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Freedom.
He remembered what it had felt like to be denied his freedom. Sometimes in his dreams he heard the sound of the warders’ keys when the prisoners had been locked in the cells every evening. Each morning had begun with the cells being unlocked, surly men shuffling out into the corridors, the stench of sweat and the clang of metal doors.
‘When I was younger, I spent two years in prison,’ he said abruptly.
Eleanor stared at him. ‘What did you do?’
‘I was found guilty of grievous assault.’ Jace waited for her to make a comment, but her silence gave no clue to her thoughts. He continued tensely, ‘It’s true that I punched someone. But I acted to defend Takis when I saw that his assailant had a knife.’
‘Was the Takis you tried to protect the same Takis Samaras who you sent to persuade me to sell the Pangalos?’
Jace nodded. ‘We go back a long way, and we’re as close as brothers.’ He rubbed his hand around the back of his neck to ease the knot of tension. He did not know how he had expected Eleanor to react. She was clearly curious, and he wanted to unburden himself of the secret he had kept from her.
‘When my father died, he left debts which my mother had to pay off. Although she had helped him run the hotel, she lacked any formal qualifications and could only get low paid work. I quit school to get a job so I could help to support us.’
‘Iliana told me that you pretended to be older than your age so that foremen would take you on as a labourer,’ Eleanor murmured.
‘I met Takis on a building site. He was young like me, and had left home to escape his abusive father. We went out one night and were set on by a group of youths. Running away seemed our best option as we were outnumbered, but Takis tripped over. I went back for him and saw the knife, so I punched the guy who was about to use it.’
‘I don’t understand why you were sent to prison for trying to protect your friend.’
‘The assailant fell backwards when I punched him and hit his head on the pavement. He was knocked unconscious and slipped into a coma.’ Jace grimaced. ‘I felt really bad about what I’d done. I hadn’t meant to cause serious injury. But the young thug who had attacked Takis came from a wealthy family and his father paid witnesses to say that I had started the fight.’
‘What about the knife? Surely it was evidence that you had acted in defence?’
‘According to the witnesses’ statements there was no knife. It was mine and Takis’s word against theirs, and in court no one believed us.’
‘So you went to prison.’
‘Takis took care of my mother while I served my sentence, and some time later I heard that the guy I’d punched had made a full recovery. I shared my cell with a British man who was serving time for embezzlement. He taught me to speak English, so at least the two years were not completely wasted,’ Jace said wryly. ‘When I was released from prison I got a job with a building firm and fell for the boss’s daughter.’ He gave a cynical laugh. ‘Katerina refused to marry me after I told her I’d been to prison.’
‘Oh, Jace,’ Eleanor said softly.
His eyes narrowed as he tried to gauge what was going on behind her serene face. Was she judging him? ‘I have no way of proving that my version of what happened is the truth. Takis will back me up, of course, but I realise you might not believe me.’
‘I believe you.’ She shrugged. ‘There’s no reason for you to lie. You don’t care what I think of you. Even if you had committed a crime and deserved to go to prison, it would not change my decision. I have no choice but to marry you to clear my brother’s debts. What made you tell me?’
‘Our wedding is likely to be of public interest in Greece, and it’s possible a journalist might dig up the story. I wanted you to hear it from me first.’
Jace exhaled heavily. ‘I admit that I withheld my real reason for asking you to marry me a year ago,’ he said gruffly. Remorse tugged in his chest as he accepted that he had hurt her. She had wanted Prince Charming, but Jace knew he was just an ordinary man with flaws. He could never have lived up to Eleanor’s expectations of a fairy tale romance, but now at least she understood that they both had something to gain from marrying.
‘Let’s agree to be honest with each other for the duration of our marriage,’ he murmured. The woman he had met a year ago had been uncomplicated and he could not believe that Eleanor had secrets. Although finding out that she was a balloon pilot had been unexpected. Jace acknowledged that he had jumped to conclusions about her friend Nigel. ‘Is there anything you want to tell me?’
‘Like what?’ She sounded oddly defensive and turned around to activate the burner so that their conversation could not continue over the noise of the flames.
When it was quiet again Jace said casually, ‘Do you have any other extreme hobbies—cage diving with sharks, perhaps?’ Was it his imagination, or did she relax when she realised that he was teasing her?
‘No, nothing like that. I don’t have any secrets.’ Eleanor’s gaze slid away from him and he was certain she had lied.
At Jace’s house in Thessaloniki, Eleanor was preparing for her wedding. ‘There, that’s the last one.’ Her sister huffed out a breath. ‘Your husband is going to curse when he has to undo all the tiny buttons down the back of your dress.’ Lissa stepped to one side, leaving Eleanor’s reflection in the mirror. ‘I hate to say I told you so, but I knew you would look stunning in a dress that shows off your sexy figure.’
Eleanor forced a smile. She had to admit that the wedding dress her sister had picked out suited her curvy shape. Made of white silk overlaid with lace, the dress’s low-cut neckline pushed her breasts high and emphasised her narrow waist and the contours of her hips before the skirt flared down to the floor. Intricate lace detailing on the back of the bodice hid her scar, and a row of pearl buttons ran from the base of her neck all the way down the dress.
In the rush to choose a dress and shoes, as well as pack up her life to move to Greece, she hadn’t considered the problem of unfastening the buttons so that she could take the wedding gown off. Her sister’s assumption that Jace would undress her made Eleanor feel sick with nerves.
She had denied she had any secrets, but if they spent their wedding night together he would discover her physical imperfection. Jace might be so appalled when he saw the scar on her back that perhaps he wouldn’t stick around to find out she was a virgin. Memories of her first boyfriend’s horrified reaction to her scar twisted the knot of tension in the pit of Eleanor’s stomach even tighter.
‘Hey, where have you gone?’ Lissa asked softly. ‘You’re not supposed to look sad on the most romantic day of your life.’
