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seriously. ‘I respect her too much for that.’
    ‘All this talk of selling the villa upsets her. You ought to know how fond she always was of her home,' she said.
    ‘I didn’t ask her to sell the villa,’ he pointed out reasonably enough. ‘All I mentioned was a small strip of land on either side of you which isn’t so very important to you, anyway.’
    ‘It gives us privacy!' She turned to face him. ‘If we sold it to your syndicate they could build right up to our terrace wall. It may be scrub land, but it keeps the villa the way it has always been—a private place a little bit apart. Some people want that sort of holiday, you know.' He looked down into her angry eyes. ‘One day you may change your mind,’ he said. ‘When you do I hope you will come and tell me. I mean to develop Candy’s Place,’ he added thoughtfully, ‘but not in the way you imagine. I’ll clean it up a bit and alter the frontage, but I don’t think you need fear another high-rise hotel on that side. I’ll keep the eucalyptus trees and a strong wooden fence between us.’
    ‘You would have to honour the right-of-way from the road to the beach,’ she informed him.
    'I've gone into all that with Candy. He feels we have struck a good bargain and it was more money than he had expected.’ He paused at the terrace door. 'I've half a notion he was ready to go, anyway. The fishing isn’t so good these days.’
    ‘I can’t imagine Candy’s place without him.’ Her tone was unconsciously wistful. ‘He was always there. I remember how he taught us to fish from that awful boat of his and what fun we had when he found the old outboard that wouldn't start till he kicked it.'
    ‘I thought you might have forgotten all that,’ he said, ‘but I’m glad you haven’t.’
    She drew back instinctively. ‘I have other memories, too,’ she said, ‘and they aren’t all so hilarious as Candy s outboard. I’m glad you’re not going to spoil his place, Andreas, but that’s all I can say. I don’t suppose you 11 be staying there permanently, anyway, when you have found a flat in Paphos more to your liking.’
    ‘Candy’s will run itself with a good manager in,’ he said. ‘It’s just something I wanted to do. Call it a whim, if you like, but I’ve always liked the sound of Candy’s Place and I think the bay needs a bit of atmosphere. There are enough four-star hotels as it is. I won’t go in to see your mother again,’ he added. ‘There will be plenty of time for that later.’
    He left her with a brief smile and after a minute or two she saw him going down through the gardens to the beach, making his plans for the future, no doubt.
     

CHAPTER THREE
    Nikos Masistas, neatly dressed and scrubbed clean, arrived at the villa at exactly a quarter to nine, crossing to the reception desk where Anna was handing over to Elli. He looked at his watch, comparing it with the wall clock above her head.
    ‘Dead on time!’ he remarked. ‘You can’t still be working?’
    ‘I’m almost ready. Elli will take over till midnight.’ Anna closed the register she had been studying. ‘My mother is in the sitting-room,’ she added.
    ‘I came to see you.’ He was determined to wait until she was ready to go with him. ‘We haven’t talked for ages.’
    ‘Almost three hours!’ she teased. ‘It isn’t exactly a lifetime.’
    ‘I meant seriously,’ he insisted. ‘I know we talk all the time—about nothing—but honestly I think we should get down to discussing the future.’ The telephone rang in the office and Elli went to answer it. ‘Anna, it’s time we made a bargain. Even if you won’t marry me right now at least we could be engaged.'
    Anna glanced across the hall. ‘What a place to make a proposal!' she said.
    There you are! I said you wouldn’t talk seriously and you have proved me right,’ he grumbled.
    ‘Nikos,’ she said gently, ‘I don't want to talk about that now. When I promise to marry you I want to be quite