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Dimitri studied her intently. She certainly seemed sincere enough, and yet he could not believe the truth of it. She must know her father was a wealthy man. It was inconceivable that she should be willing to ignore the fact that he was in some way responsible for her now. It didn’t matter that she was not a child; she was Matthieu’s daughter and for him that was a lot.
She was speaking again, and Dimitri forced himself to concentrate on what she was saying: ‘If that was what you wanted to talk to me about, then I suppose our conversation is over—’ she was beginning, but he shook his head, interrupting her.
‘Just wait a moment, Miss Nicolas,’ he said, impatiently. ‘My reasons for being here have far more reaching tendencies. And our conversation has been a trifle one-sided, you will agree. However, I’m prepared to accept to a degree that your motives for writing to Matt were innocent ones, even though my brain argues that this cannot be so.’
Joanne’s eyes were disturbed now. ‘Mr. Kastro, you’ve been consistently rude and objectionable to me ever since we met this afternoon at the cemetery! And now that I have stated my case, I don’t intend to sit here any longer listening to your insinuations about my honesty—’ She rose abruptly to her feet, and with a sigh, Dimitri rose too, preventing her escape by blocking her path.
‘Calm yourself, Miss Nicolas,’ he said sourly. ‘This kind of ridiculous display will get neither of us anywhere!’
Joanne was breathing swiftly, her breast rising and falling beneath the softness of a black cashmere jumper. She had loosened her coat while she drank her tea and Dimitri could see the rounded contours of her body matched the flawlessness of her complexion. In consequence, his tone was harsher than he desired.
‘Will you get out of my way, or shall I call for assistance?’ she exclaimed angrily.
Dimitri stood aside without a word and she brushed by him, marching across the room to the door. She was certainly a magnificent young animal, thought Dimitri with reluctant admiration. How proud Matt would be of her. And Marisa? He frowned. Marisa wouldn’t like it at all.
As she reached out a hand to turn the handle, Dimitri spoke: ‘Did you know that your father has only about six months left to live?’ His voice was mild but very distinct.
Joanne halted as though carved to stone, and for a moment she did not move at all. Then slowly she turned to face him, her cheeks paling slightly and a questioning disbelief in the wide violet eyes. ‘You – you can’t be serious!’ she murmured huskily.
‘Oh, but I am,’ he returned coolly, thrusting his hands into the front pockets of his trousers.
Slowly, with hesitant steps, she came back to him, staring at him curiously as though willing him to admit he was merely trying to frighten her. Finally, when his eyes did not waver, she said: ‘But why? Why? My father is a young man! He can’t be more than about forty-five!’
‘That’s right.’
‘Then – then how?’ She shook her head.
‘A year ago he had a heart attack and it was discovered he had an organic heart disease. The doctors give him until the fall!’
Joanne pressed her fingers to her lips. ‘How terrible!’ she whispered incredulously. ‘I – I never – suspected …’
‘How could you?’ queried Dimitri, rather sardonically. ‘You’re not psychic, are you?’
‘No, but – well – I’m so sorry… .’ Her voice trailed away.
Dimitri lifted his broad shoulders in an eloquent gesture. ‘So are we all,’ he commented sombrely. ‘Your stepmother – your half-sister …’
Joanne’s face suffused with colour. ‘I have a half-sister?’ she said wonderingly. ‘I didn’t know.’
Dimitri’s eyes grew sceptical again. ‘I can’t believe that,’ he muttered roughly.
Joanne looked at him again. ‘Why not? My father did not apprise us of his affairs!’ she said stiffly.
‘Did he not?’ Dimitri raised his eyes heavenward. ‘My dear Miss Nicolas, one of us has been grossly deceived!’
Joanne bit her lip. ‘I don’t understand you.’
‘Obviously not.’
‘Stop talking in innuendoes!’ she exclaimed suddenly. ‘If you have something to say to me, say it!’
Dimitri gave her a half-smile, but it was a sardonic salutation. ‘Very well,’ he said, with a sigh. ‘Your father wrote regularly to your mother. Not only that, he continued to support you both long after it was necessary to do so!’
‘That’s not true!’ She scarcely let him finish. ‘My mother would accept nothing from my father – after – after he deserted us!’
Dimitri endeavoured to control the anger that her words aroused in him. He must try to accept that she was more innocent than he would have believed possible. ‘It is true!’ he said tightly. ‘I can prove it, if you give me time!’
Joanne’s eyes mirrored her distrust of him. ‘Is there more?’ she demanded, biting her lips.
‘Much more,’ he snapped, a trifle impatiently. ‘Much, much more! So much that I doubt my capacity for telling you without losing my temper!’
She stared at him unhappily. ‘Then don’t tell me,’ she said, rather chokingly. ‘Surely you can see you are as biased as I am?’
Dimitri heaved a sigh. ‘Won’t you sit down?’ he inquired tautly. ‘Some of this must be said. I insist. If only for the sake of your father who is still alive. Your mother is dead. What I say cannot hurt her now.’
Joanne hesitated, and then with a gesture she perched rather nervously on the edge of the banquette. ‘Very well,’ she said quietly. ‘What have you to say?’
‘Merely this,’ said Dimitri heavily. ‘Your father is a man involved with his family – every member of his family, and that includes you. Whatever has gone before, he is prepared to forgive you and take you back.’
Joanne stared at him. ‘Take me back?’ she echoed, uncomprehendingly.
‘Maybe my choice of words was unsuitable in the circumstances,’ said Dimitri, leaning his hands on the table and looking down at her. ‘But that was what your letter accomplished, Miss Nicolas!’
Joanne could not meet his gaze for long, and her lashes veiled her eyes. ‘So that was why you imagined I had written to my father,’ she said slowly. ‘Your fears were unfounded, Mr. Kastro.’
Dimitri straightened and frowned. ‘What do you mean?’
Joanne looked up. ‘Surely it’s obvious. Naturally the news of my father’s illness has shocked me, but ultimately it alters nothing.’
Dimitri uttered an expletive. ‘You don’t seem to understand what I am trying to say, Miss Nicolas,’ he affirmed with emphasis. ‘Your father sent me here to bring you back to him!’
Joanne looked positively astounded. ‘My father did what?’
‘I think you heard what I said, Miss Nicolas. What other reaction did you expect him to have?’
Joanne shook her head bewilderedly. ‘I didn’t imagine he would react in any way,’ she exclaimed. ‘After all, why should he? He never bothered about me all these years—’
‘That is not true!’ said Dimitri harshly. ‘You must not labour under that misapprehension!’
‘What do you mean?’ Her young face was strained.
‘Exactly what I say! Believe me, Miss Nicolas, this is as distasteful to me as it is to you, but it seems your mother has deceived you on various points. Your father did not abandon you without making absolutely certain you were well taken care of. And during the years since your parents’ divorce, he has regularly apprised himself of your activities.’
Joanne got unsteadily to her feet, and walked shakily across the room to where a tall window overlooked the bleak aspect of the car-park. ‘I – I can’t believe it,’ she said unevenly. ‘Why – why would my mother do a thing like that?’
Dimitri shrugged. ‘Who knows? Perhaps for the same reasons she discouraged every attempt Matt made to see you.’
Joanne swung round. ‘He tried to see me?’
‘When you were a child, yes. Your mother could not absolutely deny him the right when reasonable access had been granted by the courts, but she made it plain that any attempt he made to do so would meet with her disapproval and he realized that it would be impossible to have any kind of normal relationship with you without her condolence.’ Dimitri sighed. ‘Besides, he considered it unfair to place you between them like a bone of contention. I suppose later – after Marisa was born he became less aggressive, and Andrea naturally didn’t encourage his interest.’
‘This is the woman he married, of course,’ Joanne’s voice was chilled.
‘Yes.’
Joanne shook her head. ‘It’s incredible! I always thought my mother was completely independent. She worked, you know. She had an office job. I didn’t attribute her adequate income to anything except good housekeeping.’ She bit her lip. ‘Anyway, if my mother considered her reasons for keeping us apart were reasonable, I shouldn’t contest them.’
Dimitri studied her pale face. ‘Do you think her reasons were adequate?’
Joanne twisted the strap of her handbag. ‘I’m hardly in a position to judge. I was so young when – when they separated.’
Dimitri stifled an exclamation. ‘Obviously, it is impossible for us to discuss something so personal,’ he said brusquely. ‘However, my reasons for being here are impersonal, to me at least, and it is necessary that we should discuss them.’
‘You mean – my going to see my father?’
‘Of course.’
‘Well, that’s impossible! Absolutely impossible!’
Dimitri frowned. ‘Why?’
‘It’s not that simple,’ Joanne exclaimed. ‘I have a job to do. I can’t take time off – just like that.’
‘Then give up your job. Your father will support you.’ There was contempt in Dimitri’s expression now.
Joanne gave him an eloquent stare. ‘I prefer my independence,’ she averred quietly.
He shrugged. ‘What is your job?’
‘I’m a secretary to a group practice of doctors.’
‘Not an irreplaceable position,’ he commented dryly.
‘No. But I like it,’ she replied hotly. ‘And my holiday is fixed for June. I’m getting married then.’
‘Indeed?’ Dimitri’s voice was like ice. ‘While your father is slowly dying.’
Joanne gasped, and bent her head. ‘That’s a cruel thing to say,’ she whispered.
Dimitri took a deep breath. It was a cruel thing to say, he knew that, but he was fighting for Matt’s peace of mind. Until now it had never occurred to him that she might refuse, but to return to Matt with her refusal was untenable. Somehow she had got to be made to see sense. He clenched his fists, wishing he could simply demand that she accompany him, but he could not, and not even the hurt anguish in her eyes could deter him from doing everything in his power to get her to agree.
‘Have you ever been to Greece, Miss Nicolas?’ he asked now.
Joanne looked up. ‘No. When my parents were married my father worked in London.’
Dimitri considered this. ‘I suppose you do realize that your father is a Greek,’ he queried harshly.
Joanne stiffened. ‘Of course.’
‘Your letter was sent to the firm’s offices in Athens; don’t you know where your father actually lives?’
‘Why should I?’ she asked sharply.
Dimitri shrugged. ‘He owns an island, Dionysius. He and Andrea moved there almost ten years ago.’
Joanne compressed her lips. ‘That’s of no interest to me.’
‘Isn’t it? Aren’t you the faintest bit curious about your father? Or his second wife? Or your half-sister?’
‘What are you trying to do, Mr. Kastro?’
Dimitri clenched his fists. ‘I’m trying to make you see sense, Miss Nicolas,’ he said violently. ‘And I’m also trying to keep my temper in the face of extreme provocation!’
‘What do you mean?’
‘I mean you are a selfish young woman, Miss Nicolas, if you can continue with your life here with complete disregard for the man who sowed the seed of your conception in your mother’s womb!’ His dark face was contorted with his anger, and she moved uncomfortably.
‘What would you have me do?’ she cried.
‘I would have you go to Dionysius!’ he told her roughly. ‘I would have you make a dying man happy!’
She pressed the palms of her hands to her hot cheeks. ‘And what of my family? My fiancé?’
‘I am not asking you to abandon your fiancé,’ returned Dimitri impatiently. ‘Surely between now and June you could find the time to spend a visit with your father!’
Joanne looked confused. ‘And my job… .’ she murmured, almost to herself.
‘Leave it!’ he commanded coldly. ‘No doubt you will be leaving in June anyway.’
She frowned. ‘Why?’
‘You said you were getting married,’ he reminded her briefly.
‘In England a wife does not give up her job,’ returned Joanne, with a trace of humour.
Dimitri inclined his dark head. ‘That is indeed a pity,’ he commented expressionlessly.
She shook her head. ‘I need time to think – to talk this over with my fiancé.’
‘I presume the young man at the cemetery was your fiancé.’
‘That’s right.’
Dimitri gave a derogatory grimace. ‘Then I imagine your task will not be a pleasant one,’ he remarked. ‘I do not believe he will voice any enthusiasm for my suggestions.’
Joanne sighed. ‘Jimmy is possessive,’ she admitted.
‘He is also very stupid if he imagines a woman with independent tendencies like yourself appreciates such an attitude,’ Dimitri observed.
