your mosaics, I understand they are justifiably famous and very well presented.’
‘We take great pride in them,’ Andreas agreed. ‘Let us arrange a car to take you to Kourion.’ He glanced sideways at Anna, as if reminding her of their recent meeting there. ‘I can assure you it is well worth a visit.’
‘How kind of you,’ Mrs Pope acknowledged. ‘You have gone out of your way to be helpful, Mr. ?’
‘Andreas Phedonos,’ he obliged with the slightest of bows.
‘Ah—you are Greek!’ Mrs Pope exclaimed. ‘But surely you have been away from your native land for a long time.’
‘Too long, I’m afraid,’ Andreas said, glancing once more in Anna’s direction, ‘but perhaps I can remedy that one day.’
‘By settling in Cyprus?’ Mrs Pope enquired. ‘It seems to be a beautiful island from what I could see from the car on our way from the airport.’ She looked at Anna for the first time. ‘That was one point in your favour,’ she allowed. ‘The car you sent to Lamaca to meet us was most comfortable, I must admit.’
Mellowed by Andreas’ flattery, she even smiled.
‘I must put this on ice for you.’ Anna held up the bottle of champagne. ‘Please accept it with our compliments.’ Crossing to the restaurant to find ice and a suitable bucket, she saw Andreas ushering Mrs Pope into the lift with the polished courtesy of the well-trained manager, something which distanced him even more from the tempestuous youth she had once known.
‘Well?’ he enquired when he discovered her crushing the bottle of champagne into ice. ‘That went off all right, don’t you think?'
‘You charmed her completely.’
‘Part of my training,’ he acknowledged. ‘It was rough going for you, I must admit.’
‘I kept my temper!’ she protested.
‘Only just. I thought you were going to blow your top about the tardy service.’ He took the bottle from her, settling it into the ice with expert skill and finding a napkin to lay over it. ‘You were going white round the gills.’
‘Mrs Pope was quite insulting without having much cause for it,’ Anna said, ‘but there was really no excuse for Paris. He knows he shouldn’t wander into the house without a shirt, however hot it is outside! I really did agree about that, and I suppose I was also angry with Elli and Alice who should have been on duty by three o’clock.’
‘It took me back a few years,’ he smiled. ‘You being angry, with that flush in your cheeks and the flash-point in your eyes. Fundamentally, Anna, you haven’t changed. You are your father’s daughter all right.’
She turned to face him. ‘And that condemns me?’ she challenged.
‘Not entirely. You have spirit, which doesn’t always do in an hotel, but I can’t imagine you without it. We have to bite on our tongues half the time to keep the peace, but it isn’t always easy.’
‘You do it very well,’ she assured him, ‘and “my father’s daughter” isn’t always in evidence. It was just— after a long day—I wasn’t ready for unjust criticism. We do try our best here, but sometimes it isn’t enough.’
He put a hand on her arm. ‘Don’t worry about it,’ he said. ‘It happens all the time, even in a five-star hotel. There are Mrs Popes everywhere, you know. I’ll take this up to the dragon’s lair and you can put your feet up for five minutes. You look the worse for wear.’
‘Dishevelled, I suppose you mean?’ Anna smoothed her hair. ‘Well, I’ve been out all day doing a job I’m not trained for and making mistakes. I suppose you thought some of them amusing, especially at Kolossi.’
‘On the contrary.’ He lifted the ice bucket. ‘I thought you were doing your best and there can be no harm in that. You brought the past to life very clearly. You really love this island, Anna, just as much as I do.’
‘Yet you left it in a hurry,’ she accused him, ‘with no thought of the future.’
‘There you are wrong,’ he contradicted her
‘We take great pride in them,’ Andreas agreed. ‘Let us arrange a car to take you to Kourion.’ He glanced sideways at Anna, as if reminding her of their recent meeting there. ‘I can assure you it is well worth a visit.’
‘How kind of you,’ Mrs Pope acknowledged. ‘You have gone out of your way to be helpful, Mr. ?’
‘Andreas Phedonos,’ he obliged with the slightest of bows.
‘Ah—you are Greek!’ Mrs Pope exclaimed. ‘But surely you have been away from your native land for a long time.’
‘Too long, I’m afraid,’ Andreas said, glancing once more in Anna’s direction, ‘but perhaps I can remedy that one day.’
‘By settling in Cyprus?’ Mrs Pope enquired. ‘It seems to be a beautiful island from what I could see from the car on our way from the airport.’ She looked at Anna for the first time. ‘That was one point in your favour,’ she allowed. ‘The car you sent to Lamaca to meet us was most comfortable, I must admit.’
Mellowed by Andreas’ flattery, she even smiled.
‘I must put this on ice for you.’ Anna held up the bottle of champagne. ‘Please accept it with our compliments.’ Crossing to the restaurant to find ice and a suitable bucket, she saw Andreas ushering Mrs Pope into the lift with the polished courtesy of the well-trained manager, something which distanced him even more from the tempestuous youth she had once known.
‘Well?’ he enquired when he discovered her crushing the bottle of champagne into ice. ‘That went off all right, don’t you think?'
‘You charmed her completely.’
‘Part of my training,’ he acknowledged. ‘It was rough going for you, I must admit.’
‘I kept my temper!’ she protested.
‘Only just. I thought you were going to blow your top about the tardy service.’ He took the bottle from her, settling it into the ice with expert skill and finding a napkin to lay over it. ‘You were going white round the gills.’
‘Mrs Pope was quite insulting without having much cause for it,’ Anna said, ‘but there was really no excuse for Paris. He knows he shouldn’t wander into the house without a shirt, however hot it is outside! I really did agree about that, and I suppose I was also angry with Elli and Alice who should have been on duty by three o’clock.’
‘It took me back a few years,’ he smiled. ‘You being angry, with that flush in your cheeks and the flash-point in your eyes. Fundamentally, Anna, you haven’t changed. You are your father’s daughter all right.’
She turned to face him. ‘And that condemns me?’ she challenged.
‘Not entirely. You have spirit, which doesn’t always do in an hotel, but I can’t imagine you without it. We have to bite on our tongues half the time to keep the peace, but it isn’t always easy.’
‘You do it very well,’ she assured him, ‘and “my father’s daughter” isn’t always in evidence. It was just— after a long day—I wasn’t ready for unjust criticism. We do try our best here, but sometimes it isn’t enough.’
He put a hand on her arm. ‘Don’t worry about it,’ he said. ‘It happens all the time, even in a five-star hotel. There are Mrs Popes everywhere, you know. I’ll take this up to the dragon’s lair and you can put your feet up for five minutes. You look the worse for wear.’
‘Dishevelled, I suppose you mean?’ Anna smoothed her hair. ‘Well, I’ve been out all day doing a job I’m not trained for and making mistakes. I suppose you thought some of them amusing, especially at Kolossi.’
‘On the contrary.’ He lifted the ice bucket. ‘I thought you were doing your best and there can be no harm in that. You brought the past to life very clearly. You really love this island, Anna, just as much as I do.’
‘Yet you left it in a hurry,’ she accused him, ‘with no thought of the future.’
‘There you are wrong,’ he contradicted her
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