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Elana sighed. ‘I am not sure that is true. He spends more time building boats with Christian down at that boathouse of his than he does managing the business.’

Ariana rested her hand on her chin and said dreamily, ‘Christian.’

Her grandmother tutted at her. ‘Your head is full of romantic dreams. Why must you worry your father so, Ari?’

‘I don’t worry him. He just doesn’t want me hanging around and getting in the way of his precious boats.’

‘That isn’t true. He loves you more than anything else in the world, but you are like your mother: too headstrong.’ Elana spooned out the mixture onto the phyllo pastry and then drizzled sweetened honey syrup over it.

‘It isn’t my fault Papa has always been so dutiful. Not everyone wants to work, work, work.’ She reached over to pick at the gooey mixture.

Her grandmother slapped Ariana’s fingers away.

‘Ouch!’

‘It serves you right. No picking!’ Elana said sharply. ‘Anyway, your father knew what duty meant. He made sacrifices for the good of the family.’

‘Didn’t he ever want to do anything else?’

Her grandmother hesitated before answering. ‘Maybe … once.’

At that moment, Demetrios came into the kitchen and kissed his mother on the cheek. Ariana was still cross with her father and turned her face away as he leaned towards her.

‘Suit yourself.’ He shrugged.

She scowled at him. ‘When these are ready, I am going to take them down and give them to Teresa for the party tonight.’

Demetrios eyed his daughter suspiciously. ‘She will think that you are after something.’

Ariana fluttered her eyes innocently. ‘Who, me?’

Demetrios rolled his eyes. ‘More time-wasting. You should be preparing to take up your place at Oxford in the autumn.’

‘Papa, we have had this conversation a million times: I don’t want to go back to England.’

‘Fine, then go somewhere else – Harvard, the Sorbonne. You must have an education if you are to make your way in life. You have a good brain and you should use it.’

‘What is wrong with life on Ithos? You spend all of your time here now.’

‘There is nothing wrong with life on Ithos, but … I need you by my side running the business when you are old enough.’

‘I don’t want to work in shipping, it’s so boring.’

‘Look at Rupert Murdoch and his daughter – she is as sharp as he is. You will feel differently in a few years.’

‘No, I won’t! You can’t force me!’ she shouted.

‘You should want to do it.’ He had raised his voice now.

‘Well, I’m not going to.’

Elana intervened. ‘Stop this childish argument, both of you. Ari, pack up these pastries and take them to the taverna. Tell Teresa I will see her later.’

Ariana’s eyes flashed defiantly, but she did as she was told. She was sick of being treated like one of her father’s possessions, and she was going to do exactly what she wanted to, whether he liked it or not.

Demetrios sat brooding in his office, sipping at a cognac as he worked out his next step. He knew getting angry with his daughter was a mistake, but her wilfulness enraged him. He checked his post again. Still no reply. Contacting Shauna had been a mistake. He should never have allowed hope to rear its head in his life. Now he felt like a fool. An immature, lovesick teenage boy.

He had received a letter from the office of Isaac Orvitz some weeks ago, acknowledging receipt and confirming that his gift had been passed on, so he knew Shauna had received the book of sonnets. He had hoped that she would remember the poems from their time together, that she would reach out to him as he had reached out to her in sending the letter. He chided himself; of course she wouldn’t want to have anything to do with him. He should have tried harder all those years ago – she had probably forgotten who he was.