‘Mamá, Eléni won’t answer me.’ Maia looked disappointed.
Tom intervened. ‘She is tired. The journey is long. That is right, eh, Eléni? She plays later.’ Eléni got up from her seat and sat beside Tom on the bench. Smiling, he put his arm around her.
It was the first time Eléni had shown any reaction since leaving Sophia, Arianna and Argostoli. Tom had the knack of getting Eléni to respond that Cassia didn’t.What am I going to do when he returns to his ship?She was going to miss the support he’d given her every day since that awful day back in August. But she realised it was more than that. Her heart skipped a beat.
‘We should leave soon, Tom,’ said Stavros. ‘I must not be away from the farm for another day. My wife, she needs help with the animals, I think.’
Eléni grabbed Tom’s arm. Panic returned to her eyes. ‘It is all right,cariad. You are safe here. You have Cassia, Eugenia and Maia.’ The little girl’s eyes filled with tears.
‘But not yet,’ Eugenia said. ‘I will make Stavros and Tom something to eat on the journey. Do you and Maia want to help?’ Surprisingly, Eléni took Eugenia’s hand and disappeared into the house.
‘Stavros, I like to speak with Cassia alone.Parakaló,excuse us.’
Cassia and Tom walked in the direction of the little cove.
He turned to her, taking her hand. ‘It is very hard for me to leave you and Eléni, but I have to go back to my ship. You know that already. Your sister will look after you and you will make a new home here.’
A wave of emotion washed over Cassia. She was never going to see this lovely man again. Tears trickled down her cheeks asshe pulled him into a tight hug. ‘I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done for us.’
Tom stood back and looked at her. ‘It sounds as if you think this is the end. If it is all right with you, I will write to this address and you can reply telling me all about how Eléni is getting on . . . and you, of course. I hope even when the ship leaves Malta, we can still be penfriends.’
‘Friends of the pen?’ Cassia hadn’t heard the word before.
‘We will stay friends by writing. Wherever I go in the world, I can write to you and Eléni. I will never forget you . . . or her.’
Cassia heard a catch in his voice. They hugged again and walked back to the house. Stavros had gone to get the horse and trap from the olive grove, where it had been left in the shade.
Eugenia handed Tom a basket full of bread, feta and tomatoes. The two girls held a bottle of water each.
‘We grow the tomatoes ourselves,’ she said. ‘More than we can eat. I take them to the small market in Fiscardo to sell. The olives are not ready yet. Girls, give the men their water.’
Stavros got down from his seat.
‘Efcharistó, Maia.’
Eléni handed hers to Tom, who put the basket down and crouched down to the little girl’s level. ‘Efcharistó.You are good for Mamá. You have fun playing with Maia.’ Eléni nodded and grabbed his legs as he stood up.
Cassia’s mouth fell open. It was the first time he’d referred to her as Eléni’s mother. But wasn’t that what she was going to imply to the people of Fiscardo? Eugenia alone would know the truth, and she’d been sworn to secrecy.
Tom shook Eugenia’s hand.‘Goodbye andefcharistó. Look after them. I know you will help these two get over what’s happened. I have a feeling little Maia will soon get Eléni talking. Now we must get back.’
He embraced Cassia. The warmth of his body against hers made her heartbeat quicken. ‘Goodbye,cariad.I hope it all works out for you and Eléni. Remember, she’s your daughter now.’ His eyes full of unshed tears, he lingered no longer and picked up Eléni, swinging her round.
‘Bye-bye, little one.’
As they watched the horse and trap disappear along the lane from the house, Cassia’s chest filled with sadness. It was the last time Tom Beynon would be part of their lives. Letters would not be the same. She was on her own now. It was up to her to make a success of it.
Turning to go into the house, she saw the glaring face of a tearful little girl. Would Eléni ever accept her as her mother?
Chapter Eight
Cassia helped Eugenia prepare the evening meal, realising how life had carried on almost as normal there in Fiscardo. Back in Argostoli, she’d had to make do with meagre meals, which had to be shared between hundreds of homeless people, and she remembered how desperate they’d been until food supplies had finally got through.
‘Did you notice Tom referred to you as Eléni’s mamá. She didn’t react, did she? I’ll carry on doing the same, shall I?’
Cassia started on the Greek salad. She cut a slab of feta and placed it over the wedges of tomatoes, black olives preserved from last year and thick chunks of cucumber, before drizzling olive oil over the large serving bowl.
‘But it doesn’t seem right, does it? I’ll never be her mamá. Yet, we can’t stay hidden here forever — I need to get a place of my own in Fiscardo — so perhaps it would make it easier to be accepted. Is that being very disrespectful to Eléni’s mother? What if, when Eléni eventually speaks, she remembers her mamá and knows it’s a lie? She’d never forgive me. There’s enough of a barrier there already. It was Tom she trusted and now he’s gone.’ Cassia placed the bowl down, her body wracked with sobs.
