Chapter 10
Jessica was reading her book at the table when they poked their heads into the garden.
‘Coffee?’ Edie asked, managing to force a smile, though her face and cheeks felt tight and rigid.
‘I’ve got some, thanks.’ Jessica looked up and held aloft a white-and-blue-striped mug. ‘I wasn’t sure what time you’d be down, or I’d have made a big pot.’
‘No worries.’ Edie bobbed back indoors, where Ralph was filling the kettle. ‘Who’s there?’ he asked, with a frown.
‘Just Jessica. She seems quite normal today.’
His frown deepened. ‘Hm.’
He and Edie sat on the opposite side of the table from Jessica while they spread butter and honey on some bread rolls from yesterday, which they’d warmed in the oven.
Jessica seemed disinclined to speak and soon put her nose back in her book, which suited Ralph and Edie fine.
They chatted quietly about this and that until they’d finished eating.
‘What do you fancy doing today?’ Edie asked her husband, reaching across the table for the big pot of coffee he’d made and topping herself up. ‘After your walk with Mac, I mean.’
At this, Jessica glanced up momentarily before feigning disinterest and returning to the page. Edie could tell she was listening, though.
‘Um, not sure.’ Ralph poured himself more coffee, too. ‘I haven’t seen the village yet, remember. Maybe we could wander down to the beach there and have a swim.’
On hearing voices inside, they froze. Edie had a chunk of crusty bread in her mouth, which hurt her throat when she tried to swallow it down.
Soon, Hannah appeared, quickly followed by Mac.
Hannah looked quite different from last night: fresh and attractive in a pale blue sundress, which Edie hadn’t seen before. Her blonde hair was still damp from the shower and she was wearing a thin gold necklace and gold studs in her ears.
‘Morning!’ she said with a dazzling smile, as if nothing had happened. ‘How did you all sleep?’
Before anyone had time to reply, Mac, in a clean white T-shirt, jeans shorts and bare feet, stretched his arms above his head and yawned.
‘I must’ve slept for ten or eleven hours,’ he announced, still stretching.
You could see a sliver of pale tummy between the end of his T-shirt and the beginning of his waistband.
‘Me too. I think we both needed it.’ Hannah shot her husband a small, secretive smile before walking over to the table and helping herself to what was left of the coffee.
Then she and Mac sat down, reached for plates, knives, bread rolls, butter and honey and proceeded to eat with gusto.
Edie was so surprised she didn’t know how to respond. Hannah’s smile said it all: they’d obviously made up in the time-honoured way.
If the evidence wasn’t staring Edie in the face, she’d have thought it was too late for that, given Mac’s threatening behaviour. She presumed the others felt the same way, as they were silent, too.
‘D’you fancy a walk, Mac, just you and I?’ Ralph asked at last. ‘I thought we could head for Sweetwater Beach along the coast. It should take about an hour and we can either walk back or get the ferry.’
Mac glanced at Hannah and the pair communicated something with their eyes.
‘Actually, Hannah and I thought we’d push off on our own for a bit, if you don’t mind,’ Mac replied after a pause. ‘We might investigate that ruined Venetian castle. We won’t be gone that long. We just thought it would be nice, you know, after yesterday?—’
‘Of course,’ Ralph said quickly. ‘We can do Sweetwater another day.’
‘I’m heading to Knossos.’
They all turned to Jessica, who had put down her book and was wiping the corners of her mouth with a napkin.
‘I’ll get the ferry to Chora Sfakion then a bus to Heraklion.
Then it’s just another, shortish bus ride to the ancient palace.
It’ll take about four and a half hours in all so I’ll spend the night there tonight.
I’ve booked a hotel. I think I’ll get up very early tomorrow to look round the site. There won’t be enough time today.’
‘Great! You can take lots of photos for your pupils.’ Mac’s comment seemed innocent enough but there was no mistaking the caustic tone.
Ralph rubbed his hands together, ostensibly to remove the breadcrumbs.
‘Fine.’ He looked at Edie. ‘So that leaves just you and me. I guess we’ll have to entertain ourselves.’
He made a mock-sad face but Edie could sense his underlying delight.
‘Let’s go to the village beach as you suggested,’ she said, also trying not to sound too cheerful. ‘We could maybe have some lunch in one of the cafés.’
She glanced at Hannah. ‘We’ll pick something up for supper at the mini-market. And for breakfast tomorrow, too.’
‘No. That’s not fair.’ Mac’s sudden interruption made everyone stop and stare.
‘You don’t want to have to carry everything home at the end of the day. You’ll be too tired. I’ll nip down to the village now and pick up some stuff. It won’t take me long. Hannah and I can go for our walk afterwards.’
Hannah frowned. ‘You’ll be knackered by the time you get back. You won’t want another walk.’
‘She’s right,’ Edie agreed. ‘And there’ll be too much to carry for one person.’
But Mac was adamant. ‘I insist.’ He ran a hand through his hair.
‘I’ll jog both ways. I need the exercise.
To be honest, it’ll do me good. I’ve been thinking I should take up running again.
I used to run a lot in my twenties and thirties.
I’m not sure why I stopped. I’ll probably be shocked by my speed, or rather lack of it. ’
Ralph pushed his chair back and scratched his neck. ‘I should offer to come with you, mate, but I can’t face the uphill bit on the way back. Sorry.’
Mac shook his head. ‘Nah. Don’t be. I reckon I’ll do it in an hour, give or take, if I don’t have any stops.’
Hannah made a face. ‘Well, I’m definitely not coming with you. No stops sounds like torture. I’d probably pass out. I’ll save myself for the Venetian castle. I know my limits.’
Mac gave a half-smile. ‘Wise move. I won’t be long, promise.’
He seemed dead set on the idea, and Edie thought it would be a relief for her and Ralph not to have to shop later on.
‘If you’re sure…’ she said doubtfully.
‘I am.’
It was hard for her and Ralph not to cheer after they said goodbye to Jessica, who set off purposefully straight after breakfast, wearing her rucksack.
‘I’ll be back sometime tomorrow evening,’ she said, opening the heavy oak front door and stepping out into the hot sun.
‘No rush,’ Ralph muttered when she was just out of earshot. ‘I reckon she’ll need at least two nights to soak up the atmosphere.’
Edie giggled. ‘Shh.’
‘With any luck she’ll bump into the Minotaur in the labyrinth and that’ll be that.’
Soon, Mac appeared in running shorts, a white vest top and trainers. It was noticeable that neither he nor Jessica had suggested starting the trip to the village together.
‘Do you want to take some shopping bags?’ Edie asked Mac, but he said he didn’t want to have to carry anything except keys; he’d rather get bags at the shop.
It was only after he’d left that Edie realised he hadn’t asked what food to buy. Perhaps Hannah had given him a list, or maybe he had his own ideas.
Once Edie, Ralph and Hannah had tidied up the breakfast things, Hannah went upstairs to read her book.
‘I’ll be amazed if Mac makes it in an hour,’ she said. ‘I reckon it’ll be more like two.’
Ralph decided to do some lengths in the pool before he and Edie headed to the beach. She guessed he felt a bit guilty about not going running with Mac, and was trying to compensate.
Meanwhile, Edie sat at the patio table again and quickly checked her emails before phoning Maisie first, then Ollie.
He hadn’t been in touch since she’d been away.
She wasn’t surprised. Like a lot of boys, he wasn’t particularly communicative and tended to ring only if he was feeling down or needed cash or a lift.
‘How’s it going?’ he asked, sounding distracted. There was a lot of noise in the background; he said he and several friends were staying at another mate’s house for a few days, while the parents were on a long weekend away.
‘I hope you’re looking after the place,’ Edie said.
Ollie sighed. ‘That’s such a mum comment. Obviously, we had a rave last night and we’re sniffing lines of leftover coke right now.’
Edie managed a humourless laugh. ‘Very funny. Not.’
Ralph walked by in a towel, dripping water on the ground. He’d finished his lengths and was on the way upstairs to shower.
‘Gotta go,’ Edie told Ollie. ‘We’re off to the beach in a moment. Take care. Love you.’
In truth, she was quite relieved to have an excuse to wind up the conversation, which was giving her the jitters. Ollie was pretty sensible and she trusted him, mostly.
But there was always a little niggle at the back of her mind telling her everyone slipped up occasionally and could do something out of character. Especially if, like Ollie, you were just nineteen and away from home for the first time.
Rising, she picked up her phone and glass of water and strolled into the kitchen. Her beach bag was already packed and she was ready to go as soon as Ralph came down.
As she rinsed out her glass in the sink, her ears pricked at the sound of a key in the front door lock. Someone entered the villa and she could hear footsteps on the marble hallway floor and heavy breathing.
It must be Mac. She checked the time. But he’d been gone just under an hour. Speedy.
When she went to find him, he was at the bottom of the stairs, bent over and taking off his trainers.
‘Goodness! You were quick.’
She noticed the large, dark sweaty patch on the back of his top and his glistening arms and shoulders. His knees were covered in dirt and his hands, too, by the looks of it.
‘Did you fall over?’
He glanced up at her, before slipping the trainers off his feet and rising. ‘I tripped over a rock, annoyingly. No damage done, I’m pleased to say.’
‘Are you sure?’
He showed her his palms, which were grimy but unscratched.
Edie breathed in and out slowly.