Alien Vengeance by Sara Craven

sharply in Greek. The dog’s ears went down and his tail wagged. Whatever the girl had said, they were clearly magic words, Gemma thought.
    She recognised her at once—it was the girl in the red dress she’d seen earlier, and she still looked sulky, her heavy-lidded dark eyes almost fierce as they met Gemma’s,
    Gemma said coolly and clearly, ‘My name is Gemma Barton, and I think you must be Maria.’ The girl shrugged. She muttered, ‘ Then katavaleno. ’
    Gemma’s Greek was minimal, but that was one of the few phrases she’d managed to master. She said sharply, ‘I think you understand perfectly well. And don’t tell me that you and Mike only spoke Greek to each other because it’s just not possible.’
    There was a silence. Then the girl said, ‘You are the woman of Michalis?’
    ‘His sister,’ Gemma corrected. ‘ Adelphi tou ,’ she added for good measure.
    ‘Sister.’ The black brows snapped together frowningly. ‘I do not understand.’
    And Gemma did not feel capable of explaining all over again to someone whose knowledge of her language seemed limited. She sighed.
    ‘Did Mike—Michalis—never mention that he had a sister? Didn’t he talk about his family at all?’
    Silence. Another shrug. ‘A little—maybe. But not a sister.’
    ‘Nevertheless, that’s who I am.’ Gemma made herself smile, speak pleasantly, and was relieved to see the heavy frown lift a little, the sullen expression lighten.
    ‘You know where Michalis has gone? You can help me?’
    ‘I think I’m the one who needs help,’ Gemma told her drily. ‘Do you know why I have been brought here?’
    The girl nodded. ‘It is a punishment, although this was not my wish, you understand,’ she added hastily. She put a protective hand on her abdomen in a curiously poignant gesture. ‘My father—my brothers were so angry. They threatened many things—bad things.’
    Gemma said gently, ‘This is also a bad thing, Maria.’
    Maria’s eyes widened sceptically. ‘To be here— with Kyrios Andreas?’ She almost giggled. ‘There are many—many women who would not think so, thespinis . Many who would be glad to take your place.’
    ‘Including yourself?’ Gemma asked sharply, irritated by the knowing gleam in Maria’s eyes.
    The girl drew herself up. When she wasn’t scowling, she was incredibly pretty, Gemma thought, her figure full-breasted and voluptuous.
    ‘Not I, thespinis .’’ She shook her head. ‘The father of Kyrios Andreas was our nonos —our godfather.’ She crossed herself. ‘In his life, a good man, and important man. Always he was most kind to us. But I was not for his son. Never would my father have dreamed of such a thing. When Kyrios Andreas takes a wife, she will be a woman of wealth and property, as is fitting.’
    So—his name is Andreas, and he isn’t married, Gemma thought.
    She said, ‘Maria—whatever wrongs my brother has done you, I can’t stay here. You must see that. I’m sure that if he’d known you were pregnant, he’d never have gone off like this and ...’
    ‘But it was because he knew that he went, thespinis .’ Maria sounded almost matter-of-fact about it. ‘If he had stayed, my father and brothers might have killed him. It was better he went. But he promised he would help, and he will.’
    Gemma bit her lip. ‘Are you thinking that he’ll marry you, perhaps?’
    There was a pause, then a negative shake of the head. Maria said flatly, ‘It would not be fitting.’ She did not meet Gemma’s gaze.
    She said, ‘I don’t believe that, Maria, and I know my parents wouldn’t either, if you love each other. But there would be problems. Michalis is still studying. He can’t afford to get married, for one thing. And how do you suppose he will feel if I’m forced to stay here with—with this—Andreas?’
    Maria shrugged. ‘As I said, thespinis , it was not my will that you should be brought here. I tried to tell them—to speak against it, but my father would not