South of Mandraki Read online

  ‘So I’m not your real husband, eh?’ Daros spoke after a long silence. ‘Tell me, what exactly do you mean by that? I seem to remember we were legally married, even though neither of us was enamoured with the idea.’ He was mocking her, making fun of her. She remained dumb, for words were inadequate. A blow would be more to her satisfaction and if he were not careful he would without doubt receive one eventually. ‘I’m very much your husband — unfortunately for me. If your brother had not been such a bad driver none of this would have come about—’

  ‘Oh!’ Her fury threatened to break all bounds. ‘How dare you blame my brother! If you didn’t have such a maniac for a grandfather all this wouldn’t have come about, you mean! That man should be put in a lunatic asylum!’

  To her surprise he laughed.

  ‘So we’ve actually come to calling one another’s family names.’ He glanced quizzically at her. ‘And you say we’re not married.’ His manner changed as he added, ‘You haven’t answered my question. What do you mean when you say I’m not your real husband?’

  ‘You know very well what I mean!’

  His mockery returned ... yet a shade of warning darkened his glance.

  ‘That could easily be rectified, you know,’ he told her softly, and she instantly paled. Daros allowed her time to reflect on his words before adding, still in those soft and even tones of his, ‘Remember my warning - and don’t goad me too far.’

  Toni swallowed hard, endeavouring to release the tightness that had gathered in her throat. The Greeks were an amorous race - the most amorous race in the world, it was said; she must not run any risks with this man, for she surmised that he was no different from the rest ... and a wife in his house might one day be a temptation

  he could not resist.

  ‘I’d better go in to the children,’ she said in a subdued voice. ‘They’ll be wanting their tea.’

  ‘At two in the afternoon?’ His straight brows lifted a fraction. ‘They’re not staying here. You do understand that?’ He meant it and her heart jerked, but calm was soon restored and she said defiantly,

  ‘They’re my relatives and they’re staying, I’m sorry for any disruption of your peaceful routine,’ she added, destroying her effect by breaking into a satisfied smirk, “but my sister’s need is greater than yours!’

  He ground his teeth.

  ‘You’ll get those damned brats out of here - and quick!’ He strode towards the door.

  ‘That’s impossible, even if I wanted to. There’s no money for their fares.’

  Daros turned slowly, to regard her with a sort of bewildered disbelief.

  ‘You booked single fares for them?’

  ‘I had’nt the money for their return fares - not with being kept so short! And my sister hadn’t anything to contribute.’

  Dark colour crept under her husband’s skin. He looked ready to explode.

  ‘You’ve five thousand pounds stored away!’ he thundered. ‘Use some of that!’ And this time he did leave her, to go striding across the lawn, leaving his wife to dwell on all that had been said. She admitted with reluctance that his words had impressed themselves upon her, and led to rising misgivings and the conviction that none of her well-laid plans for vengeance was likely to materialize.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  After some reflection Toni found her composure returning. What could her husband do? He would not turn the children out, so

  obviously they could stay. Before the end of the six weeks she would have to think of a way of obtaining the money for their fares home - and her own, of course, because she would have to accompany them. Perhaps she could borrow it from her father. Yes, in a little while she would write to him; he would readily lend it to her, though how long she would be in paying it back she did not know. What a mess she had made of things by her insane desire to hit back at Daros for those insults! Far better to have forgotten them — and yet she did not regret having taken the children. Pam was tired, and assuredly she would have a breakdown if she did not get a rest. The worry of losing her job would not have helped, either, and suddenly it seemed to Toni that it was very unfair for Daros to possess such wealth when Pam was so in need. If only there was some way of taking a little of her husband’s money and transferring it to Pam! Toni shook her head, chiding herself for such thoughts. No sense in becoming more deeply enmeshed. She was now, to her cost, geared to Daros’s inflexibility, and it would be sheer folly not to benefit from the lesson she had learned.

  As she neared the house she heard the children demanding food from Maria. They were giving the woman plenty of cheek, most of which she could not interpret but to some extent understood because Toni could hear her speaking in Greek.

  ‘Don’t you give me that impertinence! And you’ll eat at the proper time and not before. Out of my kitchen, all of you. You’re a lot of young hooligans, and if you don’t go at once I’ll take the broom to you!’

  ‘What does she say?’ Robbie’s voice, pert, and loud with ridicule. ‘She can’t speak English. Silly old moo!’ Shocked, Toni quickened her pace.

  ‘I think she said she’d chase us with the broom,’ giggled Louise, ‘because she pointed to it. Shall we let her? It’ll be great fun!’

  ‘She chase us!’ put in David disparagingly. ‘She’s too fat to run a yard!’

  ‘You’re right. She’s like a big dumpling - Ow! Who did that!’ Robbie screamed, and Toni ran the last few yards, arriving at the kitchen door in time to see the child rubbing himself and glaring at his attacker with baleful eyes.

  ‘You’ve hurt him!’ Toni stared at Daros in disbelief. In her opinion children should never be hit; it injured their pride. ‘How dare you lay hands on my nephew!’

  ‘That,’ said Daros savagely, ‘is merely a preliminary. The next time he goes across my knee!’ He looked challengingly at the others. ‘Do you want a sample?’ he inquired of David. The boy shook his head and took strategic cover behind his aunt’s back. ‘And you?’

  ‘N-no....’ Louise grasped Toni’s hand. ‘I don’t like him. Tell him to go home.’

  ‘Darling, this is his home,’ began Toni, when she was roughly interrupted.

  ‘That’s where you three are going - home! But for the present you can go up to whichever rooms you’ve been given. And don’t any of you dare come down until you have my permission. Well, what are you waiting for?’

  ‘Do we have to, Aunt Toni?’ Louise glanced up, to see Toni nodding her head. ‘But it’s sunshiny outside and we’ve only just come here. I want to play on the beach.’

  ‘Go upstairs, all of you.’ Toni tried to be stern, but it seemed wrong to send them upstairs on such a lovely day. She looked across at her husband. ‘Daros—’

  ‘Obey me at once!’ No more was required. Sullenly they drifted out and made a silent ascent of the stairs. ‘As for you,’ said Daros between his teeth, ‘you’re not too old for a damned good hiding either!’

  The colour rushed to her face ... and yet she remained cautiously quiet. While this man was undoubtedly more human than the silent, indifferent husband to whom she was used, he was at the same time rather frightening. That he would not hesitate to carry out his thinly-veiled threat she could not doubt -and in his present mood he was more than likely, should she be so unwise as to provoke him, to forget the presence of his housekeeper! At last he turned to go, but ordered Toni to follow him to his own private sitting-room. ‘Close the door!’ he snapped, and although her mouth tightened she prudently obeyed. Daros sat down, but left her standing, a circumstance that could only add fuel to the already smouldering embers of anger set alight by his arrogant order for her to close the door. He leant right back in his chair, regarding her through halfclosed eyes for a long moment before saying, on a note of curiosity, ‘Kindly tell me what this is all about. I’ve been thinking during the last few moments and I can find no valid reason for these efforts of yours to make a nuisance of yourself.’ No valid reason! For one fleeting moment she was tempted to acquaint him with the
truth, to inform him that all he had said had been fully understood, but she resisted the impulse, not having entirely abandoned the idea of punishing him.

  ‘I’m not making a nuisance of myself,’ she denied. ‘I wanted to go home and you wouldn’t give me the money willingly—’ ‘You have five thousand pounds,’ he once again reminded her. And as she did not speak he added curiously, ‘Just what have you done with that money?’

  ‘It’s invested.’ Not quite a lie — well, only a white lie, she comforted herself.

  ‘You can withdraw some of it.’ It was half question, half statement. Toni shook her head.

  ‘I can’t withdraw any of it.’

  ‘I don’t believe you. You’re hoarding it, hoping to get more out of me. But you can think again, my girl. As I’ve said, I’m not one of your soft and pliable Englishmen.’

  To her surprise Toni found herself saying,

  ‘Daros, please don’t let us begin that all over again. I don’t want to quarrel with you—’

  ‘You surprise me,’ he interrupted with a hint of amusement. ‘Up till now you’ve gone out of your way to quarrel with me.’ ‘That’s not true. We’ve scarcely spoken to one another until today—’ She broke off, flushing as his brows shot up. ‘Well, I

  did feel angry that you wouldn’t advance me money for my trip to England,’ she conceded graciously. ‘I suppose we had a quarrel then.’

  Daros let that pass, reverting to the subject of withdrawing some of her money.

  ‘You’ll have to,’ he went on firmly, ‘because those children are not staying in my house a moment longer than is necessary.’

  ‘I’ll keep them here as long as I like! This is my home - for the present,’ she amended as he threw her an arrogant glance, ‘and so I’ll have my family to visit me! I expect you’re troubled that the children will annoy your grandfather when he comes. I sincerely hope they do, for he deserves some punishment for what he did to me!’

  ‘My grandfather is coming here expecting to have a quiet holiday. But in any case, whether he was coming or not, I wouldn’t consent to having those unmannerly children in my home.’

  ‘They’ll leave in six weeks’ time.’

  His eyes glinted. He said softly,

  ‘You appear to have already forgotten my warning, Toni. Take my advice and remove them within the next day or two.’

  ‘I won’t! And even if I did decide to do as you order, I haven’t the money for their fares. I’ve already told you that.’

  ‘And in six weeks’ time? Will you have the money then?’

  ‘My father will lend it to me.’

  ‘Why can’t he lend it to you now?’

  Her mouth tightened; she glared at him balefully. ‘I haven’t asked him.’

  ‘Then do so - by cable.’

  ‘The children are remaining here. My sister needs to work and she can’t do this if the children are at home. Moreover, she’ll lose her job if she has to have all that time off.’

  An exasperated sigh escaped him.

  ‘If you’re so concerned about this sister of yours then why in heaven’s name didn’t you give her some of the money you demanded from me?’

  ‘She wouldn’t have accepted it. My sister is exceedingly proud.’

  ‘In that case,’ he returned heartlessly, ‘she deserves to want.’

  ‘You’re detestable!’

  ‘Can we forget my vices for the present? The more pressing matter of the children should be your chief concern at the moment.’ He looked straight at her and despite her resolutions Toni could not crush the apprehension that was slowly creeping over her. ‘That is my last word. Had you known me longer you would not doubt that I mean what I say - always. You’d be wise to accept that and act accordingly.’ He paused and then added curtly, ‘You may go - and when I next see you I’ll expect you to hear that you’ve done something about obeying my orders.’

  Fuming, Toni left the room, closing the door with unnecessary violence. He could go to the devil! She had no intention of letting Pam down. But, once upstairs with the children, she did begin to wonder if, had she her time to come over again, she would make the same decision. For the children were all in Robbie’s room, and they had shown their resentment of authority by deliberately setting out to ruin it. Water from the wash basin had been thrown on to the walls; the bedcover had been trampled on and the expensive lampshade was on the floor, crushed by the children’s feet. Appalled, Toni just stood there, unable to speak for a moment. And then she let them have a taste of her temper.

  ‘Your mother told me what to expect,’ she ended wrathfully, ‘and I didn’t believe her. But she was right; you’re three of the naughtiest, most destructive children I have ever met, and I’m heartily sorry I brought you here!’

  ‘So are we!’ Robbie stood there, unrepentant, and glared at her. ‘He’s a monster. He hit me!’

  ‘I want to go home,’ cried Louise petulantly. ‘I want to go now!’

  ‘You can’t go now! And what’s more, you’re not going for another six weeks, so you might as well resign yourselves to

  being good for that time.’ She looked down at Robbie, who did have the grace to blush under her stare of censure. ‘You’re almost eleven, and as the eldest should show an example. I’m thoroughly ashamed of you - and it’s your own fault if your Uncle Daros doesn’t like you.’

  ‘He’s not our uncle!’ Louise again, even more fractious this time, and there were tears in her eyes as she went on, ‘I want my mummy. Please, Aunt Toni, take me to her.’

  The tears worried Toni; it was not like Louise to cry. Pam had so often deplored the fact that she was hard, unable to reveal any sort of emotion since the day she had been told of her father’s death.

  ‘Let’s get this room put straight,’ said Toni, hoping to divert the child. ‘David, take a towel and clean up these walls.’ She stopped, frowning as she noticed the flush on Louise’s cheeks. The child wasn’t sickening for something.... Lord, she mustn’t be ill!

  But Louise was ill, and confined to bed. The doctor arrived the following day, by which time Louise was running a temperature.

  ‘Measles,’ he said briefly. ‘I’ll send her some medicine this afternoon.’

  As she came downstairs Toni met Daros emerging from his room.

  ‘What’s wrong with that young minx?’ he demanded wrathfully. ‘I’ve just seen the doctor driving away.’

  ‘Louise has the measles, and will have to be kept in bed.’

  His eyes kindled.

  ‘So you’ve got your way, after all.’

  Her eyes flashed.

  ‘I assure you I haven’t engineered the child’s illness!’

  ‘No, but it was damned opportune!’

  ‘You’re detestable! Have you no feelings at all for that poor little girl upstairs, wanting her mother?’

  He slanted one eyebrow.

  ‘Poor little girl? An uncontrolled, impudent little brat is a more apt description. And as for her wanting her mother - whose fault is that?’

  Toni flushed, much to her annoyance, and said defensively, ‘Louise is far better here than with her mother. Pam has quite enough to do without having a child ill on her hands.’

  The anger left his face. He regarded her with an odd expression.

  ‘You puzzle me immensely. Your concern for this sister would appear to be genuine ... if it weren’t for your being so tight-fisted with that money I gave you.’

  ‘Pam wouldn’t accept charity. I’ve already told you that.’

  ‘There are ways and means of transferring money without its being presented as charity.’

  ‘You’d love to know what I’ve done with the money, wouldn’t you?’

  ‘I know what you’ve done with it.’

  ‘You do?’ Toni looked interested as she waited for his reply. ‘You’re hoarding it, and you’ve no intention of touching a penny — not for anyone or anything. You’re a grasping, avaricious little miser, Toni.’

  ‘Than
k you! You’re not over-endowed with the spirit of generosity yourself!’

  He laughed.

  ‘I’ve no intention of encouraging you in your meanness. Either you use some of that money or you manage without.’

  She paled slightly. Rather late now to recall her intention of asking for a loan from him. Nevertheless she did say, her great eyes looking into his with an appeal of which Toni was completely unaware,

  ‘I meant to talk to you about money—’

  ‘Save your breath.’

  ‘As I can’t - er - get at my money at present,’ she went on, ignoring the curtly-spoken interruption, ‘I wondered if we could

  come to some arrangement regarding my allowance — oh, I know it’s been stopped, but Louise is ill, and the boys are here, so I’ll naturally require money....’ She tailed off, a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Those inflexible lines told her she wasted her time. Why, she wondered angrily, had she so placidly assumed he would be putty in her hands? With a sort of blind confidence she had pictured herself demanding money and Daros having no alternative than to place it meekly into her hands. But then she had not taken into consideration the difference the marriage tie was going to make. Before the marriage she certainly had the whip-hand, but now the positions appeared to be reversed. Fury and frustration brought little spots of colour to her cheeks. Daros seemed to derive amusement from her discomfiture, as he continued to stare down at her, a rather malicious smile hovering on his lips.

  ‘I’ll have to have money !’ she flared, her eyes little points of green flint. ‘If you don’t adopt a more reasonable attitude I’ll really show you how I can run up bills!’

  The hint of amusement was wiped from his face; he came close — too close for comfort.

  ‘My warnings, Toni, were not lightly given. From the first you’ve set out to get your greedy little English hands on my money. The settlement I was forced to give; but I swore then that you’d have no more - except for a monthly allowance, of course.’ His voice was very soft, but the firm dark threat was one which even Toni could not ignore, as Daros added, pointing a finger close to her face ‘You dare run up any more bills and you’ll find yourself smarting for a week.’ No anger, no raising of his voice - yet Toni found to her chagrin that she was actually trembling. She, who had always been considered fearless by her friends! It was unbelievable!