The Holiday Read Online Free PDF

They’re nice, very friendly.’
    Izzy stretched her arms over her head and yawned. She had been up since five and was beginning to feel tired. ‘And what about tomorrow, anything in mind for us to do?’
    ‘We’ve got nothing planned. That’s the beauty of coming here. It’s total relaxation. What’s more, I don’t even have to cook tonight. Max is going to impress you with his barbecue skills. It’ll just be the four of us.’
    ‘Four?’
    ‘Don’t worry, it’s only Theo joining us for the evening. Come on, I need to get out of the sun. Give me a head start and I’ll race you back to the beach.’

Chapter Four
    With a beer in his hand, Max was more than happy to be left to his own devices to deal with the intricate operation of lighting the barbecue. He waved Laura away with a stand-aside-and-leave-this-to-me expression and told her to go and relax.
    Only too pleased to escape the rising cloud of smoke, she picked up her Campari and soda and went over to the group of wicker chairs, positioned to give them the best view of the setting sun when they settled there after their meal.
    She leaned back into one and wondered how the evening would go. She was mildly surprised that Theo wasn’t here already. Her initial concern over him sweeping Izzy off her feet had done a surprising U-turn. She had a good feeling about the effect his company would have on Izzy. She didn’t know of a single woman who wouldn’t relish being flattered by an attractive man. The reverse was also true, of course. Men found the flirtatious attention of a beautiful woman an irresistible draw. The difference between the two was that men were inclined to take the passing attention of a woman seriously - Wow, I always knew I was a catch! - while women treated it as they would a fragrant waft of freesias: lovely, but not lasting.
    Which was as close as one could get to describing Theo. He was lovely, all right, but any intimate relationship with him would almost certainly be short and sweet.
    Throughout last summer when she and Max had occasionally stayed with Theo while the finishing touches were being put to Villa Petros, Laura had seen him in action with a number of women he brought with him from Athens. She had asked him once if he ever grew tired of the rapid turnaround in his love life.
    ‘You are implying that I lead a shallow existence, Laura, is that it? Well, do not worry yourself on my account, I am quite happy as I am.’
    She didn’t doubt that he was happy, she just wondered if he could be happier.
    Max had agreed with her, saying that he was a curious man. ‘When he’s having a drink on his own with me he’s quite different,’ he said, during one of their many conversations about Theo, ‘but put a woman in front of him and it’s as if a switch flicks - he goes into supercharged charmer mode.’
    Hearing a change in the strength of the waves on the rocks below, Laura turned her gaze out to sea. One of the many Minoan ferries that passed this way between Brindisi and the port at Corfu Town was gliding across the horizon. Its smooth passage made her wonder just how smooth Theo would be this evening. What kind of a performance would he put on for Izzy’s benefit?
    And how would Izzy react?
    Laura had deliberately not told her anything of the conversation she had had with Theo that morning. If she did, Izzy would automatically be on her guard, which would create an atmosphere of hostility between them. That would be a great shame.
    No. It was much better that Izzy worked Theo out for herself, in her own time and in her own way, and decided just how seriously to take him. If she had any sense she would treat him in exactly the same way Laura did. Besides, Laura didn’t want anything to spoil Izzy’s holiday. After the tough year she had had, what with Alan, her father dying, and her dreadful mother to contend with, a relaxing summer was the least she deserved.
    The sound of footsteps on the stony path below the terrace told