‘Let’s walk.’ He stood up and set out along the strip of golden sand that edged the gently lapping water.
Carrie walked behind them, feeling even more unsettled than before. It was good that Nik was making an effort with Danny, wasn’t it? So why did she feel so strange about it? She’d married Nik for Danny’s sake—she ought to be pleased that he was starting to form a relationship with him.
‘I used to skim stones with my brother,’ Nik said over his shoulder, slowing down until she fell into step beside him. ‘We were always very competitive about it.’
‘I’m not very good at it,’ Carrie replied, realising that it was the first time Nik had spoken about Leonidas in a personal way. He was full of surprises today—it was making her feel jittery.
‘We practised a lot,’ Nik said. ‘We both wanted to be the best.’
‘On this beach?’ Carrie asked, wondering about their childhood. Leonidas had been determined that Danny should have a very different childhood from his strict Greek upbringing with his overbearing father.
‘No, but it was a very similar beach, on my parents’ property on the mainland,’ Nik replied. ‘I bought this place a few years ago, for times when I need to get away from the city.’
Carrie bit her lip and looked at Nik. Talking about his family had reminded her of something that had been bothering her for some time, but she didn’t know how he would react if she brought it up.
‘How is it that you didn’t know about Danny until just a few weeks ago?’ she asked, steeling herself for his response.
Nik stopped abruptly and turned towards her. In the bright morning light his blue eyes were more vibrant than ever, but there was a hint of unknown
emotion clouding their depths.
‘I hadn’t spoken to my brother for some time.’ His expression was uncharacteristically troubled. ‘I didn’t know he had married your cousin, let alone had a child with her. I didn’t find out about his death until after the funeral.’
‘But your father knew. He came to the funeral,’ Carrie said, shuddering at the memory of how unpleasant Cosmo had been. ‘And he definitely knew about Danny.’
‘He didn’t tell me,’ Nik said simply. ‘He only told me Leonidas had died—and not until after the funeral.’
‘I don’t understand why he’d keep such important news from you,’ Carrie said. But even before she’d finished speaking she knew why. Cosmo had not wanted to acknowledge Danny as a Kristallis. He must have known there would be a chance that Nik would want his brother’s son to be part of the family.
‘My father was a difficult man,’ Nik replied, giving no clue as to whether he had realised his father’s motivation in keeping Danny a secret.
Carrie waited, hoping he’d carry on speaking. She wanted to know how their family had got so messed up that two brothers hadn’t spoken for years and their father had rejected his own grandson. She knew Leonidas’s side of the story—at least up until he had left Greece—but she wanted to hear Nik explain it.
There was a long pause, but he didn’t continue. In the end she broke the silence, hoping that if she shared information about her childhood he would follow suit.
‘My father isn’t easy to get along with,’ she said. ‘All through my childhood I tried to get to know him, but I always ended up disappointed.’
‘What happened?’ Nik asked.
Carrie looked at him and thought he seemed genuinely interested to hear about her background. Somehow she had the feeling he usually avoided that sort of personal discussion—but maybe he was prepared to make an exception for his wife.
‘When I was growing up he always seemed to take jobs as far away as possible—he’s a marine engineer, and his work took him all round the world. My aunt and uncle disapproved, saying he could get a job closer to home if he wanted. They called him a workaholic and said he’d rather put his work before his daughter.’ She paused and took a deep breath. ‘I knew they never really wanted me, but they gladly banked the cheques Dad sent for my upkeep. I felt like I was being looked after for money.’
‘That must have been hard,’ Nik said.
‘It was.’ Carrie gazed at the wooded mountain slope on the other side of the bay, but she was thinking about her childhood in England. ‘He let me down so many times. He never remembered my birthday or anything important. I just wanted to talk to him—but he was never there.’
‘Do you see him now?’ Nik asked.
‘Rarely.’ Carrie turned back to Nik. His blue eyes were serious. ‘It got easier to deal with once I’d left home, once I was independent. When I was eighteen I got a small inheritance from my mother. It was enough for a deposit on my flat in London, and I started working in the fitness industry. I’d always been keen on sport—it was a good way to escape for a while.’
Nik was still looking at her, listening carefully to what she was saying. She got the feeling he understood how difficult her childhood had been at times.
‘My father was always conscious of his duty as a good father. And he made sure Leonidas and I knew our duty as his sons.’ Nik took a breath, almost as if he’d startled himself by talking about his family. ‘My father never missed any significant dates—I imagine his secretary sent him a memo—but neither of us were ever able to talk to him.’
‘Leonidas said he only ever wanted to hear about your successes at school or other achievements that proved you were living up to the Kristallis name,’ Carrie said. ‘Leonidas didn’t want Danny to grow up judged only by how successful he was. It was something I had in common with your brother,’ she continued, her voice suddenly shaky. ‘We both knew what it was like to have a father who didn’t really care about us. Leonidas wanted Danny to grow up knowing he was loved, feeling able to talk about anything.’
She stopped walking and looked across at the child in Nik’s arms. She knew Nik had seen her eyes sparkling with tears.