continued to look across the garden to the sea, ‘One of which is a terrible woman called Mrs Pope who was demanding her pound of flesh and an ounce or two over for good measure.’ she said.
‘Oh, dear! Did she upset you? Paris said she had arrived this afternoon demanding everyone’s attention and was displeased with him.’
‘No wonder!’ Anna turned back into the room. ‘I must have a word with Paris. He was wandering about without a shirt when Mrs Pope arrived.’
‘He had one on when he brought my tea,’ Dorothy excused her faithful retainer. ‘We couldn’t do without him, Anna. You know that. He is so very, very loyal.’
‘That’s what makes reprimanding him so difficult,’ Anna allowed, ‘but if we are going to run an hotel—even a small one like this—we must make concessions to people like Mrs Pope and her sister. None of the boys wander about without a shirt over at the Crescent even when they are on beach duty.’
'They have a sort of uniform,’ Dorothy mused. ‘Blue linen trousers and a white T-shirt with a blue crescent on it. All very smart, I must say. Everything matches their blue-and-white motif, even their beach umbrellas and the awnings on the tennis pavillion.’
‘Which reminds me that I’ve asked Nikos to dinner,’ Anna remembered. ‘He was playing tennis at the Crescent Beach and wanted me to have dinner with him, so I invited him to come here instead. I’ve reserved a table for nine o’clock.'
‘You should have gone with him to the Crescent,’ Dorothy said. ‘You might have picked up a few hints.’
‘We’re not running that sort of hotel, Mama, although sometimes I wish we were,’ Anna admitted. ‘Everything seems to run so smoothly over there. Nothing ever seems to go wrong, like forgetting a flower vase or being short of melons when they are already on the menu. It would be a saving on champagne at least!’
‘On champagne?’
‘I’ve just had to send a placatory bottle up to room twenty-three.’ Anna hesitated before the questioning look in her mother’s eyes. ‘Andreas suggested it— pouring oil on troubled waters, or champagne, if you like. He came in while Mrs Pope was haranguing me on our shortcomings. Her sister had some flowers sent and there was no vase to put them in.’
Dorothy turned round in her chair. ‘Andreas?’ she asked. ‘What was he doing here?’
‘Now that you ask, I’m not very sure. He arrived in the middle of the scene and charmed Mrs Pope out of her mind with the utmost aplomb. He has certainly developed the art of pleasing in a big way since he left the island, but I’m sure you must have noticed.’
‘I have seen a difference in him,’ Dorothy agreed. ‘He’s more mature and—I suppose “polished” is the word I want. Where is he now?’
‘Coming down in the lift with a vast smile of satisfaction on his face, I dare say.’ Anna moved towards the door. ‘Do you want to see him, or shall I make your excuses for you?’
‘We can’t be rude,’ Dorothy decided. ‘This was once his home.’
‘But not any more.’ A dark colour rose into Anna’s cheeks. ‘If he hurts you again, Mama--’
‘He won’t do that,’ Dorothy assured her with conviction. ‘It is all over now and he has expressed his sorrow.’
‘Hiding behind letters which perhaps were never sent at all!’
Dorothy looked beyond her to the restless sea. ‘We have to accept his word,’ she said. ‘Letters can go astray.’
Before Anna had time to answer Andreas was at the door.
‘Don’t run away,’ he said when she attempted to pass him. ‘I want to talk to you. I want to talk to you both,’ he added, taking Dorothy’s hands in his. ‘Have you half-an- hour to spare?’
The look in her mother’s eyes made Anna hesitate. Dorothy was asking her to agree to his request. She sat down on the chair nearest the door, waiting for him to speak.
‘I’m wondering if you would like to sell some of your land,’ he said directly.
‘Oh, dear! Did she upset you? Paris said she had arrived this afternoon demanding everyone’s attention and was displeased with him.’
‘No wonder!’ Anna turned back into the room. ‘I must have a word with Paris. He was wandering about without a shirt when Mrs Pope arrived.’
‘He had one on when he brought my tea,’ Dorothy excused her faithful retainer. ‘We couldn’t do without him, Anna. You know that. He is so very, very loyal.’
‘That’s what makes reprimanding him so difficult,’ Anna allowed, ‘but if we are going to run an hotel—even a small one like this—we must make concessions to people like Mrs Pope and her sister. None of the boys wander about without a shirt over at the Crescent even when they are on beach duty.’
'They have a sort of uniform,’ Dorothy mused. ‘Blue linen trousers and a white T-shirt with a blue crescent on it. All very smart, I must say. Everything matches their blue-and-white motif, even their beach umbrellas and the awnings on the tennis pavillion.’
‘Which reminds me that I’ve asked Nikos to dinner,’ Anna remembered. ‘He was playing tennis at the Crescent Beach and wanted me to have dinner with him, so I invited him to come here instead. I’ve reserved a table for nine o’clock.'
‘You should have gone with him to the Crescent,’ Dorothy said. ‘You might have picked up a few hints.’
‘We’re not running that sort of hotel, Mama, although sometimes I wish we were,’ Anna admitted. ‘Everything seems to run so smoothly over there. Nothing ever seems to go wrong, like forgetting a flower vase or being short of melons when they are already on the menu. It would be a saving on champagne at least!’
‘On champagne?’
‘I’ve just had to send a placatory bottle up to room twenty-three.’ Anna hesitated before the questioning look in her mother’s eyes. ‘Andreas suggested it— pouring oil on troubled waters, or champagne, if you like. He came in while Mrs Pope was haranguing me on our shortcomings. Her sister had some flowers sent and there was no vase to put them in.’
Dorothy turned round in her chair. ‘Andreas?’ she asked. ‘What was he doing here?’
‘Now that you ask, I’m not very sure. He arrived in the middle of the scene and charmed Mrs Pope out of her mind with the utmost aplomb. He has certainly developed the art of pleasing in a big way since he left the island, but I’m sure you must have noticed.’
‘I have seen a difference in him,’ Dorothy agreed. ‘He’s more mature and—I suppose “polished” is the word I want. Where is he now?’
‘Coming down in the lift with a vast smile of satisfaction on his face, I dare say.’ Anna moved towards the door. ‘Do you want to see him, or shall I make your excuses for you?’
‘We can’t be rude,’ Dorothy decided. ‘This was once his home.’
‘But not any more.’ A dark colour rose into Anna’s cheeks. ‘If he hurts you again, Mama--’
‘He won’t do that,’ Dorothy assured her with conviction. ‘It is all over now and he has expressed his sorrow.’
‘Hiding behind letters which perhaps were never sent at all!’
Dorothy looked beyond her to the restless sea. ‘We have to accept his word,’ she said. ‘Letters can go astray.’
Before Anna had time to answer Andreas was at the door.
‘Don’t run away,’ he said when she attempted to pass him. ‘I want to talk to you. I want to talk to you both,’ he added, taking Dorothy’s hands in his. ‘Have you half-an- hour to spare?’
The look in her mother’s eyes made Anna hesitate. Dorothy was asking her to agree to his request. She sat down on the chair nearest the door, waiting for him to speak.
‘I’m wondering if you would like to sell some of your land,’ he said directly.
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