Pagan Lover (17 page)

She looked at him across the table, strangely affected by that hint of anxiety in his gaze.

‘You know I’m hoping to run from you, Leon,’ she answered quietly. ‘You must have realised right from the start that escape would remain my one burning ambition.’

‘If you went you’d take my child with you.’ His voice was harsh suddenly and a kindling look came to his eyes.

‘If I escape before it’s born, yes— Oh, why are we discussing the child! I’m
not
having one! You seem so sure, but you could be wrong—I hope to God you are!

‘I’ve suffered enough at your hands without that being added to my misery!’

A strange pallor seemed to be creeping under the tan of his cheeks, and she noticed a movement there, too, like the twitching of a nerve out of control.

‘If you would only accept your lot,’ he began, when she interrupted him to say she never would accept it.

‘Why should I?’ she added with fervour. ‘Does any prisoner, taken the way I was taken, accept his lot?’

‘You’re mine!’ he stated firmly, ‘and the sooner you admit it the happier you’ll be!’

She sighed and said in a flat little tone,

‘Can we change the subject, Leon? I’m not up to an argument this morning.’

His eyes glinted but he made no comment and they ate their grapefruit in silence. Stamati came in with a silver tray and served them with eggs and bacon and mushrooms. When he had gone
Tara said, hoping she sounded casual,

‘When will you be going to
Athens again?’

‘Why?’ he countered briefly, picking up his knife and fork.

‘No particular reason,’ she shrugged. I just wondered, that was all.’

‘I shan’t be going yet awhile. I want that promise so that I can take you along with me.’

Her heart jerked. Surely he would have to go! He could not leave his various businesses indefinitely.

‘You’ll have a long time to wait for my promise,’ she warned. ‘I’m sure your commitments in
Athens won’t keep that long.’

His shrewd eyes seemed to bore right into her. Fear set her nerves rioting. Oh, God, she whispered, make him go. Let there be an emergency—anything! But
mak
e him go!

‘You sound as if you want me away,’ he said smoothly at last. ‘Any particular reason?’ Soft the tone, and challenging.
Tara shook her head and paid no attention to the food on her plate. ‘If you think for one moment that my servants will risk losing their jobs by being careless then let me tell you it’s wishful thinking on your part. Why don’t you be sensible and let me have the promise?’

She gave a shuddering sigh, feeling defeated. But the next moment an idea had come to her and her spirits lifted. She was careful not to reveal this in her manner as she replied, deliberately injecting a note of despair into her voice.

‘Perhaps I will in the end be driven to making the promise.’ Another shuddering sigh, audible this time, and her shoulders drooped. ‘You’ve won every round so far, haven’t you,
Leon? So ‘why shouldn’t you win this one?’ Her lip quivered and she put down her knife and fork as if she no longer had any appetite for the food in front of her.

‘So you are beginning to see sense.’ The satisfaction in his eyes was apparent, and a smile curved his lips. ‘I knew you’d come round in the end.’

She looked at him, swallowing convulsively ... and praying he had noticed. She wanted to ensure he was aware of her reluctance to make the promise, while at the same time giving him the impression that she was resigned to giving it.

‘I’m not making it yet,’ she told him, but in a quivering, defeated sort of voice. ‘My spirit’s not yet broken altogether—in spite of your efforts.’

‘I’ve no wish to break your spirit!’

‘Oh, yes, you have. How many times have you told me I must regard you as my master? How many times have you coerced me into doing what you want me to?’

‘All I want is for you to stop fighting me.’

She, shrugged, unwilling to continue the discussion. And it was Leon who broke the silence, a few minutes later after Stamati had been in to clear away the dishes they had been using.

‘If you’re resigned to giving the promise you might as well give it now. You’ve seen nothing of this island— nothing beyond the grounds of this house. You’re a very foolish child, Tara.’

‘I can’t give the promise yet. I must think about it— please give me time,’ she added in a pleading voice, feeling a hypocrite and blaming her husband for driving her to such spurious lengths. She had always been open and honest, but now, for the first time in her life, she was deliberately practising deceit.

‘Yes, I’ll give you time,’ agreed
Leon, but with an exasperated intake of his breath. ‘I suppose ] haven’t any option.’

His glance revealed his thoughts; he was thinking she was just about as stubborn as it was possible to be. Well, let him think what he liked, so long as he didn’t guess what she was about.

And it was evident that he had not guessed when, about ten days later, he announced his intention of going to
Athens.

‘I’d like to take you,’ he said, glancing at her with a hopeful expression. ‘How about that promise,
Tara?’

She shook her head.

‘Perhaps I shall come with you the next time’ She had to lower her head, ashamed of her deceit. ‘Have a nice trip,
Leon.’

‘It’s purely business. Had you been coming with me it would have been different. I’d have taken you around. You’ll like
Athens,
Tara; there’s so much to do and see.’

‘I have heard that it’s interesting, and thought I’d like to see it one day’

‘Then come with me?’ His voice was low and persuasive, and not in any way commanding or arrogant. Her eyes flew to his; to her amazement she was thinking that it would be rather nice to be going with him. And if she gave the promise she could go with him.

But she would then have burned her boats for ever. Once the promise was given her sense of honour would never allow her to go back on her word.

‘Next time,’ she said again, and with that he had to be satisfied.

She was in the bedroom when he was ready to leave and he came to her, took her in his arms and kissed her on the lips.

‘You have so much to offer me,’ he told her, his black eyes looking deeply into hers. ‘Your body when it moves against me is wonderful! Move again,’ he said gruffly. ‘And again.’ She did as she was told and within seconds his passion had flared. But he had to let her go, as the ferry was leaving in half an hour’s time.
Tara stood on the terrace and watching him make his way down to the harbour, buoyancy and youth in every step he took. She caught her breath, thinking of his attractiveness and the easy way he could use his power and his magnetism to draw her to him. He had stated emphatically that she would miss his lovemaking if she left him, and she had secretly admitted that it was true.

He was lost to sight at last and she turned back to the house. Nico would come; she was sure of it. The last time
Leon was away Nico had visited her three times, and she had been half afraid that one of her husband’s servants might just mention the fact to his master. But, aware of the wide gap between master and servant in
Greece, and especially in
Leon’s household, she had not been too anxious. She wandered about the grounds during the afternoon, restless and expectant, waiting for Nico to come. Perhaps, she thought as the hours dragged by, Nico was not aware of Leon’s absence from home—or perhaps he had changed his mind about helping her, considering it was not worth the trouble, seeing that he was gaining absolutely nothing from it.

Dinner time arrived and he still had not come, but just as
Tara was about to sit down Stamati came to the dining-room to tell her that a visitor had arrived.

‘Miss Flourou, madam. She asked for Mr
Leon, but I told her he was away. She’s in the sitting-room, madam.’

Elene! She had come to see
Leon....

‘See that my dinner’s kept hot, please, Stamati,’ she said, and went along to the sitting-room where Elene was seated on the sofa, a cigarette in her long, perfectly-manicured fingers.

‘Good evening,’
Tara greeted her, marvelling at the cool and dignified manner she was able to adopt. ‘You wanted to see
Leon—’

‘He’s away, so Stamati said. I had need to discuss something with him about the coming fashion show n
Athens. I’m sorry I missed him. He went today?’

‘Yes.’

‘I’ll see him when he comes back.’ The girl cast her a scornful glance and immediately
Tara was conscious of her clothes. Dining alone, she had not troubled to change out of the slacks and shirt she had been wearing during the afternoon. ‘Did you not want to go with him?’ asked Elene curiously.

‘No; I like it here.’

‘But, since you’re newly married, I should have thought you’d want to be with him.’

‘I shall probably go with him the next time.’
Tara sat down, feeling uncomfortable and wishing the girl would leave. There seemed no reason why she should have stayed in the first place, seeing that the man she had come to see was away.

‘He’ll be very busy the next time. We have a moat important fashion show on, with buyers coming from
Britain and
Paris and
America.’ She spoke condescendingly, as if determined to impress Tara with the knowledge that she knew everything about the House of Hera, while
Tara knew nothing. ‘I suppose,’ added Elene slowly, ‘you know that I am
Leon’s top model?’

‘He did mention something about it,’ replied
Tara in a casual tone.

Elene’s eyes glinted.

‘Without me,
Leon would be lost’

‘He would?’ with a slight lift of
Tara’s brows. ‘But surely no one is indispensable?’

Colour flooded Elene’s cheeks. She drew on her cigarette and exhaled, her narrowed gaze fixed on
Tara through a fun of smoke.

‘Did you know that
Leon was practically engaged to me?’

Tara gave a start.

‘That’s a strange thing to say to his wife, isn’t it?’

Elene shrugged. Looking at her intently,
Tara saw that she was very close to tears.

‘He let me down badly. Everyone else knows about it, so I don’t see why you shouldn’t.’ Elene inhaled deeply, her dark eyes fixed and brooding.
Tara had the impression that the girl was talking like this because she had to—she could not help herself. And from this impression another was born: Elene was boiling over inside, crazed with jealousy of
Leon’s wife. ‘I don’t know how you and he met, or how you came to get married, but I do know that he married you from a feeling of pique, because he and I had quarrelled—oh, it wasn’t anything really serious, even. He was angry because he thought I’d—’ She stopped, frowning, angry with herself, apparently, for revealing so much. And yet within the space of less than ten seconds she was saying, ‘
Leon’s like that, unpredictable, impulsive.’

Tara was shaking her head.

‘My husband would never be impulsive,’ she argued. ‘Why do you say such a thing?’

‘Because of the speed with which he married you.’ Elene crushed the cigarette out in an ashtray and proceeded to extract another from the gold case that lay on the table. ‘He couldn’t have known you any time at all?’ A question which
Tara chose to ignore. ‘How long did he know you?’ persisted Elene, flicking a lighter and setting it to the tip-of the cigarette.

‘I don’t think it matters to anyone how long he knew me.’

‘He’s not in love with you— No, don’t interrupt! If he was in love with you then he’d have wanted you with him. He’s been away twice now and you haven’t gone with him.’ She looked directly at her. ‘He would never ever have gone away without me—when we were keeping company, that is.’

‘I could have gone with him,’ said
Tara. ‘But I chose to stay at home.’

‘Then obviously you don’t love him either. Did you marry him for his money?’

Tara gasped incredulously. The girl was so mad with jealousy and anger that she seemed not to care what she said. Rising from her chair,
Tara said quietly, and with a wave of the hand in the direction of the door,

‘As it was
Leon you came to see—I’m sure you will not be wanting to stay. My dinner will be spoiling. I’ll tell my husband that you called, and he’ll probably be in touch by telephone.’

She heard Elene’s teeth snap together, but she rose at once and moved gracefully to the door.

‘Goodnight,’ she almost spat out, her dark eyes again roving
Tara’s figure contemptuously.

‘Goodnight, Miss Flourou.’

Tara went to the front door with her—although it was Stamati who was there to open it and close it after her.

‘Your dinner will be served at once, Mrs
Leon.’

‘Thank you, Stamati.’ She looked at the man, noticing his expression and recalling Kleanthes’ amazement when
Leon introduced her as his wife.

‘Your wife,
Kirie
Leon!’ Kleanthes had exclaimed.

‘But what about Miss—?’ He had obviously been going to mention Elene’s name but had managed to stop himself in time. All
Leon’s servants—and indeed almost everyone on this small island—must have known of the close relationship which had existed between
Leon and his model. And everyone seemed to have expected him to marry her.