Greek Mavericks: His Christmas Conquest. Cathy Williams

The cottage? Everything…?’

      ‘Just for a while…’

      ‘What if you literally can’t afford to leave?’

      ‘What do you mean?’

      ‘I mean, if there’s no money in the till, you might have to abandon your course or sell the cottage. Now, I know you don’t want to…’

      ‘To be having this conversation…’ She stood up and slung on her jumper, then her coat. Her life was in turmoil now, but she pinned her hopes on the future sorting it out, smoothing over the problems. She didn’t want to confront the grim possibility that nothing might be sorted out and she might, just might, be left picking up pieces for longer than she anticipated. ‘I can’t afford to have this conversation,’ she continued, grabbing her bag and stuffing the power cut note inside it. ‘I can’t afford to think that everything is going to start falling apart around me…’

      ‘Which it needn’t…’ Robert had leapt to his feet and was rallying around her like a diligent sheepdog rounding up a wayward stray sheep. Sophie glanced up from where she was now trying to locate the office keys in her capacious bag.

      ‘Oh, Robert, not this again. I know you feel sorry for me…’

      ‘Is that what you think?’

      ‘Well…yes…’ She laughed nervously because he was standing quite close to her and there was a shy nervousness about him that was making her feel a little confused. ‘I do, as a matter of fact. I mean, we’ve known each other off and on over the years and I don’t suppose you ever expected this situation to happen. I mean, that’s why you’ve been so kind to me, isn’t it…’ Keys located, she closed her fist around them and shoved her hands into her deep coat pockets.

      ‘Why do you imagine that I worked with your father for such a long time…? Off and on…?’ He reached out and stroked her hair. Sophie’s eyes widened. If she could have commanded the ground to open up and swallow her whole, she would have. This was certainly a week for shocks. First Theo and now this—pleasant, background Robert declaring…what? She resisted the urge to laugh. Somehow she didn’t imagine that he would appreciate the gesture. He was, as Theo had hinted, vulnerable and probably insecure around women.

      ‘Because you liked him?’ Sophie offered hopefully, and Robert shook his head.

      ‘Sure I liked him…’ There was genuine wistfulness in his voice. ‘And I enjoyed his company, his enthusiasm, but I also enjoyed hanging around here so that I could see you…’

      ‘Me?’ she squeaked.

      ‘Which is why I want to help bail you out of this mess if you need to be bailed out…I don’t want to sound pessimistic, but…’ He allowed a few seconds of silence to elapse, during which Sophie had ample opportunity to dwell on the most pessimistic scenario he could come up with. ‘What if, at the end of this exercise, the only thing you discover is a mountain of debt? You can sell the cottage, but there’s still a mortgage on it.’

      ‘How do you know that?’

      ‘How does anyone around here know anything?’ Robert answered with a wry grimace. ‘The birds on the trees…But what I’m saying,’ he carried on, considering his words carefully, ‘is that I’ve saved enough for you to carry on with your course, to do what you want to do…’

      ‘And you would lend me the money?’ Sophie asked dubiously, ‘even though I wouldn’t be able to pay you back for a while…?’

      ‘I wouldn’t have to lend you the money,’ he said patiently and he shook his head when she continued to stare at him in baffled silence. ‘What I’m saying is…Would you consider marrying me?’ He laughed nervously and grabbed her hand, tugging it away from the warm protection of her coat pocket.

       ‘Marry you?’

      ‘I know we haven’t got a conventional relationship…’

      ‘Robert, we haven’t got a relationship!’

      ‘Which is something I want to remedy…I would really like to settle down now, start a family.’

      ‘But we’ve only ever been just good friends, Robert…’

      ‘It doesn’t have to stay that way. I’m attracted to you, Soph…’

      ‘No, you’re not!’

      ‘I am! What can I say to convince you?’

      For the second time in about as many days, Sophie was caught utterly off guard. One minute he was standing there, looking at her earnestly. The next minute he had managed to close the gap between them without her noticing and his lips were on hers, exploring her open-mouthed surprise.

      Like a badly dubbed movie, there was a couple of seconds of delay between Sophie being aware of what was going on and reacting to it, but when she did react it was with some vigour.

      She pulled back, trembling, and stared at him crossly.

      ‘Okay!’ He held up his hands and smiled crookedly at her. ‘But think about it, Sophie. Promise me you’ll think about it…’ At the door, he paused and turned to look at her. ‘I just think we’re both ready for a committed relationship. I know I am and, in a way, your financial situation just seems like fate putting us together. I could help you out and we could have a great life together.’

      ‘Robert…’

      He placed one finger over his mouth, willing her to be silent. ‘I’m going to be away for the next couple of weeks, anyway. Dad’s not very well, so I’m going to go up to give Mum a hand. I was going to leave it till the beginning of next week, but I’ll go tomorrow, give you time on your own to think about what I’ve asked…You know, Mum would love you…She’s desperate for some grandchildren. But, anyway, when I get back, maybe we could go out? Discuss things…?’

      He didn’t really give her time to answer that, which was just as well since Sophie, stunned into silence, couldn’t think of anything to say.

      She wondered how she could have missed all those signs that Theo seemed to have picked up after a couple of minutes. Robert’s mum wasn’t desperate—he was!

      She would have spent the rest of the evening worrying about that. Instead, paying a visit to Theo seemed less of a nightmare and more of a distraction from having to think about what Robert had said. She found herself heading directly to the cottage shortly after Robert had gone and she had locked up for the night.

      It was only when she glimpsed the glow of the lights that had been switched on that she faltered. Well, of course he was going to be in! Where else would he be likely to be? Now that she was here, the sickening thought, which she had conveniently sidelined, rose to the surface with monstrous ease—how was he going to react when he saw her? She hoped that he would follow her lead and pretend that nothing had happened, but what if he slammed the door in her face?

      Sophie knew with unerring instinct that she was not physically Theo’s type. She didn’t know why he had kissed her; maybe isolation had generated an irresistible urge and she had just happened to be around at the time. He had known that she would respond because what woman wouldn’t? The man was gorgeous. But he had realised his mistake almost as soon as he had committed it. Because she was no sex siren. She was just average Sophie Scott. Should she be grateful for Robert’s proposal? It had taken her unawares, but should she at least consider going out with him on a date? A real date? With possible commitment at the end of the road? Robert might not set her ablaze but at least he wouldn’t reject her with obvious insulting distaste after one kiss.

      From the small study, where Theo had been staring at his computer screen, willing it to work its usual magic and suck him in, he glanced up at the sound of the doorbell.

      The study was in an advantageous position. Since the house was very old, it was highly doubtful whether it had been specifically designed for the purpose, but the study permitted