Unknown (13 page)

‘All I want is a chance to speak to him alone,’ she declared stoutly. ‘I’m sure that’s not asking the impossible?’

He took a clean handkerchief from his pocket and wrapped it around her swollen ankle. Despite the pain Miranda was not immune to him, every nerve-end prickled with anticipation and she felt an insane urge to fling her arms about his neck again and pull that undeniably attractive face close. She wanted to feel his lips on hers, to experience that electric vitality that made her feel more alive than she ever had in her life.

But Theo gave no indication that he was aware of her disturbed feelings. He worked calmly and efficiently, not answering until he had finished. ‘Georgios has no inclination to speak to you—at least not along the lines you are suggesting. He finds you attractive, but so do I. As for you and he developing a deeper relationship, I am afraid that is impossible.’

He lowered her leg carefully and Miranda eased herself to face the front of the vehicle, feeling strangely bereft now that he was no longer touching her. ‘I can’t see why it’s so impossible,’ she said tightly, but her mind was more concerned with the fact that Theo had admitted to finding her attractive. It meant nothing and yet it meant everything.

She recalled Sallianne emphasising that it was her femininity that had drawn Georgios to her, not a genuine love that would have seen beauty even in the ugliest woman. He had seen her as someone who was sexually attractive—and Theo was following the same pattern. These two Alexidis men desired her—but did not see her as the type they could settle down with.

It was not a nice feeling, and she hoped she was wrong so far as Georgios was concerned. Theo could go to hell, he didn’t matter. Her feelings for him were no more or less than the ones he felt for her. A mutual attraction of the sexes, that was all. With Georgios it was a different matter. She had married him for better, for worse. He could not walk out on her like this, she would not let him.

Theo climbed in beside her and with his usual expertise manoeuvred the Land Rover until it faced back up the hill. ‘Are you all right?’ He glanced at her pale face with what looked like genuine concern, thought she could not believe that he really cared.

She nodded, lips compressed, trying to ignore the waves of nausea that swept over her. The pain caused beads of sweat to film her upper lip and she put her head back and closed her eyes.

Theo drove carefully, but the rutted track made the vehicle jolt and lurch, each movement causing fresh agony. The journey was short, making Miranda realise that she had not walked very far after all. She would never have made it to the village.

At the villa Eleni came running out. ‘Miranda, I had no idea you’d tried to walk. That storm! You must have been terrified. Oh, heavens, you’re hurt! What happened?’

Miranda grimaced. ‘I fell and twisted my ankle.’

‘You’d better send for the doctor,’ said Theo curtly. ‘I don’t think there’s anything broken, but it’s pretty bad.’

As he carried her indoors that undeniable awareness assailed Miranda again. It made her forget the pain, forget everything except this man’s power over her. She felt herself crushed against his angular body and breathed in the intoxicating male smell of him.

He took her straight up to her room, where Katie, already alerted by Eleni, waited to help. The normally dour woman tutted in sympathy when she saw the state Miranda was in, shooing Theo out and immediately stripping off her wet and muddied clothes.

Within minutes Miranda was clean and in bed, but she felt far from well and was relieved to be able to lie down and close her eyes.

The doctor came surprisingly quickly, and after his visit she tried to sleep. He had confirmed that her ankle was not broken and had reassured her when she asked him about the baby, although he had said it was important to rest for at least a week, just in case.

Katie was out getting cold water for the compress when she asked him about the baby, so she had no fear that anyone would hear about her closely guarded secret. Her ankle was the perfect excuse for resting. Not that she relished spending all this time in bed.

It came as a shock, therefore, when Theo burst into her room and stood over her, his normally inscrutable face contorted with a rage that made her shrink beneath the sheets.

‘Now I see why you are so eager to talk to Georgios alone! You don’t really think that he’ll accept the baby is his?’

She cursed the doctor for betraying a confidence, although it was reasonable to assume that he would think the family knew. ‘It’s no one else’s,’ she said quietly but firmly.

‘And you expect me to believe that, when Georgios himself denies ever having met you?’ His eyes glittered with a hardness that made her feel as though he was impaling her with invisible stakes.

She shook her head slowly. ‘I don’t know why Georgios is behaving like this. It’s why I must speak to him. Please, Theo, bring him home, let me tell him that ’

‘That you hope he will accept responsibility for a child that is not his? Come to your senses, Miranda! I’m too experienced to be taken in by a pretty woman.’

‘But it is his, I tell you! We were married in England. Why won’t you believe me?’ She heaved herself up to a sitting position, ignoring the pain in her ankle, glaring hostilely at Theo, her eyes shooting green sparks in his direction.

‘Because,’ he said icily, ‘you’ve given me proof of the type of girl you are. If you were married to Georgios, as you claim, would you have responded to me? You’re a passionate woman, Miranda, who I doubt could remain true to any one man. What evidence have you that the baby is my brother’s?’

She drew a deep breath and counted silently to ten. ‘His,’ she hissed, ‘if you would only allow him to talk to me. He would soon tell you. I don’t know why he denies knowing me, but faced with the fact that I’m expecting his baby, he will no longer be able to do so.’

‘You mustn’t tell him!’
Miranda was shocked by the urgency in his voice. ‘You must go back to England immediately. How much will you need to carry you through this affair?—that is presuming you’re telling me the truth. It will, of course, be necessary to have tests, but it will not be difficult to tell. Georgios has a rare blood type.’

Miranda boiled with anger. ‘You really think I’d come all this way if it wasn’t true?’ A wave of nausea washed over her and her eyes were green pools in her ashen face. ‘I’m not after a rich father for my baby. I want his real father—and that happens to be Georgios, despite what you and he say to the contrary.’ Her voice shook and her hands trembled as she put them over her face.

She needed to shut out this man who was doing his damnedest to malign her character. How she hated him at this moment! Why wouldn’t he believe her? Why had they ganged up against her like this?

‘Look at me!’

Such was the authority in Theo’s voice that Miranda moved her hands, and was appalled to see them wet with tears. She had not realised she was crying. Theo was now a misty blur, but she did nothing to clear her vision. The less she saw of him the better.

‘I think the sooner you leave this house the better.’ There was something in his tone that puzzled her, a resignation that did not make sense. She blinked and wiped her eyes on a comer of the sheet, but his face was unreadable. His eyes hooded, lips grim.

‘The doctor said I must rest.’ Her chin tilted defiantly and her eyes were extra bright.

‘You can do that at home. I will make sure you have a comfortable journey.’

‘And if I refuse?’

He shrugged. ‘Apart from forcibly taking you there is not much I can do. But it would be the wisest course, Miranda. Does Eleni know about the baby?’

She shook her head. ‘Not unless the doctor told her as well.’

‘Then say nothing. The fewer people who know the better.’ With that he turned on his heel and left.

Seconds later, before Miranda had even had time to think over their conversation, Eleni herself entered. ‘You poor dear! Is your ankle terribly painful? I understand the doctor says you must stay here for at least a week. What are you going to do? Do you want me to send for your husband?’

‘With me in this state?’ Miranda tried to smile.

‘I’m sure he’ll be concerned.’

‘And he might say he wished I’d broken my neck instead.’ That was probably what Theo felt. It would have solved everything quite nicely.

Eleni was horrified. ‘You make it sound as though he doesn’t love you! Is there more to it than you’ve told me?’

‘It’s a complicated situation,’ answered Miranda truthfully. ‘I’d like to explain, but I can’t. And I really would like to stay here until I’m better. Do you think your mother will mind? Theo seems to think it would be best if I went as soon as possible.’

‘Theo has no feelings,’ said Eleni disrespectfully. ‘He’s never been in love. He has no idea how you’re suffering. You stay. Mother won’t mind, I know.’

Miranda smiled weakly. ‘Thank you, Eleni. The way I feel at this moment I haven’t the strength to move. I think I’d like to sleep.’

Whether Eleni thought it strange that a simple thing like a twisted ankle should make her feel so ill, she did not remark on it, simply smiling and straightening the covers before tiptoeing from the room.

Miranda was tired. She felt thoroughly exhausted, but her mind was too active for sleep. She was upset that the doctor had told Theo about the baby, and even more disturbed by his reaction. Though she was not surprised. He had been suspicious of her all along, this had merely served to heighten his distrust.

What she could not understand was why it should matter to her what he thought. Georgios was the important one. Georgios was the person who needed convincing. She hoped he would not stay at his sister’s for the entire week; it would drive her insane.

She must have slept, for when she opened her eyes the curtains were drawn and a bedside lamp cast a mellow glow into the room. Her sickness had gone, but her ankle felt like a balloon and throbbed mercilessly, shooting darts of pain when she tried to move.

Katie brought her supper on a tray and after that Eleni came and talked to her. Of Theo there was no sign.

‘Mother is most distressed by your fall,’ she said. ‘She wants to know why you didn’t wait for Theo.’

Miranda pulled a wry face. ‘What did you tell her?’

‘That you preferred to travel alone.’ She laughed. ‘I think she guesses that you and Theo don’t get on.’

‘Where is Theo now?’

‘Downstairs with Georgios.’

‘Georgios is back?’ She could not keep the delight out of her voice.

Eleni smiled. ‘He came up to see you, but you were asleep. I expect he’ll pop in with Theo to say goodnight.’

With Theo! Yes, that would be about it. Theo would certainly see that she had no opportunity to speak to Georgios alone. Especially now he knew about the baby. It gave him an even better reason to keep them apart.

If Georgios found out he would no longer be able to deny that he had met and married her in England. Theo would be unable to do anything about it. And surely his mother would not disapprove of such a marriage? Unless, of course, there was some woman who was hoping to marry Georgios? Much as Eleni was promised to Nikos.

Was that it? Was Georgios afraid to admit the truth because of hurting some other woman? Some eager young Greek girl who had been told she was to marry Georgios Alexidis, youngest son of the wealthy Alexidis family, a good catch by anyone’s standards.

But whether that was the case or not, it was too late for anyone to do anything about it. Unless Georgios really had changed his mind about her? Had it been no more than a brief affair which he regretted? If that was the case it would be preferable he did not hear about the baby. It would be far better for her to divorce him and bring up the child by herself. If he did not know about it there would be no regrets.

‘You look thoughtful,’ said Eleni. ‘Has mentioning Georgios brought back memories of your husband? I have a feeling you regret ever coming here. In fact I wouldn’t be surprised if you went back to England without seeing him.’

Miranda was saved answering when the door opened to admit Theo and Georgios. Her eyes flew straight to her husband, hoping that now he would show concern for his injured wife.

But he looked at her with no more compassion than he would for any guest in his house. ‘Poor Miranda, what have you done? Someone should have warned you about our sudden storms.’

If he hadn’t stayed at his sister’s the accident wouldn’t have happened, she thought resentfully. It was his fault as much as anyone’s. She glanced at Theo and caught a flicker of satisfaction. In that moment she did not know whom she hated most, Theo or Georgios!

It
disturbed Miranda to discover that her feelings for Georgios were fading the longer she remained at the villa. His constant refusal to acknowledge her made her bitter. What kind of a man was he who could do this to her?

There had been no opportunity for private conversation before they said goodnight, and now it was after midnight and she could not sleep. She toyed with the idea of hopping along to Georgios’s room, but she could hardly do it quietly, and there was the baby to consider. Complete rest, the doctor had said. Jigging up and down on one leg would not be wise. And despite Georgios’s attitude, despite everything, she wanted that baby. It would break her heart to lose it.

Even if she did join the ranks of single-parent families, of one thing she was sure, the child would have a secure and happy home and all the love she could give it. She would wish on no child a succession of foster-parents such as she herself had experienced. It was no life at all.

Eventually she did sleep, waking as the pale dawn sky pushed back the curtain of night. It looked as though it might be a beautiful day.

Katie brought her breakfast and re-bandaged her ankle. Eleni popped her head in for a quick word before going downstairs. But the man she wanted most was conspicuous by his absence.

When she heard the helicopter throb into life she guessed that that was the two of them out for the day.