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He looked at her coldly, and as she clinked her glass to his, it felt like a door was slamming shut.

Chapter 12

Shauna was excited as she left the post office in Ithos. On arriving to the island, she’d sent a postcard to Roxy, telling her to write to her at the poste restante on Ithos as soon as she knew when she would be arriving. It seemed like a lifetime since her friend had left Monaco for a French adventure with Thierry, and Shauna knew they would both have so much to tell each other. She couldn’t wait for Roxy to meet Demetrios, she knew they would like each other.

She ripped open the airmail letter and scanned the page quickly but was surprised when there were only a few scribbled lines:

I’m leaving France and Thierry and heading your way. Will be there sooner than we said. Don’t leave without me. Roxy XXX

Shauna wondered what on earth this could mean. Maybe there’d been a falling out between them? Roxy could be quite intense and full of enthusiasm; she’d thought all along that Thierry was too old for her. Whatever the reason, Shauna couldn’t wait to be reunited with her friend. Life on the boat had been amazing and Demetrios was … She smiled, remembering how his touch made her feel. She’d longed to be able to talk about how much he meant to her, how special he was, to let someone else in on their secret romance, someone who would be happy for her.

They had spent every day of that first week on Ithos together, and even after the crew came back from leave they had continued to sneak away whenever they could, taking the small boat out to their private island. She felt as if there had never been a moment when she hadn’t known him – he seemed to fill up every part of her, her heart and her mind as well as … She felt that familiar flutter in her stomach at the thought of their lovemaking, the way he explored every inch of her body and encouraged her to be adventurous.

The town clock in the village square chimed and Shauna was astonished to see that it was four o’clock already. She had completely lost track of the time. She’d taken the steep walk to the foot of the mountain that dominated the village to drink in the view. Since arriving, the place had stolen her heart almost as much as Demetrios had. Time seemed to stand still here, as if nothing had changed in centuries. The local farmers still loaded up their donkeys with fresh produce for the weekly market. Old ladies dressed in black sat on their doorsteps, shelling white broad beans; younger women sat chatting to one another as they fixed their husbands nets. The younger locals would gather in the village square of an evening, their flirtatious laughter ringing out through the cobbled streets. The scent of wild jasmine filled the air, while bright red geraniums struggled to gain a toehold through cracks in the paving stones, and the pink bougainvillea that was so typically and unmistakably Greek flourished everywhere you looked. Ithos really was a magical place.

Shauna took a seat outside one of the small tavernas and wrote a postcard to her parents. She didn’t tell them about Demetrios; she wasn’t ready to admit to them that she was rethinking her entire future. She’d been wondering whether she should apply to defer her studies in Manchester for a year, so she could stay on with Demetrios. She’d even fantasized about how it would be if he came to Manchester to be with her. She smiled to herself, struggling to see Demetrios slumming it in student halls. Would he do that? She frowned, realizing that she was running away with herself. He had told her he loved her, and she believed him. No doubt they would talk about it over the coming weeks.

Of one thing she was certain, though: there was no way she was ready to go home yet.

Shauna took the gangway in giant leaps. Demetrios might be a little cross with her as she was back later than she’d said, but she’d placate him with the new bikini she had bought with the wages she had saved. It was silver, with little strings at the side of the bottoms – they could have fun untying them …

There was no sign of him on any of the decks, so she hurried to his suite. He wasn’t there either, and the place had a strange, empty feel about it. She looked into the wardrobe and his clothes and belongings were gone. She pulled open his T-shirt drawer, which was empty too, apart from a white envelope. Shauna lifted it out to look inside. There were two First Class tickets to New York. What could that mean? She knew he loved the city, but he hadn’t mentioned anything about a trip.

She looked around, puzzled now, and then she saw a postcard on the bedside table. A sick feeling washed over her. She didn’t want to pick it up or to read what was written on it, but she found herself drawn to it all the same. The picture on the front was of the harbour at Ithos; just an ordinary postcard that any tourist might buy to send home. She turned it over and recognized his handwriting and read the words Demetrios had written:

My dear Beauty

Always have hope. We have our dreams. Remember our souls will always burn brighter.

Don’t wait for me …

Shauna gasped, a wave of anguish gripped her. Was he saying goodbye? Before she could even process that thought, she heard a footstep outside. Relief flooded her, her imagination was running wild, of course, that would be him now. He’d take her in his arms and tell her off for being silly.

But instead of the face that made her heart sing, it was Jeremy who appeared at the door. His face was set hard, no smile for her, and none of his cheery banter.

‘Shauna, I’ve been looking for you. Please collect your things. There is no easy way of saying this, so I won’t try and cushion it for you – you’re fired.’

Shauna’s heart beat furiously in her chest. ‘I … what do you mean … I haven’t done anything wrong.’

‘I’m afraid that’s not true, is it? We have rules about the crew abusing their position and you’ve been seen skiving off when you should have been working to conduct an illicit liaison with a member of the Theodosis family. It’s strictly off limits, and I’ve been instructed to dismiss you.’

She could barely get the words out. ‘By whom?’

‘By me.’ A beautiful woman in her late forties or early fifties entered the cabin. There was no mistaking the family resemblance, this was Elena Theodosis, Demetrios’s mother.

‘Pack your things and get out,’ she said, her voice cold and harsh.

Shauna stood her ground. ‘I won’t go until I see Demetrios. He won’t let this happen.’

The woman took a step towards her, her eyes flashing. ‘Demetrios does as he is told.’ She eyed Shauna as if sizing her up. ‘You are different from his usual type. A pretty thing, but just one of many, I am afraid. You think you are something special to him, but you are wrong.’

‘You’re the one who’s wrong. Demetrios loves me.’ Shauna felt her voice crack, she felt so vulnerable, so alone in that moment. Where was he, how could he abandon her to this cruelty?

The woman turned to Jeremy. ‘Get her out, will you? Give her money if necessary, but I want her off the island tonight.’

Shauna’s tears were flowing now but she could feel her anger rising. ‘I don’t want your money. I don’t want anything from you.’

‘Suit yourself …’ She took a step closer, and Shauna could smell the woman’s expensive perfume – Chanel or Givenchy. Something classic. ‘Your tears are very sad, and I would feel sorry for you if only I hadn’t seen this happen so many times before. But Demetrios has his priorities, and this little holiday romance isn’t one of them.’