Follow a Stranger by Charlotte Lamb Read Free Book Online

in Greyford. Then
    she went downstairs and found Peter and Marc in a wood-
    panelled lounge, talking quietly.
    She stood by the door, watching them, feeling a surge of
    resentment against Marc Lillitos for the bored expression

    on his dark face. She forgot the number of times she had
    been irritated by Peter’s passion for the past. It never
    entered his head that not everyone shared his interest, and
    even Sam had been known to ask him to shut up about
    ancient civilisation. But now it was just another crime to
    chalk up against the name of Lillitos, and she illogically
    felt pleased to be able to do so.
    Marc turned his head and saw her. Her heart did that
    annoying backward flip which she had only begun to notice
    since meeting him. There was something about the look in
    the grey eyes which bothered her a good deal—a lazy,
    mocking intimacy, as though he not only knew and
    understood her, but could read her mind with a glance. It
    was alarming to feel so transparent.
    She came forward and Peter turned to smile at her.
    “Oh, there you are, Kate! I’ve made all the arrangements
    with Lillitos. He’s kindly offered me camping equipment—
    a tent, blankets, sleeping bag, even cooking facilities.”
    “You’re going to sleep on the site?” Kate interrupted.
    “But, Peter, this is a holiday!”
    He stared, in mild bewilderment. “Well, I couldn’t make
    the journey every day, you know, there and back. The
    temple is up there,” pointing out of the long window,
    which looked up at a green expanse of mountainous
    country, “on that hooked peak. Mr. Lillitos says you can
    see the whole of the island from the top—a good strategic
    position for a fortress. There must be more than a temple
    up there.” His face glowed passionately. “Who knows what
    I’ll find?”
    “You’re going to leave me here and spend the whole
    fortnight alone on that mountain?” she asked incred-
    ulously.
    “You’ll have Pallas and Sam to keep you company,” he

    answered vaguely. “I thought the idea was that you should
    have fun with Pallas while I work on the site? You know
    you’re never very keen on site work, Kate.”
    Angrily conscious of Marc’s amused gaze, she was
    silent, and Peter took her agreement for granted. “Well,
    I’m very grateful,” he told Marc. “I’ll be off now, then.’' He
    shook hands with him, kissed Kate absently and was gone
    before she had time to think.
    She looked at Marc coldly. He was leaning back in his
    chair, his face sardonic.

    “You do not look too happy, Miss Caulfield. Your fiancé
    will be quite safe, I promise you. My car is taking him as
    far as the road goes. We do not have too many roads on
    Kianthos. Jake will help him carry up the camping
    equipment, and see the camp set up. He has plenty of food
    with him. And the goatherds will visit the Peak once a day,
    as they always do, with their goats. If anything went
    wrong, they would let me know.”
    “Goatherds?” she asked curiously.
    “There’s a village on the other side of the peak. They
    keep goats and have some olive trees. Cheese and olives
    are the staple diet, you know. Goat’s cheese and goat’s
    milk, and fish, in season. They call the peak To Angkistri.
    It means The Hook. There is a local legend about it which I
    must tell you some time.”
    “How long have your family lived here?” she asked.
    “Off and on for generations, I believe. My great-
    grandfather was a fisherman who left the island for the
    mainland when there was bad fishing for several years. My
    grandfather was successful enough to build up a good
    business and my father bought the island thirty years ago.
    He built this house.”
    “Sophia said you learnt your English at school,” she

    said. “Was that in England?”
    He nodded. “My mother is French, but English schools
    are famous all over the world, so they decided to send me
    to England, and then to a French university.”
    She was startled. “Oh, you were at university?”
    His