Read Online Stormy the Way by Anne Hampson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Anne Hampson
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window she saw the clouds thickening, and the thin rays of the sun trying to penetrate them. 'Are you ready for a drink?'
'No, thank you, Leon. Aren't we nearly there?'
He nodded, glancing through the window at her side.
'We shall be in Athens in about twenty minutes' time.'
'Will there be a boat, do you think?'
'We might have to wait a short while, but yes, we shall be able to get a boat all right.'
She glanced through the window again. The sun was winning - an omen, she thought, then laughed at herself. 'I've never been so happy in the whole of my life,' she said softly, her adoring eyes settling on her husband's face. 'Thank you for loving me, Leon.'
He looked strangely at her, then beckoned to the stewardess. He ordered a drink; she wondered at his silence but attached no particular importance to it.
The sun had gone down when they reached Poros, entering the quay in the smart white coastal vessel, Marina , from Piraeus. The harbour was like a smooth blue lake with the opposite shore only a mile away and high mountains cutting into the sky above the vast expanse of lemon groves. The whole vista was affected by the setting sun, which spread its translucent glory over a landscape drowsy with the daytime heat. Palms silhouetted against the sky were dappled with crimson; the hills were tinted with gold, but in the vast vault of the sky purple streaks of evening were already beginning to appear, mingling with the enchanting tracery of crimson cobwebs swirling sinuously against a background of fading blue. The mountains, already growing cool and tranquil in the evening light, were bathed in subtle shades of lilac and pink and pearl.
It was magic - or heaven, or a combination of both, thought Tara, excited and expectant as she looked up at her husband, his hand lifted to bring forth the taxi standing at the quay. Within ten minutes they were at the villa.
'Home at last!' she exclaimed happily, expecting to be taken into Leon's arms. But he was picking up the pile of letters lying on a silver tray on the hall table, and he walked away, into the lounge, Tara following,
Savvas was dealing with the luggage and Tara said, feeling a tiny bit flat all at once,
'I'll go and tidy myself, ready for dinner.'
Glancing up, Leon nodded. She stood there, hurt - yet instantly telling herself not to be silly. Her husband naturally wanted to examine his mail.
Dinner, ... Another meal like the one which had made so momentous a change in her life, just as, by some uncanny instinct, she had known it would. This time, though, they would not walk in the garden ... no, Leon would have other plans....
But the meal was a disappointment to Tara, for it lacked the intimacy she expected. Leon was silent and morose; he seemed a million miles away from her. So great was her disappointment that she felt the tears prick her eyelids several times, and she found also that she wasn't hungry, because of the lump in her throat and the leaden weight that was settling in the pit of her stomach.
'Are - are you all right?' she just had to ask when a couple of her remarks had been answered merely by a nod.
'All right?' with a lift of his brow, and a sweeping glance from her pale face to her plate, with its food untouched. 'I expect so. Why do you ask?'
She started, and shook her head bewilderedly.
'You're ... not the same,' she quivered, fighting the tears. What had happened to bring about this change?
'I'm sorry,' he said in a more gentle tone. 'Eat your dinner; it's going cold.'
A smile fluttered then, and she felt a little better. But although from then on they chatted over the meal she still felt uneasy and bewildered. It would be all right later, she assured herself. Perhaps Leon had received some worrying business news, and if this were the case then obviously he would be silent and withdrawn.
She glanced at the clock. Twelve-thirty. ... She and Leon had come up over an hour ago, she entering her room and he his. He was going to take a bath,
'No, thank you, Leon. Aren't we nearly there?'
He nodded, glancing through the window at her side.
'We shall be in Athens in about twenty minutes' time.'
'Will there be a boat, do you think?'
'We might have to wait a short while, but yes, we shall be able to get a boat all right.'
She glanced through the window again. The sun was winning - an omen, she thought, then laughed at herself. 'I've never been so happy in the whole of my life,' she said softly, her adoring eyes settling on her husband's face. 'Thank you for loving me, Leon.'
He looked strangely at her, then beckoned to the stewardess. He ordered a drink; she wondered at his silence but attached no particular importance to it.
The sun had gone down when they reached Poros, entering the quay in the smart white coastal vessel, Marina , from Piraeus. The harbour was like a smooth blue lake with the opposite shore only a mile away and high mountains cutting into the sky above the vast expanse of lemon groves. The whole vista was affected by the setting sun, which spread its translucent glory over a landscape drowsy with the daytime heat. Palms silhouetted against the sky were dappled with crimson; the hills were tinted with gold, but in the vast vault of the sky purple streaks of evening were already beginning to appear, mingling with the enchanting tracery of crimson cobwebs swirling sinuously against a background of fading blue. The mountains, already growing cool and tranquil in the evening light, were bathed in subtle shades of lilac and pink and pearl.
It was magic - or heaven, or a combination of both, thought Tara, excited and expectant as she looked up at her husband, his hand lifted to bring forth the taxi standing at the quay. Within ten minutes they were at the villa.
'Home at last!' she exclaimed happily, expecting to be taken into Leon's arms. But he was picking up the pile of letters lying on a silver tray on the hall table, and he walked away, into the lounge, Tara following,
Savvas was dealing with the luggage and Tara said, feeling a tiny bit flat all at once,
'I'll go and tidy myself, ready for dinner.'
Glancing up, Leon nodded. She stood there, hurt - yet instantly telling herself not to be silly. Her husband naturally wanted to examine his mail.
Dinner, ... Another meal like the one which had made so momentous a change in her life, just as, by some uncanny instinct, she had known it would. This time, though, they would not walk in the garden ... no, Leon would have other plans....
But the meal was a disappointment to Tara, for it lacked the intimacy she expected. Leon was silent and morose; he seemed a million miles away from her. So great was her disappointment that she felt the tears prick her eyelids several times, and she found also that she wasn't hungry, because of the lump in her throat and the leaden weight that was settling in the pit of her stomach.
'Are - are you all right?' she just had to ask when a couple of her remarks had been answered merely by a nod.
'All right?' with a lift of his brow, and a sweeping glance from her pale face to her plate, with its food untouched. 'I expect so. Why do you ask?'
She started, and shook her head bewilderedly.
'You're ... not the same,' she quivered, fighting the tears. What had happened to bring about this change?
'I'm sorry,' he said in a more gentle tone. 'Eat your dinner; it's going cold.'
A smile fluttered then, and she felt a little better. But although from then on they chatted over the meal she still felt uneasy and bewildered. It would be all right later, she assured herself. Perhaps Leon had received some worrying business news, and if this were the case then obviously he would be silent and withdrawn.
She glanced at the clock. Twelve-thirty. ... She and Leon had come up over an hour ago, she entering her room and he his. He was going to take a bath,
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