The Innocent's Shameful Secret

His amusement deepened. ‘You have quite a turn of phrase, thespinis.’

‘Thank you.’ She added tautly, ‘And if I may say so, perhaps you ought to exercise more vigilance over your staff’s out-of-hours activities.’

‘I make sure they do their job,’ he said. ‘I do not claim to be anyone’s moral guardian. And perhaps your sister and her friends are the ones in need of guidance.’

‘How dare you,’ she flared. ‘Millie is totally inexperienced. He’s taken advantage of her innocence.’

‘You paint a moving picture,’ he said, clearly remaining unmoved. ‘Now let us drink.’ He raised his glass, touching it to the one she was holding, ‘Yamas. That means—to our health.’

She didn’t like the way the toast seemed to unite them, but took a cautious sip, suppressing a gasp as it trailed fire down her throat.

‘What is that?’ she asked when she could speak.

‘Brandy. To give you strength for your search. And—to calm you.’

She bit her lip. ‘I’m perfectly calm, thank you.’ And wished it was true. Because she was suddenly all too aware of him watching her. Glanced away and found herself instead looking at the hand clasping his glass. At the long fingers and well-kept nails, and the way his thumb was playing with the glass’s stem.

Even with the width of the table between them, he seemed too close for comfort.

She went on hurriedly, ‘If you’ll just give me Mr Papoulis’s address, I’ll go and let you get back to—whatever you were doing.’

‘Stock-taking,’ he said. ‘As for Kostas’s address,’ he added with a shrug, ‘I doubt if that will help. Like the rest of the staff, when he is working, he has a room here, but this, I am told, he has not used for several days.’

The implication in his words was obvious, Selena thought, swallowing.

‘And when he’s not working?’ she demanded.

‘He lives with his widowed mother,’ he said. ‘But she is very pious, so I doubt you will find your Millie there, either.’

She said half to herself, ‘Then what am I going to do?’

‘I am sure that is not a request for my advice,’ he drawled. ‘But I shall offer it just the same. Go home, thespinis, and wait for your sister to come to her senses.’

She took another gulp of brandy. ‘And if he’s keeping her here against her will?’

‘Once again you are allowing your taste for the dramatic to run away with you,’ Alexis Constantinou said softly. ‘Kostas, believe me, has no need to use force.’

‘You take all this so lightly.’ Her voice shook. ‘When I’m worried sick, and I—I can’t leave without her.’

She paused. ‘I shall have to go to the police.’

‘I would prefer that not to happen.’

Her voice rose indignantly. ‘You’re actually protecting him?’

‘No,’ he said, with faint grimness. ‘I am protecting the reputation of my hotel. And for that, I am prepared to help you. Give me a day, maybe two, to make enquiries. To find where he is and if your sister is indeed with him. But that is all. After that, it is up to you. Do you agree?’

Selena stared down at the table. Almost in spite of herself, she could feel the warmth of the brandy quelling her inner trembling. A sense of something like hope growing in its place. Which was, of course, quite ridiculous under the circumstances.

She said, ‘How do I know I can trust you?’

‘Because stock-taking bores me,’ he said. ‘I want my barman back. His absence is inconvenient.’

She glared at him. She said mutinously, ‘In that case—I suppose we have a deal.’ She reached for her satchel and got to her feet. ‘Thank you for the drink, and I hope your plan succeeds.’

‘Wait,’ he said. ‘I need to know where to contact you.’ He eyed her narrowly. ‘You have made a reservation, found a place to stay, of course.’

She hesitated. Fatally. ‘Not yet, but I’m sure I’ll find somewhere.’

‘I do not doubt it.’ His tone was cynical. ‘With that hair and those eyes, pedhi mou, you will be overwhelmed with offers in the first moment. In fact, your sister, wherever she may be, is probably much safer.’

She was shaken by that altogether too intimate reference to her appearance. She said coldly, ‘I’m a university student, Mr Constantinou. I can look after myself. I can make my own arrangements—and my own enquiries.’

‘The English, I think, have a saying,’ he drawled. ‘“Famous last words.” Perhaps you know it.’

‘Nevertheless...’

‘Nevertheless, thespinis, you will not go into the town asking for a room to rent. I shall not permit it. Besides, how can you enquire about anything when you do not speak Greek?’

He rose to his feet. ‘The Olympia is fully booked, but I have a small flat on the top floor for my personal use. You may stay there.’

‘We have another quaint old saying in my country.’ She faced him, lifting her chin. ‘“Out of the frying pan into the fire.” Maybe you’ve heard that, too.’

He said silkily, ‘And you, pedhi mou, should not jump to conclusions. I shall stay at my house, the Villa Helios, on the other side of the island. A safe enough distance, wouldn’t you say?’

There were a lot of things she would like to have said, but she only managed a reluctant, ‘Thank you.’

Alexis Constantinou nodded. ‘Now I will speak to my housekeeper about your accommodation. And you perhaps should finish your brandy.’

As he walked to the door, Selena said, ‘Why have you changed your mind suddenly? I—I don’t understand.’

‘You think I should not concern myself over the well-being of an innocent and inexperienced girl?’

‘A moment ago you were implying that Millie’s problems are all of her own making.’

‘I still do,’ he said. ‘But the innocent I speak of is not your sister, thespinis, but yourself.’

And he walked out of the bar, leaving Selena staring after him.

CHAPTER THREE (#u7209a4af-b016-5abe-b68f-64b0917f1fe7)

‘EXCUSE ME, DO you want to order anything else? Only there are people waiting for tables.’

The aggrieved tone of the waitress jolted Selena back to the present.

‘I’ve finished, thank you.’ She tried a smile. ‘I’m sorry, I was miles away.’

Worlds away. An ocean of pain away, she thought as the girl gathered up the used crockery and walked away with a faint sniff.