“I might do that,” she admitted. “But my feelings for him won’t change…” she added, not wanting to give Steve the wrong impression and allow him to hope that things might work out between them. “We should be getting back,” she added and turned to look at the downstairs windows of the house, which were lit. No one seemed to be standing there. However, she could feel someone watching them. It had to be Dimitris…
Only this time, she was wrong. The dark figure, hiding behind some bushes around the corner of the house was not Dimitris.
***
When Helena and Steve got back to the house, Sophie understood something was wrong. However, she didn’t want to impose. Steve wanted to leave on the first ferry the next day, but Helena asked him to stay at least for her party. He finally agreed, even though he didn’t seem happy about it.
Seeing everybody tense like this, Sophie realized she had to do something for a change. She talked it over with Martha and finally decided that a small trip would be great for everybody. She thought of Christina Venieri—a very close friend of hers, who owned a beach resort on the island of Paros—and decided that a trip to Paros would be what everybody needed right now.
Sophie called Christina, who was really excited to hear Sophie’s voice. It had been such a long time since they had last seen each other.
“I’m so happy you called,” Christina said. “I’ve been thinking about you for quite a while.”
“I’ve been thinking about you, too,” Sophie admitted, “but there is so much going on here, right now…”
“I know,” Christina said.
“What do you mean you know?” Sophie asked, confused.
“I know Helena is on the island,” Christina said. “You forgot Asimina is my aunt?”
“Oh, yes. You’re right,” Sophie sighed.
“She met her, you know,” Christina went on.
“I know,” Sophie replied, “and scared her to death.”
“I know. She can be very straightforward sometimes. But she’s really worried about the girl…”
“Helena had an accident a few days ago and almost drowned,” Sophie admitted. “But she’s fine now, and everything is okay.”
Silence stretched over the line, and Sophie became alarmed.
“What?”
“I’m not sure…” Christina replied. “However, I talked to Asimina yesterday, and she told me how worried she was about Eleana’s granddaughter. She seems to believe she’s in grave danger…”
“Oh, my God!” Sophie cried out. “But why? Why would someone want to harm Helena?”
“I don’t know,” Christina responded. “But I think you need to keep a close eye on her. You and Dimitris need to be very careful too.”
“Why? Did Asimina say something about Dimitris or me?”
“No, she didn’t. But if Helena is in danger, people close to her might be in danger, too.”
“I’m so frustrated,” Sophie admitted. “I don’t know what to do… how to protect her and from whom…”
“How much does Dimitris know about all this?”
“He knows pretty much everything, except…”
“Except?”
“I haven’t told him my suspicions about my brother’s death.”
“Why? Dimitris is almost like family.”
“I know, but I just couldn’t bring myself to say things like that about my adopted brother… not without proof anyway.”
“Dimitris is really worried, though,” Christina went on.
“What do you mean?”
“He knows something is wrong. He’s been talking to Michael and seems very worried about Helena. He’s convinced a threat is hovering over her… and it probably has to do with the family fortune.”
“You mean Eleana’s trust fund?”
“It’s a lot more than that. There seems to be a life insurance policy, as well… Angelos’ life insurance policy. And someone has made a claim…”
“What are you talking about? What did Michael tell you?” Sophie asked, worried, feeling the blood run icy cold in her veins. Michael Venieris—Christina’s brother—was Dimitris’ best friend. If Dimitris said something like this to Michael, he probably had discovered something. Sophie sighed. She knew Thomas had financial problems—he had been calling her about that, asking for a loan—but she hoped Thomas didn’t go as far as to embezzle money.
“We’ll talk about all that when you get here,” Christina said. “It might be nothing… but combining Dimitris’ suspicions and Asimina’s warnings, I think we should be careful.”
“I wish I knew what to do,” Sophie said, more to herself than Christina.
“Let’s just try to put all this out of our minds for now and have a good time this weekend,” Christina suggested, trying to make Sophie feel a little better. “Besides, with all of us here, what bad could happen?”
“You’re right,” Sophie said, not sounding very reassuring. “By the way, it might be six of us coming. Besides Dimitris, Helena, and Steve—a friend of Helena’s from England—Stella and her cousin, Alex Psarianos, might be coming with us. I hope we won’t be too much trouble,” she continued.
“Sophie, don’t be ridiculous,” Christina cried out. “We’d love to have you… and to be honest I believe Michael will be really happy to see you…”
Sophie smiled, thinking of the good-looking brother of Christina, with the big blue eyes and the beautiful smile.
Christina was aware Sophie was desperately in love with her brother, and she had confided in Sophie that she believed the feelings were mutual.
“I really think the two of you should talk,” Christina suggested.
“Maybe we will…” Sophie replied and left it at that. In reality, she was a very shy person, and whenever she was around Michael, she couldn’t utter a word.
Michael, on the other hand, was always nice and polite, but he never indicated he wanted something more…
“I’m so tired of you beating around the bush,” Christina burst out.
“Christina, it’s not easy. We’ve known each other forever. We played together when we were kids,” Sophie said. “It’s hard now to explain how the friendship feelings have turned into something else.”
“On the contrary, the fact that you’ve known each other forever should make things easier,” Christina insisted.
“We’ll see…” Sophie said. “We’ll take the early morning ferry, the day after tomorrow,” she changed the subject. “We should be there by eleven o’clock.”
“Great, I’ll send Yiannis to pick you up at the port.”
“That sounds fine. Are you sure it won’t be any trouble? I know it’s the high season, and the hotel must be full.”
”Sophie, we always keep some of the bungalows free for friends,” Christina reassured her. “We’re going to have a great time.”
They kept talking for a few more minutes and finally hung up.
Sophie stood by the phone, lost in her thoughts. There was so much going on, and she felt she had no control over the situation. She was worried about Helena, and she was also worried about Thomas. She didn’t have much in common with him, but he was still her brother. Then her thoughts flew to Michael and her heart skipped a beat.
***
That same night, Sophie told everyone about the trip to Paros.
Helena went along with her aunt’s idea. She needed a change. It would do her good to get away from Mykonos and try to leave her problems behind for a while.
Sophie told them they would be leaving the day after tomorrow. Then she excused herself to go call Stella. “She and Alex might want to come along,” she said, going out of the room.
“I’m sure she wouldn’t miss that,” Helena whispered, bitterly. She didn’t like the idea of Stella tagging along, but she didn’t want to say anything about it either.
Dimitris seemed just as surprised at Sophie’s suggestion.
He’s probably furious having Alex come with us. That serves him just right, Helena
giggled. If he wants Stella to come along, then Alex should come, too. Don’t be unfair, she reprimanded herself. It wasn’t Dimitris who invited Stella.
Contemplating about her reaction, she was astonished to realize she was jealous… that’s why she was glad Alex might be coming. If Dimitris spent time with Stella, she wasn’t about to sit around, watching them. She will spend time with Alex, and let Dimitris be upset about it. Actually, she wanted him to be upset… she wanted him to be jealous.
Sophie came back to let them know that Stella and Alex were coming along.
Nobody commented on that, and they all sat there, lost in their thoughts.
A little bit later, Dimitris and Steve left the room.
As soon as they were gone, Helena approached her aunt, and gave her a hug. She appreciated everything her aunt was doing. She knew she was just trying to smooth things out and make things a little better for everyone.
“I know you don’t like Stella,” Sophie said, taking Helena’s hands in hers. “And I understand that by inviting Alex, I made Dimitris furious. However, I thought that getting everybody over there, it would give each one of us the opportunity to think and clear things up.”
Helena stared at her aunt, thinking what she had just told her. She realized Sophie understood far more than Helena thought at first. Yes, Helena inwardly admitted, spending some time all together will hopefully reveal everybody’s real feelings.
Of course, she was scared to death Dimitris was in love with Stella and couldn’t live without her. But then again, this was a chance she had to take. If she was going to be his wife, she needed to make sure he wasn’t in love with someone else… His wife... The mere thought gave her goose bumps all over.
Helena realized Sophie was watching her closely. “I’m sure it’s going to be great,” she said, trying to sound enthusiastic for her aunt’s sake.
“Christina’s brother, Michael, is also going to be there for the weekend,” Sophie went on, and Helena couldn’t help but notice how Sophie’s face lit up.
“You and Christina are good friends, aren’t you?” Helena asked her aunt.
“The best,” Sophie replied. “Christina and I go way back. We went to college together in Athens, but our friendship goes way back. Our families have been friends for generations, and we used to spend summer vacations in each other’s homes. After her marriage to Yiannis, we kind of drifted apart, and especially the last few years with the increased responsibilities of running the hotel.”
“Does the hotel belong to her husband?” Helena asked.
“Oh, no! The hotel belongs to the Venieris’ family and has for generations. After her father’s death, her brother, Michael, took over the business, expanded it, and turned the small family hotel into a luxury resort. A few years later, they added seaside bungalows, and the business grew even more. Yiannis Stylianou, Christina’s husband, owns a travelers’ agency in Athens and has a branch office on Paros. Through his international connections, he’s been providing a large percentage of the customers to the resort.”
“Is her brother still running the hotel?” Helena asked.
“No, Michael has opened his own business and has turned over the hotel management to Christina.”
“What kind of business?” Helena wanted to know. She’d noticed the look on her aunt’s face before, when Michael’s name was mentioned, and she was interested to find out more about that man.
“Michael buys properties on the Cycladic islands and then he finds people to invest into building holiday resorts. He keeps a percentage of the business, since he owns the land, and he gives the rest to the investors.”
“That sounds very interesting, and I guess that with the right moves, he can make a fortune,” Helena said.
“He’s a very smart man,” Sophie said, with a bright smile on her face. “You’ll meet him, and you’ll see…”
They were interrupted by Dimitris coming in. “Whom are you talking about?” he asked, having heard the last part of their conversation.
“About Michael Venieris,” Sophie replied.
“Oh! Michael,” Dimitris said. “Yes, Michael is a very nice man, and a smart businessman. I’m even thinking of investing in some of his businesses. They seem to be doing really well.”
“That would be wonderful, Dimitris,” Sophie cried out. “I think he has a new deal going on right now, and he’s looking for partners. Then again, I don’t want you to be talking about business this weekend.”
“Don’t worry,” Dimitris laughed. “I’m not going to ruin your weekend plans.”
“You better not,” Sophie threatened him. “I know you, and I know Michael. If you get started talking about business, you never stop.”
“I promise, I’m going to behave,” Dimitris told Sophie, while keeping his eyes on Helena.
“Well, I don’t want you to behave too much, because it wouldn’t be fun then,” Sophie said and walked out of the room, leaving the air filled with the deeper meaning of her words.
“You think she’s trying to tell us something?” Dimitris asked Helena innocently.
Helena felt her cheeks growing warm, but before she could say a word, Steve walked in the room.
“Steve! I know that trip to Paros will be fun,” she said, trying to sound enthusiastic. Then she kept on talking about it, trying to avoid looking towards Dimitris. Steve was listening to her, but it was obvious he could feel the electricity in the air.
“You have to excuse me. I have some things to take care of,” Dimitris said and left the room.
After he was gone, Helena sunk into an armchair and let out a deep breath.
“Are you sure you can handle this?” Steve asked her, concerned.
“No,” she replied, truthfully. “I’m in way over my head.”
“I know you’re in love with him, but if this love doesn’t make you happy…” he said and hesitated for a moment.
“Let’s not talk about it,” she interrupted him.
“As you wish,” he sighed.
They sat there in silence, both lost in their thoughts.
***
They all spent the next day, getting prepared for the trip. Making plans and getting their luggage packed kept everyone occupied, and Helena was happy there wasn’t much time for more serious conversations. She was in no mood to talk to anyone. She just wanted to be alone.
After she had packed her stuff, she put on her nightgown and took the diary out of her luggage. She walked back to sit on her bed, pressing it against her heart. “I wish you were here, Grandma,” she whispered, and felt tears running down her face. I love him so much, she inwardly admitted, and I don’t know what to do. I know I shouldn’t stay, but then again, how could I live without him? He’s the air I breathe…
She sat there lost in her thoughts, when she suddenly realized she hadn’t talked to Sophie about the diary… she kept putting it off. However, she knew that sooner or later, she would have to talk about the diary to her aunt and give it her. Sophie had every right to have it. It was her mother’s, after all.
I’ll do it, as soon as I get a chance, Helena promised herself. I’ll take it with me to Paros, and see if I find a chance to give it to her over there.
This thought made her feel better, and she lay back, closing her eyes, holding the little diary in her hands.
She was already dozing off to sleep, and didn’t see the dark figure moving silently on the veranda, right outside her bedroom…
Chapter Eleven
HELENA HAD A VERY UNEASY SLEEP that night, and she was up before five o'clock in the morning. She took a quick shower, got dressed, grabbed the suitcase she had packed the night before, and rushed downstairs. To her surprise, she found everybody already dressed and ready to go. She drunk a little bit of her coffee and was ready, as well.
Dimitris had already carried most of their stuff to his Jeep. Steve took Helena's suitcase, and they all walked outside. They hugged Martha good-bye and got in the car. Dimitris sat behind the wheel wi
th Sophie next to him. Helena and Steve climbed in the back.
"What about Alex?" Helena asked, and saw Dimitris in the mirror giving her a hard look.
"We’re going to meet Alex and Stella at the port," Sophie replied.
They went down the hill and into town. Dimitris drove the car to an open field close to the port and parked it there. As they got out of the car, two sailors approached them, smiling.
“Good morning, Captain. Good morning to you all,” they said, and took their stuff out of the trunk.
“Good morning,” Dimitris and Sophie replied simultaneously. “Thanks for coming.”
“No problem at all,” the sailors replied and walked towards the waterfront, carrying their luggage.
Helena noticed the look Sophie exchanged with Dimitris.
What’s going on, she wondered.
She followed them skeptically, and coming around the corner of a building, her breath caught in her throat… the most beautiful cruise ship she had ever seen was anchored at the port.
“Is that the one that’s going to take us to Paros?” she asked and couldn’t hide the excitement in her voice. She’d never been on a ship like this before. The cruise liner, resting on calm waters, was sparkling in the bright sun.
“Oh, Dimitris! It’s beautiful!” Sophie cried out and gave Dimitris a hug. “I’d seen the designs, but didn’t expect anything like this!”
“I know,” Dimitris admitted. “She’s a beauty!” he said and gave the ship an appreciating look. Then he turned to Helena. “Do you like it?”
“Of course, I like it,” Helena replied all excited, but a little puzzled, at the same time. It was a beautiful ship all right, but she sensed there was something she was missing.
“This is the latest addition to our fleet,” Sophie explained, giving Helena a hug. “It’s the biggest and most luxurious cruise liner in our fleet, and by far a lot better than all our competitor’s ships.”
Helena couldn’t believe her ears… This amazing ship belonged to their company? She just couldn’t imagine it. Sophie had told her business was booming, but she hadn’t realized the extent of it—not until now.
“It will be conducting cruises from Piraeus to the Cycladic islands and the rest of the Aegean,” Sophie went on, all excited. “It was supposed to come to Mykonos next week for its maiden voyage, but Dimitris arranged for the ship to come today.”