Apollo's Daughter Page 8

  She had a naivete that was as strange to him as his sophistication was to her, and when consulted, she had gone rapidly through the names of places she knew in Rhodes, and come up with Kamiros. Her stepfather had spoken of the ancient city and she knew it was only a short drive to get there, so she had not stopped to consider any possible objection to her choice.

  'Ruins?* said Theo, making his opinion of the venue quite clear, so that she felt strangely gauche suddenly.

  Tapa told me about it,' Bethany told him, 'and I've

  always wanted to see it/ She eyed him uncertainly, not understanding his frown. 'That is—if you don't mind, Theo.'

  He shrugged, but although he yielded it was pretty plain that he had misgivings. *As long as you come with me I don't really mind where we go,' he said, making the best of a bad job.

  But his plans were to receive a further setback when they joined the rest of the family for breakfast and Nikolas learned of the proposed trip. 'You'll be taking Takis with you, of course?' He made it an indisputable fact, not a question, and Bethany had no doubt at all that what he really meant was that she and Theo were not to be allowed to go for their drive alone. 'Aunt Alexia can't go with you, I know,' Nikolas went on, I'm driving her to see an old friend, and Aunt Helen and Uncle Gregori have other plans, so it will have to be Takis.'

  'I don't see why it has to be anybody,' Bethany objected, glaring at him in annoyance. 'I surely don't need a chaperone to go and look at ruins, Nikolas. Surely I'm to be trusted that far—I'm not a baby I'

  She heard Aunt Alexia's faintly indrawn breath, and felt a twinge of irritation, but Nikolas was as adamant as she expected him to be. 'If you were,' he answered coolly, 'I would be less concerned. But as you say, you are not a baby, and Theo has a certain— reputation among pretty young women. That their families have little care for their reputations is their concern, but you are my concern, and you'll counter any chance of gossip by taking Takis with you.'

  Aunt Alexia, she could guess, was in accord with his decision, but it was much more difficult to tell where Nurmina Meandis's sympathies lay, and the other aunt and her husband would not dream of expressing an opinion. Bethany did not altogether understand her own reaction either, ^he resented his interference, his curb on her freedom of choice, and yet at the same time it gave her a curious feeling of satisfaction that she made no attempt to fathom at the moment.

  Briefly he glanced up from his breakfast and caught her eye. 'We've been through all this before, Bethany/ he reminded her.

  He had not once raised his voice, and yet there was no disputing the finality of his decision; even so Bethany found it irresistible to have one last try. 'We're going to Kamiros,' she told him. 'Papa told me it always attracts tourists, so there are bound to be other people about.' ^

  He caught and held her gaze again for a moment, adamant and unyielding. 'Nevertheless Takis will come with you/ he insisted quietly. 'I remember you told me that the two of you had unearthed some kind of temple in Apolidus, so you're both interested in archaeology; isn't that right, Takis?' Takis nodded, although quite clearly he was far from happy at the prospect of playing chaperon. 'Good! Then I'm sure you'll enjoy it.'

  'Being chaperoned around a lot of ruins wasn't what I had in mind/ Theo grumbled, and just for a moment a gleam of amusement showed in Nikolas's dark eyes when he looked across at him.

  'I'm quite sure it isn't what you had in mind,' he told him smoothly. 'It's because I know exactly what you did have in mind that Takis is coming with you. And as Bethany chose Kamiros, it's obvious she wishes to go there, so I'm sure you won't want to change your plans and disappoint her, Theo.'

  Seeing himself defeated, Theo murmured his excuses, but as he got up from the table he gave his brother a bright and frankly malicious smile. 'Are you so sure I would have disappointed her?' he asked, and glancing quickly across at Nikolas, Bethany saw his lips tighten for a moment before he replied.

  'Possibly not,' he allowed coolly, 'but I hold less liberal views than yours. Theo, and I happen to be Bethany's guardian; which is perhaps fortunate for her!'

  Theo paused briefly, glaring in frustration at the dark head that was again bent over while Nikolas gave

  his attention to his breakfast once more. Theo glanced at his mother, seeking her support, Bethany guessed, but Nurmina Meandis kept heavy lids lowered and did not see the appeal, perhaps deliberately.

  Defeated, Theo shrugged in irritation and turned to go. I'd better go and change into more suitable shoes if I'm to go trekking over stony terrain with a chaperon in tow.' He strode off across the patio, turning after a moment to look back at his brother's dark, resolute face, made even less encouraging by the shadow of the trees that clustered about the wide patio. *Is it allowed that we take a picnic lunch?' he asked, and although Nikolas looked up at once, Bethany noticed that he hesitated briefly before he answered. *Of course,' he said.

  Nurmina Meandis had said nothing during the exchange, and yet she was not a woman to be easily subdued if she had something to say, Bethany guessed, so presumably she had seen nothing amiss in her son's behaviour. Instead her dusky, rather severe features wore a faint smile, almost as if it amused her. She doted on her younger son, that much was evident in her treatment of him, but there was a lot of difference in age between him and Nikolas, and apparently Nikolas had taken on the role normally undertaken by the father. Judging by that smile, Nurmina was content for him to do so.

  They took a picnic lunch with them, as Theo had suggested, and the basket was packed with bread, cheese and salad, a cold chicken and some luscious homegrown cherries for dessert, as well as a bottle of retsina. By the time they set out Bethany was beginning to feel the fluttering thrill of anticipation, and Theo's surreptitious wink as they walked out to the car suggested that he had recovered his good humour and was prepared to make the best of it, chaperon or not.

  Takis obviously did not care for the position of unwelcome third party, but he had learned by now not to argue with his implacable guardian, and when Theo

  dumped the picnic basket on to the back seat of the car beside him, he nudged Takis in the ribs and winked an eye. 'Take heart, cousin I' he told him cheerfully, then slid into the driver's seat and smiled at Bethany as he started the engine. *We have a call to make on our way, but it shouldn't take very long—a few seconds only.'

  To Bethany the route they took seemed familiar, and when they eventually drew up in front of a bright new white house, she realised that the call they had to make was at Heracles' home. Theo got out, murmuring an apology before he left them, then reappeared a few moments later beaming and very obviously pleased with himself. Opening the rear door of the car, he peered in at Takis.

  'I've seen Sophie,' he told him. 'She says Heracles is taking the boys to see football when he comes.back— wouldn't you rather watch football than go to Kami-ros, Takis?'

  Bethany turned swiftly in her seat and caught Takis's faintly rebellious eye. 'Takis!' He shrugged, and she appealed to Theo, though not very hopeiuiiy. *Theo, we can't, not when '

  'Bah!' He waved her to silence with a careless hand, laughing as he stepped aside to let Takis out of the car. 'Every man to his own pleasures, cousin I I know Heracles will be delighted to take him to see football, and I don't have to ask which Takis would rather do.'

  'Football!* Takis declared unhesitatingly, but Bethany noticed that he carefully avoided her eye as he got out of the car.

  He knew as well as any of them why Nikolas had sent him as chaperon, but at the moment, apparently, he was prepared to take the risk of angering him so that he could go to football with Heracles. In her heart Bethany couldn't blame him, but she knew how angry Nikolas would be if he ever learned of the deception, and she had the uneasy feeling that it was all too possible he would find out. He had a discomfiting knack of discovering facts he wasn't intended to.

  'Nikolas is going to be furious, Theo/ She put her doubts into words as he got back into the car, but Theo laughed, waving a hand
to Takis as he restarted the engine.

  'Only if he finds out,' he told her, and turned a beamingly confident smile in her direction. *Be happy, cousin! We have the whole day to ourselves, and we'll collect Takis on our way back. No one will be any wiser.'

  Far from reassured, Bethany sat back. She was not so naive as to suppose Theo had rid himself of Takis's company simply because he resented taking along a chaperon, and she felt vaguely uneasy that he had gone to such trouble. She had had very little experience of men in the romantic sense, but there was little doubt what was in Theo's mind; his satisfied smile spK)ke for itself, and the gleaming darkness of his eyes sent curious little shivers of anticipation running through her as they took the coast road to Kamiros.

  To reach the ruined city itself, however, it was necessary to climb on foot, and as they walked up the sloping path Theo once more raised his voice in complaint. 'There are so many more comfortable ways of spending a day,' he grumbled as he coped with the picnic basket as well as the incline, but Bethany turned a flushed face and smiled at him.

  I've always wanted to come here,' she told him, 'and you can't possibly be tired yet, Theo.'

  He made no answer, but they left the basket presently, and climbed on to look down at the ruined city of Kamiros, sprawled downwards towards the sea between high ridges of pine trees. It was incredible to Bethany that they could stand and look down at a city that had stood there two thousand years before and still see the actual streets and houses, each facing into its own courtyard.

  A market, and temples to the various gods, all clearly defined, even though the walls for the most part were little more than a couple of feet high. The main street of wide shallow steps went upward towards a

  ruined temple, now little more than six slender columns fused in golden stone against a fierce blue sky, and linked by a narrow ledge of roof.

  It was peaceful too, and she closed her eyes for a moment to absorb the soft moan.of the wind in the pine trees and the clear piping song of the birds. Crickets trilled somewhere among the sparse, sun-scorched grass, and in the background was the murmur of water running through the underground pipes and cisterns of the ancient plumbing system. The faint mumble of other human voices was too distant to be disturbing and she felt delightfully relaxed and lazy.

  She was glad she had persuaded Theo to bring her, and she was smiling to herself as she opened her eyes and gazed once more at the six pillars that crowned the summit of the hill. Someone stood among them, barely discernible; a man, tall and curiously familiar, and she recalled with a start having seen him before. She remembered quite clearly, on the harbour when they arrived, the man who had seemed to be watching her, and she made a small involuntary sound, because he still looked vaguely familiar and she still could not think why he should.

  Theo turned quickly when he heard her indrawn breath. But he looked at her rather than following the direction of her gaze, and in the time that elapsed between her recognition and his response, the man vanished, leaving Bethany gazing at a skyline bereft of human form. It was curious how familiar the man had seemed that first time and now again, and yet she was willing to swear she had never seen him before that time on the harbour wall.

  'Bethany?' Theo squeezed her hand with his slim cool fingers and she turned quickly and smiled at him. 'What's the matter?'

  'Nothing's the matter.'

  She glanced just briefly once more at the top of the hill, then shook her head, convinced she had imagined the coincidence. Or perhaps the man was a member of the artist colony at home, that would account for his

  being familiar. Whatever the reason, it wasn't important, and they did not have the ancient city to themselves, despite its peace and quiet; the man could have been anybody.

  As she turned away the picture of the man on the hilltop was already fading in her mind, but Theo still looked at her curiously, and she hastened to explain. 'I noticed someone standing up there on the top of the hill for a moment, that's all.'

  'Someone you know?'

  She shook her head, though she was not certain, even now. *No, but he startled me for a moment, that's all.'

  *Oh, I see!' Theo laughed and put a hand beneath her arm, drawing her off, down the steps to where they had left their picnic. 'You're imagining visitations from the ancient gods! Well, watch out, my lovely cousin, you know what they were like with beautiful women!' The hand under her arm slid down and enfolded her fingers in a firm clasp, and his dark eyes beamed warmly down at her, bringing more immediate possibilities to mind. *If you had let me take you to a quiet little beach somewhere, where we could have been quite alone instead of constantly in danger of being discovered by tourists, you would not have had to dream of being ravished by the gods 1'

  Bethany hoped she didn't blush too obviously, for she felt Theo would find it an amusing novelty, and she didn't want to appear too naive. Tm perfectly happy with my present situation, thank you,' she told him, smiling at his reproachfully pouting lower lip and small frown. It's everything Papa said it was, and I'm glad I came. And I can't imagine a more romantic place for our picnic, can you?'

  'Quite easily!' Theo glared at a couple who were walking along the width of the steps, and for a moment his likeness to Nikolas when he frowned so disapprovingly like that, was vaguely discomfiting. He sat down and leaned his baclc against sun-warmed stones, obviously determined to complain. 'This is a favourite

  place of tourists, Bethany; we shall have people on top of us all the time/

  'Well, I like it!' She set about unpacking their picnic, a task that Theo made no effort to assist in, and as she handed him his meal and a glass of wine, she glanced at him surreptitiously. For all his professed liberalism, Theo Meandis was traditional enough when it suited him. He looked up and caught her eye, and she smiled. 'I'm grateful to you for bringing me here, Theo, really.'

  He sat down with one knee drawn up and supporting an elbow, holding a chicken leg in his two hands for a moment while he regarded her steadily. 'How grateful, Bethany?' he asked softly, and she leaned swiftly to delve again into the basket rather than let him see her flushed cheeks.

  'Shall we eat?' she suggested, and Theo laughed.

  Lunch did a great deal to restore Theo's good humour, and he leaned back against the wall of a two-thousand-year-old villa wearing the satisfied smile of the replete. His eyelids drooped lazily as he watched Bethany pack up the picnic basket, and his mouth curved into a languid and frankly sensual smile.

  'You're beautiful, cousin,' he murmured, and reached out for a strand of her hair, letting it run through his fingers. 'Was your mama as beautiful as you? Is that why Pavlos married again, because she was irresistible?'

  In view of what Nikolas had told her about her stepfather's matrimonial tangles, it wasn't a subject that Bethany wanted to discuss, and she shook her head. 'I couldn't say. Who knows why anyone marries anyone else?'

  'Very profound,' Theo teased, still smiling lazily, and again ran a strand of her hair through his fingers. *Was she as beautiful as you, Bethany?'

  ^ Bethany tossed back her hair out of his reach and closed the lid of the basket. Her heart was drumming

  wildly and she did not stop to choose her words. 'Nikolas says not!'

  Theo widened his eyes for a moment and regarded her in silence. 'Does he?' he drawled. 'And did he know your mama too?'

  Still on her knees, Bethany turned to put the basket to one side, finding the subject oddly disturbing. 'No,' she said, 'but he has seen the portrait my father—my real father, painted of her. It's a very good likeness, as I remember her.'

  'You're something of a mystery woman, aren't you?' he asked, and Bethany looked up, meeting the dark and faintly mocking eyes for a moment. 'The girl from nowhere.'

  Bethany got to her feet. She was wary of that hint of mockery and unwilling as always to talk about any part of her existence before the settled life she had known with her stepfather. Indeed she neither knew nor cared to try and remember very much about her previous e
xistence, but nor was she happy about admitting it in the circumstances.

  'I don't know that I'm such a mystery,' she told him, brushing down her dress and trying to sound cool and matter-of-fact. 'I'm English, or at least Welsh. My mother's name was Megan, and that's a Welsh name, I know.'

  'And your father?' Theo probed softly.

  She tossed back her hair and there was a firm look about her mouth as she looked up at the columns of the ruined temple on the skyline, determined to change the subject. 'I don't remember him,* she said, and hurried on before he could comment. 'I'd like to walk to the very top of the hill, Theo. Are you coming?'

  'No.'

  He sat with his head leaned back and regarded her below heavy lids, making it clear that he expected her to be guided by his feelings. As if to test her reaction he stretched out a hand to her, and smiled lazily, his

  long fingers curled persuasively, his shadowed dark eyes seductively inviting.

  *Come and sit by me, Bethany/

  He looked so confident, so sure that she was going to give in, but something in his smile sent a trickling shiver along her spine, and she shook her head instinctively. She dodged the hand that reached to take her wrist and walked a step or two past him, turning to speak over her shoulder.

  *Laze if you want to,' she told him in a slightly breathless voice. 'I'm going to the top of the hill.'

  'Bethany!'

  In other circumstances she might have found his reaction laughable, just as she did the boldly admiring calls and whistles of the fishermen on the quay at home. Theo looked not only surprised but petulant, and there was nothing she could do about the little smile that touched the corners of her mouth as she started to mount the wide shallow steps of the old city's main street.

  Whether or not he changed his mind and followed, she did not bother to find out, but climbed right to the summit and stood looking down at the changing colours of the Aegean as it spread out from the shore. A dazzling peacock blue close inshore, and rich deep amethyst further out; a rich, beautiful ocean that seemed always to have been part of her life.