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you are shirking it! You're afraid of being caught but if you were half as
clever as your great-grandfather you'd be able to get away with a killing
every day of your life!'
Sarah shuddered ... and knew that Charon had noticed. He stared, holding
her gaze with his, but she did not make another slip and after a while he
looked away, returning his attention to his grandmother, who was glowering
evilly at him.
'I think it best that you leave,' said Charon coolly at length. 'Take Elena with
you and please do not trouble me with her again,' he added frowningly. 'The
affair is over, and she has known this for some time.'
'I'm no longer interested in Elena! It's this Pavromichalis scum that I want!'
'You'll not get her.'
The old woman's nostrils flared.
'I demand that you hand her over!'
'The girl's mine and I intend keeping her until I tire of her.'
'And then?'
'We shall see.'
'No! I want a firm promise that she'll be handed over to me!'
'I can give you no such promise,' he returned slowly. 'Let us leave her
ultimate fate in abeyance for the time being.'
Sarah, sitting very still, her whole body wet with perspiration, felt suddenly
as if this were a dreadful nightmare from which she would eventually
awake. For it seemed so unreal, so utterly impossible in these modern times.
Tales she had been told of the Deep Mani and its peoples had at the time of
telling seemed rather like fairytales gruesome, it was true, but fairytales
for all that.
Charon's grandmother was speaking again, so quickly and excitedly that
Sarah was unable to catch more than the odd word now and then. She made
no sense of these few words she heard but she was in no doubt that what the
woman was saying annoyed her grandson exceedingly. At last he said, his
tone unpleasantly hard and derisive,
'You've gone quite far enough, Grandmother. I've said my last word about
who shall have her. I keep her get that!'
She glowered at him, and for a space it seemed that a serious quarrel would
ensue. But quite unexpectedly the old woman seemed to accept her
grandson's authority and when at length she spoke again it was to
reintroduce the matter of Elena. Charon broke in, reminding her of what he
had just said that he did not want to be troubled with the girl again.
'Perhaps you don't, Charon, but she's the most suitable girl you've had up till
now. I feel she'll make you a tolerably good wife.'
'No doubt you do,' returned Charon stiffly, 'but it so happens that I do not
feel she'll make me a tolerably good wife.'
'How annoying you are! Marriage is imperative for you!'
'Nonsense!'
His grandmother drew a deep breath and rose from her chair. Sarah also rose
and spoke, saying what she knew they would expect her to say.
'Madam are you going to help me get back to Athens?'
The woman's mouth twisted into evil lines.
'No, miss, I am not! My grandson wants you for his toy and it is not for me
to spoil his pleasure!' She swept from the room, leaving Sarah standing
there, every nerve in her body affected by the fury that engulfed her. The
woman stopped outside the door and spoke to Charon, who had
accompanied her.
'Elena will have a very valuable dowry. You've probably overlooked this?'
'I haven't overlooked anything. When the time comes for me to marry if
ever it does come I believe I shall be quite capable of making my own
choice.'
'Bah!' retorted his grandmother disgustedly.
'You seem to forget that Elena's been my pillow- friend,' Charon reminded
her. 'I'd never respect a wife who'd given herself as freely as she.' He looked
over his grandmother's shoulder, and met Sarah's gaze. She lowered her
head, certain that if she met his eyes for any length of time he must surely
learn that she understood what was being said. 'This one, now, will fight me
until she has no strength left in her body.'
'Respect?' repeated his grandmother, ignoring his reference to Sarah. 'Am I
to understand you're wanting to respect the woman who'll one day be your
wife?'
Faintly he smiled.
'Unbelievable as it might seem to you, yes, I do want to respect the woman
who becomes my wife.'
'How very odd.' The woman turned her head to glance at Sarah.
'You sound as if you already have respect for this one!'
'Strange as it might seem to you, Grandmother, I do have a certain amount of
respect for her.'
'A Pavromichalis brat?'
'Don't worry,' laughed Charon, 'I'm not likely to forget who she is. Respect
her I might, but give quarter I shall not.'
'I'm glad to hear it,' snapped his grandmother. 'We want no English women
in our family!'
Another laugh, a harsh and grating laugh that caused a sudden frown to cross
Sarah's forehead.
'A Pavromichali woman is the last I'd think of marrying!' [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]