‘Don’t worry, you’ll get the market price,’ returned Markos. ‘I can afford it. Profits on all my divisions are soaring.’
‘Well, soaring profits on my divisions mean Anna and I are going to give Vanessa the matching emerald bracelet for her bride present—and I don’t want any hassle from you, OK?’ riposted Leo.
‘Could we just leave all your disgusting money out of this?’ demanded Anna exasperatedly. ‘And never mind about all these fancy green rocks. Just get on with the wedding. Vanessa shouldn’t be on her feet so much.’
Carefully, Markos fastened the Levantsky emerald necklace around Vanessa’s throat. Then he kissed her, very softly and tenderly.
‘Ready?’ he said.
She nodded, her eyes full. Happiness blazed through her. She couldn’t speak.
‘Then let’s do it,’ said Markos, taking her hand. ‘Let’s start the best marriage in the world.’
‘Joint best,’ said his cousin, reaching for Anna’s hand. Together they followed Markos and Vanessa into the celebrant’s chamber.
Outside, on the pavement, the photographer from the Teymouth Times waited patiently. His enquiry to the register office clerk to get the names of the couple, then a call to his newsdesk to run a search on ‘Makarios’, had struck gold. A stunning, tempestuous model, a dazzling red-headed bride one step away from the maternity ward, and not one but two handsome Greek multi-millionaires—not forgetting the top-of-the-range custom-built car gleaming at the kerb, and the helicopter parked on the green—yes, he definitely had the front page in the bag.
And all the glossy celebrity mags would be eating out of his hand for the photo rights…
He sighed happily, and checked his lens again.
Inside, oblivious to the photographer’s forthcoming once-in-a-lifetime scoop, in a quiet, sun-filled room, with the scent of summer flowers from the bouquet on the table, two people made their vows. To love and to cherish each other all their lives, and to prepare the happiest of lives for themselves—and their child, waiting to be born.