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Athens, H he showed promise he would be given a position of
authority - even that of manager in six months' time when the present
manager retired.
'He - he's offered you that !' Androula seemed quite unable to take this
in. 'Imagine Leon becoming so mellowed that he'd go as far as that!'
After the first shock of surprise she was jubilant 'So we'll be able to
get married and I shall be able to stay on at the university!'
'That was your brother's idea,' Martin said happily. And. he added on
a faintly anxious note, 'I hope I shan't disappoint Leon.'
Tara ventured to speak to her husband on the subject when, the young
couple having gone off somewhere together, she and he were in the
garden. Tara had gone out earlier with a book, and was rather
surprised to be joined by Leon, whose attitude towards her was
becoming even more markedly cold, with the impression growing on
her that he was still waiting for something ... and waiting with
swiftly-increasing impatience!
'You've made Androula very happy.' Tara spoke as Leon took
possession of a chair and looked across at her.
'I like the young man,' he said casually. 'I believe that, in time, he'll be
a great asset to my firm.'
'This attitude is unexpected ' She broke off, not having meant to
voice what were merely her own thoughts. Leon looked at her with a
sort of exasperated expression.
'You don't know very much about me, do you?' His voice seemed to
hold a bitter edge and once again she had the impression that he was
like a man who had been grossly misjudged. Why should she have
this idea? It persisted even though there was no explanation for it.
'I haven't had much time to learn,' she pointed out at length.
'Time means nothing. You can learn a lot in five minutes. It would be
more correct to say that you haven't had the inclination to learn about
me.'
Amazed, she stared at him, and her manner seemed only to aggravate
him, because he rose abruptly and said,
'I have to go to Athens tomorrow, and I shan't be back until Thursday.'
He would have moved away, but Tara spoke, impulsively asking if he
were going to the city on business. He turned, and stood gazing down
at her, his mouth compressed. She was in attractive shorts and
sun-top; her tan was almost as deep as his, and the dark hair had been
lightened at the front and temples by the sun. His eyes moved and his
jaw relaxed. He seemed on the one hand to be fully appreciative of
the lovely picture his wife made, while at the same time being
possessed of the strongest anger against her. And suddenly he
appeared to have reached a decision.
'In Athens I shall be seeing to business, but then I shall be calling on
Aegina, where I shall stay for a couple of nights or so.'
'Aegina?' Her eyes closed for one fleeting second as an almost
physical pain shot through her heart. 'You - you are staying on the
island?'
His eyes glinted in the most extraordinary kind of way. Tara had the
staggering impression that nothing would have afforded him greater
satisfaction than to subject her to some form of physical
chastisement!
'That's what I said, Tara. I have a friend there, so this part of my trip
will be for pleasure - not business.' And without giving her time for
any further comment he strode away in the direction of the house.
She watched the tall arrogant figure disappear ... and then white-hot
fury took possession of her. That jealousy had ignited it she would
not deny, although the conscious thought was not pronounced, since
she was so consumed by her wrath that all else was vague and
unimportant. Rising, she went swiftly into the house. Leon was not
about and she went upstairs. Not there, either, and she realized he
must have gone to his study, going round the back of the house and
the small wooded enclosure that hid the small building from the rest
of the garden.
Without even knocking she entered, her cheeks on fire, her small fists
clenched tightly by her sides.
'Aegina!' she cried, glaring at him. 'So you're going to Aegina, are
you? Well, you can stay there! - for as long as you like! And when
you come back I shan't be here. I'm leaving you - for ever!' He was
standing at the other side of the large desk and had been staring
through the window, but had turned swiftly on her entry. His eyes
darkened and narrowed, and their expression should have warned.
But with Tara in her present mood there was no handhold for caution
or restraint; her fury crushed all thought of danger. 'You seem to
consider me a complete fool, don't you? Well, let me tell you that I
know why you go to Aegina - to deep with your pillow friend, that's
why! You've slept with her more than once since our marriage
You, who caused so much fuss over my having Ricky here! You're a
hypocrite - and I hate you!' To her dismay she was desperately
fighting tears that clouded her vision. She had burned her boats now,
and the marriage was ended.
Leon was glowering at her; deep shades of crimson appeared at the
sides of his mouth and his eyes glinted like steel.
'I go to Aegina for that reason, do I?' he thundered, striding to her side
of the desk. 'It's out at last, is it!' Before she could escape he had
caught her arms, uncaring that his unmerciful grip caused her to cry
out. 'And about time too! I wondered how long you'd be before
tackling me with my infidelity.' Furiously he gave her a shake. 'I've
been visiting Helena since my marriage - according to your
deductions. Thank you very much!''
Tara went staggering back as he thrust her from him, tears
automatically springing to her eyes at his rough treatment of her. Her
heart was throbbing painfully, but as she stared into those dark and
smouldering eyes the recollection of an idea came flooding in on her,
the idea that her husband cared for her... Dejectedly she had
dismissed it, she recalled, deciding it was impossible for him to care.
But now it could not be denied; it occupied her mind to the exclusion
of all else and it was some time before the significance of her
husband's wrathful words impressed itself on her consciousness.
'You must have been aware - all the time - that I knew about Helena,'
she murmured at last in wondering tones. 'Why didn't you say
something? How did you know anyway?'
'Yes,' he admitted between his teeth, 'I've known for some time that
she visited you here, that she told you I'd been with her just before
your illness '
'But how did you know?' pressed Tara again, wanting only to hasten
the explanation ... and then to see what happened ... For in spite of
that glowering expression there seemed to be something far less
frightening behind her husband's grim exterior.
'Savvas let it out that Helena had been here. I thought it most odd that
you'd said nothing. However, in order to get the picture right I went to
Aegina '
'And stayed the night.' It was out before she could give the matter a
restraining thought and it did seem for one terrifying moment that
Leon would handle her roughly again. However, apart from an
audible gritting of his teeth and the cutting delivery of his words
when he spoke, there was nothing to portray a renewal of his fury
which during the past moment had been swiftly dissolving.
'I spent a couple of hours only on the island. Then I caught the ferry to
Piraeus as I had business in Athens, where I stayed the night - alone!'
She bit her lip, and after a moment went on to say quickly, 'Helena
told you everything - that she was trying to break up our marriage, I
mean?'
He nodded.
'Yes, I made her tell me everything,' he replied grimly, his eyes
darkening with recollection. 'It was a spiteful act because women of
her kind accept, from the start, that when the man they're having an [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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