Tom’s face broke into a wide grin. ‘Really?’
‘Really.’
Tom got down on one knee and took her hand. ‘Cassia Makris, will you please do me the honour of becoming my wife?’
‘Yes, I will. I love you, Tom. In my first letter, I told you what a big mistake I’d made and if you still wanted to marry me, the answer was yes.’
His lips were suddenly on hers and they kissed for what seemed an eternity. Her insides somersaulted as familiar sensations coursed through her body.
‘Oh, I never thought I’d hear those words. You’ve made me the happiest man in Kefalonia.’
She kissed him once more. ‘I’d better go and get that coffee, I think.’
They laughed, and in spite of the sad situation that brought Tom back, Cassia hoped beyond hope she was doing the right thing.
Over coffee, they talked about their plans for the future. Cassia would contact Sophia in Athens to see if she and her daughter would be witnesses for their marriage.
‘It will be better that we have someone we know and Sophia knows both of us. She’s the one who told me you’d fallen in love with me all those months ago!’
‘At least we’ll have the marriage certificate to prove you will be Mrs Tom Beynon. I will try to get a letter sent from Katerina stating she will act on your behalf as the family contact in Wales.’
In such a short time, it all started to sound very real. They lay back in each other’s arms on the sofa and kissed. Feelings Cassia hadn’t experienced for a long time surfaced and she wanted nothing more than for them to make love there and then. But they stopped in time.
‘I’ll make a bed for you down here. It won’t do for Eléni or Michaíl to find us in bed together. It will be all the sweeter for waiting.’
Tom nodded, but he didn’t look convinced. Deep down she didn’t believe it either.
‘I’m meeting the doctor in the morning with instructions for what Michaíl needs on the journey. His ticket is here.’ She got up to get it from the shelf and showed it to Tom.
‘It’s happening that soon, then.’ He paused for a moment. ‘I think one of us should go with him. Just travelling that distance is going to be an ordeal when you’re not well, never mind the emotional toll of leaving your home for ever.’
Cassia hugged her husband-to-be. He was such a thoughtful man. ‘That’s such a good idea. I’ve been so worried about putting him on the ferry, all on his own. Maybe... No, it doesn’t matter.’
Eléni would be perfectly happy to stay with Tom. What she was doing was avoiding a situation she’d been dreading since the doctor had given her Michaíl’s ferry ticket.
‘I’ll go,’ said Tom. ‘I know it would be a hard trip for both of you and there’s Eléni to look after. He does know me, but not as much as he knows you. I think he’d find it very emotional to say goodbye to you in Patras. Here will be bad enough, but at least I’ll be able to talk about you and Eléni on the journey. I’ll reassure him I will look after you both.’
‘Are you sure? You’ve just had such a long trip.’ They kissed again. ‘Efcharistó.Eléni and I will be waiting for you when you get back.’
Chapter Twenty-Four
Cassia hardly slept a wink that night. Her head was full of what she and Tom had talked about earlier. She tried to imagine Eléni’s face when she found out Tom had come back and contrasted that to when the little girl would have to say goodbye to Michaíl. What would Cassia’s wedding day be like? Her first wedding had been a secret affair in Argostoli with just a handful of their partisan friends present.
In the darkness of the bedroom, she remembered Nikos’s face as he’d turned to watch her join him at the altar. His shoulder-length black hair had framed his handsome bronzed face and his ebony eyes had sparkled with love.
‘You look stunningly beautiful,’ he’d whispered when she reached his side. ‘Ekpliktiká ómorfi.’
Tears trickled onto her pillow. It had been so different from the lavish Greek Orthodox three-day wedding her parents had apparently put on for Eugenia. If only they’d known then what Georgios was like! Cassia’s wedding to Tom was also going to be a modest affair and another perfect day. Running alongside these thoughts was the farewell to Michaíl, one she was dreading.
She went to Eléni’s bed and the little girl’s eyes fluttered open.
‘Kaliméra, agápi mou.’ Eléni stretched.‘There’s a surprise waiting for you downstairs.’
It didn’t take long for Eléni to jump out of bed and make her way to the kitchen. She opened her arms wide as if to ask,What?
‘Try the living room.’
Cassia followed the little girl, only to hear a shriek. ‘Tom... Baba.’
