. It’s what I’ve always wanted to be.’
‘If they know how you feel and they love you,’ Madison said softly, ‘then they’ll accept it.’
‘They do…know how I feel and love me, I mean. And they sort of accept it, but I suppose they’re still hoping I’ll change my mind and go back to Greece. They miss me.’ He smiled ruefully. ‘And I miss them.’
‘So go back to Greece and make your peace with them. Properly.’
‘There’s no peace to make.’ He shook his head. ‘We didn’t fight. They knew I wanted to come to England and get to know the other side of my family.’
‘Your English grandparents.’
She remembered that? ‘Yes. But it’s…complicated.’
‘And you’re a very private man. On the surface, you’re all fun and fantastic company. But if anyone gets too close, they hit the barrier you’ve thrown up.’ She smiled wryly. ‘I know the rules, Theo. And I’m not going to nag you or push you into talking about things you’d rather not discuss.’
‘Even though you want to make everything perfect for everyone?’
‘Hey. We all have our bad habits.’
‘Maybe you’re right. Maybe I should talk about it.’ He took a deep breath. ‘It’s messy. And I don’t even know where to begin.’
Gently, she took his hand. Squeezed it. ‘Don’t worry about it being messy. I’m not going to judge you. Talk to me, Theo. It doesn’t matter where you start. Just talk to me.’
He was silent for so long she began to think that he’d changed his mind.
And then he spoke.
‘You know my mother was English.’
‘Mmm-hmm.’
‘Her parents didn’t approve of her seeing my father. They thought he was a waiter, not good enough for their daughter.’ He smiled wryly. ‘He was a waiter when he met her, admittedly—but that’s because my grandparents owned the hotel and insisted he spend a fortnight in every single job in the business, so he could understand exactly how things worked and what kind of issues the staff faced.’ Then his smile faded. ‘Dad loved my mother. Really loved her. And she loved him. He married her, even though her parents refused to come to the wedding. When they found out they were expecting me, they were overjoyed.’ He swallowed hard. ‘And she died giving birth to me.’
Madison’s heart contracted. Now at last she understood why he’d been so adamant about not having children of his own, even though he adored babies. She’d assumed that he and a former partner had lost a baby and their relationship hadn’t survived the tragedy, but she really hadn’t expected this. And if he’d been feeling this way for years and years…Something so deeply rooted he might never be able to let go.
