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Nevertheless, when his pilot landed the helicopter on the pad a couple of hundred yards from the villa, he breathed a sigh of relief. Without waiting for Vasilis to swing open the door and let down the steps, he accomplished the task himself and dropped down gratefully onto the tarmac.
‘I won’t need you tonight, Theo,’ he said when the other man joined him. ‘You can go home, if you wish.’ Theo’s parents lived on one of the other islands in the group. ‘Costas will take you.’
‘If it’s all the same to you, I’d like to stay at the cottage,’ said Theo, mentioning one of a cluster of stone dwellings where many of the staff who worked on the estate lived. He set down the two briefcases he was carrying and stowed the steps back inside the aircraft. ‘I’m hoping to see Ianthe, if you have no objections?’
‘Why would I object?’ Demetri raised a hand to the pilot as Costas prepared to take off again. ‘She’s a free woman.’
‘I know that, but—’
‘But what?’
‘Well…’ Theo looked embarrassed now. ‘It’s common knowledge that you and she were once—were once—’
‘Friends,’ said Demetri harshly. ‘We were friends, Theo. Friends! Not lovers, as I’m sure you’ve heard.’
‘But your wife—’
‘She didn’t believe me either,’ said Demetri, his pleasant mood evaporating. ‘Forget it. It’s all in the past now. Perhaps one day Ianthe will tell you who Marc’s father really was. Until then, take my word for it, I wish you—both of you—nothing but good luck. OK?’
‘Thanks.’
Demetri picked up his own briefcase and the two men separated as they reached the house, Theo to circle the villa to where the cottages were situated and Demetri to run lightly up the steps and into the reception hall.
The place seemed deserted, but almost immediately his mother appeared from the direction of the terrace. ‘Demetri!’she exclaimed, evidently surprised to see him. ‘Is something wrong?’
‘Why should anything be wrong, Mama?’ Demetri felt a sense of impatience that was out of all proportion to the perceived offence. ‘I went to the conference as I promised and now I’m back.’ He paused. ‘Where’s my father?’ It was better than asking whether Jane was still here.
Maria Souvakis clicked her tongue. ‘You may well ask,’ she said, and it was obvious she wasn’t pleased with the answer she had to give him. ‘He’s gone for a drive with that woman, hasn’t he? I warned him that it was unwise to overtax himself, but he won’t listen to me.’
Demetri knew exactly who his mother meant, and his relief was so great he didn’t consider his words before saying, ‘I doubt if taking a drive with Jane will overtax him greatly, Mama.’
But then a frown formed between his brows. What was he saying? He wanted Jane out of his life, didn’t he? Encouraging his father to make her visit a pleasant one was hardly the action of a sensible man.
‘I might have known you’d disagree with me,’ declared Maria tersely. ‘After all, you’re the one who brought her here.’
Demetri let that go, but his mother wasn’t finished. ‘Thank goodness, Ariadne has gone with them,’ she continued. ‘She’ll make sure your father doesn’t do anything stupid.’
Demetri blew out a breath. ‘Anything stupid?’
‘Like inviting her to stay indefinitely,’ she explained irritably. Then, as if realising this was hardly the way to greet her son after he’d been away, she tucked her arm through his. ‘Come along. Thermia’s here. We’re having iced tea on the terrace. She’ll be pleased to see you.’
Demetri doubted that. And the last person he wanted to see right now was Ianthe’s mother. Was Ianthe with her? Could he really be that unlucky?
Remaining rooted to the spot when his mother would have drawn him across the hall, he said wearily, ‘Give me a break, Ma. I’m hot and tired. What I really need is a shower and something a little stronger than iced tea!’
‘Nonsense.’ His mother was having none of that. ‘What would Thermia think if you didn’t come and say hello?’
Demetri’s jaw tightened. ‘Is she alone?’
‘Of course not. Ianthe’s with her. And I know she’ll be glad of some younger company.’
Iperokha! Great! Demetri suppressed a groan. Who had invited the Adonides women here? But he didn’t really need to ask. Nevertheless, Theo was going to be so disappointed when he drove into town to find Ianthe wasn’t home.
