visible—copious large stone pots adorned the terrace, lush with plants, creating a little oasis.
‘Oh, it’s so lovely!’ she exclaimed spontaneously, her face lighting up.
Anatole smiled, feeling a kick go through him at her visible pleasure, at how it made her eyes shine, and set down the champagne and flutes on a little ironwork table flanked by two chairs.
‘A private green haven,’ he said. ‘Cities aren’t my favourite places, so when I’m forced to be in them—which is all too often, alas—I like to be as green as I can. It’s one of the reasons,’ he went on, ‘that I like penthouse apartments—they come with roof terraces.’
He paused to open the champagne with a soft pop of the cork, then handed her one of the empty flutes.
‘Keep it slightly tilted,’ he instructed as he poured it half full, letting the liquid foam, but not too much. Then he filled his own glass and lifted it to her, looking down at her. She really was petite, he found himself thinking again. And for some reason it made him feel...protective.
It was an odd thought. Unfamiliar to him when it came to women.
He smiled down at her. She was gazing up at him, and the expression in her eyes sent that kick through him again. He lifted his glass, indicating that she should do the same, which she did, glancing at the foaming liquid as if she could not believe it was in her hand.
‘Yammas,’ he said.
She looked confused.
‘It’s cheers in Greek,’ he elucidated.
‘Oh,’ she said, ‘that’s what you are! I knew you must be foreign, because of your name, but I didn’t know what—’
She coloured. Had she sounded rude? She hadn’t meant to. London was incredibly multicultural—there had been no reason to say he was ‘foreign’. He was probably as British as she was—
‘I’m sorry,’ she said, looking dismayed. ‘I didn’t mean to imply—’
‘No,’ he said, reassuringly. ‘I am foreign. I’m a Greek national. But I do a lot of work in London because it’s a major financial hub. I live in Greece, though.’ He smiled again, wanting to set her at her ease. ‘Have you ever been to Greece? For a holiday, maybe?’
Tia shook her head. ‘We went to Spain when I was little,’ she said. ‘When my dad was still alive and before mum got MS.’ She swallowed, looking away.
‘It’s good to have memories,’ Anatole said quietly. ‘Especially of family holidays as a child.’
Yes—it was good to have such memories. Except he didn’t have any. His school holidays—breaks from boarding at the exclusive international school in Switzerland he’d attended from the age of seven—had been spent either at friends’ houses or rattling around the huge Kyrgiakis mansion in Athens, with no one except the servants around.
His parents had been busy with their own more important lives.
When he’d reached his teens he’d taken to spending a few weeks with his uncle—his father’s older brother. Vasilis had never been interested in business or finance. He was a scholar, content to bury himself in libraries and museums, using the Kyrgiakis money to fund archaeological research and sponsor the arts. He disapproved of his younger brother’s amatory dissoluteness, but never criticised him openly. He was a lifelong bachelor, and Anatole had found him kindly, but remote—though very helpful in coaching him in exam revision and for university entrance.
Anatole had come to value him increasingly for his wise, quiet good sense.
He cleared his thoughts. ‘Well, here’s to your first trip to Greece—which I’m sure you’ll make one day.’ He smiled, tilting his glass again at Tia, then taking a mouthful of the softly beading champagne. He watched her do likewise, very tentatively, as if she could not believe she was doing so.
‘Is this real champagne?’ she asked as she lowered her glass again.
Anatole’s mouth twitched. ‘Definitely,’ he assured her. ‘Do you like it?’
And suddenly, out of nowhere, a huge smile split her face, transforming the wary nervousness of her expression. ‘It’s gorgeous!’ she exclaimed.
Just like you are!
Those were the words blazing in her head, as she gazed at the man who was standing there, who had scooped up the crumpled heap she’d made on the road and brought her here, to this beautiful apartment, to drink champagne—the first champagne she’d ever tasted.
Should I pinch myself? Is this real—is this really, really real?
She wanted it to be—oh, how she wanted it to be! But she could scarcely believe it.
Maybe the single mouthful of champagne had made her bold. ‘This is so incredibly kind of you!’ she said in a rush.
Kind? The word resonated in Anatole’s head. Was he being kind? He’d told himself he was, but was the truth different?
Am I just being incredibly, recklessly self-indulgent?
He lifted his glass again. Right now he didn’t care. His only focus was on this lovely woman—so young, so fresh, so breathtakingly captivating in her simple natural beauty.
She is practising no arts to attract me, making no eyes at me, and she asks nothing of me—
He smiled, his expression softening, a tinge of humour at his mouth. ‘Drink up,’ he said, ‘we’ve a whole bottle to get through!’
He took another mouthful of the fine vintage, encouraging her to do likewise.
She was looking around her as she sipped, out over the rooftops of the houses nearby. ‘It’s nice to think,’ she heard herself say, ‘that even though up here used to be the attics, where the servants lived, they got this view!’
Anatole laughed. ‘Well, the attics have certainly gone up in the world since then!’ he answered, thinking of the multi-million-pound price tag this apartment had come with. ‘And it’s good that those days are gone. Any house staff these days get a lot better than attics to live in, and they are very decently paid.’
Probably, he found himself adding silently, a lot more than you get as a care worker...
He frowned. Essential though such work was, surely it would be good if she aspired to something more in her life?
‘Tell me,’ he said, taking some more of his champagne, then topping up both their glasses, ‘what do you want to do with your life? I know care work is important, but surely you won’t want to do it for ever?’
Even as he asked the question it dawned on him that never in his life had he come across anyone from her background. All the women he knew were either in high-powered careers or trust fund princesses. Completely a different species from this young woman with her sad, impoverished, hard-working life.
Tia bit her lip, feeling awkward suddenly. ‘Well, because I was off school a lot, looking after Mum, I never passed my exams, so I can’t really go to college. And, though
