‘It’s imagining the backstory about where they’ve come from and who donated them that I can’t cope with.’
Maddie and Sofia raised their eyebrows in unison.
‘I know it sounds mad, and I probably should have told you both earlier that you could borrow stuff. That was wicked of me. But don’t we all look nice and elegant?’
Maddie’s grunt was reply enough.
At the door they were greeted by an elderly monk and offered shot glasses ofpsimeni raki, which he explained was a local brew made with fermented grapes and herbs and was traditionally offered to travellers who’d made the long trip here. To accompany it were little sweets,loukoumi, liberally sprinkled with sugar.OK, being dropped off by a taxi didn’t actually qualify as a pilgrimage, thought Sofia, but it was very welcome anyway.
Everyone nibbled on something that tasted very similar to Turkish delight, but while Charlotte and Sofia sipped their drinks and tried not to cough at the strength of the spirit, Maddie knocked it back in one.
‘Efcharistó. That’s hit the spot.’
The monk nodded and motioned to them to carry on walking.
The intricate paintings, icons and old photos dating back hundreds of years, grouped on the white plaster walls, had Charlotte in raptures. Her rapid-fire questions to the elderly priest were answered in stuttering English. Charlotte stared intently into the frames, her blue eyes in their pale-pink framed glasses reflected in the pictures.
‘Do you think she should have brought a magnifying glass?’ Maddie whispered to Sofia now she’d got her breath back. ‘I know none of us have perfect eyesight these days, but she’s virtually got her eye up against the frames.’
‘I’ve certainly not seen her this excited about anything since we arrived on the island.’ Sofia stifled a yawn. ‘Admittedly it was only this morning, but it seems ages ago. It’s like we’ve all pressed pause for a while.’
Sofia strained to hear Maddie say ‘good job’.Her friend hung back a moment to stare at the memorial candles at a little altar in the corner. To Sofia’s knowledge, Maddie had never been in the least bit religious, but she turned away to give her some privacy anyway. Sofia herself had been brought up Catholic, and although somewhat lapsed, she was still a high-days and holidays attendee. If Maddie could get some comfort here, who was she to judge?
Maddie put a coin in the donation box, lit one of the thin tapering candles from another already burning and placed it in the holder. She closed her eyes and put her hands together in prayer. It was a desperate move, given her previous aversion to religion, but she had nothing to lose anymore. She’d try anything. Tony was gone for good, far beyond her reach, but she had to find a way to reconnect with her son and granddaughter before she lost them too.
Sofia was waiting when she opened her eyes again, but she just smiled and took her hand. Maddie was grateful that her friend wasn’t going to push her to reveal what she’d been praying for. They moved in Charlotte’s wake on to the next room, which, to Sofia’s delight, was manned by a much younger priest.
Even the flowing black robes couldn’t hide his broad shoulders, and when he turned to greet Charlotte, his cheekbones and melting brown eyes wouldn’t have looked out of place on a male model.
Sofia covered her mouth with her hand.
‘Now that is what I call a work of art.’
Maddie’s giggle had Charlotte looking back and frowning.
‘What’s the matter with her? Has she not seenFleabag?’ Sofia continued. ‘The hot priest vibe is still huge. That guy could give Andrew Scott a run for his money.’
Maddie’s barely stifled laugh elicited another stare.
Sofia grabbed her friend’s hand.
‘We’d better get outside before she comes over and gives us a good telling off.’
If they’d thought the view looking up at the monastery was stunning, Charlotte was right: the view from the monastery looking back at the sea was breathtaking. Maddie marvelled at the sheer mechanics of building such a structure back in the eleventh century. A pool of crystal-clear turquoise water beneath them lapped at the rocks as the warm air caressed their faces, and there was even a white sand beach a few metres further along.
‘Do you think they climb down there for a swim when we’ve all gone home?’
Sofia shut her eyes and imagined the scene.
‘I’d certainly pay to see that if the hot priest was swimming… naked.’
‘Sof! Stop it.’
Maddie put her hand on the wall and stroked the rough white brick.
‘Do you think Char’s even more uptight than usual? She said something weird to me back at the hotel, about things not being as they seem. And I swear she had tears in her eyes.’
Sofia put her head on one side.
