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She envied Eleni’s dark complexion, feeling pale and uninteresting as they climbed the mountain. She enquired how Mrs Alexidis was and tried not to mention Georgios with every other word—difficult, when he was uppermost in her mind, and even more impossible when Eleni could not forget last night’s conversation.

‘I can’t get over the fact that Georgios is your husband’s double. It must have given you quite a start.’

‘The biggest shock was when he didn’t recognise me,’ admitted Miranda.

‘It must have been,’ agreed Eleni. 'I should think the odds against anything like that happening are very high. But why do you call yourself Miss Martyn?’

Miranda shrugged. ‘It’s my maiden name, and much easier to pronounce.’ And also it was Theo who had insisted upon it.

‘But you are also afraid that the news might reach your husband that you are on your way, and that would spoil your surprise? Is that it?’ Eleni looked quite pleased with herself for having worked this out, and did not wait for Miranda’s answer before continuing, ‘Where did you meet him?'

‘In England,’ she replied, relieved that here was one question she could answer truthfully.

‘And is this your first visit to his home? Why did he leave you behind?’

‘I don’t know,’ said Miranda frankly. ‘It’s what I intend finding out.’

‘So things are not all as they should be between you? I’m sorry. I do hope that everything goes well. Meanwhile I can’t describe how pleased I am that you have agreed to spend a few days with us first. It will give you an insight into Greek life. I’m not going too fast, am I?’

The gradient was steep and Eleni strode effortlessly. Miranda on the other hand found it difficult to keep up, her legs already aching with the unaccustomed exertion.

They spent all morning on the hillside. Miranda was impressed with the temple and could easily see why it had been turned into a shrine. The stone had split to form a deep fissure. Inside it widened out and a flat slab formed a perfect altar, the roof arched above, looking for all the world as though it had been carved by hand, though Eleni assured her it was a natural formation. A lighted candle, set in a bronze holder, illuminated a colourful icon of one of Greece’s numerous saints.

From their vantage point they could see across the sparkling blue-green Ionian Sea to Corfu, its sickle shape clearly visible. ‘I love Corfu,’ said Eleni, ‘especially the Achilleion—that’s a casino. I would play there every night if I could, but Theo does not approve, so I have to sneak away when I can.’

‘Theo is a very hard man,’ stated Miranda.

Eleni shrugged. ‘He feels it is his duty to look after me because I am the youngest. But if you get a chance you should go to the Achilleion Palace. Some people say it is the ugliest building in the whole of Greece. It’s surrealistic, I suppose. It was built for the Empress Elisabeth of Austria in the late eighteen-hundreds. It has statues outside and beautiful gardens, and inside there are pictures on the ceilings and mirrored walls and all sorts of elaborate frescoes. It is popular with the tourists, but also a lot of Corfu’s own people play for very high stakes. I find it tremendously exciting.’

She was a girl with a very strong will, decided Miranda. In a lot of ways like Theo. Only Georgios did not possess that strength of character that was the Alexidis inheritance.

Even so, it was only when compared to his immediate family that the weakness showed up. And they couldn’t all be the same. She loved him for what he was. It didn’t matter if he failed to come up to the Alexidises’ high standards. She had married him, not his family.

They went home for lunch, passing on the way a white-bearded priest in a black robe and an old woman also in black who accompanied a donkey-pulled cart laden with olives. Eleni knew them both and paused for a few quick words spoken in their native Greek.

‘They are curious as to who my golden-haired companion is,’ she laughed. ‘But I kept your secret. We don’t want your husband finding out and coming here after you before you’re ready. Not that I don’t want you to go to him, but I am selfish, I also want you here with me.’

After they had eaten they went to their rooms, and although Miranda had been sure she would not be able to conform to the tradition of an afternoon siesta, her climb had tired her out to such an extent that she fell immediately asleep. She did not wake until Katie knocked and entered, informing her in broken English that Mrs Alexidis would like her company for an hour before dinner. So the woman did know the language, even if she sometimes refused to speak it!

As she showered and dressed Miranda wondered whether the two men had returned. She cursed herself for sleeping so deeply. It could be that she had missed an opportunity for talking to Georgios.

She found Mrs Alexidis’s room without difficulty and the next hour passed pleasantly, only spoiled when Theo came in to enquire where his mother would be having dinner.

‘In here tonight,’ she said at once. ‘It was too much for me, unfortunately. But it will be nice for you young people to be together.’

When Miranda left the room he accompanied her. ‘My mother is quite taken with you,’ he said, as they made their way towards the drawing room for their usual aperitif.

‘I get on with most people,’ admitted Miranda— except him! He was the first man she had met who had taken a positive dislike to her. It was not a pleasant feeling, more especially as he was Georgios’s brother and she would have preferred his approval.

‘Is it your honest face, do you think? Or your fragile appearance? You look like a delicate hothouse flower. How many people, I wonder, have seen the ruthless core that runs through you? The coldly calculating little mind that has worked out a devious plan that has not got a cat in hell’s chance of succeeding?’

The mockery in his voice made Miranda stiffen with rage and it was all she could do to keep her voice level. ‘Fortunately I’ve not met many people who have your nasty suspicious mind. I normally make friends easily and have never before been accused of being a gold-digger.’

‘Once, if you trap the right man, would be enough,’ Theo returned smoothly.

Miranda was glad they had reached the drawing room where Eleni already sipped her ouzo, clinking cubes of ice as she swirled it around her glass, a burnt-orange satin dress complementing her black hair and tanned skin.

Again Miranda had been forced to wear a summer dress, and she wondered whether she ought to ask Eleni to take her somewhere to buy a couple of evening dresses. She felt so out of place.

‘Come and sit down.’ Eleni patted the couch beside her.

Miranda scanned the room before obliging, a fact that did not go unnoticed by Theo. ‘My brother is not here tonight.’ He looked inordinately pleased. ‘He is in Athens with Phrosini and Dimitrios, my eldest sister and her husband.’

She could not believe that Georgios would do this to her, unless it had been at the insistence of Theo— another way of keeping them apart! It was difficult to restrain herself, and completely impossible to hide the disappointment in her eyes.

Eleni said, ‘Poor Miranda! I think she sees Georgios as a substitute for her husband. You’d better be careful, Georgios already has ’

‘Your drink, Miranda,’ said Theo sharply, cutting his sister off mid-sentence, and flashing her a dark warning glance, which Miranda would have had to be blind not to see.

‘Georgios already has what?’ she enquired hastily, wondering what Theo did not want her to know. When neither answered she looked directly at the girl sitting next to her. ‘Eleni, what were you going to say?’

‘That Georgios had already shown an interest in you,’ said Theo for her.

Miranda did not believe him. If he had stopped Eleni why had he given her the information himself? There had to be something else, but what?

‘So you see,’ said Eleni softly, ‘it is better that Georgios stays away. You are already married, it would do neither of you any good to see too much of each other.’

‘In fact it would be better all round if you went,’ said Theo coolly.

Miranda felt trapped. She looked first at Eleni, seeing the compassion in her eloquent brown eyes, and then at Theo. Hardness only was reflected there—not that she had expected anything else. He was doing his utmost to get rid of her, and if keeping Georgios away was the only method of accomplishing it, then this was what he would do.

‘No!’ protested Eleni. ‘I am enjoying her company. She’ll want to go soon enough and if Georgios stays in Athens there’ll be no problem. He likes it with Phrosini, and when Dimitrios is away he is company for her.’

But without Georgios here, what was the point in staying? Miranda stared blankly into space, feeling desolate, wondering if there was any way of extracting Georgios’s address from Eleni without Theo knowing.

She took a sip of her drink and almost choked when she discovered it was neat ouzo. Smiling grimly, Theo produced a jug of water. He looked pleased with himself, and had it not been for the presence of his sister, Miranda would have derived much pleasure from slinging the contents of her glass into his face.

It was an effort to act as though nothing was wrong during the meal. She tried to eat, but left most of it on her plate. ‘It must be the heat,’ she smiled apologetically when Eleni commented on her not eating.

‘Or because you’re missing your husband?’ grinned the girl slyly.

How true that was! And how easy it was to admit it. 'I am, I think I might go tomorrow after all.'

Eleni looked rueful. 'I was afraid of that. But if you must then Theo can take you in his helicopter, Salamis is only minutes away from Athens. It will be no trouble to him.'

Miranda saw Theo’s quick frown. ‘Salamis?' he asked abruptly.

"That’s where Miranda’s husband lives, didn't you know?' Eleni looked surprised. ‘You will take her, won’t you?'

He gave Miranda a long hard look before saying grimly, ‘It will be my pleasure.' And she knew that he saw this as a heaven-sent opportunity to put her on the first plane back to England. He would make sure she never met Georgios again.

‘I shan’t go early,’ she said quickly, 'don't worry about me, I can make my own way.' Because first of all she had to discover Georgios’s address. Without this information there was no point in going.

Soon after that Eleni went to bed pleading a headache. 'Theo will look after you,' she said to Miranda with a smile. ‘His bark’s really far worse than his bite. I’ll see you in the morning.'

For once -Miranda was glad to be alone with him, there was plenty she had to say to Theo Alexidis. She could hardly wait for the door to close before she began her attack. ‘I’m getting a little bit tired of this ridiculous game. Forcing Georgios to stay in Athens is about the most childish trick you could think of!’

‘Forcing?’ His face gave nothing away, but there was a hint of steel in his voice which told her she was treading on dangerous ground. ‘Georgios likes staying with Phrosini. He often does. I can assure you that there is no ulterior motive behind his being there now.'

‘No?’ Miranda allowed her brows to shoot up questioningly, widening her expressive eyes, so that they were two green ovals in the paleness of her face. ‘I’m quite sure that if I wasn’t here he would have come home with you, or should I say, you would have
allowed
him to come home with you. You have a very strong hold over your brother, Mr Alexidis. I don’t like it.’

‘Because it stops you from having your own way?’ The cool smile fired Miranda’s smouldering temper. ‘Because you’re not allowing Georgios to lead a life of his own. He’s a man—he’s twenty-five! He doesn’t need a keeper. But what’s even more important, he’s my husband
—and I want him!
’

Her anger amused him and his lips curved, although the smile did not reach his eyes. ‘If Georgios returned your sentiments he would surely be here now? You leave me in no doubt, Miss Martyn, that this whole thing is in your mind only.’

‘And because you’ve got it in
your
mind that I’m a little no-gooder you refuse to believe anything else!’ Green eyes blazed into bronze. Their chairs were feet apart, yet Miranda felt the impact of him as surely as if he was touching her. A shiver ran through her as recollections of the kiss that had melted her bones returned with full force. There was no denying that Theo was the most physically exciting man she had ever met.

He was raping her now with his eyes, implying that because Georgios was not here to satisfy her natural urges he would be more than pleased to oblige.

She felt stricken with guilt that she should feel even a mild interest in him, let alone this pulsing sensation that throbbed along each and every nerve. What was wrong with her? Why did this older Alexidis affect her more deeply, more potently, than Georgios ever had?

Her mouth felt suddenly dry and she ran the tip of her tongue over her lips, realising that if she did not snap out of this peculiar half-hypnotic state she would lose her battle before it had begun.

‘I think, Miranda,’ he said, using her name for the first time, ‘that you’re in a very confused state of mind.’

True! But it was all his doing. There was no confusion over the fact that Georgios was her husband. The only confusion was her feelings for this undeniably attractive man.

‘And I think, Mr Alexidis, that you’re deliberately attempting to confuse me.’

‘Try Theo,’ he said pleasantly. ‘Then perhaps you’ll feel more kindly disposed.’

‘Never!’ Miranda shook her head violently, her fine hair flying in a cloud of gold about her face. ‘I shall never forgive you for what you’re doing!’

‘It is in your own interests.’

The mild voice did not fool her. He was being nice now because he thought she was going. Little did he know how stubborn she could be when the need arose. Until she had spoken to Georgios, without the presence of this hateful man, she intended remaining. Not here on Salamyndros, but somewhere where Theo wouldn’t find her.

‘I think,
Mr
Alexidis,’ she said coldly, ‘that the only interests you are concerned with are your own. You pretend to be concerned about Georgios, you make a show of protecting him from little money-grabbers like me. In actual fact you’re merely concerned with what it would do to your image—what you
think
it would do.
Fancy allowing Georgios to marry a penniless English girl!
Is that what you’re frightened of hearing? Would people think you were failing in your duty? That you weren’t capable of managing the family on the same strict lines that your father did?’