Stormy the Way (18 page)

'Something important?'

Androula turned.

'I want to get married.'

'You—!' Tara was recalling what Paul had said about Androula's boy-friend being English, and poor. She also remembered that Androula herself had admitted to having several boy-friends. 'Is he Greek?'

Androula shook her head.

'There mightn't be any problem if he were. No, he's English, and he hasn't any money. I've known him a long time - met him when he was on holiday in Athens and we've corresponded ever since. He comes to Athens whenever he can afford the fare, but he doesn't have much money, not really. He came over a fortnight ago and I knew I wanted to marry him, Tara.' Androula looked almost pained as she paused for a moment, reflectively. 'I just - ached for him! He asked me to marry him - because he knew I wanted that. And so I decided to come home and see Leon - although it's quite true that I haven't been •well. I'm almost sick with worry, as I'm sure I shall have trouble with Leon.'

She turned to take another dress from her suitcase and Tara said,

'You told me you had several boy-friends.'

'So you're thinking I can't be in love with Martin? I am, Tara, and it's because of the others that I'm so sure. You see,' she said, straightening up and holding the dress over her arm, T thought it best to forget Martin as I was sure I'd never get my money at twenty-five if I insisted, against my brother's advice—' she gave a shrug and amended, '—order, I should say. Leon would order me not to marry him; so I went about with others, trying to forget, and I did have one particular one at the time you met me in Athens. The one who, I said, would like my dress.' She fell into a brooding silence for a space and then, in a forlorn voice that wasn't at all like the vivacious and bright girl who had picked Tara up on her landing on the island, or the girl with whom she had spent those few hours in Athens, 'All the time I'm with any of the others I'm thinking about Martin. He's so handsome, and so kind, Tara - not at all like our boys, who think only of one thing - sex. A wife here is thought of only in that sense, but Martin loves me for other things as well—' She broke off, catching her breath in a little horrified exclamation that was also an apology. 'What have I said! Leon isn't like that, of course,' she hurriedly corrected. 'He wouldn't look upon you only in that light. He would love you for yourself.'

'Of course,' Tara responded, but dryly, and Androula bit her lip in vexation at her lack of diplomacy. 'Tell me about Martin,' encouraged Tara in an endeavour to ease the situation. 'How old is he?'

'Twenty-six - not so young that Leon can say he doesn't know his own mind, or anything like that. He works in an office, but he's very much appreciated by his boss, Tara, and one day he hopes to be promoted to

' manager of his particular department.'

'If you married him you'd have to leave the university and go to England. Is that a wise course, Androula? Surely your studies are important?'

Androula nodded unhappily.

'They are, I must admit it. I love my work, really, and it would certainly be a wrench if I left the university.' She paused a moment, biting her lip. 'I love Martin, though, and I do want to marry him, more than anything else.' She went on to explain that Martin was a highly intelligent and cultured young man and that if she finished her studies and obtained /her degree she felt she would make him a much more suitable wife.

£In that case,' said Tara reasonably, 'the wiser course is for you to wait. If you did finish your studies I'm sure you would have a far better chance of bringing Leon round to accepting Martin.' What a lot of responsibility Leon had taken on, she thought, admiring him for doing so. It would have been far easier for him to have refused to look after these two children who were proving so troublesome to him.

'You think he would come round to accepting him?' Androula's eyes brightened with hope. T had an awful feeling that he would never give his consent to my marrying an Englishman, because he did have an aversion to your country people after his cousins' experiences, and their divorces. But I expect it's changed him, being married to you,'

she added, smiling. 'Tara, will you help me?'

A wry smile touched the corners of Tara's mouth. The question had been anticipated almost from her first hearing of this Englishman whom Androula wanted to marry.

'How, Androula?' she asked, taking a seat on the edge of the bed and looking up into her companion's face. A very heavy sigh rose to Androula's pretty lips.

'I rather hoped you could influence my brother?'

Influence. .. . How little she knew! thought Tara with sudden dejection.

'Surely you know Leon well enough to be sure that neither I nor anyone else could influence him,' she responded gently, and again Androula gave a sigh.

' What am I to do, Tara?'

'You're not going to wait?'

Androula shook her head.

'I can't—
We
can't! We're in love, Tara, so why should we wait?'

It was Tara's turn to sigh.

'You just said your studies are important to you, and that you would make Martin a better wife if you were to finish them before getting married.'

'I did say that, and it's true. But I also said that I want to marry Martin more than anything else.'

Tara spread her hands helplessly.

'Then there's nothing for it but to tackle Leon.'

Androula looked at her perceptively.

'You know that I haven't a hope, don't you?'

A small pause and then, thoughtfully,

'You're free to marry? I mean, you can marry without Leon's consent?'

'Of course,' with a toss of Androula's head. But then she added, the little gesture of defiance instantly forgotten, 'He can make me wait until I'm thirty for my money, though. You heard what he said about that a few minutes ago.'

Tara nodded.

'I don't think you've much chance of bringing him round to accepting the idea of your marrying just yet,' she said, feeling that Androula should be prevented from cherishing even one small measure of hope.

'He'll be cross at the idea of your willingness to abandon your studies, let alone anything else.'

'Yes, you're right.' Androula moved to the wardrobe again. 'I can't wait until I'm thirty for my money,' she cried, suddenly becoming angry. 'Martin and I could never manage on his salary!'Tara's eyes widened.

'Did Martin say this?' she asked swiftly.

'Certainly not! But I'm saying it. Look at what I spend now - on clothes and things. I shall need even more money to spend when I'm married.'

'I shouldn't mention this to Leon,' warned Tara' seeing her husband immediately branding Martin, a fortune-hunter who meant to exploit his young wife. If you talk like this you'll never get him even to consider Martin as a husband for you - neither now nor at some future date.'

'He must - oh, I'll make him! I can get round him, just you wait and see. I've always been able to. It's Paul whom he gets angry with, because he doesn't know how to take care of his money, and he never manages on his allowance. I know this because he's terribly in debt.'

'He told you this?' swiftly as Tara recalled Paul's threatening to go to moneylenders again.

'Yes, he has. He wanted to borrow from me, as I told you. Last week he wrote again, saying he was in a dreadful jam. But I shall never lend him a single drachma, simply because he gets a lot more than I do, anyway. Why should I go short in order to give it to him?'

'I'm worried about Paul.' Tara was frowning heavily. 'He's going to be in real trouble with Leon before he's much older.'

'It won't be the first time. He's been in debt before, more than once.

And Leon's had to go over to England and sort everything out for him, clearing off all his ^ debts and putting him right again.' Androula shrugged, just as if this was a matter of no import whatsoever. 'He'll never get
his
money until he's twenty-five, you can be sure of that !'

Tara fell into a thoughtful silence, dwelling on the tale she was told by Paul on their first meeting. He had gained her sympathy at the outset, and she had immediately branded Leon as stingy, and a dictator. Now she knew that he was absolutely right in his treatment of Paul. The boy was totally incapable of taking care of his fortune, and Leon had had plenty of proof of this, if what Androula said was true, and Tara could not for one moment doubt her word.

No more was said on the matter, as Androula, having finished her unpacking, said she was going to take a shower. But during the afternoon she broached the subject to Leon, in Tara's presence.

'Leon ... I want to get married,' die said, and immediately glanced away. A rather stunned silence followed before Leon said, very quietly,

'You want to get married? This is sudden, isn't
it?

'I've known him - Martin - a long time. I do know my own mind, Leon?' Her voice pleaded and so did her eyes, as she turned them to him after giving an appealing glance to her sister-in-law, begging for her support.

'Martin?' sharply and with a swift and heavy frown. 'It isn't a Greek you're wanting to marry?'

'He's English,' Androula informed him. 'And he's dreadfully poor.'

Tara could have appreciated the humour of this blurting out of the whole - just as if Androula was resignedly throwing in her hand already - had it not been for the expression on her husband's face. It certainly looked as if Androula's chances of getting her inheritance were as remote as those of her brother's getting his.

,
'
You say you
want
to get married. There's nothing to stop you.'

Leon's voice was smooth, but there was no missing the underlying inflexibility which warned even before he added, 'I am in no position to prevent your marrying, but of course you will wait another seven and a half years for your money. You have thought of this, I hope?'

Androula started to cry.

'I want it when I'm twenty-five. It will be awful as it ? is, my having to go short—' She broke off, slanting Tara a glance as she realized she had forgotten her warning. 'Please, Leon, let me have it. It's not fair to make me wait until I'm thirty. That's middle age!'

'Middle age, is it?' without humour but in distinctly dry tones. 'I must be approaching my dotage, then.' 1 'I'm very sorry; it was a stupid thing to say.'

Tara rose from her chair.

'I'll go,' she said, 'and leave you to talk in private.'

'No, don't—' from Androula beseechingly, while Leon gestured for Tara to take possession of the chair again.

'Why should you go?' he asked. 'You're one of the family.'

She sat down again, feeling decidedly uncomfortable.

'I will take very good care of my money, Leon,' Androula promised in a low tone. T take care of my money now - you know that.'

He looked at her narrowly. 'This Martin. What does he do for a living that he is going to keep you short of money?'

'He isn't going to keep me short!' she flashed. 'What I meant was that I wouldn't have what I'm used to - not without my own money.'

'A man usually keeps his wife. I asked you what he did for a living?'

'He works in an office. And he's going to be a manager some day.'

'He is?' Leon raised one eyebrow and added, 'How old is he?'

Androula told him, adding as she had when Tara asked the same question,

'He's old enough to know his own mind; you'll have to admit that?'

He remained thoughtfully silent for a space and then,

'You, Androula, are you quite sure you know
your
own mind?'

'I love Martin,' she said quietly.

'And are you quite determined to marry him?'

'Quite.' A small pause. 'I want to marry him soon.'

Leon gave a slight shrug and said,

'In that case, the matter ends there—'

'My money? You'll let me have it in two and a half years?'

'I think I said seven and a half,' he corrected softly, his face expressionless as Androula's tears flowed once more.

'It isn't fair! I don't know why my father gave you this authority! I won't wait all that time -I won't!'

'Kindly lower your voice,' he commanded sternly. 'And you can stop crying, as tears won't do you any good at all. If you choose to marry against my wishes then you must take the consequences. I had hoped to see you pursue your studies diligently until you'd taken your degree. As you're content to give up these studies there's no more to be said. I have no authority to keep you at university.' Androula said nothing: she was dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief and both Leon, and Tara watched her for a moment and then Tara spoke, for the first time entering the conversation.

'Leon, couldn't you have this young man over and see for yourself what he is like? He could be a most suitable husband for Androula.'

'As Paul was for you,' he could not help saying, in the driest of tones.

Tara flushed hotly, while Androula, having dried her eyes, said without thinking,

'It's not fair of you to compare Martin and me with Paul and Tara, Leon. It was obvious that they weren't in love.'

Leon's eyes flickered to Tara's hot face and a smile of sardonic amusement touched the fine outline of his mouth.

'I agree. But that circumstance isn't going to profit you anything, Androula. This Martin is plainly a fortune-hunter, but when he learns he's to wait many years to get his hands on your money you'll find that he isn't so eager to marry you after all.'

Tara's head came up with a jerk. The solution had been pondered by him, it would seem, and in his opinion was simple: Martin would throw Androula over and so there would be no further complications.