Free Securing the Greek's Legacy by Julia James

already count as a mature student, being in my mid-twenties now. Accountancy’s far more likely to earn me a good enough living to raise Georgy—’ She broke off, conscious that Georgy’s financial future was very different now.
    ‘Well, Greece has more history than anywhere else in Europe,’ Anatole said. ‘And a great deal of it is in Athens.’ He spoke lightly, steering the conversation towards classical Greek history. The champagne, he could tell, was starting to help her relax, become more talkative.
    ‘How did you find the service dining in the apartment while I was in Greece?’ he enquired as they ate.
    She looked up. ‘Oh, I haven’t used it. It’s bound to be very expensive. I’ve found a small grocery store locally, down a side street, so I’ve been cooking for myself and Georgy.’
    ‘You really do not have to stint yourself when it comes to the facilities of the apartment,’ Anatole said dryly. ‘Tell me, have you taken Georgy swimming in the pool?’
    She shook her head. ‘Not yet,’ she said.
    ‘We shall buy him some pool toys this afternoon,’ Anatole said. ‘All sorts of toys,’ he added expansively while he was at it.
    Lyn brightened. ‘Oh, yes, please—that would be wonderful! He really needs some that are more advanced for the next stage of his development.’ She smiled. ‘He’s very nearly ready to crawl, and when that happens he’s going to take off like a rocket!’
    The conversation moved on to Georgy, the subject of their mutual interest and the reason for their marriage. As if hearing his name mentioned, Georgy decided to surface from his slumber. Enlivened by his sleep, he made it clear he wanted out of his carrier and into Lyn’s arms. Settling him on her lap, she busied herself feeding him from a pot of baby yoghurt she’d thought to bring with her in between taking sips of coffee to finish her meal.
    Then, replete and ready for the off, they left—Georgy borne happily aloft as they exited the restaurant, his little arms waving cheerily at what he fondly took to be his admiring fellow diners. Settled into the waiting chauffeured car, they set off for the shops.
    The department store they went to was, Lyn resigned herself to accept, one of London’s most expensive and luxurious. Since the buggy and baby carrier had been delivered from there, she was not surprised that Anatole seemed to regard it as the obvious place to shop. Certainly the toy department was lavish beyond anything—and so, she very shortly realised, was Anatole’s determination to purchase a substantial amount from the infant section of it, much of it way too advanced for Georgy.
    ‘He can’t possibly do a fifty-piece jigsaw!’ Lyn exclaimed. ‘He needs toys that say nine to twelve months—that’s all.’
    Anatole frowned. ‘He is a very intelligent child,’ he observed.
    ‘Nine to twelve months,’ Lyn repeated firmly. ‘Look—that thing there is ideal!’
    She pointed to a large moulded plastic construction, a colourful house and farmyard, with big doors and windows and a roof that all came to bits and slotted together again. Around the perimeter was a railway track with a train and truck, containing people and animals for the house and farmyard. A large, baby-operable lever set the train whizzing around the house, ringing a bell as it did so. Lyn demonstrated its mode of operation on the display model and instantly caught Georgy’s attention.
    Anatole promptly lifted down a boxed unit. ‘What else?’ he said, looking around him.
    Lyn found herself guiding him through the selection process. It felt awkward, initially, having to be so proactive, but she soon realised that she knew a lot more about what was suitable than Anatole did. He deferred to her without demur, and gradually she found that it was getting easier to be in his company like this. It was even, she realised, enjoyable. And Georgy took such enthusiastic interest in this Aladdin’s cave of toys, as well as clearly