The couple took their seats, and Grace spotted that they were holding hands. What it meant for her; she had no idea.
‘Elena and I have talked everything through…’ Giannis patted his wife’s leg under the table, which made Grace want to gag.
‘And we have decided that we’d like to keep you on until the end of your contract, as planned. You are an excellent teacher, and both the children and their parents seem to love you.’
It was as though Giannis was reading from a preprepared script. Elena sat mute through the performance, but she must have had a hand in what Giannis was saying. He’d been ready to get rid of her two days ago.
Part of her wanted to tell them both to stuff their job, but she kept quiet. There was relief mixed with her anger too. Knowing that she could stay on the island for another month meant she’d be able to find out what happened to the cat she’d rescued with Will. Karen needed them. His smirking face also flitted through her mind. She’d miss him if she left now. They hadn’t done quite enough winding each other up. And it wasn’t as if there was anything she needed to rush home for, which was telling in itself.
‘However…’
‘However’ wasn’t the best start to a sentence. Giannis looked at his wife again, who nodded.
‘We won’t need you to come to the house to teach our children anymore.’
There it was. Giannis didn’t want her appearing in his kitchen any time soon. Grace was a constant reminder of his relationship with Anna, as she was for Elena as well. His wife had obviously agreed to the ban. Maybe it was one of her conditions for them to stay together. Grace found that she really didn’t care. They were welcome to each other.
‘We will make sure you don’t suffer financially.’
Grace was tempted to chuck in the towel again and resign. Surely this man didn’t think it was about money at this point. She’d been keen to teach their children because they seemed like nice kids, rather than seeing them as a pile of euros. But one thing she’d learnt to her cost was that the rich always thought everything was about money. In most cases, that’s why they were rich.
‘Rose will be teaching our children instead, and you will be given her clients during August, so it should all work out fairly.’
There was nothing fair about this arrangement. The only saving grace was that the language school would be shut, and she’d be visiting the students, children and adults, in their own homes. She wouldn’t need to see Giannis and Elena at all if she didn’t want to. And she really didn’t want to.
For one insane second, she considered breaking the news that she was accompanying Anna to an abortion clinic at the weekend, just to take the fake smiles off both their faces, but what would that achieve? Jumping in with both feet hadn’t worked out too brilliantly for her up until now.
‘So, is that acceptable to you, Grace?’
He wasn’t really asking her a question. It was this or nothing, something all three of them understood.
‘Yes, I’d like to stay on. And it will be interesting to teach some new faces.’
She’d also been genuinely keen to have a good old nose around some of the town’s houses as well, so this would give her plenty of opportunity.
‘Excellent news.’
Giannis gave his wife a loving look. Grace wasn’t sure how the woman could bear it.
‘Also, we have some good news of our own. You’re one of the first people to know that we’re expecting a much-wanted fourth child.’
Elena’s pleading eyes met hers. Grace was desperate to tell the man that she’d known before him. But spilling the beans was just a fantasy. She knew she’d never do it. Elena still looked pale and pinched. Having a baby in her mid-forties would be no picnic, even though they could afford all the help they’d ever need. Anastasia would probably go along to the antenatal classes. The thought of Anastasia, in her uniform, sitting behind her mistress telling her when to breathe made Grace smile. She could afford to be generous.
‘Congratulations. I’m sure that your children will love having a baby brother or sister.’
Elena’s face relaxed at last and lost some of its vulnerability. She gazed up at her husband, and Grace had to accept that she looked happy, much as it pained her.
The baby was the important thing here. Grace really did believe that giving a child a happy and settled home, whatever form it came in, was the best thing. All relationships involved compromises. Staying with a cheating husband like Giannis would be a compromise too far for her, but it wasn’t her marriage. She didn’t even have a marriage anymore. It was dead and buried, alongside her husband. Well, cremated if she was being accurate.
‘Thank you, Grace. The children are very excited and already arguing about names.’
Elena nodded her thanks and put her hands together in prayer when Giannis looked away for a moment. Grace acknowledged the gesture with a smile.
Giannis took his wife’s hand and helped her up.
‘Class will begin soon. So, let’s all hope for a rewarding and productive last week.’
‘Yes, let’s.’
