The strong engine came to life, and the car took off. Helena had to hold on to her seat, as he was driving way too fast for these narrow roads. She glanced over at him, trying hard to control her accelerated heartbeat. His eyes were set on the road, and she had a chance to admire the intriguing profile and the broad shoulders. Her gaze moved to the powerful hands with the long fingers holding steadily onto the wheel. A jolt of desire shot right through her. What would it feel like having those hands touching me… caressing me?
Bewildered, Helena snapped out of it, wondering where these thoughts came from. She hardly knew the man. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, flexing her hands to release some of the tension. What is the matter with me? she wondered. It’s probably due to the adrenaline rush caused by fear, she decided. It just can’t be him…
Turning her gaze to the road ahead of them, she took another deep breath, trying to clear the wild thoughts whirling around in her mind.
She sensed his eyes on her. It took all the strength she could muster to keep from staring back at him. The proximity in the confined area of the car was bad enough; she couldn’t handle getting lost in those gorgeous, dark-brown eyes of his again.
Helena kept silent, and so did he.
Trying to draw her attention from his powerful presence, she started noticing the surroundings. They were going up a hill, and things began to seem familiar. She had forgotten how beautiful this place was.
The road was curving around, and she had a great view of the port and Chora with its little white houses built amphitheatrically, overlooking the water. Over to the side, Helena saw a Greek Orthodox Church built on the edge of the hill, dominating the area.
Something about the Cycladic Islands—a group of thirty-three islands in the Aegean Sea forming a circle around the sacred island of Delos—made people feel as if they were in a dreamland… gorgeous sandy beaches, architecture in white and blue, and narrow roads leading uphill to windmills and beautiful churches which had been standing there for hundreds of years, dominating people and nature.
Helena always liked Greek Orthodox churches with their Byzantine paintings, their gold and marble decorations, their vitro windows, and the strong smell of incense in the air.
When she finally saw the house at the top of the hill, she felt restless, and her heart pounded faster. Just as beautiful as she remembered, it stood drowned in red, pink, and white rosebushes, as well as white and yellow jasmine, while a pergola climbed all the way to the second floor windows. She remembered the exquisite aroma of the flowers and couldn’t wait to get closer.
Dizzied by the roller-coaster of her emotions, she glanced at the man next to her and noticed he was watching her again. The look in his eyes was intense and penetrating, and Helena felt as if it could reach all the way to her soul. She drew a deep breath to calm down and instinctively licked her lips. What is he thinking about? He wasn’t the typical Greek; they usually were so openhearted and friendly.
She didn’t have time to think of anything else, as they pulled into the driveway that circled in front of the house.
The front door swung open, and a beautiful young woman with long black hair came outside. She stood at the top of the marble staircase leading to the veranda in front of the house. Helena had the urge to jump out of the car and run into her arms. Instead, she climbed out slowly and hesitated, staring at her aunt for a few seconds. Astonished, she saw her aunt launching down the steps and taking her in her arms. She felt so welcome and happy—like a little girl coming home after a long trip.
She couldn’t help glancing towards Dimitris. He was staring at her intensely, his gaze burning into her skin…
She turned back to her aunt. In her crimson red dress and matching sandals, she was more beautiful than she remembered. Her long shiny hair fell in loose, soft waves onto her shoulders, and her skin was tanned. Admiring her aunt, Helena realized for one more time how pale her own skin was.
Her aunt released her hug and took a step back to take a better look at her. Her sparkling eyes gave away how happy she was to see her.
“Welcome home, Helena,” she said excited and turned to Dimitris, who was waiting patiently by the car. “Isn’t she beautiful? She looks just like an angel.”
Helena’s breath caught in her throat as she heard him agreeing with her aunt. She didn’t have time to say anything as her aunt went on. “You look just the way I thought you would. I always knew the cute little girl with the sweet blue eyes and the long blonde braid would turn into a gorgeous young woman.”
Helena felt her cheeks growing warm, and she spoke quickly so that her aunt wouldn’t have a chance to go on appraising her. “It’s so good to see you again, Aunt Sophie. I’ve missed you so much.”
“Then why did it take you so long to come back?” the man asked in a low tone of voice, sounding somewhat sarcastic.
Helena was taken aback by his intervention, and facing him, she gave him a hard look. How dare he get involved in family matters like this?
Her retort died on her lips when Sophie said, “Dimitris, leave her alone. You know it wasn’t her fault.” Then, smiling warmly, she turned to Helena. “You have to forgive Dimitris. He’s been with us for so long that he gets very protective of the family.”
Helena couldn’t get over her aggravation. She already felt bad enough for not having contacted Sophie all these years; she didn’t appreciate a stranger interfering in a sensitive matter like this. She wanted to set him straight but decided to leave the matter alone for now.
Without giving him another look, she followed her aunt into the house. Going through the huge mahogany doors, she shivered, feeling his intense gaze burning into her back…
Only after she heard the powerful engine coming to life, she realized she was holding her breath. I never even thanked him for picking me up at the port… Never mind. It serves him right for interfering like this…
***
Dimitris drove too fast for the narrow roads of the island. He had to release some tension… Being so close to her after all these years and trying to act totally unaffected were more than he could handle. She had turned out just as amazing as he had imagined. She was breathtaking… and she didn’t remember him…
Chapter Two
HELENA TRIED TO BANISH Dimitris and his behavior from her mind, beginning to explore the home around her. Her aunt led her into a large living room with huge windows overlooking the sea. The windows were open, and she could smell the jasmine and the salt from the sea breeze in the air—just as she remembered it. She looked around, and everything started coming back to her. Yes, she remembered this lovely room. There were a few new pieces she didn’t recognize, but most of the furniture was still the same.
Her eyes rested on a painting of her father above the fireplace. Dressed in his white captain’s uniform and wearing his blue and white cap, he was standing on the bridge of a ship, resting one hand on the wooden railing, while holding his pipe to his mouth with the other. White, frothy waves and a snow-white seagull flying with his silver grey wings wide open could be seen in the background of the picture. Helena swallowed hard, as tears welled up in her eyes, looking at the face she adored.
Her aunt must have read her thoughts, because she came and stood next to her, putting a protective arm around her shoulders. Without thought, Helena burst into tears and cried her heart out. Her aunt just held her and let her release all the pain and sadness built up inside her for so long.
***
When Helena finally raised her head to glance at a carved mirror hanging on the wall, she saw red swollen eyes lingering in her pale face, with her makeup smeared all over it. She didn’t care, though. Actually, she felt much better.
Her aunt told her to go to the bathroom and wash up. In the meantime, she was going to ring the bell for some tea to be brought to them.
Helena obediently went to the bathroom down the hallway to wash off. She smiled, realizing she remembered where everything was in the house. It gave her
a warm feeling of belonging. When she came back to the living room, their tea was already there, and so were the delicious little cupcakes she used to be so fond of.
Relieved—as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders—Helena sat there sipping her tea, eating her cupcakes, and talking about the past. It was so healing to be able to talk about her father and not feel guilty, like when she was with her mother.
Sophie must have loved her brother very much. The pain in her voice when she talked about him was heartbreaking.
Helena could tell she had so much in common with her aunt. It felt so good to have someone sharing her pain. She noticed, though, Sophie avoided talking about her father’s accident. When Helena brought it up, she shifted uncomfortably and changed the subject. Is it too painful to talk about, or did Sophie share her mother’s suspicions? Helena wondered.
She watched her aunt closely but decided not to press the matter for now. She was tired and too overwhelmed by emotions to be able to talk about something so painful for both of them.
They just sat there in silence, holding each other’s hand, lost in their thoughts.
***
Sophie was glad her niece had finally come home. She had missed her so much. She felt as if a part of her beloved brother had come back into her life. She loved Angelos so much and had been devastated by his loss. Sophie hadn’t been the same since then. The pain was unbearable and so were the regrets. Guilty feelings kept her up night after night. Oh, how she wished her mother was alive. She would know exactly what to do. She might even have prevented what happened…
Sophie looked at Helena, lost in her thoughts. Poor little thing, her life was shattered before it even had a chance to bloom… She sighed. Maybe I should have said something… But how could I, and to whom?
Sophie was only sixteen years old when Angelos died. Who would pay attention to a young girl’s suspicions? Besides, how could she make any accusations with no proof, based only on things she had heard eavesdropping on her mother’s conversations with Erin? If only I could find the diary. She was sure she would find some answers in there… maybe even evidence of who was really responsible for her brother’s death.
And what about Thomas? Sophie wondered. She was never close with her adopted brother, who was a lot older than Angelos and her. However, he was the only relative she’d had after Angelos died and Erin took Helena to England. She shuddered as gloomy memories came rushing back…
***
Sophie finally got up. “You must be tired,” she said. “I’ll show you to your room.”
They walked up the steps, and Helena was delighted to find out she was going to stay in her old room. It made her feel she had really come home, and wasn’t just visiting.
Her room hadn’t changed much. Her eyes wandered around the spacious bedroom with the pretty white furniture, the four-post bed, the dresser, the little secretarial desk, and the rocking chair by the French doors which lead to the balcony. Everything was there; even some of her stuffed animals were still decorating the room. Overwhelmed, she looked at her aunt.
Probably guessing what Helena was thinking, Sophie said, “I didn’t want anything changed. I wanted you to find the place just the way you left it when you finally came home.”
Sweet Sophie, Helena thought. She always knew that sooner or later, I would be coming back.
When Sophie left her alone, Helena sat on her bed, lost in her thoughts. So many memories… Her eyes rested on the beautiful painting on the wall—a painting her grandmother, Eleana, had painted. She always loved this portrait of a beautiful, little girl, around the age of seven or eight, standing in a blooming garden with an angel in the background, watching over her from Heaven.
Staring at the painting for the first time through the eyes of an adult, Helena was taken by surprise. She realized how much the girl in the painting resembled her when she was around the same age—the age when she lost her father. Bewildered, she noticed the sadness in the girl’s eyes, and tears came to her own eyes, thinking she probably had the same expression after her father vanished from their lives.
Helena took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to control the turmoil of emotions stirred up inside her by well-buried memories surfacing again.
She stood up, walked over to the French doors, which were open, and stepped outside. Feeling the fresh breeze on her face, she let her eyes roam over the shimmering blue and gold waters stretching in front of her. She leaned against the black railings with the fancy designs she always remembered and let her thoughts take her back in time…
She went back to those happy days, when her father was still alive and her mother was a cheerful young woman in love. Her mind filled with cherished memories of the past. She could almost see her parents walking on the beach, holding hands, and herself—as a little child— running all over the place and splashing in the water.
She could remember the cold winter nights when they would all gather around the stone fireplace to drink hot chocolate and listen to her father telling stories. Her favorite stories were the ones about the voyages of her father and his ancestors. The men of the Sistakis family— like most people on these islands—had spent a big part of their lives at sea.
It was only after her father met her mother that he gave up travelling and became involved in managing the business. He wanted to be with his wife and daughter, so he would spend most of his time on the island and would only go to the main offices in Piraeus whenever it was absolutely necessary. So many memories, so much love… while at the same time, so much pain…
Helena didn’t realize she was crying again until teardrops wet the back of her hands, holding on to the railings. She wiped her face with her hands, and turned around to go inside.
A sudden wave of apprehension washed over her, and she stopped dead in her tracks… she felt like someone was watching her. Cautiously, she scanned her surroundings but didn’t see anyone. She glanced down at the garden and all the way to the edge of the cliff. There was nobody there. However, she could still feel it. She checked around her from side to side, and then she saw him.
It was Dimitris. He was on one of the balconies on the bottom floor farther to her right, wearing tight fitting jeans and a white shirt open low on his chest. Leaning against the railings, he looked just like a mysterious, seductive pirate on the bridge of his ship.
Helena’s breath caught in her throat. He was irresistibly handsome… and he was watching her intensely. To her surprise, he didn’t even turn his head to pretend he hadn’t seen her. He was just standing there, boldly watching her.
Helena felt her temper rising. Going back inside her bedroom, she slammed the doors shut. It was going to be hot in the room with no air-conditioning, but she didn’t care at this point. She couldn’t believe he was in the house. Who is that man?
The balcony he was on led to one of the bedrooms downstairs. What on earth is he doing there? She was going to have a talk with her aunt and put a stop to this man’s arrogant actions. She was sure Sophie wasn’t aware of him wandering around the house like that.
Trying to put Dimitris out of her mind for now, she walked into her en-suite bathroom. Everything was the same in there, too. Glancing at the big marble bathtub, she had the urge to sink in it. Without a second thought, she turned the water on and took off her clothes. Sinking into the warm water, the fragrance of roses surrounded her. She lay back, closing her eyes, and felt content and relaxed…
***
It was a lot later before she opened her eyes again. She looked around, startled. She was sure she’d been there for too long and was going to be late for dinner. She rushed out of the bathtub, grabbed a towel, and went to her bedroom to check her watch. It was almost eight o’clock. She vigorously dried herself and blow-dried her hair. Then she put something on in a hurry and rushed downstairs.
The dining room was empty, so she made her way to the living room. Sophie was sitting by the window, sipping some wine. Lovelier than ever, she was wearing a
champagne dress and had her hair pulled back in a white ribbon. She looked up as Helena walked inside.
Helena was about to apologize for been late but was interrupted by a cynical voice, “It was nice of you to finally show up.”
She turned around to face Dimitris. Before she could open her mouth, Sophie stood up and stared at him, disapprovingly. “Dimitris, you have to stop treating Helena like this. It wasn’t her fault, and she was hurt as much as the rest of us… maybe more. So don’t be so harsh on her.”
He seemed as if he was about to say something, but finally remained silent.
Sophie came and took Helena’s hand. “Let’s go eat, sweetie. I know you must be starving.”
Helena let Sophie lead her out of the living room without a backwards glance. They walked into the dining room, with Dimitris following right behind them. As soon as the women sat down, Dimitris went and sat at the head of the table.
Helena was shocked! This was too much. This man aggravated her, and the fact he was going to stay for dinner made things even worse. Who does he think he is, sitting in my father’s place at the head of the table?
She tried to be as polite as possible for Sophie's sake. It was obvious Sophie liked Dimitris, and she seemed so excited to have him and Helena there.
Dimitris, on the other hand, could be very charming if he wanted to. He kept on talking to Sophie, totally ignoring Helena. It was Sophie who drew Helena into the conversation several times, and every time, Dimitris would shut her out.
Helena was furious with his arrogant behavior. However, she was even more furious with herself and her conflicting emotions. What was wrong with her? She wanted to get up and run as far away from him as she could, while at the same time, she was drawn to him like a moth to a flame.
She couldn’t help but secretly admire his flawless profile and that perfect, hard to resist body of his. His mere presence set her emotions on fire, and she couldn’t think straight.