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Contrary to the bedridden old lady Miranda had expected, Mrs Alexidis sat in a high-backed chair. She was dressed entirely in black, and her lined fleshless face and greying hair stood out like an oval of light. Black eyes, which had lost none of their intensity through her illness, were fixed attentively on Miranda.

‘Are you a friend of Theodoros? How long are you staying? Why wasn’t I told you were here?’ One question rapidly followed another.

Miranda smiled hesitantly. ‘I haven’t long arrived.’ Should she carry on with the tale Theo had spun or mention outright her relationship with Georgios? She was saved the decision when Eleni spoke for her.

‘Miss Martyn got lost. She came to the wrong island, would you believe?’

Mrs Alexidis’s eyes widened, as though finding this difficult to accept. ‘A shade unusual, but at least it is giving you the opportunity to experience our Greek hospitality. Have you visited the islands before?’ Miranda shook her head. ‘But I don’t think it will be the last time. Salamyndros is very beautiful. Are all the islands the same?’

‘They each have their own personality,’ said Mrs Alexidis. ‘But we like to think that ours is the best.

Like Corfu we get more rain than other islands, so we are blessed with a rich green landscape such as you get in England. Most of the other islands are bleached and dry—not half so attractive. Exactly where were you supposed to be going? I’ll tell you whether it is as magnificent as Salamyndros or not.’

Miranda looked at her blankly for a moment, then made up her mind that Mrs Alexidis should be told the truth. ‘As a matter of fact ’ But what if she really did not know about Georgios’s marriage? Hadn’t she a heart condition? Mightn’t it cause her distress, maybe bring on another of those attacks that had brought Georgios home? ‘I—I can’t remember,’ she finished lamely. ‘They all sound so similar.’

‘It’s probably Salamis,’ said Eleni, ‘except that that’s in the Agean. Was it definitely over this side?’

‘I thought so.’ Miranda felt her cheeks redden and was glad of the dim light which spared her embarrassment. ‘But I could be mistaken.’ Damn Theo for making her lie!

‘We do get people on Salamyndros,’ said Mrs Alexidis, ‘who come simply to have a look at us. We try to preserve our privacy—in fact this island is not on any map. But unfortunately we’re somewhat in the public eye—as you probably know?’

It was a probing question, designed to discover whether their visitor was telling the truth. Perhaps she had seen her blushes? Miranda felt even more uncomfortable and wished Eleni had not gone against Theo’s wishes.

To deny all knowledge of their family would be to deny Georgios. Could she do that? Wouldn’t it be the very thing Theo wanted her to do? She would be playing right into his hands. Once she had said that, how could she insist that Georgios was her husband? She desperately needed to talk to Georgios. Once that was accomplished and she discovered exactly why he professed not to know her, then she would be able to speak more easily. Now she had to be extremely careful what she said.

‘I must admit that I’ve never read anything about you.’ That at least was the truth. She smiled tentatively. ‘Perhaps you’re not so well-known as you thought?’

Mrs Alexidis appreciated her joke, her face creasing with genuine pleasure. ‘If we weren’t we would not be so successful. Theodoros has his father’s talent for making money. He is very much like my dear Alexandras. I am proud to have such a wonderful son.’

And how about Georgios? Miranda wanted to ask. Aren’t you proud of him? She could not believe that he was the sort of character Eleni had painted. Yet he had been reticent about his background, and certainly he had done no work in all the time she had known him.

She had once asked how he got all his money, for he seemed to have an endless supply, and he had vaguely mentioned the shipping line. She had presumed, as he was family, that he reaped the rewards but had to do little of the actual work himself, and she had not questioned him further. It had been sheer bliss married to a man who was able to spend every minute of his time with her.

Thinking about it now she supposed she had taken a lot for granted. It had been wonderful, though, to have someone of her own after all the years when she had been pushed from one place to another. She had accepted Georgios’s love blindly and completely, not questioning him deeply, merely accepting him for what he appeared on the surface.

In good time she would find out about his family, his work, she had thought. When the first flush of enthusiasm had worn off their marriage, when he had decided it was time to patch things up between himself and his family, then he would take her to meet her Greek in-laws.

She had never imagined anything like this would happen. Even when he disappeared without warning, she had been confident that all would turn out well. On the surface it looked as though Sallianne had been right, but still she clung to the hope that there was a perfectly logical explanation. There had to be, for the baby’s sake. She did not want to bring a child into the world without a father.

‘Are you on holiday, Miss Martyn?’ Mrs Alexidis’s voice broke into her thoughts. ‘Salamis does not have much to offer. It is a somewhat bare island with an unhealthy climate. It is well known because of the sea battle that took place in the straits between Salamis and the mainland in which the Athenians defeated the Persian fleet in
480
B.C. But you would know about that, of course?’

‘I’m here for—personal reasons,’ said Miranda hesitantly.

‘That is a pity,’ said Mrs Alexidis at once. ‘I was going to suggest you stay for a few days. Eleni would enjoy your company. Is it very pressing business? Could we not send a message to whoever is expecting you, saying you are delayed for day or two?’

Miranda smiled, feeling quite overwhelmed by this woman’s generosity to a complete stranger, but also appreciating that here was an opportunity she could not afford to miss. ‘Actually, it was a surprise visit, no one is expecting me.’

‘In that case you have no excuse.’ Eleni clapped her hands excitedly. ‘Since my sisters left home I have missed female company. This is wonderful! You will stay?’ This last as she realised she was perhaps taking Miranda’s acceptance for granted.

‘If you’re sure, Mrs Alexidis.' Miranda looked at the black-robed figure questioningly. ‘I really would like it. I’m so impressed by your island that it will be a pleasure to explore it—and I promise. I’m not a reporter, or anyone after a story.’

The old woman smiled graciously. ‘I’m sure you’re not. You have far too honest a face. But one has to be careful, you understand?’

Miranda nodded, wishing she did not feel guilty about deceiving this kind person. If Georgios had told her he had got married in England, his mother would be displeased she had not introduced herself properly. On the other hand, if she knew nothing about it, but subsequently found out, then she would be even more angry.

Or had he told his mother and she had forbidden him to have anything more to do with the English girl about whom none of them knew anything? A penniless orphan would certainly not be her choice for her second son. If he had disappointed her so far as the business was concerned, she would at least want him to marry well. Was that what this was all about? It was an extremely complicated situation, and one that she had certainly not envisaged before setting out.

‘I’m overcome that you’re prepared to accept me into your home, considering you know nothing about me.’ Miranda hoped the tremor in her voice would be mistaken for emotion, not the conscience that was bothering her. ‘You’re very kind. I’ll try not to be an inconvenience.’

‘You won’t be that,’ said Eleni quickly. ‘Rather the reverse. I’m bored with the same old faces. It will be good to have someone different to talk to. I’ll show you around. We’ll go over to Corfu. It’s not so pretty as Salamyndros, of course, but there’s more to do.’

‘Eleni,’ said her mother sharply, ‘don’t go making plans for Miss Martyn. Not everyone has a Greek appetite for always wanting something new and different to do. There will be quite sufficient here to keep her happy for a few days.’

‘I was forgetting,’ said Eleni, suitably penitent. ‘I know this island so well I suppose I take it for granted. You must visit the caves.’ Her face lit up again. ‘They’re really something, and if you throw a coin in the lake you’re supposed to see the face of the man you’re going to marry. And the temple—it’s quite a climb and it’s actually little more than a natural formation in the rock, but there’s a shrine, and one of the women from the village goes up there every day to light a candle.’

‘If you’ve never seen anything like them before they’re quite impressive,’ confirmed Mrs Alexidis. ‘There’ll be plenty to keep you happy here. Don’t take any notice of my daughter. She has an inherent disinclination to remain in any one spot for too long. It will be a relief when she is married. Her husband will know how to deal with her wanderlust.’

Eleni pulled a face, making sure her mother did not see. Miranda knew she was thinking of the man who had been chosen for her. But perhaps Eleni did not know how lucky she was. Marrying for love was perhaps not always the right thing to do, as she was finding out now. Eleni’s prospective groom was a man they all knew—and clearly liked. There would be no hidden facets to his character. She would not be disappointed that he had not turned out the way she expected.

Not like Georgios! It was incredible that he should deny knowing her. And the more she thought about it the more convinced she became that Theo had something to do with it.

She did not realise that thinking about this elder brother made her mouth tighten. Not until Mrs Alexidis spoke did it occur to her that she had gone into another of her reveries.

‘You are not altogether pleased with the situation?' The keen-eyed woman observed her distress.

‘Oh, yes!’ Miranda made herself push the offending Theo to the back of her mind. ‘I’m sorry, I was thinking of something else. I didn’t mean to be rude.’

‘You must be tired,’ said Mrs Alexidis. ‘You’ve travelled all day, I believe? Go to your room and he down. Katie will wake you in time for dinner.’

Miranda smiled weakly. She must be careful not to reveal too much of her inner torment. This lady might be ill, perhaps bodily weak, but there was nothing wrong with her mental agility.

‘Eleni, show Miss Martyn the way, and I think I might join you for dinner tonight. Inform Theodoros, will you? I shall need his help.’

‘If it’s on my account,’ said Miranda faintly, ‘please don’t feel obliged.’

The older woman smiled encouragingly. ‘You are the incentive I need. I expect Eleni told you I have not been well, and of late I have been guilty of taking my meals in my room. It is a deplorable habit. Besides, I want to hear all about my England. You hear how proudly I say that?’ Her eyes glistened. ‘My grandmother was English and I have an affinity with the nation that was unfortunately not shared by my dear Alexandras. He was a true Greek, upholding all the old traditions. He did not approve of my grandfather marrying an English girl and he made it quite clear before he died that he expected his children to remain true to their country.’

‘I see,’ said Miranda, wondering whether there was a reason why Mrs Alexidis was telling her this. Perhaps it was an unspoken warning not to get interested in either of her handsome sons. Little did she know that it was too late.

All of a sudden the woman’s eyelids drooped and Eleni hurried Miranda from the room. ‘I think my mother was getting excited. It is not good for her.’

‘It’s my fault,’ said Miranda at once, the onus of guilt becoming increasingly heavy.

‘No, no! She is quite taken with you—I’ve never seen her so talkative to a complete stranger. And I’m so glad she asked you to stay. You’ve no idea how much I’m looking forward to your company. Theo is in Athens all day and lately he has insisted that Georgios accompanies him. One last attempt to interest him in the business, I think. If you ask me, it’s too late. Georgios is so used to doing nothing that anything that taxes his brain is too much like hard work.’

‘None of you seem to like Georgios very much,’ protested Miranda without thinking. She was concerned only with the fact that they all put down the man she loved, even though some of it did come too close to the truth for comfort.

It was a fact, Georgios never worked. For the few alterations she had wanted doing in the house, the redecorating, Georgios had always insisted they got someone in. He was not a do-it-yourself fanatic, he had laughed.

When a niggling doubt crept into her mind that Georgios was not the perfect character she had thought him to be, she pushed it away angrily. She would not allow these people to mar her judgment. She loved Georgios despite what they said. She had known him for over six months, surely long enough to discover for herself what sort of a man he was. And in no respect had she found him wanting.

It was only his insistence now that he did not know her that she found disturbing. And very soon she would get to the bottom of that. Theo could not keep his eye on him every minute of the day. Sooner or later she would catch him alone, and she would not rest until she had solved this ridiculous puzzle.

‘There is a weak link in every family,' said Eleni in response to Miranda’s statement. ‘Georgios is ours. But I shouldn’t worry over him too much. I’m quite sure he’ll surprise us all one day. He simply has not matured so quickly as Theo. But then there’s fifteen years’ difference in their ages. Theo is almost forty. He forgets he was almost a man when Georgios was born.’

And Theo was nineteen years older than herself! Old enough to be her father, strange as that seemed. But there were no paternal instincts in his dark mysterious eyes when he probed her every curve. Lust for a younger woman, perhaps, though he was so adept at keeping his feelings hidden that it was difficult to know what he thought.

She and Georgios were far more suited with only four years between them. She had never considered him immature, yet comparing him with Theo it was easy to see where the flaws in his character lay. His almost boyish enthusiasm, his eagerness to please her in the first days of their marriage, his careless disregard for money—all these now pointed to the sort of person he was. The very things that she had so admired about him were now indicating signs of a man not yet ready to grapple with life.