Stella had attended college in New York, she’d met an American girl named Rachel Maynard. They had become best friends at a time when Stella had been recovering from what she could only look back on now as a nervous breakdown. When Theo Pantheras had deserted her and their unborn child, she’d allowed it to almost destroy her. Of course, that had been six years ago. She’d long since recovered, but the experience had caused her to lose her faith in men.
Still, with a vacation looming, none of that mattered now. She was eager to join Rachel, who’d married Stasio and who now had two little daughters, Cassie and Zoe, who adored Ari and he them. Everyone was looking forward to being together at the family villa on Andros and at some point her brother Nikos would be arriving from Switzerland with his wife Renate to vacation with them, too.
Nikos’s arrival was always a worry for Stella, because he had a nasty temper and could make life difficult when he wanted to. Hopefully, this time he’d be on his best behavior, but she didn’t know if it was possible.
Rather than be flown in Stasio’s helicopter, Stella planned to drive her and Ari this visit. She wanted the new car at her disposal as she sped around the island and enjoyed the glorious summer. Tomorrow morning they’d leave early and take the ferry from Rafina. Ari loved ships of all kinds and adored being on the water. So did she and couldn’t wait to get away from the city. It was starting to get overcrowded with tourists.
Once she’d pulled around the back of the house, she parked away from the trees and birds and hurried through the screened-in back porch where deliveries were left. When she entered the big kitchen, she saw the elderly housekeeper watering a plant at the sink.
“Yiasas, Iola. How was your day?”
She turned her gray head to look at Stella. “Busy.”
“Cheer up. Ari and I will be leaving in the morning. With Stasio’s family out of here, too, you’ll have three weeks to take it easy and enjoy yourself.” Stella gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I’m going upstairs to get packed.”
“Everything has been washed and dried. You want me to bring up the luggage?”
“Thank you, but my suitcase is already in my closet. We don’t need to take that much to the beach. Mine will hold both our things.”
Grabbing an apple from the basket, she took a big bite and headed for the staircase at the front of the house. When they weren’t on Andros, Stasio and Rachel lived at the villa on the third floor with the girls, she and Ari on the second. Nikos’s suite was on the first floor next to the pool, but he was rarely here.
Once she entered her suite adjoining Ari’s, she got to work. Ari had gone to spend the day with his school friend Dax, and Stella planned to pick him up at his friend’s house around four-thirty. That gave her an hour.
While she started gathering tops, shorts and swimsuits for both of them, the house phone rang once. She picked up the receiver at her bedside table. “What is it, Iola?”
“You need to come downstairs. The postman has a registered letter for you that only you can sign.”
Stella frowned. “Anything legal goes to Stasio’s office, but you already know that.”
“I told him, but he said this one is for you. He insists he has to deliver it into your hands, no one else’s.”
The postman could have done that while Stella had still been at the office. “I’ll be right down.”
What on earth was going on? Stella hung up the phone, eager to straighten out what was obviously a mistake so she could finish her packing. She hurried downstairs to the foyer and entered the front room.
“Yiasou.”
The postman nodded. “You are Despinis Estrella Athas?”
“Yes.” But no one ever addressed her by her birth name.
He thrust a clipboard at her. “Please sign the card on the bottom line to prove this was delivered to you personally.”
“May I ask who sent it?”
“I have no idea.”
Despite her irritation, Stella smiled while she wrote down her signature. “Don’t shoot the messenger, right?” But her comment was wasted on the postman, who remained stoic.
He took the clipboard and handed her the letter. “I’ll see myself out.”
Iola followed him to the front door and shut it behind him. Stella wandered into the foyer, more bemused than anything else by the interruption. “Perhaps I got caught speeding in my new car by one of those traffic cameras. You think?” Stella quipped.
“Aren’t you going to open it and find out?”
Stella had waited too long for her vacation to be bothered by anything now. “Maybe after I get back from our trip. After all, if this had been brought to the door tomorrow, I wouldn’t have been here.”
“But you signed for it today!”
“True. Why don’t you open it and tell me what it says while I finish packing.” She handed it to Iola before starting up the stairs to make inroads on her packing.
Stella fully expected the housekeeper to come rushing after her with the news, yet no such thing happened. In fact it was eerily quiet. After a few minutes Stella stepped out in the hall and walked to the head of the stairs.
“Iola?”
Total silence.
“Iola?” Stella called in a louder voice.
When nothing was forthcoming she raced down the stairs. No sign of her in the salon. “Iola?” She ran through the house to the kitchen, where she found her sitting on one of the kitchen chairs, her head in her hands. The letter lay open on the table.
As she started to reach for it, Iola grabbed it from her and pressed it to her ample bosom. “No! This is not for your eyes.”
The loyal housekeeper had been with their family since Stella had been in elementary school. She knew everything that went on under their roof. Stella had no doubt Iola would defend her to the death if the situation warranted it.
“What’s so terrible you don’t want me to see it?” Her question was met with quiet sobs. Stella sat down on the chair next to her and put a loving arm around her heaving shoulders. “Iola? Please. Let me see it.”
A minute passed before she handed Stella the one-page letter. Her eyes fell on the missive. It was handwritten in bold, decisive strokes that looked faintly familiar. Stella’s heart skipped a beat.
Dear Stella:
It’s been a long time since the last time we were together. After the letters I sent you came back unopened and I’d exhausted every possibility of finding you, I left for New York to work, but now I’m back in Athens for good.
I saw you walking near your villa with a boy who has Pantheras written all over him. He’s my flesh and blood, too.
You and I need to meet.
I
