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‘No—’
‘Neh.’ He was adamant. ‘I left messages on your mother’s answering machine asking you to meet me. I even hung about outside the gallery, hoping I might be able to intercept you when you left. But you either slipped out the back or you avoided me in some other way.’
‘I didn’t know.’ Jane was pale. She tried to think. ‘I did stay with my mother when I first got back, and I did go to work at the gallery, as you say. I don’t know how we could possibly not have seen one another.’
And then, she did. ‘Oh, God,’ she breathed. ‘I think I know what happened.’
She remembered how, at that time, she’d been less than enthusiastic when Olga had suggested a trip to New York. She’d only been back in England for a few days and all she’d really wanted to do was hide away and lick her wounds. Getting on a plane to New York, being expected to talk business with the gallery Olga dealt with, had seemed totally beyond her.
But Olga had been so disappointed at her reaction that she’d eventually given in. She’d decided it was just Olga’s way of trying to help her, of giving her something to do that would take her out of herself and give her time to deal with her pain in an environment that held no unhappy memories.
Now she recognised Olga’s actions for what they’d really been. An attempt on her part, and probably on Jane’s mother’s, as well, to get her out of London and away from Demetri.
Demetri had been watching the play of emotions that had crossed her face as the truth dawned. But when she quickly explained what had happened, his reaction was not what she’d expected.
‘So,’ he spoke with resignation, ‘Ianthe and my mother weren’t the only ones who wanted to keep us apart.’
‘No.’ She gazed at him. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘Neh, so am I.’ He slumped then, burying his face in his hands. ‘Theos, this is too much for me to handle.’ His nails raked over his scalp. ‘All this time I thought you were happy with the situation.’
Jane caught her breath. ‘I thought you were.’
He looked up then. ‘How could you think that?’
‘How could I not?’
Demetri stared at her for a long time, then he gave a weary sigh. ‘So, now we know the truth at last. That’s something, I suppose.’
Jane felt sick. ‘Is that all you have to say?’
‘What do you expect me to say, Jane?’ he demanded, bitterly. ‘Do you think I am happy that I had to find out like this? All these years, all the lies people told—’ He made a helpless gesture. ‘I don’t even know what you want from me now. Understanding? Absolution? Exoneration? You’ve got them. But I have to tell you honestly, I’ll never forgive myself.’
‘Oh, Demetri…’ Jane couldn’t stand the suspense a moment longer. Covering the space between them, she gazed down at his bent head with burning eyes. Then, she laid her hand on the back of his neck and discovered his hair was damp with the sweat that was pouring out of him. It was all the encouragement she needed to say softly, ‘Will you ever forgive me for doubting you? For allowing other people to make such a mess of our lives?’
Demetri didn’t immediately answer her, but he groped for her blindly, pulling her between his legs and burying his face against her stomach. Then, in a strangled voice, he said, ‘I’m the one who needs your forgiveness, aghapi. If I hadn’t been such a—pigheaded fool, you wouldn’t have run away.’
Jane’s hands came up to cradle his head against her. ‘I wish I hadn’t,’ she whispered unsteadily. ‘I wish I’d stayed. I wish I’d made Ianthe tell me the truth.’ She broke off, her voice thick with emotion. ‘I never stopped loving you, you know. Even when I thought I hated you, I knew it was because you could still hurt me so much.’
Demetri tipped his head back and gazed up at her. ‘Do you mean that?’ he asked hoarsely, but he could tell from the tears in her eyes that she did. ‘Theos!’ He pressed his face against her again to hide his own ragged feelings. ‘I can’t believe it.’
‘I wouldn’t lie to you,’ she said, taking his face between her palms and tilting it up to hers. She bent and bestowed a lingering kiss on his parted lips. ‘Does that convince you?’
Demetri’s eyes searched her face. ‘So you’ll stay with me? You’ll come back to Kalithi with me and be my wife?’
‘If that’s what you want.’ Jane was trembling, as much from the knowledge that his head was pressed against their baby as from her relief at knowing that he cared about her still. ‘If you love me, that is. If you believe we have a future together.’
