‘Are you appalled by that?’
Grace knew it was important how she reacted, but she still wasn’t sure why.
‘No, not appalled, particularly in your situation.’
Grace had also found herself pregnant at twenty-three, with her eldest daughter, Lottie. It wasn’t planned, and she could still remember the shock that went through her body at the positive result. She and Phil had only been teaching for a couple of years and had plans to travel and work abroad. Doing what she was doing now, ironically. She’d ended up doing it for both of them.
But the difference was that she and Phil were married when she got pregnant, they had a home and, most importantly, she loved him. She’d never regretted her decision to have a baby. But it wasn’t the same for this young woman.
‘What are you going to do?’
‘There are places in Athens where it’s easy to arrange an abortion, if you have money.’
Was this girl going to ask her for money? She hated to disappoint her, but she wasn’t a wealthy woman.
‘It’s not the money that’s the problem.’
The girl had obviously read her mind.
‘Giannis will pay. He respects my wish to do this.’
He’s also got another life on the waywas on the tip of Grace’s tongue, but that wasn’t her news to impart. Elena might not even have got round to telling him yet.
‘The problem is that I have no one to help me.’
The young woman had gone white. Grace handed her a glass of water.
‘Of course, I cannot tell my parents. They would be scandalised and so disappointed in me. It is a small island, and Giannis and Elena are friends of theirs. Which is how I met him in the first place, and how I came to be working here.’
So, he’d taken advantage of the daughter of friends. It got worse. Grace frowned.
‘Please don’t think he forced me into anything.’
Anna lifted her head.
‘If I’m being honest, I pursued him. He was good-looking, charming, funny, and so much more sophisticated than any man I’d met before.’
Grace thought more of the young woman in front of her for telling the truth. It would have been so easy for her for pretend that it was all Giannis.
‘But I realised I didn’t want to be anyone’s dirty little secret anymore.’
‘I can understand why you feel like that.’
‘I just want this whole thing over with by the time I go back to London to do my Masters in September.’
‘Yes, a fresh start is very appealing.’
After all, it was why she was here on the island.
‘So, I have already booked the procedure for next Saturday.’
Now they were getting to the nub of it.
‘I was just wondering if…’ Anna’s voice faltered. ‘You would please come with me. It’s a very early termination and there shouldn’t be any problems, but I’m supposed to have someone stay with me overnight on the first night.’
‘Me?’ Grace wanted to pinch herself. ‘Why me? Haven’t you got any friends that could go with you?’
Anna shook her head.
