The Enigmatic Greek

‘He made me so angry,’ agreed Eleanor, and took the bowl Talia handed to her. ‘Something exploded inside me when the brute snatched you.’ She managed a smile. ‘But you were pretty ferocious yourself. Between the two of us, the man must have wondered what hit him.’

‘I wrenched my shoe off in the struggle and stabbed at his face with the stiletto heel.’ Talia laughed unsteadily. ‘What an adventure!’ She turned as Alexei, now in dry clothes, came into the room with Stefan. ‘Did he tell you anything?’

‘Nothing useful,’ Alex thrust his fingers through damp curls. ‘He was insane with fear, certain I intended to kill him for hurting my mother. But eventually he confessed that he was paid to seize the kyria and take her to the man waiting at the jetty in a boat. The “dog” who left him to my mercy without paying him.’

‘And just who was the man in the boat?’

‘A stranger he met on Karpyros today who offered him money to do a job for him, if he can be believed. He swears he doesn’t know any names, but after some persuasion he gave me his.’ Alexei’s look chilled Eleanor to the bone. ‘He calls himself Spiro Baris, and he’s now locked away for the night, moaning about injuries suffered during the struggle.’ He shook his head in contempt. ‘A struggle with two unarmed women!’

‘Not unarmed, exactly. I had my shoe and Eleanor her useful bag,’ his mother reminded him, eyes sparkling.

Stefan gave a smothered laugh, and Alexei thawed enough to grin.

‘Which of you amazons gave him the black eye?’

‘That would probably be me,’ said Eleanor, contemplating grazed knuckles. ‘I might have got him in the mouth too.’

‘You did, kyria. He has a split lip,’ Stefan said with relish.

‘Do you have any other injuries, Eleanor?’ asked Alexei.

He’d finally brought himself to use her name! She shook her head. ‘A few bruises—the worst one in the ribs from where he kicked me off the jetty.’

‘Oh my dear,’ said Talia, appalled. ‘You must be so sorry you ever set foot on Kyrkiros.’

Alex shot a hard look at Eleanor. ‘Will you mention the incident in your article?’

Oh, for heaven’s sake! She sucked in a calming breath and winced as her ribs protested. ‘And broadcast your breach of security? Of course I won’t.’

‘Thank you.’ He exchanged a glance with Stefan. ‘Go down and have a word with Theo. His crew must make very sure no one’s stayed behind after the last boat leaves the island.’

‘Two of them are guarding the intruder, so I will help him with that,’ Stefan said quickly. He wished them goodnight and hurried from the room.

‘I’d better get down there too,’ said Alexei. He eyed Eleanor with the air of a man with an irritating problem to solve. ‘Tomorrow I’m taking my mother to Crete for her return flight to London. You must go with us—Eleanor. I’ll try to get you on the same flight.’

‘That’s very kind of you, but I’m not due back to work for another week.’ She smiled politely. ‘I’ve paid out of my own pocket for a week’s stay on Karpyros just to lie in the sun and do nothing now I’ve completed my assignment …’ She trailed away at the frowns on both faces.

‘It is not wise to do that, dear,’ said Talia hastily, before her son could start laying down the law. ‘You might get snatched off the beach there.’

Eleanor stared. ‘Why? It wasn’t me the kidnapper wanted.’

‘We can’t force you to leave, of course,’ said Alexei curtly. ‘Think about it while I go down to check with Theo.’ He gave his mother a significant look. ‘Persuade her, please.’

He strode off to the lift, leaving a tense silence behind him.

‘Alex is just trying to do what’s best for you,’ said Talia soothingly. ‘He feels responsible for what happened tonight and wants to keep you safe until you go home. If you go back to Karpyros, he can’t do that.’

Eleanor frowned. ‘But I’m not his responsibility. It’s only natural he’s anxious about you, but I’m a complete stranger.’

‘Who was injured and half-drowned trying to save his mother from heaven knows what fate. Now show me this bruise.’

Eleanor drew the robe aside from her ribs.

Talia breathed in sharply. ‘My dear girl—are you sure nothing is broken in there?’

‘Quite sure. I cracked a rib playing hockey in school once, so I know what that feels like. This hurts a bit, but I’ll mend.’ Eleanor yawned suddenly. ‘My wrestling match has left me a bit tired, though. You must be, too. And you must surely have a few bruises yourself!’

Talia nodded ruefully. ‘But none as spectacular as yours; the only medication I need is hot tea. I keep a tray in my bedroom, so drink some with me after I see to your hand. I need a talk with Alex before I can think of sleeping.’

‘What will he do with the intruder?’

‘Call the police here tomorrow to deal with him, I imagine.’

There was something infinitely soothing after all the drama to sit in a comfortable blue velvet chair in Talia’s white-painted bedroom, drinking tea from a fine china cup.

‘You are quite a girl, Eleanor Markham.’ Talia laughed at Eleanor’s startled look. ‘I mean it. You were very brave tonight.’

‘It was pure gut instinct rather than bravery.’ Eleanor’s eyes flashed angrily. ‘I was so furious with the man I wanted to kill him, but in the end the wretch tried to drown me instead.’

‘I was in despair until Alex brought you to the surface,’ said Talia with a shudder. ‘My son was most impressed with you.’

‘Only because I attacked the man who tried to kidnap his mother,’ Eleanor said flatly. ‘This afternoon he was rather less pleasant when he threatened to sue the paper I work for.’

Talia sighed. ‘Try to forgive him for that. He is over-protective where I’m concerned. His hostility to the press began when he looked me up online on the computer his father gave him. My ex-husband is a powerful man, but even he failed to stop the speculation about our divorce. Unfortunately, that is the part Alex remembers.’ Talia sighed and fixed Eleanor with her famous violet eyes. ‘Since then he has further cause to hate the press. You must have researched us before you came. What did you discover?’

‘Not that much, except that an ex-girlfriend of your son’s sold a colourful story about him to a gossip-column reporter.’

Talia’s eyes lit with a tigerish gleam. ‘Christina Mavros is a liar, also a fool. She swore she would blacken Alexei’s name if he didn’t marry her, so he followed your famous Wellington’s example and told her to publish and be damned.’ She hesitated. ‘Did you learn anything about me?’

Eleanor nodded. ‘I read that you divorced Milo Drakos—”before the ink was dry on your marriage license”, to quote a popular tabloid of the time.’

Talia wrinkled her nose. ‘A little exaggerated, but not far out. You must surely want to know why?’

‘Of course I do. I’m only human, Ms Kazan.’

‘Please—I am Talia! ’

Eleanor smiled ruefully. ‘I’m wary of appearing familiar. But, just so there’s no misunderstanding, none of this will appear in my article. You have my word on it.’

Talia smiled. ‘I know that. And I must talk to you about this tonight because Alex is going to rush me away tomorrow and I will not have another chance.’

‘For what, exactly?’

‘To make a suggestion. If you do not wish to go home yet, why not stay on Kyrkiros until your flight? You will be safe here.’

Eleanor went cold at the mere thought. ‘I couldn’t possibly.’

‘Why not? Once Alex has seen me off at the airport, he can get the ferry back here. I shall insist that he takes a holiday.’