The Power of the Legendary Greek(21)

       
           



       

Eleni beamed at them both as she came in to lay the table. For two,  Isobel noted, brightening, as Spiro followed with a tray of steaming  dishes.

Luke thanked them and smiled at Isobel as the couple left them to their dinner. 'You look surprised.'

'I am. I was expecting to dine alone tonight.'

'You would prefer that?'

Isobel shook her head irritably. 'Of course I wouldn't.'

'Then you must eat well tonight,' he urged. 'You must be very hungry, Isobel.'

'Oddly enough, I wasn't when we arrived home. I was just dirty and  thirsty-' She broke off at the look he gave her. 'What is it?'

'You said "home".'

She flushed. 'I suppose the villa felt like that after my adventures.'  She went on eating for a moment, then met his watchful eyes. 'In the hut  I thought I might never live to eat another meal of any kind.'

Luke's mouth twisted as he put out a hand to cover hers. 'Do not think  of it any more, Isobel. I have you safe now. And I swear I will keep you  that way.'

'Right. Let's talk about pleasanter things.' She raised a quizzical eyebrow. 'Tell me about this Arianna of yours.'

'She is not mine!' Luke grinned. 'Arianna is an attractive, intellectual  woman who refuses to marry any of the men her family keep bringing out  for her.'

'Are you one of those?'

He shook his head. 'Due to the circumstances of my birth, I am not considered eligible.'

'Even though you're the grandson of Theo Andreadis?'

'Since he refuses to acknowledge the relationship, yes.'

'Would you like him to?'

His mouth tightened. 'Would you, in the same situation?'

Isobel gave it some thought. 'If he was the only relative I had it's  possible I might make some kind of move towards détente, yes.'

'I do not possess your capacity for forgiveness. Also your experience of  grandparents was very different from mine,' he reminded her.

'True.' She smiled fondly at the memory. 'I was very lucky. But tell me more about Arianna.'

'We dine together occasionally, and if she needs an escort for some  function her family insists she attend, I help her out. Which is no  hardship. She is good company and I am fond of her.'

'Is she fond of you?'

'Of course,' he said, grinning. 'But she is in love with someone else.'

'So why doesn't he escort her?'

Luke smiled wryly. 'Arianna is a follower of Sappho. Her lover is a woman. But, other than me, and now you, no one knows that.'

'That kind of secret must be hard to keep,' said Isobel. 'But at least  she has one thing going for her-she didn't get kidnapped.'

Luke laughed and seized her hand to kiss it. 'She would have been more  of a handful for the kidnapper than you, Isobel. Arianna is built on  heroic lines.' He eyed her challengingly. 'So, I have told you about the  woman in my life. Now tell me about the men in yours. There must have  been other men in your life before the swine who tried to force you.'

She winced. 'There were several in college, of course, but the ones who  remain constant in my life are Leo and Josh Carey. Their family lived  near my grandparents, so we grew up together. When they were teenagers  they had a party. Joanna, the new kid on the block at the time, was  invited to it, and the four of us have been firm friends ever since. Jo  and I had boyfriends, of course, and the twins, who are doctors now,  attract women like magnets, but Jo and I have a special relationship  with them. Though Jo is married now.'

'And does her husband approve of these men?'

'Of course. But it wouldn't matter to her if he didn't. Jo is fiercely loyal.'

Luke smiled. 'I think you are, too, Isobel.'

'I try to be. Besides, I've known the twins since nursery school. To me, they're like brothers.'

'Ah, but do they look on you as a sister?'

'Of course they do. 'She looked at the straight-backed chair he was  sitting on, legs outstretched. 'You can't be comfortable on that. If I  lie on the bed you can have the easy chair. Unless you have things to  do.'                       
       
           



       

'What could be more important than spending the evening with you,  Isobel?' He stood up. 'But first I shall go down to the study and check  again with Andres. Though there can be no real news or he would have  contacted me. Then I shall come back and take advantage of your offer.  Unless you need sleep?' he added.

'No.' She shook her head so emphatically he frowned.

'You are nervous about sleeping?'

'Not exactly. But I'd like to be a lot more tired tonight before I try.'  She smiled ruefully. 'It was a bad move to sleep before dinner.'

'Rest was vitally necessary after your ordeal.' His eyes darkened as he  looked down at her. 'I would give much to have spared you that.'

'But you rescued me-again,' she pointed out.

'For which I have not been suitably rewarded,' he said casually and  strolled to the door, slanting a glittering smile over his shoulder. 'Is  there anything you need when I come back?'

'Nothing, thank you.'

Isobel wondered what Luke meant by a suitable reward. Who was she trying  to kid? What would any man expect under the circumstances? She piled  the pillows against the headboard and propped herself upright against  them.

When Luke came back she eyed him expectantly. 'Any news?'

'No. Just that all is in readiness for tomorrow night, and I shall leave  early in the morning. I shall be there on the scene when the ransom  money is claimed.'

'What? Are you mad?' Isobel stared at him, horrified. 'Surely it's best  to leave the police to deal with that! You've already escaped a  stabbing; you might not be so lucky a second time.'

His face set into lines which made argument futile. 'Then that is my  fate and cannot be avoided. This is something I must do, Isobel.' He sat  on the edge of the bed and took her hand. 'Surely you can understand  this.'

'Oh, I do,' she said with hostility. 'It's all down to testosterone. But  I don't approve.' But, if he was taking off in the morning, maybe this  was a good time to give him her present, just in case …  She pushed the  thought away. 'I should have asked you to fetch something for me.'

'I will fetch it now. What is it?'

'The watercolours I was working on. Spiro put them safe somewhere, in the room I was using downstairs.'

Isobel felt tense as she waited for him to bring the paintings. A man  like Lukas Andreadis could buy whatever expensive artwork he fancied.  Would he consider her efforts amateurish? The pool painting was no  Hockney, but she hoped Luke would like it as a keepsake just the same.

He came back quickly, holding a large package. 'Spiro wrapped them up very carefully,' he said, handing it to her.

'He's such a star, your Spiro,' said Isobel warmly. 'Eleni, too. You're lucky to have them.'

'I know this.' Luke gestured at the package impatiently. 'Open it.'

Isobel removed the wrapping paper carefully, then handed him the painting of the pool.

Luke stood looking down at it, his face inscrutable, and then said the  last thing she expected to hear. 'So. You really do paint.'

Isobel's eyes blazed as she realised what he meant. 'My sketches didn't  convince you, then. You still suspected me of wanting a story for some  tabloid-or, worse still, that I was a tourist out for a holiday thrill.'

'However beautiful and appealing you were, past experience made me  suspicious,' he admitted, and gave her a long, unsmiling look. 'I soon  discovered that you were neither of those things.'

'But you still doubted that I could paint!'

'If I did, I doubt no longer. This is exquisite.' He was so obviously  sincere she calmed down. 'You are not only an artist, but a very gifted  one, Isobel. You create atmosphere. I feel both the cool of the water  and the heat of the day in your painting.'

'It's a present for you-a very small way to thank you for all your kindness,' she said with formality.

He bowed, equally formal. 'Efcharisto poli, Isobel. I am honoured.' He  put the painting very carefully on the dressing table. 'I shall have it  framed in Athens and hang it in my bedroom there.' He watched closely as  she unwrapped the painting of the beach. 'This also is wonderful.'                       
       
           



       

'It's my keepsake. To take home to look at and convince myself that all this really happened.'

Luke took the painting to join the other one, then sat beside her on the  bed. 'As I said before, Isobel, I shall need no reminders of my  trespasser. But I shall treasure the painting because it is not only  beautiful, but a gift from you.'

'Now you know I really am an artist!' she said acidly, then looked at  him in appeal. 'I wish you wouldn't go there tomorrow, Luke.'

'You are afraid I shall be killed?'

'Of course I am!'

'I was brought up in a hard school. I can look after myself. And I am  not fool enough to go there alone. Andres and my security team will be  in the background in support.' Luke looked into her eyes, as though  assessing her mood, then drew her into his arms and held her close. 'Do  not worry, Isobel.'