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this wine?’
    ‘Wine, please,’ she said, willing him to go on about his family.
    ‘It comes from vineyards here on the island. Under my friend Dion Aristides’ expert guiding hand, most of it is exported these days—part of my ongoing development programme for Kyrkiros.’ Alex filled two glasses and sat down beside her.
    ‘After the festival yesterday orders will be flooding in,’ said Eleanor, tasting with pleasure. ‘It’s really excellent. But surely you would do even better if you opened the island to visitors more often?’
    ‘It depends on what you mean by better. At present supply keeps pace with demand. Expansion would mean a bigger workforce we’ve no room to house. As things stand, the export of wine, olives and various crafts made by the islanders keeps the population in steady income throughout the year to augment the living from fishing. The quality of life is good here.’
    ‘I’d love to explore your island,’ she said hopefully.
    He shook his head. ‘In normal circumstances I would beglad to show you, but after the drama of getting you here that would be counterproductive.’
    ‘But surely the islanders will know I’m here?’
    ‘Of course. But Theo has made sure no one talks to outsiders.’ Alex eyed her narrowly. ‘You don’t look happy.’
    Eleanor smiled ruefully. ‘I hate to sound ungrateful, but after my travels I’d really looked forward to lazing around on a beach for a while before flying home.’
    ‘Tomorrow I’ll show you a place where you can sunbathe to your heart’s content in complete privacy.’ He got up as Sofia and Yannis arrived with a serving trolley, the former voluble with apologies she addressed to Alex at such speed Eleanor soon gave up trying to understand.
    Alex held up a hand, laughing, and translated for Eleanor. ‘Sofia thought I was leaving today and apologises for serving such simple food tonight. Tomorrow she will do better.’
    Eleanor sniffed at the appetising aromas coming from the trolley and assured Sofia that it all smelled delicious.
    ‘Eat well to recover strength,’ said the woman, slowly and deliberately this time so Eleanor could understand.
    ‘
Efcharisto.
’ Eleanor included Yannis in her smile as the pair left.
    ‘As you can probably tell,’ said Alex, ‘Sofia, like everyone else on the island, was impressed by your bravery last night. We are instructed to eat the cold dish first,’ he added, and seated her at the table under the window before sitting opposite her.
    Eleanor mentally raised an eyebrow as she transferred stuffed aubergines to their plates. Alexei obviously took it for granted she would serve him.
    ‘I would have asked Sofia to stay to serve the meal,’ he said, apparently reading her mind, ‘But I thought you might prefer less formality.’
    ‘You were right.’ She tasted the aubergine’s spicy tomato filling. ‘This is very good. On my travels I’ve kept to fish and salad mostly.’
    ‘You don’t eat meat?’
    ‘I do, but in some places goat was on the menu, and my courage failed!’
    He laughed. ‘You’re safe tonight. I’m told the
entrée
features pork.’
    Eleanor felt like pinching herself from time to time as she ate, to be sure she really was dining with Alexei Drakos. She’d been bowled over by his charisma from the first, so deeply attracted to him on sight his threats had been a bitter blow. But right now, instead of enduring her company politely as she’d expected, he was pulling out all the stops to put her at ease. And to be fair he was really something to look at now his hair, damp from a shower earlier on, had dried to a sun-streaked gold halo. Well, maybe not a halo. This man was no saint.
    ‘Is a penny enough for your thoughts?’ he said abruptly, and smiled slowly as a wave of scarlet flooded her face. ‘Obviously not!’
    ‘This is all so unreal,’ she said, going for part of the truth. ‘When I came to the island to report on the festival I never thought for a minute