Authors: Lucinda Riley
‘Don’t you dare, Chloë,’ William said, bringing up the rear with Fred. ‘And don’t let your mum anywhere near it either, Alex. That’s the last thing we
need, isn’t it, darling?’
Helena swallowed hard, and nodded.
‘Absolutely.’
18th July 2006
I flew today!
But I wasn’t on a plane, and nothing but my arms were propelling me through the sky. I flew through the air, as the One I Love watched me, then cheered and clapped as I
landed,
plop
, in the water.
No matter that my tummy is now covered in red marks where my flab made frictional contact with the water, or that I’ve twisted my ankle from losing my footing on those
slippery rocks. Or the massive bruise on my face that I’ve no idea how I got, but it might have been her elbow making contact as we held hands and jumped off together.
Pain is meaningless against the joy of the look on her face. I am her hero. I am her protector. She thinks I am COOOOL.
She
likes
me.
And it helped that the paralysed-lips thing seemed to vanish in the ball-petrifying coldness of Adonis’ Bidet. Perhaps there is some magic in that water as, when she spoke to
me, for the first time, I could actually speak back.
So, we talked and it turned out that she likes reading. She wants to be a fashion journalist if she can’t be a model and is very up on all the latest editions of
Vogue
and
Marie Claire
.
Very soon, she will be stepping into my Broom Cupboard to see the copy of
Far from the Madding Crowd
I have found on the crowded shelves of Angus’ library. She says
she’s reading it for GCSE. Well, she says she’s not got that far into it, but she likes the film with Alan Bates and Julie Christie and she really rates Terence Stamp as ‘Captain
Troy’. (I’d go for Alan Bates as ‘Gabriel Oak’ myself, but there’s no accounting for taste.) I wish I could give her the book as a present. But my mother might not be
too chuffed as it’s a very old copy and probably worth a fortune.
And . . . she’ll have got my poem by now.
I nipped upstairs and put it in her bedroom whilst she was in the shower when we got back from the waterfalls.
She’s probably reading it right now.
I didn’t sign it, of course, but she’ll know who it’s from. I paraphrased from the love letters I found in Angus’ photograph box and borrowed some metaphor
from Keats. Personally, I think it sounded pretty good.
I’m also comforting myself that size isn’t everything. Look at that Formula One goblin and his seventeen-foot-tall wife. Or all those tiny jockeys with their supermodel
girlfriends. If you love someone, you don’t care how big or small they are.
Besides, I have lots of room for future growth, and some money stashed away in a building society which could buy me some trainers with serious lifts until I do. I suppose it helps
if you are as rich as Croesus, but like size, money isn’t everything. And I have plenty of room for growth in that department too.
It turns out that her school isn’t so far from the one I am going to in September. Perhaps we could meet for tea on a Sunday, having written to each other feverishly during
the week, professing our undying love . . .
Suddenly things are starting to look up.
And perhaps this holiday won’t be the nightmare I thought it would be only this morning.
Oh, help. There is someone knocking on my Broom Cupboard door. It must be her. I take a deep breath and hobble over to open it.
‘Hi, Alex. I’ve come to see that book you told me about. I brought Rupes, too.’
Chloë smiled up at Rupes and led him into the tiny room by the hand.
‘Oh, er, right.’ Alex reached up to take the book from the shelf, then handed it to Chloë.
‘Wow, it’s beautiful. Isn’t it, Rupes?’ Chloë turned the fragile, leather-bound book over in her hands.
‘S’pose so; not really my kind of thing, books.’
‘Really?’ Chloë looked up at him. ‘I thought you were quite into . . . poetry?’
Rupes shrugged. ‘More of an outdoor man myself.’
Chloë giggled. ‘Don’t be coy, Rupes. It’s good that a man has a sensitive side to him and you can’t deny that you have.’
Rupes looked nonplussed. ‘Er, yeah, s’pose.’ He glanced at Alex’s bed and picked up the ragged rabbit lying on the pillow. ‘And what have we here?’
‘Sorry, could you put it down? I don’t like people touching him,’ said Alex sharply.
‘Think you’d better lose that before you go to boarding school, mate.’ Rupes raised his eyebrow at Chloë and gave a short ‘tssk’, as he dangled the rabbit by
its ears. ‘The other lads might give you a rough time. Am I right, Chloë?’
Alex snatched the rabbit from Rupes’ fingers and held it to him defensively. ‘To be honest, Rupes, I couldn’t give a shit, but thanks for the warning, anyway.’
‘Lots of girls in my dorm still have teddies and stuff,’ said Chloë kindly.
‘Exactly. They’re girls. Hear you jumped from a high rock today, Alex. That how you got that bruise?’
Alex shrugged mutely.
‘Well, I’m gonna set up some pool Olympics for us kids. Then you can show us all how great you are in the water. You on for it?’
‘Maybe.’
‘’Kay, see you later. You coming, Chloë?’
‘Yes. Thanks for showing us the book, Alex.’ She smiled at him. ‘See you at dinner.’
‘You’re looking very nice tonight, Sadie,’ William said, finding her alone on the terrace, knocking back a vodka.
‘Thank you, kind sir. One does one’s best,’ she said with a smile.
‘Mind if I join you? Helena’s taking a shower.’
‘Of course. I’d love to spend a few exclusive minutes with one of my favourite men,’ she said as he sat down next to her. ‘Look at that sunset. Just glorious.’
‘Yes. Amazing, isn’t it? In fact, the whole place is far more beautiful than I thought it would be, especially the house.’
‘It’s incredibly atmospheric and Helena’s done a fabulous job of making it feel like a home.’
‘Actually, while I’ve got you to myself, I wanted to ask you how you think Helena seems at the moment.’
‘She looks tired, but that’s probably because she’s been running round trying to get Pandora sorted for everybody.’
‘And . . . in the past few weeks?’
‘To be honest, William, I’ve hardly spoken to her. Work’s been so frantic, quite apart from my turbulent private life. Why? Do you think there’s something the
matter?’
‘I just don’t know. Helena’s an expert at keeping her thoughts to herself. Even though we’ve been married for so long, she’s still something of an enigma.
Especially on the subject of her past.’
‘And surely that’s part of her charm?’ Sadie reminded him. ‘Helena is the least neurotic woman I know. Perhaps inside she’s a seething morass of neediness, but
she’d never allow anyone to see it.’
‘Exactly. She’s always in control.’ William took a sip of his wine. ‘But how can you possibly live with someone for all this time, and yet feel as if you still
don’t really know them? That’s how I’m feeling about Helena right now. Has she ever spoken to you about this Alexis chap?’
‘You mean the Alexis who is arriving here at any second, and whom I’m going to do my best to seduce?’ She gave a wicked grin. ‘Apparently, they had a bit of a fling when
she was staying at Pandora years ago, but I really don’t think it was much more than that.’
‘Really?’ William frowned. ‘I know you wouldn’t tell me, Sadie, even if she’d told you about it in gory detail.’
‘You’re right, I wouldn’t, but on Girl Scout’s honour, in this case I have nothing to tell.’
‘All I know is she’s even more distant than usual, and . . .’ He shook his head and sighed. ‘I just feel there’s something wrong.’
‘Hello, campers!’ Jules appeared on the terrace. ‘Bloody water’s stone cold. Could you ask the manager of this establishment to sort it before tomorrow?’
‘Hardly a problem in this heat, surely?’ said Sadie.
‘No, but it’s obvious the entire plumbing system is buggered. My loo doesn’t flush properly either.’
‘There are bound to be problems, Jules. It’s a very old house,’ William replied evenly.
‘Which will cost an arm and a leg to renovate, never mind the upkeep. Helena’s not expecting you to shell out for it, is she?’
‘Helena is a woman of means now. With Angus’ legacy, she’s quite capable of covering all the costs herself. By the way, have you heard from Sacha today?’ William changed
the subject. ‘Has he said when he’s coming?’
‘I haven’t switched on my mobile. I’m on holiday, even if he isn’t,’ Jules replied, with an edge to her voice.
‘I’m sure he wants to be here, Jules, but perhaps he’s under a lot of pressure. Things aren’t as easy in the City as they used to be. And Sacha did a very brave thing by
setting up on his own when he came back from Singapore.’
‘
Kalispera
. Good evening, everyone.’ With timing as immaculate as his freshly laundered white shirt and brown chinos, Alexis arrived on the terrace. He placed two bottles of
wine and a large bunch of white roses on the table. ‘Sadie, William,’ he smiled at them in turn. ‘And may I be introduced?’ He held out his hand to Jules, who visibly lost a
layer of frost as she allowed him to take her hand in his. ‘Alexis Lisle.’
‘Jules Chandler. Are you Cypriot or English?’
‘I am Cypriot, but my family line was begun by an Englishman, who came here in the eighteenth century and married my seven-times-great-grandmother. So, we still bear his
surname.’
‘Drink, Alexis?’ William offered him a glass of wine.
‘Thank you. And as you English say, cheers.’
The assembled company raised their glasses as Helena joined them, looking lovely in a simple white cotton dress. ‘Hello, Alexis.’ She greeted him, but did not move to kiss him.
Instead, she turned to William. ‘Darling, would you pop upstairs and say good night to the little ones?’
‘Of course. Anything need to be done in the kitchen while I’m up?’
‘No, apart from telling the older ones that supper will be ready in fifteen minutes.’ She touched him lightly on the arm as he passed.
‘Could you chivvy Viola up to bed whilst you’re at it? She’s watching a DVD inside. Tell her she can read ’til eight, then lights out,’ called Jules.
William nodded and went inside.
‘So, Alexis, come and sit.’ Sadie patted William’s vacated chair. ‘I want to hear more about your wine business.’
Helena half listened as Alexis explained the workings of his vineyard. Jules was saying something to her about the awful plumbing, but she wasn’t paying attention.
‘Yes,’ she said, absently, hoping it was the right answer.
‘You’re not going to renovate the bathrooms, then?’
‘To be honest, I haven’t really thought about it. Excuse me, Jules, I have to go and check on supper.’ Helena stood up and went to seek sanctuary in the kitchen. She stirred
the pork casserole Angelina had left for them in the oven, checked the rice that was simmering on the hob and drained it.
A hand snaked round her waist from behind. ‘Our little ones are in bed, and I took Viola upstairs too. Poor little thing – could her mother not even make the effort to go up and say
good night? I do sometimes wonder why they bothered adopting her in the first place,’ William commented. ‘Pretty obvious who the favourite child is in that family.’
‘Jules can be a little harsh with her, but Sacha absolutely dotes on her,’ Helena equivocated.
‘I seriously don’t know how you can be so kind about Jules, when her behaviour irritates the hell out of everybody else. Anyway, I think Viola’s a sweetheart, and as
she’s my goddaughter, I’d like her to have the best time possible now she’s here. ’
‘I agree. I’ll certainly try to give her as much attention as I can. She’s a little lost soul,’ said Helena thoughtfully, tipping the rice into a large serving bowl.
‘And she definitely needs some TLC.’
William swung Helena gently round to face him, then kissed her on the forehead. ‘Sorry about earlier.’
‘Really, it’s okay. It’s my fault too. I understood after I spoke to Sadie that it’s . . . difficult for you.’
He swept a strand of blonde hair away from her eyes. ‘Yes, it is. And really darling, I’d appreciate it if at some point you told me exactly what happened between the two of
you.’
‘I will, I promise, but not now,’ Helena said as she turned back to the hob. ‘Anyway, Sadie looks as though she’s in for the kill out there with him, so I wouldn’t
worry.’
‘You don’t mind, do you?’
‘Of course not!’ Helena snapped. ‘I—’
‘Hi, Daddy. How’s tricks?’ Chloë sauntered into the kitchen, wearing a turquoise sarong masquerading as a dress.
‘Fine,’ William sighed. ‘You?’
‘I’m cool. Is it okay if me and Rupes walk up to the village after supper? Check out some of the bars?’
‘As long as you don’t drink alcohol and you’re back by midnight, then yes, I suppose so,’ he said resignedly.
‘Thanks, Daddy. Mmm, something smells good.’ Chloë peered into the cast-iron pot that Helena was now lifting from the oven. ‘By the way, who’s that bit of beefcake
outside on the terrace?’
‘His name’s Alexis. He’s . . . a neighbour,’ added Helena.
‘He’s quite fit for an oldie. Sadie’s getting stuck in, anyway,’ she giggled. ‘See you guys later.’
‘Hold on a minute.’ William stopped her as he lifted the covered dish from the countertop and held it out to her. ‘Make yourself useful and take out the rice,
please.’
‘Have you seen Alex, Chloë?’ asked Helena, as she followed them both outside and placed the casserole on the table.
‘I think he’s in his room. Want me to go and get him?’ offered Chloë.
‘Yes please.’
‘No probs.’
‘Is that your daughter, William?’ asked Alexis, watching Chloë retreat back into the house.
‘Yes.’
‘She is very beautiful. You must be a proud father.’
‘I am. But like all fathers, worried she’s growing up too fast. More wine, Alexis?’
Alex came hobbling out with Chloë a few minutes later, looking glum.
‘Why don’t you sit next to Sadie, darling?’ said Helena.