Athena had a real enemy there, he thought. In the mood he was in, Demos could do harm.

Not if he stayed close.

He had no choice. In order to protect this island then he needed to protect this woman. He intended to stay very close indeed.

Athena’s smile looked pinned in place. She was terrified, he thought.

‘It’s okay,’ he murmured.

‘No,’ she murmured back. ‘It’s not okay at all. I’m doing this because I have no choice. If you think I like being hugged by you…’

The crowd’s cheers were building. Athena waved and so did Nicky.

And Nikos had no choice either. He waved.

They stood together.

‘There’s a reception tonight at the palace,’ he told her.

‘There’s a what?’

They were all in the royal limousine, heading for the palace. Nikos hadn’t wanted to come with her, but once again there’d been no choice. Someone had to introduce her to the palace staff.

He’d brought Christa along, to lighten the atmosphere a bit. To stop things getting too personal. Oscar lay on the floor looking exhausted. It had been a very long waddle down the gangplank.

Giorgos would have had a fit if he could have seen this dog in his limo, Nikos thought and suppressed a grin.

The limousine, the palace, these trappings of royalty, had been kept so Giorgos could come in state whenever he wished. They could get rid of it all now, Nikos thought, but then he considered the crowd who’d turned up to see Athena arrive. They’d cheered her with joy. She was giving the island its identity back. Did she even realise it?

‘A reception,’ he repeated, trying to get his head round practicalities. ‘Everyone who’s anyone on the island and a few more. Three hundred people.’

‘How many?’

‘You need to make a statement.’

‘I don’t.’

‘Of course you do,’ he said flatly. ‘That’s what you’ve come for.’

‘But I’m not staying,’ she said, sounding desperate. ‘Nikos, I can’t do this. A reception. People cheering. It’s not who I am.’