LITMIR.BIZ

Скачать книгу

owe their grandfathers.”

      “Family ties are the hardest ones to break. They are strong no matter what the circumstances,” Sara said slowly.

      “True. I’d do anything for him.”

      She nodded, studying him gravely. “No matter what he asked?”

      Nikos shrugged. “I can’t imagine him asking anything I would not be willing to do.”

      “Even if it were hard or seemed pointless at some stage?”

      “Even then. If it meant enough for him to ask me, it would mean enough for me to do it.”

      Sara looked away. Nikos had reaffirmed her own beliefs. At least they had that in common—not that he’d ever know it.

      “Did I miss something?” he asked.

      “What?”

      “The conversation turned very solemn all of a sudden.”

      “I was just asking about commitment and family ties. Sometimes things happen. Promises are made. Remember that.”

      “I think I can remember that—things happen, promises are made.”

      She laughed, forcing away her dismay and focusing on the moment. She’d caught a glimpse of Nikos’s attachment to his family’s island. She suddenly yearned to see it—through his eyes if possible.

      Before long he rose and peered over the railing toward the bow.

      “There it is.” The excitement in his tone had Sara jumping up and going to stand beside him. He drew her in front of him, holding her steady against the motion of the yacht. She peered around until she could see ahead. Rain hit her in the face, but she could see the silhouette of an island dead ahead.

      Sara leaned back against Nikos’s chest. She felt the shelter of his arms as he steadied them on the railing of the ship as it rose and fell meeting the waves head-on. She could stay here forever—though they’d be soaking wet in a few minutes

      “It doesn’t look like much today, but see it in the sunshine,” he said by her left ear. “When we get closer, you’ll see the house on the highest point, with gardens surrounding it like a beautiful, colorful skirt. The beach is pristine and we work to keep all oil and waste from the yacht away from the sand. The cove I told you about is around the leeward side.”

      “It’s larger than I thought it would be,” she said, as the island seemed to gain in size every bit closer they came.

      “A few square miles. There is a small compound behind the house where the servants have their homes. Even a guest house, which my parents use when they visit.”

      Even more important than finding her grandmother, Sara would find out where Nikos called home. See what kind of place he loved. Find out more about boyhood escapades. While he sounded as if he’d led a solitary life, he’d also had this glorious place to explore. Despite what he felt as a lack of parental involvement, they had done a fine job in giving him a safe place to live as a child that he still cherished today.

      Sara definitely didn’t feel that way about the flat she’d grown up in. The best thing said for it was its proximity to the public gardens.

      A deckhand was on the dock waiting to tie up the Cassandra. Other than that, no one was in sight.

      Sara and Nikos had returned to the bridge to watch the docking procedure. Now the captain turned off the engines and snapped up his chart portfolio. “So we are here. Sailing again when?” he asked Nikos.

      “A few days at least. You’re free to do whatever you wish here. I’ll contact you in plenty of time to prepare for our return trip. It will undoubtedly be after the weekend.”

      Since it was Tuesday, Sara could look forward to at least five days to see over the island. She hoped the weather would clear so she could go diving again. And see the flowers in the garden. Her heart pounded—and find her grandmother. But she was trying not to think about that step now that it was here.

      “You will all take your meals at the main house as usual,” he continued. Looking at Sara he said, “A respite from your duties. Feel free to visit the house kitchen if you wish, but Dimitri and his staff will prepare our family meals.”

      She nodded. They were to stay aboard during the visit. No need to have employee quarters prepared when their cabins suited. She was glad she’d brought along a couple of mystery books. Without reading to look forward to, she’d be bored to tears with the inactivity in the rain.

      An older man walked down to the dock, an umbrella carefully sheltering him from the rain. He had a furled umbrella in one hand.

      “I see your grandfather,” the captain said.

      “I’d better go.” He hesitated a moment, looking at Sara, then nodded and left the bridge.

      Sara moved to the window closest to the pathway and tried to get a good glimpse of her grandmother’s second husband. He was as tall as Nikos, she thought. Perhaps Nikos would look like him when he was old.

      A feeling of regret swept through. She would not get to see him grow old. Their paths would have diverged long before either of them was old. She wished for him a happy life. Maybe Gina, or someone like her, would change his warped views of family and would love him forever.

      She hoped she’d find a man like that, who could make her forget the past and sweep her away into a future of love and happiness. She sighed softly and watched as Nikos met the older man on the dock and they hugged. He took the umbrella his grandfather offered, and in only moments the two of them disappeared from view as they went up to the house.

      CHAPTER SEVEN

      SARA didn’t see Nikos the rest of Tuesday. She took one of her books to the aft deck, pulled over one of the chaises and dried it off to sit in the fresh air and read. When the wind shifted, she felt the drizzle and gave up and went below. She could have joined the men in the salon, free for their use while on the island. But she didn’t relish the card game they were playing and couldn’t concentrate on her book with the noise of their conversation.

      Not that she was exactly engrossed in the story. She kept wondering when Nikos was coming back.

      Sara fell asleep in her cabin with the book across her chest. Sometime later she woke when there was a knock on her door.

      She jumped up and tried to become fully awake. Opening the door, she saw Stefano.

      “We’re going up to the house for dinner now. Want to walk up with us?”

      “Yes. Just let me run a brush through my hair.”

      “We’ll wait at the gangway,” he said, turning away.

      The rain had stopped, but every shrub and tree between the dock and the house dripped. The late-afternoon sun shone beneath the lingering clouds, making the drops of water sparkle like jewels.

      “Tomorrow should be a good day,” the captain said on the walk. “You can go swimming if you like.”

      “I would like. The cabin is a bit small for being stuck inside all day,” she said.

      He laughed. “You should have come to the salon.”

      “I had a book to read.”

      “Stefano said you were napping. The book not compelling enough?”

      “Guess not,” she replied, smiling up at the older man. “But if I am ever troubled with insomnia, I’ll know what to read.”

      Dinner was quite festive with the boat crew greeting staff members of the house like old friends. Sara was the odd person out but was quickly introduced to the others.

      When the captain complimented her to the chef on her desserts, the chef’s eyes took on a speculative gleam.

      “Perhaps you could spare some time to work with me

Скачать книгу