Isobel established herself at the balcony rail, propped one of her larger pads against it and began to sketch the pool. In the bright morning light it shone like a blue jewel in its setting of palms, oleander and feathery pink tamarisk. And as usual her concentration was soon so intense that Eleni had to clap her hands loudly to gain her attention.
'Lunch, Isobel.'
Isobel closed the sketchbook hastily and turned to smile at Eleni. 'I hadn't realised it was so late.'
'You wash now,' said the woman. 'Food nearly ready. You need help?'
'No, I can manage, thank you.' Isobel spent a few minutes in the bathroom, then went back into the bedroom to find Luke standing outside on the landing.
'Eleni says you must come immediately or the food will spoil,' he informed her. 'I will carry you down.'
Isobel flushed, taken aback. 'I thought I was eating up here again.'
'While I thought you would enjoy lunch on the terrace. Even with the disadvantage of my company,' he added slyly.
Isobel eyed him irritably. If she'd had prior knowledge of the arrangement, out of sheer pride she might have gilded the lily a bit-or as much as she could in her present condition. The swelling on her face had gone down, the bruise was fading slightly below her eye, which she could now open fully, but it was still no pleasure to look in a mirror. 'You don't have to carry me. I can manage with the crutch.'
'That will take too long, and Eleni will be very annoyed if her food is kept waiting,' he informed her and, ignoring her involuntary recoil, picked her up. Isobel tensed, for the first time physically aware of Luke as a man. She felt enveloped in the warmth and scent of him, and wanted to beat him away with clenched fists.
'Eleni didn't warn me,' she said, voice stifled, as Luke carried her down the curving staircase to the hall.
'I told her not to.'
'Why?'
'You would have refused.'
'I hope my manners are better than that, Mr Andreadis!'
He took her through open glass doors to a pergola wreathed with greenery on the section of terrace overlooking the pool. He set her down at a table laid for lunch. 'I think that under the circumstances we can dispense with formality. I am Luke.'
Bad idea. 'I'm Isobel,' she said reluctantly.
'Much better,' he said, and sat opposite her. 'Will you have some wine?'
'In deference to my head, I think I'd better stick with water.'
'Ah, yes-excuse me for a moment.' He went back into the house and returned with a walking stick. 'Borrow this. When you no longer need the crutch you might find it useful.'
Isobel's eyes lit up, winning an arrested look from him. 'I will, indeed. Thank you.' She hooked the stick over the arm of her chair. 'Wonderful. Now I'm completely self-sufficient. What did you think of the cottage?'
He smiled. 'I had already inspected the houses at various stages with Nikos Nicolaides while they were being built.'
Her eyes flashed. 'Then you knew perfectly well mine would be suitable.'
'More or less,' he admitted, and filled her water glass.
'So will you drive me there this afternoon, please?'
Instead of answering, he greeted Eleni with a smile as she delivered a large dish giving off delicious scents. 'Ah, garides saganaki, or, for our English guest, prawns with feta in tomato sauce-and probably a few subtleties known only to the cook,' he announced. 'Efcharisto, Eleni.'
'Eat while hot,' she instructed as she left.
'This smells heavenly,' said Isobel with anticipation.
Luke got up to take the bowl she filled for him. 'You like Greek food?'
'It's only my second experience of it. But,' she said, after tasting the prawns, 'this is just wonderful. I adore seafood.'
'Which is fortunate,' said Luke. 'I did not ask if you were allergic to shellfish.'
'I'm not. Nor to anything else, so far. I have a pretty iron digestive system normally.' She flushed. 'Which is why I was so mortified yesterday on the way down to the clinic. It was a new experience for me.'
'For me, also,' Luke said with feeling, and looked her in the eye. 'You are quite well now in that way?'
'Absolutely. Otherwise I wouldn't be tucking into this delicious prawn dish. Eleni's a great cook. Has she been with you long?'
'All my life. She helped my mother with me when I was a baby. Also her husband Spiro, the son of my mother's old nurse, Sofia. As I told you,' added Luke, 'everyone on Chyros knows my history.'
'That must be rather wonderful-like an extended family.'
He inclined his head. 'Which is why I spend as much time here as possible, when my work allows. In Athens and Thessaloniki many people know who I am, but few know the real Lukas Andreadis.'
'Do you prefer it that way?'
'In some ways, yes. But, like you, I have good friends-in my case, men whose interests are similar to mine.'
'You said your interest in women is well known, too,' she reminded him.
Luke looked her in the eye. 'But they are-or were-just pillow friends, Isobel. I always make my views on marriage-or even commitment-very clear.'
Her hackles rose. Why did he think it necessary to tell her that? She had no designs on him. Or on any other man for the foreseeable future. 'I thought a man like you would want a son to inherit this empire of yours. Not that it's any business of mine,' she added hastily.
'Do you want a husband and family, Isobel?' asked Luke, surprising her.
'Not right now, no.'
'You have never met a man you wish to marry?'
'No,' she said shortly, and smiled as Eleni appeared with a bowl of fruit. 'That was absolutely delicious,' she told her, indicating her empty dish.
The woman looked pleased as she cleared away.
'I saw Dr Riga when I was down in the town,' said Luke casually, once they were alone. 'He thinks it best you remain here at the villa for a few days, rather than manage alone at the cottage.'
Isobel stared at him in astonishment. 'But why? There's nothing wrong with me now, except for the foot. And with my crutch and this wonderful stick I'll be fine on my own.'
'Nevertheless, he advises you stay here until completely recovered.' He shrugged. 'After a fall on the head there can be complications.'
She frowned. 'What kind?'
'A clot of blood on the brain, for one. There was a case only recently of a young boy complaining of head pains after a fall. Lacking the necessary equipment, the doctor performed emergency surgery with an ordinary power drill to release the pressure on the brain and saved the boy's life.'
Isobel blanched, beginning to regret the prawns.
Luke smiled in reassurance. 'Since there was no fracture to your skull, Dr Riga said there is no risk of this in your case. But he thinks you should stay here for a while. So do I.' Though for a quite different reason. 'Eleni thinks so, too.'
Isobel drew in a deep breath, deeply shaken by the idea of blood clots. 'Poor Eleni. I've given her so much extra work.'
'She does not think of it that way, Isobel,' he assured her, peeling an orange. 'In fact, Eleni thinks you are a very lovely young lady, so does Spiro.' The dark, compelling eyes met hers for a moment. 'I agree with them.'
Isobel's eyes fell. 'Thank you. If I had to have an accident I was very lucky to land on your beach for it. You've all been so kind.'
'Including me?' he said, eyes gleaming.
Her chin lifted. 'Once you found I wasn't a journalist, yes, you were-are-kind. Autocratic, too, but I suppose that's second nature to you.'
'If I were truly autocratic,' he said very deliberately, 'I would simply demand that you stay here. But, even on such short acquaintance, Miss Isobel James, I realise that this would work against me. So, I repeat my invitation. Stay a little while longer.'
Isobel sighed. 'Now you've planted the idea of electric drills in my head, solitude at the cottage has no appeal right now. So thank you. I will stay for a day or so.'
'Very wise. And when you do leave the villa I shall arrange for someone to check on you at regular intervals,' he stated, then arched an eyebrow as she smiled wryly. 'What is so amusing?'
'You were in touch with your inner autocrat again, Mr Andreadis.'
'I cannot help who-and what-I am.' Luke smiled. 'I return to Athens shortly, so you may convalesce here in peace, Isobel. And when you are ready to leave, Spiro will drive you to the cottage.'
CHAPTER FOUR
ISOBEL was much cheered by this piece of news. It would be a lot more peaceful at the Villa Medusa without the formidable presence of its owner. But she would miss him from a transport point of view.
'What is going on behind those beautiful blue eyes?' Luke asked, startling her. 'I can almost hear your brain working.' His eyes gleamed. 'Is it possible you might miss my help in carrying you downstairs?'
'Yes,' she said frankly.
'I had thought of that,' he informed her. 'I considered asking Milos to carry you when necessary. But I decided against it.'