‘Remember, we’ve got to leave at eight in the morning.’
Grace opened her eyes again in time to see Flo raise her eyebrows at Jilly.
‘Yeah, we know. We’re driving you. We’ve got it covered.’
Both women toasted her with the last of the sauvignon blanc, and her daughter stood on tiptoe to kiss her goodnight.
‘Don’t fret, Mother. You’ll be leaving these grey skies far behind and basking in Greek sunshine this time tomorrow.’
ChapterTwo
Twenty-four hours later and the world was a different place. Grace had waved goodbye to the unseasonably heavy rain in Oxfordshire without looking back. The moment she’d boarded the plane, she’d forced herself to stop worrying about climate change and what sort of planet her generation would be leaving behind for their children and grandchildren.
Swapping the big jet for a forty-seater island hopper at Athens, she stared down at the place that would become her home for the next three months as the tiny plane made its descent. Rocky land rose up from a turquoise sea, as the whitewashed houses came into focus, and the sun reflected off the many churches with their blue domed roofs.
Grace looked down at her hands, and before she could change her mind, carefully took off her plain gold band of a wedding ring and put it in the zipped compartment of her bag. Thirty-five years of marriage cancelled, just like that.
It was something she’d been daring herself to do for weeks. It would stop any awkward questions from people, and she needed to do it now, so she didn’t leave a thin white line on her finger from removing the ring once she had a tan.
It was the perfect opportunity to say goodbye to old Grace, widow of the parish, and say hello to new Grace, international woman of mystery.
The plane came in low over the sea, and Grace could even make out the features of some of the people on the boats that thronged the port, though her tears made things a little blurry. The wind that the island was well known for playfully buffeted the plane as the runway loomed. Several of the locals did the sign of the cross as the plane came into land, and even Grace heaved a sigh of relief as the wheels touched down on the tarmac.
A blast of hot air hit her in the face as soon as she stepped off the plane, and she had to reach into her bag for her sunglasses to be able to see anything at all. Plus, she hoped they’d hide her puffy face. Crying always made her eyes look bright green, rather than the murky hazel they were most of the time, but she was fairly sure that the red rims and swelling that went with it spoilt the effect. After more or less dispensing with makeup since Phil died, she’d slipped a large bag of the stuff into her case, which she’d definitely need if Mrs Kokkinakis was any guide as to how much slap Greek women wore.
Her new boss was waiting for her in the arrivals hall. All around Grace were cries of recognition as it seemed that everyone on the plane was scooped up by a friend or relative and hugged half to death.
Mrs Kokkinakis satisfied herself with a handshake and a hello. Grace wasn’t expected to know any Greek for her job, all the talking would be in English, but she’d learnt a few words and phrases to get her through the basics.
Naifor yes,ochifor no, and good morning, good afternoon and good night werekalimera,kalisperaandkalinichta. Please and thank you,parakalowandefcharisto, were the two words she’d been taught to say properly by her Greek neighbour on the plane. The pronunciation of the wordefcharistomade it sound like you were trying to get rid of excess phlegm from your throat, but she was sure she’d get used to it.
‘Kalispera, Mrs Kokkinakis.’
The elegant brunette smiled her sad smile.
‘Please, call me Elena, now that we’re colleagues.’
‘And I’m Grace.’
‘OK, Grace, let’s get you out of here.’
Grace followed her employer into the car park and watched her click the keys on an open-top Mercedes. The business was obviously doing well. Elena indicated for her to throw her suitcase into the back seat and revved the engine the moment Grace opened the door.
As soon as her bottom touched the seat, they were off down the hill from the airport and onto the main road into town, joining the other cars that seemed to Grace to be moving rather fast, their drivers overtaking each other every few moments and shouting out greetings to people they recognised, Elena included.
Grace lay back and let the wind take her hair and whip it up behind her. There was no point trying to talk over the noise of the engine.
Shops, cafés and restaurants painted white with their doors and windows highlighted in pastels whizzed past on her left, while the port opened up on her right. The odd superyacht with its nose nearly on the road lay side by side with the smaller boats, all swaying slightly in the breeze as the sunlight glinted on the water, scattering the sea into a thousand diamonds.
Everywhere she looked, people were sat outside, eating, and drinking in every possible location, from pavement cafés to boat decks, and the sound of laughter in the air and the smell of meat being grilled made her close her eyes for a moment and just take it all in.
She opened them again when Elena pulled the car into a violent left turn, and they ended up behind a large white four-storey building.
Elena grabbed Grace’s case from the back seat and pointed upwards.
‘We’re here. There won’t be many people around at the moment, as it’s the quiet time, but come and meet my husband Giannis and I’ll show you your room.’
Grace would have opted for a nice cup of tea and a lie-down if she’d been offered it, but she followed Elena into the school, going past a series of teaching rooms with their familiar plastic chairs and interactive whiteboards, until they came to a large office with the blinds down.
