An Affair to Remember

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Helena Stamos waited in a long security line to board the cruise ship Alexandra's Dream. She gripped her oversize leather portfolio in one hand, her purse in the other. She'd truly intended to leave the portfolio behind on this vacation, but at the last moment she'd snatched it up before running out the door to her taxi.Naples was hot, dry and sunnya marked contrast to the damp London weather she'd left behind instead of her paintings and sketches. She'd accepted a new contract to design costumes for next fall's production of Tosca, and ideas were coming to her with too much force to ignore. She'd have to get them down on paper, even if it meant turning her brief vacation into a working one.Though she'd finally slept the night before, she was exhausted from the weeks leading up to the dress rehearsal for her last play. Her only brief respite had been two weeks ago, when she'd joined this same ship for a few days to meet her half-brother, Theo, for the first time. Although she had known about Theo's existence for a while, she was still trying to get used to the fact that she had an older brother, one who looked disconcertingly like her father, Elias. "Ms. Stamos!" exclaimed Gideon Dayan, who oversaw security for the ship. "You don't need to wait in line. I'll send your things through right away."Several passengers turned to look at her, trying to figure out why she was special, and Helena smiled at them politely. "That's all right, Gideon, really. I'm just another passenger. It will only take a few minutes.""Suit yourself." He nodded to her. "Welcome aboard. It's good to see you againI'd stay to chat but I need to get a report to Captain Pappas."Helena tightened her grip slightly on both handbag and portfolio at the mention of Nikolas Pappas's name. "We'll catch up later, then."Dayan bypassed the line and vanished into the massive, dark-blue belly of the ship."Are you famous?" A little redheaded girl standing in front of Helena looked up at her through inquisitive hazel eyes. "Is that why the man said you don't have to wait in line?"Helena laughed as the girl's parents turned around, obviously a little embarrassed. "No, sweetheart, I'm not famous. I've just done some work on board the ship, so the staff knows who I am. And that's why I can get on in the middle of a cruise like this." The other passengers were simply reboarding from a shore excursion and had been sailing with Alexandra's Dream for a few days already.She didn't feel the need to announce to everyone that her father owned not only the ship but also the cruise line."Oh. Well, even if you're not famous, I like your bracelets." The little girl pointed at them. "They make music."Helena threw the strap of her purse over her shoulder and extended her left arm to let the girl examine the wide stack of hammered-gold bangles. "Thank you. They were a gift from my mother.""Pretty. What did you do on the boat?""Angela, it's rude to ask personal questions," said her mother in an American Southern accent. "You don't even know this lady's name.""My name is Helena, Angela, and it's quite all right." The parents introduced themselves as Connie and George Tripp, from Arkansas. This was the family's first cruise."We're pleased to make your acquaintance," said