possible. The thought of working for him in some
obscure section of his empire, of looking forward pitifully to some
annual visit where he might or might not remember who she was, was
an abhorrent prospect.
She almost started as his hand clasped her arm, urging her forward
inexorably towards the open front door.
Inside the villa, she was conscious of space and a blessed coolness
which her own rationality told her was air-conditioning. But the decor
added something, she thought, as she trod across cool marble floors
and looked round at vistas in airy pastels.
There were more double doors in front of her, and they were opening
too, and as she hesitated, swallowing nervously, Nicky wriggled free
from Yannina and ran back to her, sliding a confiding hand into hers.
She gave his hand an encouraging squeeze as they walked forward.
It was a large room, but its focus was solely the two dark-clad figures
waiting in the middle of it. Both Madame Marcos and her sister were
wearing black, like so many of the peasant women she had spied from
the car on the journey here, but their black had the sombre shimmer of
silk, and there was a proud glitter of diamonds at throat and wrist.
Their eyes glittered too, Harriet realised, with hostility. Two haughty,
inimical faces turned towards her.
She felt Alex's fingers tighten on her arm. He said coolly and
pleasantly, 'Mama—Thia Zoe, may I present Thespinis Masters, who
has brought Nicos to us from England.'
Madame Marcos' firm lips stretched in a travesty of a smile. But her
sister was not even prepared for that concession. She glared at Harriet
and said something low-voiced and undoubtedly venomous in Greek.
Alex's voice became more pleasant than ever. 'Perhaps we could all
remember that Harriet does not speak our language, and only talk in
English when she is present.'
Madame Marcos said stonily in perfect English, 'Welcome to our
house, thespinis. ' She made it sound like an insult, but as her eyes
settled on Nicky they softened perceptibly, and Harriet fancied she
saw a sudden glint of tears, fiercely suppressed.
Nicky was hanging back, pressing himself against her leg.
Fierce-looking women dressed in black were something outside his
limited experience, and clearly that was where he preferred them.
Harriet tried to give him a reassuring smile, but his mouth was
already trembling.
Thia Zoe said, 'So this is Kostas' child.' Her accent was more strongly
marked than her sister's, and her voice grated slightly. Nicky began to
wail, and both the older women stared at him in a kind of dignified
amazement.
Yannina pushed forward. 'Pardon, kyria, but he is so tired, the little
one. Po-po-po —all that long journey in a plane! Why should he not
cry?'
She picked Nicky up and hugged him.
'He had better go to his room,' said Madame Marcos. 'You
also—Thespinis Masters. You have had a tiring journey. Alex, there
have already been telephone calls— one from Athens, one from
Paris. Perhaps you would deal with them.' The turn of her head away
from Harriet was a dismissal in itself.
Yannina said, ' Thespinis, I will take the little one.' She hesitated. 'I do
not know which room you have been given, but Androula will show
you.' She nodded towards the elderly woman who had just joined
them, also wearing black but with a neat white apron denoting Jjer
inferior station.
Harriet turned almost thankfully back to the door. The room seemed
to have shrunk to a few square inches, hostility closing round her like
a vice.
Yannina's broad form was already disappearing up the stairs with
Nicky clasped firmly in her arms. Androula motioned Harriet to
follow with an expressionless, 'If you please, thespinis.''
The stairs were also made of marble with a wrought- iron balustrade.
Harriet's heels clicked emptily as she mounted them. She felt empty
too. Her tentative smile at Androula had been met with a total blank,
the black eyes impassive as they met hers.
obscure section of his empire, of looking forward pitifully to some
annual visit where he might or might not remember who she was, was
an abhorrent prospect.
She almost started as his hand clasped her arm, urging her forward
inexorably towards the open front door.
Inside the villa, she was conscious of space and a blessed coolness
which her own rationality told her was air-conditioning. But the decor
added something, she thought, as she trod across cool marble floors
and looked round at vistas in airy pastels.
There were more double doors in front of her, and they were opening
too, and as she hesitated, swallowing nervously, Nicky wriggled free
from Yannina and ran back to her, sliding a confiding hand into hers.
She gave his hand an encouraging squeeze as they walked forward.
It was a large room, but its focus was solely the two dark-clad figures
waiting in the middle of it. Both Madame Marcos and her sister were
wearing black, like so many of the peasant women she had spied from
the car on the journey here, but their black had the sombre shimmer of
silk, and there was a proud glitter of diamonds at throat and wrist.
Their eyes glittered too, Harriet realised, with hostility. Two haughty,
inimical faces turned towards her.
She felt Alex's fingers tighten on her arm. He said coolly and
pleasantly, 'Mama—Thia Zoe, may I present Thespinis Masters, who
has brought Nicos to us from England.'
Madame Marcos' firm lips stretched in a travesty of a smile. But her
sister was not even prepared for that concession. She glared at Harriet
and said something low-voiced and undoubtedly venomous in Greek.
Alex's voice became more pleasant than ever. 'Perhaps we could all
remember that Harriet does not speak our language, and only talk in
English when she is present.'
Madame Marcos said stonily in perfect English, 'Welcome to our
house, thespinis. ' She made it sound like an insult, but as her eyes
settled on Nicky they softened perceptibly, and Harriet fancied she
saw a sudden glint of tears, fiercely suppressed.
Nicky was hanging back, pressing himself against her leg.
Fierce-looking women dressed in black were something outside his
limited experience, and clearly that was where he preferred them.
Harriet tried to give him a reassuring smile, but his mouth was
already trembling.
Thia Zoe said, 'So this is Kostas' child.' Her accent was more strongly
marked than her sister's, and her voice grated slightly. Nicky began to
wail, and both the older women stared at him in a kind of dignified
amazement.
Yannina pushed forward. 'Pardon, kyria, but he is so tired, the little
one. Po-po-po —all that long journey in a plane! Why should he not
cry?'
She picked Nicky up and hugged him.
'He had better go to his room,' said Madame Marcos. 'You
also—Thespinis Masters. You have had a tiring journey. Alex, there
have already been telephone calls— one from Athens, one from
Paris. Perhaps you would deal with them.' The turn of her head away
from Harriet was a dismissal in itself.
Yannina said, ' Thespinis, I will take the little one.' She hesitated. 'I do
not know which room you have been given, but Androula will show
you.' She nodded towards the elderly woman who had just joined
them, also wearing black but with a neat white apron denoting Jjer
inferior station.
Harriet turned almost thankfully back to the door. The room seemed
to have shrunk to a few square inches, hostility closing round her like
a vice.
Yannina's broad form was already disappearing up the stairs with
Nicky clasped firmly in her arms. Androula motioned Harriet to
follow with an expressionless, 'If you please, thespinis.''
The stairs were also made of marble with a wrought- iron balustrade.
Harriet's heels clicked emptily as she mounted them. She felt empty
too. Her tentative smile at Androula had been met with a total blank,
the black eyes impassive as they met hers.
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