Chapter 5 #3
In the very centre of the hall was a polished dark wood table on which sat an unusual, chunky, greenish-grey ceramic vase with a round bottom and narrow neck. There was something very pleasing about the irregular shape and uneven texture, and the piece could only have been made by hand.
Another, bigger archway at the end of the hall led into a dining room with a cream-coloured marble table, flecked with black. It was so large, it could easily seat at least twelve people.
From here, Katerina showed them into the kitchen at the back of the villa, which was a spacious, square-shaped room painted yellow and white, with French doors overlooking the garden.
It seemed to have everything they needed, including a brand-new dishwasher and a giant, American-style fridge-freezer. There was even a heavenly scent of citrus in the air, thanks to the lusty-looking lemon tree growing just outside the open window.
Beyond the kitchen lay a shady patio, complete with a rectangular wooden table and chairs. It was here, Edie decided, that they’d eat most of their meals.
Next, she followed a small pathway through a trellised archway, covered in climbing roses and a trailing vine. The others followed a little way behind.
Soon, she reached the main pool area, looking out over the mountains, town and sea. Five wooden sun loungers, with thick yellow cushions, beckoned invitingly from an area to the left, shaded by leafy foliage.
On the other side of the pool was a walled courtyard, largely hidden behind lush trees. On investigation, Edie was intrigued to find this housed a square-shaped plunge pool, decorated with beautiful blue and white mosaic tiles.
At the far end, water trickled out of the open mouth of a fierce-looking, bearded man’s face, which was made of white stone, stained green in places by algae.
‘I wonder who that’s supposed to be?’ Hannah said, pointing at the fountain.
‘Poseidon, I expect,’ Jessica replied, coming alongside. She stuck her hands in her jeans pockets and tilted her head, studying him from afar. ‘He was God of the sea, earthquakes, horses and storms.’
Hannah put her hands in her own pockets and stared at Jessica, wide-eyed.
‘Is there anything you don’t know?’ She seemed genuinely amazed.
Jessica gave a small smile. ‘Oh yes. Lots.’
Edie pursed her lips. She was beginning to find the hero worship a tiny bit bugging.
‘This’d be a great place for nude sunbathing,’ she commented, changing the subject.
‘And skinny-dipping,’ Hannah replied with a wink.
Mac must have overheard because he came up behind his wife, wrapped his arms round her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder. Ralph was on the other side of the pool, deep in conversation with Katerina about something.
‘Did I hear you say skinny-dip?’ Mac asked with a grin. ‘Can I watch?’
‘You must be joking!’ Hannah said sharply, shaking him off.
He wasn’t to be deterred that easily, though.
‘Aww! Why not?’ The whiny childish voice he used was probably supposed to be funny. ‘I’ll hide behind a tree. You can’t stop me.’
But Hannah wasn’t amused and remained silent, scowling at him.
‘I’d be careful if I were you,’ Jessica piped up all of a sudden.
Mac’s focus shifted and his eyes narrowed. ‘Why’s that?’
‘You know what happened to the hunter, Actaeon?’
He shook his head. ‘No, but I’m sure you’re going to tell me.’
‘When he saw the goddess Artemis bathing naked, she was so angry she turned him into a deer and he was torn to pieces by his own hounds.’
‘That’s terrible!’ Edie said, with a nervous laugh. ‘A bit over the top of her, don’t you think?’
Mac ignored the comment and remained fixed on Jessica, who held his gaze.
‘It’s different if it’s your wife,’ he said slowly and deliberately. ‘I’ve seen it all before, remember.’
Jessica didn’t flinch. ‘I think you’ll find the law disagrees with you. A woman’s body is her own, whether or not she’s married. Spying on your wife without her consent is still voyeurism.’
Mac’s mouth twisted and his eyes darkened. Edie’s pulse started racing. The mood had taken an unpleasant turn and she stared hard at Ralph, who was still talking to Katerina, willing him to sense something was wrong and come to her rescue.
She was about to call him when Mac gave a loud, unexpected laugh. There was no humour in it, but the tension lifted. Katerina must have heard and started making her way towards them.
‘Follow me! I’ll quickly show you the rest of the villa, then I’ll leave you to settle in. You must be tired after your journey.’
Edie took a deep breath and waited for Ralph before trailing after the housekeeper. He must have picked up on his wife’s anxiety because he caught her eye and mouthed, ‘You OK?’
Nodding, she mouthed ‘Yes’ back. She’d have to wait till they were alone to tell him what had happened.
She was thankful the upstairs didn’t disappoint. At least one thing was going right. All the bedrooms were simply but tastefully decorated with linen blinds in shades of orange, red and blue, original paintings and wooden floors scattered with rustic, woven rugs.
Two of the rooms had balconies and stunning views, while the third was slightly smaller, though still a double with an en suite, and it looked out over the back garden.
‘I’ll take this one,’ Jessica said, plonking her backpack on the bed.
‘Are you sure?’ Edie asked, relieved. If she were the only single person in the group, she’d have done the same, but she wasn’t certain about Jessica.
While the others unpacked, Edie and Ralph went back downstairs with Katerina, who handed over a spare set of keys.
‘Don’t forget your supper’s in the fridge,’ she said.
‘We won’t,’ Edie promised. ‘Thank you.’
‘You might like a cup of tea and one of my kalitsounia pastries,’ the old woman went on. ‘They’re made with thyme honey from our local mountain bees. It’s very good for you, you know. It protects the heart and kidneys and it’s an antiseptic, too.’
‘How amazing!’ said Ralph, who had a sweet tooth. ‘I can’t wait to try it.’
They were standing just inside the front door now and Katerina appeared to be on the point of leaving. Without any warning, however, she suddenly stopped and looked up intently at Ralph then Edie, pausing on their features, taking her time with each of them, as if seeking something out.
Edie scratched her arm uneasily.
‘You are a good couple,’ Katerina said at last, still gazing at them.
Edie felt as if she were being examined under a microscope.
‘Please, look after what you have. It’s very precious.’
It was such an odd comment, Edie’s mouth dropped open and she was lost for words. Ralph, though, remained composed.
‘Thank you for your advice,’ he said slowly, in a voice Edie knew well.
It was his professional, polite-but-firm, ‘I mean business’ tone – the one he used for tricky clients making unreasonable demands or refusing to pay up.
‘I think we both value our marriage. We know perfectly well how lucky we are,’ he went on.
‘Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’d like to settle in. ’
If Katerina was offended by the brush-off, she didn’t show it.
‘Of course!’ she said, clapping her hands. ‘How rude of me! I mustn’t detain you any longer.’
With that, she pulled her ready-folded, blue and white scarf out of her bag and knotted it beneath her chin before opening the door and stepping outside.
‘You are going to have a very big adventure,’ she added, turning briefly to give them both a strange, close-lipped smile that seemed to whisper of hidden truths and secrets never to be told.