“I do get a little lonely sometimes,” Catherine admitted. “But I’m coping. I keep remembering what you said. Forget about the past, live for the future.”
“That’s right. Speaking of the future, I’m going to be in London tomorrow. I would like to take you to dinner.”
“I would enjoy that very much,” Catherine said warmly. She was looking forward to it. She would have a chance to tell him how grateful she was to him.
When Constantin Demiris replaced the receiver, he smiled to himself. The chase is on.
They had dinner at the Ritz. The dining room was elegant and the food was delicious, but Catherine was too excited to pay attention to anything except the man who was sitting opposite her. There was so much she had to tell him.
“You have a wonderful office staff,” Catherine said. “Wim is amazing. I’ve never seen anyone who can…”
But Demiris was not listening to the words. He was studying her, thinking how beautiful she was, and how vulnerable. But I mustn’t rush her, Demiris decided. No, I’ll play the game slowly and savor the victory. This one will be for you, Noelle, and for your lover.
“Are you going to be in London long?” Catherine was asking.
“Just a day or two. I had some business to take care of.” That was true. But he knew he could have handled it by telephone. No, he had come to London to begin his campaign to draw Catherine closer to him, to make her emotionally dependent on him. He leaned forward. “Catherine, did I ever tell you about the time I worked in the oil fields in Saudi Arabia…?”
Demiris took Catherine to dinner the following night.
“Evelyn told me what a wonderful job you’re doing at the office. I’m going to give you a raise.”
“You’ve been so generous already,” Catherine protested. “I…”
Demiris looked into her eyes. “You don’t know how generous I can be.”
Catherine was embarrassed. He’s only being kind, she thought. I mustn’t imagine things.
The following day, Demiris was ready to leave. “Would you like to ride out to the airport with me, Catherine?”
“Yes.”
She found him fascinating, almost spellbinding. He was amusing and brilliant and she was flattered by his attention.
At the airport, Demiris kissed Catherine lightly on the cheek. “I’m glad we could spend some time together, Catherine.”
“So am I. Thank you, Costa.”
She stood there watching his plane take off. He’s very special, Catherine thought. I’m going to miss him.
Chapter Six
Everyone had always been amazed by the apparent close friendship of Constantin Demiris and his brother-in-law, Spyros Lambrou.
Sypros Lambrou was almost as rich and powerful as Demiris. Demiris owned the largest fleet of cargo ships in the world; Spyros Lambrou owned the second largest. Constantin Demiris controlled a chain of newspapers and airlines, oil fields, steel mills, and gold mines; Spyros Lambrou had insurance companies, banks, enormous amounts of real estate, and a chemical plant. They seemed friendly competitors; better than that, buddies.
“Isn’t it wonderful,” people said, “that two of the most powerful men in the world are such great friends?”
In reality, they were implacable rivals who despised each other. When Spyros Lambrou bought a 100-foot yacht, Constantin Demiris immediately commissioned a 150-foot yacht that had four G.M. diesels, a crew of thirteen, two speedboats, and a freshwater swimming pool.
When Spyros Lambrou’s fleet reached a total of twelve tankers, with a tonnage of 200,000, Constantin Demiris increased his own fleet to twenty-three tankers, with a tonnage of 650,000. Spyros Lambrou acquired a string of race horses, and Demiris bought a larger stable to run against him, and consistently won.
The two men saw each other frequently, for they served together on charity committees, sat on the boards of various corporations, and occasionally attended family gatherings.
They were exactly opposite in temperament. Where Constantin Demiris had come from the gutter and fought his way to the top, Spyros Lambrou was born an aristocrat. He was a lean and elegant man, always impeccably dressed, with courtly, old-world manners. He could trace his family tree back to Otto of Bavaria, who had once ruled as king of Greece. During the early political uprisings in Greece, a small minority, the oligarchy, amassed fortunes in trade, shipping, and land. Spyros Lambrou’s father was one of them, and Spyros had inherited his empire.