Unknown by Unknown

beside her. ‘We dined early because of Martha who exhausts herself during the day swimming and playing tennis.’
    ‘Martha is Lara’s daughter,’ Andreas explained. ‘So far, we haven’t been able to convince her that archaeology is quite interesting on site. Hence her reason for staying behind at the hotel when we went to Paphos this morning.’
    Stunned by the knowledge that his fascinating companion had a daughter old enough to play tennis on her own initiative, Anna turned to introduce Nikos, but the two men had already acknowledged each other.
    ‘You two haven’t met,' Andreas said to Lara. ‘This is Nikos Masistas, a loyal Cypriot who never left the island after he did his National Service. Nikos, meet Lara Warrender, a very good friend of mine.’
    The two shook hands while Anna looked round for her mother.
    ‘We’re going in to dinner at nine o’clock,’ she explained. ‘Perhaps Mother is checking on our table.’
    ‘I saw her going up in the lift ten minutes ago,’ Andreas offered. ‘Will you sit down?’
    ‘Let me buy you a drink,’ Nikos suggested, settling himself opposite Lara as if he was liable to stay there for the rest of the evening. ‘What will you have?’
    ‘Nothing more, thank you,’ she declined. ‘We only came in for a short rest before going back along the beach. I find an evening walk beside the ocean the very best thing for sending me to sleep immediately when I go to bed.’ She turned to Anna. ‘I was absolutely fascinated by your descriptions at Kolossi,’ she said. ‘You must love your island almost as much as Andreas does. He never tires of talking about it and I think he is glad to be home, at last.’ She looked at Andreas quite tenderly. ‘However far you travel there is always one place calling you back,’ she added, ‘and for Andreas it is Cyprus. There can be no mistake about that. When we decided to come here he was delighted.’
    She knew so much about Andreas in her quiet way, Anna thought, speaking as if she had known him for a very long time. How long, she wondered, and how well?
    ‘You’ve been around a bit, I suppose,’ Nikos was saying to his old schoolfriend, adding with typical Cypriot candour, ‘it looks as if you have found success in your life.’
    ‘Reasonably so.’ Andreas appeared to be amused.
    ‘You left very suddenly,’ Nikos reminded him.
    ‘That’s true.’ Andreas glanced across the table at Anna. ‘We won’t discuss it now, Nikos, if you please.’
    ‘Why not,’ Nikos demanded almost truculently, ‘if you have nothing to hide? Nothing you’re ashamed of.’
    Anna waited, aghast, for Andreas’ reply.
    ‘We are often ashamed of what we do in the heat of the moment or after an argument,’ he said evenly, ‘but it’s foolish to let it colour our lives for ever if we can’t do anything about it afterwards. When we’ve said we’re sorry that should be enough.’
    ‘Not always,’ Nikos argued, suspicious of the way the conversation was going. ‘Some things might be beyond forgiveness.’
    ‘We can always hope not.’ Andreas rose to his feet, holding out his hand to Lara. ‘Time to go, I think. It’s a fair way back along the beach and you haven’t a coat.’
    He was taking great care of her, Anna thought, wrapping her in a warm blanket of concern which spoke of love.
    ‘I’d like to have met your mother,’ Lara said. ‘Andreas has spoken so frequently about her, but you will want to go in to dinner as soon as she arrives. Perhaps we could meet, though, some other time?’ The blue eyes with their half-sad expression lingered on Andreas’ face. ‘At the Crescent Beach, perhaps,’ she suggested. ‘We will be there for another two weeks till Andreas gets his flat.’
    A wave of ice-cold water seemed to wash over Anna before she could reply. ‘I think my mother would like that,’ she agreed truthfully. ‘She is quite pleased to have company when I am so busy here.’
    ‘Then, it is settled!’ Lara