The Holiday Read Online Free PDF Page A

complete fashion slouch - she knew a good label when she saw one and wasn’t slow in handing over an extra pound for quality, especially if she needed something for a special occasion. But a power suit?
    Other than school, little else was going on in Izzy’s life, and had she been in danger of missing this, her mother had been only too quick to point it out to her. ‘I had hoped to be a grandmother by now,’ she had muttered on the phone, when Izzy was officially a single woman again. ‘With your inability to maintain a steady relationship there’s no chance of that ever happening, I suppose.’
    ‘I’m sorry to have denied you that pleasure,’ Izzy had said.
    ‘There’s no need to take that tone with me, young lady. A couple of grandchildren, is that really so much to ask for?’
    In the circumstances, yes, it was.
    Izzy had wanted children, but Alan had refused to entertain the idea. Just as he had refused to talk about marriage. ‘We’re okay as we are,’ he would say. ‘Why go changing things?’
    Izzy sat up and looked towards the shore where a selection of villas nestled into the hillside. ‘Tell me about your neighbours,’ she said. ‘You and Max have often mentioned Theo, the man who sold you the villa, especially what a sex-god he thinks he is, but what about the others? What are they like?’
    Laura sat up too and pointed to the furthest villa along the bay to the left. ‘That’s owned by an elderly French couple who have been coming here for over twenty years. They live in Paris and tend to keep themselves to themselves. And to the right is a villa with yellow shutters. Do you see it? It’s just peeping through the trees.’
    Izzy squinted in the glare of the bright sun. ‘Yes.’
    ‘That’s owned by an Englishwoman, but nobody ever sees her. She used to come here for holidays with her husband, and when he died five years ago she moved in permanently.’
    ‘So why doesn’t anyone see her?’
    Laura shrugged. ‘Don’t know. Everyone just accepts that she’s a recluse and lets her get on with it. Now, do you see the tatty little pink house?’
    Again Izzy squinted her eyes. ‘Yes.’
    ‘That’s owned by another Brit. But he’s let it go to rack and ruin and struggles to rent it to tourists. Apparently it’s a mess inside and out. Moving up the hillside, there’s a tiny little villa that’s owned by a German businessman. According to the local gossip, he’s not coming this summer, so it will probably be rented too.’
    ‘Aren’t there any locals who live here?’
    ‘A few, but not many. Behind the German villa is where Dimitri and Marietta live. They own one of the jewellery shops in Kassiópi and spend their summers here, running the shop.’
    ‘And where do they spend their winters?’
    ‘In Athens, like Theo.’
    ‘So which is his place?’
    Laura pointed to the right of Villa Petros, to the tip of the lush green headland. ‘That’s his. It’s lovely, isn’t it? Quite the best house in Áyios Nikólaos. It used to be an olive press but he’s done a wonderful job of extending and renovating it. It’s a bit of a hobby for him.’
    Izzy gazed up at the attractive mellow stone villa. ‘What does he do when he’s not renovating old houses - and flirting with you?’
    Laura smiled. ‘You’ve been listening to Max too much.’
    Izzy smiled too. ‘He may have mentioned Theo’s interest in you.’
    ‘It’s just a game he plays. It’s nothing serious. No, what he’s really into is property. And lots of it. He owns half of Athens, if you believe a fraction of the scurrilous stories Angelos shares with Max.’
    ‘And who’s Angelos?’
    ‘He and his wife practically run Ayios Nikólaos. Without them we’d be sunk. They take care of our villa, as well as Theo’s and several others. Angelos does all the gardening and maintenance work, and Sophia does the cleaning. Look, that’s their house, to the left of ours and further up the hill. You’ll meet them soon.