Game of Scones (21 page)

When I eventually stretched up again, Henrik had disappeared and several villagers came over to give me a hug.

‘We believe you on our side, Pippa – we no give up our fight,’ said little Theo Dellis.

I smiled down. ‘Thank you, sweetheart – that means a lot.’

‘Let’s meet tomorrow morning at Taxos Taverna, to take stock,’ shouted out Niko.

Little Theo said something to his dad in Greek.

Mr Dellis smiled. ‘Will there be scones?’

‘Yes,’ I managed a laugh. ‘How about chocolate wholemeal ones with… I know, orange-flavoured yogurt filling? Fighters need wholesome food to keep up their strength.’

Theo seemed to understand the word “chocolate” and gave a toothy grin.

‘And you need a good night’s sleep,
Pippitsa
,’ said Sophia as the crowd dispersed. ‘Tonight you no go home to the villa. Henrik – he’s in a volatile mood.’

‘My, um, boyfriend,’ I said, noticing Niko nearby, ‘would never hurt me – he doesn’t even like to kill spiders.’

‘Still… you need good food and rest after that accident – and it will be easier to bake scones if you wake up at the taverna. I’m sure Leila could fetch some clothes from her house for you to borrow…’ She smiled. ‘Except for her trousers. They would be far too short.’

I nodded and winced as I bent over to pick up my rucksack. Georgios and Sophia folded the rug. Leila hugged me and headed home with her parents, to collect some outfits. I walked towards the sea, slipped off my pumps and paddled in the water. I couldn’t believe Henrik’s behaviour and as for that slimy slug, Stavros…

My eyes tingled, though, as only one (admittedly over-dramatic) thought had occupied my head since flying through the air, backwards. What if I died and had never told Niko how I really felt? Oh the irony, because now that I had survived and had all the time in the world, declaring my passion for him was the last thing I could do.

Someone appeared at my side and I glanced across at the caramel skin and mocha eyes – the sturdy frame and caress-able shoulders. We stared out to sea and all the drama must have caused a tear to slide down my cheek. It was nothing to do with the fact that, for a few precious moments, Niko seemed to have lost his hostility towards me.

‘I do love Taxos, Niko, believe me,’ I said.

‘I know,’ he said. Ooh. This was good. He’d stopped using grunts with me, instead of words. For a while we sat staring at the sea. It was as if time had turned back and we were kids, waiting for something magical to happen, like a Pegasus flying over the waves. Yet as adults, I had only one magical wish – for us to slide our arms around each other and kiss for eternity.

‘How is your chest now,’ he said, eventually.

‘Okay, thanks.’ For a nanosecond, I tingled from head to toe as I imagined him kissing it better.

‘Good. We don’t need another person ill in the taverna,’ he said, gruffly.

‘How did Grandma’s final tests go yesterday?’

A big smile spread across his face and his shoulders relaxed. ‘We only just found out – the hospital rang a couple of hours ago. It is better than we could have ever hoped. She is still clear and must only go back every six months. Apparently the doctors are thrilled with her progress.’

‘Wow…’ My eyes tingled. ‘That’s great news. She kept that quiet.’

‘You know Grandma – she doesn’t like a fuss.’

He took my hand and all of a sudden my world lit up. ‘Pippa… did you mean it? About me being stupid? Because if not…. You and Henrik… Me and Leila, we were thinking…’

Wow. It was as if Grandma’s good prognosis had made him prepared to forgive my horrible comments. ‘If anything happened to you, Pippa…’

‘I know. Me too.’

He looked at me and I could tell that even though that sentence didn’t make sense, somehow it did.

‘As I was saying, now that Grandma’s better, me and Leila… I’d like to ask you…’ He faltered and stopped for a second. For the first time, since I’d arrived in Taxos, his face looked like a young boy’s, all the worries of Greek and family life erased. For one moment he looked about to raise my fingers to his lips. What on earth was he going to ask? Did he want us to be witnesses at his wedding? Surely not? He opened his mouth to continue, but instead a different voice shouting his name filled the silence. Cue frantic footsteps on the sand. Cousin Stefan appeared, out of breath.

‘Come quickly,’ he gasped and held Niko’s arm. ‘It’s Grandma… she’s collapsed!’

Chapter Eighteen

‘Drink this tea and eat this scone immediately,’ I said to Grandma in a mock stern voice.

She looked sheepish, out on the patio of the taverna, her cheeks full of colour after a good night’s sleep.

‘Little peach, I only fainted. Dehydration. Silly of me after weeks in bed – I should have known to drink more. And yesterday evening was so humid.’

‘Plus I saw you enjoy a crafty retsina,’ I said and raised one eyebrow. ‘Don’t get carried away, just because the doctors say you’re in great health.’

We looked at each other and laughed as the wind got up. It was the perfect day to get an island tan – unless, like me, gales made you burn even more.

‘Seriously, though, you had us all worried last night…’ my voice broke. ‘Niko and Leila were in bits. It was such a shock, because everyone says you’ve really picked up over the last few weeks. And after the doctors gave you the all-clear…’

‘I still feel better than I have for over a year – but, ach, I’ve always had low blood pressure and even as a girl, people always said I never drank enough.’ Grandma bit into the chocolate orange scone, from the batch I’d made for Theo Dellis. The villagers had just started to arrive for the meeting, some nursing headaches after the action-packed barbecue last night.

‘Mmm. Mmmmmm,’ she said.

I grinned. Nothing on this earth felt better than people enjoying your cooking, (er, okay, perhaps I can think of just one other thing, but scone appreciation came a definite second). ‘Do you like the filling – yogurt infused with fresh orange juice?’

‘Don’t make me talk,’ she said, ‘because that means I have to stop eating.’

I grinned again and went back into the taverna. Demetrios greeted me and avoiding her plate, I gave Pandora a hug.

‘Love those shoes,’ I said, staring at her gold-studded sandals.

‘Love your scones,’ she said, a moustache of orange yogurt above her top lip. She looked me up and down. ‘Those not Leila’s clothes, after all?’

I chuckled. ‘I know – too conservative, aren’t they? Hers are more exotic in colour and cut. I did borrow a lovely skirt and blouse this morning, whilst baking – but then I hurried back to the villa to shower and change.’

I headed back into the kitchen to pile more scones onto plates. Instead of seeing Henrik at the villa, I’d found half of his clothes missing and a hastily scrawled note.

“
Apologies for last night – my behaviour was unconscionable. You know I’m not a frequent nor capable drunk. I have nothing but respect for Grandma. Best that I move out. I shall stay at the Vesteros’ hotel with Stavros, until our flight leaves next Saturday
.”

‘Need help?’ said a familiar male voice, today back to being gruff. My body stiffened as Niko’s breath wafted against my neck. Now that my heart had officially severed links with Henrik, I found it increasingly difficult to fight my instincts. Every molecule of my body shouted that Niko and I fitted perfectly like two halves of the tastiest scone, filled with the creamiest, most satisfying… I shook myself and turned around.

‘Grandma looks great this morning.’ I said.

His shoulders sagged a little. ‘Yes… but last night was a reminder of how vulnerable she still is.’

‘Hmm, guess she’ll need to pace herself a bit over the coming months.’ I passed him a plate. ‘Last night, Niko … on the beach… you were just about to say something before Stefan appeared.’

His cheeks flushed. ‘No matter, now Pippa,’ and with that he disappeared.

Weird – but at least we were talking again. I couldn’t face going home if I thought he actually hated me. Walking speedily, I followed him to see if I could find out what was up, but the taverna was full, people talking about drunk Henrik and creepy Stavros. I mingled, handing out scones. The plate emptied just as Georgios clapped for silence. I put it on a table and stood next to him, almost tripping over Apollo the cat who wasn’t too old to scout for crumbs.

Georgios rubbed his head and began by asking everyone to share any bookings they’d taken for next week. With the help of several coffees and a sugar rush from the scones, the chat became more animated. Villagers put forward new ideas, whilst expressing worries about future costs. The man Stavros had talked to last night, with the ponytail, stood by the wall.

I jerked my head towards him. ‘Do you recognise that man?’ I asked Sophia.

She stared for a moment. ‘No. Yes. Not sure…’ She smiled. ‘We may be a small village but it doesn’t mean I know absolutely everyone. Sometimes, of course, friends or relatives of the locals come to stay. Why?’

I shrugged. ‘No reason. He just seemed quite friendly with Stavros last night.’

‘Perhaps he is keen to take the pay-off. Not every single villager is on our side.’

Mr Dellis piped up and I turned my attention back to the meeting.

‘I’ve been thinking all night and have news that might help,’ he said, during a brief moment of hush. ‘Before I had to give up my job as a… a website designer, my last, um, project was with tax department in Kos Town. Um…’

Even though he was doing a great job in English, Mr Dellis asked if Niko or Georgios could translate for me and carried on in Greek. Impatiently I waited as he continued, the room oohing and aahing, then giving nods and smiles. The thin man at the back listened intently. Finally I poked Georgios in the ribs.

‘What’s it all about?’ I said a bit too loudly and everyone chuckled.

‘Mr Dellis – he worked closely with a tax man who loved his job and is very, very strict.’ Georgios smiled. ‘He thinks if this tax man finds out about the illegal tax breaks that Stavros has offered, then the mayor will be in big trouble and the deal could be off.’

‘Really? That is brilliant!’ I shook Mr Dellis’ hand and glanced around. Hmm, interesting. The thin man at the back was heading out of the front door.

‘I’m sure that man with the ponytail was a spy,’ I said to Niko over dinner that night, as twilight fell.

‘Spies? Here?’ He snorted. ‘No, this is Taxos with Problems, not Russia with Love.’

We sat on the beach, sharing a picnic – him, me and Leila. She threw some small chunks of bread at the gulls. Niko snapped at her to stop. Over the course of the day, his anger seemed to have switched from me to her. In fact they’d been sniping at each other for hours, from what I could see. The meeting had dragged on until mid-afternoon and the conclusion had been unanimous. As Grandma said, one day at a time… We would just try to make the next week as successful as possible and collect more signatures on the petition.

After that Niko and Leila had discussed something out on the patio and he’d stormed off to go sponge-diving. I helped Georgios helped translate some descriptions of birds he needed for his tours. Then I went for a dip in the sea. The Dellis children were there, laughing but clinging tightly to their lilos in the shallows, with their mum. Although even a paddle didn’t last long as the wind made the waves several feet high and I only swam for a short while.

‘Perhaps that strange man has heard that franchises might be up for sale soon,’ said Leila, brightly. ‘He could be from another village. Did you see him, Niko?’

He didn’t reply. Goodness. They must have had a big argument. It was just as well I’d suggested this picnic, to save everyone cooking. Grandma had wanted to come but Georgios and Sophia insisted she rest after fainting the night before. At least this way, the young couple avoided curious eyes – apart from mine.

‘I’m glad everyone believed I wasn’t really on ThinkBig’s side,’ I said and finished my last mouthful of feta cheese and salad sandwich.

‘Of course they believe you, Pippa,’ said Leila and bit into an apricot. Niko passed her a napkin without shifting his gaze from the tide. ‘You are one of us – there is history. Anyway, everyone knows if they speak badly of you, Niko would punch them in the eye.’

She laughed and I marvelled at her total lack of jealousy. Not that I’m bigging myself up and saying she had reason to be envious, but I’m not sure how I’d cope with a boyfriend being so close to a female friend.

I elbowed him. Niko had been quiet all day. ‘What’s up? The meeting went well – and I like the sound of Mr Dellis’ tax man friend.’

Niko looked first at me – then Leila – and sort of groaned before getting up and walking away. He headed left, towards the fig tree and the strip of beach which led to Tyrionitsa.

‘Leila?’ I raised my eyebrows. She wrapped up the apricot stone in her napkin and gave a sigh.

‘Follow him, Pippa. I got to go now – Mama and Papa are expecting me. And everyone needs an early night after the excitement of the barbecue. I’ll see you tomorrow, yes?’

‘But…’ Huh? What was happening? First Niko was hardly talking to me, now he reluctantly does. And I was the object of his glares and bad temper, but now Leila is. ‘
You
should go after him. I’ll pack up, don’t worry.’

‘Sorry – no, not me. I must leave now, otherwise… I am afraid I might say too much.’ She stood up and eyes all shiny, gave me a wry smile. ‘I like you, Pippa. Sorry things couldn’t be different.’

Huh, again? Was I going mad? It was as if the two of them spoke in code.

‘What do you mean?’

‘Secrets… they are no good.’

Well, seeing as she brought it up…‘Tell me Leila…’ I stood up, feeling I had nothing to lose in the suddenly very weird parallel universe. ‘Is it my imagination or are you planning to go abroad?’

She stepped back on the sand and swallowed hard.

‘I saw you in Kos Town, coming out of an international recruitment agency and Postie said you’d been sent a passport. ‘

‘He should mind his own business,’ she murmured.

‘Then when we handed out the tourist leaflets, you eyed up new luggage.’