Part 10 (2/2)

Thea shrugged, reaching for her water bottle and drinking deeply. Angelos was watching her impa.s.sively.

She'd done well so far, he allowed grudgingly. He'd set a deliberately fast pace, to see what she would do, but she'd just followed him. Doggedly, steadily. Now he studied her. Was it bravado that was keeping her going? He did not want to have to carry her down if she overdid it and collapsed.

'Tell me if you need to stop,' he said tersely, then he set off again.

Thea put her water away, took a breath, and went after him. The path was more difficult now, disappearing in places, and the ridge was getting narrower. But she kept going. Angelos did not outpace her now, deliberately, she a.s.sumed, slowing to her pace. There was a sharp wind, too, keening up the scarp slope they were now exposed to on the far side of the ridge. But walking had made her hot, and she was glad of its cooling.

Another half-hour of walking got them to the outcrop that he'd indicated. As they gained it Thea realised that the rocks it was made from framed a gra.s.sy hollow, looking out over the next valley. Angelos shrugged off his rucksack and levered himself down on to the close-cropped turf.

'Sit down,' he ordered.

Reluctantly, for the gra.s.sy hollow was not large, Thea did as she was bade, keeping the maximum distance from him she could. Unfortunately, with his broad shoulders and their thick jumpers, that was not much. Worse, out of the wind but still in the sun, and glowing from her exertion, she felt far too hot.

'Take off the jumper,' said Angelos, and proceeded to remove his.

Again reluctantly, Thea did as she was bade, feeling immediate relief to be only in the flannel s.h.i.+rt beneath.

'Now drink more water,' Angelos instructed, extracting his own flask once more.

Again, Thea did likewise, and felt the cool water snake down her parched throat.

'Worth the climb?' Angelos enquired laconically as she lowered the flask to her lap. Her legs, like his, were stretched out straight, but angled away from him.

She gazed around, taking in the splendours of this high, lonely place. All around mountains stretched as far as the eye could see, their peaks snow-capped, their sides verdant. Below her the ridge dropped down into a deep valley, uninhabited from what she could see.

It was as if they had the world to themselves.

As if they were the only people in it.

She didn't answer, only sat, glad of the rest, while her gaze took in the vast s.p.a.ce all around. Apart from the keening of the wind there was no noise. Sun burned down on her, and she was glad of her dark gla.s.ses. Her skin felt hot, and she dipped into her pocket for her sun cream, methodically working it over her face to renew its protection.

Beside her, Angelos watched her. She was absorbed in her task, still gazing out ahead of her. She was paying him no attention, but it didn't bother him. He wanted to watch her. Study her.

Yet again she was different. The groomed, soignee Thea he'd seen for the past few days had changed. But it was not just in appearance, with the functional climbing gear and her hair snaking down her back in a plait to resist the wind, but in the way she sat there. Gazing out quietly. She put the sun cream away and tucked her legs up, hooking her arms loosely around her knees, face lifted as she looked about her.

'That peak there is the Hohenhorn,' he heard himself saying, indicating the tallest mountain in the direction she was looking. 'Below us the Heinser valley. The drop is nearly a thousand metres.'

Suddenly she felt her shoulder brushed. Automatically she stiffened, but Angelos's deep voice only said, 'Look-there-hanging below the Hohenhorn-a pair of eagles!'

She swivelled her head, staring, trying to make out the specks his outstretched arm was pointing at.

'I see them!' she exclaimed. She watched, riveted, as the pair twisted in the air. Silently a pair of binoculars was handed to her. She seized them and lifted them to her eyes.

'Don't look at the sun,' Angelos said sharply.

She found the eagles, though it was hard, as they started to soar upwards on thermals, to keep them in view. But it was an incredible sight to see. Reluctantly she handed back the binoculars. Angelos took them and refocused them for his eyes. Her gaze went from the eagles to him. He was completely absorbed. Completely, she realised with a little jolt, at home here on this high place.

She went on looking at him, her feelings strange.

After a while the eagles were out of sight, and Angelos let the binoculars drop. He turned back to Thea. For a moment she could not look away. Yet both their gazes were veiled by dark gla.s.ses.

I can see him, and he can see me, but we can't see each other ...

The thought formed in her mind and seemed strange to her.

Abruptly he spoke, breaking the moment. 'How are your feet? Any blisters?'

She shook her head slowly. 'I don't think so. They're very good boots.'

'Yes, but you should have broken them in more easily. I set a hard pace on the way up.'

She didn't answer, just turned back to look at the panorama again, leaning forward, away from him.

Angelos looked at the back of her head. 'If it was too hard for you, you should have said.' He paused. 'I'd have slowed down.'

She still said nothing.

'You don't ask favours, do you, Kat?' he said slowly.

'I did once,' she said. Her voice was hollow. 'But I learnt my lesson.'

There was silence broken only by the keening wind.

'Not all of them,' said Angelos softly.

Her head turned and their eyes clashed unseeingly. Behind the safety net of her dark gla.s.ses she could only stare at him.

'What do you mean?' Her voice was sharp. He could hear a bite in it, but it was not of anger. Something different. Fear?

'Relax, Kat. Do you imagine I'm going to toss you over the edge?'

He saw her flinch, saw her try to stop it being visible. Emotion jabbed in him. He swore. Then, deliberately lightening the moment, he said, 'If nothing else, think of the scandal for me ...'

'It could look like an accident. No witnesses.' Her voice was tight. Was she serious in what she said? She knew she wasn't-how could she possibly be?-and yet ... 'It would be the ultimate destruction,' she heard her voice say.

He swore again volubly, in Greek. 'I should be angry with you for such an imputation! But I will make allowances for you. Kat.' He took a breath. 'You paid your dues. I made sure of that. So, whether you deny or admit your guilt for what you did, your slate is clean on that account. Now that you've relinquished the Honourable Giles I won't persecute you any further. But I couldn't let you make a fool of the man the way you made a fool of-'

He stopped. Then he climbed to his feet. 'Time to head back,' he said abruptly.

By the time they reached the chalet Thea was feeling it. Descending was harder on the muscles, she discovered, than ascending, and her legs were trembling by the time she was unlacing her boots in the chalet's porch. But she said nothing, made no complaint. Only nodded when Angelos, glancing at her, told her, 'Have a long soak in the bath before you do anything else.'

She did what he said, easing her aching muscles. Afterwards she wrapped herself up in the big fleecy bathrobe that came with the bathroom and padded out on to the balcony. It was early evening, no longer warm, and looking back along the valley she could see the lights of the village way below at the far distant end. Ahead of her, the huge open s.p.a.ce was filled with darkening air, and high above pale stars were beginning to show in the sky, with the highest peaks still tinged with the last of the day's light.

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