page52 (1/2)

She shut her eyes aThen her lids flew open and she looked straight at Nikos He was stock-still, his face unreadable, his eyes unreadable It didn’t matter She had to say this now Had to

‘And to ensure that I did he gave up all hope of ever finding anyone else to ain For h ‘Because he would not risk having a son ould take precedence over me—inherit Greymont, dispossess me of the home I loved so desperately’

There was a heaviness inside her now, like a crushing weight, as she lifted her eyes to his, made herself hold them, as impossible as it was for her to do so

‘His sacrifice of any chance of happiness for himself made it imperative for me to honour what he’d done He ensured I’d inherit Greymont—so I had to save it, Nikos, I had to! I had toGreymont Or I would have betrayed his trust in me His trust that I would keep Greymont, pass it on to my descendants, preserve it for our family’

She looked about her again, at the elegant salon with its antiques, its oil paintings on the walls, the vista of the grounds beyond, the sense of place and history all about her—so absolutely familiar to her from Greymont

Her lips pressed together She had to make him see, understand

CHAPTER TWELVE

HER GAZE WENT back to hi look on her face

‘It’s so those not born to places like this can never really comprehend—but ask your brother, Nikos, whether he would ever want to part with his heritage, to be the Co here, knowing it’s not his any longer, that’s he’s had it taken froain ‘But places like this demand a price A price that can be hard to pay’

She did not see the expression on Nikos’s face change, the sudden bleakness in his eyes He knew just what price had been paid for his brother to inherit And who had paid it

There was a hollowing inside him Yes, he had paid the price, had been farmed out to foster parents But his e in order to preserve her son’s inheritance Her husband had been pitiless, refusing to release her, punishing her for not wanting hi her to him

As he, Nikos, had kept Diana chained to his side, punishing her for not wanting him

Again a chill swept through him

No! I am not like him!

Denial seared in him And memory—memory that flamed in his vision