Kitty when she couldn’t get her own way. She did her best with her face, pleased that a touch of foundation made the bruise barely noticeable, and her newly washed hair shone, with lighter streaks here and there from the hours she’d spent baking on Luke’s beach. Not too bad. How she’d envied Jo’s thick straight bob when they were teenagers. And Jo had laughed her to scorn, full of envy for her friend’s blonde curls. Barbie doll fixation, she’d teased, then dodged when ‘Barbie’ started throwing things. Ready at last in a raspberry-pink shift, Isobel went back to the terrace to help Eleni lay the table.
The woman smiled in approval. ‘You look very pretty, Isobel!’
‘Why, thank you, Eleni. I heard from Luke,’ she added as she put out the silver, and the woman nodded happily.
‘He ring Spiro. Is bad he not stay long in hospital.’
Isobel smiled. ‘He doesn’t like hospitals!’
Eleni shot her a knowing look. ‘You like him, ne ?’
Isobel coloured slightly. ‘Of course. He’s been very kind to me.’
‘He likes you . He never bring woman here before.’
‘He didn’t bring me , Eleni. He was forced into helping me because I hurt myself.’
‘He likes you,’ the woman repeated firmly, then hurried away at the sound of a car.
In white palazzo trousers and a sea-green silk shirt which displayed enviable honey-toned cleavage, Isobel’s visitor looked even more stunning than before.
‘You look a lot better—nice dress.’ Alyssa pulled up a chair. ‘Recovered from the shock, Isobel?’
‘More or less. Luke rang me. He left the hospital as soon as he’d been treated.’
‘So I heard.’
Isobel shivered. ‘Any news about the man who did it?’
Alyssa shook her head. ‘The police are questioning him.’
‘Will there be anything on the news right now?’
‘The main newscast is on later, after our meal. I’ll play interpreter much better once I’ve eaten.’ Alyssa cast an eye over Isobel. ‘Are you slim like that because you work at it?’
‘No. Metabolism.’
‘Lucky you. I have to watch my weight like a hawk.’
‘What for?’ Isobel eyed her blankly. ‘You’re gorgeous.’
‘Thank you, glykia mou! But to stay that way I do have to work at it.’
‘To please Dimitri?’
Alyssa smiled like a cat with the cream. ‘No, he loves the curves. But I want to fit into my wedding dress. I brought a box of pastries with honey and nuts for dessert, by the way, but I’ll limit myself to one only.’
‘Sounds wonderful.’
‘I brought a bottle of wine, too—a gift from my father. He says a glass of wine is good medicine in times of stress.’ Alyssa put out a hand to touch Isobel’s. ‘Don’t worry. Luke is a supremely fit man. He’ll be fine.’
Isobel flushed. ‘I’m concerned, Alyssa, that’s all. Luke came to my rescue and I’m grateful to him, and I hate to see him hurt. But there’s nothing going on between us. We’ve only just met.’
‘An hour—a minute—is all it takes to fall in love—or lust, Isobel. But I won’t tease any more. Here comes dinner.’
Entertained by Alyssa’s account of her preparations for her wedding, Isobel ate well enough to satisfy Eleni when shecame to clear away, but by then she could wait no longer. She looked at her guest in appeal. ‘Would you check the news for me now, please?’
Alyssa promptly jumped up and handed Isobel her crutch to make for Luke’s study. She brought up the required television programme, then patted Isobel’s hand as a shot of Luke came on the screen.
‘He’s been discharged from hospital after treatment, and the assailant is in police custody,’ reported Alyssa.
‘That’s it?’ said Isobel, as a shot of schoolchildren filled the screen.
Alyssa nodded and turned the set off. ‘If I hear anything more I’ll let you know tomorrow. When do you intend leaving the villa?’
But Isobel had taken time to think this over. ‘Perhaps I’ll wait one more day after all. At the
The woman smiled in approval. ‘You look very pretty, Isobel!’
‘Why, thank you, Eleni. I heard from Luke,’ she added as she put out the silver, and the woman nodded happily.
‘He ring Spiro. Is bad he not stay long in hospital.’
Isobel smiled. ‘He doesn’t like hospitals!’
Eleni shot her a knowing look. ‘You like him, ne ?’
Isobel coloured slightly. ‘Of course. He’s been very kind to me.’
‘He likes you . He never bring woman here before.’
‘He didn’t bring me , Eleni. He was forced into helping me because I hurt myself.’
‘He likes you,’ the woman repeated firmly, then hurried away at the sound of a car.
In white palazzo trousers and a sea-green silk shirt which displayed enviable honey-toned cleavage, Isobel’s visitor looked even more stunning than before.
‘You look a lot better—nice dress.’ Alyssa pulled up a chair. ‘Recovered from the shock, Isobel?’
‘More or less. Luke rang me. He left the hospital as soon as he’d been treated.’
‘So I heard.’
Isobel shivered. ‘Any news about the man who did it?’
Alyssa shook her head. ‘The police are questioning him.’
‘Will there be anything on the news right now?’
‘The main newscast is on later, after our meal. I’ll play interpreter much better once I’ve eaten.’ Alyssa cast an eye over Isobel. ‘Are you slim like that because you work at it?’
‘No. Metabolism.’
‘Lucky you. I have to watch my weight like a hawk.’
‘What for?’ Isobel eyed her blankly. ‘You’re gorgeous.’
‘Thank you, glykia mou! But to stay that way I do have to work at it.’
‘To please Dimitri?’
Alyssa smiled like a cat with the cream. ‘No, he loves the curves. But I want to fit into my wedding dress. I brought a box of pastries with honey and nuts for dessert, by the way, but I’ll limit myself to one only.’
‘Sounds wonderful.’
‘I brought a bottle of wine, too—a gift from my father. He says a glass of wine is good medicine in times of stress.’ Alyssa put out a hand to touch Isobel’s. ‘Don’t worry. Luke is a supremely fit man. He’ll be fine.’
Isobel flushed. ‘I’m concerned, Alyssa, that’s all. Luke came to my rescue and I’m grateful to him, and I hate to see him hurt. But there’s nothing going on between us. We’ve only just met.’
‘An hour—a minute—is all it takes to fall in love—or lust, Isobel. But I won’t tease any more. Here comes dinner.’
Entertained by Alyssa’s account of her preparations for her wedding, Isobel ate well enough to satisfy Eleni when shecame to clear away, but by then she could wait no longer. She looked at her guest in appeal. ‘Would you check the news for me now, please?’
Alyssa promptly jumped up and handed Isobel her crutch to make for Luke’s study. She brought up the required television programme, then patted Isobel’s hand as a shot of Luke came on the screen.
‘He’s been discharged from hospital after treatment, and the assailant is in police custody,’ reported Alyssa.
‘That’s it?’ said Isobel, as a shot of schoolchildren filled the screen.
Alyssa nodded and turned the set off. ‘If I hear anything more I’ll let you know tomorrow. When do you intend leaving the villa?’
But Isobel had taken time to think this over. ‘Perhaps I’ll wait one more day after all. At the
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