Seven Tears for Apollo by Phyllis A. Whitney

Author:Phyllis A. Whitney
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781504045889
Publisher: Open Road Media Romance
Published: 2017-05-06T04:00:00+00:00

9

In the morning there was an unexpected change of plans. While they were still at breakfast, Madame Katalonos’s chauffeur arrived with a note for Dorcas. His mistress wrote that she had discovered the whereabouts of a Mrs. Markos Dimitriou. She would call for Dorcas at ten o’clock and accompany her to this place.

With the desk clerk as interpreter, Dorcas tried to explain to the chauffeur that other plans had been made for the morning. Would it be possible to make this visit in the afternoon?

The man stood beside the lobby desk, foursquare and burly—a large, unlikely figure in his correct uniform. He shook his head, dismissing the suggestion. Madame had given orders, Dorcas gathered, and lesser mortals were expected to accommodate themselves. His words filled the lobby with sound.

“Stavros says he will return at ten o’clock,” the clerk translated. “It is better if you are ready.”

Dorcas gave in. It was more important to find Mrs. Dimitriou than to visit Petaloudes. She would keep Beth with her today and out of Vanda’s hands.

“Tell him I’ll be ready,” Dorcas said.

Stavros’s salute was of the G.I. variety. For a man so large, he trod lightly across the lobby as he returned to his car.

When Dorcas went back to the breakfast table to announce her changed plans and suggest that Beth stay home, she met with double opposition. Beth wailed that she wanted to go to the butterfly place, and Fernanda supported her.

“I can’t approve of this delving into the past,” she said. “I doubt that Madame Xenia has really found this woman, but if she has, it will only upset you to see her.”

“That’s for me to decide,” Dorcas pointed out.

“I suppose you’ll have to go, even if it’s a wild-goose chase,” said Fernanda. “But let’s not spoil Beth’s fun. We’ll talk about this later.”

After breakfast Dorcas confronted Fernanda in her room as she got ready for the trip.

“I want Beth with me today,” Dorcas told her. “I can’t trust Vanda after what happened yesterday, and—”

“I know,” Fernanda broke in, watching herself in a mirror as she wrapped a scarf about her head. “Vanda told me you thought you had seen marks on the bathroom glass and then accused her of washing them off. Not very diplomatic, my dear.”

“There were such marks,” Dorcas said. “Two white circles like the ones you saw for yourself at home. Circles like the eyes of an owl.”

Fernanda regarded her sadly. “Owl’s eyes! Dorcas, I wish I knew what to do. I’d counted so much on this trip to iron out these aberrations of yours. But they keep on, and all this is terribly bad for Beth. That little scene at breakfast—”

“There was no scene at breakfast and I’m not having aberrations. I simply want Beth with me today.”

Abruptly Fernanda took her by the shoulders and turned her to face the dressing-table mirror. “Look at yourself, dear—just look!”

Thus forced, Dorcas stared angrily at the girl in the glass. The face she saw was frighteningly familiar. Her reflection had

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