PAGAN ADVERSARY (19 page)

things in life, and liked the world to know it.

Each day she appeared at the pool, oiling herself lavishly in order to

deepen an already immaculate tan, but she never went into the water.

But that, Harriet thought maliciously, was probably just as well,

because Maria was so loaded down with gold chains and

bracelets—round her neck, her waist and her wrists and ankles—that

she would have sunk like a stone.

The greatest exertion she seemed capable of was looking through

glossy fashion magazines—probably seeing pictures of Vicky

Hanlon, if she did but know it—and Harriet wondered why she didn't

go out of her skull with boredom. But hers not to reason why, she

decided, and meanwhile it was better for her to concentrate on

keeping Nicky well out of Maria's way, because she made it obvious

that the noise of his play and chatter irritated her.

Nicky tugged at her hand. 'Swimming, Harry,' he pleaded, and

whooped with pleasure when she reluctantly nodded. As he ran ahead

of her into the sunlight, Harriet followed slowly, wishing there was

some alternative delight to tempt him with.

Maria was already ensconced on her lounger when they arrived, the

flowered sun umbrella adjusted to the correct angle, and a tray with a

tall jug of iced fruit juice placed conveniently to hand on one of the

tables.

She «at up as they approached and removed her sunglasses.

All the better to glare at us, thought Harriet, giving the other girl a

swift impersonal smile as if she hadn't noticed a thing. She peeled off

the simple cotton shift she wasAvearing and draped it over the back

of one of the cushioned chairs stationed near the shallow end of the

pool. Nicky, dancing with excitement, allowed her to remove his

tee-shirt, then darted towards the steps leading down into the water.

Harriet sat on the tiled edge, dangling her feet in the water, and

watching indulgently as he threshed about energetically. When he got

tired, there was a huge inflatable swan for him to ride on—another

evidence of Alex's thought. Nicky adored it, and often insisted on

bringing some bread down from the house so that they could

ceremoniously pretend to feed it.

Eventually she joined Nicky in the water, encouraging him to float on

his back, and then to swim with proper strokes, all the time aware that

Maria was watching them, her face set in lines of annoyance.

As she lifted him out at last, and wrapped him in a towel, she was not

altogether surprised to see Maria beckoning imperiously.

She gave Nicky a quick hug. 'Dry your hair,' she urged in an

undertone, then picking up her own towel she walked to where Maria

was lying.

The Greek girl's eyes looked her over from the pale damp strands of

hair on her shoulders, to her bare feet, taking in the white towelling

chainstore bikini on the way.

She said glacially, 'Who gives you permission to use the pool at this

time?'

Harriet frowned. 'I don't understand you,
thespinis.'

Maria's chin lifted in affront. 'I speak very good English. You do not

want to understand. I say you should not use the pool, or bring the

child down here, when there are guests of the family present. The boy

is noisy. Take him back to the nursery now,
parakalo
,' she added

offhandedly.

Harriet felt a blaze of temper rise within her, but her smile didn't

waver. 'I'm afraid that it's you who does not understand,
thespinis.
I

am not Nicky's nanny. I'm his aunt, and I'm also a guest here.'

She didn't believe for a moment that Maria wasn't perfectly well

aware of the relationship, but if she expected her to look discomfited,

then she was disappointed.

Maria's shrug was negligent. 'There is a beach,' she said. 'There he

could make as much noise as he wishes. Why do you not take him

there?'

Harriet held on to her patience. 'Because the path down to it is

dangerous for someone of his age. Alex has had a gate fixed to the top

to prevent him from straying down there, as you may have noticed.'

She saw Maria's eyes narrow at the use of Alex's name, and went on

hurriedly, 'I'm sorry if Nicky disturbs you,
thespinis.
Perhaps you

aren't used to small children and.. . .'

'I am perfectly accustomed to them,' Maria said icily. 'Many of my

friends are married, but Greek children are taught to behave properly,

to play quietly. English children seem to me spoiled, and allowed to

become— hooligans.' She pronounced the word with a kind of

triumph.

Harriet said quietly, 'Nicky's half Greek, if you remember,' then

wished she hadn't, as she saw a flash of real hatred in Maria's dark

eyes. Every time Maria looked at Nicky she must be reminded of

Kostas, and the fact that he had jilted her, she realised, and there was

no way she could convince the other girl that her last remark had not

been a deliberate jibe. She suppressed a sigh and said, 'But if you

really find him such a nuisance, I'll take him elsewhere.'

Maria gave a slight shrug, implying that Harriet could take him to the

ends of the earth with her goodwill.

At that moment Spiro came striding under the archway. He was

casually dressed in shorts and a leisure shirt, with espadrilles on his

bare feet, and was carrying a camera.

He halted when he saw them. 'Ah, you have already been bathing,' he

said with evident dissatisfaction. 'I came to see whether you and

Nicos would like to go with me to Paleocastritsa. Behave like tourists

for a day,
ne?'

Harriet forbore to remind him that, as far as it went, that was really all

she was. She couldn't prevent a surge of excitement at the invitation,

remembering that Alex had described Paleocastritsa as one of Corfu's

beauty spots, but to escape from the environs of the villa for a while,

she felt she would have jumped at a chance to tour the local gasworks.

She said smilingly, 'That would be lovely. Nicky, we're going to the

seaside in Thio Spiro's car! That is— it is the seaside, isn't it?' She

turned to Spiro in sudden doubt.

He laughed. 'Indeed it is. A fine beach, although very crowded, and a

bay with tall cliffs and many caves. You will like it there.'

Harriet scooped their belongings together and hustled Nicky towards

the villa, promising to be as quick as possible. She was sure she

would like Paleocastritsa, and the glimpse she had got of the look of

baffled temper on Maria's face had added an extra dimension to her

anticipated pleasure.

Maria, she was sure, had no intentions of swapping Alex for Spiro, in

spite of his mother's machinations, but at the same time she clearly

felt that any invitations which were going should be aimed at her,

rather than a little English nobody.

It was ignoble to feel triumphant, but she did.

While Yannina attended to Nicky, Harriet showered rapidly, and

changed into another bikini, topping it with a one-piece playsuit in a

pale lemon stretch fabric, and pushing her feet into simple leather

sandals.

Spiro's eyes lit up with admiration as she came downstairs, holding

Nicky's hand.

'How beautiful you look,' he said. 'Let us go quickly.'

'Before anyone sees us?' Harriet supplied drily, and he gave her a

quizzical glance, and a faintly embarrassed shrug.

'You are in an unfortunate position in this house, Harriet,' he said

when they were in his car and on their way.

Harriet sighed. 'You don't have to remind me! But I still don't see

why. Kostas wasn't the first man in the world to marry someone his

family didn't approve of, and he won't be the last.'

'That is true,' Spiro acknowledged. 'But it was not only the

marriage --' He stopped short, as if aware he might have said too

much, and Harriet turned to him impulsively.

'Please go on—I think I have a right to know what's going on, as I'm

the one who's principally affected by it.'

Spiro looked uncomfortable. 'Perhaps, but Alex would not be

pleased, I think, if I were to discuss a close family matter with....' he

hesitated.

'An outsider,' Harriet suggested woodenly. 'Of course, I could always

ask him—telling him that you'd whetted my curiosity.'

'I hope you will do. no such thing!' Spiro looked horrified, then

laughed. 'Oh, very well. As you say, you have a right. I have seen how

my aunt behaves towards you, and it is not kind.'

Not to mention your own mother who, of course, has been charm

itself, Harriet thought with irony.

Aloud she said, 'Forgive me, but does Madame Constantis know that

you're taking us to Paleocastritsa?'

He nodded. 'It was partly her own idea. You must understand,

Harriet, that it would have given me much pleasure to have taken you

out before, only. .. .'

'Only it might have upset too many people,' she said quietly. 'Are you

quite certain you didn't misunderstand what your mother said to you?'

'YOB do not believe me? Well, I suppose I cannot blame you. You

must understand that my mother is a woman who feels very deeply,

both love and hate. Since the death of my father, she has been living

here with my aunt. As they are widows, it is a good arrangement for

them, but since she has come here my mother has become too

concerned with'—he looked embarrassed again—'certain aspects of

our family relationship.'

'You mean she saw you as Alex's heir.' Harriet stared at the tall

sombre lines of a group of cypresses.

Spiro groaned, it is so obvious? I feared so,

is inevitable that Alex will marry and have a son. Even if the little

Nicos did not exist, it would be so. My father, God knows, was not a

poor man, but always my mother has had this envy of the Marcos

family, and of her younger sister who made this brilliant marriage. It

is sad, but it is part of her nature.'

'Didn't any of them know that Kostas had had a son?'

'Alex knew, but said nothing, until his brother's death made it

necessary for him to act, of course.'

'Well, that's something we aren't likely to agree on,' Harriet said drily.

'But why did Kostas quarrel with his family.'

Spiro sighed. 'I spoke of my mother's envy. Well, it is something from

which the Marcos family themselves are not immune. And poor

Kostas envied his brother. Alex was the oldest—and from childhood

he had this power—this charisma. Kostas was always in his shadow,

and he resented it. Thus, when he joined the Corporation, he tried

certain—innovations, tried to pursue a line independent from Alex,

who at that time was already the Chairman. But he lacked Alex's flair,

his aggression in business dealings, and he failed badly, as Alex had

warned him he was likely to do. Alex was very angry, as you can

imagine, and harsh things were said.' He sighed again. 'Kostas was

given an ultimatum—in future he was to—toe the line, and as a first

step he was to marry Maria as it was the wish of both families that he

should do so.' He paused heavily. 'There was a terrible scene, and he

walked out. Eventually he went to England, but to work

independently of the Marcos Corporation. That must have been when

he met your sister.'

'Yes, he had a job in an accountant's office.' Harriet smiled wryly.

'When he told Becca who he was, I don't think she believed him.'

'Ah,' Spiro said. 'Then perhaps he acted as he did to convince her.'

Glancing at him, Harriet saw that his goodnatured face was grave.

Trying to speak lightly, she asked, 'Well, what did he do?'

Spiro paused for a long moment, then said heavily, 'He stole a ruby

ring from his mother to give to her.'

Harriet's lips parted in a gasp of sheer amazement. She glanced round

at Nicky, but he was absorbed in a picture book on the back seat, and

probably would not have understood the trend of the conversation

anyway.

She said flatly, 'I don't believe you.'

'It is unhappily most true.' Spiro sent her a sympathetic look. 'It

distresses you, I see, and I can understand it. It was not an action

worthy of him, and it hurt my aunt deeply. It was a long time before

she could bring herself to speak his name. Again, it is a sad story, full

of anger. Kostas came here to the villa to tell his family that he was

going to marry your sister, and to ask his mother for the ring which

she had promised him for his future wife. It was to be a gift, you

understand, for the bride. But my aunt refused to give it to him,

stating that your sister was not the wife she had chosen, and she

would not recognise her as such, that his marriage was an insult to