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‘He’s—as well as can be expected, isn’t that what they say? Thank you for asking.’ He paused. ‘But you could have rung the villa and found that out for yourself.’
Jane didn’t think so, but she didn’t want to get into that now. Instead, she let a little of her emotions show. ‘Oh, Demetri—’
‘Please.’ The look he directed towards her would have chilled an ice cube. ‘You can’t turn up out of the blue and expect a welcoming committee. Not after leaving Kalithi as soon as my back was turned.’
Jane’s jaw dropped. ‘It wasn’t like that.’
‘No? You knew Stefan and I were flying out to the Artemis. Didn’t it occur to you that it might be dangerous?’ He gave a short laugh. ‘Or didn’t you care?’
‘Of course I cared.’
‘Psemata?’
‘Yes, really!’ she exclaimed. ‘But you knew I couldn’t stay there indefinitely.’ She was reluctant to mention his mother’s part in her departure, but there was something she could say. ‘I did ring the villa after I got back to England, but—well, I couldn’t get through.’
Demetri’s lips twisted. ‘Do you expect me to believe that?’
‘It’s the truth!’
‘So why couldn’t you get through? Had you forgotten the number?’
‘Of course not.’ Jane sighed. ‘Perhaps Angelena didn’t understand what I wanted.’
Demetri’s scepticism was evident and, in another attempt to explain her behaviour, she said unhappily, ‘Ariadne resented me, you know she did.’
Demetri’s brows drew together. ‘Did Ariadne say something to make you leave?’
‘N…o.’
‘I thought not.’
‘Demetri, please—’
‘Please what?’ He swallowed the remaining liquid in his glass in one gulp and turned to refill it. Then, with his back to her, he said, ‘What do you want, Jane? Are you worried because I’ve let the divorce stall these last few weeks?’ His shoulders rounded. ‘You have to understand, I’ve had other things on my mind.’
‘I know that.’ Jane drew her lower lip between her teeth. Then, because she had to know if Ianthe had been telling the truth, ‘Are you still seeing Ariadne?’
He swung round then, his expression violent. ‘What’s it to you?’he demanded harshly. ‘You don’t care what happens to me.’
‘I do!’ Jane couldn’t let him think that, even if his response was no answer. ‘I’ve never stopped caring about you.’
Demetri was bitter. ‘Then you have a bloody funny way of showing it.’ He shook his head. ‘Why don’t you tell me what this is all about and get it over with?’ He glanced at the slim gold watch circling his narrow wrist. ‘I’ve got a dinner engagement in exactly forty minutes.’
‘Ianthe came to see me.’
Jane hadn’t intended to be so direct, but it was too late now. He was staring at her with hard, disbelieving eyes and she wondered painfully if the Greek girl’s confession had come too late, also.
‘Apokliete!’ he muttered at last. No way!
‘It’s true.’ Jane gazed at him despairingly. ‘She—she came to the gallery. She told me that you and Ariadne were no longer together.’
‘Ariadne and I have not been together, as you put it, since I came to your apartment over three months ago,’ he told her coldly. ‘That should hardly be news to you.’
Jane was confused. ‘I don’t know what you mean.’ She frowned. ‘When I arrived in Kalithi, Ariadne let me think—’
‘That she and I were sleeping together?’ Demetri was bitter. ‘And you, of course, believed her.’ He spread his arm dramatically. ‘My wife,’ he said contemptuously, ‘who still thinks I’ll sleep with any woman who’ll have me.’ He downed another mouthful of his whisky. ‘And you say you care about me. Forgive me if I say that’s bloody pathetic!’
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
THE arrival of Mrs Sawyer with Jane’s tea gave Demetri a few minutes to compose himself. He was tempted to pour himself another drink, but the knowledge that getting drunk—again—wouldn’t do him any favours made him set down his empty glass with a heavy thunk.
Jane, meanwhile, had accepted the housekeeper’s suggestion and seated herself near the table where Freda had put the tray. But he noticed she made no attempt to drink the tea the woman had poured for her and Freda, after assuring herself that they had everything they needed, took it upon herself to close the doors as she left the room.
