Chapter Thirteen
A LITTLE LATER, they decided to go to dinner. They all walked down the path, towards the beach. Tonight, they were going to have dinner at the seaside tavern. Michael, Yiannis and Christina were already there, sitting at a table next to the water. Small oil lamps were lit on the tables, and the lights from the tavern’s building were dimmed to create a romantic atmosphere.
They had a delicious meal and plenty of wine, in what turned out to be Michael and Sophie’s engagement party.
“I only wish Thomas were here,” Sophie whispered to Helena.
“I know,” Helena replied, understanding that Sophie wanted to share her happiness with everyone in her family.
“However, he’ll be here for your party,” Sophie continued. “He’s flying back from New York in a few days.”
“That’s great,” Helena said, trying to sound excited. She wasn’t sure about her feelings for her mysterious uncle. She didn’t remember him from her childhood, which probably meant he wasn’t around much, and she was kind of suspicious about him after reading her grandmother’s diary.
Her thoughts flew back to the diary again. Where could it be? The question burned in her mind, tormenting her.
All of a sudden, she thought about Asimina. That’s it, she thought. If I can’t find it, I’ll ask her to help me. If she’s as good as everyone seems to believe, it won’t be so hard for her to locate the missing diary. Besides, she wanted to talk to Asimina about her father and her grandmother, as well. She probably knew them very well, and she might be less reluctant than everyone else to share some information. After all, it was Asimina who approached her in the first place.
Thinking about everything, Helena suddenly felt really anxious to get back to Mykonos. She had so much to do. She hadn’t made any progress so far regarding her father’s death, and time was running out. After the party, she would have no reason to stay… unless she agreed to marry Dimitris. However, that was entirely up to him. He was the one who had to convince her he wasn’t in love with someone else.
She was so confused about Dimitris’ feelings. When they were alone, he was so tender and sweet—like the night before at the beach—and then he would act so distant, especially when Stella was around. Helena didn’t really know what to think of it.
“Helena…” Sophie’s voice brought her back to reality. “What is it, sweetie?” Sophie asked and Helena could hear the concern in her voice.
Glancing at the other side of the table, she saw Dimitris’ eyes fixed on her.
She drew a deep breath and turned to stare at the sea. She knew her aunt, and probably Dimitris, could read her like an open book. She couldn’t fool them into thinking everything was all right. Then again, she couldn’t talk to them about her thoughts. So she leaned back in her chair and kept quiet, enjoying the soft night breeze and trying to relax.
***
Around eleven o’clock, they finally headed back to their bungalows. They couldn’t stay up really late, like the night before, because they had to leave early the next morning. Yiannis told them he would pick them up at six o’clock, and they all kissed each other goodnight.
Helena didn’t get much sleep that night. She was out of bed at dawn and got ready quickly. She packed her few things and went downstairs. Sophie was already drinking her coffee, and Stella joined them in a little bit, complaining of a terrible headache.
“You shouldn’t have drunk so much last night,” Sophie told her, and Helena could tell by the tone in her voice, she was just trying to be polite. Helena was sure Sophie couldn’t care less for Stella’s headache, not after her behavior these last couple of days.
Helena sighed in relief. She was sure, as soon as they got back, they wouldn’t see much of Stella anymore.
They heard the carts pulling up outside, and picking up their stuff, they walked outside, locking the door behind them. The men were already loading their stuff on the carts, and then they came and helped the ladies.
Christina and Michael were waiting on them when they arrived at the main building.
A few minutes later, Yiannis pulled up in his minivan. They all kissed Christina and Michael goodbye and got inside the van.
“We’ll see you soon,” Michael said, as they were all coming to Mykonos in the next few days for Helena’s party.
Yiannis took them back to the harbor and kissed them all goodbye.
They boarded another ferry, which also belonged to their company.
Their trip back to Mykonos was uneventful, since everybody seemed drawn into their own thoughts.
Martha was really excited to see them back. “I can’t stand the house empty like this,” she told them. She seemed really happy to hear about Sophie’s engagement. “Michael is a very nice young man,” she commented and nodded her head approvingly.
Helena took her stuff and rushed upstairs to her room. She couldn’t wait to look for the diary. As soon as she stepped inside, she closed the door behind her, left her suitcase on the bed, and started searching around.
A few minutes later, she sat on her bed, feeling empty inside. The diary was gone. She just couldn’t believe it. Where could it be? She had it the night before they left for Paros. So it had to be either in her suitcase or somewhere in her room… unless… No. She shook her head to clear the gloomy thought creeping into her mind… It couldn’t be that someone took it. Who? Why? Nobody knew she had the diary… or did they?
Unconsciously, she raised her eyes and stared at the painting. “Where is it, Grandma? Please, help me,” she whispered and stood still, as if waiting for an answer. I’m losing it, she thought, desperately, and an eerie feeling washed over her.
Nervously, she walked over to the French doors. What if Martha had found it? she wondered, but at the same time, she was sure that wasn’t the case. She stood there, staring outside, her mind working overtime.
The ringing of the doorbell brought her back to reality. Anxiety washed over her. Someone was here for her… What on earth? she wondered, bewildered. How did she know that? And who could it be?
A soft knock on her bedroom door made her hold her breath.
The knock was repeated, and as she didn’t answer, the door opened slowly, and Sophie’s face appeared at the entrance. “Helena?” she asked softly.
Seeing Helena standing by the window, she pushed the door open and rushed to her side. “What is it, sweetie? Are you feeling all right?”
“Who is it?” Helena asked nervously, without answering her question.
Sophie stared at her for a moment, hesitating.
“There’s someone here for me. Who is it?” Helena insisted.
Sophie stared at her, dumbfounded. “How did you know it was for you?” she questioned with eyes wide open.
“I just know it…” Helena said simply and turned her head to look at Asimina entering the room.
“Asimina!” Sophie cried out. “I told you to wait downstairs!” she continued, upset. Then turning to Helena, she took her hands in hers and said tenderly, “I wasn’t sure whether you wanted to see her or not. I came upstairs to ask you.”
“Sophie, please leave us alone,” Asimina said, and her voice was barely heard.
Sophie stared at her and then back at Helena, hesitating.
“It’s okay, Aunt Sophie,” Helena reassured her. “You go on.”
Sophie hesitated for a moment longer and then walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.
Helena kept her eyes on Asimina, watching her closely as she walked towards the painting on the wall. “I’m here, Eleana…” she heard the old lady whispering… Or was it her imagination?
Feeling her knees growing weak, Helena walked over and sat at the edge of her bed.
Asimina stood in front of the painting for a while, keeping silent. Then she went to sit in the rocking chair by the window.
“What is it?” Helena asked, not able to bear the silence any more. “What do you want?”
“The question is not what I
want… it’s what you want,” the lady replied softly, staring at Helena intensely. “It’s you who asked for help.”
Helena’s breath was caught in her throat. “But I didn’t…” she started but stopped cold, realizing she had asked her grandmother for help only a few minutes before she heard the doorbell. She stared at Asimina, bewildered. “But how could you know that?”
“So you found the diary?” Asimina went right to the point, ignoring her last question.
“Yes,” Helena admitted, unwillingly.
“And you lost it?”
“No,” she protested. “I didn’t lose it. I’m sure someone took it.”
“Yes, she did,” Asimina replied simply.
“She?” Helena inquired puzzled. “You know you took it?”
“Of course, I know…”
“Who?”
“The same person who took it last time…”
“Last time? What do you mean last time?”
“Last time she took the diary from your grandmother, she ripped those pages out.”
“Yes… there were a few pages missing…” Helena admitted. “How did you know?”
“Eleana told me. She managed to get the diary back and then hid it behind the painting.”
“And where is it now?” Helena asked. “Who is that person who took it?”
“You need to stay away from her,” Asimina replied, and Helena watched her squeeze her hands together on her lap.
“But I need to get it back,” Helena complained. “I need to give it to Sophie.”
“The diary was meant for you… only for you,” Asimina replied. “Sophie knows all she needs to know about her mother.”
“But still I need to get it back,” Helena said stubbornly.
“It’s gone,” Asimina replied simply.
“What do you mean gone?”
“Gone… burned.”
“Burned? She—whoever she is—burned the diary?” Helena couldn’t believe her ears. “But why?”
“So that no one would ever read it and know who she really is.”
“What do you mean?” Helena felt really worried now. What on earth was going on? Did this old lady know something or was she out of her mind? But then again, if she were crazy, how could she possibly know so much about the diary and everything else going on?
“She’s after you,” Asimina went on.
“After me? But why?” Helena inquired, feeling overwhelmed.
“She’s evil!”
Helena remembered the prophecies in the diary and her mother’s eerie warning, and a cold chill washed over her.
“But what did I ever do to her?” she wondered.
Asimina stood up with amazing swiftness for her age. “The only reason I came here was to tell you to forget about the diary. Now, I have to go… There’s something I need to do… But you need to be very careful,” she concluded and walked out of the room, leaving Helena stone cold.
***
“What on earth is going on, Asimina?” Dimitris was standing at the bottom of the stairs.
“I have to go,” the old lady replied, ignoring his question.
Losing his patience, Dimitris grabbed her by the arm and dragged her to the living room, closing the door behind them. “You’re not leaving until you tell me what’s going on.”
Asimina stared at him, silently. “Do you love her?” she asked after a moment.
“That’s none of your business,” Dimitris retorted.
“Do you love her?” Asimina insisted, her eyes fixed on his face.
Dimitris drew a deep breath. He didn’t like been interrogated like this. He had a hard time admitting his feelings for Helena, even to himself. At first, it was the promise…
But then, after this spirited, breathtaking woman came back to the island, she turned his world upside down. Yes, he loved her, he unwillingly admitted, clenching his fists. He loved her with all his heart.
“What does that have to do with what’s going on?” he asked Asimina, avoiding answering her question.
She remained silent, staring at him.
“Yes… I love her,” he admitted, after a moment’s hesitation. “But why did you want to know that?”
“And you don’t care about the money?”
“What money? What are you talking about?”
“Eleana’s trust fund! You know about it, don’t you?”
“Yes, I do. The company’s attorneys have informed me that Eleana left a trust fund for Helena.”
“And did your attorneys tell you the size of the trust fund?”
“No,” Dimitris admitted. “As a matter of fact, I never asked.”
“Well, what if I told you Helena’s trust fund is almost half the net worth of your shipping business?”
Dimitris remained silent for a second. He knew Eleana left an inheritance for Helena, but he never imagined it could be that much money. Not that it made a difference to him.
“Plus, the house,” Asimina went on.
“What house?”
“This house, and the three hundred acres surrounding it.”
“The house belonged to the company and was bought by my family when the business was taken over.”
“The house doesn’t belong to the company. It never did. There was a specific stipulation in the property deed that the house and the surrounding property could never be sold, transferred, or mortgaged in any way. It would remain in the family and be inherited by Angelos’ heirs only.”
“You mean the house belongs to Helena?”
“Yes,” she said simply, leaving Dimitris speechless.
He was furious. How come he didn’t know anything about all this? Not that he cared if the house belonged to Helena. But he felt used. So much was going on around him, and he had no idea. Obviously though, someone else knew about all these… and that someone was after Helena.
“Who else knows about this?” he asked carefully.
“Eleana’s attorney and I were supposed to be the only ones who knew.”
“Not even Sophie?”
“No, not even Sophie.”
“But why?”
“Because Eleana wanted to keep it a secret from everyone until… Well, she was afraid that Angelos and his family would be in danger… And she was right.”
“But if she suspected someone, why didn’t she say anything?”
“She was trying to find proof—solid evidence. She was torn apart inside by her suspicions, and she wanted to be sure before she exposed the one threatening her family.”
“And did she find anything?”
“I’m not sure… She died a few days after we last spoke about her suspicions.”
“Damn!” Dimitris cursed out loud, and walked towards the French doors. A minute later, he stopped dead in his tracks and turned to face Asimina. “You don’t think…”
“Yes, I do,” she replied to his unfinished question.
“But how?”
“Poison,” Asimina replied. “I suspect Eleana was poisoned.”
Dimitris was overwhelmed by all these revelations.
“We have to do something, Asimina,” he said stubbornly. “We have to find who is behind all this and protect Helena.”
“Are you ready to do whatever is necessary?” she asked, and something in the tone of her voice made Dimitris very uneasy.
“Damn it, Asimina!” he burst out, slamming his fist on the fireplace mantelpiece. “Stop beating around the bush and tell me what I need to know! I need to know what I’m dealing with in order to protect her!”
“Are you ready to do whatever is necessary?” Asimina repeated her question.
What now? Dimitris wondered. Nevertheless, he replied without any hesitation, “Yes!”
Asimina stared at him strangely. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”
“Yes, I’m sure,” he stated firmly, taking a deep breath.
***
Much later, Helena took a shower, put on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, and walked d
ownstairs. There seemed to be no one in the house.
She walked out on the veranda and down to the beach. Wild thoughts were whirling around in her mind. There seemed to be so much more than she had suspected in the beginning.
Asimina’s visit left her more confused than ever before. If she chose to believe her, she would have to accept that the diary was gone. But what if she was wrong? However, something deep down inside told her, she wasn’t. Asimina knew exactly what she was talking about.
Then again, who was the woman Asimina was talking about? Was it Stella? No, Helena realized, even though she knew Stella hated her. Stella was about Helena’s age. She couldn’t have been the one who had stolen the diary from her grandmother the first time and ripped the pages out. It had to be someone a lot older. But who? The question burned in her mind…
Chapter Fourteen
THE NEXT FEW DAYS flew by with preparations for the party. Her uncle Thomas was due back that Wednesday, and they were invited over to his house on Thursday.
Helena was a little edgy over meeting her father’s adoptive brother after everything she’d read about him in the diary. She didn’t really know what to expect. Her apprehension was even more intensified by seeing Sophie uneasy, as well.
I need to do this, she thought stubbornly. I need to meet him and see if I can find out something about my father’s death. Besides, she reassured herself, Asimina talked about a woman being after me; she didn’t say anything about my uncle…
“Are you ready to go?” Sophie’s voice brought her back to reality.
“I’ll be down in a second,” Helena replied and glanced at the mirror for one last time. She was kind of pale but didn’t feel like putting any makeup on. She was too nervous to worry about things like that.
She rushed downstairs, and following Sophie outside, she was surprised to see Dimitris waiting for them by the Jeep.
“Are you coming with us?” Helena asked, surprised.
“Yes,” he replied simply and held the doors for them to get in. Sophie climbed in the back, so Helena sat in the front.
They drove in silence to the other side of the island.
Coming around a curve, Helena’s breath was caught in her throat, seeing the magnificent two-story colonial at the top of the cliff, dominating the area.