hastily ate some more bread, and
helped herself again to the luscious prawns.
'I'm glad to see you have recovered from your indisposition,' he said indolently after a
few minutes. 'Also that the colour has returned to your face. You clearly enjoy the
stimulation of a light.'
'I always considered until now that I was the peace-loving type,' she said tartly. 'I
suppose you find that difficult to believe.'
'A desire for peace is usual y the prerogative of the elderly. Someone as young as you,
Eleni, should love life and al it has to offer.' He finished his whisky. 'Perhaps until now
you have only been half alive.' 'I've been perfectly happy,' she said indignantly.
'That is impossible.' Deftly he opened the wine and poured it into the waiting glasses.
'Perfection in happiness is not so easily attained. You have possibly been content, but
no more.'
Helen tilted her chin. 'May we change the subject, please?'she requested coldly. 'I've
no wish to sit here and listen to your assumptions about me.'
He smiled and lifted his glass in a mocking toast to whichshe made no response
whatever.
Dimitri appeared silently to remove their plates and serve the next course—-tiny
chickens, their flesh delicately flavoured with herbs, and a large serving tray set with
dishes of every conceivable type of salad. Finger-bowls, with flower petals floating on
the surface of the water, were plated on the table beside them, before he withdrew
again as quietly as he had arrived.
It was al very impressive, but then she supposed it was intended to be. Everything
which had happened was meant to underline the contrast between the modest comfort
of her past circumstances and the luxury she was to encounter in the immediate future.
She felt a thril of apprehension which deepened as she looked up and encountered the
dark, brooding gaze of her companion.
Her appetite seemed to have deserted her suddenly, and she only picked at the food in
front of her.
'Is the meal not to your liking?'
She started as Damon Leandros' voice intruded on her thoughts.
'It's al delicious,' she said hastily. 'Perhaps it's just the—the motion of the boat.'
His eyebrows rose and he sent her a look of cynical disbelief. She supposed it had been
a foolish thing to say. The sea was so calm, it was hard to believe they were on board
ship.
'You are a poor sailor?'
'I haven't done a great deal of sailing. My life has been spent in a city,' she reminded
him.
'Of course. You have missed a great deal.'
'But none of the things that matter. Al this——' she gestured around her—'is purely
incidental.'
'How very high-minded of you,' he said with a faint smile. 'You despise money and the
material comforts it can provide?'
'Of course not. My father isn't exactly a poor man, you know.'
'No,' he said after a pause, 'he seems to have done wel enough for himself. It is to his
credit that he has done so.'
'To his credit?' she echoed.
'His life was very different when he married your mother,' he said evenly.
She gasped. 'You mean—you're insinuating that Daddy was a fortune-hunter? Oh, of
course.' Her voice stung. ‘There would have to be an ulterior motive. It wouldn't suit
Greek—machismo, would it, to admit that my mother preferred an Englishman to an ar-
ranged marriage with one of her own countrymen— someone she probably didn't even
know. She actual y dared rebel—break out of the mould, so natural y al kinds of
excuses have to be made. After al , she set a dangerous precedent, didn't she? Other
women might decide to take a hand in their own destinies, and that wouldn't suit the
arrogant Greek male. You did invent the word "tyrant", didn't you?'
'Not personal y.' He was stil smiling, but there was a flicker of anger in his eyes. 'You
speak very strongly, Eleni, you who come from the permissive society, where divorces
can almost be bought across a counter like any other commodity. Yet you criticise us
because we are concerned for our
helped herself again to the luscious prawns.
'I'm glad to see you have recovered from your indisposition,' he said indolently after a
few minutes. 'Also that the colour has returned to your face. You clearly enjoy the
stimulation of a light.'
'I always considered until now that I was the peace-loving type,' she said tartly. 'I
suppose you find that difficult to believe.'
'A desire for peace is usual y the prerogative of the elderly. Someone as young as you,
Eleni, should love life and al it has to offer.' He finished his whisky. 'Perhaps until now
you have only been half alive.' 'I've been perfectly happy,' she said indignantly.
'That is impossible.' Deftly he opened the wine and poured it into the waiting glasses.
'Perfection in happiness is not so easily attained. You have possibly been content, but
no more.'
Helen tilted her chin. 'May we change the subject, please?'she requested coldly. 'I've
no wish to sit here and listen to your assumptions about me.'
He smiled and lifted his glass in a mocking toast to whichshe made no response
whatever.
Dimitri appeared silently to remove their plates and serve the next course—-tiny
chickens, their flesh delicately flavoured with herbs, and a large serving tray set with
dishes of every conceivable type of salad. Finger-bowls, with flower petals floating on
the surface of the water, were plated on the table beside them, before he withdrew
again as quietly as he had arrived.
It was al very impressive, but then she supposed it was intended to be. Everything
which had happened was meant to underline the contrast between the modest comfort
of her past circumstances and the luxury she was to encounter in the immediate future.
She felt a thril of apprehension which deepened as she looked up and encountered the
dark, brooding gaze of her companion.
Her appetite seemed to have deserted her suddenly, and she only picked at the food in
front of her.
'Is the meal not to your liking?'
She started as Damon Leandros' voice intruded on her thoughts.
'It's al delicious,' she said hastily. 'Perhaps it's just the—the motion of the boat.'
His eyebrows rose and he sent her a look of cynical disbelief. She supposed it had been
a foolish thing to say. The sea was so calm, it was hard to believe they were on board
ship.
'You are a poor sailor?'
'I haven't done a great deal of sailing. My life has been spent in a city,' she reminded
him.
'Of course. You have missed a great deal.'
'But none of the things that matter. Al this——' she gestured around her—'is purely
incidental.'
'How very high-minded of you,' he said with a faint smile. 'You despise money and the
material comforts it can provide?'
'Of course not. My father isn't exactly a poor man, you know.'
'No,' he said after a pause, 'he seems to have done wel enough for himself. It is to his
credit that he has done so.'
'To his credit?' she echoed.
'His life was very different when he married your mother,' he said evenly.
She gasped. 'You mean—you're insinuating that Daddy was a fortune-hunter? Oh, of
course.' Her voice stung. ‘There would have to be an ulterior motive. It wouldn't suit
Greek—machismo, would it, to admit that my mother preferred an Englishman to an ar-
ranged marriage with one of her own countrymen— someone she probably didn't even
know. She actual y dared rebel—break out of the mould, so natural y al kinds of
excuses have to be made. After al , she set a dangerous precedent, didn't she? Other
women might decide to take a hand in their own destinies, and that wouldn't suit the
arrogant Greek male. You did invent the word "tyrant", didn't you?'
'Not personal y.' He was stil smiling, but there was a flicker of anger in his eyes. 'You
speak very strongly, Eleni, you who come from the permissive society, where divorces
can almost be bought across a counter like any other commodity. Yet you criticise us
because we are concerned for our
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