Helena started to understand what was going on. Without knowing it or wanting to, she had led Alex on. Now she understood why Dimitris was so mad about her going on that trip with Alex. People here interpreted a whole lot of different things in someone's actions. Helena went on that trip just to have a good time with a friend, but Alex read it as if she really liked him, and she had no intention on following tradition and marrying Dimitris.
Helena let Alex hold her in his arms, while her mind was working feverishly, trying to get out of the situation without hurting his feelings.
"Alex," she started. "I really like you and consider you as my friend, but I think you misunderstood my intentions. I’m sorry if I led you to believe there was something more going on between us than just friendship."
Alex stared at her, searching her face. He seemed reluctant to believe her. He was probably thinking she was forced into marrying Dimitris and was just trying to make him think that everything was all right.
All of a sudden, the door swung open, and Dimitris walked into the library. Silence stretched in the room, and the blood turned icy cold in Helena’s veins seeing the murderous look on Dimitris’ face as their eyes met.
Dimitris closed the door behind him and turned to Alex.
"You have a bad habit of showing up where you don't belong," he said coldly. "I believe it’s time we settle this once and for all… I’m not going to let you make of fool of me anymore. As for you," he said turning to Helena, "we’ll talk about this later."
Helena was really upset. He had some nerve acting like this when it was only a few minutes earlier he was holding Stella in his arms.
"Helena, go outside," Dimitris said, "and wait for me. We’ll be going home in a few minutes."
When Helena didn’t move, he gave her a questioning look. "Don't make this any harder than it already is. This is not the time or the place to settle this matter. I do, however, have to talk with Alex in private."
Helena hesitated for another moment. She didn’t want to leave them alone. On the other hand, she knew Dimitris wasn’t going to do anything as long as they were in the Aliveris' house. Maybe it would be better to get all this cleared up in the house so no one would get hurt… at least not physically. She knew how strong-headed Dimitris could be.
She looked over at Alex and what she saw didn’t make her feel any better. Alex was just as determined to settle this as Dimitris. Helena left the room without a word, closing the door behind her. The first person she saw was Dimitris' mother, and from the expression on her face, she could tell she knew. She walked over to the closest chair and collapsed on it. Mrs. Nikolaou followed her and sat next to her, covering her hand with hers.
"I didn’t mean anything wrong," Helena whispered, fighting back the tears.
"I know, child," Mrs. Nikolaou said, "but Dimitris is very possessive. I know you were brought up differently, but it’s going to save you both a lot of arguments if you learn more about our way of life."
"I’m trying my best," Helena said. "But it’s going to take some time. There’s so much I don't understand."
Helena turned her gaze towards the library doors which swung open. Alex came out with a vicious look on his face. He glanced at her for a second, then walked straight to the front door and left.
No one around seemed to notice what was going on, except her aunt, their host, and his wife. They were all standing together at the bar, watching the scene without saying a word.
Dimitris followed Alex out of the library. His face was a cold mask. Helena couldn’t read any emotions on it.
He came over and took her by the hand. "It’s time to go," he said. Leading her through the crowd, they walked over to the bar where their hosts were.
"We want to thank you very much for tonight," he said. "We all appreciate your hospitality."
"Dimitris, it was our pleasure," Mr. Aliveris said.
"Good luck to both of you," Mrs. Aliveris said and squeezed Helena's arm.
Helena thanked them also for having this party in her honor. She really liked them a lot, but right now, she was too embarrassed and in a hurry to get out of there.
She felt like it took forever to leave. Everybody wanted to hug them or shake their hands and wish them good luck. At least Stella was nowhere to be found. Helena couldn’t stand facing her right now. As a matter of fact, she didn’t see Stella's parents around either. They probably already left, Helena thought. That was odd. Normally, no one left before the guest of honor, or at least without saying goodbye. Then again, maybe they couldn’t find her to say goodbye. After all, she was in the library for a while.
They walked outside to the car and drove all the way home in silence. Helena knew she couldn’t avoid confronting Dimitris tonight. She felt drained and wasn’t sure she was up to it right now.
When they got home, she hurried out of the car, complaining of a headache. She wished everyone goodnight and rushed inside and up the stairs. She knew she was acting like a coward, but didn’t care at this point.
She took her dress off in a hurry and let her hair down. She put on her nightgown and walked outside on the balcony.
A few minutes later, she heard Sophie’s Jeep pulling up, and realized that the rest of them had come back. Did they know what happened? she wondered. She hadn’t noticed any of them, after she came out of the library, but they probably were aware of tonight’s events. She felt embarrassed, not knowing what they might think of her. After all, they all shared the same beliefs with Dimitris.
And what about Steve? she wondered. She hadn’t seen him that much tonight, except for a few minutes when they first got to the party. He seemed kind of distant and lost, sitting in a corner, drinking. And after the engagement was announced, she hadn’t seen him at all.
Helena stood at the balcony as silence fell over the house, and one by one, the lights went out, except the light in the study. She knew it had to be Dimitris. She went back inside and lay down on the bed. She closed her eyes, but sleep wouldn’t come…
She started thinking about everything that had happened today. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. Dimitris had no right to act like this when he was the one holding Stella in his arms. Helena, at least, was innocent. She knew how it must have seemed to him, walking in and finding Alex holding her in his arms, but there was nothing going on. If she hadn’t seen him with Stella, she might have tried to explain. However, after having seen the two of them together, she didn’t feel he deserved an explanation.
Furious, she jumped out of bed. She couldn’t take it any longer. She rushed downstairs and into the study. They had to settle this, once and for all. She was nobody's property, and she wasn’t going to be treated as such.
She opened the door, but he wasn’t there. He must have gone to his room, she thought. She started making her way upstairs but stopped half way up. She knew she wasn’t going to be able to sleep unless they settled this.
She found her way to his room in the dark and knocked on the door, but got no answer. Determined, she opened the door. The room was dark, but she could see the bed in the moonlight… it was empty. She was getting ready to turn around and leave when he came in from the balcony. He looked surprised for a second to find her there.
"We have to talk," Helena said, straightening her back.
"Well, at least come inside and close the door," he said. "We don't have to keep everyone awake."
After hesitating for a moment, Helena stepped inside the room and closed the door behind her. Seeing his eyes leave her face and wander down her body, she silently cursed herself for going there without taking the time to put something over her revealing nightgown. Now it was too late, and she might as well get it over with, as soon as possible.
"I came to tell you that the marriage is off, and I’m leaving for England as soon as possible," she said, surprised by the steadiness in her voice. That wasn’t what she was planning on saying, but now that it was said, it made sense. She couldn’t live like this; she didn’
t understand his world, and he would never understand hers.
Dimitris kept staring at her, without saying a word.
"You have nothing to say?" she asked him, feeling uncomfortable by his silence.
He walked towards her, and her heartbeat accelerated. He was wearing his pants, but he’d already taken his shirt off. She was so close to him, she could smell his cologne and felt dizzy.
His voice made her jump, like waking from a dream. "Do you love Alex?" he asked her point blank.
"What?" Helena asked, confused.
"I said, do you love Alex?"
"Of course not," she said. "And if you’d given me a chance earlier, I would have explained everything."
"Alex already explained everything," he said. "Of course, he accused me of forcing you into this marriage. But in any account, he wanted to protect your honor and told me that nothing was going on."
Helena breathed out, relieved. At least, everything was cleared out. She was too tired to have to go through an argument tonight. Alex saved her time. Oh, sweet Alex, thinking about her, even after she let him down.
But what about Stella? The question was still burning in her mind when she felt Dimitris' arms going around her waist, pulling her closer… She blinked in surprise and raised her face to his, as his lips covered hers in a violent kiss. She could taste the alcohol in his mouth. The feeling of his body against hers made her dizzy.
She knew she had to get out of there, but she couldn’t move. His lips were hypnotizing her, and his hands were sending heat waves throughout her body. She didn’t resist when he picked her up in his arms and carried her to his bed. She could feel him breathing heavily on top of her, and her own heart was racing. Her body was responding to him in a way she didn’t think herself capable of. Her mind was telling her to stop, but her body had wants of its own. She was sinking deeper and deeper into the pleasure of his arms…
She heard him whispering her name, and it sounded wonderful coming from his lips... She knew she would regret this in the morning, but she couldn’t resist. She loved him so much; it felt so right being in his arms. Even if she left in the morning, she would never regret spending the night with him.
As if in a dream, she felt him removing her nightgown and panties, and then his lips and hands passionately caressed every inch of her body. Helena was on fire. Hastily, Dimitris removed his pants and underwear, flinging them to the floor, and she could feel his bare skin burning to the touch. His lips came back to her mouth—ravishing and demanding—and Helena moaned as his kiss deepened and his tongue sought hers. Her body felt ready to explode from the tide of passion he stirred inside her, and unconsciously she dug her nails into his back. She arched her back, knowing there was something more, but she wasn’t sure what. When finally Dimitris claimed her body, she let out a sharp breath.
"Did I hurt you?" he whispered.
"No," Helena said, still amazed of the feelings she was experiencing. She’d never been with a man before, and now he knew it. Does it make a difference? she wondered, but as his body hypnotized her with his movement, drowning her in pleasure, she forgot all about rational thinking. “Dimitris!” his name escaped her lips, her body arched higher, and her muscles stiffened as she came. He moaned and squeezed her in his arms so tightly she could hardly breathe. Ecstatic, she felt him thrusting into her once more before he came too.
They lay there until their heavy breathing subsided, and then he rolled over, keeping her close. Snuggled up in his warm embrace, Helena stared at the bright moon shining through the French doors. This felt so right, she didn’t know if she had the heart to leave in the morning. She knew, she had to get back to her room, but her legs were numb. Before she knew it, she drifted off to sleep…
She woke up in the middle of the night, when he reached for her again, and she met his passion with a fire of her own, this time knowing exactly what to expect. They finally drifted off to sleep with the first ray of light coming through the windows.
***
Helena heard a knock on the door and opened her eyes. She stretched her arms lazily and felt happy and content. "Come in," she said, and Martha came in with a breakfast tray.
"Oh, good!" Helena exclaimed. "I’m starving," and she rose up in bed. All of a sudden, she realized she wasn’t in her room. She looked around her, embarrassed, and feeling her cheeks burning, she instinctively pulled the sheet right up to her chin, trying to cover her nudity. She was still in Dimitris' bedroom, but he was nowhere to be found. She couldn’t look at Martha and kept her eyes on the tray, even though, she’d lost her appetite.
Martha moved silently around the room, picking up the clothes that were laying everywhere. When she finally left, Helena breathed out heavily. She didn’t want to eat. She just wanted to run to her room and hide from everybody. By now, everybody in the house would know she had spent the night with him.
Helena pushed the tray aside and reached for her nightgown. After putting it on, she left his bedroom. She hesitated in the hallway for a minute and listened. There were noises coming from the kitchen, but no voices. Thank God! Breathing out in relief, she hurried to the stairs and climbed them two at a time.
Rushing into her bedroom, she took her nightgown off. Then she went to the bathroom and took a quick shower. After she dressed in a hurry, she went back downstairs. No one seemed to be there. Where is everybody? She walked around the house and finally, ended up in the kitchen. Martha was there, cooking.
"Where is everybody?" she asked.
"They all left early in the morning," Martha said.
"Where did they go?"
"Steve accompanied Mrs. Nikolaou to church. Your aunt took Michael, Yiannis, and Christina to the ferry. They decided not to wake you up so early, since you didn’t feel very well last night.”
"And where is Dimitris?" Helena asked and felt her cheeks blushing again.
"He left this morning for Athens," Martha replied.
"Athens!" Helena was shocked.
"Yes, he told me to let you sleep for a while," Martha said.
"Martha…" Helena started and stopped. She wasn’t sure how to say this.
"Your aunt and Mrs. Nikolaou don’t know," Martha replied to the unspoken question. "Captain Dimitris told me it’s better to leave it this way."
"Thank you, Martha," Helena breathed out, relieved, and walked out of the room. She could tell the housekeeper didn’t approve of the situation, and she knew her aunt and Mrs. Nikolaou wouldn’t approve, either. Greeks were very old-fashioned when it came to things like that.
A girl wasn’t supposed to sleep with her husband until after the wedding. At least one thing was according to the tradition—the bride was a virgin. Dimitris was the first man she ever made love to. Not that she had planned it that way, but she’d never met anyone who made her feel like he did… Actually, deep down inside, Helena was a very old-fashioned girl, even more than she was willing to admit. What happened last night, no matter how wonderful it was, made her feel guilty.
She wandered around the house until Steve and Mrs. Nikolaou came back from church and her aunt from the harbor. She had lunch with them on the veranda.
"I just can’t understand why Dimitris had to leave so suddenly?" Mrs. Nikolaou said, puzzled.
Helena kept her mouth shut and stared towards the sea.
"He said that something came up," Sophie replied.
Helena got up and said she was going for a walk. As she was walking down the steps, she could still hear them talking. It seemed Stella and her parents hadn’t gone to church that morning either.
Helena walked down towards the rocks and made her way to the beach. When she got there, she took her sandals off and walked barefoot in the water. It was cool and refreshing and felt wonderful. She had the urge to go swimming. She wasn’t wearing a bathing suit, though, and she decided against it. She was in enough trouble already; she didn’t want to be spotted swimming naked.
Hearing someone calling her, she looked up and saw Alex coming d
own the steps.
"Hello, Helena," he said.
Helena looked around uncomfortably. All she needed right now was for someone to spot them together on the beach.
"Don't worry," he said. "I made sure no one is around," he reassured her. "And… I know Dimitris is in Athens. I came to say goodbye. I’m leaving this afternoon. Dimitris made it clear it would be better for all of us if I left the island."
"He can't do that!" Helena said.
"Oh, yes, he can," Alex replied bitterly. "Dimitris is a very powerful man, and he could make my life miserable if he wanted."
"I won't let that happen," Helena said.
"It’s just as well," Alex admitted. "I couldn’t stay around here and watch you get married to him."
"Are you coming back?" Helena asked.
"Not for a long time. Stella is coming with me. After her behavior last night, her parents decided it was better for her to stay in Athens for a while."
So Stella is going to Athens, too, Helena realized, and jealousy bit her like a snake. Was that the reason why Dimitris left this morning? Did he leave her in bed to rush to his true love? I just can’t believe that… Not after the way we felt last night… But how can I be so sure? I can be sure about my feelings, but what about him? she wondered. No, she decided, maybe she had no experience with things like that, but she was no fool. He was so loving and passionate… He couldn’t be like that with me and be in love with someone else… could he? The question burned in her mind and threw her off balance. After all, he never said anything about love last night. He told me he wanted me… but nothing about being in love with me…
She suddenly felt lost and took a deep breath, trying to clear her thoughts. No, she couldn’t live like this. She couldn’t stand living with doubts all the time, and keep on wondering where he was and what he was doing.
"What's wrong?" Alex inquired, seeing her grow pale.