'There was nothing improper about our honeymoon.' She smiled slowly, remembering. 'It was great.'
One dark brow arched with sardonic amusement 'If that was you behaving properly, I can hardly wait to discover what the improper Willow is capable of.' And he chuckled at her sudden blush. 'But wait I must because unfortunately I have a business dinner to attend this evening, so I am afraid you will have to dine without me.'
Abruptly Willow sat up. 'What time will you be back?'
'I don't know, but not too late,' Theo said, avoiding her gaze. 'But tomorrow we are moving to my home and this will be the last day you and Stephanos will have with my mother for a while. She is going to America to visit old friends for a month or two, so enjoy it while you can. The few things you have here can be packed in the morning and all the rest of your things from England I had transported over with Tess last week, and it is already at my home.'
'We are not living here?' Willow said, shocked by the turn of events.
Theo slanted her a look of mocking amusement. 'Come on, Willow, you must have realised we are not staying here. I have not lived with my mother in almost twenty years.'
Disconcerted, Willow murmured, 'I never thought. . .' She wasn't sure she liked the idea that he had had her home in England stripped of her possessions.
'I've told you before, don't think and we will get along fine,' he declared arrogantly, and with a brief kiss on the top of her head he left.
With Judy's reassurance that she would love her new home and that it was only a few short miles from hers, Willow had forgotten all about Theo's rather abrupt departure that morning. They took their seat for the start of the Son et Lumière over the Acropolis. It had been Judy's suggestion to see the show, and then eat out, and Willow had jumped at the chance.
Later, as they were sitting around the dining table in an exclusive restaurant, overlooking the Parthenon, Willow laughed as Stephen wrinkled his nose at the octopus Judy was urging him to taste. Later still, having devoured a delicious dessert of sweet pastry, ice cream and exotic fruit, Willow sighed her contentment as she sipped her coffee. 'That was a marvellous meal. I could not eat another thing.'
Judy grinned. 'You're lucky you're not the type to put on weight, but me. . .' She pulled a face and laughed.
'Look.' Stephen leapt to his feet. 'It's Daddy!' He ran across the restaurant towards the entrance.
Willow was sitting with her back to the room, and just before she rose to her feet to catch Stephen she saw Judy's head jerk up. She thought she saw a flicker of either fear or fury in the older woman's eyes but she wasn't sure which. She must have been mistaken because a second later Judy was again smiling at her.
'Why, yes, it is, what a nice surprise.'
Willow turned around, and walking towards her was Theo. On one side of him was Stephen and on the other side, with her hand on his arm, was a very striking woman. She was small with short blonde spiky hair and was dressed in a skimpy pink metal-studded designer suit. Some business meeting, Willow thought scathingly, and out of nowhere jealousy as sharp as a knife almost sliced her in two. Oh, no. . . She almost groaned out loud. She couldn't, she mustn't be falling in love with her arrogant husband. But why else would she be racked by jealousy at the sight of him with another woman? She looked up at Theo through the thick veil of her lashes attempting to hide the hurt in her eyes, but she could tell nothing from his expression.
'This is a pleasant surprise, darling,' Theo offered, lowering his head to pres
s a swift kiss to her smooth cheek before he turned to smile at Judy. 'Mother. . .I had no idea you were planning a night on the town. You know Christine, don't you?' Judy smiled at the other woman and addressed her in Greek.
Willow stood feeling like an Amazon next to the small blonde. Dressed as she was, in a denim skirt and simple white scoop-necked top, she also felt at a distinct disadvantage. Theo's cutting comment about her dress sense rose up to haunt her. When she finally looked around the circle of faces she was aware of a subtle tension in the air and then Theo affected an introduction.
'Willow this is Christine Markham. She runs a very successful interior design business, "Chrismark International Interiors". You might have heard of them.'
Willow held out her hand and made the polite response. 'Nice to meet you.'
'My pleasure.' Christine's hand barely touched hers as she gushed, 'Theo has told me so much about you. I've been dying to meet you.' She took in Willow's simple clothes and unruly hair with a look of sheer derision in her dark eyes.
At that information Willow stiffened, and slanted a glance up at her indomitable husband. How dared he discuss her with another woman? She saw a faint flush on his cheekbones before his features hardened into an inscrutable mask. Underneath the calm exterior of her face her mind was working feverishly. Was Theo ashamed of her or was he cheating on her or both? And she nearly brought back the meal she had just eaten, the acrid taste of jealousy making her feel sick.
God! If this was what love did to someone, Willow realised she did not want to know. . .it was far too painful. So she did what she always did and resorted to icy politeness.
'Has he? How nice,' she said in her cool, well-mannered voice. 'Unfortunately he has never mentioned you to me, so I cannot return the favour.' It was catty, she knew, but she did not care.
'Christine has just returned from New York where her firm has completed the revamping of one of our hotels, Willow, darling,' Theo said smoothly, his eyes narrowing on her pale face. 'Successfully, I hope. This is a business dinner to fill me in on the final details.'
It wasn't exactly a lie, but neither was it the whole truth, and Theo cursed the bad luck that had allowed them to bump into each other like this. But how did one admit to one's wife—I am sorry, my mistress was away when we were married and I had to meet her, tell her it is all over and pay her off.
'Yes, so you told me this morning,' she said coolly, slightly mollified but not totally convinced. She glanced back at Judy, looking for reassurance, and was relieved to see even his mother was smiling, completely unconcerned, so it must be okay.
It was her totally unexpected stupid jealousy that was making her read things into the situation that were not there, she told herself. And none of her troubled thoughts showed in her face as she looked up at Theo again.
'In that case, don't let us stop you,' she said firmly. 'We have finished our meal and I only have to pay the bill. Anyway it is time I got Stephen home to bed.'
Theo was torn between anger and embarrassment, and his mother's reproachful eyes didn't help, nor did the innocent acceptance in his wife's and son's. But not by a flicker of an eyelash did he show his discomfort.