disconcerting sound of that particular name shattered Prudence’s composure. Blushing like mad in her confusion, she averted her attention from her grandfather without even noticing the chilling curl of his thin mouth. ‘He’s…he’s kind,’ she framed finally, biting back a whole host of other, more enthusiastic words which she felt would have exposed her to the older man’s derision.
How could she possibly speak freely about Nikolos without revealing the depth of her feelings for him? She was in love for the first time in her life but that was her secret and she had no intention of sharing it with anyone. After all, Nikolos had the dark, dangerous beauty of a fallen angel and she was overweight and plain. It was a hopeless passion and she knew it.
‘How do you think Nikolos will handle poverty? At this very moment, the Angelis family are facing financial ruin. They’ll lose their homes, their cars, they’ll have to take the younger children out of their fancy schools and that will just be the beginning of their sufferings. After more than a century of wealth and ease, his parents will find it very difficult to adapt to such heavy losses.’ Theo watched the surprise and immediate concern blossoming in her expressive eyes. ‘But you have it within your power to save them all from that unhappy fate.’
‘How could I help them?’ Prudence exclaimed, shaken by the picture he had drawn.
‘By helping me. If you agree to marry the Angelis boy I’ll rescue his family and also take care of all your mother’s little problems. I will be very generous to all parties concerned and I am not a generous man as a rule.’
Prudence stared back at him in wide-eyed astonishment. As he spoke, her soft full mouth had parted several times as though she intended to break into speech but each time innate caution had made her hold back. ‘Me…agree to marry Nikolos Angelis? How on earth could that come about? It sounds totally mad…and I don’t understand how that would be helping you,’ she framed shakily.
‘There’s method in my madness.’ The portly older man poured a measure of brandy into a crystal glass. ‘I want a male heir, but with the exception of your father my own efforts in that direction have been unsuccessful. However, you’re young and healthy and so is the Angelis boy. If even half of the rumours about his virility are true, it shouldn’t take him very long to achieve the required result.’
His coarse laugh made agonised colour well up below his granddaughter’s skin. ‘I can’t believe you’re talking to me like this,’ she protested. ‘For goodness’ sake, Nikolos wouldn’t marry me…he wouldn’t want me—’
‘It’s not a matter of wanting, which is just as well, isn’t it? You’re no beauty,’ her grandfather pointed out with a casual cruelty that turned her white. ‘But, believe me, given the choice between marrying you and watching his precious family lose everything, Nikolos Angelis will take you as his bride—’
‘No…’ she muttered sickly, her hands tightly clenched in on themselves, for she was humiliated beyond bearing by his taunts.
‘He will. He is not a fool like his father. He’s strong and very loyal to his family. As for you, you do have Demakis blood in your veins and I’m giving you both a wonderful opportunity.’
‘That’s not how I see it…you’re talking about blackmailing Nikolos into marrying me!’
The older man fixed his steely gaze on her. ‘I dislike wild accusations. There is no blackmail,’ he specified with cold clarity. ‘I’m offering a helping hand in return for a favour. Turn your back on my generosity if you wish.’
‘It’s not a question of me doing that. Just please help me help my mother,’ she begged him in desperation.
‘Accept that I don’t care whether your mother goes to prison or drinks herself to death,’ Theo Demakis fielded drily. ‘Why would I care? What is she to me?’
‘Trixie might not be in the mess she’s in now if she hadn’t had such a battle to survive when I was a kid!’
His scorn unconcealed, Theo Demakis checked his watch. ‘Look out of the window…’
After a moment’s hesitation, Prudence scrambled up and stared down at the pristine gardens. She wondered what she was supposed to see when her mind was in so much turmoil that she was incapable of concentration. Belatedly she noticed the taxi waiting by the imposing front door.
‘That taxi is waiting to take you to the airport.’
Prudence was as startled by that announcement as he could have wished. ‘Now…you want me to leave?’
‘Your luggage has already been packed. If you say no to marrying the Angelis boy, I will send you home to the UK immediately and you will never hear from me again. Make your mind up and do it quickly.’
A sense of panic gripped Prudence. ‘Can’t you be reasonable about this? It’s so unfair to spring this on me and demand—’
The older man vented a cruel laugh of disagreement. ‘I think it unfair that you should show no appreciation for the fabulous future I am prepared to buy for you. You have your choice. Run back to your mother and see how grateful she is when she learns that you could have made her financially secure for life!’
Prudence flinched at that crack, for she knew that Trixie would consider such a reward her due after the sacrifices her single parenthood had entailed. In fact she clearly saw what her grandfather was doing and recognised the pressure he was bringing to bear on her. She considered herself strong and resilient, but the certainty of his cold, unforgiving malice frightened her and plunged her into despair. She knew that he meant what he said. He really didn’t care what happened to her and he would not give her the funds she needed to support her mother unless she did as he asked.
‘This is crazy,’ she muttered frantically. ‘Nikolos would never agree to marry me in a million years! For goodness’ sake, he’s dating Cassia Morikis…’
Theo Demakis shrugged. ‘So he’s sleeping with the Morikis girl. What’s that got to do with anything?’
Prudence blinked. ‘I…I just thought that if he loves her—’
‘So what if he does? That’s nothing to do with you. He will decide his own options. He’s Greek to the backbone. Believe me, family honour and practical, material considerations will be of much greater importance to him than the current slut in his bed.’
His cold-blooded indifference to her revelation and his careless reference to Nikolos’s sex life shook Prudence to the core.
‘Are you planning to take that cab ride to the airport?’ Theo prompted with impatience.
Prudence went rigid, stress flaring through her small frame like petrol thrown on a fire. Nikolos Angelis would never agree to marry her, she thought feverishly. The very idea of them as a couple was ludicrous. Cassia Morikis was a very beautiful girl: tall and slender as a reed, she had glorious platinum-blonde hair and dainty, doll-like features. But why was she working herself up over something that was most unlikely to ever happen? Why was she daring to inflame her grandfather’s temper with her objections? She had to keep her mother’s needs centre stage in her mind; Trixie had first call on her loyalty and concern. Surely she could safely leave Nikolos to refuse the marriage proposition out of hand for both of them? Her grandfather could scarcely blame her for her prospective bridegroom’s reluctance!
‘Answer me,’
