Page 98 of Summer in Greece

I pulled off my black stockings and dropped my white, broderie anglaise combinations. The garment fell around my feet and for a moment, standing before him completely naked, I felt lost and embarrassed in the heat of a blush.

‘I worship you with all my heart and soul,’ he whispered. Staring at my body, he muttered something in Greek as he crossed himself, then he kissed me fervently and pulled me against him. In that moment, I knew he had done all this before with other women. To be honest, I was glad, being more than a little nervous about the size of his . . . erm . . . love.

‘Be gentle with me, Manno. Truly, it’s my very first time,’ I whispered, too tender, too trustful, too much a woman to resist the handsome man who charmed me into longing for him. And I did, I wanted him so badly, nothing – not even the pain of losing my virginity – would stop me. His kisses were tentative at first, but my response left no question and as he understood that, he groaned into my mouth.

‘You say what you like, agapi, you tell me if you want me to stop and I stop, yes?’

I was so shy, blushing and blinking like the virgin I was.

And so our first lovemaking began, united for the first time on an inconspicuous Tuesday morning in the deep shade of a little stone house in Syros. Both thrilled and afraid, and aching with longing, we made love all through the day. I could not get enough of him, nor him me. The experience was new to me of course, and I wasn’t sure what I was doing; but Manno appeared more experienced. Crazy for more sensations, feasting on each other, deliriously happy, singing silently with Aphrodite’s pleasures, until we were both desperate to go further than we had dared venture before.

Inevitably, at the point of no return, he growled into my ear and thrust passionately and desperately onward. I experienced a painful, stinging, but Manno’s reaction was to cry my name so loudly I feared all of Syros heard.

‘You are mine, agapi! Mine, my love!’

His words were overwhelming, primitive, yet loving; like balm to my discomfort. By late afternoon, we made love for the third and last time, I know I called out, but with no notion of what words. My body exploded with extraordinary violence after what started with a gentle feeling of perfect love. Waves of pleasure had built up to a fire and ice fit of uncontrollable passion. Closer, harder, stronger waves enveloped me until, God knows, I really do believe I lost consciousness in my euphoria. Then I was in his arms, tears of joy on my face, him rocking me, panting as he stroked my hair and muttered thanks to God and endearments to me in Greek and English.

‘I have fallen in love with you,’ I whispered.

‘Stay, agapi mou! Stay, my love! Don’t go back to the ship, stay and marry me and live here, on my island!’

I looked around, taking in my surroundings properly, for the first time after our bold and heated intrusion. The cottage was much the same as Yiayá’s on the island of Kea.

He mistook my interest in the cottage for disapproval. ‘No, not here exactly,’ he said. ‘I will build you a house. A fine house with many rooms, on the side of the hill. I hear from my cousin in England you like to have many rooms. I have land, much land, all over the island my family have plenty land, agapi. You tell me what you want, yes, I build it. I am a very fine builder. Stay, and we will marry, agapi!’

I blushed deeply. I had given myself to him, and he had begged me to marry him. There was justice in the situation. ‘I can’t. There is a war, I must help the sick and the wounded. It’s my destiny, I swore an oath that I would do it for my brother and sister.’

‘You are an angel. Where are they, your brother and sister? I will talk to them.’ He lifted my chin and kissed me softly.

‘No, you don’t understand. They both died.’

‘Ah, is OK then. They don’t know what you are doing. You will be my wife.’

‘Manno! What a terrible thing to say! Anyway, I hear talk that Greece is joining the conflict any day now, so I am sure I will be back in your country soon, Manno, but if not, swear you will come to find me in Dover.’ Perhaps I would be locked in some English prison, my punishment for costing the British government thousands of pounds, perhaps even millions. We were at war, and I had caused the loss of their best ship and destroyed the lives of so many of our young men.

‘I will come for you,’ Manno cried dramatically. ‘If I must sail my boat all the way to England, I give you my word: I will come to get you. Now tell me you love me. You are mine, do you understand, mine!’

As I climbed off the bed to dress, I saw a little blood on the sheet. ‘Oh, Manno! I must wash that off before it dries, please, bring me some water.’

‘No, agapi, no. It must stay. My father will be proud, he will hang the sheet out for all to see. In the kafenio they will say, see, Manno’s wife was an English virgin! He is a lucky man!’

My face turned scarlet as the stain. I couldn’t speak. What an awful idea! He must have read the horror on my face. ‘Do not worry,’ he said. ‘It is something to be proud of. In the eyes of my family, it means we are married already.’

I had to get away, back on the ship. Return to my role as a nurse before I came face to face with Manno’s father and died of embarrassment.

‘Wait, wait!’ Manno cried as I started to climb from the bed. ‘Such an important occasion.’ He opened a chest in the corner of the room and flung heaps of linen to one side, then he came to a wooden box which he placed on the table. Then he pulled a chair under the oil lamp that hung from the ceiling and, still naked, stood on it.

Oh, my!

I took the opportunity to admire his physique. He could have modelled for Michelangelo, except for that artist’s understatement of David’s manly attributes. Such a majestically round bottom, and his abdomen – solid ridges like Mrs Cooper’s washboard. How I wished I had my sketchbook. He thrust his fingertips into the tray under the oil lamp and was clearly searching for something. Then he caught my look, peered down at his own body and grinned. ‘You want me to come back to bed?’

‘No!’ I cried, blushing and looking away.

‘Ah, I found it,’ he said, finally producing a little gold key. ‘My mother, she hide it here.’

Conscious of the time, I started to dress quickly while I watched him. Then I removed the plank that kept the door closed. He unlocked the little box and rummaged around. I heard him make a little, ‘Ah, perfect!’ while I was pulling my shoes on. He reached for my hand and pulled me up. ‘Close your eyes,’ he said, I did, and felt him slide something cold and lumpy onto my ring finger. Before I could see what it was, the door burst open, knocking me sideways. Manno backed up. A rotund woman in heavy black skirts and scarf, brandishing a besom, set about walloping poor naked Manno. She screeched at the top of her voice while pointing to the jewellery box on the table. Unnoticed, I slipped out and ran down to the port as fast as I could, not slowing until I was up the ramp and safely on the ship.

I hurried around the deck until I reached the side furthest from the quay, hidden from the port. There, I examined the ring, a silver dolphin that curled itself around my finger.