‘But it could do. If you worked things out. I mean, you still get on, you could talk about it at least, no?’
Faye took a deep breath, seeing the absolute sincerity as well as the unmitigated sadness in her daughter’s eyes. Perhaps protecting Saffron wasn’t right any more. She was an adult. She wasn’t stupid; the opposite, in fact, but Faye also knew Saffron often liked to believe things if they were nicer than reality.
‘Saff,’ she said, putting a hand on her shoulder. ‘Dad and I didn’t get divorced just because we weren’t getting on.’ She pulled in her core, knowing her next words were going to hurt her all over again as well as damage her daughter.
‘Well, what happened then?’ Saffron asked, eyelashes blinking over doe-like eyes.
And then it struck her. She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t hurt Saffron more than she had already been damaged by the break-up.
‘I don’t know,’ Faye said quickly. ‘It was a lot of things all piled up and we weren’t making each other happy and that’s what a good relationship should be, right? Commitment to making each other happy every single day.’
‘But—’
‘Listen,’ Faye said. ‘I don’t want you to worry about anything while you’re here in Corfu, OK? It’s supposed to be fun and relaxing and you’ve made a new friend in Maddie. How long is she staying here for?’
‘Two weeks,’ Saffron answered.
‘Well, until she tastes your pesto pasta and then she might want to stay here forever.’
Saffron smiled, and that simple action warmed every part of Faye that wasn’t already sweltering with the heat of the night.
‘You go and enjoy your evening,’ Faye told her.
‘And what are you going to do?’
Faye smiled. ‘I’m going to enjoy my evening too.’
37
CORFU TOWN
The capital of the island danced to a completely different rhythm at night. Like the intense heat of the day, gone were the majority of the cruise ship and coach tour passengers and, as the sky grew dark and the temperature dropped just slightly, streetlamps glowed like full moons andtavernatables spilt out into the narrowest of alleyways. Faye had always loved the town. The architecture was an unprecedented mixture of style and design from all the rulers of this island over the centuries. Marble arches and pillars, resplendent courtyards and pastel-coloured apartments towering up next to crumbling or partially restored bell towers. In the daytime it was a bright, shining jewel and at night it glowed with a more sophisticated effervescence.
‘You love it here,’ he said softly.
They were walking through the streets, the sound of conversation filling the air from every bar and eatery, music floating between the words, mopeds zipping between everyone’s steps. It was a gentle, tumbling chaos.
‘How did you know?’ she asked him.
‘Two reasons,’ he replied. ‘The first is you are quiet. When you really enjoy things you do not talk so much.’
‘And the second reason?’
‘You move differently.’
‘Oh really, so you’re a body language expert now?’
‘I know all about shoulder tension, believe me, and you hold a lot of stress in your upper body. But here… the same as on Avlaki Beach,’ He took a breath before continuing. ‘Your shoulders relax… you sink down a little… move slower.’
She smiled and shook her head. ‘I hear what you’re doing. You’re talking… more… slowly… so I match your rhythm.’
‘Match my rhythm, hmm?’ He nudged her arm gently with his and it made the fine hairs immediately stand to attention.
‘Kosta,’ she said, perhaps warningly for her own benefit more than his.
And yes, she wasn’t on a date with Alexandros, she was here in Corfu Town with Kostas. After leaving Saffron, Maddie and a container full of green-covered fusilli, Faye only wanted to spend the evening escaping from the hotel or anything connected to the potential sale. It felt alien to her to need to get away from the very place that was usually her solace but, with these current set of circumstances, that’s how it was. And Alexandros with his confidence erring on the side of bullishness, it wasn’t what she wanted.
‘Kosta, what?’ he teased. ‘You said this, not me.’
